Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Shen Lang looked at her and asked strangely.
“Are you truly willing to pay any price?”
Xu Qianqian shot to her feet, throwing open her outer robe to reveal her undergarments—drawers and a chest wrap—and her snow-white skin.
“I told you. I’m willing to pay any price. If you want my body right now, Lord Shen, I can spread my legs for you right here.”
Xu Qianqian said forcefully. Shen Lang shook his head.
“No. You lack sincerity.”
“Do I have to climb on top of you myself to show my sincerity?”
“How many days has it been since you bathed?”
Xu Qianqian asked, surprised.
“Two and a half days. Why?”
“If a woman hasn't bathed for two and a half days, it’s bound to smell sour down there. You expect me to put my mouth on that? And you call that showing sincerity? If you truly intended to seduce me, to offer me your body, shouldn't you have washed yourself clean and come to me smelling fragrant?”
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Xu Qianqian seethed inwardly.
*Shen Lang, you damn bastard.*
She immediately turned to head outside.
“Where is the bathtub? I’ll wash myself clean.”
Shen Lang shook his head.
“No. There’s no need to wash. Nor is there any need to offer me your body. You just need to go somewhere and do one thing for me. Seduce one person.”
Xu Qianqian’s mind went blank. This encounter and conversation were nothing like she had imagined. She thought Shen Lang would either keep her by his side as a slave or make her sell her body to earn money... She had never considered something like this. Then again, Shen Lang’s thoughts had always been impossible to predict.
“Where do I go? Who do I seduce?”
“Go to Raging Tide City and seduce the Pirate King's eldest daughter, the young mistress of the city, Qiu Yao'er!”
Qiu Yao'er, the young mistress of Raging Tide City, could be considered a major figure in the eastern seas of the State of Yue. The Pirate King, Qiu Tianwei, had styled himself the Lord of Raging Tide City and lived a life of opulence, entrusting all maritime affairs to his son and daughter, Qiu Xiao and Qiu Yao'er. This pirate sibling duo roamed the seas with impunity, their reputation alone enough to send chills down one's spine.
Most women would rather die than fall into Qiu Xiao's hands. He had countless ways to torment a woman, making her wish for death. Qiu Yao'er was no different; her infamy among men was no less than her brother's. Men believed it was better to fall into hell than into her hands, and she was known for inflicting so much pain they wished they had never been born.
This woman was like a reaper. If she saw a handsome man and found him displeasing, she killed him. If she saw an ugly man and found him displeasing, she killed him too. Even if she saw an ordinary man and found him displeasing, she would still kill him. She hated men to her very core. But there were two exceptions. One was her father, and the other was her subordinates. She treated her subordinates without discrimination, like her own brothers and sisters.
Though a woman, she possessed formidable martial skills and was ruthless in her methods. As a result, she held a high reputation in Raging Tide City, rivaling that of the young lord, Qiu Xiao. The two competed fiercely, both wanting to become the successor of Raging Tide City. In the nations on land, a woman could not be the heir to a family enterprise, but pirates had no such rules; the more capable person became the leader.
Qiu Yao'er was a female reaper, a nightmare that men feared encountering, but she had one redeeming quality. She was exceptionally kind to women. Especially beautiful and delicate women could find protection under her. This led many to question her preferences. Why else would she remain unmarried at the age of twenty-nine?
“What are you thinking now? You want me to be a female spy?”
“You could think of it that way.”
This move of his was like sowing a seed in the ground, without any firm expectation of a harvest.
“Aren't you afraid I’ll betray you at a critical moment?”
“It doesn’t matter. You were never loyal to me, so what is there to betray? We are merely partners in a collaboration!”
Xu Qianqian thought for a moment, then replied to Shen Lang.
“I won’t go.”
“Didn't you say you would do anything for revenge?”
“But to get revenge, I have to be alive first. I can sell you my body, but not my life.”
“You think you’ll die if you go to Raging Tide City?”
“Raging Tide City is one of the forces attacking the Count of Xuanwu's Estate this time. Qiu Tianwei has allied with Zhang Chong. Me going to Raging Tide City is like walking into a trap.”
Her reasoning was sound. Turning the tables, Xu Qianqian said.
“Shen Lang, would you like to hear my opinion?”
“Speak.”
“To destroy the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, Zhang Chong has cast a wide net. The Marquis of Zhenbei's Estate, the Count of Jinhai's Estate, the New Governance Faction, Raging Tide City, the Count of Jing'an's Estate, the Viscount of Lanshan's Estate—they will all join the attack, surrounding and closing in on the estate. No matter how clever you are, there are limits to what an individual can do. You cannot save the Count of Xuanwu's Estate; the Jin Clan's destruction is a foregone conclusion.”
Listening to her, Shen Lang rubbed his nose and said.
“Continue.”
Seeing his gesture, Xu Qianqian secretly cursed him. *Who does he think he is, acting all handsome?* In this world, a novel called *Record of the Eastern Departure* had become a sensation, selling an astonishing one million copies. Its influence was dozens of times greater than that of Shen Lang's *Boundless Wind and Moon*.
The male protagonist was Jiang Li, the former sovereign of the Great Qian Kingdom. He was called the most handsome man under the heavens, and his signature gesture was rubbing his nose. After *Record of the Eastern Departure* became a hit, countless men began to imitate this gesture. Of course, the book was later personally banned by the emperor of the supreme Great Yan Empire.
Xu Qianqian continued.
“Shen Lang, you possess supreme wisdom. You are not someone who should be tied down to a small place like the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. You should be advising someone with even greater power.”
Shen Lang’s eyes showed admiration. For Xu Qianqian to try and persuade him, she had indeed shed her past and transformed. But he couldn't help but rub his nose again. It was the gesture Xu Qianqian despised the most, and she frowned slightly as she went on.
“Zhu Rong and Zhang Chong are part of the Crown Prince's faction, so let's go and pledge ourselves to the Third Prince. If you have no lingering feelings for me, I will sell my beauty and become his concubine. If you do have feelings for me, I will be your concubine as well.”
*Ugh!*
That line sounded strangely familiar. It was like a female protagonist in some movie saying, "What's the difference between being taken by a man out there or by you here at home?"
“Shen Lang, if there is one person in this world who can help us bring down Zhang Chong, it is the Third Prince. The destruction of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate is a certainty. The one who wants to eliminate the Jin Clan is the King, and Zhang Chong is merely his sword. No matter how clever you are, it’s like an egg trying to break a rock, or a mantis trying to stop a chariot with its forelegs. If we two join forces, we will surely become the Third Prince's trusted aides, and we can enjoy wealth and power in the future.”
The Third Prince was the only young lord who could stand against the Crown Prince, the King's most favored son, and the prince who wielded the most power.
“Shen Lang, can you stop rubbing your nose? Do you know the saying about the ugly woman of the east imitating the beautiful woman's frown? The only peerlessly handsome man in the world is Sovereign Jiang Li. Don't imitate him.”
Xu Qianqian couldn't hold back her comment. Shen Lang said with an innocent face.
“Qianqian, could we talk after you’ve closed your robe and your legs? There’s a bit of a smell. It’s like the stench of dead fish. I… I can't stand it, but it would be impolite to pinch my nose shut. That's why I couldn't help but rub my nose. To try and chase away some of the smell.”
For a moment, Xu Qianqian was about to explode. She hastily pulled her legs together and closed her robe. She swore, this was the first time she had ever been rejected by a man. And by a man who deserved to die a thousand deaths, a man who deserved to be torn limb from limb. After adjusting her clothes, the only thought in Xu Qianqian's mind was to take a bath. She would scrub herself so clean that she would shed a layer of skin. That way, she would never be rejected by a man like this again.
“What do you think? The Count of Xuanwu's Estate is about to be destroyed, but it's not too late for us to leave now. If we wait until after the estate is destroyed to flee, we won't even have a place to be buried.”
Shen Lang shook his head.
“Is it because of Jin Mulan? She's a beautiful woman, but if you have power, what woman can't you have? I may not be as beautiful as her, but my looks aren't that far off. Let's go pledge ourselves to the Third Prince together. I will be your woman. And I won't stop you from taking a wife or other concubines, isn't that good?”
Shen Lang said seriously.
“I love my wife very much, and I love my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, and even that fatso Jin Mucong very much. They are all my family. Everything I do is to protect them, and to protect my parents and my younger brother.”
Xu Qianqian looked at Shen Lang as if he were an enigma.
“A person like you has feelings?”
“Nonsense. Never mind others, just take you, for example. Even a one-night couple shares a deep bond. I have feelings for you, too.”
Xu Qianqian couldn't help but flare up.
“Shen Lang, if you say ‘even a one-night couple shares a deep bond’ one more time, I will kill you. If you had even a shred of affection for me, would you have made my life so miserable? Would you have made me lose my home and my family?”
Seeing the enraged Xu Qianqian, Shen Lang said in a calm voice.
“Women love to dredge up the past, which is why I never argue with them.”
Xu Qianqian immediately stood up and said.
“Fine. We don't agree on anything. Then you can stay here in the Count of Xuanwu's Estate and wait for your death. We’ll go our separate ways. Next year on Tomb-Sweeping Day, I will burn incense for you. After all, even a one-night couple shares a deep bond.”
*Damn it, you told me not to say it, and now you’re saying it.*
And with that, Xu Qianqian prepared to leave, intending to go to the capital and pledge herself to the Third Prince. With her beauty as her only asset, coupled with her talent for making money, she believed she could secure a place among the Third Prince's retinue.
“Qianqian…”
Shen Lang called out from behind her.
“What? Are you trying to stop me? Don't forget, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate owes me a great debt. If it weren't for me, a terrifying plague would have swept through the estate's territory, causing countless casualties.”
“For a delicate woman like you to go to the Third Prince alone is like begging to be devoured. I can't bring myself to let you.”
“Pah! As if you care whether I live or die. We’re both heartless people, let's not pretend to care about feelings.”
“Are you so certain we will lose the dispute over Gold Mountain Island?”
“Of course. You will lose all three contests. Not even a god could change that.”
Everyone in the world thought so. Jin Mulan could not defeat Tang Yan, and Jin Mucong could not defeat Tang Yun. Furthermore, the weapons and armor of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate were inferior to those of the Count of Jinhai's Estate. They would lose all three battles; there seemed to be no hope at all.
“Then wait a few more days. If we win the dispute over Gold Mountain Island, you will do as I say and go to Raging Tide City to seduce Qiu Yao'er. If we lose, I will do as you say and go pledge myself to the Third Prince.”
Xu Qianqian said nothing.
“Xu Qianqian, we were husband and wife, after all. Can't you trust me even a little?”
When it came to this man's character, Xu Qianqian didn't trust him one bit. Every single hair on his body was probably steeped in cunning and poison. However, Xu Qianqian did trust this man's abilities. The miserable state she was in was the best proof of that.