Chapter 450: Damned Hand, I’ll Let You Touch
Yun Ji frowned slightly. "What is it?"
The beastman guard said, "You will understand once you go inside, Holy Priest. Qiao Xixi will explain everything."
Since Qiao Xixi had already gone inside, Yun Ji didn’t press the matter and simply walked in.
But when Sunxuan tried to follow, the beastman guard stopped him.
"Please halt, Beast Guard. The Beast King only permitted the Holy Priest and Qiao Xixi to enter. But rest assured, Beast Guard, no harm will come to them inside."
Sunxuan’s serpentine eyes grew cold, but this was the Beast King’s bedchamber. No one would dare harm them here.
"Fine."
Qiao Xixi expertly navigated the secret passage, arriving in the stone grotto filled with Sea Pearls.
Perhaps Yaoxi’s words had gotten to her. Now that she was back, her thoughts subconsciously drifted to Jin Ling and the others.
’Gilt gold... crimson... and white...’ She drew a sharp breath. ’No way. There’s no reason for this to correspond to Jin Ling and the others.’
’Although five of the colors matched... no, six of them. The one in the middle is silver-white. Isn’t that me?’
’Then... the last one is...’
"Shuishui."
Startled, Qiao Xixi spun around in astonishment and saw Yun Ji walk in.
In the glow of the Sea Pearls, his feathered robe shimmered with an iridescent halo. ’That’s... exactly the same color as the last Sea Pearl!’
Qiao Xixi blinked, thinking she must be seeing things.
"What is this place?" Yun Ji’s attention was quickly captured by the Sea Pearls on the grotto wall.
Qiao Xixi snapped out of it and asked, "Yun Ji, do you know the origin of the Darkness Ore?"
’The Beast King told me this involved a royal secret, so Yun Ji shouldn’t know about it.’
’But what does that have to do with me? It’s not like I’m the one who’ll be embarrassed.’
But Yun Ji was sharp. Her question immediately led him to a conclusion. "Is this related to the royal family?"
"Yes. The royal family is behind this whole mess."
A flash of anger crossed Yun Ji’s brow.
Qiao Xixi couldn’t stop herself from glancing between him and the Sea Pearls on the wall.
’This is unbelievable!’
’The colors are a perfect match!’
"Yun Ji, your feathers are really beautiful."
Qiao Xixi’s abrupt change of subject caught Yun Ji off guard for a second, and a faint blush crept up to the tips of his ears.
"Mm."
"Are there any other males in your clan like you? I mean, in their beast forms, do they also have feathers like these?"
The blush that had just appeared on Yun Ji’s ears vanished instantly. "Why do you ask? My wings are one-of-a-kind. No other member of the Phoenix Wing Clan shares my coloring."
The last glimmer of hope in Qiao Xixi’s heart died.
’Maybe... the beast husbands Yaoxi mentioned don’t literally have to be my husbands. Can’t I just borrow their power?’
This thought made Qiao Xixi feel a little better, but she still had no idea how to solve this puzzle.
Lost in thought, Qiao Xixi looked up at Yun Ji. For some reason, as her eyes fell upon his face, she could see every single downy hair with perfect clarity.
They were tiny and faintly golden, making him seem all the more real.
Qiao Xixi’s steady heartbeat suddenly quickened, and a strangely seductive image bloomed in her mind.
In the vision, Yun Ji was submerged in water, and she *was* the water. The moment he entered, she eagerly surged forward to envelop him completely.
She could even feel his body temperature. It wasn’t scorching like Jin Ling and the others, nor was it cool like Sunxiao’s. He was like a cup of warm water that soothed her from the inside out, making her feel utterly comfortable.
Qiao Xixi liked this feeling. She reached out, her fingertips gently grazing his iridescent feathered robe, stirring invisible ripples.
Yun Ji’s breath hitched. A hint of confusion appeared in his eyes, yet he didn’t stop her.
"Shuishui, what’s wrong?"
"Yun Ji... I think... something’s a little off with me."
Qiao Xixi wasn’t an idiot. She snapped out of her brief stupor.
’Little Sprite, what’s happening to me?’
"Huh? Host, why are you in heat again?"
Qiao Xixi was dumbfounded.
"Host, you need to get out of here, now! It seems this place has been laced with some kind of pollen that sends females into heat. Its scent must have been masked, which is why neither of you noticed."
Qiao Xixi was speechless.
Suppressing the heat flaring up inside her, she took two steps back.
"Yun Ji, you... get out of here... No, never mind, I’ll go."
Without another word, she ignored Yun Ji and turned to leave. She knew all too well the power of a female in heat; if she did something untoward to Yun Ji, she would just die of embarrassment on the spot.
But she had underestimated its potency. While her strength hadn’t been sapped, her sense of direction was compromised.
She tried to run left, but her body uncontrollably veered to the right.
Just as she was about to collide with the grotto wall, Yun Ji rushed forward and swept her into his arms.
Seeing her in this state, Yun Ji would have to be a fool not to realize something was wrong.
"Shuishui, don’t worry, I have a way to help you."
Yun Ji’s closeness caused the wall of rationality Qiao Xixi had erected to instantly crumble.
"Yun Ji, just get me out of here! That’s all the help I need, really!"
Yun Ji lowered his eyes to her. Her fair face was completely flushed, like a tempting piece of fruit. He swallowed instinctively.
Still, he held her with restraint and started walking toward the exit.
With every step they took, the unavoidable contact between their bodies chipped away at what little reason Qiao Xixi had left.
She bit her lip hard, trying not to succumb completely.
But her hands were beyond her control, roaming over Yun Ji’s face, his neck, his collarbones, his shoulders.
Ashamed and furious, Qiao Xixi slapped her own hands away.
’Useless hands! Stop touching him!’
"Shuishui, don’t hurt yourself." Her touch sent an unbearable heat surging through Yun Ji’s entire body. He was struggling, too.
Once they were out of the secret passage, Yun Ji tried to place her on the Beast King’s bed, but Qiao Xixi grabbed onto him.
Losing his balance, Yun Ji stumbled and fell on top of her.
"Oof!"
Qiao Xixi let out a muffled grunt from the weight on top of her. As a sliver of reason returned, she put her hands on his chest to push him away.
"Quick, get out. I... just... let me be alone for a bit."
Hearing the commotion inside, Sunxuan called out in concern.
"Holy Priest, what’s wrong?"
Yun Ji’s breathing was ragged. He knew she was right to push him away, but her rejection still stirred a strange feeling within him.
"I’m... fine."
"Shuishui, I can help you."
"How are you going to help me?"
"Sit up properly."
Seeing how serious Yun Ji was, Qiao Xixi decided to give it a try.
She fought through the discomfort and sat up. The moment she was upright, Yun Ji pressed his palm against her back.
Yun Ji intended to use his power to suppress the agitation within her, but he forgot that he was currently lacking his beast soul’s energy. With an incomplete beast soul, he was unable to transfer any power into Qiao Xixi’s body.
On the contrary, his touch was the final push that sent Qiao Xixi completely over the edge.