After a night of passion, Gu Shenge and Medusa had clung to each other in a fierce, unrelenting embrace, trading blows for several rounds before their battle finally came to an end. They had gone through several pairs of Balenciaga. Even though the Snake-Person Queen was a powerful Dou Zong, she was no match for Gu Shenge and ultimately fell to him.
At dawn, slender rays of sunlight filtered through the palace windows and fell across the bed, as if draping the couple sleeping in each other's arms in a blanket of golden wheat.
Medusa's beautiful, long eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Gu Shenge's handsome, heroic face. Looking down, she noticed the conspicuous hickeys she had left on his neck and collarbone the night before.
Thinking of the passion and wild abandon of the previous night, a blush crept over Medusa's pretty face, and a shy look appeared in her eyes. But it soon faded, and she regained her usual coolness and dignity.
She raised a delicate hand and gently caressed Gu Shenge's chest, murmuring, "Gu, remember what you promised me. If you ever betray me, I'll kill you, even if we both die together."
"Your husband would never betray his beloved wife."
Suddenly, Gu Shenge's voice sounded by Medusa's ear. His hand slipped around her slender, graceful waist, pulling her into his arms and pressing her tightly against his chest, where she could hear his strong heartbeat.
Medusa lifted her head and gazed into Gu Shenge's eyes, filled with affection. Remembering how he had ravished her the night before, she gave a soft huff, slipped out of his embrace, and sat up, turning her smooth, jade-white back toward him. She didn't want to talk to him.
Seeing his wife suddenly get upset and ignore him, Gu Shenge was puzzled. He sat up too, pressed himself against Medusa's jade-like back, and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. He breathed in its faint fragrance and gently stroked her body, teasing her as he softly asked,
"What's the matter, my love? What did I do to upset you?"
Feeling Gu Shenge's little movements, Medusa raised her hand and smacked the hand teasing her. She questioned him coldly,
"Hmph! You tell me. Where's what you promised me?"
Realizing she was upset about the betrothal gifts, Gu Shenge quickly apologized to his wife. "It was my oversight. Please don't be angry, my love."
As he spoke, he let go of Medusa and took out the betrothal gifts for her, Yue Mei, and Hua She'er from the System Space.
The Origin of the Nine-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python, the Origin of the Nine Serenities Earth-Underworld Python, the Emperor-Tier Cultivation Technique, Heaven-Swallowing Treasure Record, the Heaven-Tier Low-Grade Cultivation Technique, Ten Thousand Snakes Devouring Spirit Art, the High-Grade Profound Tier Dou Technique, Wild Snake Spirit Dance, one Heaven Soul Blood-Melting Pill, two Top-Grade Emperor-Breaking Pills, and two Top-Grade Dou Ling Pills.
Gu Shenge pushed the whole pile of betrothal gifts toward Medusa, leaving it to her to decide how to divide them. He hadn't kept a single thing for himself. He had even added an extra Top-Grade Emperor-Breaking Pill for Yue Mei and Hua She'er to share.
"Are you satisfied, my love? I practically emptied my entire treasury to marry you. You'll have to support me from now on."
Medusa didn't believe a word of Gu Shenge's complaints.
"These are the betrothal gifts for Yue Mei and Hua She'er?"
She pointed at the other items, and Gu Shenge nodded, explaining each one to her.
Medusa asked, "The Origin of the Nine Serenities Earth-Underworld Python—who's that for?"
Gu Shenge answered, "Yue Mei."
Seeing that there was no Origin for Hua She'er, Medusa didn't ask about it. She waved her hand and put everything into her Storage Ring.
"My love, we can't waste that Heaven Soul Blood-Melting Pill. We'll have to keep working hard from now on."
As he spoke, Gu Shenge glanced meaningfully at Medusa's smooth, flat stomach and flashed a wicked smile.
Medusa rolled her eyes at him, her expression alluring. She ignored him and got out of bed to dress.
Watching his wife's graceful figure, Gu Shenge leaned back against the bed, feeling thoroughly content. What more could a husband ask for?
As for having children, the more powerful a being was and the more unusual their constitution, the harder it was for them to bear children. Once Medusa fused with the Origin of the Nine-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python and evolved into a Nine-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python, having children would become even harder for them.
Unless they used some kind of secret art.
After Medusa left, Gu Shenge also changed his clothes. He took out the Tier 6 Alchemist Manual he had obtained earlier from the System Space.
The so-called manual was actually the inheritance of a Tier 6 alchemist. It recorded recipes for pills ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 6, along with alchemy techniques and all sorts of detailed instructions.
If a Tier 5 alchemist obtained this manual and studied it diligently, breaking through to Tier 6 in a short time wouldn't be difficult.
However, the requirements for becoming an alchemist were quite strict. First, one had to have a fire attribute, but not pure fire—the fire attribute had to be mixed with a hint of wood. On top of that, one needed a soul perception far beyond that of ordinary people.
As a Solar Sacred Body, Gu Shenge was pure and yang, without the slightest trace of any other attribute. That meant he failed the very first requirement for becoming an alchemist.
But he refused to accept that. Rules were made to be broken.
"Yue Mei."
Gu Shenge called softly. Yue Mei, who had been waiting outside the hall, came in and bowed respectfully.
"What can I do for you, Wang Fu?"
"Nothing in particular. I just wanted you to come out for a walk with me."
Looking at the alluring snake woman before him, he reached out and pinched Yue Mei's charming cheek, then gently stroked her smooth face. He planned to have her and Hua She'er attend him tonight. After all, he had to share his affections around.
Yue Mei nodded obediently and followed Gu Shenge through the Divine Temple, keeping within three steps of him as they wandered.
After leaving her bedchamber, Medusa went to the palace of the Four Great Elders. The First Elder noticed that their queen's gait was a little off. A strange look—and a hint of satisfaction—appeared in her cloudy old eyes.
"Your Majesty, it seems you've already consummated your marriage with Wang Fu. May I ask what betrothal gifts he gave you?"
Medusa took out the Origin of the Nine-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python and the Heaven-Swallowing Treasure Record for the elders to see. The Four Great Elders were stunned. No wonder their queen had been so eager to marry Wang Fu. Who wouldn't be tempted by such lavish betrothal gifts?
"I'm going into seclusion to fuse with the Origin of the Nine-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python. I'll leave the Snake-People Tribe in your hands for now."
"Rest assured as you cultivate in seclusion, Your Majesty. We'll protect the Snake-People Tribe."
The First Elder nodded and told Medusa to focus on her seclusion. Unless a Dou Zong came to attack, the old bones could handle the Dou Emperors of the Jia Ma Empire and Chu Yun Empire.
Besides, the Snake-People Tribe also had the young Dou Emperor Wang Fu, so there was even less to worry about.
The Fourth Elder, who had remained silent until then, spoke up. "Your Majesty, I have a secret recipe that can help you conceive quickly. You could give it a try."
The First Elder and the others chimed in. The Fourth Elder's recipe worked wonders. Quite a few snake women in the tribe who had struggled to conceive had taken it and gone on to become very fertile.
At that, a blush appeared on Medusa's alluring face. She immediately refused in a cold voice. "There's no need. I don't want to get pregnant so soon."
She fled as soon as she had said this. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, the elders would find all sorts of ways to pressure her into getting pregnant.
Watching Medusa flee, the elders smiled with satisfaction. After getting married, their queen seemed to have changed quite a bit. In the past, she would have argued with them until who knew when.
"Second Sister, it looks like you'll have to delay your seclusion."
The Second Elder said this to the First Elder. She nodded. She had planned to take the Top-Grade Sect-Breaking Pill and go into seclusion to break through to Dou Zong, but it seemed she would have to wait a while longer.
Meanwhile, Gu Shenge had run into trouble.
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