98: Chapter 98 The First Night at the Princess's Residence: The Holy Maiden and the Protector Compete for Her Heart

It was night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

On the east side of the Yankang Capital, the Princess Mansion, which once belonged to a down-and-out prince and had now been bestowed by imperial decree to Ye Xiu for temporary residence, appeared exceptionally quiet in the night.

However, tonight, this residence that had been silent for three days was destined to become lively.

At the back door of the mansion, deep in a secluded alley.

A fiery red figure swept across the shadows of the wall corner like a ghost, landing lightly on the branch of an old locust tree.

Xue Biane had changed out of the eye-catching high-slit red dress she wore during the day, and was now wearing a tight-fitting night outfit.

The black fabric outlined her incredibly explosive figure vividly, her waist so slender it seemed as if it would snap with a single pinch.

The fullness of her chest, however, was squeezed by the tight outfit into a breathtaking curve.

She crouched on the branch, her stunningly beautiful face flickering with uncertainty in the moonlight.

"I am here to meet my death..."

Xue Biane bit her red lips, muttering in a low voice, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

During the day at the Imperial Academy's martial arts arena, she had been held in Ye Xiu's arms, teased with a wine gourd pressed against her chin in front of all the Imperial Academy Prodigies in the courtyard.

At that moment, she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

But what made her feel even more ashamed was that upon returning to her residence at night, what kept replaying in her mind was not fear, but...

But the strong aroma of wine on Ye Xiu's body, those golden-silver heterochromatic eyes that seemed to see through everything, and the sensation of that burning hot hand wrapped around her waist.

"Pah, pah, pah! Xue Biane, you've gone crazy!"

She pinched her thigh hard, gasping in pain.

"He is the Cult Master! A Devil Head who kills without blinking! He crippled three old monsters of the Divine Bridge Realm during the day; tonight, he might... he might..."

She couldn't continue, her face burning intensely.

But could she afford not to come?

That was the Cult Master! An existence who could make her life worse than death within the Heavenly Demon Sect with just one word.

Furthermore, she had indeed trampled on Qin Mu during the day—that Cowherd Boy was the "brother" personally acknowledged by the Cult Master; this charge was enough to put her in serious trouble.

"Whether I stick my neck out or pull it back, the blade will fall regardless..."

Xue Biane took a deep breath, patted her burning cheeks, leaped, and landed lightly at the back door.

She raised her hand, just about to knock on the door—

"Creak—" The back door opened by itself.

Xue Biane froze, her pupils suddenly contracting.

Inside the door, a dim lantern illuminated a pure and stunningly beautiful face.

The owner of that face was wearing a simple and elegant moon-white sleeping gown, with a thin, matching gauze outer robe draped loosely over it.

Her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders, making her unadorned, pretty face appear even fairer and more translucent.

She was barefoot, stepping on the cold bluestone floor, her ankles as slender as fine mutton-fat jade.

She stood just like that inside the door, her big, watery eyes looking at Xue Biane outside, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on the corners of her lips.

"Right Protector, it is so late, what brings you to the Princess Mansion?"

The voice was soft and sweet, carrying a hint of just-woken laziness, yet every word clearly drilled into Xue Biane's ears.

Xue Biane's expression instantly froze on her face.

"Si... Si Yunxiang?!"

She squeezed these three words out through gritted teeth.

Si Yunxiang, Saintess of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the eldest Young Miss of the Si family, ostensibly a pure and aloof talented woman in the Imperial Academy.

Secretly, she controlled half of the underground trade in the Yankang Kingdom—Xue Biane naturally knew all this.

But what she never expected was that this Saintess, who usually only nodded in greeting when meeting in the sect and kept to her own affairs, would actually appear at the Cult Master's residence in the middle of the night!

And... Xue Biane's gaze uncontrollably swept over Si Yunxiang's attire—the moon-white sleeping gown.

The thin, almost transparent outer robe, the loose hair, the bare feet... This was clearly an outfit prepared for serving in bed!

"You... why are you here?!"

Xue Biane's voice changed pitch.

Si Yunxiang blinked, a look of extreme innocence appearing on her pure little face.

"Right Protector, that is a strange question to ask. Yunxiang is the Cult Master's personal maid; is it not only natural for me to live at the Cult Master's residence?"

Personal maid?! Xue Biane felt her head go "buzz."

She recalled the scene during the day in the Tianlu Pavilion at the Imperial Academy, where Si Yunxiang followed behind Ye Xiu like a little attendant.

She had thought at the time that the Saintess just happened to run into the Cult Master and followed along... So, from that time, this girl was already one of the Cult Master's women?!

"You... you..."

Xue Biane pointed at Si Yunxiang, her fingers trembling, unable to speak for a long time.

Si Yunxiang, however, smiled even more purely and harmlessly. She turned slightly, clearing the doorway, and made a "please" gesture.

"The Right Protector is here to see the Cult Master, right? Please come in. However..."

She paused, her big, watery eyes curving into crescent moons.

"The Cult Master is currently bathing. If the Right Protector is not in a hurry, you may wait in the outer hall first."

Bathing?! In Xue Biane's mind, an image instantly appeared of Ye Xiu shirtless, water droplets sliding down his solid muscles.

Her face flushed red to the roots of her ears instantly.

"I... I am not here to..."

She stammered, wanting to explain, but found there was no way to explain.

What was she here for? To accept punishment? To beg for mercy? Or to... She couldn't even explain it to herself.

Si Yunxiang looked at Xue Biane's flustered appearance, a flash of extremely subtle triumph appearing deep in her eyes.

Little thing, weren't you quite arrogant when you trampled on Qin Mu at the martial arts arena during the day? Weren't you quite capable when you called yourself "this old lady" in front of everyone at the Imperial Academy? Why are you so cowardly now?

However... this woman really was born with a good appearance.

Si Yunxiang's gaze also swept over Xue Biane.

The explosive figure outlined by the tight night outfit, even when standing still, exuded a wild temptation.

Especially those long legs wrapped in the black fabric, straight, slender, and full of explosive power... She was a formidable rival.

Two women, one standing inside the door, one standing outside, just stared at each other like this.

It was as if invisible electric currents were crackling in the air.

"Ahem..." Xue Biane was the first to break the silence.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Since she had already come, and since she had already been caught, she would just have to bite the bullet.

She stepped over the threshold and walked into the mansion.

Si Yunxiang smiled slightly, closed the back door, and walked in front with the lantern to lead the way.

The two walked one after the other, passing through the quiet corridor, heading towards the main hall.

Along the way, neither spoke. But the atmosphere of surging undercurrents grew thicker and thicker.

In the main hall, the lights were bright.

Xue Biane was arranged to sit in the guest seat, while Si Yunxiang naturally occupied the position next to the main seat—that was where a "personal maid" should stand.

An old servant brought tea and then quickly retreated, as if the atmosphere in the hall could scald people.

Xue Biane held the teacup but didn't take a sip. Her gaze drifted from time to time towards the outside of the hall—where the sound of water could be faintly heard; it was precisely where Ye Xiu was bathing.

"Right Protector." Si Yunxiang suddenly spoke.

Xue Biane turned her head, meeting those pure and harmless big eyes.

"Yunxiang dares to ask a question," Si Yunxiang tilted her head, her tone as soft as if she were chatting about daily life. "Is the Right Protector here to see the Cult Master tonight to plead guilty for trampling on Young Master Qin during the day?"

Xue Biane raised an eyebrow: "And what if it is?"

"Then Yunxiang suggests that the Right Protector should think of a good excuse before speaking."

Si Yunxiang pursed her lips, and a meaningful smile appeared on her pure little face.

"The Cult Master, while appearing easygoing, actually hates it the most when people play tricks in front of him. If the Right Protector intends to use excuses like 'a moment of confusion' or 'having eyes but failing to see' to brush him off, I am afraid..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was already clear enough.

Xue Biane's expression changed slightly.

She had indeed prepared such a set of excuses.

After all, she wasn't stupid; how could she possibly admit brazenly, "I just couldn't stand Qin Mu's wild fighting style, that's why I made a move"? She obviously had to make herself sound as innocent as possible.

But these words from Si Yunxiang directly exposed her thoughts.

"What does the Saintess mean by this?" Xue Biane's voice turned cold. "Are you teaching me how to act?"