A belly full of anger deflated at his reminder. Baihe blinked a few times, recalling the incident where she nearly got sliced by those lasers in the last trap room of the imperial treasury vault; at that last second, a colossal force had blast her through the walls, saving her from turning into human minced meat.

During that time, Baihe met this lofty man on top of a roof and had suspected him to be her savior. He had pressed her beneath him just like now except in a much more ambiguous position. Her snowy white skin turned a scarlet shade of red as Baihe reminisced about their first encounter.

Seeing the change in the woman beneath him, a roguish smile slowly appeared on the corner of Fenglong’s mouth. That beautiful reddish tint blossoming on her fair skin gave him the sudden impulse to do something out of character. Fenglong lowered his gaze to her full lips, studying them with an intensity that was enough to made Baihe squirm under him.

At once, Baihe noticed her mistake and instantly stopped moving, but it was too late. She saw how his eyes darkened and felt something hard pressed against her thighs. The next moment, warm lips seared into hers. The touch seemed to have electrified Baihe, bristling every cell in her body.

Fenglong sucked her lower lip, his wicked tongue scraped against her teeth gently before he deepened the kiss. His masculine scent assailed her nose, befuddling her mind as he kissed her like no man she’d ever known.

There was a rawness to him, an earthy sensuality that bordered on barbaric. The imprint of his lips burned into her flesh, giving Baihe the distinctive feeling of being claimed like a mate. The heat from his body burned through her clothes and a cranky feeling arose in her.

It was as if Baihe’s body were on fire, strung up tight without an outlet. Her hands moved into his hair, drawing him closer. Baihe saw fireworks exploding behind her close lids. She felt his hard shaft grew against her thigh; the simple action ignited their passion and her lower body began aching.

Then, it was gone. Baihe opened her eyes — daze and disoriented.

Fenglong watched her flushed face with rosy red cheeks. She looked lost as she touched her swollen cherry lips, her eyes lethargic and hazy from the aftermath. She looked so adorable that he wanted to ravish her again, but then he won’t be able to stop this time.

Baihe turned toward the cave entrance where the man stood. He’d bolted from her out of nowhere, leaving behind a sense of loss. Dark eyes sparkled with sapphire gems gazed back at her. When he spoke, his voice was low and magnetic like a cello, plucking at her heart strings.

“Consider that as my reward for saving you the first time. You still owe me another, which I will claim in the near future.”

With those words, Fenglong disappeared from the cave entrance before Baihe could rebuke his claims; his promise echoing in the small abode. Baihe cursed under her breath; the same cranky feeling arose once more, leaving her frustrated with an unsatisfied aching.

Carrying a new set of robe, Xiao Bao entered the cave; hearing angry words coming out of her Eldest Miss in another weird language, Xiao Bao frowned. Although she couldn’t understand what was being said, Xiao Bao knew it wasn’t anything good judging from Baihe’s tone.

“Eldest Miss, allow me to help you change into a new set of robe,” Xiao Bao announced cautiously.

Since that funeral day, her Eldest Miss had been acting very weird. Her temperament and aura changed completely; almost like a different person. Most importantly, Xiao Bao would even hear her mumble in a foreign language from time to time, frightening her to no end. Deeply worried that her Eldest Miss might have been possessed by a vengeful spirit, Xiao Bao trended carefully around Baihe.

“No need, I can change myself,” Baihe rejected. “What is the current situation?”

At that question, a proud smile bloomed on Xiao Bao’s face. “Eldest Miss, you won gloriously in the Feng Martial Tournament! Everyone is talking about you and the mighty phoenix! With this, many marriage proposals will come your way. Prince Zhao might even take you back and you’ll no longer have to worry about the second half of your life.”

Dumbfounded, Baihe stared at her maid. What kind of shits were they teaching the people in this world? No longer have to worry about the rest of her life if she married? Bullshit! All those TV dramas clearly depicted how many poor victims and concubines died in the inner courtyard due to the schemes of the women as they fought over the same husband.

Once they lose favor with the man, the women lived a life of depression under constant bullying and oppression. Baihe scoffed. What kind of life is that? It was much better to depend on yourself; no one is more reliable than yourself.

Looking at Xiao Bao, Baihe felt the need to re-educate her, but not when she was still suffering from pent-up sexual frustration.

“Here is the mermaid pearl necklace you’ve won. Will Eldest Miss be participating in the second half of the Feng Martial Tournament? Those who pass will be able to grab a spot for the World Martial Event!” Xiao Bao said, excitement buzzing in her voice.

Baihe ruminated over the prospect of participating, but recalling how Eunuch Gong had chased after her on the order of Emperor Feng, she quickly dismissed the idea. Her debut had sent big waves into motion and many eyes coveted her phoenix. Right now, her strength was still mediocre. Until she was able to stand up to those powers, it was best to avoid contact with them.

“Don’t worry about that for now. Xiao Bao, if you wish to continue following me, it’s best if you start cultivating,” Baihe answered while handing over the two manuals to her maid. “I’ve finished reading these already, use them as your guide.”

Xiao Bao accepted the two cultivation manuals before taking her leave. In the past, her Eldest Miss was weak and Xiao Bao was left with no time to nurture her own cultivation. Now, things were different and she could finally embark on her own cultivation journey to further aid her Eldest Miss.

As she exited the cave, Xiao Bao realized that the handsome man who carried her Eldest Miss back was nowhere to be seen. Deciding it was not the place of a servant to intrude on her master’s private affair, Xiao Bao chose to remain silent and go about her way to start her cultivation so she wouldn’t burden Baihe in the future.

♦

Fenglong soaked himself in ice cold water, trying to douse the desire that woman ignited in him. There was a very uncomfortable pain hurting his testicles. Little did Fenglong know that he was suffering from the symptoms of blue balls.

Closing his eyes, Fenglong could still taste her on his tongue. He remembered the touch of her slender fingers running through his hair and the feel of her soft body beneath him. He had no idea what possessed him at that moment to kiss Baihe nor could he explain the sudden anger that engulfed him when she talked so passionately about that darn bird, but had forgotten all about how he’d saved her.

He only knew that he had to prove something to her — to mark her in some way, but why?

A vivid image of the enticing manner in which Baihe pursed her lips surfaced in his mind and his dick stirred once more, amplifying the uncomfortable pain he was currently suffering from. With a loud curse, Fenglong resigned himself to soaking in the ice cold water for another few hours.