Xuanqing Guard

Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Hedgehog

Shen Hao felt warmth fill his arms, but in his heart he tried to suppress the heat, both deliberately and intensely.

This woman was alluring, but she had thorns—and whether or not those thorns were poisonous was still uncertain. To him, this felt like an exhilarating game: constant probing, just to see who would let slip first.

"You dare to resist my Charm Skill? Aren’t you afraid I’ll devour you?" Lian Xiang’s cheeks were rosy, her teasing voice soft and sticky.

"Heh, it’s just a habit. How many times have I told you already?"

"Fine then, let’s see if my Charm Skill actually works on you today." With that, Lian Xiang channeled True Qi into the ring on her finger.

Shen Hao, as instructed, released his resistance to her Charm Skill, for the first time consciously allowing himself to feel the full force of the woman’s allure in his arms.

Instantly, a flux of Array energy rippled out from Lian Xiang’s ring, spreading through the room, along with a strange, bewitching aura Shen Hao had never noticed before.

Though he hated to admit it, Shen Hao couldn’t help but think to himself: Fairies!

If Lian Xiang used to be a glass of mellow wine, then right now she was, in Shen Hao’s eyes, a glass of heated liquor—doubly rich, doubly intoxicating.

"Do I seem different from usual to you now?"

"Still the same, except you look even more appetizing."

"Pfft! Say something nice for once. Where exactly do I look edible?"

Shen Hao didn’t answer—instead, he moved in. Whether she could be eaten or not, you’d know once you tried.

But in the end, that final line was still held firm by Lian Xiang.

Of course, Shen Hao didn’t try to force the issue at the crucial moment either. Both were holding themselves back.

Lian Xiang was a woman—with years spent in the Flower House, she was still untouched, and with a secret identity to boot, how could she casually give herself to Shen Hao?

Shen Hao was also restrained—not out of fear, but out of caution. The ring in Lian Xiang’s hand had been activated effortlessly; the woman hadn’t noticed his little tricks, and she’d managed to trigger the Array on the ring without hesitation. At the very least, this showed that her cultivation had reached the threshold of Gathering Spirit Realm Third Layer!

Shen Hao himself was only at Gathering Spirit Realm Fourth Layer! A songstress, someone who entertains with charms, has this level of cultivation? Then why bother being a songstress? It didn’t add up. The only possible explanation was that the songstress identity was just a cover, hiding an unseen, true identity beneath.

Back then, Shen Hao had heard that the previous Jingxi Governor Liao Chengfeng had coveted Lian Xiang but failed, wary of the power behind Hong’en Hall. But now, it looked like Hong’en Hall’s backing was so fiercely protective of a songstress—and even willing to go head-to-head with a Junior Fourth Grade Xuanqing Guard boss—not just for her entertainment skills. There must be something more. Lian Xiang was clearly not just a songstress.

Lian Xiang wiped her lips, breathless and cheeks blushing, then straightened her clothes and snapped, "You bullied me again!"

Shen Hao also wiped his mouth, his hand coming away with a smear of red. He laughed, "Didn’t you say you couldn’t be eaten? So I tried—didn’t really take a bite."

"Pfft! You—you even put your tongue... what more do you want?!"

"Hahaha..."

The temperature in the room dropped sharply from its peak. Neither wanted it to spike again, so they settled back down—chatting, drinking, sometimes Lian Xiang sang a couple of songs. Shen Hao got tipsy and belted out a tune himself—"Sword and Blade as Dream"—his singing style and melody utterly different from the ones Lian Xiang knew. She couldn’t quite appreciate it, but was curious enough to ask. Shen Hao dodged with laughter and evasion.

When 9 p.m. came, it was already late.

Shen Hao got up from his chair. "If you’re not keeping me here, I’ll take my leave."

"Pfft! Speaking nonsense again! I’ll see you out."

"No need."

He pushed out the door, but Lian Xiang threw on a shawl and came out to walk him to the gate. Just as they reached the entrance, Lian Xiang suddenly called after Shen Hao, raising her hand and waving the ring.

"I really like it. But you think I didn’t notice your little tricks? Hmmph!" With that, Lian Xiang gave a sly smile and shut the door.

Little trick?

Shen Hao was stunned for a moment, then caught on—she meant the test with the ring. Had she noticed beforehand and pretended not to? Or did she realize it only after the fact?

He shook his head, deciding not to dwell. Either way, the test had succeeded: Lian Xiang was definitely not just a songstress, but hiding something else.

Shen Hao didn’t know whether Lian Xiang’s secret identity was a good thing or a bad thing for him.

...

Shen Hao left, and two pairs of curious eyes immediately fixed themselves on the still-blushing Lian Xiang inside the small courtyard.

"Wh—what is it?"

"Miss! Why did you let him kiss you again?" Xiaorong was most outraged; she had nearly barged in to intervene several times, if Xiaoqin hadn’t held her back, who knows what embarrassment might’ve happened.

"I know what I’m doing!" Lian Xiang stiffened her face, unwilling to explain further.

"Miss, you..."

Xiaorong didn’t manage to call Lian Xiang back, as she ran to the inner room and slammed the door, refusing to listen.

The two maids exchanged wry smiles—was this Miss being moody?

"What now? She said she’d never let those nasty men take advantage. Before, it was just the occasional grab, but that Shen guy has kissed her twice! That’s never happened before. Is she really falling for him?"

The maids tidied up as they grumbled. Xiaorong was especially agitated, venting as if upset at her peaceful life being disrupted.

Xiaoqin was more open-minded, "What’s there to be angry about? Lord Shen is so outstanding, why wouldn’t Miss be keen? Wouldn’t you want to catch a good man?"

"Good man, huh? You know what they say about that Shen guy’s reputation. Besides, what about our status? If she really falls, it’ll be a mess. If the Sect Leader finds out..." Xiaorong hesitated, then shivered instead of finishing her sentence.

"There’s only us two by Miss’s side. If we don’t talk, who will know? And after so many years, can’t you tell Miss has a mind of her own? Best not to confront her. We’ll try to talk it over with her tomorrow."

"Hmmph! Won’t be easy. Didn’t you hear in the opera that love’s hard to untangle? If outsiders could talk sense, where would all the lovesick men and women come from? I say it’s doomed!"

Xiaoqin couldn’t help but laugh, patting the pouting Xiaorong. The two whispered while deftly clearing the hall, then shut the door and went out.

Inside, Lian Xiang—her cultivation at least Gathering Spirit Realm Third Layer—how could she not hear the words of the two maids outside?

Her heart was a riot of emotions.

On one hand, reason told her she was doing something dangerous. On the other, she just couldn’t help herself. Every time, that bad man got away with it. Even now, she was slow to notice when he picked up on something unusual about her.

What should she do?