A beauty is like a poisonous flower—the more beautiful, the more lethal.
Though she wore a faint smile, her words were casual, but her actions were entirely different, ruthless and fierce, every move aimed to kill Shaoyang Zhenren.
She was indeed a merciless demon.
Yet, even in such a relentless fight, she still found the time to tease and mock Shaoyang Zhenren. Her attitude was frivolous and vile, causing even the ever-calm and indifferent heart of Shaoyang Zhenren to waver slightly.
A black demonic bracelet, like a massive gear, rushed toward him, carrying a violent killing intent. Shaoyang Zhenren was startled and quickly sidestepped. His sword, as bright as snow, swept past the giant wheel in front of him.
The killing intent dissolved into a gentle cool breeze, but in an instant, the sword light tore apart a flourishing black flower growing in the cave.
A sweet scent rapidly filled the air.
“Huh?” Bu Jiang stopped her movements, swiftly retracting her hand. Standing a few steps away from Shaoyang Zhenren, her eyes held a strange expression. “You actually…”
He immediately sensed something wrong and quickly covered his nose and mouth, but his reaction was a moment too late. Shaoyang Zhenren felt the sweet fragrance burrow into his body, planting a seed that rapidly sprouted. In just a moment, a bud had grown near his heart.
His breathing suddenly became heavier.
“You actually tore apart the Love Flower,” Bu Jiang looked at him with a curious, almost amused expression, “Could it have been on purpose?”
“Love Flower?” He fixed his gaze on her and spoke.
Though he had vast experience, the world was full of countless rare plants and flowers. No matter how knowledgeable a cultivator was, it was impossible to know every single one.
“The Love Flower is a type of poisonous flower.” Bu Jiang smiled mischievously, patiently explaining to him, “If the flower is torn apart, its unique fragrance, once inhaled, will trigger the deepest feelings of love in the heart. You will see the first person in front of you as your true love, burning with desire, willing to give your life for her.”
Shaoyang Zhenren felt his vision blur. Bu Jiang’s excessively beautiful face suddenly became irresistibly attractive, her playful expression softening before his eyes. When her gaze fell upon him, Shaoyang Zhenren felt a deep joy within, as though the flower in his heart was quietly blooming.
He struggled to maintain his composure, trying to use his inner power to dispel the scent from his body and immediately leave this place. Yet his legs felt as though they had been bound by a spell, unable to move even an inch.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t that he couldn’t leave—it was that, deep down, he didn’t want to leave.
Shaoyang Zhenren felt as if he had become two people. One, his clear-headed self, told him to leave at once. The other, however, wanted to stay here forever because, once he left, he would no longer be able to see the woman before him.
“Why… are you unaffected?” Sweat trickled down Shaoyang Zhenren’s forehead.
Bu Jiang stood there, looking at him with schadenfreude and a mix of surprise and pity, but there was not a trace of affection in her gaze.
“Because I am of the demon race.” The woman chuckled softly. “The demon race is born from desire itself. These Love Flower and Hate Flower, which trigger love and hatred, have no effect on us. Not only can we smell the fragrance without consequence, but even if we were to eat the flower, it would not affect us in the slightest.”
“But you’re in a dire situation,” she said, her gaze lazily resting on Shaoyang Zhenren, a smile playing on her lips. “Now, you love me, to the point of life and death. What are you going to do about it?”
Shaoyang Zhenren abruptly closed his eyes.
He knew that Bu Jiang wasn’t lying.
With every additional second he looked at her face, the Love Flower in his heart bloomed more. His intuition told him that once the flower fully bloomed, his heart would be completely captivated by the woman before him.
He would become a slave to this demon.
A ball of pure energy gradually formed in Shaoyang Zhenren’s palm, and he fiercely struck his own chest.
The Love Flower nestled in his heart seemed to bloom even more fervently from the shock, and a trace of blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
In the next moment, a bewitching voice sounded from nearby.
At some point, Bu Jiang had already come close to him. Struggling to hold himself up, Shaoyang Zhenren lifted his gaze to look at her. A rich fragrance emanated from her, making it impossible for him to resist falling deeper into his trance.
“Immortal Master, don’t you know? Once the Love Flower has taken root in you, it can never be removed. Now, you only have two choices: either let the Love Flower bloom, and you will bow down to me, or…” She lightly curled her red lips, watching Shaoyang Zhenren without finishing her sentence.
“Or what?”
Bu Jiang replied leisurely, “Actually, there is an antidote to the Love Flower. This flower is born from love, and it will also wither from love. If we have sex together causing your love to be fulfilled, the poison of the Love Flower will naturally be lifted.”
With an ambiguous smile on her face, she leaned closer to him, saying maliciously, “I’m curious—will you give me your heart? Or will you give me your body?”
Inside the cave, the peculiar flowers grew in abundance, and the sweet fragrance lingered at the tip of Shaoyang Zhenren’s nose.
He knew the person in front of him wasn’t lying. He couldn’t control his body, as if his rationality was slowly fading away. His instincts were causing him to lose all clarity of judgment, pushing him to become the most loyal subordinate, ready to fight for the woman before him.
Shaoyang Zhenren cast a cold glance at Bu Jiang. The light flowed from his sword as he raised it without hesitation, aiming it at his own neck.
With a clang, the sword struck a hard bracelet and fell to the ground. Bu Jiang withdrew her hand, a trace of surprise evident in her gaze as she looked at him. “You would rather die?”
He steadied himself and spoke indifferently, “I will not become a puppet.”
“Such a fiery spirit,” she remarked, moving a little closer. “I’ve only heard of mortal women being bound by propriety, never expected a cultivator like you to be so dedicated to male virtue.” She looked him up and down. “You are quite handsome, even among those in Heishi City, you would stand out.”
Her breath brushed against his neck, seemingly as poisonous as her touch. Shaoyang Zhenren felt a chill from her gaze and hoarsely asked, “What are you trying to do?”
“You already know, I am of the demon race,” Bu Jiang chuckled. “We demons are born rebellious. The more you resist, the more I want to do it. You, Immortal Master, seem to be a very virtuous man, willing to die rather than share an intimate moment with a peerless beauty like me. Well, then, I insist on taking you with me to the peak of passion.”
Her fingers slowly grazed the edge of Shaoyang Zhenren’s robes, trailing down to his belt. With a light flick, the belt fell to the ground.
“What are you doing?” Shaoyang Zhenren’s voice carried a trace of anger, yet he was unable to move.