“Want to talk?”
After confirming everyone had left, Su Qianhua tidied up her Yan Zi Neon Dress. The feigned gentleness on her face disappeared completely as she transformed once more, reverting to her true form—a golden-furred fox demon.
She swished her four fluffy golden tails, her fox ears twitching slightly. With a flicker of foxfire igniting in her palm, she sneered coldly:
“Gu Wangchen, don’t think that just because I went along with you for a moment, we’re friends now!”
“I’m telling you, things between us are far from over!”
“Hm?”
Gu Wangchen’s brows furrowed, his tone turning chilly. “Su Qianhua, do you not understand the situation? Wasn’t all of this because you tried to control me with your Bewitchment Technique?”
He stood and strode up to the golden-furred fox spirit, gripping a table leg in his hand with indifference. “All I did was defend myself and fight back!”
“You, you shameless thing! You were the one who made the first move! I— I only did what I had to!”
Recalling how it all began, Su Qianhua’s lovely face flushed crimson, her silvery teeth clenched tight as her beautiful eyes glared daggers at Gu Wangchen.
“That’s not right at all. What’s your identity now? And what’s mine?”
He pointed toward the main building of Jingfang Pavilion outside the door, chuckling. “Honestly, even if I came straight in and got to the main event, that would be my right. Your current status is exactly for this. No matter how it’s dressed up, the essence is the same.”
“In fact, I’d say— you, a fox demon, coming to Jingfang Pavilion to be a courtesan, you must have another motive.”
“Nonsense!”
At his words, Su Qianhua’s delicate body shuddered, her four large tails snapping taut behind her.
Gu Wangchen strolled slowly to the center of the boudoir, speaking lazily. “Nonsense? A fourth-realm fox demon like you, with considerable skill in illusions—if it wasn’t for some bizarre purpose, would you really have sunk to Jingfang Pavilion? Even as the top courtesan, you’re overqualified, aren’t you?”
“Hmph! I like it, I enjoy this work, what can you do about it?” Su Qianhua shot back, forcing herself to sound tough.
Gu Wangchen snorted in amusement, instantly closing the distance between them. He raised his hand, about to touch Su Qianhua’s delicate face.
“Stop, you lecher!”
Su Qianhua jumped back in alarm, her four great tails guarding her front, a hint of fluster and irritation flashing in her amethyst eyes.
“And that’s what you call willingness?”
Gu Wangchen withdrew his hand, slowly advancing toward her.
“You can’t possibly not know. Since you chose this profession, no matter how popular you are, no matter how many people pursue you as a pure courtesan or queen of the pavilion, in the end you can’t avoid this fate, right?”
“But look at you now—acting like a naive child who’s never even seen a painted picture book.”
Gu Wangchen seated himself again at the edge of the bed, patting the spot beside him, smiling. “So, must I expose your real purpose before you’ll sit down and talk?”
“Heh…”
Su Qianhua pursed her lips, gazing at Gu Wangchen’s nonchalant manner. The foxfire in her hand faded away. After a moment’s hesitation, she walked barefoot to a spot a yard in front of him, standing tall as she forced herself to say, “I just hate guys like you who can’t wait for anything!”
“Still being stubborn?”
Gu Wangchen sighed lightly, then remarked casually, “I wonder how things are going in Shu right now…”
Su Qianhua’s beautiful eyes shrank in an instant.
“Shu? What are you talking about? I’m from Sheng’an—”
“Cangwu Secret Realm.”
Gu Wangchen lost patience for verbal sparring and bluntly spoke the name of the crucial place tied to Su Qianhua’s affairs.
“You!”
Before she could think, at the sound of those words, Su Qianhua instinctively lunged at Gu Wangchen, this time carrying a murderous intent she’d never shown before.
“Stop. Su Qianhua, unless you want the imperial Heavenly Troops to raze your home, you’d better behave and lie flat.”
Hiss—
With her hands curved like claws, foxfire blazing on her pale fingers, she stopped just ten inches from Gu Wangchen. The wind she raised ruffled his fringe.
He reached out to press down her fair wrist, then rose to his feet and approached her.
“Y-You stay back!” Su Qianhua retreated reflexively.
Cornered against the wall, Su Qianhua was clearly flustered as Gu Wangchen scrutinized her from head to toe. He pressed a hand to her beautiful face, speaking gently, “Alright, now that you’ve finally calmed down, let’s have a proper chat.”
“Come and sit.”
He returned to the bed, gesturing her over.
Su Qianhua unwillingly edged closer, perching on the bed three feet away from him, half her body hanging off, her muscles tensed tight.
Gu Wangchen didn’t mind, and went straight to the point. “Su Qianhua, not only do I know you came out of the Cangwu Secret Realm, I also know you’re looking for something.”
“…” Su Qianhua’s body trembled, but she said nothing.
“I also know what you’re looking for is inside the imperial palace. I imagine you’re aware of this intel too, right?”
Su Qianhua looked up, her gaze complicated as she stared at him, unsure how to respond.
Over years of searching, she had learned that the ‘Biluoqiong Jade’ she sought truly was hidden within the palace of Da Qian.
To find it, she’d nearly died several times, only managing to confirm this from a nearly lost ancient tome after incredible effort.
She’d always thought she was the only one who knew. After all, the Biluoqiong Jade was useless to the Li imperial clan, kept merely as a collectible.
But that didn’t mean she could simply take it.
Because the Biluoqiong Jade was kept deep in the palace’s underground vault, guarded day and night by countless armored soldiers, with hidden traps and secret arrays. She’d even heard there were several Saint-level experts among the royal vault’s protectors.
Even the weakest among those, at the seventh-realm Dongxuan level, was far beyond her abilities.
Thus, barging in or stealing by force was never an option.
Her original plan was to control a suitable candidate, enter the palace, and obtain the Biluoqiong Jade through some justifiable reason.
If she chose Lin Yutang, she was betting on him becoming a top scholar, perhaps even the champion, earning a reward from the Emperor.
But after the Empress Dowager’s decree arrived, she switched her target to Gu Wangchen.
She knew Gu Wangchen might easily gain a favor from the Empress Dowager. If she controlled him and had him ask for the Biluoqiong Jade, perhaps her goal would be within reach within days.
But now…
She glanced at Gu Wangchen, who seemed to know everything. Gritting her teeth, she asked, “So what if I am? And how did you find out?”
“Doesn’t matter how I know,” Gu Wangchen waved it off. “I also know your plan was to control me and have me fetch it for you, right?”
Su Qianhua fell silent.
“Heh, saying nothing is as good as admitting it.”
Gu Wangchen set down the table leg, crossing his arms, his demeanor relaxed. “Let me update your intel. Your plan, it could work—just not right now.”
“What do you mean?”
Su Qianhua blurted out, her lovely purple eyes shining with urgency and agitation. “The Biluoqiong Jade isn’t in the palace anymore?”
“No, it’s still in the palace vault. It’s just…”
Gu Wangchen deliberately paused, then changed tack. “But why should I tell you? You wanted to do something to me, didn’t you? And you’re a fox demon. Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to just report you to the Jingting Guard’s Demon Suppression Division?”
“You… Weren’t you the one who wanted to talk?” Su Qianhua’s chest heaved. She’d never met someone who dangled secrets like this, only to suddenly clam up—so rude!
“I don’t want to talk now. I want to report you.”
“If you dare, if you even try, I’ll drag you down with me!”
With that, Su Qianhua sprang up, the faint pink markings beneath her eyes glowing. Her four fox tails exploded into action, and even the phantom of a fifth tail flickered into view.
She was clearly ready to fight to the death.
“Tch. Don’t be so easily provoked, Miss Su. If you try to take me down with you, I guarantee that in half a month, the imperial army will precisely locate the Cangwu Secret Realm.”
“You don’t want your homeland turned to ashes, your kin slaughtered as the last remnants of the demon nation, do you?”