Zhao Xiaodie seemed worried he would make her kowtow again. She took a whip from her waist and handed it to him, saying, "Just use this to hit me. As long as it helps you vent."
Zu An looked at the small leather whip in his hand and then at her with a strange expression. "Do you have some special fetish?"
"Huh?" Zhao Xiaodie looked bewildered, clearly not understanding what he meant.
"Just hit me!" Zhao Xiaodie was almost in tears, afraid he wouldn't accept her offer. Remembering the kowtowing incident, she deliberately provoked him, "Are you scared to hit me?"
"Scared?" Zu An knew she was trying to provoke him, but seeing her defiant look, he couldn't help himself. He whipped her directly on the backside.
"Ah~" Zhao Xiaodie cried out in surprise, clearly in pain.
Zu An hesitated, but then she said, "Go on, I can take it."
Zu An was speechless.
Another lash landed, and Zhao Xiaodie's buttocks visibly trembled. However, her robe, made of an unknown material, showed no sign of damage despite two strikes.
Zhao Xiaodie let out a muffled groan, biting her red lips tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.
Zu An thought about stopping; it seemed too much like bullying a young girl.
But then he remembered her arrogant and domineering demeanor from before. If his cultivation had been slightly lower and he'd fallen into her hands, his fate would surely have been far more miserable. His heart hardened again.
With another whip, Zhao Xiaodie suddenly let out a groan. Her painful sound seemed to contain an indescribable, ambiguous meaning.
Zu An didn't think much of it, assuming her voice had simply distorted due to the pain.
He figured he'd give her a few dozen lashes as a lesson. After all, cultivators had exceptionally robust bodies; a few dozen whips wouldn't seriously harm her. He mused about the common saying, "emulating the style of Wei Wu" (Cao Cao). Perhaps "Wei Wu's whipping" was quite interesting too.
However, after a few more lashes, Zhao Xiaodie's voice grew stranger. It no longer sounded like a scream but more like a moan.
She was also trembling slightly, as if trying to endure something.
"If you can't take it anymore, you can beg for mercy," Zu An said. "I might let you off if I'm in a good mood." He thought to himself, 'I really don't suit being a villain, do I? Feeling reluctant so soon?'
Zhao Xiaodie shook her head slightly, maintaining her proud expression.
Remembering her previous arrogance, Zu An thought that if he didn't thoroughly teach her a lesson now, she might harm many people in the future.
So he whipped her again. This time, Zhao Xiaodie could no longer hold back. A sensationally cloying sound escaped her throat, and she instantly became weak, unable to stand, collapsing to the ground, her body trembling violently.
She looked up at Zu An, her eyes watery. Gone was her former defiant arrogance, replaced by a flushed face and alluring, silken eyes.
Zu An: "???"
As someone with experience, how could he not recognize her condition? He never expected to encounter a masochist.
No wonder she hadn't yielded any 'rage points' throughout the beating.
"You're crazy!" Zu An couldn't bring himself to hit her anymore. He threw the whip aside and quickly left.
It was a long time before Zhao Xiaodie finally got up, her chest still heaving violently. She clearly hadn't recovered from the afterglow of the experience.
She touched her burning cheeks, her eyes a little dazed. "What just happened to me?"
After a moment, she snapped back to reality. Had she really displayed such an embarrassing scene in front of him?
Ugh, it would have been better to just kneel and kowtow to him!
Bastard! This was all his fault. One day, she would surely get her revenge!
But the feeling just now... it seemed a bit... strange?
***
Zu An had no idea he had inadvertently opened a new world for the princess. Back at the inn, he still felt speechless. It had been an utterly unlucky day; not only had he failed to see Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan, but he'd also run into a crazy woman.
Soon after returning to his room, Wang Bolin came to find him. "Lord Zu, should we depart for Purple Mountain as soon as possible to complete the task His Majesty assigned us?"
Zu An thought, 'This guy really is honest.' He had originally planned to stay a few more days in Yi Commandery to search for Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan. Now that the ladies had gone, there was no point in staying. Besides, he still had to navigate the intrigues between the local officials and the Prince of Yan. So, he simply nodded. "Alright, issue the order to prepare for departure!"
"Yes!" Wang Bolin was overjoyed. It seemed Lord Zu was indeed a diligent worker, not one of those old schemers who only knew how to flatter and ingratiate themselves in official circles. 'Hmph, no matter how good Zhang Zijiang is at buttering people up, he's still no match for me when it comes to a practical leader like this!'
Next, Zu An went to inform Xie Daoyun. He saw her sitting at her desk, drawing something, and couldn't help but chuckle. "Sister Ling'er is truly diligent, practicing talismans diligently even in her spare time."
"Ah?" Xie Daoyun jumped in surprise, instantly hiding the drawing paper under the desk. She said somewhat flustered, "Brother Zu, why do you walk so quietly?"
Zu An vaguely saw what looked like a figure outlined on the paper, and his expression turned a little odd. That scene felt remarkably similar to suddenly noticing the teacher standing by the window during a class back in his school days.
'Surely she isn't drawing anything... inappropriate?'
He immediately dismissed the thought. How could a demure and proper lady like Xie Daoyun do such a thing?
However, then he thought of Zhao Xiaodie earlier, who normally appeared arrogant and unruly, but deep down was actually a masochist.
'Sometimes, people's tastes are hard to explain...'
To ease her awkwardness, Zu An considerately said, "I just got back from going out."
"Were you looking for Miss Chu?" Xie Daoyun had intended to find Zu An early that morning, only to discover he wasn't there. Being intelligent and perceptive, she naturally guessed where he had gone.
Zu An nodded. "Unfortunately, they're both gone. I don't know where they went."
Xie Daoyun comforted him, "Brother Zu, don't lose heart. As the saying goes, 'Those destined to meet will meet, even if a thousand li apart.' You'll see them soon."
After saying that, she suddenly thought about how she had left the capital alone, only to reunite with him when she encountered danger. Didn't that count even more as 'destined to meet from a thousand li away'?
"Sister Ling'er always says such comforting things," Zu An said, his mood considerably brighter. He then explained the purpose of his visit.
Xie Daoyun nodded. "It just so happens that I also need to go to Purple Mountain to complete my own task."
She paused, then suddenly said, "Brother Zu, could you find me a set of clothes? I'd like to disguise myself as one of your personal guards."
Zu An looked puzzled. "Why?"
Xie Daoyun said shyly, "After all, I'm going to investigate whether any dangerous formations have been set up in Purple Mountain. This clearly implies distrust of the Imperial Tutor. If I go openly, it might cause him to lose face and invite gossip. It wouldn't be good if it led to a conflict between the academy and the Imperial Tutor."
Zu An considered her point. If the Imperial Tutor was indeed problematic, her investigation could be dangerous. It would be safer for her to stay by his side.
He directly pulled a set of clothes from his Glazed Pearl and handed them to her. "I don't have any new ones. I've worn this set before. Should I ask someone else?"
He often switched between several identities, so naturally, he needed a series of uniforms prepared.
Xie Daoyun took them. "No need, this set is fine."
She would never wear clothes worn by other men, but Brother Zu was different.
Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. "Sister Ling'er, please change quickly. We'll probably be departing soon."
He thought to himself that after leaving Yi City, investigating the case of Gold Medallion No. 7 might become inconvenient. He would probably have to travel back and forth in the middle of the night again.
Xie Daoyun's face flushed slightly. "Brother Zu, could you please step outside for a moment? I need to change."
Although she had a good impression of him, such a thing couldn't be done in front of him.
Zu An looked embarrassed. He quickly stepped back and closed the door for her. "My apologies, I was distracted."
***
Meanwhile, at the Purple Mountain main gate, a place usually quiet and secluded was now bustling with people. Teams from the Nine Daoist Sects had arrived at Purple Mountain for the Grand Competition, and disciples of Purple Mountain were registering and welcoming them at the gate.
At this moment, from a group of people in the distance, the two leading figures exchanged spiritual transmissions: "Master, do you think they'll figure out we're fakes?"
"Don't worry," the other replied. "The Nine Daoist Sects don't interact frequently, and we're impersonating an elder from a lesser-known branch. It would be a miracle if they recognized us."
The two had ordinary appearances, but their voices were exceptionally charming and pleasant to the ear.
[2 minutes ago] Chapter 1696: Indecision
[8 minutes ago] Chapter 1695: Men and Women Both Captivated
[9 minutes ago] Chapter 1744: True and False
[13 minutes ago] Chapter 1694: Ice and Snow Dance
[19 minutes ago] Chapter 1693: Sisters
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