The hall had fallen silent, the bustling crowd now gone. Only three remained: Xiao Yu, Lou King, and Xiao Xun'er.
Xiao Yu, still simmering with indignation, fixed Lou King with a sharp glare. "Lou King, you'd better explain yourself right now," she demanded, her voice rising. "What exactly were you saying about me?"
Seeing her genuine anger, Lou King didn't offer an excuse. Instead, he stepped forward and pulled her into a firm embrace. Xiao Yu stiffened, struggling against his chest to push him away, but his grip was resolute. Finally, she sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders as she gave in to the warmth.
"I'll forgive you this once," she murmured against him, "but don't think I'll be this easy to win over next time." Despite her words, a small smile played on her lips. She felt safe in his arms, surrounded by his masculine scent. Lou King reached up, his hand gently stroking her hair in a soothing rhythm.
Across the hall, the scene was a dagger to Xiao Xun'er's heart. Watching them wrapped in each other's arms, their bodies close and intimate, a wave of cold despair washed over her. Her chest tightened with a physical pain—a sharp, stinging ache of jealousy and betrayal. Her eyes welled with tears that she could no longer hold back.
Unable to witness another second, Xun'er turned and bolted toward her room.
Lou King, noticing the blur of movement, looked up in surprise. "Xun'er! Wait!" he called out, but she didn't stop. He watched, helpless, as she disappeared down the corridor, her face a mask of grief and tear-streaked anger.
Xiao Yu, observing the exchange, understood immediately. She saw the raw emotion Lou King was blind to.
"What happened to her?" Lou King asked, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion.
Xiao Yu looked at him, a knowing, slightly mocking smile crossing her face. "You really are hopeless, aren't you?" she teased, though her voice carried a hint of a lecture. "She loves you, Lou King. Seeing you with me like that... it broke her heart. That's why she ran."
The realization hit Lou King like a physical blow. He stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Xiao Yu placed a hand on his arm, her expression softening. "Go to her," she urged with a nod. "She needs you to make it right."
Lou King hurried to Xun'er's quarters. Inside, Xun'er had collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. Sobs wracked her body, the fabric of the pillow soaking up the salt of her tears. The image of them together played on a loop in her mind, fueling her misery.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Xun'er? Are you in there?" Lou King's voice was muffled by the heavy wood of the door. "Can we talk?"
Silence followed. Lou King waited, his heart heavy. He knocked again, more softly this time. Just as he was about to turn away, a small, trembling voice came from inside.
Lou King entered slowly. Xun'er was standing by the window, her back turned to him, her posture rigid.
"Xun'er, are you okay?" he asked softly, stepping closer. "Did I do something to upset you? Please, if you're angry with me, just say it. I hate seeing you like this."
Xun'er didn't answer. The silence stretched until Lou King was standing right behind her. Sensing his presence, his scent, and his warmth, her resolve crumbled. She turned around and threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Lou King held her tight, resting his hand on her head, stroking her hair just as he had done for Xiao Yu.
"If you don't tell me what's wrong, how can I help you?" he whispered.
"How could you do that to me?" she cried, her voice breaking. "I love you. You told me I was yours... but then I saw you..." She couldn't finish the sentence, her voice dissolving into fresh tears.
Lou King felt a surge of guilt. He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. With his thumb, he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I am so sorry," he said, his voice thick with sincerity. "I never meant to cause you this much pain."
Xun'er gazed into his eyes, seeing the regret and the affection mirrored there. In a moment of pure impulse and longing, she reached up and pressed her lips against his, sealing her forgiveness with a kiss.
When Lou King felt the soft pressure of Xun'er's lips against his own, he froze in sheer astonishment. The world seemed to stop for a heartbeat. After a few tender moments, Xun'er pulled back, her face flushing a deep crimson. Overwhelmed by her own boldness, she couldn't bring herself to look up, keeping her head bowed in shy silence.
Lou King gazed down at the trembling girl before him. His heart melted, and without a word, he stepped forward and pulled her back into a firm, protective embrace.
As she leaned into him, Xun'er breathed in his intoxicating masculine scent. A wave of peace washed over her, replacing the pain of moments ago. She felt so secure, so cherished, that she wished she could stay wrapped in his arms forever, hidden away from the rest of the world.
"Are you still going to be angry with me?" Lou King asked softly, his hand gently stroking her hair. "From this moment on, Xun'er is mine. I won't let anyone—not even myself—trouble you again."
Xun'er looked up at him, a playful yet firm glint in her tear-brushed eyes. "You were the one who upset me," she whispered, "so as a punishment, you have to stay with me today. You're not allowed to leave."
Lou King chuckled softly, his gaze tender. Instead of arguing, he leaned down, swept her up into his arms, and carried her to the bed. He laid her down gently on the soft covers and sat beside her.
"Alright," he said, smoothing the hair away from her forehead. "I am right here. You can close your eyes and sleep now."
But Xun'er wasn't satisfied with him just sitting there. She reached out, her fingers catching his sleeve, and pulled him toward her. "Sleep here, next to me," she insisted.
Lou King looked into her pleading eyes and found he couldn't say no. He moved to lie down beside her. Immediately, Xun'er clung to him, resting her head against him as if afraid he might vanish if she let go. Within minutes, the exhaustion of her emotional outburst caught up with her, and she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep in his arms.
Lou King found it impossible to sleep. It is said that when a girl as beautiful as Xun'er is curled up against you, sleep becomes a distant memory. Since he couldn't rest, he decided to summon the System. During his last level-up, he had been too preoccupied and had rushed outside, neglecting the other functions. Now, in the quiet of the room, he decided to explore them thoroughly.
Lou king called System Interface
[Ding! ...]
Host: Lou King
Age: 19
Cultivation: Dou Shi (One-Star)
Secret Techniques: Necromancer (Summoning undead: 2, awakened undead: 3), Undead Flame, Ice Source Annihilator
Technique: Ice Crystal
System Space: Death Scythe (Soul Eater)
soul point: 0
Below the panel, four new options shimmered. Lou King selected them one by one to understand their utility:
[SHOP]: Allows the Host to buy pills, herbs, weapons, and artifacts using Soul Points.
First Visit Bonus: The Host can choose one of three Tier-3 items for free:
Barrier Breaking Pill: 100% chance to breakthrough to Dou Grandmaster.
Three-Star Mystic Cloud: Can instantly raise cultivation by three levels (luck-dependent).
Bloodline Pill: Provides a 3rd-level Dou Di Bloodline, making the path to Grandmaster effortless.
[SPIN]: A luck-based function to win rewards. Three free spin is available.
[FURNACE]: Used to upgrade items or melt them down into Soul Points.
[QUEST BOARD]: Offers missions that reward the Host with points or special gifts.
After careful thought, Lou King chose the Bloodline Pill as his free shop gift, thinking of long-term potential. Then, he activated his free Spin. The needle blurred across nine cards before stopping on a glowing image. A card flipped over to reveal: "Bloody Bone Hand Staff."
He read the description with a mix of awe and grimace. The weapon was forged by a master named Ba Ji, who had sacrificed his own hand and refined the staff using the blood of his enemies to seek vengeance. While the history was legendary, Lou King felt the weapon didn't suit his current style, so he stored it in the System Space for later use. By the time he finished exploring, exhaustion finally claimed him, and he drifted into sleep.
"Morning..."
Xun'er woke up early to find Lou King already awake beside her.
Remembering the previous night, her face flushed a deep crimson. Lou King spoke to her tenderly for a few moments before bidding her farewell and heading back to his own room.
As Xun'er watched him leave with a dreamy smile, a shadow flickered behind her. Out stepped an elderly man with a stern, serious gaze—Ling Ying, her shadow bodyguard.
"Miss, you know the rules of your family," Ling Ying said gravely. "You must maintain your distance from Lou King."
Xun'er's smile vanished, replaced by a cold glare. "I know exactly what I am doing. I will handle my family when the time comes."
"Miss," Ling Ying continued, unyielding, "I investigated his past. Before the Xiao family butler found him, there is no record of Lou King in Wu Tan City. He claimed to arrive with a caravan that was wiped out by magical beasts, but my records show no such caravan existed during that window of time. There is no record of him arriving via flying beast either."
He paused, his eyes narrowing. "To travel such a distance alone requires a powerful flying beast or the strength of a Dou Wang level master. I suspect Lou King is from a powerful hidden clan and is here for a specific purpose. We cannot trust him."
Xun'er was surprised by the secrecy surrounding Lou King's origin, but her heart remained unchanged. Ling Ying gave a final warning and vanished back into the shadows.
The Departure of Nalan Yanran
At a hotel in Wu Tan City, Ge Ye reported to Nalan Yanran.
"Miss, I looked into Lou King. Just as we suspected, there is no information on him prior to his arrival at the Xiao house. He likely hails from a formidable background, which explains why he dared to speak against the Yun Lan Sect."
Nalan Yanran nodded thoughtfully. "Then we must remain cautious. For now, we stay silent about what happened at the Xiao residence."
"The carriage is ready, Miss," Ge Ye added. "The flying beast will have us back at the Yun Lan Sect within a few days."
[ please sport me
ager koi galti ja story me problem lagte hai to comment karo
ja mere phle novel writing hai to galati hona lagme hai apka ek comment sa story improve ho skte hai ]
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