Slanted Axe Tower

Within the occupied territory of the Luote Family, inside Outpost Base No. 7.

Luote Vosk sat on a long bench, scrutinizing Chen Beixun.

The two were separated by a desk, which was cluttered with various instruments and sketches.

Luote Vosk swept the items on the desk aside and said sternly, "I cannot guarantee that you will be able to enter that building safely."

The Luote Family was quite a distance from the Slanted Axe Tower. To pass through, one had to rely on the goodwill of other organizations.

"It is of no concern; as long as you can transport me to the region of the Win Pavilion, that will suffice," Chen Beixun said softly. His tone was incredibly calm, as if success were a certainty.

Upon hearing this, Luote Vosk thought to himself, This kid is quite confident.

He spoke up, "Relying solely on your Demon Island Vine is not enough. I will instruct my men to provide you with some weapons, and we can discuss this matter further then!"

He immediately stood up and personally escorted Chen Beixun out, hoping to brush the matter aside.

Chen Beixun was now a man under An Changyan. Luote Vosk had heard of this and did not want to offend her, either directly or indirectly.

"Mr. Vosk, please reconsider," Chen Beixun said, sounding somewhat anxious.

Luote Vosk did not speak; he simply stepped forward, opened the door, and made a gesture for him to leave.

"Mr. Chen Beixun!"

"Please!"

Luote Vosk's expression seemed frozen, his face rigid. He insisted on watching Chen Beixun depart.

Chen Beixun stood before the door, eyes lowered, and after a brief pause, he stepped out.

Chen Beixun walked and stopped along the way, unable to think of any way to enter the Slanted Axe Tower.

"This is very difficult to handle," Chen Beixun took a deep breath, "Perhaps this is a good thing."

"There is no need to gamble with my life."

"I will go back and see what they have to say," Chen Beixun rested his hands behind his head, his gaze as calm as water.

The idea of entering the Slanted Axe Tower was first proposed by Pavadode; An Changyan had supported it. Chen Beixun had originally wanted to refuse, but times were different now. He was working for others, and at most, he would just protect himself when things got dangerous.

Inside the rest cabin of the Machine Race Spaceship.

"He didn't agree?" An Changyan frowned, a faint flush creeping onto her fair, jade-like face.

Chen Beixun shook his head, his face drooping in a look of helplessness. Of course, it was feigned; there was no ripple in Chen Beixun's heart.

An Changyan pursed her lips, her bright, watery eyes glancing toward Chen Beixun.

"You wouldn't happen to be... having problems, would you?" An Changyan said, her words laced with disbelief.

After all, she and Chen Beixun had not yet fully established trust.

Chen Beixun did not speak. He understood that this person, who looked harmless and even a bit foolish, was... her talent points were half-invested in language, and the rest were distributed randomly.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" An Changyan's face lit up with joy, as if she had caught him in a trap.

"Here we go again." Chen Beixun stood up and turned to leave.

An Changyan moved with zero-frame reaction time, her little mouth as sweet as honey.

Chen Beixun sighed, stopped his movement, and slowly turned his head toward An Changyan. Suddenly, he struck, grabbing An Changyan's chin with one hand and lifting it upward.

An Changyan let out a short whimper, instantly recalling the Demon Island Vine.

"No! You..."

Chen Beixun's left hand formed a crane claw, pinching An Changyan's lips and pulling backward.

"Wuwu." An Changyan let out strange hums. Her two small hands clenched into fists, and she struck Chen Beixun's body. The force was so great that the entire room shook.

If not for the protection of the Demon Island Vine, Chen Beixun would have struggled to leave that door.

An Changyan's face was now incredibly pink, like a ripe peach. Her chest heaved slightly.

Chen Beixun broke into a cold sweat, but he still spoke calmly, "Your Highness, Your Highness. Listen to me, please!"

Chen Beixun panted heavily and released his grip on An Changyan's chin.

The atmosphere grew increasingly cold, compounded by the heat of their bodies. It was truly a world of ice and fire...

"Wuwu..." An Changyan struggled violently. Her eyes were filled with coldness as she stared fixedly at Chen Beixun, as if saying, "I could make you a corpse."

"Your Highness!" Chen Beixun leaned his face in close.

The two stared at each other, eye to eye.

An Changyan's gaze flickered, and she shrank her head back delicately. She touched Chen Beixun's hand, signaling him to let go.

Chen Beixun immediately released his hand and took a step back, his face full of smiles.

"Uh... my apologies! Your Highness!"

An Changyan tidied herself up slightly, then said in a low voice, "I have always regarded you as a companion..." Her eyes welled with tears, a picture of pitiful, petite helplessness. It made one feel aggrieved for her.

On the surface, Chen Beixun appeared concerned and regretful, but inwardly he thought, Do you really think I can be bought with a few drops of tears?

"Companions?"

"Two hundred years ago, perhaps that would have applied."

An Changyan was a mess of snot and tears, weeping like a pear blossom drenched in rain.

"Wuu..."

When Chen Beixun first met An Changyan, he had assumed she was a cold, pure, and untouchable beauty.

But this...

An Oscar-winning actor?

"Your Highness, this matter... I truly did my best!" Chen Beixun put on a look of utter helplessness.

An Changyan slightly raised those reddened eyes and sobbed, "I... I'm not blaming you." As she spoke, she reached out a slender, jade-like hand to lightly touch Chen Beixun's.

Suddenly, she recoiled as if struck by an electric shock, her two bright, tear-filled eyes cautiously sizing him up.

An Oscar winner... no, a God-tier actor. Chen Beixun gave her a high internal rating. But he had no choice; he had to play along and see the performance through.

"Your Highness, I will go and try to negotiate once more." Chen Beixun's eyes brimmed with pity as he slowly shifted his body, acting as if he were truly filled with regret.

"No need..." An Changyan scooted to one side, clearing a space. She then pulled up her legs, wrapped her arms around her knees, and curled into a ball. She didn't forget to pat the empty spot beside her.

Chen Beixun felt a hundred kinds of helplessness inside, but if you're going to act, you have to commit to the full set.

"Your Highness." The moment Chen Beixun sat down, An Changyan threw herself at him. Such sudden, proactive behavior—had it been any other hot-blooded young man... he might have already fallen.

"Your Highness?!" Chen Beixun was extremely startled and quickly said, "No, this won't do. This would blur the lines of our relationship."

An Changyan buried her head in his chest and whispered timidly, "Stay with me... for a while."

Chen Beixun let out a sigh. To him, beauties were no different from mere skeletons.

His heart was free of evil or distracting thoughts; he only wanted to cultivate steadily for a period of time. Once his wings were fully grown, he would spread them and embrace the unknown sky.

"Your Highness," Chen Beixun said in a soft, gentle tone.

An Changyan's originally cold and pristine jade face was now flushed with a crimson hue, so rosy it made one's heart soften. Her two almond-shaped eyes, still wet with tears, stared at Chen Beixun in astonishment.

Chen Beixun's expression was warm, like the morning sun. An Changyan had never seen this side of him. From the moment she first met him, her impression of Chen Beixun had been that of a dark, scheming, low-profile thug.

An Changyan's red lips curled slightly. "Chen Beixun, you..." She didn't know how to continue.

"I..." An Changyan's gaze was unfocused and evasive. Could he have developed feelings? she wondered inwardly. Did I go too far? What should I do now?

Surely not.

From the time she was born, only twenty-some years had passed.

These twenty-some years were only about one-fifteenth of Chen Beixun's life. In his eyes, An Changyan was like a child.

One must understand that the women of the Kekumeng Race placed great importance on chastity; their society was generally more conservative than other races. It was normal for her to have some strange ideas.

However, the birth rate of the Kekumeng Race was slightly higher than other human races of the same rank (second-tier bloodline), though not by much.

One could tell from An Changyan's family situation. Including herself, there were nine people in total! And one must know that An Changyan's parents practiced monogamy.

"Do you despise me as your employer?" An Changyan asked in a low voice.

"How could I? I am merely... a bit disappointed in you, Your Highness." Chen Beixun became somewhat bold, pulling An Changyan into his arms and rubbing her soft, pink cheeks with his hand.

He had expected An Changyan to break free, but to his surprise, she was incredibly compliant, acting as submissive as a little kitten.

"Eh?" Chen Beixun was somewhat stunned. "Didn't you say the race was generally more conservative than others?"

"This seems like a bit of a problem..." Chen Beixun felt a wave of panic, his expression freezing into a stiff, iron-gray mask.

I'm done for!

"Hmm?" An Changyan poked her head out from his chest. Seeing Chen Beixun, she let out a giggle. I need to find an excuse to brush this off... I can't let it go on like this.

I'm finished... No, wait, perhaps this is a test, a seduction! A thunderclap seemed to explode in Chen Beixun's mind.

I almost fell for it! Chen Beixun sighed inwardly. As expected of someone from a great family, her acting is superb! What a brilliant scheme, using herself as the bait!

An Changyan rose from Chen Beixun's arms, her hands climbing onto his shoulders. She whispered into his ear, "As long as you can make it to the final round of the Warrior Tournament, I will perform the Rite of Zhou with you."

Good, good! When the scheme fails, she resorts to such a desperate measure. Chen Beixun frowned inwardly, but he boasted loudly, "Don't talk about the final round—I'll make it to the core for you to see!"

His tone was boundless in its arrogance.

An Changyan's face turned even redder, her body trembling slightly. Has he truly fallen for me?

"Let's go for a walk." An Changyan's eyes were seductive as silk, and she even gave Chen Beixun's ear a light nip.

"Ah??" Chen Beixun was completely thrown off. Normally, she should be going with the flow and glossing over this matter!

Chen Beixun walked through the mechanical race's spaceship with a blank expression. An Changyan was by his side, clinging to his arm and staring at him with a doting smile. It made Chen Beixun's skin crawl.

Pavadode: "?"

Pavadode walked toward them and witnessed this scene. He thought to himself, In the time I've been away... things have changed quite a bit.

The atmosphere between the two was, at this moment, rather strange.

"What's the situation?" Pavadode asked Chen Beixun via telepathic transmission.

"I'm not sure either; Her Highness seems a bit... lost," Chen Beixun replied via transmission.

"Haha, I thought you were about to ascend to the throne," Pavadode said, his expression unchanging as he transmitted back.

An Changyan's almond-shaped eyes were filled with infatuation as she looked at Chen Beixun and said, "What's wrong? Didn't you say you wanted to go out for a walk?"

"Big Brother Pavadode and I have some matters to discuss. I'm afraid..." Chen Beixun wore a look of hesitation.

An Changyan revealed a smile and whispered, "Then let's do it next time." She then turned and left.

Seeing her depart, the two men immediately entered the second lounge of the spaceship.

Pavadode and Chen Beixun sat facing each other.

"How did the talks with the Luote Family go?" Pavadode asked.

Chen Beixun's expression turned grave, and he shook his head.

"This." Pavadode's eyes sank.

Chen Beixun looked up, his gaze solemn, "I have a plan."

He then began to explain it to Pavadode in detail.

Pavadode: "Will this work?"

Chen Beixun nodded.

Pavadode: "Alright then."

After speaking, he gave the other man a few brief instructions before hurrying away.

Seeing him leave, Chen Beixun immediately entered the Virtual Universe, wanting to look up information on An Changyan once more.

You are investigating, and naturally, the other party is as well.