Xiao Yu's eyes moved slowly to meet him, voice stretching painfully. "H…e…l…p… m…e…"
Su Xiaobai gasped with mock sympathy. "Oh, Senior Brother! You must be in a slow-time zone. Try focusing your Qi—maybe that'll speed you up!" His voice oozed with false encouragement as he watched Xiao Yu's pathetic, sluggish attempts.
With a clap, Su Xiaobai nodded as if impressed. "That's it! Keep trying, Senior Brother!"
The more you fight, the deeper the formation's pull on you. Go ahead, struggle.
He gave Xiao Yu a friendly pat on the shoulder—a gesture that would take minutes to register in Xiao Yu's distorted sense of time. "I'll find help. Don't worry, I'll be back in no time. Or... a lot of time. Who knows?"
Out of sight, Su Xiaobai's grin widened. Two fools down.
Rounding the next corner, he heard soft, deliberate footsteps. Finally.
Lan Meiyu had been sneaking behind him, her steps soft and measured, but Su Xiaobai kept up his clueless wanderer act, pretending not to notice her creeping closer.
Suddenly, her honeyed voice broke the silence. "Junior Brother!" she cooed, appearing out of nowhere and sliding up beside him, her fingers gliding along his arm like silk.
Her robes flowed like a river, emphasizing her figure as she moved in closer. "You wouldn't leave me here all by myself... would you?"
Feigning surprise, Su Xiaobai turned around. "Senior Sister! Didn't realize you were right there."
Her gaze smoldered as she leaned in, her robes clinging to her in all the right places, jade mountains rising and falling with a slow, deliberate breath. "Found you by chance, Junior Brother," she murmured, fingers trailing down his arm, each brush a subtle tease.
Her robes rustled as she shifted closer, her fingers lighting a faint shiver down his arm. "Since we're here... why don't you keep me company? This maze isn't the friendliest place to be alone."
Ah, trying to hook me, is she? Su Xiaobai thought, hiding a wry smile. He returned her gaze with a wide, innocent smile. "Good idea, Senior Sister. We should stick together."
As they walked, he gradually led her toward a slow-time zone, waiting for just the right moment.
When they reached the edge, he stopped and pointed ahead. "See that path up there? Shortcut."
"What....!"
Lan Meiyu's smug confidence was all over her face as she strode forward—only to freeze, one foot hovering in the air as the sluggish energy hit, locking her in place mid-step.
Her robes parted just enough to hint at the valley between her jade mountains, while her eyes widened in silent frustration.
"What... is... this...?" she hissed, her voice thick with frustration as her eyes flared with rage.
Su Xiaobai's lips curled in amusement. "Oh, Senior Sister, it seems you've strolled right into a slow-time zone. How careless of me not to warn you."
Her face twisted in anger, though the expression dragged like honey dripping from a spoon. "You... did... this... on... purpose!"
He stepped closer, his gaze turning cold and mocking. "Me? Purposefully? Now, why would I do that? You were the one so sure you could use me, weren't you?" He let his hand slide down her back, resting his fingers over the curve of her hip, then channeled his Qi to deliver a crisp slap.
SLAP!
"Wha—!"
Her cheeks flushed in shock, her eyes widening even as her body remained trapped in sluggish time.
Each strike echoed sharply, crackling with a pulse of Qi-infused energy.
Pakh! Pakh!
Her body arched involuntarily, her chest heaving with each impact, and her lips parted in a low, unwilling groan. "B-bas...tard..." she spat, her voice dripping with venom, though a strange spark lit her gaze.
Su Xiaobai leaned close to her ear, his breath warm as he whispered, "Oh, I'm just getting started, Senior Sister. You thought you could toy with me? Now you'll think twice before trying this again." His gaze lingered, savoring her helplessness, her flushed cheeks, and her frozen stance. "Don't worry… someone's bound to come along eventually."
Turning to leave, he grinned and thought, 'No thunderstrikes from above this time? … Could I actually be on the right path?'
Did that mean he had a free pass from the heavens to put her in her place?
Just then—
Clink!
Something small and bright fell from Lan Meiyu's robe, catching his attention.
He paused, careful to avoid stepping into the slow-time zone, and turned back.
"What's this?" Su Xiaobai murmured, picking up a small, glowing green pill.
He stared at it, recognition dawning in his eyes. "Soul-Severing Poison…?" He glanced at Lan Meiyu, whose eyes darted away, a guilty flush coloring her cheeks.
His voice grew sharper. "You planned to use this on me?"
Lan Meiyu's face twitched, but she didn't speak, not a single word of explanation. She couldn't.
If he knew the truth… if he knew why she'd brought that poison, her plans would fall to ruin.
She bit down on her frustration, forcing herself to meet his gaze, even as her skin prickled with anger and shame. If she spoke now, she'd lose everything—and her life would be even worse than the torment she felt now.
For a moment, Su Xiaobai simply stared, disbelieving.
This wasn't just some petty trick—Soul-Severing Poison could kill a "small fry" like him without leaving a trace. And she had it ready for him?
"You... you really planned to kill me?" His tone was darker now, and anger simmered beneath the surface.
The realization hit him: she hadn't just wanted to use him to get through the maze. She'd planned to discard him the moment he wasn't useful.
Why kill him in the process? The answer was painfully clear: Because she could.
People had taken advantage of him his entire life, used him for their own reasons, hurt him just because they held the power. She was no different.
But right now...
Looking at her, panting helplessly in the slow-time zone, he realized he held all the power for once.
And he could do 'anything' he wanted.
With a casual flick, he dropped the deadly pill into his spatial ring, securing it as a token of her failed attempt to off him.
"Oh, Senior Sister, you really thought you could kill me that easily?" he mused, his gaze zeroing in on Lan Meiyu, who was now helpless, trapped in the grip of the slow-time formation. "Guess it's time you learned who's boss."
He stepped forward, hands grabbing onto her trembling thighs, fingers digging in as he took his position with all the confidence of a bandit claiming his prize.
"S...T...op..." Her eyes darted, fury and fear swirling in them as the reality sank in—she was utterly at his mercy.
With an exaggerated flourish, Su Xiaobai shrugged off his robes, revealing his "unyielding rod of righteousness," glowing like a torch in the night, pulsing with Yang Qi and practically vibrating with intent.
Her wide-eyed horror was priceless as he settled into place, the tip of his "mighty spear" nudging against her soft, quivering thighs.
SQUISH!