The revelation hung in the air of the elegant tea house, a tantalizing, dangerous promise. A thirty-three-thousand-year-old Thunder Hell Prison Vine. The final piece of the puzzle for Zhang Tian's fifth spirit ring, delivered on a silver platter by his most beautiful and most dangerous rival.
Ning Rongrong was the first to recover from the initial shock. Her mind, honed by a year of political maneuvering at her father's side and sharpened by Zhang Tian's own tutelage, immediately began to calculate the implications. She looked at Qian Renxue, her expression a careful mixture of gratitude and a firm, polite dismissal.
"Thank you for the information, Renxue," she said, her voice a clear, confident chime that held the unmistakable authority of her station. "This is a great service you have done for us. For my husband. The Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect is in your debt. We will be sure to repay this favor in the future."
She then added, her tone shifting, becoming a subtle but clear closing of the door, "As for the matter of the spirit beast being in the territory of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan… you need not worry yourself with that. My father will handle it. He will negotiate with Clan Leader Yu Yuanzhen. It will be a simple matter between our two great sects."
It was a masterful, polite, and utterly final dismissal. Thank you for the information. Now, your part in this is over.
Qian Renxue just let out a soft, tinkling laugh, a sound that was both beautiful and incredibly condescending. She didn't even look at Ning Rongrong. Her violet eyes remained fixed on Zhang Tian, a slow, predatory smile playing on her perfect lips.
"Hmph," she said, the sound a soft, dismissive puff of air. "My dear little sister Rongrong, you seem to be under a slight misapprehension. I did not provide this information out of the goodness of my heart. And I certainly did not do it as a favor to your sect."
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze never leaving Zhang Tian's. "I did it for him," she purred, her voice a low, intimate sound that was meant only for him. "And my price is not a favor to be repaid in the future. My price is… participation."
She looked at him, her eyes shining with a possessive, unwavering light. "This will be a dangerous hunt. You will be walking into the den of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. You will need all the help you can get. I wish to accompany you, Zhang Tian. I wish to be by your side, to ensure your safety. That is my price for this information. Is that not fair?"
Ning Rongrong's face flushed a deep, furious crimson. "You… you shameless…"
Zhu Zhuqing's hand landed on her friend's arm, a silent, calming pressure. She knew, with a cold, hard certainty, that they were trapped. Qian Renxue had them. To refuse her now would be to renege on a favor, to appear ungrateful and dishonorable after accepting such a crucial piece of intelligence. It was a checkmate of etiquette.
Ning Rongrong let out a long, frustrated sigh, the sound a mixture of anger and a grudging, reluctant acceptance. She looked at Qian Renxue, her eyes narrowed into two sparkling, hostile slits.
"Fine," she snapped, her voice a blade of pure, unyielding ice. "You can come. But let me be perfectly clear. You will not, under any circumstances, try to be intimate with my husband in front of us. Do you understand me?"
Qian Renxue just smiled, a slow, triumphant expression. She gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod. "Of course, little sister. I would never dream of being so… improper."
She then leaned back in her chair, a look of casual, almost offhand, thought on her beautiful face. "Speaking of which," she began, her tone a light, conversational sound, "I'm afraid I will not be able to ask for any assistance from my own grandfathers in the Elder Hall for this little excursion. They are… unaware of my close, personal relationship with your husband. To ask for their help would invite too many… awkward questions."
She looked at them, her expression one of perfect, innocent apology. "I'm afraid you will have to make do with my two personal guardians. Elder She and Elder Ci. They are only Level 92 and Level 93 Titled Douluos. I do hope they will not be too much of a burden."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a look. It was a look that said, 'Is she for real?'
'Only Level 92 and Level 93?' Ning Rongrong thought, her mind a screaming vortex of disbelief. 'She says that as if she's talking about two slightly strong bodyguards! Those are Titled Douluos! Beings who could level a small city!'
'Still,' Zhu Zhuqing's own mind countered, her thoughts a cold, analytical current, 'her point is a valid one. If we are truly walking into the heart of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, we will be facing Yu Yuanzhen. He is a Level 95 Super Douluo. Two Titled Douluos of that level… they would not be his match. We will still be at a significant disadvantage.'
It was then that Zhang Tian, who had been a silent, amused observer throughout the entire, beautiful exchange, finally spoke.
"Do not worry yourselves," he said, his voice a calm, reassuring sound. He took a sip of his tea, a casual, almost bored expression on his handsome face. "I have another protector in mind. One whose camouflage abilities are… quite exceptional."
He looked at them, his blue eyes gleaming with a mischievous, secret light. "Ah Yin."
The name dropped into the quiet tea house like a stone.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing stared at him, their faces a mask of pure, bewildered confusion.
"Ah Yin?" Ning Rongrong repeated, her brow furrowed. "You mean… our maid?"
Even Qian Renxue's calm, composed facade cracked for a fraction of a second, a flicker of genuine, profound confusion in her violet eyes.
"You are suggesting," she began, her voice a slow, careful, and slightly condescending sound, "that a two-ringed Spirit Grandmaster, with a common Blue Silver Grass spirit, will be our secret weapon? Against a Super Douluo?"
From a hidden, untouchable vantage point across the street, the two powerful Titled Douluos, She Long and Ci Xue, who had been listening to the entire conversation with their immense spiritual sense, exchanged a look of their own.
'A Spirit Grandmaster?' She Long's mental voice was a hiss of pure, unadulterated contempt. 'Is the boy a fool? Or has his arrogance finally driven him mad?'
'Perhaps he is joking,' Ci Xue projected back, though he sounded less than certain.
Zhang Tian just smiled, a slow, enigmatic expression. "Ah Yin," he said, his voice a low, final, and utterly, completely, and beautifully world-shattering sound, "is not a Spirit Grandmaster. She is a Level 88 Spirit Douluo. And as for her combat power… I am quite confident that she could easily defeat your two guardians, even if they were to join hands."
The silence that followed was so profound, so absolute, that it was a physical thing.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing just stared at him, their jaws slack, their minds completely unable to process what they had just heard.
Qian Renxue's teacup, which had been halfway to her lips, slipped from her nerveless fingers. It clattered against its saucer with a sharp, loud sound that was a jarring punctuation to the stunned silence.
And across the street, the two powerful, respected Titled Douluos felt a surge of pure, unadulterated, and almost comically profound indignation.
'Did he just say… she could defeat us?' She Long's mental voice was a strangled, furious hiss. 'Us?! Two Titled Douluos?!'
'This is an insult!' Ci Xue roared in his mind. 'An absolute, unforgivable insult! If he weren't the Young Miss's… little pet… I would go over there right now and crush him into a fine, red paste!'
They were Titled Douluos! Beings who stood at the pinnacle of the world! To be dismissed so casually, to be used as a measuring stick for the power of a common maid… it was a humiliation beyond measure.
"Sister… Ah Yin?" Ning Rongrong finally managed to stammer, her voice a choked, disbelieving whisper. "She's… she's a Spirit Douluo? Level 88? But… but how? We never sensed anything!"
"She is a master of concealment," Zhang Tian explained simply. "And the maid role… it is a personal preference of hers. A hobby, if you will. She is, in reality, our most powerful guardian. Our last line of defense."
Qian Renxue had recovered from her initial shock, her mind already racing, her expression one of intense, analytical focus. "Her spirit," she said, her voice a low, sharp sound. "If she is that powerful, then her Blue Silver Grass… it cannot be a simple, common spirit. What is it? What is her true power?"
Zhang Tian smiled, a slow, satisfied expression. "Her spirit was indeed once the Blue Silver Grass," he confirmed. "But I helped her. It has mutated. It is now the Blood Silver Grass. Just like my own. And its abilities… they are quite similar. But far, far more powerful."
The final piece of the puzzle clicked into place. The three girls stared at him, a new, profound understanding dawning in their eyes. The beautiful, tragic, and pitiful maid they had felt so sorry for… she was a monster. A terrifying, hidden powerhouse who had been living under their very noses all along.
But Zhang Tian wasn't finished. He looked at them, his expression turning serious once more.
"Even with Ah Yin's power, and with the assistance of Miss Qian Renxue's guardians," he said, his voice a low, strategic murmur, "to walk into the territory of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is still a great risk. We need an insurance policy. We need someone with a connection to the clan itself. Someone whose presence would be a deterrent, a shield against any… irrational actions they might take."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing knew immediately who he was talking about. Their expressions turned to one of a shared, profound distaste.
"You mean… her?" Ning Rongrong asked, her nose wrinkling as if she had just smelled something foul. "That Liu Erlong woman? The one who was trying to get your pills?"
He nodded. "She is a Spirit Douluo now, a powerful expert in her own right. And more importantly… her father is Yu Luomian. Her connection to Yu Luomian who is the second head of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, is a powerful political shield. Her presence with us will give them pause. It will make them think twice before they act rashly."
The logic was sound. It was a brilliant, if distasteful, move. The two girls looked at each other, and with a shared, reluctant sigh, they nodded their agreement.
Zhang Tian pulled a small, sleek black pager from his storage ring. It was one of his own creations, a marvel of spirit tool engineering. He pressed a small button on the side and spoke into it, his voice clear and concise.
"Liu Erlong. It's Zhang Tian. A situation has arisen. I require your assistance on a hunt. The location is the Dragoncry Thunder Canyon, deep within the territory of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. We depart tomorrow at dawn. Be ready. I will send a carriage for you."
He released the button, and a small, almost inaudible hum confirmed that the message had been sent. The two girls, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, suddenly looked at Qian Renxue, a new, suspicious light in their eyes.
"Wait a minute," Ning Rongrong said, her voice a sharp, accusing sound. "You have one of those too, don't you? I saw him give one to you. You could have just sent him a message about the spirit beast. You didn't have to come all the way here and interrupt our date."
Qian Renxue just smiled, a look of perfect, infuriating innocence on her beautiful face. "Oh, dear," she said, her voice a sweet, honeyed sound. "Did I interrupt something? I had no idea. I was simply so excited about the news, I rushed over here without thinking. You'll have to forgive my thoughtlessness."
Ning Rongrong let out a frustrated huff. She knew a lie when she heard one. She leaned closer to Zhang Tian, wrapping her arm possessively around his, and shot a cheeky, challenging glare at Qian Renxue.
"Well," she said, her voice a sweet, venomous purr, "since you're coming along with us, I hope you're prepared for a very… long trip. Because I can promise you, my sister Zhuqing and I… we plan on being very, very intimate with our husband. At all times. I do hope it won't make you uncomfortable."
The words were a direct hit. The color drained from Qian Renxue's face, her perfect, innocent smile faltering for a fraction of a second. She stared at the smug, triumphant look on the little princess's face, and for the first time in a very, very long time, Qian Renxue felt a genuine, unfamiliar, and incredibly powerful urge to strangle someone.
In a secluded wooden cabin at the edge of the new Shrek Academy, Liu Erlong was in a state of deep, focused meditation. The past year had been a strange, solitary, and profoundly transformative one.
A soft, electronic beep, a sound that had become the single most important and exciting sound in her entire world, echoed in the quiet room.
Her eyes snapped open. She scrambled from her bed, her heart hammering against her ribs with a wild, frantic excitement. She fumbled for the small, black pager on her bedside table, her hands trembling.
She saw the single, glowing red light, the sign of a new message. And she saw the name of the sender.
Master.
A wave of pure, unadulterated, and almost painfully intense pleasure washed over her. Her entire body flushed with a hot, delicious warmth. Her nipples hardened instantly, and she felt a familiar, slick wetness begin to pool between her legs.
She listened to the message, her crimson eyes shining with a deep, unwavering devotion. She didn't even question his command. She didn't care about the danger of walking into the heart of her father's clan. She only cared about one thing.
He needed her.
'My father…' she thought, a familiar, bitter taste in her mouth. She had never known him, not really. He was a man who had taken a prostitute for a single night of pleasure and then had forgotten she ever existed. He had never known he had a daughter until she was a grown woman, a powerful Spirit Master, a woman who was about to marry the man she loved.
And then, he had appeared. Not as a father, but as an obstacle. A clan elder who had stood on the side of tradition, of his family's pride, and had forbidden her union with the man who was, in a cruel, tragic twist of fate, her own cousin.
She hated him. She hated the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. She had never wanted to see any of them again.
But now… now things were different.
Her Master needed her. He needed her connection to that hateful man, to that hateful clan. And if he needed it, she would give it to him.
'If it is for my Master,' she thought, her eyes shining with a fierce, almost religious devotion, 'I will go to him. I will beg him. I will use the one, pathetic connection we share to get whatever my Master needs. I will do anything for him.'
She stood up, her body trembling with a new, profound purpose. She was no longer just Liu Erlong, the lonely, pining woman. She was the property of Zhang Tian. She was his whore. And she would be the best, most loyal, most useful whore he had ever known.
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels like "Harem Master: Seduction System" and the "Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist" and I hope you like this story and those stories as well.
Check out more chapters on my P.atreon. The P.atreon will have 20+ Chapters ahead for this story. I hope you like it.
The link of p.atreon is: bit.ly/evildragon