Seeing this, Chi Hong let out a knowing smile. She stood up and pulled her sulking disciple to a corner of the secret chamber. Tugging at the girl’s dress, she furrowed her brows slightly and whispered, “Huang’er, why are you saying such childish things again?”
She tapped Chi Huang’s forehead with her fingertip, her tone carrying a hint of playful scolding.
“Who was it that was restless by my side these past few days? Who was so distracted during cultivation that they kept muttering, ‘Why hasn’t he come yet?’ or ‘Has he forgotten us?’ Now that he’s finally here, instead of saying something heartfelt, every word out of your mouth is like a needle to his heart?”
Chi Huang opened her mouth to speak, but her throat felt as if it were blocked. In the end, she merely lowered her head dejectedly, staring at the tips of her fiery red boots.
Her Master was right. Once the surging bitterness and the impulse to lash out receded, regret followed.
In truth, she was simply jealous of Qin Xuange, and she regretted the words she had spoken. She had clearly warned herself countless times in her heart to restrain her usual arrogant temperament, especially in front of him. Her longing had grown like wild grass, yet the moment she saw him protecting another woman, her reason had been incinerated by burning jealousy.
“I just… anyway, I don’t like Qin Xuange,” Chi Huang muttered with her head down. “She looks down on me, constantly mocks me, and she even lectured me repeatedly during our last fight.”
“He cares about a dragon I don’t like.”
She realized she had been impulsive. At the very least, she shouldn’t have said anything about slapping someone’s face until it was ruined, but the thought of Qin Xuange just made her feel frustrated.
Chi Hong sighed softly and reached out to rub Chi Huang’s soft hair. Her voice grew even gentler. “Huang’er, if you hate her, then just don’t give her the time of day. Why would our Red Dragon Clan ever need to flatter anyone? But why must you damage your harmony with Jiang Huai because of her? Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse? It’s unnecessary.”
“Furthermore, regarding your comment about scarring her face, didn’t you notice…”
She stopped mid-sentence.
Chi Huang was young, after all. She didn’t have a deep understanding of Qin Qingyue and had very little contact with her. Because Qin Qingyue had been plagued by the Curse of Misfortune before, it was impossible for the younger generation to have any interaction with her. The last time Chi Huang had seen Qin Qingyue was on the day Jiang Huai took Chi Lian home, and they had only met a few times.
But Chi Hong was different. She had seen what Qin Qingyue looked like in her prime.
Qin Xuange’s face today—those meticulously drawn eyebrows and eyes, that carefully applied lip color—had forced a resemblance that was originally only seven parts similar into a ninety-nine percent match.
Even Chi Hong had felt a shock in her heart when she first saw her. She had instantly guessed a few of Jiang Huai’s subtle, unspeakable thoughts, and she even felt a strange sort of pity for Qin Xuange.
“I know. I’ll stop talking about it,” Chi Huang said, taking a deep breath to suppress the jealousy in her heart.
She wasn’t someone who would be intentionally difficult without reason. After being nudged by her Master, she knew she had gone too far. The jealousy remained, but it was forcibly pushed down.
She turned around and hesitated for a moment before shuffling back toward the restrained Jiang Huai. Her gaze flickered, refusing to meet his eyes. She stared at the flowing flame patterns on the nearby wall, her voice much lower than before, tinged with an awkward sense of apology.
“I didn’t do anything to her. I was just angry earlier, I was joking.” She paused, feeling as though that explanation wasn’t enough. She struggled to find a better reason, bringing up something else. “You saved my Master before. For the sake of that debt, I wouldn’t actually touch her.”
The more she spoke, the more logical the reason felt to her. Her tone regained some of its usual bluntness. “I, Chi Huang, am clear about my debts and grudges. Rest assured, I…”
“That’s enough.” Chi Hong, leaning against the glowing wall behind her with her arms crossed, cut off her disciple’s clumsy defense with a light laugh. “The truth is, she just likes you. Seeing you care for someone else made her feel sour, so she spoke without thinking.”
Jiang Huai’s expression froze. A flush crept over Chi Huang’s face, her ears burning hotter than her Red Dragon Clan body. She shot her Master a brooding look before stepping back. However, she pursed her lips and didn’t jump up to deny it as she usually would.
She remembered the vow she had secretly made: if she ever met someone she liked, she would never repeat her past mistakes. She would be honest.
“Alright, Jiang Huai, there’s no need to dwell on such trifles.” Chi Hong acted as if she hadn’t seen her disciple’s embarrassment. Stepping in her elegant yet oppressive red high heels, she paced back to Jiang Huai.
This time, she didn’t beat around the bush. With a graceful turn of her body, she sat down sideways once again.
She sat on Jiang Huai’s left thigh, leaning her body back slightly to rest against his chest and shoulder. One long, jade-like leg was elegantly crossed over the other. The side slit of her crimson dress slid down slightly due to the movement, revealing a section of snowy-white calf that was dazzling under the red light of the chamber.
Jiang Huai could almost imagine the ripe, peach-like contours beneath the thin fabric—firm and full of power, yet revealing a startling softness and elasticity in her movements.
“Now.” Chi Hong seemed entirely oblivious to the stiffness of the man beneath her and his accelerating heartbeat—or perhaps, she was enjoying it.
She raised her hand and lazily toyed with her slender fingers. The crimson jade ring on her fair hand appeared exceptionally warm and striking.
“Let’s talk business. You’ve tried so many times to find me; what is your true purpose for coming here? It shouldn’t be just to deliver a gift, right?”
Jiang Huai fell silent. He couldn’t help but feel a physical reaction against Chi Hong’s plump, rounded hips, unable to restrain himself. He discovered that his Yin-Yang Body seemed to have a special affinity for the Five Great Dragon Clans. If other women like Zhu Siyao or Su Yingman sat on his lap, it likely wouldn’t produce such a pronounced effect.
But with Chi Hong sitting on his leg, he could clearly feel the tender touch and fatal temptation of her mature, beautiful body through her dress. The Small World began to provide energy uncontrollably. A mixture of discomfort and embarrassment washed over him, and he instinctively tried to shift his waist to create a bit of distance.
To his surprise, Chi Hong glanced down, extended her slender hand, and gently touched him. She even pressed down on a specific spot without any hesitation.
“You…” Jiang Huai’s eyes widened as he looked at Chi Hong in disbelief.
How could someone touch another person so calmly? Her expression and posture were as casual as a common handshake!
“What are you looking at?” Chi Hong met his shocked gaze and blinked. Her charming, phoenix-like eyes were filled with pure mischief and a sense of entitlement. “When I was treating your injuries before, which part of your body did we not see or touch?”
Her fingertips even playfully scratched him. Feeling his palpitations, her tone became even more teasing. “I watched it with my own eyes as it went from being withered and nearly devoid of life to being warmed back by Dragon Essence until it became like this… mmm, full of vitality and high spirits.” She intentionally dragged out her words.
Beside them, Chi Huang’s cheeks were flushed crimson. She wanted to whisper a protest that she had been too worried about sending her Lingli to look closely back then, but the atmosphere was so strange that she could only keep her eyes fixed on the floor.
“Can you untie me first before we talk?” Jiang Huai shifted his body, causing the chains on his hands to clatter. Being bound like this while being “bullied” left him with no way to defend himself.
“No,” Chi Hong replied crisply. she let out a light laugh, clearly enjoying his current state of distress and shame. “I happen to like you just like this.”
She leaned forward slightly, her breath smelling like orchids. Her voice dropped even lower, carrying a seductive lilt. “You’re so powerful. If you were to give it your all, even I might not be able to handle you. I’m quite scared, so I only feel safe when you’re tied up like this, don’t I?”
“Hurry up and tell me. Why did you really come to find me?”
The end of her sentence rose in pitch. Despite being words of feigned weakness, they sounded like a lover’s flirtation, carrying blatant teasing. When there was an advantage to be taken, this Red Dragon Clan Leader was clearly not one to show mercy. Her wicked desire for control and playfulness were on full display.
Jiang Huai closed his eyes, knowing that struggling was useless and would only pique her interest further. He let out a long, resigned sigh and finally got to the point.
“There is a problem with my cultivation.”
“I am currently unable to guide Qi into my body or circulate it through my meridians normally.”
“The crux of the matter is that I need to gather the Origin Marks of the Five Great Dragon Clans to harmonize the Yin and Yang within my body and straighten out my Gongfa.”
“The mark of the Red Dragon Clan on my body was carved by you, so I had no choice but to come to you.”
Chi Hong’s eyes suddenly lit up. As she thought! This coincided perfectly with her previous guess. Jiang Huai’s cultivation really couldn’t bypass the Dragon Race, especially her.
She tilted her head, her waterfall-like black hair sliding over her shoulder, a few strands brushing against Jiang Huai’s chin. She stared into his eyes and asked, “And so? Haven’t I already given you the mark? What else do you want? More Dragon Essence? Or…”
Meeting her gaze, Jiang Huai’s Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty once more. After a long while, as if he had finally made up his mind and cast aside his hesitation and shame, he answered in a tone that suggested he was throwing caution to the wind.
“Actually, there is one more crucial point.”
“What?” Chi Hong pressed, her body unconsciously leaning closer to him.
“I also need your Yin Yuan to help me completely balance Yin and Yang and break through my bottleneck.”
“Can you give your… Yin Yuan to me?”