117: Yes, my curse has come true and I am dying again.

Hearing those two light words from Lu Ming,

Bai Qiuyue's mind instantly buzzed, as if struck by lightning.

Those two words, like an electric current, instantly spread throughout her body, making all her muscles tense up sharply.

Bai Qiuyue almost subconsciously wanted to push away this annoying brat in her arms.

But as soon as her arm moved, she saw Lu Ming buried in her embrace, his hair slightly askew.

That bit of strength inexplicably drained away again.

This brat probably misses his mother.

The brat in her arms, who was a decisive prodigy one second, turned into a clingy puppy the next.

Which woman could resist such a contrast?

Bai Qiuyue completely softened.

For a moment, she didn't know how to react, only maintaining the hugging posture stiffly, her cheeks uncontrollably flushed, even her earlobes burning hot.

"You... you brat! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Bai Qiuyue's voice carried a hint of panic, even the hand caressing Lu Ming's face trembled slightly as she gently patted his back.

"Who told you to call me that? So disrespectful!"

Lu Ming chuckled muffledly in her arms, his shoulders shaking slightly, deliberately pressing closer to the abyss.

"Aunt Bai loves me so much, calling her that isn't a loss!"

"You're still talking!" Bai Qiuyue was both annoyed and angry.

She reached out and pinched his ear, but the force was as light as a tickle.

"If you spout any more nonsense, I won't let you off!"

Despite saying this, her arm around Lu Ming quietly tightened a bit, pulling him closer into her embrace, as if afraid he had been wronged.

The young man in her arms was tall and straight, yet still carried a youthful slenderness.

It reminded her of herself when she first stepped into the cultivation world.

It's just that she had family protection and had never endured the hardships Lu Ming had. Thinking of this, her heart ached a little more.

Lu Ming felt the strength in her arm, knowing she wasn't truly angry, and instead laughed even more happily.

He suddenly looked up and said with a playful smile, "I'm hungry!"

"I'll find you something to eat... Hmm?"

Bai Qiuyue caught Lu Ming's half-smile, half-serious gaze and instantly understood.

Her phoenix eyes glared at him fiercely, both annoyed and angry, as she reached out and gently twisted his lower back.

"You scoundrel, don't push your luck!"

Though her words were harsh, her eyes were incredibly soft.

This shameless brat was certainly bold.

But... how could there be such a scoundrel who bullied his teacher and destroyed his ancestors?

Thinking of those few days when she was bullied by him to the point of not having an ounce of strength, Bai Qiuyue's heart trembled again.

If he called out while doing it... Hiss, can't think about it.

That would be an unapproved ethical drama!

All sorts of forbidden thoughts instantly filled Bai Qiuyue's mind, impossible to stop.

This made Bai Qiuyue both angry and annoyed.

She shook her head vigorously, realizing the young man in her arms was still chuckling.

Her small hand couldn't help but thump him.

It was all this scoundrel's fault!

It was bad enough that he always made those strange requests when lifting the curse, but now he was even more brazen.

She had lived for thirty-five years, how decisive she had been when in charge of the White Tiger Bureau, yet she had fallen into the hands of such an unprincipled brat, filling her head with rubbish.

Bai Qiuyue's small hand landed on Lu Ming's back, the force as light as a feather, without any deterrent power, instead resembling playful banter between lovers.

Lu Ming deliberately exaggerated an "Ouch" and leaned further into her arms.

"Then if Aunt Bai doesn't like it, should I change what I call you? How about 'Sister'?

"You're still being cheeky!"

Bai Qiuyue was amused to the point of laughter, reaching out to ruffle his hair and press down that unruly cowlick.

"Just call me Aunt Bai. If you dare to call me anything else, I really won't bother with you anymore."

Lu Ming grabbed her hand that had messed up his hair and brought it to his lips for a light kiss.

He looked up, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.

"Aunt Bai!"

He lowered his voice, his tone a mix of pleading and mischief, "You won't let me call you anything else, so you have to give me some reward, right?"

He deliberately made the word 'reward' sound ambiguous, then placed her hand back on his waist, leaning closer into her embrace.

In Bai Qiuyue's phoenix eyes, shame and desire intertwined.

She knew this brat was pushing his luck again.

Yet, she found that the curse within her body had become unusually active during their recent intimacy.

Her life essence, upon touching Lu Ming, always received an unprecedented nourishment.

This created a physiological dependence on this brat's closeness.

"What reward do you want?" She forced herself to calm down, but her voice unconsciously became a little hoarse.

Lu Ming's smile became more flamboyant. He raised his other hand, gently lifted her chin, and stared intently at her red lips.

"The storage bag of a Sixth Realm expert, everything on Shadow Six's old dog body, all belongs to me. You have no objections, right?" He first made a seemingly proper request.

Bai Qiuyue breathed a sigh of relief, giving him a sidelong glance: "Of course, the person you killed, their belongings naturally belong to you."

"Good, that's a material reward." Lu Ming nodded in satisfaction, but his body pressed closer again, a hint of cunning in his eyes.

"What about a spiritual reward?"

He gently caressed her chin, the warmth of his thumb scorching, making her heart tremble.

Bai Qiuyue's breath hitched, her body instantly rigid.

She looked at that youthful, handsome face, and those forbidden images resurfaced in her mind.

"You... don't even think about it!"

She snapped, trying desperately to maintain her last shred of dignity, though her voice sounded more like bluster.

Lu Ming suddenly dropped his smile.

In his deep eyes, a hint of seriousness and dominance emerged.

They were about to return to Great Xia, and given this woman's rationality, she might very well distance herself from him due to their identities.

Therefore, he had to leave an indelible mark on her before then.

"Aunt Bai, your curse seems to be acting up again."

His voice was low and hoarse, carrying an irresistible magic, giving her an out.

Bai Qiuyue's armor and pride completely crumbled at this moment.

She let out a faint whimper, all the strength seemingly drained from her body.

She finally gave up struggling, her trembling arms tightly wrapped around Lu Ming's neck, surrendering all her weight.

She smelled the clean, familiar scent on him, the scent of her man.

Yes, my curse is acting up, I'm going to die again.

Can't worry about so much anymore!

"Don't... don't here..."

Bai Qiuyue maintained her last shred of rationality, suddenly conjuring a flying sword... A long time later, the flying sword in the sky was silent, leaving only the sound of their hurried breaths.

Bai Qiuyue's breathing was erratic. She buried her head deep in Lu Ming's neck, her skin flushed like a freshly cooked shrimp.

She could feel that the speed of her spiritual energy circulation was at least one percent faster than after she was cursed.

At this rate, it would take at least a hundred more efforts to completely lift the curse.

"You... you scoundrel..."

Her voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of laziness and playful reproach...