Chapter 185: Overwhelming Demonic Qi

“Commander Ding, ever since you were enfeoffed, your airs have grown quite grand. This Seat had to send people to invite you three times before I could finally move your great self.”

The fifth day of the fourth lunar month, Law Academy, Qingjiao Pavilion.

Xu Jiuxi leaned sideways on a soft couch, her crimson-purple gauze robe draped loosely, revealing a stretch of snow-white neck, her tone laced with sarcasm.

Ding Suian, dressed in vermilion robes, sat in the lower seat and calmly said, “The affairs of the Regular Army Commissioner’s Office have been busy lately, and I haven’t been able to find the time. Please forgive me, Sect Leader Xu.”

This could be seen as an explanation, or it could be seen as a brush-off.

Previously, he had played the fool in front of the eerily unpredictable Xu Jiuxi, owing to the vast disparity in their strength.

But now, with his Hua Gang Realm perfection, his title as a Founding Baron of Great Wu, his role as a hound for Princess Xingguo, plus the mysterious Old Ding—if all these buffs couldn’t earn him a status for equal dialogue, wouldn’t he have wasted his time?

Xu Jiuxi, however, did not seem surprised by his change. She merely covered her mouth with a smile, propped herself up, and asked, “When did you start plotting against This Seat?”

“Plotting? I have never plotted against Sect Leader.”

“Heh, is that so?”

“Yes.”

“When I bestowed the crimson dew upon you, not only did you not drink it, but you later feigned ignorance and asked me for it. If that isn’t plotting, then what is?”

*Hiss.* How did she know he hadn’t consumed that bottle of crimson dew?

Xu Jiuxi wore a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, her peach-blossom eyes fixed unblinkingly on Ding Suian. Before he could think of an excuse, she said, “Don’t rack your brains trying to fool me. Last time,” Xu Jiuxi licked her lower lip as if reminiscing, “last time at the Chamber of Embracing Simplicity, I tasted that there was no crimson dew in your body.”

crimson dew had this effect? Judging by her words, did she fail to detect any residue of crimson dew in Ding Suian’s blood last time? He got found out just from a kiss.

“Is that so?”

Ding Suian frowned and pondered for a few moments, then offered a reasonable explanation: “Perhaps I digest quickly.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Jiuxi’s beautiful peach-blossom eyes curved slightly, and she smiled as she said, “Dare to do it, dare to admit it. Don’t make me look down on you. When you first feigned admiration for me, took the initiative to tell me that the West Yamen had sent you as a secret agent, and gained the trust of This Seat, what exactly were you trying to find out from me?”

Even though she was smiling, the surrounding air temperature dropped significantly in an instant. The tea, which had been steaming, cooled down rapidly.

Ding Suian looked straight at Xu Jiuxi; the more intense the situation, the less his eyes could show any trace of timidity or fear.

Two seconds later, he said, enunciating each word, “Sister Jiuxi, ever since we met, I first helped you eliminate Sect Master Hao, and later helped Sister investigate news of the confucian renegades in Southern Zhao. Have I ever done anything to wrong you?”

Seeing Ding Suian’s rare seriousness, the frivolous smile on Xu Jiuxi’s face gradually froze, though she only let out a cold snort of disdain and skepticism through her nose.

Ding Suian, appearing as if he had suffered a great grievance, stared at her and continued, “Sister Jiuxi can doubt my loyalty to the State Religion, but you cannot doubt my sincerity toward you! Your words just now were hurtful!”

Ding Suian’s hand, resting by his thigh, was hidden by his large sleeve as he pinched the tender flesh of his thigh hard. His eyes instantly turned red.

Xu Jiuxi, likely not expecting such a strong reaction, was stunned for a second before suddenly bursting into a wanton laugh, her body trembling and shaking. “Ding Suian, do you take me for some young girl who can be easily dizzied by your sweet talk?”

Although she said that, she lazily stretched her arms, bent down to take off her embroidered shoes, and then slowly removed her socks.

Exposing her pair of fair, petite feet completely to Ding Suian’s sight, she then chuckled and said in a seductive tone, “Don’t be angry. You didn’t get enough of a look last time at the Chamber of Embracing Simplicity, right? Today, I’ll let you look to your heart’s content as Sister’s apology to you.”

“.” Eh? Did she believe him or not? One second she was saying she wasn’t some young girl to be dizzied by sweet talk, and the next, she was apologizing in such a peculiar way?

It left Ding Suian at a loss for how to respond. He simply turned his head to look at the floor, as if still sulking.

Seeing this, Xu Jiuxi swayed her willow-like waist with slightly exaggerated movements and walked gracefully toward Ding Suian.

She stopped in front of him, looked down at him for a moment, then suddenly took a step forward, straddling his lap.

Then, she wrapped her arms around him, extended her slender neck, and buried her palm-sized face into the crook of his neck.

It was exactly the same as last time at the Chamber of Embracing Simplicity; her nostrils twitched as she greedily inhaled. After a long while, she squinted her eyes slightly and whispered intoxicatingly, “Such abundant Spiritual Qi. Little Lord, since you didn’t drink the crimson dew back then, how did you break through realms so quickly? And how did you climb to Astral perfection in just a few short months? Why is your Protective Aura so vigorous?”

While speaking, her agile tongue suddenly darted out, softly grazing the side of his neck. It felt exactly like a cotton ball soaked in alcohol wiping across the skin before an injection, making one involuntarily tense up and shudder. Ding Suian instantly broke out in goosebumps.

What he felt at this moment was not a sultry interaction, but rather more like having his neck coiled by a snake, with the creature searching for a place to bite.

Then he heard Xu Jiuxi whisper in his ear in a soft, coquettish tone, “Little Lord, come visit once every month and let me drink two mouthfuls of your blood, how about it?”

“.” Ding Suian raised his hand, pressing against her stress ball, and pushed the Xu Jiuxi wrapped around him a little further away. “No! I’m not like you women, having extra blood to waste every month.”

Xu Jiuxi giggled, withdrew one arm from behind Ding Suian’s neck, caught his hand that was pressed against her stress ball, and guided it into her loose collar. His hand met a patch of smooth, icy-cool skin; the texture felt like fine jade, yet also like touching the skin of a cold-blooded animal.

She then leaned back into the crook of his neck and took a deep breath. “Aren’t you always saying you admire me? Then how about This Seat and Little Lord become Dao Companions and practice Dual Cultivation?”

Women who were snatched, tricked, or coaxed were all fine women, but one had to be careful with those who actively offered themselves up. Especially a woman like Xu Jiuxi, who was unfathomable and possessed such overwhelming Demonic Qi.

“My admiration for Sect Leader comes from the bottom of my heart, it is not some filthy desire! Sect Leader, you underestimate me too much!”

Upon hearing this, Xu Jiuxi looked at the righteous-looking Ding Suian, then looked down at the groping hand at her collar that he still couldn’t bear to pull out. A mocking smile couldn’t help but appear on her lips. “Do you act this proper in front of that widowed princess too? Little Lord, your acting is enough. I’ve played along with you for half a day now. Regardless of whether you are Princess Xingguo’s person or the Imperial Court’s person, in short, whatever you want from This Seat, This Seat can give it to you, but you must assist me in my cultivation. How about this deal?”

“That sounds good. But for this matter, I have to go home and ask my father.”

“Hmm?” Xu Jiuxi finally decided to sit upright, but she didn’t quite understand Ding Suian’s words and couldn’t help but ask, “What do you mean?”

“Ahem. I’ve had a strict upbringing since I was young. When making friends outside, I need to ask my father’s permission; he has to agree first.”

“.”