Coercion

The blue smoke curling from the censer mingled with the invading white mist. All sound fell away into silence, and the three figures in the inner hall froze like a painting. Or rather, more accurately, two men who remained conscious were frozen like a painting. Xia Qing did not count. After staring blankly at the abruptly arriving Xu Yuan for a few moments, she began once more to pull aimlessly at the clothes of Tang Ruofu before her. Tang Ruofu remained utterly unmoved. His eyes were fixed intently on Xu Yuan, this sudden uninvited guest, while his corded muscles twitched faintly, as if gathering strength for something. Tang Ruofu was looking at Xu Yuan, but Xu Yuan was not looking at him. How could any man be as pleasing to the eye as a woman—especially an enchanting, alluring mature woman in the full blossom of her sensuality? A faint fragrance drifted into his nostrils. Xu Yuan casually lifted a finger, tracing it naturally along Xia Qing's half-unfastened garment toward the soft, trim flesh of her flat abdomen. "Mmh..." A soft whimper broke the silence. Xia Qing's body gave a slight shudder, as though struck by an electric shock. Phoenix eyes glistening with cherry-pink light turned toward him, her dignified, gorgeous face filled with daze and confusion. She stared at Xu Yuan again for several breaths. Suddenly, a flicker of delight surfaced in her gaze, and she slowly pushed herself up. With that slight movement, the red robe that had been draped halfway over her delicate shoulder slipped down to the crook of her lotus-white arm, baring an expansive sweep of fair, tender skin. Perhaps because she had found no fulfillment in Tang Ruofu, or perhaps because she had found a brand-new target, the rustle of shifting fabric sounded as Xia Qing—a revered Transcendent Realm powerhouse—slowly crawled toward Xu Yuan on all fours. The distance between them was not great; in fact, it was very short. In mere moments, she was about to tumble into Xu Yuan's embrace. Xu Yuan had no intention of dodging. He crouched leisurely in place. Before his eyes, beneath a modest phoenix-embroidered camisole, a deep, soft cleavage swayed with an alluring curve. "Enough..." Tang Ruofu's voice came in a hushed, trembling rasp. "..." Xu Yuan ignored him, simply sitting straight down onto the floor, ready to take the woman into his arms. "Stop!" Tang Ruofu's voice rose, and the force gathering within his body dispersed. "..." Sensing this, Xu Yuan immediately raised a hand to press against the cheek drawing near. His eyes curved into slits, the corners of his lips lifting into a smile. "Auntie, we can't do this. At least... not in front of Uncle, right?" Silence fell briefly before a subtle ripple of qi expanded from Xu Yuan's palm. As this fluctuation spread, the bedroom eyes of Xia Qing's phoenix gaze gradually dimmed, and she finally slumped unconscious into his arms. Cradling her supple, boneless, and voluptuous body, Xu Yuan turned his gaze back toward Tang Ruofu with a smile in his voice. "I thought I'd walk in on a splendid erotic spectacle when I came back. You're quite the real man, Uncle." Sitting cross-legged on the meditation cushion with his eyelids half-drooping, Tang Ruofu replied calmly, "I'll take that as a compliment. But save the nonsense. You didn't orchestrate this just to humiliate us, did you? Whatever you want, say it plainly." With that, Tang Ruofu looked up and met Xu Yuan's eyes. If the youth had wanted to kill the two of them, he wouldn't have wasted words. If he had wanted to humiliate them, his first act upon entering the room would have been to completely cripple Tang Ruofu before indulging at his leisure. Since it was neither, he likely wanted something from him. "Heh..." Hearing this, Xu Yuan let out a soft chuckle. He liked talking to smart men like this. Gently laying the woman in his arms flat on the floor, he retrieved a blanket from his Sumeru ring to drape over her exposed charms, speaking cheerfully all the while. "Junior's little tricks truly can't escape Senior's keen eye. In truth, I came back to ask a favor of the two of you." Listening to the boy's respectful tone, Tang Ruofu remarked with self-deprecating indifference, "A favor?" Xu Yuan's eyes curved into a brilliant smile. "Yes, a favor. If you're unwilling, Senior, you're free to refuse." Tang Ruofu stared at him for a few breaths before saying solemnly, "Speak. If it lies within my power, I, Tang Ruofu, will do it." "Rest assured, rest assured." Xu Yuan waved a hand with an easy laugh. "Senior, you needn't look so grim. For someone of your stature, this matter is as easy as turning over a palm. That is..." Here, Xu Yuan paused, a hint of sinister chill creeping into his smile. "...simply helping me kill the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion." "..." Tang Ruofu's gaze froze. Seemingly oblivious to the other man's reaction, Xu Yuan sighed and continued on his own, "You may not know this, Senior, but that Saintess is like a hound. Tianyan and I can stay in one place for ten days at most before she tracks us down by scent. So I hope that for the sake of our shared ties, Senior, you will help me resolve this little trouble." Silence fell over the inner hall of the pavilion. Tang Ruofu slowly exhaled a breath. "You certainly think highly of me, boy." Xu Yuan smoothed his brocade robe and sat cross-legged on the floor, his tone earnest. "Naturally. I have personally experienced your terrifying might, Senior. If my sword arts hadn't happened to counter yours, Tianyan and I would be the ones captured right now." Tang Ruofu pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "This matter is beyond my ability." "Beyond your ability?" Surprise flickered across Xu Yuan's face. He cast a glance at the plump, shapely figure of the woman before him, his voice remarkably sincere and earnest. "Truly, beyond your ability?" "..." A flicker of anger stirred in Tang Ruofu's heart. Moving against the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion was tantamount to declaring war on the pavilion itself. Suppressing his rage, he spoke in a low voice, "If I kill that woman, how is it any different from committing suicide?" "Different? Oh, there's quite a big difference." The corners of Xu Yuan's mouth curled into a meaningful grin. "Senior... "Dying at the hands of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion means you at least won't suffer humiliation." With that, he reached out and directly pulled back the blanket covering Xia Qing's body. Casting a glance over her, he murmured with a chuckle, "With such a beauty lying here on the floor, rather than being a 'real man,' being a beast would surely bring far more pleasure. "Ah, Senior, don't misunderstand—I won't be the one handling the practical work. "Tianyan is still waiting for me outside. Given her temperament, if she found out, she probably wouldn't speak to me for a very long time. A fleeting pleasure isn't worth taking such a risk. However..." At this point, Xu Yuan's tone took a sharp turn. He glanced at the dense forest cloaked in white mist outside the door, his voice turning cool and flat. "I, Jinghe, could easily find some real beasts for you in this Zhujian Valley." Xu Yuan stared straight into Tang Ruofu's eyes, ticking off his fingers one by one as he spoke softly and unhurriedly: "Lion-apes, Heavenly Ghost monkeys, Yin Spirit vines... Oh, right, and the tribes of the Rakshasas. "If you are truly unwilling to assassinate the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's Saintess, Senior, I certainly won't force you. "However, before that, I must ask you to choose one from among the beasts I just mentioned to see you both off. "Of course... "If you have any other specific tastes in species, Senior... I can capture them for you as well." As his words fell, a chilling silence settled over the room.