"Mm—!"
Hu Liena's eyes widened in alarm as something soft and fragrant was suddenly shoved past her lips. Shock rippled through her body as she struggled against the force sealing her mouth shut.
"Don't spit it out!" Lu Yuan's amused voice rang in her ears. "Hey, swallow it! This is a good thing!"
Her muffled protests shook the air, but Lu Yuan had already locked her jaw with soul power, preventing her from spitting anything out. With her throat constricted, she had no choice—the strange fruit slid down into her stomach.
The moment she could breathe again, she glared furiously. "Asshole! What did you force-feed me just now?!"
Lu Yuan crouched on the ground with a grin. In one hand, he still held a split-open golden fruit that resembled… papaya.
"Relax. I think it's papaya. But considering it grows here at the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well, it's definitely not normal papaya." His tone was confident. "Don't worry—it's no poison. If anything, it's good for you."
Hu Liena blinked, then flushed crimson as his words sank in. Breast enhancement?! Did she look like someone in desperate need of that?
She squeezed her trembling hands into fists, glaring daggers. "Trash talk! If you stuff weird fruits into my mouth again, I'll—"
Her words cut short. A warmth spread through her body, gentle but immense. Her soul power quivered, spinning in circles along her meridians. Strength surged like a clear river flowing into her veins.
She gasped, staring down at her hands in disbelief.
He wasn't lying. Even that single bite was nudging her cultivation upward. With more of it, she might… actually break through her bottleneck.
She bit her lip. Just that little… felt like soaring. Damn it, this bastard might be right.
Lu Yuan watched her hesitation and smirked. He lifted the half-eaten fruit casually. "I'm not wasting this. It already touched my saliva, but if you want it, I'll feed you again."
Any other day, Hu Liena would have slapped him. But now? She hesitated only a moment before grinding her silver teeth.
"…I want it!" she spat, furious at herself for speaking. Compared to power, a little saliva was nothing.
And so it went again.
"Mmff—!" Hu Liena's muffled cry rang as Lu Yuan shoved the pulp against her lips. Her cheeks flushed hot, her throat strained. "Lu Yuan! Stop shoving—my mouth is full!"
Her fists pounded against his chest, but he smirked and pushed her chin upward, forcing her to swallow each bite. He muttered lazily, "You'll try to run the moment I look away. Don't bother—better I feed you myself."
"Bastard…" her muffled whimper vibrated, but ultimately the fruit dissolved down her throat. Energy blossomed stronger inside her, gentle yet overwhelming.
By the time the papaya was gone, her face blazed scarlet. Her lips were stained with juice, her breath misty with drunken air.
"Little fox, have some wine to wash it down." Lu Yuan cheerfully unscrewed a jar. He tipped it against her lips before she could object.
Half a jar later, Hu Liena's body was flush pink, her eyes glossed faintly from alcohol. Her charm—already enchanting—seemed magnified a hundredfold in the fiery sunset glow. Her soft figure swayed with allure, though her pupils burned with shame and hatred.
She wanted to protest, but even her voice came out weak and husky.
Lu Yuan wiped his mouth with a satisfied sigh. "Good. Now we're even."
"Even?! You just humiliated me!!" she snapped, voice trembling with alcohol.
…
Days turned into weeks.
Dugu Bo sat cross-legged in meditation, his body glowing faint emerald beneath the pines. When Lu Yuan arrived one month later, holding his eternal wine jar in one hand and the faintly luminous sword in the other, the old man opened his eyes.
"Boy, enough. I don't need you to play doctor anymore," he rasped, but his tone was steadier than before. He exhaled a long breath—black qi spiraled free, dissolving into air.
His hair shimmered darker, his eyes had regained their sharp luster. He looked decades younger, the poison no longer wracking his body.
Lu Yuan squinted. "Not bad, Old Poison. You look twenty years younger."
"Humph. My poison's been drained enough. Any further and I won't even be Poison Douluo anymore!" Dugu Bo snapped, though gratitude flickered in his pupils. "Go loot herbs somewhere else."
But Lu Yuan chuckled. Because in truth, whenever his blade had drunk Dugu Bo's venom, part of that energy had strengthened his own Martial Soul. Not directly boosting rank—but tempering his sword body. Stronger, purer, deadlier.
No wonder Dugu Bo suspected. The old man glared, lips curling. "Stinky brat. Don't think I don't see through you. You're using me as a cultivation furnace. One more drop, and I'll gut you."
Lu Yuan only grinned, eyes hazy from wine. "Why so dramatic, Old Poison? We're practically family now. You detox, I improve. Everybody's happy."
"…Gan." Dugu Bo refused to answer, lest he accidentally thank him out loud.
Hu Liena, meanwhile, lay splayed on a nearby rock under shafts of sunlight, her figure like rolling waves, her aura heavier than before.
She had stopped struggling long ago. After countless failed attempts to sneak off—each ending with Lu Yuan carrying her back by the waist and spanking her until she simmered—she had accepted the bitter truth.
Escape was impossible.
And still…
A month hadn't left her empty-handed.
Thanks to the strange papaya he had forced on her before, her strength had surged upward by two full levels. No side effects. Her body resonated smoother than ever. She hadn't slept properly for three nights from excitement.
Even if she hated him, the result was undeniable.
"Little fox, you can go now."
Lu Yuan landed on the grass with a cheerful smile, jar swinging.
Hu Liena blinked. "Y-you're releasing me?"
He shrugged casually. "Why not? The Tianshui exchange program starts soon—I won't be here either."
Her chest fluttered with a strange panic she refused to name. In the silence, Lu Yuan grinned evilly.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you've gotten used to staying with me? Wanna stay around as my wife?"
"Cut!" Her silver eyes flared as she rolled them viciously. Yet her cheeks warmed as she gathered herself.
"Here." Lu Yuan flicked his fingers. A small jade-green pill floated into her hand. "Take it with you. It'll block the poison array here when you leave. Otherwise, I'd have to drag your corpse out—and carrying your body around would make me look like a pervert."
She clutched it, lips tight. Then, strangely shy, she lifted her eyes. Her voice softened ever so slightly. "Lu Yuan… one request."
"Oh?" he leaned in, amused. "Speak."
Her index fingers pressed together timidly. "Can I… take one of the fairy herbs with me?"
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. He had half expected this.
She pointed quickly before he could refuse. "That chrysanthemum! The golden one. Please."
In moments, he was gone and back, holding it carefully. The glowing golden chrysanthemum radiated vitality in her hands. She hugged it close, inhaling its rich fragrance.
Then, looking up with uncharacteristic solemnity, she said softly but firmly, "Lu Yuan, I won't reveal this place. Not to Martial Soul Hall, not to Teacher. It'll remain a secret. You have my word."
She hesitated—and then, her face darkened with genuine fear.
"But one more thing… please, don't set foot in Martial Soul City. Ever. Teacher won't spare you. If you value your life, stay away."
Lu Yuan threw his head back, drinking deep from his jar. His blurred eyes twinkled. "How could I miss that chance? If your Pope is really as stunning as you say, maybe I'll pay her a visit. Who knows—she might like me more than you."
Hu Liena's face went deathly pale, then crimson with fury.
She turned away, gripping the chrysanthemum like her last sanity. This man… this insane drunkard…
And still, as his laughter spilled across the valley, something stubborn twisted in her chest.
--
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