"How about the king putting on a little show for you and letting you enjoy yourself~~"
Zi Ji narrowed her eyes, the corners tilting up in a dangerous curve.
Qin Jiuxiao wanted nothing more than to say yes, but in the face of reality, he sensibly lowered her beautiful legs.
A wise man knew when to yield.
He composed himself, closed his eyes, and began focusing on his cultivation again.
Seeing him like this,
Zi Ji's lips curled, and her playful side took over.
She hooked off her high heels with her jade feet and tossed them aside, then laid her beautiful legs in Qin Jiuxiao's lap of her own accord. Her toes, smooth as polished jade, occasionally brushed against his chest.
Resting her chin in her hand, she wore a teasing smile, curious to see how long this man could keep his composure.
But Qin Jiuxiao paid her no mind at all and showed no intention of opening his eyes.
When I'm interested in you, you're my darling. When I'm not, you could wear next to nothing and it still wouldn't work.
After teasing him for a while, Zi Ji felt a little bored and slowly fell asleep inside the carriage.
Her jade feet remained in Qin Jiuxiao's lap. The two of them settled into silence in the cramped space, in a strange yet harmonious scene.
The carriage continued on its way, and the night passed in the blink of an eye.
"Young master, we've reached Heaven Dou City. We'll arrive at the imperial palace in another half hour."
Yan Shi's voice rang out from outside the carriage.
At that, Qin Jiuxiao ended his cultivation and slowly opened his eyes, exhaling a breath of stale air.
He was just about to draw back the curtain for some fresh air when he noticed that his body felt rather heavy.
He turned his head.
Most of Zi Ji's body was leaning against him, her long purple-black hair spilling from her shoulder and covering half her chest.
The neckline of her long dress hung half open, offering a glimpse of her alluring curves.
"This woman seemed aloof and temperamental yesterday. I didn't expect her to look so cute when she was asleep."
Qin Jiuxiao pinched Zi Ji's cheek. Her skin was smooth and soft, pleasant to the touch.
Zi Ji's brows knitted slightly, as if she sensed something.
Qin Jiuxiao immediately pulled his hand away and pretended nothing had happened.
But after a few breaths, Zi Ji still hadn't woken up.
Qin Jiuxiao's eyes lit up. He pinched her nose again, then quickly withdrew his hand.
"Stupid fish... don't bite the king's nose..."
Zi Ji mumbled in her sleep, smacking her lips as if she were eating something delicious.
Qin Jiuxiao grinned, growing ever more brazen.
He pinched her bright purple lips and kneaded them, the corners of his mouth slowly rising.
"So much for the Hell Demon Dragon King. You're still at my mercy, letting me do whatever I want."
"Little Zi Ji, you're nothing special!"
But in the next instant, he felt a gaze as cold as ice.
Qin Jiuxiao stiffly raised his head and met Zi Ji's slowly opening eyes.
He gave an awkward laugh and said sheepishly, "If I said I was just worried you'd drool on me, would you believe me?"
The only reply was Zi Ji's cold laugh.
The carriage immediately erupted into chaos, the commotion nearly flipping it over.
Yan Shi struggled to keep the carriage steady, occasionally glancing back toward the curtain, his eyes full of admiration.
"As expected of the young master. He's already won over a powerful female Titled Douluo!"
"That's quite a racket for so early in the morning!"
"Young people really do have it good!"
The carriage soon entered the imperial palace and stopped at the entrance.
Yan Shi brought the carriage to a halt, then turned and respectfully called through the curtain:
"Young master, we've arrived at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace."
The fierce commotion inside the carriage finally subsided.
After hurriedly tidying himself up, Qin Jiuxiao slowly stepped out of the carriage.
He looked fine at first glance, but a closer look revealed dark circles around both eyes.
Fortunately, his body healed quickly, so they weren't very noticeable.
"Uncle Yan, thanks for all your hard work on the way here. Go find a hotel and get some proper rest."
"I can go in by myself from here."
Qin Jiuxiao took out a bag of Gold Soul Coins and handed it to Yan Shi.
Yan Shi accepted the bag and glanced toward the carriage, looking uncertain.
"Young master, that lady..."
Before he could finish, the curtain was lifted again.
Zi Ji had changed into a loose-fitting blue-green dress. Her figure and looks remained flawless.
She looked at Yan Shi with disdain, her red lips parting.
"I'll protect him from now on. You can leave."
Yan Shi felt a chill under her gaze and immediately remembered being sent flying with a single move. He couldn't help shuddering.
He nodded repeatedly. "I'll leave right away. I won't disturb you and the young master."
With that, he fled down the street as if running for his life.
"Look at you scaring him so badly he sprinted off."
Qin Jiuxiao shot her a sidelong glance, only to get a cold laugh from Zi Ji in return.
"He was just too weak. What's that got to do with me?"
"And we're not done with what happened today!"
"If you hadn't used the power of the Lightning Tribulation, I would've been afraid of attracting the Ferocious Beasts' Heavenly Tribulation. How could you have suppressed me otherwise? Just you wait!"
Zi Ji's words were gritted through clenched teeth, as if Qin Jiuxiao had done something unspeakable to her.
"Heh."
Qin Jiuxiao wiped the corner of his mouth, where a patch of skin had been bitten open and blood was beginning to seep out.
He had only guessed that the power of the Lightning Tribulation might be able to suppress Zi Ji.
He hadn't expected her to be so afraid of it.
Despite possessing such formidable strength, she had ended up in his hands, and he'd gotten to enjoy a little taste of victory.
"Heh, little Zi Ji, you know how impressive I am now, right? Be a little more respectful to me from now on."
With that, Qin Jiuxiao shoved his hands into his pockets and strode into the imperial palace.
Zi Ji clenched her fists. If not for her master's orders, she would have shown this man just how terrifying the Hell Demon Dragon King could be.
How dare he treat her like that!
Zi Ji wiped her red lips and gave a soft snort before following him. Each step of her high heels cracked the paving stones beneath her feet.
Apparently, she'd chosen to take her anger out on the ground instead of Qin Jiuxiao.
"Please inform His Highness the Crown Prince that Qin Jiuxiao has come as promised."
Qin Jiuxiao arrived before one of the palace buildings and cupped his hands toward a maid.
Seeing that he was dressed splendidly and clearly no ordinary person, the maid didn't dare neglect him. She immediately asked Qin Jiuxiao to wait a moment in the garden.
She went in to deliver the message.
Zi Ji stood beside him with her arms folded, looking icy and aloof.
As they strolled through the garden, Qin Jiuxiao looked around.
"Zi Ji, can you sense any hidden experts nearby?"
"Are there two Titled Douluo?"
Qin Jiuxiao's question made Zi Ji's brows crease slightly. She closed her eyes and carefully sensed the area.
A moment later, she looked at Qin Jiuxiao in surprise.
"How did you find them? They were very well hidden. I wouldn't have noticed them if you hadn't pointed it out."
Qin Jiuxiao gave her a mysterious smile.
"That's a secret. Otherwise, why do you think my master thinks so highly of me?"
"Hmph. I think you just got lucky."
Zi Ji snorted and turned away, but her expectations of Qin Jiuxiao had grown a little.
This man was quite cautious.
She'd already put the little incident in the carriage behind her.
Just as they were waiting for the maid to deliver the message,
a dashing, spoiled-looking figure approached them from afar.
It was the Fourth Prince, Xue Beng.
"Well, when did such a beautiful woman come to the imperial palace?"
"Boy, this beauty isn't someone you can have. Hand her over to me, and this prince won't hold it against you!"
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