"Just agree to fight, and I'll become your woman," Xuelan called out to Gu Changqing, gritting her teeth through the pain and speaking loudly.
"No, Xuelan!"
"Xuelan, don't!"
"Don't agree to him!"
The members of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group were shocked and rushed to stop Xuelan. Not only was she their comrade, but several of them had secretly admired her. Though they hadn't won her affection, they didn't want to see her fall into the hands of another man.
"You?!" Gu Changqing looked at Xuelan, his gaze sweeping over her curvaceous figure. He frowned slightly, shook his head, and said, "Your figure is decent, and your looks are acceptable, but if you want to be my woman, you're still lacking. If you're willing to become my concubine, I might consider taking you in."
Xuelan, with her average talent, was around twenty years old, a six-star Fighter. Her figure was alluring, clad in revealing attire that showcased her healthy, tanned skin, a slim waist, and long, tight legs. Her slightly arched brows made her look like a fierce tigress.
If she were wearing a leopard print bodysuit, she would resemble a shapeshifted tigress—wild and provocative, with a sleek, attractive face. This was why Gu Changqing decided to take her in as a concubine.
"Go to hell!"
"You're going too far!"
"Xuelan would never be your concubine!"
The members of the Mo Tie Mercenary Group were furious. To be a concubine meant being used and serving the master—an indignity they couldn't accept for their revered comrade.
Suddenly, several Sand Demon Scorpions attacked, catching the mercenaries off guard and wounding several of them.
"We're finished!"
"This is really the end!"
"Run, we can't fight them!"
The mercenaries panicked, realizing that their lives were at risk, not just their comrade.
"Dai Zai, Feng Ye, Niels, you—ah—please act quickly. I agree, I agree to your terms!" Xuelan, seeing her comrades in danger of being killed by the scorpions, had no choice but to agree to Gu Changqing's demands, begging him to help.
"Go!" Gu Changqing didn't let her down. With Xuelan's desperate gaze, he skillfully killed the Sand Demon Scorpions, saving the mercenaries from imminent death.
The mercenaries, barely escaping the deadly scorpions, scrambled away in panic.
"Ah..." Xuelan sighed in relief, but then, the toxin from her wounds surged painfully, causing her to collapse to the ground.
Swish!
Gu Changqing swooped in and caught Xuelan's voluptuous body in his arms. Without hesitation, he tossed a vial to the mercenaries and said, "Today, I'm in a good mood, so I'm giving you some antidote pills. Use them to counter the poison."
He then took a cleansing pill from his pocket and, bending down, kissed Xuelan's slightly dry lips.
"Umm."
Xuelan's eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively tried to struggle. But Gu Changqing slapped her firm rear.
"Ugh."
Startled, Xuelan opened her mouth, and the cleansing pill was forced down her throat.
Gu Changqing first embraced Xuelan, groped her rear, and kissed her before finally releasing her.
"What did you just make me swallow?" Xuelan gasped, catching her breath and looking at Gu Changqing with wide, angry eyes.
"A cleansing pill. It will cleanse your impurities so that you're fit to serve me without any filth," Gu Changqing said coldly.
"You! Bastard! If you look down on me, why take me at all?" Xuelan was on the verge of tears. To be demeaned as merely a concubine was too much for her to bear.
"As a concubine, my demands are naturally lower," Gu Changqing replied indifferently.
"Bastard!"
Xuelan was furious. The words about her being merely a concubine, unworthy of higher regard, were a severe insult to her proud nature.
"If you think I'm so unworthy, let me go! I refuse to be your concubine. Find someone else who meets your standards. I will find another way to repay your help today!"
Xuelan struggled fiercely in Gu Changqing's arms.
Smack!
Gu Changqing wasn't gentle. He slapped her rear firmly, and with a stern look, said, "As a concubine, you must accept your role and serve me well. Even if I find you lacking, you must fulfill your duties properly. Otherwise, even if I kill you, you would have no complaint."
Gu Changqing's intent was not to demean Xuelan intentionally, but to dominate her spirit. In the harsh desert environment, women like Xuelan were inherently fierce. Even if he obtained her through a trade, he doubted she would serve him willingly. Such a woman needed to be tamed forcefully to ensure her obedience.
"Then kill me!" Xuelan's eyes filled with tears, and she sobbed, feeling humiliated by the prospect of being reduced to a mere concubine. To her, it was better to die than to suffer such indignity.
"Die? It's too easy to let you die so cheaply. I would be losing out," Gu Changqing said. "If you have the ability, show me what you've got. Show me if you're really as remarkable as you claim. Or, you can just obediently crawl at my feet!"
Gu Changqing provoked Xuelan deliberately to make her more determined. He wanted to see her fighting spirit and ensure she served him with all her might.
"Bastard! Fine! I'll show you what I'm capable of! I want to see if you're truly as unattainable as you think!"
Enraged, Xuelan pushed Gu Changqing down and started tearing at his clothes. She was determined to prove that this so-called 'unattainable young master' could be tamed and humbled by her!