The Mysterious Silver-Haired Woman Arrives

"Why does this taste so strange..."

Zhao Linchuan glanced at the half-full cup of orange juice and casually set it on the bedside cabinet.

Then he looked at Xiao Wu again and asked curiously:

"Why are you dressed up so prettily this late at night?"

"Are you going shopping with Zhuqing?"

"You'll find out soon enough..."

Xiao Wu replied somewhat guiltily, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over Zhao Linchuan's face.

"Brother?!" Xiao Wu cried out in alarm.

In just a few seconds, Zhao Linchuan's entire face turned crimson. Veins bulged one by one across his forehead, as though something beneath his skin were surging violently.

He only felt unbearably thirsty, his lips dry and his throat as if it had been scorched by flames.

Instinctively, he reached out, picked up the orange juice again, and drained it in one gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, but instead of extinguishing the fire raging within him, it was like pouring oil onto it.

The instant that cup of orange juice went down, his whole body seemed to ignite.

A savage current of heat erupted from within him, charging through every limb and bone with unstoppable force.

His reason was being devoured bit by bit, his consciousness growing hazier by the moment. He was like a frenzied beast, liable to lose control at any time.

"Xiao Wu... what did you make me drink?"

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Linchuan clutched the bedsheets tightly with both hands. He was doing everything he could to restrain himself, but that overwhelming force was simply beyond his ability to resist.

"Brother, I'll help you."

Xiao Wu did not dare answer. Lowering her head and biting her lip, she walked straight up to Zhao Linchuan, dropped to her knees, and knelt before him.

She took a deep breath. Just as she raised her head to act, her body stiffened as if struck by lightning.

"G-Good heavens... wh-what am I supposed to do..."

"It's already as thick as my arm... I can't 'hold' it... How am I supposed to swallow that..."

"Xiao Wu!"

Zhao Linchuan's voice no longer sounded human. His pupils were filled with bloodshot veins, and when his gaze fell on Xiao Wu, it burned as though it could scorch through anything.

He raised a hand and reached toward Xiao Wu. Yet just as his fingertips were about to touch her, Zhao Linchuan suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck. His outstretched arm dropped limply, and his body went slack against his will.

"Th-The Sovereign..."

Xiao Wu stared in panic at the silver figure who had suddenly appeared behind Zhao Linchuan.

"Didn't I tell you to take good care of him?" The Silver-Haired Woman raised a brow, shifting her gaze from Zhao Linchuan to Xiao Wu's face. "Is this how you take care of him?"

"Th-The Sovereign, please stop talking." Xiao Wu's voice carried a sob as she pointed at Zhao Linchuan on the bed. "I... I have to 'cure his poison,' or he might 'die from exploding.'"

The Silver-Haired Woman's gaze fell on that spot, and her brows furrowed slightly.

"What are you planning to use to cure his poison?" Her tone carried a hint of "wariness." "Step back at once!"

"I..."

Xiao Wu still wanted to say something. Her lips moved twice, but before the words could leave her mouth, the Silver-Haired Woman silenced her with a single glance.

With no other choice, Xiao Wu could only lower her head, bite her lip, and shuffle dejectedly toward the door.

When she reached the doorway, she suddenly gathered her courage and said urgently:

"The Sovereign... his, his 'neck' is rather sensitive..."

With that, she yanked open the door and fled as though escaping for her life. The door slammed shut behind her with a bang.

After Xiao Wu left, the room fell silent.

The Silver-Haired Woman stood beside the bed, looking down at Zhao Linchuan.

He was already close to "bursting." Even unconscious, his brows remained tightly furrowed, as though he were enduring immense pain.

The Silver-Haired Woman fell silent for a moment, then sighed helplessly. Bending down, she reached out and lifted Zhao Linchuan into her arms.

She laid him straight on the bed, letting him lie flat, then reached out to smooth the loose strands of hair scattered over his forehead.

"This idiot," she muttered. "I'd originally planned to wait until he reached Soul Sage rank before coming to harvest his essence..."

She shook her head and reached up to untie the straps of her silver gown.

The dress slipped from her shoulders and silently pooled at her feet. Moonlight fell across her body, dyeing every inch of skin silver-white.

Her figure was so perfect that it seemed inhuman, every line as if measured by the Creator with a ruler—not a fraction too much, not a hair too little.

The Silver-Haired Woman raised a knee, slowly climbed onto the bed, and sat astride him.

"Hmm—"

A muffled groan slipped from her lips. She bit her lower lip, her brows knitting slightly.

After taking a moment to adjust, she slowly began to move atop him.

Outside the door.

Xiao Wu pressed her ear tightly against the door, nearly flattening herself against it.

Her face was full of lingering fear. If her Sovereign had not come today, she alone would never have been able to cure Zhao Linchuan's poison. It had nearly led to a disaster.

"The Sovereign, you have to be gentle with my brother..."

She murmured softly, her ear still pressed firmly to the door as she tried to hear what was happening inside.

Inside the room, the Silver-Haired Woman frowned slightly and glanced toward the door. She gave a soft snort through her nose.

She raised one hand, and a gentle light flickered from her fingertips. A soundproof barrier silently spread out, separating the inside and outside of the room into two different worlds.

"Why did it suddenly go quiet?"

Xiao Wu pulled her ear away and stared doubtfully at the closed door, her brows knotted tightly together.

"Has the Sovereign already finished?"

After hesitating for a moment, she reached out and slowly opened the door.

Only a crack. Just the tiniest crack.

Yet the sight spilling through that narrow gap instantly made her blush furiously, as though someone had thrown a basin of boiling water across her face.

Xiao Wu's pupils trembled as if in an earthquake. Her fingers twitched, and the door slammed shut again with a bang.

She turned around and leaned against the door. Her back pressed against the cold panel, but her chest felt as though it were on fire.

"As expected of the Sovereign..." she muttered. "She can actually take it..."

She slowly crouched down, wrapped her arms around her knees, and curled herself into a ball.

"It's all my fault..."

"Today, I'll stay here and stand guard for them..."

Seven days later, outside Peony Garden.

Tang San sat somewhat haggardly at a table in a tea stall. The tea before him had gone cold long ago, yet he had not taken a single sip.

Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, his clothes were wrinkled, and he looked as though he had not slept properly in seven or eight days.

He had been keeping watch here for a full seven or eight days. During the day, he watched Peony Garden's main entrance. At night, he holed up in the small inn across the street, leaving a crack in the curtains and staring unblinkingly at the gate.

Yet throughout those seven or eight days, he had not even caught a glimpse of Zhao Linchuan and the others.

The three of them seemed to have vanished from the world. Once they went inside, they never came out again.