The intertwining of ice and fire

Morning sunlight streamed through the window, falling directly across Cao De's handsome profile.

Cao De rolled over to escape the sunlight and went back to sleep.

The door creaked open. Cao De glanced over drowsily, saw Huo Wu dressed in red, and closed his eyes to keep sleeping.

"Master, it's time for your medicine."

A soft voice sounded beside Cao De's ear.

Cao De waved a hand to refuse, but then wondered why Huo Wu's voice sounded different today.

He cracked his eyes open and saw pale blue hair.

Pale blue!

Cao De woke instantly. Looking closely, he saw Shui Bing'er crouching beside his bed with a bowl of medicine in her hands.

"Master, you're awake." Shui Bing'er wore a sweet smile, and her voice was sweeter still.

Cao De was baffled. He had only gone to sleep-what had happened?

"What has gotten into you?" Cao De asked.

Shui Bing'er smiled sweetly. "Master, you've helped us so many times. From now on, my sister and I will serve as your maids to repay you."

Cao De froze, unsure how to respond.

When Cao De remained silent, Shui Bing'er assumed he was refusing. She dropped straight to her knees, her voice soft and fragile. "Master, please accept me. I'll do a good job, I promise."

"Bing'er is wonderful, Master. Please accept her," Huo Wu urged gently from beside them.

Cao De snapped out of his daze and reached out to help Shui Bing'er up. "What are you doing? Get up."

Shui Bing'er dodged his outstretched hand. "Master, if you won't accept me, I won't get up."

Her voice remained soft, but her tone was utterly resolute.

Cao De had no choice but to agree helplessly. "All right, I accept. Now get up."

I never wanted to take on maids. Sigh... but if she's determined to be one, what can I do?

Once Shui Bing'er heard his agreement, she stood and dipped into a slight curtsy. "Shui Bing'er greets her master."

"Master, let me help you dress and wash," Shui Bing'er said softly.

"No, no. You two go eat first," Cao De hastily refused.

He did want the two women to attend to him, but it was morning, and his dragon had already raised its head. He was afraid of frightening them.

"Master, just let Bing'er attend to you. Otherwise, she won't feel right about it," Huo Wu urged.

Helpless, Cao De could only agree. He couldn't very well leave the girl feeling rejected.

Shui Bing'er stepped forward to help Cao De undress. Since this was her first time, her movements were clumsy, and she occasionally brushed against a certain big fellow by accident.

Cao De grew uncomfortable. "Bing'er, be a little more careful."

"Master, I... let me help clear things out for you," Shui Bing'er whispered shyly.

"Huo Wu, take over. I'm tired." Foam spilled from Shui Bing'er's mouth, her voice soft and feeble.

Huo Wu took over Shui Bing'er's work.

Cao De was puzzled. Why hadn't his system sounded? With the two of them in this state, there were still no Emotion Points.

Cao De checked again. There really hadn't been any system notifications, but the intertwining of ice and fire certainly had a flavor all its own.

Cao De finally had his breakfast when it was nearly noon.

Shui Bing'er sat beside him, playing the Guzheng with gentle elegance. Huo Wu stood nearby, refilling his water and serving him food.

"Are you two really not going to eat anything?" Cao De asked again.

The two women shook their heads. "Master, you eat first. Huo Wu and I will just attend to you."

Cao De could only silently enjoy this bliss.

At noon, Cao De returned to the luxurious carriage. After looking it over, he told the coachman to replace it with a larger one.

Cao De boarded the large carriage with the three women and continued toward Star Luo City.

As for the extra girl, she was Shui Yue'er.

Shui Yue'er had also become Cao De's maid. At first, he had firmly refused, but like her older sister, she had knelt and refused to rise.

In the end, Cao De could only agree helplessly.

And just like that, Cao De had three maids attending to him.

Along the way, Shui Yue'er played the Guzheng, Shui Bing'er massaged him and fed him fruit, and Huo Wu read him entertaining illustrated stories.

The coachman outside stole a glance and felt his heart ache. All he could do was lament the world's unfairness.

The carriage rolled slowly onward.

At noon the next day, the carriage suddenly stopped as it reached the Star Luo Empire's border.

A soldier on a warhorse approached the carriage and barked, "Who are you? Get out for a routine inspection."

"I... we..." The coachman was so frightened that he stammered, his entire body trembling.

"Master, I'll go take a look," Shui Bing'er said softly, taking her hands off Cao De's shoulders.

"All right." Cao De nodded.

Shui Bing'er stepped out of the carriage and met the soldier's gaze. Her voice was clear. "We're from Longxing City, heading to Star Luo City."

Looking at Shui Bing'er's face and figure, the soldier instinctively licked his lips, though his voice remained cold. "His Majesty has ordered routine inspections of all passing carriages and travelers."

The soldier continued, "And everyone entering or leaving has to pay a hefty fee. But I'm a kindhearted man, so I'll just conduct an inspection."

As he spoke, the soldier squeezed his horse's flanks, and Shui Bing'er extended a hand.

Whoosh!

A streak of purple light shot out of the carriage. The soldier's arm separated from his body and fell slowly toward the ground.

"Aah!!!" The soldier cried out in pain and tumbled to the ground, clutching his arm and howling helplessly.

At his howl, a dense thunder of hoofbeats immediately rang out. More than a dozen mounted soldiers surrounded the carriage.

Someone immediately dismounted to examine the wounded soldier.

"Commander, they attacked me! They're trying to force their way through!" the soldier howled, clutching his arm.

Just then, Cao De slowly emerged from the carriage.

A mounted man squeezed his horse's flanks, approached the carriage, and spoke coldly.

"I am the commander of the Star Luo Empire's 24th Regiment. You just attacked one of my soldiers. You are now under arrest. Please cooperate."

Cao De ignored him, merely taking a Token out of his system space and tossing it to the commander.

The commander caught it. Upon seeing the Token's shape and markings, his cold, composed, stern expression changed abruptly.

He swiftly dismounted and dropped to one knee, holding the Token up in both hands. "Jace, commander of the 24th Regiment, greets Your Holiness, the Holy Son!"

Seeing their commander's reaction, the other mounted soldiers hurriedly dismounted and paid their respects, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

"Did you say I needed to be arrested?" Cao De asked with a smile.

Kneeling on the ground, Jace lowered his head further and answered in a trembling voice, "N-no."

"Did anyone see what happened just now? Tell your commander about it," Cao De said with a smile.

Someone immediately raised a trembling hand and recounted everything the wounded soldier had done.

The more Jace heard, the colder his heart grew. He dropped onto both knees and said shakily, "Your Holiness, I failed to keep my men in line. Please forgive me."

"I rather preferred that defiant look you had earlier, protecting your own like a beast guarding its young," Cao De said with a smile.

Jace lowered his head further until his forehead touched the ground, not daring to utter a word.

With a wave of his hand, Cao De used Soul Power to draw the Token out of Jace's hands and back into his own, then turned and entered the carriage.

"We'll be heading in, then, Commander Jace," Cao De's voice drifted out of the carriage.

"Yes, of course!" Jace answered immediately, kicking the soldier curled up on the ground out of the way.

"Hurry up and let them through!" the commander roared at his still-dazed subordinates.

The kneeling soldiers sprang into action.

Jace personally led the way. Standing beside the carriage, Shui Bing'er asked, "Commander Jace, why are you inspecting passing vehicles now?"

Since someone accompanying the Holy Son had asked, Jace told her everything he knew.

Shui Bing'er asked a few more questions, and Jace answered each one, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

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