235: Chapter 235 A Pretense Becomes Real

Wu Mingkong's scolding was weak and soft; those phoenix eyes, which usually held world-conquering majesty, were now filled only with panic and shyness.

She wanted to push away this man who was taking advantage of her under the guise of medical treatment, but the large hand pressed against her back was continuously transmitting a warmth she couldn't resist.

That warm current seemed to have a consciousness of its own; it not only suppressed the restless cold poison within her body but also acted as a catalyst, making her already weakened, delicate body even more sensitive.

"Your Majesty, what are you saying? This subject is only doing this for the sake of your dragon body."

Xu Chen spoke with a straight face, though his eyes flickered with undisguised aggression. "The Nine Yin Severed Meridians is the world's most frigid affliction. Only the Extreme Yang Qi of my Hongmeng Origin Body can resolve it. This is called 'Supplementing Yin with Yang,' a fundamental principle of the medical path."

"Nonsense! It's all nonsense!"

Wu Mingkong bit her red lips, attempting one last struggle. "Even if treatment is necessary, it doesn't... it doesn't have to be like that. Can't you just transfer spiritual energy to me like you did just now?"

"What I did just now was treating the symptoms; now, I must treat the root."

Xu Chen shook his head, his expression becoming 'serious.' "Just now was merely suppression. If we don't perform a deep Yin-Yang Harmony to completely clear your apertures, this cold poison will eventually backlash. When that time comes, not only you, but even the national fortune of Great Xia will suffer."

Bringing up the righteousness of the nation—this tactic was always the most effective against the Empress.

Sure enough, hearing the words 'national fortune,' the struggle in Wu Mingkong's eyes weakened significantly.

She looked at Xu Chen, her tone softening slightly: "Then... then it can't be here. This is the Golden Hall of Supreme Harmony, the place where I hold court. If word gets out..."

"What's wrong with this place?"

Xu Chen looked around the empty and majestic hall and smiled. "Upon the Dragon Throne, the national fortune converges. Having our Yin and Yang intersect here not only allows us to use the Dragon Qi to suppress the cold poison but also lets Your Majesty experience a different kind of... majesty."

"You..."

Wu Mingkong's face turned so red it looked like it might bleed. How could this man speak of such a shameful thing so grandiosely?

"Alright, it's time for the bystanders to withdraw."

Xu Chen gave her no more time to think and turned to look at Mo Han and Hua Jieyu below the dais.

"Mo Han, Jieyu."

"Your subordinates are here," the two women answered in unison.

"Guard the outside of the hall and activate the highest-level barrier," Xu Chen said with an unquestionable dominance. "From this moment on, not even a fly is allowed in. This Young Master must... whole-heartedly treat Her Majesty's injuries."

"Yes!"

Mo Han's expression was solemn as she immediately turned and walked out.

Hua Jieyu, on the other hand, blew a kiss to Xu Chen, then glanced at the slumped Wu Mingkong on the Dragon Throne, covering her mouth as she giggled. "Don't worry, Young Master. This servant will surely guard the door well and won't let anyone disturb the Young Master's elegant mood. Your Majesty, please enjoy the Young Master's 'medical skills' to the fullest."

After saying that, she swayed her snake-like waist and followed Mo Han out of the hall.

*Boom—*

As the hall doors slammed shut, the interior fell into a dead silence once more.

Only two people remained on the Dragon Throne, their breathing clearly audible.

"Now, no one else is here."

Xu Chen turned back, his gaze burning as he stared at Wu Mingkong.

With no outsiders present, Wu Mingkong's last layer of security vanished. She felt like a little lamb that had been stripped bare, exposed nakedly to the gaze of a hungry wolf.

"You... don't do anything reckless..."

She instinctively clutched her collar and tried to shrink back, only to find the cold back of the chair behind her; there was nowhere to retreat.

"Reckless?"

Xu Chen gave a light laugh and leaned in, his hands propped on the armrests of the Dragon Throne, trapping her entire body between his embrace and the chair.

"Since our souls have already united, why not repay with the flesh? Your Majesty, your soul has already recognized me as master; what is this body of yours still being so reserved for?"

He lowered his head, his nose lightly brushing against Wu Mingkong's burning cheek, causing her to tremble slightly.

"I... I am not being reserved."

Wu Mingkong spoke stubbornly, but her voice was shaking. "I just... I just feel it's too fast. We've only met for less than an hour..."

"For cultivators of our realm, a single glance can be ten thousand years."

Xu Chen reached out a hand and gently brushed aside the messy strands of hair on her forehead, revealing that peerlessly beautiful face. "Moreover, just now in the Sea of Consciousness, we already did everything we should do in this lifetime. Now, we're simply reenacting that process in reality."

At the mention of what happened in the Sea of Consciousness, the small psychological defense Wu Mingkong had just built up instantly collapsed.

That was an undeniable fact.

On a soulful level, she had indeed been completely conquered by this man. Even now, his brand remained deep within her soul; whenever she was near him, an instinctive sense of submission and attachment would arise.

"But... I can't move right now..."

She found one last excuse, her voice carrying a hint of grievance. "I don't have a bit of strength in my body. How... how can I cooperate with you?"

"I don't need you to move."

Xu Chen's finger slid down her cheek, passed her slender neck, and finally stopped at the intricate frog fasteners of her Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Robe.

"You only need to lie still and give yourself to me."

"Just like in the Sea of Consciousness: relax, and accept."

*Click.*

A soft, faint sound.

The first fastener of the dragon robe was undone.

Wu Mingkong's entire body jolted. She instinctively wanted to press down on Xu Chen's hand, but her own hand was weak and powerless, instead resting on the back of his hand as if in a gesture of feigned refusal.

"Don't be afraid."

Xu Chen's voice was so gentle it seemed as if it could drip with water. "I will be very gentle. Your physical body has slept for too long; it's like a frozen flower. What I need to do is use my body heat to melt you, bit by bit."

Following his words, the second and third fasteners were undone in succession.

The heavy dragon robe slowly fell open, revealing the snowy-white inner garment beneath.

That inner garment was woven from Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Silkworm Silk; it was as thin as a wing and clung tightly to her proud, delicate body, outlining breathtaking curves. Amidst that half-concealment, a flash of dazzling white was faintly visible, rising and falling with her hurried breaths.

"Truly beautiful."

Xu Chen praised her sincerely.

This kind of 'pipa half-covering the face' charm, combined with the Empress's expression of being ashamed to death yet powerless to resist, was simply the world's most potent aphrodisiac.

"Don't... don't look..."

Wu Mingkong closed her eyes in shame, crystal teardrops hanging from her long eyelashes. As the grand Empress, when had she ever been stared at so wantonly?

But strangely, alongside the shame, an inexplicable sense of anticipation surged deep within her heart.

It was her body's instinct.

A body tortured by the Nine Yin Severed Meridians for thousands of years craved warmth and salvation. And the man before her was her only antidote.

"Look at me, Mingkong."

Xu Chen suddenly changed how he addressed her, no longer calling her Your Majesty.

He reached out to lift her chin, forcing her to open her eyes.

"From today onward, on this Dragon Throne, you are not the Empress, but simply my woman."

Wu Mingkong's eyelashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes.

What met her sight were Xu Chen's eyes, which seemed to burn with fire. In that fire, her current disheveled and moving appearance was reflected.

"Xu Chen..."

She murmured to herself, her voice husky.

"I'm here."

Xu Chen lowered his head and kissed that incessantly talking little mouth.

*Boom—*

It felt as if a firework had exploded in her mind.

Wu Mingkong's originally stiff body instantly turned as soft as a pool of water. She felt as if she were floating in the clouds; all her logic and all her dignity turned to ash before this kiss.

Her hands uncontrollably wrapped around Xu Chen's neck, and her originally passive endurance gradually turned into a clumsy response.

This was her first kiss.

It was also the first time in all her years of slumber that she felt the taste of being alive.

Feeling the change in the beauty in his arms, Xu Chen's heart settled.

The timing was right.

This flower of the high peaks had finally lowered her noble head before him, revealing her softest stamen.

His large hand reached into the open dragon robe and, through the thin inner garment, grasped the softness that could drive countless people mad.

"Mm!"

Wu Mingkong's delicate body gave a violent jolt, letting out a sweet, nasal moan.

It was an electric sensation she had never experienced before.

"Are you ready?"

Xu Chen released her lips and looked into her blurred eyes, his voice low and husky.

"Mm..."

Wu Mingkong was now completely lost. She looked at Xu Chen, her eyes containing only the reflection of this man. She didn't know if she was doing this for the treatment or to follow her inner longing.

She only knew that she couldn't refuse.

Nor did she want to.

"Then... let's begin."

The corners of Xu Chen's mouth curled up as he tore away the inner garment from her body.

*Rippp—*

The sound of silk tearing was exceptionally clear in the grand hall.

Snowy skin and flower-like features were completely displayed upon this magnificent Dragon Throne.