This time, it was Bai Xinyue's turn to fall into a stunned silence. Her mask of calm finally cracked, giving way to a flicker of genuine surprise; it was abundantly clear that she had not expected Huang Shi to possess the mental acuity to think so many steps ahead.
"Why would you say that?"
She asked, her voice ringing out like a clear silver bell through the quiet woods. Even though her tone was still saturated with that innate regal authority, the longer their conversation lasted, the more her estimation of him shifted.
Huang Shi paused, thinking quietly for a couple of moments. He meticulously arranged his thoughts, steeling his resolve before opening his mouth and slowly letting the words out.
"First, I may not know much about this world of cultivation yet, but I know for a fact that no regular person can just wave their hand and heal my injuries—let alone strengthen my physical foundation—as if it were nothing. If you were just some ordinary woman, the difference in our status would not matter as much, but a woman of your caliber likely does not want to be tied down to a perceived waste. It's simply natural human instinct."
He took a step forward, his eyes locking onto hers.
"Second, if information of our engagement has already reached my ears, it means the Great Bai Clan of the Eastern Prefecture purposely allowed that information to leak. I don't know how much the public knows, but my guess is that we aren't the only ones privy to this secret. This is an open plot, Lady Bai—a calculated move to humiliate me and force me to approach you on my own to end the engagement to save what little face I have left."
"Third," he continued, his voice growing steadier, "your presence here isn't about getting to know me. Since you've already decided to sever the engagement at all costs, your goal is actually damage control. You're here to offer compensation—to soften the blow and ensure I don't harbor spite toward the Bai Clan. We might be weaker than you, but we are still a pillar of the Eastern Prefecture. Reshi City is the second wealthiest city in the region, eclipsed only by your home territory of Numi City. It is simply not in the Bai Clan's best interest to create a blood feud for no reason."
If Bai Xinyue had been merely intrigued by how quickly he was able to control his emotions earlier, his surgical breakdown of her motives was now officially blowing her mind. This person, whom the entire world dismissed as a bottomless pit of vice and failure, was clearly nothing of the sort.
Not to mention his terrifying battle prowess...
What Huang Shi didn't realize was that Bai Xinyue had been tailing him from the very moment he stepped past the gates of Reshi City. The Great Bai Clan maintained eyes and ears in every corner of the prefecture, and their spies had been sending frantic reports about Huang Shi's sudden, "miraculous" transformation. She had initially dismissed the reports as wild exaggerations, but on the off chance they were true, she had journeyed here to witness the truth herself.
Bai Xinyue let out a soft breath, trying her best to stay calm and composed. Even though she was very talented, she was still only eighteen years old. Facing a man who could see through all her secrets made her heart jump in a way she did not expect.
Although I don't really plan on seducing this girl at all, this woman is still fucking terrifying, Huang Shi thought, noting the intensity of her aura.
Bai Xinyue let out a long breath before her expression reset into a mask of calm. It was a mirror of Huang Shi's own internal struggle; she refused to show a single crack of weakness to this "fiancé" of hers. Even if the engagement was destined to end, she would not allow this man to leave this forest thinking he had bested her.
Bai Xinyue changed her expression once more, shifting from calm to regal, like a ruler looking down at her subject.
"Since you've figured it all out, state your terms. As long as I feel it is fair, I will do it for you—as long as you agree to ending our engagement openly."
Huang Shi inwardly smirked. He didn't really understand why it was so important to Bai Xinyue that he was the one who proposed to end the engagement first, but it was clearly vital to her.
It might be a cultural thing, I don't fucking know.
Huang Shi thought for a bit. Then, all of a sudden, his previous calm and dignified manner disappeared. He gave a mischievous smile.
"All right, I can agree to your request. But what I want is not some cultivation resource or spirit stones. I want three favors."
The moment Bai Xinyue heard these words, her expression sank and her face became ice-cold. It seemed his words had hit a nerve.
"A favor? What, do you want to add me to your collection of women? Force me to do your bidding?"
The moment Huang Shi heard these words, his expression also froze before turning to ice.
"Do you think I'm fucking dumb? Why the hell would I want to find some way to end my life in such a wasteful manner? I admit I'm a fucking pervert, but I'm not stupid!"
Bai Xinyue blinked, her icy gaze wavering for the second time today. She had expected him to deny being a pervert or to get angry at the insult. She did not expect him to admit he liked women while also calling her a death trap.
"A wasteful manner?" she repeated, her voice still icy
Huang Shi snorted, crossing his arms. "Think about it. You are a clearly some "Heaven Defying Genius" from a Great Clan, powerful, beautiful, and probably surrounded by old monsters who protect you. If I used a favor to force a woman like you to be mine, I wouldn't live a week. Your father would kill me, your sect would hunt me, and honestly, you would probably find a way to poison me in my sleep."