It seems he's still alive.
His arrogant face wore a smile of naked mockery--
Ye Luan desperately wanted to finish him off with a single, decisive blow.
But she knew the consequences would be unimaginable if she did.
She didn't know how many people would have to pay with their lives for her actions.
And she didn't want to die either.
"Ye Luan, if you want to kill me, continue. This King will see if you can leave the Burial Corpse Cave alive."
Ye Luan had to continue. The more she resisted, the more this man enjoyed it.
The knife in her hand slowly slid upwards. The taste of blood made Xiao Chi Zhan's demeanor even more wild. He tightly gripped her waist, his entire being suffused with a fierce bloodlust.
Her movements were precise. Droplets of blood slid down the blade, falling onto her legs, seductive and alluring.
Xiao Chi Zhan touched the blood on his body, then suddenly moved, grabbing her hand and taking the knife into his own. He smiled sinisterly, "It's my turn."
Ye Luan didn't want to be turned into a bloody mess. Looking at his alluring, hazy red eyes that seemed to draw one in, her back involuntarily trembled.
Under the dark moonlight, the entire Burial Corpse Cave echoed with the shrill cries of various beasts, accompanied by the whistling of the cold wind.
Beside the fiery pit, two entangled figures suddenly began to fight.
Before a single move was exchanged, Ye Luan was already pinned to the ground, completely suppressed.
Seeing the killing intent in Xiao Chi Zhan's eyes, she smiled coldly, "Your Highness is truly valiant."
"I told you, you can't kill me. Now, you've lost."
The pain in her neck left Ye Luan utterly exhausted. She closed her eyes, awaiting death.
Xiao Chi Zhan said indifferently, "However, I suddenly feel that killing you isn't enough to vent my anger. Perhaps, keeping you alive to torment you is a better way to make you wish you were dead."
She forced herself to maintain her composure and said with a cold laugh, "If Your Highness has changed his mind and doesn't want to kill me, please take the knife away."
Her pair of fox-like eyes were stubborn yet clear and cold. Illuminated by the moonlight, they deepened the smile on Xiao Chi Zhan's lips.
"Very good! You are very good!"
"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness."
He wore white robes, proud as a god, yet the intense bloodlust in his eyes could not be concealed, like a cruel, heartless, unruly, and vicious wolf.
Ye Luan, with her neck in his grip, felt the coolness of the Buddhist beads on his wrist against her skin. She couldn't suppress the irony in her heart.
After killing so many people, who was he praying to with those beads for protection?
Ye Luan had been dealing with high-intensity situations since her transmigration. With him choking her, her already injured body suddenly ached, and she could no longer hold on, passing out.
The moment she fainted, a powerful red sensation swept through her entire nervous system.
When she woke up again, she found herself locked onto the bed by copper clasps.
A sharp pain shot through her wrist.
Ye Luan was shocked.
As far as her eyes could see, it was blank.
The entire inner chamber contained only a soft, large bed. There was nothing in any direction. At the doorway, a wolf was watching her with a predatory gaze.
A madman.
He was truly a madman.
Ye Luan looked at the handcuffs and shackles on her body, cursing Xiao Chi Zhan a thousand times in her heart.
They had agreed yesterday, that she would serve him as a maid for three months. In the blink of an eye, he had locked her up here like this, devoid of humanity.
She had been talking to a brick wall yesterday. He was clearly acting on impulse.
He was a madman.
Capricious and untrustworthy.
How could she have tried to negotiate with him? His thought process was completely different from that of a normal person.
Ye Luan’s face contorted as she cursed him repeatedly.
After a while, she could curse no more. Her clothes were intact, and she felt no discomfort in her body. She had not been violated.
She breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but recall the plot of the book, but she couldn't remember anything. There was too little description of Xiao Chi Zhan.
She didn't know his weaknesses.
The door was pushed open.
A嬷嬷 (mómó - wet nurse/elderly maid) entered with a tray, "Miss Ye, it's time for your medicine."
"What is this?"
She understood medicine; this was clearly not medicine.
Love flower.
He was truly despicable and shameless.
"His Highness ordered Miss to drink it. Please drink it quickly."
Ye Luan fiercely rammed her head against the bowl, spilling the medicinal liquid all over the bed. It was a glaring red.
The familiar, terrifying aura surrounding her grew closer.
Her senses were pulled back to reality. In a flash, she saw Xiao Chi Zhan squatting by the door, petting the wolf. She couldn't help but scoff.
"Your Highness simply wants to humiliate me to avenge the past. This humble woman is always ready to comply. There's no need for such dirty methods."
Dirty!
Xiao Chi Zhan didn't even look at her, his voice cool and indifferent, "Tantai Ye fed this to Lan Murou, and Lan Murou followed him wholeheartedly. Why can't you?"
Lan Murou.
Ye Luan pursed her lips. This was the female protagonist of the original book.
She didn't remember any such plotline.
Oh dear.
She now wished she could go back and reread the book meticulously, every word.
"The medicine is spilled. His Highness will have them brew another bowl."
Ye Luan absolutely refused to drink such a thing; the thought of it made her feel sick.
"Your Highness, please wait."
Xiao Chi Zhan turned to look at her, smiling coldly, "Have you come to your senses?"
"Your Highness is heroic and peerlessly handsome, a captivating demon. It is my honor to be able to cling to Your Highness."
"What trick are you trying to play?"
Ye Luan smiled faintly, "Your Highness misunderstands. This humble woman has no tricks. She has simply realized that since she cannot escape Your Highness's grasp, she will stay in the Prince's manor."
Xiao Chi Zhan smiled demonically, "Willingly?"
Ye Luan gritted her teeth, "Yes, will-ing-ly!"
"It would have been better if you were this obedient earlier."
"Please, Your Highness, release my handcuffs and shackles."
Her wrists were already red and raw, hurting intensely.
The moment she was freed, Ye Luan jumped off the bed.
"I want to go eat first, and then see Fu Dai."
Xiao Chi Zhan remained squatting by the door, petting the wolf's fur. Hearing her words, he smiled wickedly, "Do you still want to be a maid?"
She finally saw it clearly. This devil had been toying with her all along.
Ye Luan absolutely did not want to be a concubine. Becoming a concubine meant marrying Xiao Chi Zhan. Here, it was legal, a real marital relationship.
"Does Your Highness want me to be your concubine?"
Xiao Chi Zhan's actions paused, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly, "You seem very unwilling to be a concubine."
The noble ladies of Shangjing city were all vying to be associated with him, not even caring about being a mere concubine. Yet this woman thought of escaping him every day.
It was extremely interesting.
The terrifying aura emanating from him made Ye Luan's back tremble.
He was a madman, acting erratically and ruthlessly.
She couldn't afford to anger him.
Seeing her remain silent, Xiao Chi Zhan spoke indifferently, "How about I grant you the position of a secondary consort?"
To hell with a secondary consort. She didn't even care for his primary consort.
"Your Highness cherishes this humble woman so much, which makes me very happy, but--"
"Ye Luan."
Suddenly, he interrupted her, "You simply don't want to marry me, do you?"
His voice was undeniably magnetic, yet it echoed in her ears like the voice of a demon from hell.
Ye Luan did not respond.
A fierce, sinister light flashed in Xiao Chi Zhan's eyes. He stood up and left slowly, his sinister voice reaching into the room.
"Then you will follow this King without name or status, just like those slaves in the labor camps, available whenever I call!"