The journey passed in silence, and more than three days went by. Ye Xuan arrived at the Gongsun Mansion once again.
"Xuan’Er, head straight back to the Lingxuan Courtyard in a bit," Gongsun Yanran’s voice called out. "I need to make a trip to the main courtyard. I have to tell my father first about your participation in the competition."
Ye Xuan asked with some concern, "Mother, there won’t be any problems, right?"
"Don’t worry, there won’t be. It’s just to notify him."
"Mother, go ahead then."
Ye Xuan led Hua and Liu Ruoxi back to the Lingxuan Courtyard.
Later, in Ye Xuan’s room, Liu Ruoxi asked somewhat fearfully, "Ye Xuan, why are you looking at me like that?"
Ever since she entered, Ye Xuan had been staring at her. It made her blood run cold. She was truly terrified that he would force himself on her.
Ye Xuan didn’t speak. After a long while, he finally asked, "Liu Ruoxi, after witnessing my talent, do you regret what you did back then?"
"Regret? I, Liu Ruoxi, never regret anything I do!"
It had to be said, Liu Ruoxi was incredibly stubborn. She would absolutely never say she regretted it! If she felt regret, wouldn’t that be admitting she was wrong? A woman like Liu Ruoxi would only ever admit to marrying the wrong man; she would never confess to any other mistake. Even if she knew she was wrong, she couldn’t confess it.
"Liu Ruoxi, are you really so repulsed by my status as an illegitimate child?"
Liu Ruoxi did not answer, because she didn’t know the answer herself. She had no idea why, even now, she still rejected and resisted Ye Xuan.
Previously, she had indeed looked down on his status as a bastard. But now? Although she had never admitted it, she knew that Ye Xuan was truly a Demon. Not only had he awakened a high-level Beast Soul, but he was also a powerful Alchemy Master. Merely by being able to refine Super Spirit Pills, his status would be extremely high even in a major city. How rare were Pill Masters who could refine Super Spirit Pills? The Elixir Recipe for the Super Spirit Pill would absolutely never be taught to outsiders.
So, why was she still resisting him now, to the point of hating him? Was it because Ye Xuan abused and humiliated her? Or was it the frivolous and disdainful look in his eyes when he looked at her? Liu Ruoxi knew that even with her heavenly beauty, Ye Xuan had never thought much of her.
Yes, perhaps that was why she hated him. Liu Ruoxi was, ultimately, arrogant. How could an arrogant person allow someone they once looked down upon to step all over them? The stronger he became, the more intense and maddening her hatred grew. She would rather hate than bow her head.
A woman’s heart was indeed beyond a man’s comprehension.
After an unknown amount of time, Liu Ruoxi spoke again. "Ye Xuan, I understand now. Are you hoping that I’ll fall for you? That way, you can feel the thrill of conquest. That way, you can feel like a winner. But you should give up on such childish thoughts. I, Liu Ruoxi, have nothing but hatred for you. I’ve said it before: one day, I will kill you."
Her words were freezing cold. The hatred for Ye Xuan in her eyes was absolutely not faked.
Ye Xuan laughed and said, "I just love seeing how stubborn you are. Now, undress me. I haven’t changed my underwear in seven days. It’s time for a change."
"You..." Liu Ruoxi gnashed her teeth, yet she still stepped forward to slowly untie his robes. She kept her eyes closed, still not daring to look.
But this time, Ye Xuan didn’t indulge her. She wanted to be arrogant? He was determined to trample all over her arrogance. He ordered coldly, "Open your eyes!"
Liu Ruoxi clenched her fists tightly, ignoring his words.
"I said, open your eyes. I won’t repeat this a third time!" Ye Xuan spoke again.
Liu Ruoxi still didn’t listen.
Ye Xuan flashed a wicked smile, and his hand suddenly moved. He stretched out his hand, forming a claw...
"AH!"
Liu Ruoxi retreated rapidly, startled like a frightened bird. She panicked like a little white rabbit, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
Just a moment ago, Ye Xuan had executed the long-lost ultimate skill: the Milk-Squeezing Dragon Claw Hand.
"AHHHHH!"
The intense sensation left Liu Ruoxi overwhelmed with shame. She squatted in the corner, clutching her chest, looking as wronged as a frightened bunny.
"I told you I didn’t want to say it a third time. Are you trying to make me repeat myself? If you make me say it again, the consequences will be severe." The Spirit-Suppressing Rope appeared in Ye Xuan’s hand.
Liu Ruoxi clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh, but she seemed completely oblivious to the pain. After a good while, she loosened her fists and took a deep breath.
She stood up and opened her eyes. Her eyes were devoid of any light. Even upon seeing Ye Xuan’s body, she showed no reaction whatsoever. Moving like one of the Walking Dead, she stripped Ye Xuan and dressed him in clean clothes. In this moment, she resembled a corpse more than the Blood Princess did.
After changing his clothes, Liu Ruoxi acted as if nothing had happened, gathered his dirty laundry, and walked out.
Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes as he watched her departing figure. It seemed Liu Ruoxi’s mental fortitude had improved. Was she enduring it silently? This was absolutely far more terrifying than her initial hysteria.
But then, Ye Xuan smiled. In this lifetime, it would be impossible for Liu Ruoxi to ever surpass him. Defeated by him once meant she would remain defeated by him for the rest of her life.
Ye Xuan didn’t follow her out. Instead, he summoned the Blood Princess.
Ten days had passed, and the Blood Princess’s body had fully recovered to its original state.
"Master, how did you know I was hungry? I just woke up and was about to call you." As soon as she appeared, the Blood Princess grabbed Ye Xuan’s hand. Her affectionate demeanor suggested she treated him as her closest kin.
There was nothing that could be done about it; to a corpse, blood was everything. Who could blame her when Ye Xuan’s blood tasted so delicious? In all the world, she probably wouldn’t find another batch of blood as tasty as his.
The look in Ye Xuan’s eyes when he looked at the Blood Princess was completely different from the way he looked at Liu Ruoxi. Even though the Blood Princess was merely a wicked entity he had subdued, his gaze was incredibly gentle.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Ye Xuan’s pupils contracted. Surprised, he said, "Blood Princess, your aura..."
"What’s wrong with my aura?" The Blood Princess blinked, her face full of confusion.
"It seems a bit fainter than before."
"Huh? Really? I can’t feel it."
"You might not feel it, but I can. This means that the dark aura on your body can still be eliminated. That’s for the best!"
The Blood Princess was absolutely Ye Xuan’s trump card. Her Instant Movement was completely silent and impossible to defend against. Unfortunately, the evil energy on her body was too heavy. Even if others couldn’t keep up with her speed, the evil energy would still expose her position. If she had no evil energy in the future, she would absolutely be the ultimate ace in the hole.
"Come on, drink some blood." Ye Xuan extended his arm.
The Blood Princess didn’t stand on ceremony. She instantly bit into his arm and began sucking in large mouthfuls.
Once his face turned deathly pale, Ye Xuan directly swallowed a Blood Generating Pill. Since his blood could eliminate the evil energy on the Blood Princess, he decided to let her drink more every time. Anyway, he still had a few portions of the raw materials for the Blood Generating Pill on him. Even if he ran out, they wouldn’t be hard to find. He would definitely have enough Blood Generating Pills to keep her supplied.
Only after consuming three Blood Generating Pills did Ye Xuan tell her to stop. He felt that the volume equivalent to three Blood Generating Pills was about enough. He couldn’t always let the Blood Princess binge drink.