Chapter 226 - 113: You’re Having a Hardcore Party and Didn’t Invite Me?

Chapter 226: Chapter 113: You’re Having a Hardcore Party and Didn’t Invite Me?

Wangshu Palace.

The study.

On the lounge chair.

Their ragged breaths gradually steadied.

Gu Xiangzhu felt a tingling numbness on her lips as a sensation she had never experienced before welled up within her.

The sensation was somewhat intoxicating.

But the faint hint of being drawn in put her on high alert.

HUFF...

She breathed a silent sigh of relief, grateful that Zhao Ci had shown some restraint.

He had clearly been aroused, but he hadn’t tried to press his advantage.

The only thing that went too far was his wandering hands. They had strayed to a place they shouldn’t have, but he quickly pulled them back after she slapped the back of one.

Otherwise, his kiss was inexperienced, yet earnest.

Like an innocent first love.

But...

’How did things turn out this way?’

Gu Xiangzhu’s mind was a mess. She had wanted to push Zhao Ci away at first, but she had already seen the state he was in from the backlash. If she pushed him away now, the boy would be lost to her forever.

He had just said it himself.

Aside from the bond created by the Alcohol Refining Technique, the two of them had no real relationship.

His trust in her stemmed entirely from his romantic feelings for her.

If she pushed him away...

...those feelings would no longer serve any purpose.

’It took so much effort to make him this dependent on me. How could I just let him go?’

’Besides, he’d be quite pitiful without me, wouldn’t he?’

’Forget it.’

’So we kissed. So what!’

"Sister Zhu?"

"Huh?"

Gu Xiangzhu snapped back to her senses and looked at him. His young, handsome face was beaming with a joy he couldn’t contain; he might as well have had the words "You’re my woman now" written across it.

’Are all boys like this when they first fall in love?’

She bit her lip. "Can you get off of me first?"

"Oh..."

Zhao Ci quickly hopped off the lounge chair and helped her up. Their bodies, separated only for a moment, were close once again.

Gu Xiangzhu: "..."

Her thoughts were in a whirl. For the past decade or so in the palace, she had always left Zhao Ci in the care of the eunuchs and Palace Maids. She had maintained the image of a distant, strict mother, never once fulfilling any so-called maternal duties. His education was rote and impersonal. The only privilege she ever granted Zhao Ci was allowing him to speak to her without a screen between them.

’Feelings?’

’There were none. She had only ever seen Zhao Ci as a burden.’

At least, that’s how it had been before he started demonstrating his abilities.

But, she had watched him grow up, after all.

That convenient son of hers had suddenly grown into a handsome young man.

Suddenly, the distance between them had closed so much.

She felt incredibly strange.

She even felt a sense of shame, as if she had been raising him with impure motives all along.

In fact, given Zhao Ci’s situation, this unintentionally completed ’cultivation plan’ had been a great success.

’But... it’s so weird!’

’A part of her resisted it.’

’But not with the same revulsion she felt toward other men.’

’Damn it!’

’Do all young men these days like women who are so much older than them?’

"Ahem!"

She cleared her throat, sat back down in her chair, and sighed. "You are not helpless and alone, so..."

"I’ll listen to you, Sister Zhu!"

Zhao Ci eagerly cut in.

Gu Xiangzhu: "..."

Zhao Ci smiled to himself. ’The plan was a success, and she felt amazing.’

He didn’t mind being "tamed," since it was very much to his advantage.

The condition, however, was that the taming couldn’t be one-sided. He had to get his share of the benefits.

Besides, there was no way to make this Demon Sect Saintess truly one of his people without escalating their relationship to a certain point.

’Her lips were so soft.’

’And her breasts were even... ’

’It was a shame she’d stopped him so quickly, otherwise...’

’He hadn’t been able to take it any further, but after this, there shouldn’t be much resistance to future kisses.’

’I’ll have to take this slow.’

’No.’

’I can’t let my imagination run wild.’

’It’s easy to get caught up in it.’

His cry of "Sister Zhu" completely threw Gu Xiangzhu off her game.

She composed herself and said with a smile, "In any case, trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you. It’s fine for you to admire your Imperial Father, and it’s fine for you to want to contribute to the Great Yu. But if you aren’t truly willing to sacrifice yourself, then you absolutely must not do it. Because I don’t want to see that happen."

"Okay! I’ll listen to you!"

Zhao Ci nodded.

Gu Xiangzhu: "..."

He was so obedient it was disarming.

She was at a loss for words.

’Oh, whatever!’

’I’ll just smile.’

She gave Zhao Ci a gentle smile.

And the innocent young man’s heart began to pound.

Gu Xiangzhu: "..."

「After a long moment.」

The system prompts arrived belatedly.

[Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward obtained: Comprehension Value +100, Cunning and Robbing Talisman x1.

[Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward obtained: Comprehension Value +1000, Stolen Skill: Demon Palm of the Eight Desolates.

[Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward obtained: Comprehension Value +1000, Stolen Skill: Empathy Technique.

[Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward obtained: Comprehension Value +1000, Life-sized Puppet x1.

[Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward obtained: Comprehension Value +1000, Dog Taming Chain x1.

[Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward obtained: Comprehension Value +100, Pity Talisman x1.

The Cunning and Robbing Talisman came with a disarming skill. Sticking it on an opponent would forcibly disarm them.

The Pity Talisman amplified a target’s sense of sympathy, though he wasn’t sure how effective it would be.

The Demon Palm of the Eight Desolates was a finishing move. Unlike the more systematic Imperial Extreme Scattering Hand, it consisted of only a single strike, but its area-of-effect damage was incredibly powerful. Once unleashed, not even a blade of grass would survive within a ten-zhang radius.

The Empathy Technique was a Secret Skill that severed all emotions. Using it would turn a person into a machine devoid of all feeling.

Of course, the two remaining rewards were what truly caught his attention.

[Life-sized Puppet]: After binding it with a drop of blood, it creates a puppet identical to the user in appearance and build. The puppet is indestructible and can be freely controlled, but possesses no combat power. The user can switch places with the puppet at will. Effective range: ten zhang.

[Dog Taming Chain]: Can be used on any living being whose mind is in a state of complete collapse, forcing them to submit completely to the user.

He sucked in a sharp breath.

’Identical in appearance, freely controlled, indestructible, and I can switch with it at will.’