The Snow Maiden's Fear

Along the long corridor of the rear palace, two figures walked one after the other.

Snow Maiden walked in front, her long, silvery-white hair cascading down to her waist, her blue and white dress fluttering gently in the morning breeze.

Her pace was somewhat hurried, as if she were avoiding something.

This was naturally because of the woman behind her, who had been scrutinizing her with that unsettling gaze ever since last night.

"Why is little sister walking so fast?"

Tide Enchantress's voice drifted from behind, carrying a hint of lazy amusement.

She wore a long purple dress, her steps unhurried, moving like an elegant cat.

Her raven-black hair draped over her shoulders, and every corner of her eyes and brows was filled with the unique allure of a mature woman.

"Big sister isn't going to eat you."

Snow Maiden did not turn back; instead, she quickened her pace even further.

She did not want to admit it, but she was indeed a little afraid of this woman.

It was not the fear of being harmed, but rather the way this woman looked at her, always making her feel as if she were being stalked by something, leaving her entire body feeling uncomfortable.

Tide Enchantress watched Snow Maiden's hurried back, a meaningful smile curling the corners of her lips.

This little girl was quite interesting.

The two passed through the final palace gate and entered the side hall of the main imperial palace.

The hall doors were left half-ajar.

Tide Enchantress reached out to push the doors open, and then—she stopped.

Snow Maiden, following behind her, peeked inside in confusion, then froze in place.

There were only two figures inside the hall.

On the imperial throne, Yan Lingji was tightly bound by pitch-black tentacles.

Nine snow-white fox tails fanned out behind her, her peach-blossom eyes shimmering with moisture, red lips slightly parted as she let out a low moan.

She was suspended in mid-air, her toes barely touching the ground, the black and red dress on her body already pushed aside, revealing a vast expanse of snow-white skin.

Beside her, Xiaomeng was also entangled by tentacles, her ink-wash style dress in complete disarray, the Qiuli Sword discarded to the side.

That cold, aloof face was now flushed with an unnatural crimson.

She bit her lip, struggling not to make a sound, but her slightly trembling body betrayed her.

Snow Maiden's face turned bright red in an instant.

She spun around abruptly, intending to run, but just as she lifted her foot, a pitch-black tentacle shot out from the hall and coiled around her ankle.

"Ah—!"

Snow Maiden let out a startled cry as she was dragged inside.

Tide Enchantress did not run.

She stood at the entrance, watching the scene within the hall, a strange light flashing in her peach-blossom eyes.

To be honest, the moment she was transported to this world yesterday and saw Yan Lingji and Xiaomeng bound, she knew something like this would happen.

She just hadn't expected it to be... so spectacular.

She had also guessed that such scenes would certainly not exclude her.

However...

A smirk played on her lips as she strolled into the hall, her pace composed.

"Master, this concubine has been very obedient."

Before she could finish, two tentacles reached out from either side and wrapped around her wrists.

Tide Enchantress did not struggle.

She allowed the tentacles to drag her to the side of the imperial throne, even proactively lifting her foot to let another tentacle coil around her ankle.

"You are quite cooperative." Jiang Ce's voice rang out.

"This concubine is Master's mount, after all." Tide Enchantress tilted her head and smiled, her eyes and brows brimming with allure. "If a mount doesn't listen, shouldn't it be slaughtered?"

"Interesting."

Snow Maiden, on the other hand, was not as composed as Tide Enchantress.

After being dragged in by the tentacle around her ankle, she curled into a ball, arms crossed over her chest, her face flushed deep red, her long, silvery-white hair falling forward to cover most of her face.

"Don't... don't touch me..." Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's, trembling.

"I'm not touching you." Jiang Ce's voice carried a hint of teasing. "I'm only using the tentacles to touch your ankle."

Snow Maiden's face turned even redder: "That... that was also just a bump..."

"Fine, let's call it a bump."

Jiang Ce remained noncommittal.

A pitch-black tentacle extended toward Snow Maiden, its tip gently tapping the bridge of her nose.

Snow Maiden's entire body stiffened, her eyes wide and round as she held her breath.

The tentacle did not advance any further.

It merely brushed against the tip of her nose before retracting.

Another tentacle reached out, gently rubbing the top of her head as if petting a startled kitten.

"Don't be afraid." Jiang Ce's voice softened slightly. "I won't eat you just yet."

"Delicacies are meant to be savored slowly."

Snow Maiden bit her lip, remaining silent.

Her body was still trembling, but she was doing better than before.

Nearby, Tide Enchantress's raven-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her long purple dress pushed aside to reveal her fair, slender legs.

The tentacles coiled around those lush, beautiful limbs, causing the snow-white flesh to bulge slightly and spill out from between the coils; the contrast between the pitch-black and the snow-white created a striking, bewitching aesthetic.

She did not struggle, even adjusting her posture slightly to make her bindings more comfortable.

"Master, if you bind me like this, I won't be able to move at all."

Tide Enchantress tilted her head to look at the tentacles wrapped around her, her tone carrying a hint of feigned resentment.

"If you can't move, then just lie there. Watch the show."

"Watch the show?" Tide Enchantress raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Ce did not answer.

But the next second, Tide Enchantress understood exactly what he meant by "watching the show."

Because over where Yan Lingji was, the commotion was growing increasingly intense.

"Master... Master..." Yan Lingji's voice was as soft as melting water, her peach-blossom eyes half-lidded, her nine fox tails lashing wildly behind her, exuding an aura of world-bewitching allure.

Clearly, she had been pushed to her limit by the Phantom Dragon Impact.

Beside her, Xiaomeng bit her lip, struggling to keep from making a sound, but her cold, aloof face was already flushed with a deep crimson, her earlobes red enough to drip blood.

Tide Enchantress watched with great interest. To be honest, she had spent so many years in Nightfall, what kind of erotic scenes hadn't she seen?

But she had truly never seen anything like this.

Especially that Daoist nun named Xiaomeng; she clearly looked cold and unapproachable, a person who kept everyone at a distance.

Yet now, bound to the imperial throne, she couldn't even speak.

The contrast was truly immense.

How interesting.

Snow Maiden was not as composed as Tide Enchantress.

She huddled in the corner, covering her face with her hands, peeking at the scene in the hall through the gaps in her fingers, her heart drumming like a war beat.

She didn't dare to look, yet she couldn't help but want to.

Every time she snuck a glance, she would immediately bury her face back into her hands, her earlobes burning hot.

"Little girl, if you want to look, just look." Jiang Ce's voice carried a hint of mischief. "Peeking is so tiring."

Snow Maiden stiffened, burying her face even deeper: "I... I wasn't peeking..."

"Then why are you covering your face?"

"I... I was thinking about something..."

"Thinking about what?"

"Thinking... thinking..." Snow Maiden stammered, unable to come up with an answer.

A long while passed.

A light, drizzling rain began to fall within the hall, leaving Snow Maiden mortified.

After quite some time, Yan Lingji lay limp on the imperial throne, her nine fox tails splayed out behind her, her peach-blossom eyes half-closed, her face still flushed with a lingering heat.

Xiaomeng leaned against the other side of the throne, eyes closed, her breathing having returned to a steady rhythm, though her earlobes remained red.

Tide Enchantress was still bound, but she wasn't in any hurry; she even felt that being tied up was rather comfortable.

Those tentacles were soft and warm, as if she were being swaddled by something, providing an inexplicable sense of security.

Snow Maiden finally lowered her hands from her face.

Her face was still flushed, but she was much better than before, though her dress was now wrinkled from the tentacles and her hair was scattered in disarray.

"Master..." Yan Lingji's voice carried a hint of languor as she sat up from the imperial throne, smoothing out her disheveled long hair.

"Very well, those people should be just about ready by now; let us go and take a look at those clowns."

Yan Lingji looked up toward the window and stood, her nine fox tails swaying gently behind her as her black and crimson gown draped over her once more, as bewitching as ever.

"Then this concubine shall go and see." She glanced back at Tide Enchantress and Snow Maiden, who were bound beside the throne. "The two of you, do you wish to come along?"

Tide Enchantress's eyes lit up. "Yes."

Snow Maiden hesitated for a moment, then nodded as well.

She, too, wanted to see.

To see how those high and mighty nobles would be paraded through the streets for all to witness.