I Still Like You When You Were Defiant

An hour later.

Clack, clack, clack!

Red candles flickered on the gilded platform, their wicks trimmed short and sparks crackling.

"Hah~!"

"I still like you when you were defiant, holding a blade to my neck and threatening me..."

Xu Changsheng stood by the bed, leaning his body slightly forward.

His gaze landed with playful amusement on Ye Luoxue's tense figure, whose white jade spine was arched.

One hand gripped Ye Luoxue's slender, snow-white yet strength-filled waist, while the other lifted her long legs to take off her boots.

"You... Mm..."

Ye Luoxue, this War God of the Northern Frontier and Blood Princess General, had a fiercely proud nature.

Hearing Xu Changsheng's slightly smug banter, she naturally refused to admit defeat and instinctively wanted to retort.

Unfortunately...

At this moment, all the strength in Ye Luoxue's body had been drained, and her jade-like body was as soft as a puddle of water.

Whether it was her forehead, cheeks, or snow-white collarbone, every inch was covered in a layer of fine sweat.

The flickering candlelight spilled over her skin, casting a faint, lustrous sheen...

Like mutton-fat jade, so beautiful it took one's breath away.

She could not even utter a complete sentence, and could only lightly bite her lower lip to keep from crying out those broken sounds.

"Still not convinced?"

Xu Changsheng chuckled again, his gaze dropping to her feet.

Those were a pair of near-perfect jade feet, their skin so translucent that the pale green veins beneath the surface were clearly visible.

Her slender, rounded toes were curling tightly at the moment.

"You..."

Xu Changsheng looked at Ye Luoxue, whose body was thoroughly honest while her expression remained stubborn and refused to show weakness.

He smiled, lowered his head, and gently bit her earlobe.

"Mm!"

In an instant, Ye Luoxue stiffened all over as if struck by lightning.

"Hiss?!"

Xu Changsheng's eyes lit up, and he curiously nipped at her earlobe a few more times.

"You... don't go too far!"

Unable to hold back any longer, Ye Luoxue raised her head and glared at Xu Changsheng, moisture in her eyes, looking both embarrassed and angry.

Seeing that Ye Luoxue was finally willing to speak, Xu Changsheng kept his movements going while asking with curiosity, "I heard from Qi Zhaoyue that your name is Ye Luoxue?"

Ye Luoxue pressed her lips together and turned her head away.

She neither looked at Xu Changsheng nor answered.

"What is your relationship with Qi Zhaoyue?" Xu Changsheng asked again.

Silence still.

"Don't want to say?"

"Mm..."

Xu Changsheng understood in an instant.

It turned out she wasn't unwilling to speak; she was simply too shy to open her mouth, terrified that the moment she did...

Xu Changsheng smiled and shook his head. "You'll get used to it in time. Qi Zhaoyue was just like you at the beginning..."

"Still, I guessed it even without you telling me."

"Judging by the form-fitting battle armor on your body and that Tang saber, you must be Qi Zhaoyue's personal bodyguard, right?"

"And a very high-ranking one at that, otherwise she wouldn't have told you about such important matters concerning me."

Ye Luoxue still bit her lip and said nothing.

"When you come next time, could you bring me some books?"

"Mm?!"

Hearing Xu Changsheng talking about serious business under such circumstances, Ye Luoxue froze slightly and looked at him in confusion.

"Um... wh... what books?"

Xu Changsheng said 'casually', "Nothing too special is needed. History books, or basic introductory books on various physiques, sword intent, and Cultivation Methods will do."

"Oh, right!"

"I heard there is a Star-Picking Tower, and they publish various rankings, like the Rouge Ranking, the Heavenly Pride Heaven Ranking, the Hidden Dragon Earth Ranking, and so on..."

"Those are fine too."

"I'm simply too bored here in the Lotus Grotto-Heaven and want to pass the time."

"Wh... why don't you ask... Her Highness Zhaoyue?"

Xu Changsheng lowered his head, pressed a light kiss to her soft red lips, and laughed as he watched her eyes widen instantly and her expression turn unnatural.

"Don't you think Qi Zhaoyue is too busy? I didn't want to bother her with such trivial matters."

"And as your Highness's bodyguard, shouldn't you share her burdens? If even a small matter like this requires notifying and troubling her, wouldn't it make you look like a useless guard?"

"Do we have a deal?" Xu Changsheng leaned forward with a sudden burst of force. "If you don't agree, I'll just go bother her instead."

"Mm~~~!"

Stretching out her neck, Ye Luoxue tilted her head back and agreed.

After all, all Xu Changsheng wanted were some history and basic knowledge books along with the Star-Picking Tower rankings; it didn't involve any Cultivation Methods.

Besides, her Highness had indeed been very busy lately, not only needing to consolidate her Eleventh-Realm Celestial Person cultivation, but also concerning herself with court affairs, the establishment of the Divine Maiden Sect, and other major matters.

To bother her Highness over such a trivial thing would indeed make her look useless.

"These books... I will bring them for you next time."

"Good."

Joy welled up in Xu Changsheng's heart: military commanders really were easy to fool!

That wicked woman Qi Zhaoyue was as cunning as a ghost.

Xu Changsheng had asked her for books many times, only to be refused every single time.

She was terrified that once he understood this world, he would figure out a way to escape the Lotus Grotto-Heaven.

After all...

A mortal who understood nothing was much easier to control.

Yet Xu Changsheng desperately wanted to read those texts and understand this realm.

He refused to make 'grave mistakes' again simply because he knew nothing about this world.

For a moment, Xu Changsheng was in high spirits.

He lowered his head and once again kissed Ye Luoxue's red lips fiercely.

Ye Luoxue closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling, and her hands wrapped around Xu Changsheng's neck of their own accord.

"Don't you want the essence of the Divine Yang Sacred Physique to cultivate and break through?"

"Take it!"

"Take it all!!!"

Warning! Time begins to accelerate!

Two hours later.

A gentle breeze brushed past the window as the morning sun rose.

Xu Changsheng leaned against the head of the bed, breathing slightly, a fine layer of sweat clinging to his forehead.

Beside him...

Ye Luoxue's long hair was scattered across the pillow, a few strands of stray hair plastered against her cheeks and neck by the sweat.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, her eyes tightly shut, and her lips softly swollen, carrying a hint of moist luster.

Covered by the quilt, she had fallen into a deep sleep.

"Hah!"

Reaching into the brocade quilt, Xu Changsheng felt the softness and elasticity of her skin while silently chanting in his heart to the system:

"System, display the information."

At the most crucial moment when Xu Changsheng was helping Ye Luoxue with her 'cultivation', the Keep-a-Low-Profile System had suddenly popped up an information notification.

In that situation, Xu Changsheng had been in no mood to look at it...

Now that everything was over, he finally had the time to check.

The next second, a pale blue virtual panel materialized out of thin air in Xu Changsheng's mind.

[Name: Ye Luoxue]
[Gender: Female]
[Cultivation: Ninth Realm Dragon Gate]
[Identity: Great Yu Dynasty Hidden Dragon Earth Ranking Fifth Place, Great Yu Rouge Ranking Ninth Beauty]
[Physique: Military Strategist*Blood Divine Physique (Uncompletely Awakened)]
[Copyable: Military Strategist*Blood Divine Physique (S-Grade), Military Formation Command (A-Grade), Lone Star Slashes the Moon*Sword Instruction (A), Killing Aura Domain (C-Grade)...]

(Note: Detected that the target is an intimate first contact, meeting the system reward rules. Rewards the host with one free random copy opportunity.)