"What do you think you're doing, Qiao Qinghe? Trying to hurt our guest?"
A cold and mocking voice resounded through the area, causing the people spectating the current events to gasp in surprise as they quickly realized who had just arrived from his bald head and dark complexion.
"That's the Head Grand Elder of the Disciplinary Hall, Grand Elder Huang Mo! It's said he's one of the most powerful True Profound Realm grand elders in the sect!"
"Is that why Lou Jun was so confident in making trouble here in our Azure Dragon Sect? Because he had the backing of the Disciplinary Hall?"
"But that doesn't make sense. Even if he does have the backing of the Disciplinary Hall, in a fight between one of our own and an outsider like him, the Disciplinary Hall should side with us!"
The various disciples—outer, inner, and even some low-level Nascent Profound Realm elders—were discussing the events with gusto; clearly, they were both surprised and a little angry that a proud grand elder like him would side with a disciple of the Crimson Sand Sect instead of a fellow grand elder of the Azure Dragon Sect like Qiao Qinghe.
"Huang Mo! This brat dared to hurt my beloved granddaughter! Do you really expect me to hold back from causing him even a bit of pain?"
Qiao Qinghe spoke with a trembling voice, his expression like dark storm clouds. Huang Mo, on the other hand, didn't even bother hiding his clear, one-sided bias in the matter as he simply gave a cold smirk before speaking.
"Lou Jun here is a personal guest of Sect Master Huang Dao! He was sent here on a diplomatic mission by his esteemed grandfather, Lou Shang, to negotiate on behalf of their clan. If you somehow managed to land a palm strike on him and accidentally hurt him, how would I explain that to the Sect Master?"
As the two of them continued to engage in their argument and were coincidentally keeping each other occupied, Huang Shi was busy with something else
WHOOSH
As Huang Shi stared at the trembling body of Qiao Fenyi, he quickly dropped down on his knees and held her, strengthening the power of his golden flames to weaken the power of the poison. However, this wasn't the only thing he did, as his hands suddenly started to glow with a powerful golden light.
SHING!
As the light softly wrapped around Qiao Fenyi's body, the pride of the Lou Clan—the Purple Rose Poison, which even his golden flames seemed to struggle to get rid of—finally met its match. The light seeped deep into her body, slowly but steadily purifying the poison which had tormented her for years.
Shit… I finally found the solution to getting rid of this damn poison, but it takes too damn long... I need to do this in a more private location…
With these thoughts inside of his head, he looked down at the woman lying on the ground. He felt her trembling body slowly calm down as her eyes, which were once filled with mischief and pride, looked up at him with an expression that he had never before seen in her.
Hatred.
What he saw left his heart trembling in trepidation and worry, as his thoughts suddenly went quiet, the only thing present in his eyes was her.
Seeing the look in Huang Shi's eyes, Qiao Fenyi—despite the anger and hatred she felt deep inside—suddenly smiled. It was a smile filled with pain and tinges of affection.
"Sorry if our date was a failure... maybe I'm just not the type of girl who would be happy in a relationship… things always go wrong with me…"
"First it was my mother… being implicated in the purge of the Disciplinary Hall… and dying just because she was pregnant with my sister…"
"Next, it was my father getting poisoned by the Lou Clan, forcing me to become engaged to Lou Jun as a form of blackmail so my father doesn't die…"
"And finally, Lou Jun taking advantage of our so-called engagement to manipulate and poison me, making me reliant on him and confusing my feelings of hatred, disgust, and anger to turn them into some twisted version of affection."
Qiao Fenyi looked up at him and extended one hand to touch his face, her expression sad and filled with agony.
"I know that you don't like me that much yet… we barely just met… how could it be possible that you would like me that much so fast?"
"This was supposed to be our first date… a way for me to break free from the pain of my life for just a few moments. I even kept these things hidden from you so you wouldn't change how you look at me…"
"But look at me now? I've now told you all of my deepest secrets… all of my pain and agony. I don't really know why I did that… but I did… and… I'm happy…"
Huang Shi felt his heart shake. His feelings—which, just as Qiao Fenyi said, were not yet fully developed and were still budding—started to bloom at an extremely rapid rate. When he looked at the heartbreaking smile on her beautiful face, the only thing that erupted within his heart was a silent scream.
I WANT TO PROTECT HER… I WANT TO END HER PAIN AND SUFFERING…
Maybe I'm fucking delusional... maybe this is just my emotions speaking and my logical brain is not fucking functioning anymore.
Maybe I've suddenly gone crazy and I've turned into a madman, I don't fucking know. But what I do know… is that I want to end her suffering.
I want to save her, I want to make her smile!
As he stared at her tear-stained face and her trembling body, instinct took over. He suddenly pushed his lips towards hers, taking them for himself as he wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her towards him in one swift motion to make the kiss easier for the both of them.
Qiao Fenyi suddenly gasped; her eyes, which previously held nothing but pain and hatred, suddenly shone with a flicker of unknown emotion as she felt his lips on hers.