Chapter 0: Saving Lu Zhili
“Who wants to take off your clothes? I want to see your injuries clearly so I can treat them,” Qin Gou said irritably.
“No! I’m well aware of my injuries. Fellow Daoist Yin Yu, please just let me die with some dignity… At this moment, I no longer have the strength to suppress my innate talent as I usually do… Do you remember the Heartstriker Snake Woman I mentioned before? This Empress is that damned Heartstriker Snake Woman!”
Lu Zhili’s voice carried a rare hint of timid pleading and utter panic, but it was ultimately too late.
All her protective spirit arts and magic treasures had already been rendered useless by the Abyss Guards, who had come prepared with special methods. Qin Gou, in his subconscious inspection, found that he didn’t even need to act himself; her tattered clothes had already exposed a small patch of tender skin on her back.
At the same moment, on Lu Zhili’s blood-stained beautiful back, an ancient and obscure demonic mark flashed and vanished, an invisible force instantly invading Qin Gou’s eyes.
“This is…”
In an instant, Qin Gou clearly felt his emotions surge. Lu Zhili, lying on the ground before him, was so enchantingly alluring, her charm like the wind. It was as if countless voices were urging him to rush forward, hold her in his arms, possess her wantonly, and savor every inch of her sweetness.
Qin Gou then understood why Lu Zhili had desperately begged for a dignified death. If he failed to remain clear-headed at this moment, he wouldn’t be able to save her. Instead, he would cause her further torment even as she was dying.
It was no wonder Kong Ling had said back then that the Heartstriker Snake Woman clan was the most skilled in matters between men and women. Such a strange talent indeed existed in this world.
“Sil-Silver Feather Daoist…”
For a moment, Lu Zhili looked at Qin Gou with fearful eyes. She wanted to escape, to suppress this damned innate talent once more, but she had no strength at all. She could only lie there like a puppet, passively accepting her fate.
“Silence,” Qin Gou’s eyes blazed with an almost uncontrollable fire.
Seeing this, Lu Zhili’s terrified beautiful eyes even welled up with tears of despair. She pleaded with no dignity, “Please, please! Fellow Daoist Yin Yu, just end my life! Don’t let this Empress witness myself… suffer such humiliation!”
“Don’t be afraid.”
However, under Lu Zhili’s disbelieving gaze, Qin Gou gritted his teeth and suddenly plunged a streak of silver light fiercely into his own chest.
Freedom Intent!
The Hand of Life Measurement, which could arbitrarily alter one’s joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, could not be used on himself. So, Qin Gou resorted to Cloud Treachery Finger, randomly twisting the intensity of his various emotions. Fortunately, this move did not cause physical pain.
“Yin Yu, what are you doing…”
Qin Gou, who had just randomly landed on the furious emotion, glared at her. “Of course, I’m saving you. How many times do I have to tell you, you damned woman? Be quiet and just stay put.”
Lu Zhili reached up and painfully covered her small mouth, but two lines of clear tears flowed down. She only saw the man before her continuously stabbing the sharp and daunting silver light into his own chest, all to suppress the Heartstriker Snake Woman’s seductive talent and prevent her from suffering humiliation.
The decisiveness and ruthlessness of each stab completely filled Lu Zhili’s tear-blurred vision, causing her heart to tremble with Qin Gou’s actions.
Finally, an extremely calm emotion, like a cold spring, poured down from Qin Gou’s head, sweeping away the unusual surge of passion in his heart.
Qin Gou panted heavily, wiping the cold sweat from his face. He turned to Lu Zhili, who was teary-eyed and sobbing silently beside him, and forced a gentle smile. “It’s fine now. Why are you crying so sadly?”
“Fine?” Lu Zhili looked sadly at Qin Gou’s normal expression, disbelievingly. “According to records, no man in this world has ever been able to withstand the seductive power of a Heartstriker Snake Woman.”
“There is now.”
“But, as long as one is male, no matter who it is, once they are deeply ensnared by a Heartstriker Snake Woman’s talent, it will cause an unignorable fundamental emotional…”
“I don’t care about others. I just do myself well, because someone else is already doing them,” Qin Gou said with a faint smile, shaking his head. He didn’t have the time to explain everything from the beginning.
Hearing this, Lu Zhili’s breath hitched, and she remained silent for a long time.
Qin Gou quickly placed his hand on Lu Zhili’s back, sensing her injuries solely through spiritual power, without using his eyes. He couldn’t help but sigh, “What a malicious spirit charm.”
At this, Lu Zhili wiped away her tears, her eyes dim and lost. “Silver Feather, I am truly grateful to you… But I fear I can’t hold on for more than the duration of one incense stick burning. These injuries must have been caused by the unique Nine Nether Strength of the Abyss Blade Race. There are only three such techniques left in the entire Blade Race, and they used one on me. These scoundrels really think highly of me, Lu Zhili.”
“Is there truly no cure? Impossible.”
Lu Zhili gave a hollow laugh. “It is said that only the juice of the Devouring Calamity Grass can remove this Nine Nether Strength, but it would require at least dozens of stalks to be effective. Such a precious Earth Tier spirit material is likely only found in the treasury exclusively belonging to the Demon Emperor in sufficient quantities to save a life.”
Earth Tier spirit grass?
Qin Gou immediately asked in his mind, “System, can the juice of the Devouring Calamity Grass remove the Nine Nether Strength? Is this method valid?”
“Ding. This method is not recorded in the商城. This system has no right to answer directly. The host can consume Merit points, and this system will analyze it.”
“Then I’ll sell this prescription entirely to the商城. If I don’t spend Merit points to redeem this method from you again, I will no longer have the right to use it. How about that?”
“Ding. It is feasible. After selling it, the host will receive fifteen thousand Merit points.”
“Then isn’t that settled? You’re willing to buy it, so what’s the point of analyzing it?”
The System immediately fell into a deathly silence.
At the same time, Qin Gou unhesitatingly used the Bud of Taihuang to transform into Devouring Calamity Grass, extracted all its juice with spiritual power, and gently applied it to Lu Zhili’s wound.
“Ah!”
Lu Zhili trembled and cried out in pain. At the same time, she saw several stalks of Devouring Calamity Grass in Qin Gou’s hand and exclaimed in surprise, “Silver Feather, this Devouring Calamity Grass…”
“Let’s not talk about that for now. You seem to be in great pain?”
“Yes, it feels like ten thousand ants are gnawing at my heart. Just knock me out, Silver Feather!” Lu Zhili nodded, her face pale.
“Absolutely not. If you faint, the Nine Nether Strength will more easily infiltrate your soul, leading to eternal damnation.” As Qin Gou continued to apply the medicinal liquid, he extended his other hand to Lu Zhili. “Hold my hand.”
As the medicinal liquid entered the wound, Lu Zhili tightly gripped Qin Gou’s large hand. Her delicate body convulsed and trembled, and she was covered in sweat. She seemed to be enduring immense pain, her voice even becoming hoarse. “Silver Feather, I’m going crazy. Is there anything I can bite onto?”
“Then bite my hand. Don’t hold back,” Qin Gou said, subconsciously protecting his left arm with a faint trace of spiritual power.
Lu Zhili’s eyes were filled with pain and struggle. “I-I’m sorry!”
With that, she bit down hard on Qin Gou’s left arm.
“Wuuuugh!”
The moment she bit down, Lu Zhili let out an even more resentful scream with a sob in her voice, “Silver Feather!”
“What’s wrong?” Qin Gou asked, puzzled.
“My teeth! It hurts so much!” Lu Zhili’s eyes were teary, and she looked utterly dejected.
