Chapter 44

Sister Sister Azhu smiled and said, "Sister Sister Abi's singing has always been the finest in Taihu; well now, no one will dare listen to her sing anymore."

Sister Sister Abi hastily corrected her, "It's not like that! As long as I don't choose someone as my target, listening to my singing won't cause any harm."

Sister Sister Azhu naturally knew all this; she was merely teasing Sister Sister Abi on purpose.

She was very curious about the "Emerald Dragon Scale" and extended a finger to touch it, only to be repelled by an invisible force.

"It seems this dragon scale has recognized its master; apart from Sister Sister Abi, no one else can use it," Wang Wang Wang Yuyan and Sister Sister Azhu realized.

With a mere thought from Sister Sister Abi, the "Emerald Dragon Scale" sank into her brow and vanished from sight.

[Heaven-Slaying Sword-Draw Art (Heavenly Art): Entry Level (3100/**

After adding 500 martial arts experience points, Jiang Sishui put away his diary and prepared to sleep.

Just as he was drifting between wakefulness and sleep, he suddenly heard noisy commotion outside.

Jiang Sishui instantly jolted awake, got up, went out the door, and proceeded to investigate the situation.

However, just as he reached the central courtyard, he bumped straight into Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying.

Jiang Sishui stepped forward, took her hand naturally, and asked, "Zhao Zhao Qiying, what is happening up ahead?"

Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying offered no resistance; smiling, she replied, "I was just about to tell you. A group of travelers passed through here and also came in to stay for the night. Father has already gone to negotiate with them; there is no major issue, so you need not worry."

Hearing this, Jiang Sishui nodded and felt relieved.

Zhao Zhao Tianhao was an old hand in the martial world; he naturally knew how to handle affairs with proper judgment, so he certainly did not need some inexperienced youth like him to offer unsolicited advice.

With the moon bright and stars sparse, tree shadows cast upon the ground, the moonlight illuminated Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying's jade-like face, making it radiate with brilliant beauty and an indescribable purity that seemed detached from the mortal realm, causing Jiang Sishui's heart to stir involuntarily.

Moreover, they were currently alone together, a man and a woman...

He could not help but pull Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying into his embrace, his voice low and gentle yet brimming with affection: "Zhao Zhao Qiying..."

Feeling Jiang Sishui's rising body heat and his slightly hurried breathing, how could Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying not understand his intentions? Her heart immediately became flustered.

Just as she hesitated whether to push Jiang Sishui away, a voice approached from afar: "Eldest Sister? Eldest Sister?"

"It's Zhao Zhao Mengjiao!"

Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying suddenly came to her senses, pushed Jiang Sishui away forcefully, and said, "You should go rest now; later... later there will be plenty of time."

With that, without waiting for Jiang Sishui to reply, she turned and hurried away.

Jiang Sishui stood rooted to the spot with a darkened face: "Zhao Zhao Zhao Mengjiao, why do you have to appear everywhere! Once I take Zhao Zhao Qiying away from the Central Plains Escort Agency, I never want to see you, this perverted woman, again!"

In truth, even if Zhao Zhao Zhao Mengjiao had not appeared, Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying probably would not have agreed to take that final step anyway; Jiang Sishui was well aware of this.

Yet having his good fortune ruined before it even began still left him thoroughly dissatisfied.

Carrying a belly full of gloom, Jiang Sishui turned and headed back to his room.

As he walked through the rear courtyard, nearing the doorway, a low moan resembling sleep-talking drifted over; Jiang Sishui halted his steps, a flash of vigilance and suspicion crossing his eyes.

He turned his head toward the source of the sound and listened carefully.

Although the voice was faint and seemed to be suppressing something with great effort, it was definitely not an illusion.

After a moment's hesitation, Jiang Sishui gripped his sword hilt with his right hand, containing his sword intent without releasing it, and advanced slowly.

Turning a corner, he was startled to see someone lying on the grass ahead.

It was a white-clad young maiden with hair like flowing clouds, delicate and beautiful.

Under the moonlight, Jiang Sishui could clearly see that exquisite face, which was in no way inferior to Wang Wang Wang Yuyan's, causing his heart to tremble instantly.

"Who is this? Bai Bai Bai Feifei? Ningxiang? Or Shui Shui Furong?"

Looking at that familiar face, three names instantly flashed through Jiang Sishui's mind.

He was uncertain which one she was, but her condition seemed decidedly abnormal.

Her black hair was disheveled, her skin flushed, her forehead covered in fragrant sweat, and her cherry lips panting softly; her entire being seemed overheated and distressed, yet she was desperately suppressing something.

This appearance felt somewhat familiar...

As he thought, Jiang Sishui's mind suddenly exploded as if struck by lightning on a clear day.

Damn it, could she have been poisoned by an aphrodisiac?!

Isn't this a classic plot from novels?

What virtue or capability do I, Jiang Sishui, possess, that one day I should actually stumble upon such tremendous luck?

Could it be that my fate tonight is entangled with romantic blossoms?!

Jiang Sishui's heart began pounding uncontrollably.

Especially seeing the white-clad maiden suffering so agonizingly and looking so pitiful, his feet moved forward involuntarily.

At this moment, Jiang Sishui's inner self fell into a fierce struggle.

Should he call others over and ask them for an antidote?

Or should he make himself the antidote and feed it to her?

According to emotion and instinct, as a normal man, and moreover a lecherous one, Jiang Sishui naturally wanted to choose the second option!

But he still retained a sliver of rationality, knowing that this would indeed smack of taking advantage of someone in distress.

In this era, many women valued chastity extremely highly; once lost, they might very well seek death or cause a scene.

Yet asking him to give it up... Jiang Sishui truly found it incredibly difficult to part with.

"Damn it, if Heaven offers a gift and you do not take it, you will suffer retribution instead! When something is delivered right to your door, what reason is there to let it go?"

"A beast or worse than a beast? Since when have I become such a paragon of virtue? Why the hell should I act like Liu Liu Xiahui!"

"Jiang Sishui, oh Jiang Sishui, given this opportunity, don't you dare fail! At worst, after the fact, I'll just dote on her, love her, and treat her with utmost care!"

A little voice inside kept shouting, and although Jiang Sishui's outstretched hand trembled continuously, he still dared not let it fall.

Ultimately, this was his first time in two lifetimes experiencing such a situation; his heart was already extremely nervous, and coupled with the good education he received in his previous life, although he desperately wanted to act, he simply could not bring himself to do so.

Just as Jiang Sishui was parched with thirst and hesitating, the white-clad maiden, suffering from the aphrodisiac poison, seemed to sense the robust masculine aura beside her and could no longer endure.

Like dry firewood meeting fierce flames, her suppressed emotions erupted like a flood bursting through a dam!

The girl in white drew strength from who knows where, surged upright, and threw herself directly into Jiang Sishui's arms.

With soft jade and warm fragrance in his embrace, her delicate head rubbing constantly against his chest, Jiang Sishui's moral defenses, already on the verge of snapping, collapsed completely.

This time he did not hesitate; he simply scooped the girl in white into his arms by the waist and rushed into the room.

The door closed, shutting away a room full of vivid sensuality.

……

It was like living through a long, frenzied beautiful dream, making one wish to sink into it forever and never wake.

The next day, Jiang Sishui was woken by Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying.

When he opened his eyes, the space beside him was already empty.

Gazing at the bare room, Jiang Sishui, his mind gradually clearing, felt a slight daze in his eyes, unable to distinguish reality from dream.

Suddenly, his gaze hardened; he reached out and picked up two tender green maple leaves from the bedding.

Jiang Sishui stared at them blankly for a long while, then carefully tucked them against his body as a precious treasure.

As he rose to tidy the bedding, he suddenly noticed one spot was damp.

Something stirred in Jiang Sishui's heart; fragments of memory flashed through his mind, and an involuntary gentle smile touched his lips. Then he folded it neatly and put it away.

When he went out and saw Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying, a pang of guilt rose in his heart.

Though Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying was not his greatest love, she was, after all, his first love; their affection was still burning hot, yet last night he had actually been with another woman...

Still, he did not dwell on it too much; after all, such things were bound to happen sooner or later, for his heart had never been locked onto a single person.

But women are born sensitive, especially clever women.

After the meal, Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying vaguely felt that Jiang Sishui was treating her even better today, utterly solicitous and protective.

Yet this was, after all, a good thing, so she did not think too much of it.

The group that had taken lodging here in the middle of the night yesterday departed at first light, so Jiang Sishui did not see them.

And according to Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying, that band of unknown origin consisted entirely of women, and from their demeanor, they seemed to be searching for someone.

"Searching for someone?" Jiang Sishui's brows knitted; unease stirred in his heart.

Yet the beloved was gone, her traces faint and distant; with no leads and no cultivation to his name, he could do nothing about it.

For now, he could only silently pray for her.

This was the eighth day Jiang Sishui had kept his diary.

After a week of arduous travel, Lianxing finally arrived in Shuzhou.