Revenge

Seeing how nervous and guilt-ridden Xia Xue looked, Chu Xiaotian couldn't help sighing inwardly. This young woman really was far too innocent.

Didn't she know that in this world, there was such a thing as the "self-inflicted wound" ploy? Of course, what he'd done couldn't really be called that. He'd truly stabbed himself, without holding back. And if Xia Xue still didn't believe him, he'd have been perfectly willing to die by her hand.

But since Xia Xue had already believed him, he didn't have to die. In fact, there was no chance that the wound she feared would kill him actually could. Though blood was pouring from it and his face was pale, he could freeze the wound at any time with the frigid Corpse Poison within him and stop the steady flow of blood.

With a faint smile, Chu Xiaotian slowly told her everything he'd done in the forest, leaving out only the fact that he was a zombie. At the end, he took both of Xia Xue's hands in his and gazed at her tenderly. "Xue, there's something I've never told you. I like you. I like you very, very much. I want to stay with you like this forever. Will you say yes?" This was Chu Xiaotian's first confession.

Before, the Corpse Poison inside him had made cultivation impossible. He'd been not only a good-for-nothing, but also a half-human, half-corpse monster. Back then, he knew he wasn't worthy of Xia Xue and didn't dare reveal his feelings. He could only bury his affection for her deep in his heart. But things were different now. He could cultivate, and he'd brought the Corpse Poison under control, making himself a normal person. What was more, his cultivation technique was extremely advanced and could let him cultivate several times faster than other people. With these advantages, he knew he was finally worthy of expressing his feelings to Xia Xue. Add in the misunderstanding they'd just cleared up, and this was the perfect moment to reveal his heart. He'd have been a fool to let it pass.

"I'll say yes, I'll say yes. As long as you're all right, I'll agree to anything you say. Don't say anything else for now. Let me help you inside so we can treat your wound." Chu Xiaotian's words had thrown Xia Xue into such turmoil that she completely forgot how happy she should have been that he could cultivate. She just kept nodding and agreeing, urging him to hurry inside for treatment. Then she helped him up and led him toward her room. A satisfied smile hung on Chu Xiaotian's face as he let her support him inside.

Chu Xiaotian had been living in absolute comfort these past few days. Xia Xue believed that she was the reason he'd ended up like this, so she took care of him with the utmost devotion. She even personally fed him every bite, just like a virtuous young wife caring for her injured husband. Chu Xiaotian thoroughly enjoyed being waited on hand and foot.

After their huge misunderstanding had been cleared up, it hadn't broken their relationship. On the contrary, their genuine physical intimacy had made their feelings grow rapidly amid all those strange emotions. Chu Xiaotian had always been deeply fond of Xia Xue, while Xia Xue, after initially resenting the man who'd been the first to see and hold her entire body, had slowly come to accept him and finally let him into her heart.

Aside from the last barrier between them, Chu Xiaotian and Xia Xue were now almost indistinguishable from a newlywed couple. Chu Xiaotian's favorite thing was teasing Xia Xue while she fed him, then finishing everything she'd made as she scolded him in a flustered, bashful voice. Finally, when Xia Xue wasn't expecting it, he'd kiss her cheek, claiming that he was so overwhelmed with emotion he couldn't help himself.

Whenever Chu Xiaotian did that, Xia Xue could only glare at him with a blushing face before fleeing the room in a panic, so she wouldn't have to hear him tease her again.

Chu Xiaotian loved these days. A silly-looking smile stayed on his face from morning to night. But as he put it, he was more than willing to be a fool like this, and he could spend his whole life like this without ever growing tired of it. Still, that was only a wish. Time flew, and three days passed in the blink of an eye. With Xia Xue's devoted care and the pills specially made to heal injuries, Chu Xiaotian had fully recovered. Other than a scar on his chest, there was no sign he'd ever been injured.

Actually, Chu Xiaotian had wanted to pretend he was still injured for another couple of days so he could enjoy Xia Xue's care a little longer. Unfortunately, the pills he'd taken had all been made by Xia Xue herself, and she knew exactly how effective they were. His plan fell through.

"Little Xue, you've looked after me for three days. Today, your big brother Xiaotian's going to treat you properly. I'm heading out to get you something tasty." Early on the fourth morning, Chu Xiaotian came out of the room with Xia Xue and stretched. Grinning, he leaned toward her and spoke softly. Before she could reply, he stole a kiss on her cheek. By the time she came to her senses, he was already at the valley's exit. He darted away and vanished, leaving her to stamp her foot in frustration.

This time, Chu Xiaotian didn't just bring back some ordinary wild animal. He went deep into the forest and caught a first-rank catlike monster. Xia Xue had told him that monsters tasted far better than ordinary beasts. Most people wouldn't dare hunt them because they were so powerful. Chu Xiaotian didn't care about that. Even when he couldn't cultivate, he'd managed to kill a first-rank Fire Lizard. Now that he could cultivate and his strength had risen greatly, why would he fear those monsters? Though the catlike monster wasn't large, it was astonishingly fast and terrifyingly strong. One careless move could cost him his life, and Chu Xiaotian had to put in quite a bit of effort to catch the little beast.

"Ha ha ha, you little slut! Where's that boy? Did he leave you here and run off by himself?" Inside the valley where Xia Xue lived, two tower-like burly men blocked the entrance. As Xia Xue backed away, their eyes flashed with lechery. They roared with laughter as they advanced on her. They were none other than the Cheng brothers, Cheng Dahu and Cheng Erhu, who had clashed with Chu Xiaotian in Greenwood Town and been badly injured by Ba Dao. So many days had passed that their wounds had long since healed. Now they'd come to take revenge on Chu Xiaotian and Xia Xue.

The place where Xia Xue lived wasn't especially secluded. Plenty of people in Greenwood Town knew about it. But they respected her and wouldn't visit without her permission. The Cheng brothers were bent on revenge, so finding where Xia Xue lived hadn't been difficult.

"What are you trying to do? I'm an Alchemist. Don't do anything reckless. It won't do you any good!" Xia Xue backed away, speaking in alarm. She had to admit that she was afraid of these two men who'd suddenly barged in. After all, she was a helpless young woman all alone here. How could she possibly be a match for them? Besides, she wasn't stupid. She knew they hadn't come here for anything good. She tried to use her status as an Alchemist to intimidate them, but seemed to have forgotten that they'd known who she was from the start. If they'd dared to come anyway, why would they care whether it benefited them or not?

"Hmph. What are we trying to do? What do you think we're trying to do? That boy who's with you crippled both our third brother's hands and got us badly injured by that bastard Ba Dao. We're here to take a little something back from you two. But since that boy isn't here, we'll start by taking a little something from you. Once we've got you in our hands, that boy will be even easier to deal with." Cheng Erhu's face darkened as he looked at Xia Xue and snorted.

"That's right. You may be an Alchemist, but you're a woman too. Tell me, if we make you ours, who'll come looking for trouble with us then? And what kind of expression will that boy have? Ha ha ha! Do you think he'll come and fight us to the death, or turn around and run?" Cheng Dahu wasn't as vicious as his younger brother, but he was even more malicious.

"Despicable! I'd rather die than let you get your way!" Xia Xue's face was full of fury, but she'd already resolved that if it came to that, she would never stay alive.

"Heh. You'd rather die than let us get our way. But what if you couldn't die even if you wanted to? That'd be a different story." Cheng Dahu gave a sinister chuckle. In an instant, he vanished. Before Xia Xue could react, he was right in front of her. He swept out a hand, scattering a cloud of yellow powder that engulfed her.

"Heh. We went to a lot of trouble to get our hands on this stuff. It's called Bone-Softening Powder. How does it feel? Can't move a muscle, can you? Go ahead, try killing yourself. Let's see if you can." Cheng Dahu stood a short distance in front of Xia Xue, whose face had gone pale. He wore a sinister grin, and his eyes held undisguised lust.

"You..." Xia Xue's face was pale. She managed to say only one word before her body crumpled to the ground. Bone-Softening Powder was indeed extremely potent. She couldn't even kill herself now, let alone speak.

Cheng Dahu's grin widened as he walked toward Xia Xue, then slowly crouched beside her. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a beauty. I never thought that in my lifetime, I, Cheng Dahu, would get to enjoy a woman like you. This life's been worth living!" His gaze roamed shamelessly over Xia Xue, thick with lust. He was practically drooling. At the same time, his hairy paw reached for her sash.