"You… this…?!"
Ninth Princess Zhao Linger stood frozen in the doorway, her mind going completely blank.
Inside the room—
Shen Jinghong was leaning against the table, breathing heavily, his clothes slightly disheveled. Not far from him, a silver-haired woman in black gauze lay on the ground, her body trembling faintly, as if she had just endured something intense.
The air still carried a strange, lingering scent.
For a moment, time itself seemed to stop.
Zhao Linger's face flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye. Her grip on the candle trembled slightly.
"You… what exactly are you doing?!"
Her voice was no longer as composed as before—there was shock, confusion, and a trace of embarrassment she couldn't suppress.
Shen Jinghong was also stunned.
He hadn't expected her to come at this moment.
"This is… it's not what you think!"
He quickly tried to explain, but halfway through, he realized—this situation really did look exactly like what she was thinking.
On the ground, Su Jiuli slowly lifted her head.
Her long, narrow eyes swept toward Zhao Linger, a faint smile appearing on her lips. Even in her weakened state, her presence was still enchanting.
"Oh? Another one?"
Her voice was soft and alluring.
Zhao Linger instinctively took a step back, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
"Who… who is she?!"
"She's…" Shen Jinghong hesitated for a second, then forced himself to answer, "Someone I summoned."
"Summoned?!"
Zhao Linger's eyes widened.
"A… a divine method?!"
Her gaze instantly changed when she looked at Shen Jinghong—shock mixed with excitement.
"As expected of the person chosen by the Grand Ancestor… you really are extraordinary!"
Shen Jinghong: "..."
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Meanwhile, Su Jiuli slowly pushed herself up from the ground. Although her movements were still weak, her eyes had changed.
The earlier hostility had disappeared, replaced by something more restrained… and complicated.
She lowered her head slightly toward Shen Jinghong.
"Master…"
Her voice was softer now, no longer carrying that same threatening tone.
The slave mark had clearly taken effect.
Zhao Linger looked between the two of them, her expression shifting again and again.
Then—
She suddenly stepped forward, her eyes shining.
"Shen Jinghong!"
"Yes?"
"You must help Da Xu Kingdom!"
Her tone was firm, almost pleading.
"If you can summon such beings… then the zombie disaster—there must be hope!"
Shen Jinghong paused.
He glanced at Su Jiuli, then at Zhao Linger.
A strange feeling rose in his chest.
Perhaps…
This absurd summoning, this dangerous world—
Was exactly where he was meant to be.