The summer breeze was gentle, and the candlelight flickered uncertainly.
Two silhouettes were gradually drawing closer.
The consort of Prince Zhen Nan ranked first on the Tang Dynasty Rouge List, a beauty unparalleled in her time.
And now, she was within arm's reach.
No matter how much Fang Yang could endure, he ultimately struggled to contain himself.
His breathing quickened, growing erratic.
This very moment further confirmed the consort's suspicions.
The demonic tyrant who oppressed the eight desolations had always been cruel and domineering. When had he ever lost composure like he did now?
It must be a deviation in his cultivation.
The shadows drew closer...
Han Lingxuan also grew more agitated, biting down hard on her silver teeth, her eyes flashing with a deep-seated hatred.
The jade hairpin had already fallen out.
Clutched in her palm.
"You demon, go to... mmph."
...
The first light of dawn tore through the darkness.
The Wutong Courtyard.
What was once a peaceful and elegant room had now become wildly disheveled.
At this moment, a stunningly beautiful matron lay on the bed, her hair a mess and her flawless oval face filled with confusion.
She seemed like a withered piece of wood, utterly soulless.
"Consort?"
"Consort, don't scare me!"
"Please, wake up."
The little maid stood by the bed, her voice laced with tears, pushing Han Lingxuan.
After a long while, Han Lingxuan finally came to her senses, looking at the little maid with tear-streaked face, utterly bewildered.
"Ling'er, what happened last night?"
"Last… last night, you were bullied by that demon."
Ling'er cried, her eyes full of pity.
"Boohoo, Consort, that demon is just too fierce and brutal, you're no match for him."
"Let's just live peacefully here in Wutong Courtyard, can't we stop provoking the demon?"
The little maid's eyes were swollen from crying, her tone even pleading.
"..."
The consort was at a loss for words.
Ling'er was a child she had picked up from the streets, always following her, and due to her shy and reserved nature, she rarely interacted with strangers, not to mention she was still young.
There was so much she didn't understand.
She thought it was just like in the Prince's mansion, where she was bullied by other maids.
But the little maid didn't understand, while she did.
She was defiled by the demon!
It happened last night, after she had made her thorough preparations, when suddenly the demon's animalistic instincts overpowered her.
All her schemes turned into a joke.
It was like lifting a stone only to drop it on her own feet.
What exactly happened?
Which part went wrong?
Wasn't the demon supposed to be impotent?
This fact, she had verified many times, was absolutely certain!
Why then, in the end, was she the one violated?
Could it be...
The demon had been closing himself off in cultivation for a month just to cure his condition.
And now he was completely healed?
It must be so, this was the only possibility.
Thinking of her so-called elaborate plans, thinking of her pride from the previous night.
Han Lingxuan wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Strictly speaking…
The demon hadn't forced her at first.
Instead, it was she who had step by step delivered herself into the demon's mouth.
Not only unaware but also self-satisfied.
It was utterly foolish!
So arrogant!
Life had become unbearable!
At this moment, Han Lingxuan truly despaired.
Her eyes were hollow and lifeless.
She didn't even respond to the little maid's words, which only aggravated Ling'er's distress.
Tears plopped down continuously,
"Your Highness, do you still seek revenge against that demon? He truly is very vicious."
"If you insist on taking revenge, I will join you. If that demon wants to beat us, let him beat us both."
Ling'er sobbed, looking pitiful.
The consort sighed leisurely. Just as she was about to get up, she felt an intense soreness throughout her body, as if her skeleton was about to come apart.
She frowned slightly, bearing the pain as she sat up and stroked Ling'er's hair. Clenching her teeth, she grabbed a wooden basin and randomly stuffed in a couple of changes of clothes before silently heading towards the hot springs behind the mountain.
Perhaps, it was time for her to consider what her path forward should be.
...
Mist swirled and the spring water was steaming.
The consort of the Southern Governor sat in the hot spring, bathing, her cheeks flushed and glowing with allure.
And beside her, a cat floated.
A snow-white lion cat.
It looked at her with a resentful gaze.
Last night, throughout the lengthy night, the lion cat had stayed indoors.
It arrived at the hot springs early in the morning.
Even earlier than the consort of the Southern Governor, whose guilty conscience was pricked by that straightforward gaze.
It felt as though she had betrayed him.
In the end, she intentionally ignored him, pondering her own matters until her mind became a chaotic mess after not too long.
In fact, although she held the esteemed title of the consort of the Southern Governor, she was nothing more than a decorative vase within the governor's mansion.
Her life was far from good.
Especially after the Southern Governor died, her days became even harder.
The whole governor's mansion was rife with schemes and calculations that left her utterly exhausted.
In comparison, the past three years living in the Wutong courtyard seemed much more peaceful and beautiful.
Even the recent restlessness had dissipated entirely after last night...
Last night...
When she thought of those two words,
the consort's expression grew complex, her gaze turned hazy, and she bit down on her red lips tightly.
Then... her eyes brimmed with a murderous intent.
She had always hated that demon, and now their enmity had cemented into a vendetta as deep as the ocean.
It was a fight to the death!
Revenge! She must have revenge!
The consort clenched her teeth and pondered once more.
She had already reviewed the situation—her failure this time was in no way her fault. It was purely because she had no idea that the demon had completely cured his hidden illness.
This was why she had suffered such a significant loss!
Now that she understood him like the back of her hand, she could devise a more detailed plan.
But... what kind of plan?
She furrowed her brows, engrossed in thought.
After a long while, her eyes lit up.
She had it!
From the demon's impatient behavior last night, it was clear that after suppressing himself for so many years, he had completely turned into a lecher.
And a starving one at that.
In the stories, the best way to deal with a lecher was to seduce him.
A female assassin disguises herself as a stunning beauty, mixes in close to the target, and when he lets his guard down, strikes a fatal blow!
She could do the same!
The demon had sequestered himself for an entire month in seclusion, which the elder could fully attest to.
It was said that during such seclusion, the surrounding spiritual energy would ripple slightly—a fact that could not be faked.
And indeed, the spiritual energy in the cave had been rippling for a month.
Nobody had ever managed to stay in such isolation for so long, so the demon must have incurred severe injuries and was merely pretending to be fine.
And that was her best opportunity.
She could intentionally entice him and at his most joyful, when his guard was lowest, strike.
With her beauty, plus some cunning fox-like techniques, the demon would surely be utterly bewitched.
Completely unsuspecting of any danger.
Furthermore, her actions from yesterday must have made the demon believe that she truly had feelings for him,
thus lowering his guard.
An absolutely foolproof strategy! A truly foolproof strategy!
The consort of the Southern Governor became excited once again.
Feeling as if everything was under her control.
Hastily changing her clothes, she walked towards the Wutong courtyard.
Now, she needed to hurry back and look at the booklet that depicted various poses.
With an attitude of learning,
ready to seduce the demon!
"Demon, just wait for your demise."
The consort was full of confidence.