Chapter 206
Chapter 206
Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions. The events of last night were a profound humiliation. Being trapped in that bathtub was a terrible nightmare she wanted to erase from her mind, never to speak of it again. But Shen Lang had kept bringing it up, again and again, until she had lashed out in a fit of rage.
“Wh-where is she?”
Shen Lang didn’t even dare to say Qiu Yao’er’s name. He was truly terrified.
*I’ve been a virgin for over forty years and yearned for that moment, but this is too much.*
Imagine a man who had been poor his whole life, eating nothing but rice and vegetables, never tasting a single piece of meat. He desperately craved meat; even a simple dish of braised pork belly would have been enough. But instead, an impossibly extravagant banquet was laid out before him, with nearly a hundred dishes on the table. Expensive, prime marbled steak, large abalone weighing half a kilogram each, exquisite lobsters of three or four kilograms, pricey goose barnacles, and a bottle of Romanée-Conti so expensive its price was whatever the seller demanded.
Was it delicious? Of course, it was. A collection of the world’s finest delicacies that anyone would want to eat. But what if all that food was shoved into your mouth at once? What if, when you could eat no more, your hands were tied and the food was continuously forced down your throat? It would no longer feel like a gourmet feast, but a taste of death itself.
“The General is meeting with someone.”
“Who?”
“The Lord of Raging Tide City, Qiu Tianwei. He has his eyes on you and plans to take you into the Lord’s Keep. He’s demanding that General Qiu Yao’er hand you over.”
Shen Lang trembled.
*No. That’s too horrifying.*
“That’s right. He means to take you as a concubine. You’d better find a way to save yourself.”
Concubine or not, if Qiu Tianwei saw Shen Lang’s face, he might be a dead man. Even if Qiu Yao’er hadn’t recognized him, there was no guarantee Qiu Tianwei wouldn’t. Qiu Tianwei might have even seen a portrait of him.
* * *
Inside the great hall of the white citadel.
Qiu Yao’er was fully recovered, her usual imperious aura restored. The pain of last night had vanished without a trace, and there was no sign of her frenzied state. Qiu Tianwei spoke to her.
“Yao’er, do not worry. I will get to the bottom of this incident. If that attendant Zhu Lang is alive, I will find him. If he is dead, I will bring back his corpse. No matter how powerful the person behind this attempt on your life is, I will not let them go unpunished.”
“Yes!”
Qiu Yao’er replied noncommittally.
“Yao’er, when the great battle comes, I will have to lead the army myself. I will need to entrust Raging Tide City to you.”
“Yes.”
Though it was a matter of great importance, Qiu Yao’er’s response was just as casual. In her eyes, defending Raging Tide City was a simple task. The citadel of the Lord’s Keep was especially formidable, difficult for even ten thousand men to breach. For her to fail to defend it while stationed there? That was laughable.
“Oh, Yao’er. There is one more thing.”
“Yes.”
“I hear a female physician of great skill cured your poison?”
“Adoptive Father, how did you know of this?”
Qiu Tianwei glanced at the handmaiden, Lu Yi, standing beside him.
“The attendant Zhu Lang, who used the poisoned salt on you, My Lady, was found dead, silenced. I believed I had to report this to the Lord and uncover the truth, so I mentioned the female physician as well.”
“I see.”
Qiu Yao’er said flatly. Why had Lu Yi mentioned the female physician? To retaliate, of course, and to have Qiu Tianwei take her away. Once in Qiu Tianwei’s clutches, the woman’s life would be a living death. From whom did Qiu Xiao learn his ways of tormenting women? Was it not Qiu Tianwei?
*That female physician dared to interfere and cure Qiu Yao’er? Then you deserve to die!*
Lu Yi continued.
“By the way, My Lady. I heard that Xu Qianqian is the daughter-in-law of the Nujiang Prefect, Zhang Chong. Rumor has it she was dead. Isn’t it too much of a coincidence that she has reappeared, alive, and is now by your side?”
Her words were utterly venomous. Lu Yi’s goal was clear: to draw Qiu Tianwei’s attention so that he would take both Xu Qianqian and the female physician. But Qiu Tianwei pretended not to hear. He was interested in Xu Qianqian, but only in how she could be used. Did her beauty not entice him? Frankly, Qiu Tianwei had dallied with so many women that he now only desired the truly exceptional; other women held little appeal for him.
“Your father has sailed the seas for many years, enduring all sorts of hardships and fighting in numerous great wars, accumulating many injuries, both large and small. Could you not give that female physician to me?”
“What does my adoptive father mean by ‘give’?”
Qiu Tianwei frowned. Qiu Yao’er was straightforward, but she often failed to grasp his nuances.
“I intend to bring her into the Lord’s Keep. A skilled physician is very useful. Whenever you need treatment, I will send her to you.”
Qiu Yao’er shook her head.
“No.”
Qiu Tianwei was taken aback.
*Such a direct refusal? I am your adoptive father, the Lord of Raging Tide City. I am your master. And you refuse me when I ask for a female physician?*
“Hmm? Why not?”
“Because we slept together.”
A profound silence filled the hall. Qiu Yao’er had spoken without a hint of hesitation, as casually as if she were mentioning what she had eaten.
Even Lu Yi was stunned and couldn’t help but blurt out.
“My Lady, she… she’s a woman.”
Qiu Yao’er replied.
“Yes.”
Qiu Tianwei’s eyes glinted as he said.
“Then I will consider it unsaid. Hahaha! I will not take her to the Lord’s Keep, but would it be possible for her to come out so I can see her just once?”
“No.”
Qiu Yao’er refused just as bluntly. As his adopted daughter continued to contradict him, Qiu Tianwei’s expression shifted for a moment. Even if she did so instinctively rather than intentionally, it was an act deserving of severe punishment.
Qiu Tianwei asked in a cool voice.
“Why not?”
“After last night’s frenzy, the physician was injured. Her body and face are covered in wounds, and she cannot be seen by anyone.”
Silence descended upon the hall once more.
*A night of frenzy? Qiu Yao’er, you are a master of martial arts. That woman… surely she didn’t die at your hands?*
With his adopted daughter refusing so firmly, Qiu Tianwei could not press the matter further. He changed the subject, offering words of comfort to Qiu Yao’er. He needed to entrust her with the duty of defending Raging Tide City in the great war to come.
“I know what Qiu Xiao did yesterday. I will send the best physicians to treat your warriors. If they wish to seek treatment on their own, I will send them compensation. After learning what that beast did last night, I immediately went to capture him, intending to break his arms and legs in front of you. But the scoundrel fled quickly and has already gone out to sea.”
“Qiu Xiao is my brother. I will let it go this time. But if he ever does such a thing again, I will not be so lenient.”
“A next time? You won’t have to lift a finger. I will break his arms and legs myself.”
Qiu Yao’er took a sip of tea.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Qiu Tianwei finished his words, stood up, and prepared to depart. Qiu Yao’er escorted him for about ten paces. After leaving the white citadel, Qiu Tianwei’s expression turned grim, his eyes filled with an extremely complex look. He had come specifically to ask for the female physician. It wasn’t just for her beauty, nor because he was suspicious of her, nor even for her renowned medical skills. He had wanted to see her for a reason he could never speak aloud. Qiu Tianwei was in a situation far more complicated and dangerous than Qiu Xiao could ever imagine.
* * *
After Qiu Tianwei left, Lu Yi asked.
“My Lady, what happened last night? I have committed a grave sin. I should have stayed by your side.”
“Lu Yi, follow me.”
Qiu Yao’er led Lu Yi to her chambers. Upon entering the room, they saw Shen Lang clutching his groin and letting out a silent scream. The sight of Qiu Yao’er made a certain part of him instinctively tremble and ache with a throbbing pain. The memories of last night came flooding back. *You were such a beast of a woman…*
Qiu Yao’er appeared calm and imperious, acting as if nothing had happened the night before. Her complexion, however, had improved significantly. Clad in a silk robe, her figure was still enough to make any woman despair, the unparalleled curves of her body enough to make the wounded Shen Lang harden once more, which only brought another wave of pain.
Had he really tasted the body beneath that robe? It felt unreal. It was like watching a film starring a magnificent actress, then having a passionate encounter with her in a dream. Upon waking, watching her film again and seeing her arrogant posture, she would still be full of allure and mystery. Because it only happened in a dream, you would desire her even more.
But everything that happened last night was not a dream. It was just that Qiu Yao’er, this female tyrant, was so powerful and formidable that sleeping with her felt as unbelievable as a dream. That being said, after something like that, shouldn’t she feel at least a little awkward? Or perhaps embarrassed? But judging by Qiu Yao’er’s demeanor, there was not a trace of it. She acted as if nothing at all had occurred.
Yet in Shen Lang’s memory, what Qiu Yao’er had done was beyond description. It was more cinematic than any movie. Otherwise, how could he have ended up in such a miserable state? Just then, Lu Yi saw Shen Lang and suddenly cried out.
*Wasn’t she a woman? Why has she turned into a man? What on earth happened?*
Qiu Yao’er sat down. She felt much more comfortable today. Her head didn’t ache, and the world wasn’t spinning. She felt incredibly refreshed. Of course, a certain place was a little sore. To be precise, it stung as if it were burned. But such a minor pain was nothing to her.
Qiu Yao’er spoke calmly.
“There was a problem with the incense yesterday. It was drugged, and someone colluded with Qiu Xiao. Our citadel is filled with only pitiful women. If someone colluded with an outsider and betrayed us, that crime is unforgivable.”
Lu Yi asked in shock.
“Did that really happen?”
Then, she shot a hateful glare at Xu Qianqian and snapped.
“You wench, speak the truth! When did you conspire with Young Lord Qiu Xiao? Why did you poison our lady?”
Xu Qianqian was startled by the accusation. Lu Yi continued.
“Weren’t you the one who went to buy this incense? I suspect the shop that sells it is also involved. My Lady, we must investigate this to the very end and kill everyone involved. You are our sky; anyone who tries to harm you is our mortal enemy.”
The aphrodisiac-laced incense had clearly been swapped by Lu Yi herself. But she had accidentally stumbled upon the truth. The incense shop Xu Qianqian visited was indeed compromised. Xu Qianqian had always been meticulous, making it a habit to compare prices at three different shops for any single purchase, so as not to leave any openings.
Lu Yi said in a chilling voice.
“My Lady, Xu Qianqian’s identity is suspect. She must have infiltrated your side with ulterior motives. Men, seize Xu Qianqian and torture her. She will surely confess her purpose.”