A Perilous Journey to the Central Hub

Just as she prepared to make her move, Bai Qiao found her entire body frozen, unable to stir. Even lifting her head to look at Bai Chen became an arduous task. There was no need to ask; she knew Bai Chen was suppressing her with his inner force, clearly taking advantage of her lack of it. A surge of irritation welled within her, and she opened her mouth, intending to unleash a torrent of curses. Yet, the words caught in her throat as her gaze landed on Bai Chen’s somewhat haggard face and weary eyes. A sudden pang of reluctant sympathy stirred within her. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him display such an expression. Perhaps it was due to their differing circumstances; though both held positions of nobility, their natures were entirely distinct. She merely possessed a noble status without the burden of its responsibilities, whereas Bai Chen had to endure the immense pressure that came with his exalted position. With this realization, Bai Qiao’s anger dissipated, replaced by a subtle shift towards compromise.

Bai Chen observed all of Bai Qiao’s reactions, and her current demeanor significantly lightened the burden on his own stress-laden heart.

‘Since she hadn’t explicitly refused, might he take it as acceptance?’ Bai Chen, with an air of complete conviction, leaned closer, gently capturing Bai Qiao’s lips and slowly caressing them with the tip of his tongue. This intimate gesture, however, ignited a fresh wave of surprise and indignation in Bai Qiao. Her previously subsided anger flared anew. ‘This fellow truly takes an inch and demands a mile,’ she thought, ‘I never should have given in!’

“Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!”

Though she desperately wanted to curse Bai Chen, her lips were sealed, preventing her from uttering a single coherent word. All she could do was convey her fury through the intensity of her gaze!

Noticing the shift in Bai Qiao’s demeanor, Bai Chen’s eyes dimmed slightly. ‘Could it be that she still can’t accept me?’ he mused. ‘Is it merely because we are, in essence, the same person? Why? Shouldn’t being one and the same foster a greater sense of intimacy? Regardless, this feeling of revulsion shouldn’t exist, not when we are fundamentally the same individual!’ Watching Bai Qiao pull away from him and retch by the side of the bed, Bai Chen’s heart was filled with an unsettling confusion.

“Tomorrow…”

After a long hesitation, Bai Chen finally spoke,

“I’m heading to the Central Hub. They’ve indicated I can bring three people. This King… I mean, I, how about I take you along?”

“Huh? What use would I be to you? I can’t fight, I have no inner force, and what’s more, I can’t offer you the… comfort… a woman would.”

“No… simply having you there, for me to see, would be enough.”

Bai Chen gently kissed Bai Qiao’s forehead, and to her surprise, a wave of warmth bloomed from deep within her heart. No one had ever treated her with such tenderness. Throughout her life, every girl who had claimed to love her had only ever been interested in her appearance or family wealth…

‘Ugh! How… how could I be thinking such things?’ Bai Qiao shuddered at her own thoughts, shaking her head vigorously. Suddenly, a hand rested on her crown, making her pause. Above her, Bai Chen’s gentle voice spoke once more,

“Have you made up your mind? If you truly don’t wish to go, I won’t press you. After all, it’s quite a perilous place.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Qiao, who had initially harbored no desire to go, felt her self-esteem inflate instantly.

“What nonsense are you spouting! Have you ever seen me afraid?! I’ll go! Why wouldn’t I go!”

Bai Chen couldn’t help but smile at Bai Qiao’s spirited response. Bai Qiao’s face, however, shifted through several expressions before finally settling into a livid, almost greenish hue.

“You! You actually played a trick on me! You were deliberately trying to bait me!”

“Oh? Heh, having one’s thoughts exposed is rather annoying, isn’t it? But since you’ve agreed, you wouldn’t go back on your word, would you? I recall that I detest nothing more than someone reneging on their promise…”

“You!…”

Indeed, Bai Qiao despised going back on her word above all else. They truly were one and the same…

Bai Qiao, perched atop the flying demonic beast, gazed down with unbridled excitement. On this particular beast, it was just her and Bai Chen, while the other two companions rode a separate one. ‘So high!’ she thought. ‘To be soaring through the air like this!’ Although Bai Qiao had flown on airplanes numerous times, this was an entirely different experience. The sensation of the wind whipping against her face was simply exhilarating! In her own world, such an experience, if it existed, would surely be worth millions.

Bai Chen watched, a faint smile playing on his lips, as Bai Qiao excitedly leaned over the flying demonic beast, peering down. The fierce wind caused her clothes to billow, occasionally revealing glimpses of her fair skin—smooth and radiant. A sudden rush of heat surged within him. He reached up to wipe his hand, only to find it stained with a startling crimson. ‘A nosebleed, of all things…’ he mused. ‘Indeed, perhaps swiftly ‘pouncing’ on her is the most expedient solution after all…’

“Demonic beasts make excellent contracted companions for humans,” Bai Chen began, “though some are more obstinate than others. However, once a contract is sealed, they become utterly docile, completely subservient to their master’s will. There are also instances of demonic beasts being summoned from alternate dimensions. Once a demonic beast achieves seven-star cultivation, it gains the ability to transform into human form…”

To avert further awkwardness, Bai Chen slowly walked over, beginning to elaborate on these matters. Bai Qiao, still somewhat curious, immediately turned her head and inquired with a puzzled frown,

“Master-servant? Such a thing truly exists? And how would one know if it’s a master-servant relationship?”

“Indeed, master and servant will bear contract markings. However, if the master chooses not to display them, they remain latent…”

“Mmm…”

After three hours of turbulent travel, they finally reached the Central Hub. Gazing down from above, a vast expanse of white mist created an ethereal, almost fairyland-like impression. As it turned out, this feeling persisted even once they descended. Bai Qiao couldn’t help but sigh in awe, beholding the magnificent, castle-like structures spread before her.

“Oh? King Bai? What a coincidence, indeed. Though, forcing a commoner girl to accompany you here is hardly proper, wouldn’t you agree?”

Upon hearing these words, Bai Chen’s expression instantly darkened. He hadn’t anticipated King Qing’s opening remarks to be quite so steeped in sarcasm.

“Hm?” Feeling an arm loop around his, Bai Chen froze for a moment before a faint smile touched his lips. He listened as the person beside him leaned into his embrace and purred,

“My King~ Shouldn’t we go inside now~?”

Looking up at Bai Chen with a hint of coquetry and a touch of indulgence, Bai Qiao truly hadn’t expected herself to… to actually… flirt like that?!

****