Chen Nan glanced at the three mages who had landed on the ground, and the more he looked, the more familiar the female mage seemed. Her alluring figure made him suddenly realize that the female mage was none other than Ruth.
After a moment's thought, Chen Nan carried the four people who had fallen to the ground into the mansion that Ren Jian had bought, and then returned to the street.
Ruth asked in a hoarse voice, "Why not kill them?"
"I can't afford to offend them. Everything I've done is just to protect myself. I don't want to wipe them out." Chen Nan said he couldn't afford to offend them, but his tone was very relaxed.
"So, it's all about self-preservation? Does one really need to go to someone else's house to protect oneself?"
"Hehe, Ruth, why are you here again?" Chen Nan asked with a smile.
Ruth's body trembled slightly, but her voice returned to normal as she laughed, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go somewhere else." She waved to the two people beside her, and they flew off into the distance, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye.
Chen Nan pulled down the half-sleeve covering his face, deliberately adopting a lewd expression, and said, "In the dead of night, a lone man and a lone woman, hehe..."
Ruth also pulled off her veil, revealing her sexy and charming face. She giggled and said, "Great! It would be even more interesting if we were in the same room." Her alluring body trembled with laughter, her curvaceous figure incredibly alluring.
Looking at the alluring and beautiful woman in front of him with her seductive charm, Chen Nan was really overwhelmed. He hadn't expected her to be so bold and speak without any restraint.
The two walked together along the main street, eventually turning left and right, passing through a series of streets, before Ruth led him into a courtyard.
Without a doubt, Ruth's mansion and Renjian's courtyard were similar in nature, both being secret hideouts purchased with money.
Chen Nan followed Ruth into a room in the main house, where a faint, sweet fragrance wafted out, like orchids and musk, intoxicating the senses.
When Ruth lit the candles, Chen Nan saw the scene inside the room, and his heart began to race. Pink gauze curtains, jade pillows and soft beds, a subtle fragrance wafting in the air—this was a woman's room, undoubtedly Ruth's boudoir.
Although Western women are far more open than Eastern women, Chen Nan never expected her to be so bold as to lead him into her boudoir in the middle of the night.
At first, Chen Nan felt awkward, but later he felt that if he were to be "teased" by a woman, he would rather die by banging his head against a tofu block.
He gradually relaxed and chuckled, "First of all, thank you. If it weren't for your help tonight, I would have had to run away in a panic."
"Why don't you consider joining our organization? If you join, there will be many benefits. You'll have manpower, financial resources, and materials at your disposal. As you've seen, one person's strength is limited after all. If we hadn't suddenly appeared tonight, could you have defeated them?" Ruth smiled enticingly, trying to persuade Chen Nan.
"I am grateful, but I still maintain that I will not join any organization."
Ruth feigned resentment, saying, "You heartless bastard! Tonight, when I learned that Renjian had sent men to assassinate you at the inn, I rushed to your rescue. Although I learned you weren't there and escaped unscathed, I was still worried. I followed the men Renjian had hired, trying to find out what kind of scheme they had against you. But you, you bastard, are completely ungrateful! I helped you so much, and you…"
"How could I not appreciate it? I am extremely grateful and will definitely repay you when I have the chance," Chen Nan said with a smile.
In truth, he felt little gratitude. Since Ruth could even uncover such a secret as Ren Jian's intentions against him, she must have already known that he had left the inn to seek revenge against Ren Jian. She must have had someone monitoring him, looking for an opportunity to win him over.
"You're not sincere at all; I wonder what you're thinking." Ruth smiled charmingly, stood up, and said, "You went through so much trouble just now; I'll go prepare something to eat, and we can chat while we eat."
Ruth walked out of the main house and headed towards a side room in the courtyard. The room was pitch black, and the two mages who had returned before her sat in the darkness.
One of them said, "I don't think he'll ever join our organization, so why bother trying to win him over?"
Ruth frowned and said, "I didn't expect this guy to be so stubborn and unyielding. But we can't let him off so easily. We must force him to sign the contract today."
Another person in the darkness said, "Let it go. He may seem carefree, but he has principles. If we push him too far, he might cause some trouble."
Ruth said, "I'll add a few drops of spring dew to the wine."
"What!" one person exclaimed in surprise, "You want to seduce him?"
"Pah, pah, pah, don't talk nonsense. You guys hurry up and find a woman at a brothel. I'm going to force him to comply and sign a contract later."
"Isn't this a bad idea, Ruth? What if he does something drastic after he comes to his senses?"
"It's okay, let's see how it goes. We'll see who backs down first. If it really doesn't work out, I'll tear up the contract in front of him. He won't be able to turn against me then, right?"
Before long, Ruth brought out several delicate side dishes: fermented bean curd king oyster mushrooms, cold spicy chicken salad, shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, cold squid salad, and preserved egg with two kinds of peppers.
Chen Nan picked up a shiitake mushroom and praised, "It's smooth, flavorful, and fragrant. It's really good."
Then Ruth smiled and brought over a pot of wine and two wine cups. She filled one cup for Chen Nan and asked, "What have you done to Renjian?"
"Nothing much, just let him rest at home for a few days."
"So you've severely injured him. Aren't there several other experts in that mansion? What did you do to them?"
"The path of cultivation is too dangerous, so I let them go back to living normal lives."
"You're really ruthless; you actually crippled all of their cultivation."
Chen Nan feigned helplessness and said, "Alas, this world is full of helplessness. In order to live well, I have no choice but to turn those who want to hurt me into harmless good people."
"Heh, don't pretend to be kind and harmless. Today I've finally seen another side of you. You didn't hesitate to cripple someone's cultivation, which is completely different from your usual despicable behavior. I never expected you to have such a ruthless side."
"Please, get this straight. They wanted to kill me, but I only crippled their cultivation. Aren't I kind enough?"
"For cultivators, losing their cultivation is more painful than killing them," Ruth laughed. "Now that you and Renjian are irreconcilable enemies, you certainly wouldn't dare kill a prince of a nation, as that would be extremely disadvantageous for you. If you join us, I guarantee he will never dare to cause you any more trouble."
"It's good to be near a big tree for shade. It seems the power behind you is quite formidable." Chen Nan smiled slightly and said, "What I did tonight didn't catch Ren Jian's eye. He may suspect it was me, but he doesn't have any real evidence. Besides, at the last moment, you led your men to attack and kill his subordinates, making the matter even more confusing. He knows I have no help, and your actions will disrupt his judgment, making him even less certain that I was the one who did it tonight."
Chen Nan smiled and continued, "Even if he knows, so what? Do you think I'm afraid of him? The City of Sin is not the Moon Worship Kingdom. He can't possibly send troops to besiege me. Different places have different rules. Here, he doesn't have the final say."
Ruth gave a charming smile and said, "You've rejected me time and time again. Aren't you afraid that Renjian and I will team up to get back at you?"
"If a third-tier Eastern martial artist is driven to desperation, he might actually do something crazy in an extreme situation. I believe that Miss Ruth and I will always be friends."
"Hehe, just kidding. Cheers." Ruth raised her glass to Chen Nan.
Chen Nan tilted his head back and drank it down. Ruth, however, put down her glass, picked up a piece of paper covered in writing from a nearby desk, and said, "Since you don't want to join our organization, I won't force you. But you can take a look at the privileges we've promised you. Whenever you want to join, just press your fingerprint in the blank space below. Don't refuse me, please accept it first; maybe you'll change your mind later."
Chen Nan couldn't refuse, so he reached out and took it, smiling, "Is this also what you call a contract, or rather, a contract of servitude?"
"Hehe, you really don't know how lucky you are. You have no idea how many people want to sign this contract. But think carefully before you sign it in the future. Once you put your fingerprint on it and hand it over to me, it can't be changed. If you breach the contract, you will be violating one of the few universal laws in mainland China, and you will be hunted down if you flee to any country."
This reminded Chen Nan of the unequal treaty the little princess had forced him to sign when they were in the western border of Chu. Fortunately, the little devil was here, while the contract was thousands of miles away.
Without even glancing at it, Chen Nan stuffed the paper into his pocket and poured himself another drink.
Ruth stood up and said, "Excuse me for a moment."
Not long after Ruth left, Chen Nan felt a surge of heat throughout his body, as if his blood was boiling. He immediately sensed something was wrong and his first thought was poison; the food and wine were likely contaminated. He hurriedly circulated his inner energy, quite confident in the intricacies of his family's inherited inner energy technique.
However, the faster he accelerated the circulation of his profound skill, the hotter his body became. His usually invincible divine skill was unable to expel the "toxins" from his body. Gradually, he felt desire rising within him. The scene of Ren Jian and that female magician entangled not long ago kept appearing in his mind, and the sounds of groans and panting seemed to echo in his ears.
At that moment, Chen Nan understood that the so-called "poison" was actually an aphrodisiac. The three words "Spring Breeze Dew" flashed through his mind. He had read countless ancient books in the library of the Chu Kingdom's royal palace and had once looked up the properties of this drug.
This drug is one of the most famous aphrodisiacs throughout history. It is colorless and odorless, yet extremely potent. After ingestion, its effects are accelerated by practicing internal energy cultivation. It is truly a "miracle drug" for lecherous thieves to use against women of high cultivation.
He never imagined that one day a woman would give him such an aphrodisiac, and he didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
The burning desire within him made Chen Nan's eyes bloodshot, and his breathing grew heavier and heavier. Just then, the door was pushed open, and Ruth stood smiling outside, looking at him, but she dared not step into the room.
"You...give me the antidote now!"
"You can have the antidote, but..." Ruth chuckled slyly, "Heh heh, do you understand what I mean?"
"You..." Chen Nan angrily pulled the contract out of his pocket and threw it on the ground, saying angrily, "You actually threatened me, I will never compromise."
In truth, Chen Nan desperately wanted to rush over and capture Ruth, forcing her to hand over the antidote. However, seeing her cautious and wary demeanor, he feared that any slight movement from him would alert her. Furthermore, he dared not act rashly for another reason: this was Ruth's secret hideout, and it was highly likely that, like Ren Jian's place, it harbored several powerful individuals.
"Hehe, I don't know if you've heard of it, but if you drink the Dew of Spring Breeze and don't deal with it in time, it might make someone a eunuch."
Spring Breeze Dew is indeed extremely potent; if a man takes it and the problem is not resolved for a long time, he may lose some of his functions.
"Damn it..." Chen Nan was filled with lust and anger as he faced the sexy and alluring woman in front of him.
Considering his "lifelong happiness," Chen Nan gritted his teeth and said, "I'll sign." With that, he picked up the contract that had been thrown on the ground and walked to the desk.
Although consumed by lust, Chen Nan retained his rationality; he didn't want to be bound by a contract in the future. With his back to Ruth, blocking her view, his right hand flashed, absorbing a small amount of watercolor from the table and holding it between his fingers before pressing it down.
Just inches from the contract, the watercolor slid off my finger and landed on the paper, leaving five fingerprints. However, upon closer inspection, there were no fingerprints at all.
Chen Nan handed the contract to Ruth, his eyes filled with desire, which startled Ruth so much that she hurriedly flew into the air.
"Here's the contract, now give me the antidote."
Ruth used wind magic to lift the contract into the air, saying, "Wait a minute, I'll take care of it for you right away."
Just then, the two magicians who had gone out to search for courtesans in brothels finally returned. It was truly not easy to find a courtesan in the dead of night.
Ruth smiled sweetly as she descended from the air, pushing the woman into the house and saying, "Take good care of him."
The woman walked gracefully into the house.
Chen Nan was furious and panted heavily, saying, "You... why did you go back on your word? Give me the antidote now!"
"She is your cure. The time is almost up. If you don't want to regret it for the rest of your life, act quickly."
Ruth's voice was soft and sweet, but to Chen Nan it was a strange and unpleasant experience. He was both angry and furious, feeling that her voice was like adding fuel to the fire, arousing his lust even more. He slammed the door shut, blocking the view of the three people in the courtyard.
Although this aphrodisiac is quite special and its effects accelerate with the circulation of internal energy, Chen Nan's family's secret martial arts are ultimately unpredictable and have already forced out some of the drug's components.
He really didn't want to have a relationship with a courtesan, so he suppressed his impulse and said to the woman, who was fairly attractive, "I don't need you to serve me, but you must make those kinds of sounds, the louder the better, do you hear me?"
Seeing the terrifying light in Chen Nan's eyes, the woman hurriedly nodded, and then, at Chen Nan's instruction, she screamed "earth-shatteringly".
A strange smile appeared on the faces of the three people in the courtyard. Ruth handed the contract to the two mages beside her and said, "Take this back to the academy, and make sure to hide it well."
"Aren't you coming with us? What if that guy retaliates against you?"
"We have his weakness in our hands. As long as he can't find the contract, he won't dare to make any rash moves."
"I think it's dangerous for you to be here."
Ruth said, "I'm staying here to negotiate with him tomorrow morning. If that doesn't work, I'll go to you and ask for the contract back, and tear it up in front of that scoundrel. After all, if he's too stubborn, there's nothing we can do. We can't force him into a corner by trying to win him over, lest he do something crazy."
The two magicians flew into the air and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The woman's moans inside the room continued for about fifteen minutes before stopping. Ruth scoffed, "What a useless man."
A moment later, the door opened, and the woman, her face flushed and clothes disheveled, stepped out. She said softly to Ruth, "That young master invites you in. May I leave now?"
Ruth casually gave her a few gold coins and waved her away. The woman of the pleasure excitedly accepted the generous "reward" and turned to leave the courtyard.
As Ruth stepped into the room, a strong masculine scent rushed towards her. Sensing something was wrong, she hurriedly flew away, but a palm of light instantly enveloped her and pulled her back.
Ruth was about to scream in fright, but Chen Nan quickly sealed her pressure points. Chen Nan tossed her onto the bed and then swiftly disappeared outside. He searched all the rooms but couldn't find the two mages, realizing they had already left.
After returning to the room, Chen Nan lifted Ruth off the bed. His eyes were bloodshot and his breathing was heavy. He held Ruth in one arm and picked up the wine glass on the table with the other, pouring the wine into Ruth's rosy lips without spilling a drop.
Chen Nan forced her to drink it, then opened her acupoints, grabbed her with his left hand, and placed his right palm on her smooth back, forcibly helping her circulate her internal energy to speed up the effects of the medicine.
"You...you scum, how could you..."
In a moment, Ruth's cheeks flushed, her breathing became rapid, and her rosy skin looked as if it were about to drip water.
Although the Spring Breeze Dew in Chen Nan's place took effect first, he had already used his family's secret technique to expel some of the medicinal elements, which is why he has been able to hold on until now.
"Hurry up and bring out the antidote."
Ruth was almost in tears: "You bastard, I don't have any antidote right now."
Chen Nan released her, but closed the doors and windows tightly to prevent her from escaping. Ruth struggled to leave the room, but Chen Nan blocked her each time.
Although Ruth had tried to seduce Chen Nan before, it was mostly acting. Now, feeling Chen Nan's burning gaze, she felt a little flustered.
"I've already signed the contract, why haven't you brought out the antidote yet? You've already drunk the alcohol, and I've heard that women can also be harmed by these aphrodisiacs over a long period of time. Let's see how long you can hold out!"
The stimulation of the spring breeze and dew made Ruth feel unbearably hot and weak all over. At this moment, her hair was disheveled, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes and brows were filled with a shy spring breeze. She was truly as beautiful as a peach blossom and as delicate as a spring flower.
"You...bastard! I really don't have the antidote, let me leave!" she shouted weakly, her delicate body trembling slightly.
Although Chen Nan circulated his profound energy to expel some of the medicinal elements, the effects of the Spring Breeze Dew in his body had been almost fully activated. He felt hot all over, as if a raging flame was burning on his body.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, if you won't tell me, we'll just keep at it and see who gives in first and hurts their body first."
Ruth cursed, "You bastard, you drank the Spring Breeze Dew before me! If you don't want to become a eunuch, let me go right now, I'm going back to the academy to find the antidote."
"Hmph, do you think I'll still believe you? Let me tell you the truth, even if you don't give me the antidote in the end, I can slowly expel this aphrodisiac from my body myself."
The two men faced each other in the room, glaring fiercely at one another.
After a short while, Ruth couldn't help but let out a soft moan. She crossed her arms over her chest, her large eyes glistening with tears.
Chen Nan was panting heavily, covered in sweat, and looked utterly disheveled.
Fifteen minutes later, the aphrodisiacs in their bodies reached their maximum effect, and the hostile gazes they once held gradually changed. Chen Nan and Ruth both sensed the change in each other. In the end, it's unclear who pounced on whom first, but the two became entangled in the room, their clothes fluttering to the ground.
Ruth's snow-white skin was soft and delicate, her mature and beautiful body was voluptuous and alluring, and her long, white, jade-like legs were round and well-proportioned, gleaming with a seductive luster under the candlelight, forming a stark contrast with Chen Nan's bronze skin.
At this moment, both of them were completely lost in passion and had lost their reason, collapsing onto the bed together. Inside the red gauze curtains, a subtle fragrance wafted, accompanied by soft moans; this was destined to be a sleepless night.
As a ray of morning sunlight streamed into the room through the window, Chen Nan opened his eyes. He felt two soft, fleshy mounds pressing tightly against his chest, and his heart pounded wildly.
Ruth lay in his arms, her delicate body supple and boneless, her curves exquisite and incredibly elastic, her skin as smooth as jade, shimmering in the morning light. A natural beauty, an absolute stunner!
Chen Nan never expected that the effects of the Spring Breeze Dew would be neutralized in this way. He carefully got up, put on his clothes, and quickly fled the place.
Half an hour later, Ruth slowly woke up. When she realized what had happened, she let out a piercing scream: "Ah... you scumbag, you bastard!"
A powerful magical surge shattered the doors and windows of the room with wind blades, and bolts of lightning burst forth from the room.
After a long while, the courtyard returned to calm, and Ruth stood in the courtyard with a livid face.
Fifteen minutes later, the two magicians who had left the night before arrived. They were furious. One of them said, "Ruth, we've been tricked. Look, this contract doesn't have that guy's fingerprints on it at all."
Ruth snatched the paper away quickly, and after examining it closely, her teeth clenched so tightly they were grinding together. She completely lost it: "Ah... you scumbag, you bastard, I'm going to tear you to pieces!"