At dusk, when the setting sun bled like spilled crimson, it washed the entire desert in a scarlet glow.
Shao Yun walked toward the Tanit Camps with a blood-stained cloth bundle slung over his back.
When he arrived, the people in the camp instinctively stepped aside, compelled by the cold, hard aura radiating from him.
Shao Yun marched straight toward Babel's quarters and pushed his way inside with long, firm strides.
Upon entering, he spoke not a word—he simply hurled the cloth bundle forcefully onto the ground.
With a dull thud, the bundle split open, revealing a mangled, grotesque head—Masseira's.
The head still carried traces of terror and unwillingness from its final moments, rolling until it stopped at Babel's feet.
Shao Yun fixed a cold stare on Babel, the corner of his lips lifting in a mocking curve as he said, "Look who it is. Seems your so-called prestige isn't worth much after all."
Babel lowered her head to glance at the horrifying head by her feet, yet inwardly she was thrilled.
Everything was unfolding exactly according to the script she had written beforehand—she had successfully removed Masseira, her biggest internal threat, using Shao Yun's hand.
On the surface, however, she put on a show of panic and guilt, deeply bowing to Shao Yun as she apologized earnestly.
"I truly apologize, honored guest of the tribe. I genuinely did not foresee this."
"Masseira held extremely high prestige within our tribe—he was practically one of our elder figures. Who could have imagined… he would target you all…"
As she spoke, Babel covered her mouth with her hand, appearing shaken, though in truth she was hiding her joy.
Watching Babel's pretentious performance, Shao Yun let out a cold snort.
If it weren't for helping Lumine gain experience for the Deadeye, he would have already killed this venomous woman on the spot.
But for the sake of the bigger picture, he forcefully suppressed his anger and continued playing along with Babel.
Thus, Shao Yun mocked her mercilessly: "Do you still remember your promise? Believing anything you say now would be more ridiculous than getting Paimon to obediently attend the Akademiya."
Seeing how distrusting Shao Yun was, Babel immediately felt as if she were facing a life-and-death crisis.
If she could not salvage the situation, her carefully constructed plans would completely collapse.
Thinking of this, Babel didn't hesitate—she lowered her head and adopted a submissive, servile posture, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor as the tribe's matriarch.
"I truly apologize. I know mere verbal promises won't satisfy you. But please rest assured—I will offer something genuine to compensate for the losses you've suffered."
As Babel spoke, she watched every subtle shift in Shao Yun's expression with extreme caution, terrified of missing any chance to salvage the situation.
Hearing Babel mention giving something real as compensation, Shao Yun's expression softened slightly.
After all, he planned to toy with her a bit—he wanted to see what card she would play.
"Oh? Then go on. How exactly do you plan to compensate us?"
Shao Yun's slightly relaxed tone made Babel inwardly ecstatic.
She quickly hurried to a chest placed nearby and began rummaging through it.
She dug around for quite a while, until finally her face lit up with satisfaction as if she had found some treasure.
Then, holding two crystal-clear cups of liquor in her hands, she swayed her hips and slowly approached Shao Yun.
With her face full of seductive charm, Babel cooed, "Honored guest, please enjoy this cup of apology wine, steeped in my sincere regret. May it dispel the dissatisfaction in your heart."
With a smile, she slowly extended the two cups toward Shao Yun, signaling for him to choose one.
Shao Yun eyed Babel's outstretched hands and the two cups with suspicion as he grumbled inwardly, This is so stingy—only one cup?
Though annoyed, Shao Yun casually picked one of the cups up.
Just as he was about to tilt his head back and drink, a sudden system prompt flashed before his eyes.
[This cup contains a large dose of aphrodisiac.]
Shao Yun froze for a moment, then asked in shocked internal muttering, What is this situation? What exactly is Babel trying to do?
Having heard his inner question, the system responded with another line of text.
[Isn't it obvious? Do I really need to explain it?]
Shao Yun now completely understood Babel's malicious intent. He had never imagined that this beautiful yet venomous woman would dare try to ensnare him.
If my cup is drugged, then what about the one she's holding? Carrying that thought, Shao Yun asked the system again.
Soon, the system displayed a new answer.
[Babel's cup contains the same large dose of aphrodisiac.]
Reading this, Shao Yun's expression darkened instantly.
Now he fully grasped Babel's plan—she intended to use the drugged wine to throw him into a trap of lust, making him repeat the fate of that man called Azariq…
Shao Yun began calculating in his mind.
Her courage is unbelievable… Should I just kill her right now… No. If I kill Babel now, Lumine won't get the experience needed for the Deadeye.
But if I pretend not to know and drink it… what if… Ugh, I don't want any physical entanglement with this poisonous woman.
At that moment, another system prompt suddenly appeared.
[You possess the Legendary Wolfheart Trinket.]
[Effect: You will only suffer the negative effects of intoxication after consuming double the normal amount of alcohol.]
Reading the two cryptic messages, Shao Yun silently asked in confusion, What does that even mean?
The system quickly elaborated with an example.
[Don't you remember the Aberdeen Hog Farm Sibling Bank incident? As long as you don't keep drinking continuously, you'll be fine. If you drink just one cup, the one who suffers will be her.]
The explanation was unmistakably clear—he could drink it without worry.
With the system's assurance, Shao Yun no longer hesitated and downed the drugged wine in one motion.
Seeing Shao Yun drink so decisively, Babel finally relaxed, then lifted her own drugged cup and drank as well.
Shao Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, pretending to savor the taste before speaking slowly. "Mm… The flavor isn't bad."
"When it first enters the mouth, you can sense a rich fruity aroma, followed by a full-bodied sweetness spreading across the tongue."
"As for its overall flavor, it somewhat resembles Mondstadt wine, though with a rather distinct undertone of its own."
Babel secretly watched Shao Yun's reaction. When she saw him behave so naturally, she felt a surge of satisfied delight.
It seemed Shao Yun had not noticed anything unusual in the drink—surely the drug was beginning to take effect.
With that thought, a faint smile tugged at Babel's lips. She simply waited for the moment when the drug overwhelmed him, after which she could indulge in pleasures she had long yearned for.
"Since you like it, that's wonderful…"
Shao Yun set down the cup and prepared to leave.
Politely, he said, "Then I will take my leave. Let this matter rest." With that, he turned and began walking toward the door.
Seeing him about to leave made Babel panic. Under normal circumstances, the drug shouldn't take effect this quickly.
If Shao Yun walked out like this, everything she had planned would be wasted.
No—she absolutely couldn't let him go!
Thus, Babel hurriedly called out, "Please wait—don't leave just yet."
Hearing her voice, Shao Yun paused, turned around, and looked at her with puzzled eyes. "What is it? Is there something else? Didn't you already apologize with that drink?"
A hint of embarrassment flickered across Babel's face, but she quickly composed herself.
With a faint, suggestive smile, she said, "It's not that simple. Aside from this wine, I still have something far more precious to compensate you for your losses…"
Shao Yun stared coldly at Babel's pathetic attempt to stall, playing along with patience as he replied unhurriedly, "And what is it? Take it out."
At this moment, Babel leaned slightly forward, her graceful figure made even more alluring by the motion.
She gently placed her right hand against her chest, then slowly extended her left hand, curling a finger toward Shao Yun in a beckoning gesture.
At the same time, her voice oozed with temptation as she murmured, "Come here for a moment, won't you? Take a look at this treasure. Who knows—you might really like it."
Yet faced with such an affected display, Shao Yun merely let out a cold laugh.
"No need for all that trouble. Just have someone send the item to my tent. We'll part ways here."
With that, he left without so much as a backward glance, offering Babel nothing but the sight of his quickly receding back.
Seeing that Shao Yun was really about to leave, Babel felt a sudden shock in her heart.
She had intended to stall for more time to wait for the drug's effects to manifest on him.
But now—if she failed to keep him here—wouldn't all her careful planning go completely to waste?
Thinking this, Babel no longer cared about anything else. She immediately rushed forward, reaching out in an attempt to grab Shao Yun.
"Wait—don't go just yet…" she called anxiously, quickening her pace as she chased after him.
She desperately hoped to seize Shao Yun and drag out more time by any means necessary.
But just as she was about to catch up to him—an unexpected turn struck—her own drug suddenly took effect!
Babel's legs gave out beneath her, turning weak and boneless in an instant. She stumbled, losing her balance, and collapsed straight onto the ground.
Within barely ten seconds, she felt a strange sensation sweeping through her entire body.
Her limbs softened as though the strength had been drained from her bones.
Her skin flushed a boiling red, like a prawn dipped into hot water.
Babel struggled to part her lips and forced out a trembling, sultry whisper from her throat.
"This… this is impossible… Did the drug… expire? But… then why am I like this…?"
She no longer had the clarity to wonder why the drug struck her instead of Shao Yun.
Gritting her teeth, she used all her remaining will to somehow lift her limp body and stagger upright.
Babel stumbled toward her chamber door, activated the mechanism, and sealed it shut, terrified someone might barge in and witness her current humiliation.
Only after doing so did her body finally give out, and she collapsed face-first onto her bed.
Her hands instinctively clutched at the sheets beneath her, her legs pressing tightly together as her body began to twist and writhe uncontrollably upon the mattress.
No… I can't… I absolutely can't let anyone see me like this… I have to hold on…!
Babel screamed inwardly, trying to muster her vanishing resolve.
But the drug's force rampaged like a savage beast, tearing apart what little self-control and dignity she had left.
…
Tormented by that burning, consuming sensation through the entire night, Babel finally regained a sliver of clarity only when dawn fully broke the next day.
She felt every muscle in her body aching and powerless, her limbs weak as if she had melted completely.
Even so, relying on sheer determination, she forced her exhausted, drug-ravaged body to sit up from the bed.
Once upright, she wasted no time in grabbing the water jug on the bedside table, lifting it, and gulping mouthful after mouthful of water.
She drank greedily, several large gulps in a row, until her scorched, parched throat finally felt the faintest relief.
Setting the jug down, Babel wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. In her mind, the image of Shao Yun surfaced unbidden.
Thinking of him made her grit her teeth, her expression twisting with rage as she spat, "Damn it! Refusing the easy way and choosing the hard one, is that it?"
"I had planned to let you experience my irresistible body first, then have Jeht kill your beloved woman, and afterward have her killed to soothe your despair."
"At that point, you would've sunk into such bottomless hopelessness that you'd be completely at my mercy. I could have taken you with ease. But no—you refused. You actually passed up such a perfect opportunity!"
But soon, the fury on Babel's face faded, replaced by a cold smile full of ambition and confidence.
"Never mind. Why should I cling to one single man like you? As long as I obtain the Eternal Oasis, unify every tribe in the desert, and establish my own desert theocracy, becoming the 'sole Oracle of the Goddess'…"
"At that time, what kind of man would not be mine for the choosing? Why worry about not finding someone far better than you?"
Finishing those words, Babel abruptly raised her hand and slammed the empty jug onto the ground.
Bang! A sharp metallic crack sounded as the jug caved in on impact.
"You all can just disappear into the desert!"
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa