A Poisoned Kiss and Lingering Responsibility

Upon meeting, no superfluous words were exchanged.

Lin Yao gently lowered Qin Yan from her shoulder, instantly plunging into a fierce battle with Xiao Miao. Her longsword danced with preternatural skill, its movements phantom-like and unpredictable. In contrast, Xiao Miao wielded her iron ruler with sweeping, expansive strikes. For a time, the two were locked in an evenly matched, intense struggle.

“Shizun, let us use that technique!”

Unwilling to prolong the engagement with Lin Yao, Xiao Miao resolved to unleash her ultimate move.

She summoned forth her unique elemental water, just as her Shizun possessed a similar, extraordinary water known as Corrosive Bone Spirit Water. Should an ordinary cultivator come into contact with it, their very soul would risk dissolution.

When combined, her Heavenly Dew Elemental Water and the Corrosive Bone Spirit Water converged to form a wondrously lethal technique.

“Heavenly Dew Corrosive Bone Water!”

Xiao Miao’s shout served as a clear signal for her Shizun to cooperate. As the two elemental waters merged, the very air seemed to corrode under the influence of the coalescing liquid in Xiao Miao’s grasp.

Lin Yao’s heart lurched, and she instantly activated her escape technique, preparing to evade.

This potent killing blow descended with an eerie silence, as if casting one into the void, involuntarily igniting a profound sense of unease within their heart. Where Lin Yao had stood, and for hundreds of meters behind her, trees, earth, and even the air itself were utterly dissolved and disintegrated by the Heavenly Dew Corrosive Bone Water in Xiao Miao’s hands.

More alarmingly, the dissolved matter was slowly regenerating, a sight that would make any discerning observer realize that even a trace of contact would condemn one to a fate worse than death.

Such a terrifying phenomenon would surely deter even Nascent Soul cultivators from touching it in the slightest.

Moreover, Xiao Miao had restrained its full power, careful not to accidentally harm Qin Yan, who lay not far away. The elemental water in her hands continued to gather ceaselessly, and in the blink of an eye, she was poised to strike at Lin Yao once more.

Seeing this, Lin Yao knew she was outmatched. She instantly activated her escape technique, reappearing hundreds of meters away, leaving behind only her words echoing in the air.

“Hahahaha, today I concede defeat, having failed to ascertain the true strength of the woman beside you, Qin Yan. We shall meet again.”

Upon witnessing Lin Yao’s retreat, Xiao Miao initially harbored thoughts of pursuit, but seeing Qin Yan lying on the ground, she quelled her murderous intent. This place was clearly unsuitable for lingering, so she walked over to Qin Yan.

“Forgive my intrusion, Qin Yan.”

With those words, she reached out, wrapped her arm around Qin Yan’s waist, and with a swift flicker of her form, vanished into the distance.

****

The moon shone brightly that night.

Xiao Miao brought Qin Yan to a small hillside, where the surroundings were bathed in brilliant moonlight. A few fireflies danced in the distance, lending an air of tranquility and serenity to the scene.

However, intermittent soft moans from Qin Yan drifted through the air, causing Xiao Miao’s face to flush faintly. She gazed at the young man, whose waist she still held, then settled onto the ground, gently positioning Qin Yan to lie on her lap.

“Do not fear, Qin Yan, I will cure you of this poison immediately.”

Xiao Miao spoke, and her Heavenly Dew Elemental Water materialized in her palm. This extraordinary water possessed potent healing properties, truly the bane of all poisons in the world!

Lying in Xiao Miao’s embrace, Qin Yan looked at the delicate, clear-featured girl before him. Her pretty face was tinged with a faint blush, though whether from the recent battle or some other cause, he couldn’t tell.

At that moment, Qin Yan felt a surge of suppressed frustration within him, perhaps due to the repeated unfortunate incidents, or perhaps stirred by the subtle fragrance emanating from the girl.

“Qin Yan, drink this.”

Xiao Miao spoke, gently raising Qin Yan’s body and extending her palm towards his face.

They were so close that they could hear each other’s breathing, yet Xiao Miao had underestimated the potency of the Blissful Sect’s strange poison. With a sudden roll, Qin Yan pinned the girl beneath him, his hands seizing control of both of hers.

Caught completely off guard, Xiao Miao was pressed onto the grass by Qin Yan. Her hands were raised above her head, firmly held by Qin Yan’s large ones.

This unexpected turn of events left her utterly surprised. Yet, gazing at Qin Yan’s face before her, Xiao Miao pressed her lips together, her heart a battlefield of conflicting emotions, rendering her speechless.

“Qin Yan, please don’t…”

Just as she was about to speak, a wave of guilt washed over her, making her feel she couldn’t take advantage of his vulnerable state.

It was unclear what thoughts ran through the girl’s mind; despite being pinned beneath Qin Yan, she oddly felt as though she were the one taking advantage. Yet, it made a strange kind of sense: if she passively accepted everything, how could she possibly face Qin Yan afterwards?

Before she could finish her sentence, however, the girl’s lips were claimed by a kiss, allowing only muffled sounds to escape. She began to struggle.

Then, her body suddenly went limp. She realized she had felt something hard, and instantly, all strength drained from her limbs. After all, Qin Yan was tall and powerfully built; in terms of brute strength alone, she was no match. Moreover, she feared using her spiritual energy might inadvertently harm the dazed and enchanted Qin Yan.

‘Right, the elemental water!’

Xiao Miao quickly devised a solution: she could transfer the elemental water into Qin Yan’s mouth.

Without hesitation, she acted. Qin Yan instantly felt a warm, soothing substance flow into his throat, and his eyes cleared considerably. The elemental water was swiftly dismantling the strange poison within his body.

Even so, Qin Yan felt his body utterly devoid of strength, and he collapsed onto the girl.

Having been subjected to such an ordeal, Xiao Miao was left breathless. She remained silent, as if her recent actions had expended all her composure; as a young virgin, how could she possibly face such matters with equanimity?

After approximately half an incense stick’s time, Qin Yan had recovered somewhat and stood up.

His gaze fell upon Xiao Miao, who was equally disheveled, and for a moment, he found himself at a loss for words. Yet, the lingering sweetness in his mouth remained.

Xiao Miao’s pretty face, meanwhile, was flushed red as she straightened her clothes. As a man, Qin Yan must be incredibly embarrassed by such an incident, so as a woman, she felt compelled to step forward and say a few words.

“Qin Yan, you needn’t dwell on this. You only acted as you did because you were poisoned by that vile woman.”

Xiao Miao spoke, her back still turned to Qin Yan.

“Indeed.”

Qin Yan had also risen by now, his mind having regained its clarity and composure. His only regret was allowing Lin Yao to escape; if it had been Fangyuan, she would have surely killed her long ago.

Upon hearing his rather indifferent reply, Xiao Miao turned to look at Qin Yan, only to find the young man before her appearing far calmer than herself.

For some inexplicable reason, a flicker of irritation arose within her. It was a feeling akin to kissing one’s first love, only to discover they were far more experienced than oneself.

“That was my… first kiss.”

Qin Yan looked at the girl before him, as if trying to imprint her image into his memory, and suddenly spoke.

‘That was my first, too—’

Xiao Miao had intended to say as much, but as a woman, how could she possibly voice such a thing? Hearing Qin Yan’s declaration, her heart instead began to pound wildly.

Their relationship had always been somewhat awkward, considering Qin Yan was, after all, her former fiancé.

“Though it might seem foolish for me to say this in my current position, if you require it, I… I will take responsibility.”

Xiao Miao spoke, her expression utterly serious.

Qin Yan was somewhat taken aback. He had merely uttered the remark as a casual, wistful thought, never expecting the girl before him to take it to heart. As a man with conventional beliefs, the idea of having the girl take responsibility was absurd. Rather, after this incident, he found a subtle sense of possessiveness stirring within him towards Xiao Miao.

It was as if she were his own possession, which he no longer wished for anyone else to touch.