Dong Hao timely released his hand, knowing when to stop, though his body remained close. He changed the subject, his smile fading slightly as he took on a more serious tone. "Little Palace Mistress, jokes aside. The truth is, my Dong family will be accompanying the Emperor south in a few days to the Qiyan Palace to help the Immortal Palace defend against the invasion of the Demon Cult and the northern barbarians. The journey is long and the battle is perilous. We, the disciples of the Celestial Strategy Residence, must of course do our part for the nation and for the righteous path of the world."
He spoke with a resounding voice, and combined with his tall, stout frame and his deliberately serious expression, he did look rather righteous and awe-inspiring.
Hearing this, Wei Miaoshu was slightly taken aback. She frowned and said, "Are the Demon Cult and the Wetuo truly so rampant that even my father has to go personally?"
"Indeed," Dong Hao nodded, his tone steady. "The fiends of the Demon Cult act in secrecy and use cruel methods, and the northern barbarians are exceptionally fierce. If they are allowed to have their way, the Qiyan Palace will be in peril, and the martial world of the Central Plains will never know peace again. My father often teaches me that as descendants of the Seven Great Immortal Clans, we must take the protection of the common people as our duty. How can we just sit back and watch while evil runs rampant?"
Listening to his speech, Wei Miaoshu couldn't help but revise her opinion of him, feeling that he wasn't entirely useless. She bit her cherry-red lips, pondered for a moment, and said, "This journey south is arduous and dangerous. You all... must be very careful."
Dong Hao caught the change in her expression and was secretly overjoyed, but his face remained a picture of righteousness. He declared in a loud voice, "For the peace of the world, even if I have to go through fire and water, I, Dong Hao, will not hesitate!"
However, he suddenly changed his tone, looking at Wei Miaoshu with a hint of anticipation. "But this journey will take years, and I don't know when I'll return. If I could have you, Little Palace Mistress, by my side, even if the path ahead is a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, I would gladly endure it. Little Palace Mistress, would you be willing to go with me? Think about it, this Immortal Palace is nice, but it's inevitably dull. Wouldn't it be far more delightful to follow me out into the world to make a name for ourselves and see the great rivers and mountains beyond?"
"I..." Wei Miaoshu was stunned by his sudden proposal, and her cheeks flushed red again. "That's impossible! My father would never agree! He told me to stay put in the Immortal Palace and not cause trouble everywhere. He hates it when I run around; I already angered him last time."
"His Majesty the Devine Emperor is naturally looking out for your own good."
Dong Wu chuckled, "But then again, young people should have some ideas of their own. We could go secretly, without letting him know. Just imagine, we slip away quietly. By the time we've made our achievements and return in triumph, His Majesty will see how much you've grown and experienced. He'll be utterly impressed, and if he's pleased enough, he might even reward you handsomely!"
Wei Miaoshu's eyes sparkled as she listened to him. She was naturally lively and yearned for freedom. Though doted upon in the Immortal Palace, she felt like a bird in a cage. Dong Wu's proposal was exactly what she wanted to hear. She bit her pink lower lip, her large, watery eyes blinking with a hint of hesitation. "But... but what if Father finds out..."
"Hey, with me around, I'll guarantee your safety," Dong Wu said, patting his chest. But in his heart, he was scheming: As long as I trick this little beauty out of the palace, a man and a woman alone together day and night... how could she not willingly fall into my embrace? Once I coax her into bed and make her a woman, she'll surely become addicted to the pleasures of the flesh. Then I can enjoy her night after night. This young beauty and her mother, the Holy Queen, both have such graceful, alluring figures. To press her beneath me, day and night... just thinking about it feels incredible.
The two bantered for a while longer. Seeing that Wei Miaoshu was already tempted, Dong Wu leaned in closer, inhaling her faint, girlish scent, and lowered his voice. "Little Palace Mistress, if you really want to go, it's not difficult. When the time comes, you just need to quietly slip into the ranks of my Celestial Strategy Mansion's procession. I'll have my own way of smuggling you in. It will be done without a trace, I guarantee His Majesty the Emperor won't notice a thing."
Hearing this, Wei Miaoshu's heartbeat quickened a few beats. She thought to herself that going out might give her a chance to find that Brother Xing. The thought made her feelings complicated, and she said softly, "I... I'll think about it..."
Seeing he couldn't push her too hard, Dong Wu teased Wei Miaoshu for a bit more. Noticing it was getting late, he said with lingering reluctance, "Little Palace Mistress, the night is deep. Let me escort you back to your chambers to rest? Tomorrow, I'll tell you even more interesting stories, I guarantee they'll be a hundred times more exciting than today's tale of a sow climbing a tree!"
Wei Miaoshu had been teased by him the entire way, and her mood was no longer as terrible as it had been at the beginning. She even felt that while Dong Wu was a bit of a smooth-talker, he wasn't entirely useless. She snorted lightly, "Who needs you to see me off! I can walk by myself! And tomorrow... tomorrow I won't have time to listen to your nonsense!" Even as she said this, her feet unconsciously fell into step beside Dong Wu's, and she didn't deliberately put any distance between them.
The two walked side by side, their figures gradually receding. On the way, Dong Wu's gaze fell upon her long, beautiful legs, wrapped in snow-white silk stockings. He smacked his lips and said with a slightly lewd smile, "Little Palace Mistress, these legs of yours are truly bewitching and beautiful. Paired with these snow-white silk stockings, they are... tsk, tsk, enough to make one's imagination run wild."
Hearing his blatant words, Wei Miaoshu's pretty face flushed crimson in an instant. She whipped her head around, shot Dong Wu a fierce glare, and punched him lightly on the arm with a small pink fist. She said coyly, "Pah! You lecher! What I wear is none of your business to comment on! If you dare speak such nonsense again, I'll tear your mouth apart!" Though she put some force into the punch, it landed on Dong Wu's solid arm like a playful tap. Her coy angry expression, combined with her full chest that rose and fell slightly with her rapid breathing, looked incredibly alluring to Dong Wu, full of a unique charm.
He laughed heartily, not dodging, but instead leaned even closer and whispered, "Alright, alright, I won't say it anymore. Don't be angry, Little Palace Mistress. If you get upset and harm your health, I would be heartbroken."
Mo Xingyun, hiding in the shadows, saw it all and felt a surge of rage flare up in his chest. He wished he could rush out and send Dong Wu flying with a single palm strike. But he had an important task at hand, and it was best not to startle the snake. Thinking this, he quietly steadied his breathing, not daring to make the slightest move.
The night breeze lifted Wei Miaoshu's long, jet-black, waterfall-like hair. A few playful strands brushed against her snow-white, delicate neck. Her slender, seemingly fragile waist swayed with a boneless softness as she walked, causing the full, perky curve of her beautiful buttocks beneath the thin dress to ripple with a youthful and utterly enticing wave. The hem of her skirt swayed gently with her steps, her long legs, tightly wrapped in white silk stockings, were faintly visible. The exquisite, embroidered soft-soled boots on her feet made a soft, rhythmic "tap-tap" sound on the bluestone slabs, mixing with the faint, unique fragrance of a young woman that wafted from her, drifting in the night wind.
Mo Xingyun slowly straightened up from the shadows, glancing in the direction Wei Miaoshu and Dong Wu had disappeared, his face darkening. He then turned and melted back into the shadows, heading towards the high tower of the Xuan Palace.
*****
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