Chapter 2: Looks Good? He’s Already Touched It

Night fell, blanketing the whole town in darkness. The silence was calm, but faintly eerie.

Lin Qingyun, dressed in plain white robes, led his shorter disciple Xiao Chen as they wandered aimlessly through the streets. Not a single lamp burned anywhere around them.

"Master, aren't we going back yet?"

The disciple, after finishing the last hawthorn on his candied skewer, looked up and licked the syrup from the corner of his mouth with lingering satisfaction.

He still had another candied hawthorn skewer in his hand. His master had bought three in all, but he couldn't bear to eat it; he wanted to take it back for Brother Jinyu.

Lin Qingyun stared up at the night sky for a long moment. The black clouds overhead seemed to press down on his heart. He reached out and patted Xiao Chen's head. "It's dark. We'll stay here for tonight."

"Huh?" Xiao Chen didn't notice the slight tremor in his master's hand as it rested on his head. He only stared longingly at the last candied hawthorn in his hand. "But the candied hawthorn will melt. Then Brother Jinyu won't get to eat it."

Lin Qingyun's hand froze in midair.

"Sigh..."

"Let's go. There's an inn ahead."

...

Shenqi Empire.

East of the imperial capital stood a palace built against a mountain and beside a lake. That was the Moon Temple of Goddess Xuan Yue.

The palace was not large, but it gleamed like glazed crystal. From afar it looked like a crescent moon suspended above the lakeshore, and one could even catch the elegant fragrance drifting from within.

After enduring the long New Moon baptism ritual, Goddess Xuan Yue did not rest for a moment. She summoned her most trusted maid, Yuexin.

"Just now, in the formation under Elder Niu, I saw a barbarian. Who was he? And why was he still wearing the Shenqi army uniform?" Xuan Yue asked.

The old god clan had awakened from the ruins and rapidly seized this land to establish a new nation. The local barbarian tribes were driven out by the Star God Emperor; only a tiny number of barbarians survived in remote regions under his hypocritical mercy, living at the lowest rank, no different from slaves.

Only members of the old god clan were allowed to receive the New Moon baptism outside the Origin Temple. Yet Xuan Yue had seen a barbarian, and from the black armor he wore, he was clearly a soldier. It was no wonder Xuan Yue was curious what had changed in Shenqi in her absence.

The maid called Yuexin replied respectfully, "After His Highness Star God wiped out the Wild Wolf Tribe, Elder Niu found a young adult orphan with some talent and took him in. That's the barbarian you saw, Di Zhonggu."

"Di Zhonggu has also lived up to Elder Niu's training. He was the one who put down the rebellions at the border and in the Western Wastelands, and Elder Niu values him highly."

Goddess Xuan Yue's pink lips curved into a cold smile. "The Wild Wolf Tribe? If I remember correctly, wasn't it Elder Niu who personally led the campaign to wipe them out? Taking in an orphan too. In my eyes, he's no different from Star God Emperor - just a hypocritical bastard!"

Yuexin would never dare gossip about the Star God Emperor and the elders, so she fell silent at the side.

Xuan Yue half-narrowed her eyes, her gaze drifting lightly as she thought for a moment. After a while, she stopped dwelling on the barbarian Di Zhonggu and instead worried about her husband's safety.

"Did you find out the information I asked for?"

"I did. It was the Star God Emperor's personal guard who acted. A total of five people were sent. The Tianqi royal family didn't send anyone, but they tacitly allowed the five of them to move about within Tianqi..." As Yuexin spoke, her eyes suddenly sharpened. Though she was only a maid at Xuan Yue's side, she still possessed considerable strength. "I heard the personal guard also hired dozens of assassins in Tianqi. Should I take people to intercept them?"

"Not for now. Your strength may not be inferior to the Star God Emperor's personal guard, but your status isn't suited to act."

Xuan Yue was about to continue when she let out a soft sigh. "I have my own arrangements for this. You may withdraw first. The Star God Emperor is here."

"This maid takes her leave."

"Wait. Go investigate that barbarian Di Zhonggu."

"Yes..."

Yuexin nodded lightly and said no more, leaving the goddess's bedchamber.

At the same time, the Star God Emperor, having removed his golden crown and armor, had silently arrived outside the Moon Temple, yet he still did not step into the main hall.

He had always been proud and aloof, and he still could not accept the fact that the woman he loved had been involved with another man and even borne his child.

"Since you're here, why don't you come in?"

Just as the Star God Emperor hesitated, an ethereal immortal voice drifted out. He immediately strode into the hall.

The hall was thick with floral fragrance, as soothing as a spring breeze. When Star God Emperor pushed open the door to the bedchamber, he faintly saw a woman beautiful enough to seem unreal reclining on the phoenix bed. A silver gauze dress barely wrapped her exquisite, curving body. The sheer fabric clung tightly to her delicate, smooth snow-white skin, the neckline slightly open, and beneath it she wore nothing at all. A broad stretch of pale neck and a pair of high, full breasts that could stir endless filthy fantasies were laid bare.

Wherever Star God Emperor looked, his body shuddered. In an instant, his mind went completely blank.

Goddess Xuan Yue was actually greeting him in such revealing clothes.

Seeing Star God Emperor stunned by her dazzling, swelling figure, Xuan Yue's pink lips lifted almost imperceptibly in a cold smile. Then she let out a light, silvery laugh, and the proud fullness hidden beneath the gossamer dress trembled and quivered.

Star God Emperor's blood surged hot. His golden eyes locked on the lush curve of Xuan Yue's chest, and as those soft mounds trembled, he seemed to see the two rosy buds perched atop them.

When Xuan Yue lifted her delicate hand to cover her lips, the tender red buds seemed to jump out from beneath the sheer dress. But when he looked more closely, it was only the fleeting haze of a dream.

After the flurry of laughter faded, Xuan Yue looked at the man frozen in the doorway with a foxlike smile. Her red lips curved. "What brings the Star God Emperor to visit so late at night?"

That voice was so soft and tempting that Star God Emperor almost felt as if he were dreaming. By the time he woke, he realized he had somehow walked up to the beauty's phoenix bed. He simply sat down as she spoke. "The New Moon ritual must have worn you out. I brought some pills."

As he spoke, a delicate bottle of spirit pills appeared in Star God Emperor's hand.

Xuan Yue did not take the item from his hand. Instead, she leaned forward until she was right in front of him and teased, "Then I really should thank Your Highness. I thought Star God Emperor had rushed over to have me serve you."

The fragrance from her red lips made Star God Emperor briefly lose himself, but he caught the mocking edge in her flirtatious words. With an unchanged smile, he said, "You're overthinking it, Xuan Yue. I only came to bring you some pills."

Xuan Yue sneered inwardly again and again. The way Star God Emperor had greedily stared at her full peaks was exactly like a dog that can't stop eating shit - utterly hypocritical.

The atmosphere turned oddly quiet.

Star God Emperor breathed in the orchid-and-musk scent rising from Xuan Yue's exquisite body and could not help but feel restless.

He truly was as Xuan Yue said: he wanted nothing more than to pull the beloved woman into his arms and cherish her. Yet when he really drew close to Xuan Yue, he found a trace of resistance in his heart.

In the past, the goddess had been the clan's spotless saint, a woman sacred and untouchable. Now she was like a rose stained by the morning dust, impossible to wash clean with dew; the mark of corruption still clung to her holy body.

"Heh..."

As a clear, ethereal laugh rang out, a wave of fragrance broke the silence.

When he looked again, Xuan Yue, with her clothes slightly open, was already sitting in Star God Emperor's lap.

Her supple, full breasts pressed softly against his broad, solid chest, and her moist, petal-shaped red lips breathed out a heady orchid scent. "Star God Emperor, do I look beautiful?"

The goddess throwing herself into his arms stunned Star God Emperor. He lowered his head and saw a pair of shimmering eyes gazing deep into his own, their look tender and dazed. It made him feel as if he were standing inside a dream, yet the hot scent washing over his chest was undeniably real.

"Beautiful!"

Star God Emperor answered sincerely. Whatever lingering hesitation he had left was already gone under the goddess's tender, lingering gaze.

He spread his arms and pulled Xuan Yue's supple waist into his embrace. Her soft, springy breasts immediately pressed against his chest. Star God Emperor was secretly grateful that he had taken off his golden armor and changed into casual clothes, because he could now clearly feel the full, resilient weight of the saint's breasts.

Xuan Yue let him hold her waist, her gorgeous red lips breathing out bursts of fragrance that kept him stirred.

Breathing in the intoxicating scent, Star God Emperor lowered his head, wanting to kiss those exquisite petal-like lips. But just as he was about to touch the lips he had once dreamed of, a boneless jade hand caught his own. The thing in his grip felt slick and soft to the touch.

Xuan Yue held his hand tightly to stop him from kissing her, yet the seductive fragrance from her breath washed over his cheek. With a cold smile she said, "Do you really want to kiss me, Star God Emperor? You should know that this cherry mouth of mine has been kissed by my husband more times than I can count."

"If Star God Emperor doesn't mind, then come on..." In that slow, soft voice, Xuan Yue took the initiative to offer her red lips, leaning toward his.

As expected, Star God Emperor still did not kiss her. His stern face darkened, frost gathering there, and the veins at his temples bulged horribly.

Suddenly, a faint sting came from his palm. Xuan Yue's peerless face smiled more and more brightly as she lazily leaned against Star God Emperor's broad chest. Biting her damp red lip, she gave a delicate cry of pain: "Mm... you hurt me..."

Star God Emperor did his utmost to restrain the raging fury and the surging, explosive lust in his body. He looked coldly at the woman who was provoking him. "You think doing this will change the ending? In the end, you're still my woman, Star God Emperor's woman!"

"Of course I know I'm Star God Emperor's woman."

Xuan Yue gave a soft, lingering laugh. Rising from Star God Emperor's lap, she spread her long, slender legs and straddled his thigh instead, facing him directly. "Since Star God Emperor doesn't mind that I'm dirty, then I'll serve you."

As soon as the words fell, the only thin gauze dress covering her snow-white, exquisite body slid from Xuan Yue's soft shoulders, revealing a pair of plump breasts like the finest suet-white jade.

Their curves were round and full, their outline large and proud, impossible to hold in one hand.

Two budding tips, pink and ready to bloom, looked like two dazzling crimson jewels in the world, set atop those snowy, generous mounds.

At a single glance, Star God Emperor's cock swelled hard enough to burst, and his golden eyes, once filled with anger, now reflected only two masses of snowy, full flesh and the phantom image of two crimson jewel-like buds.

"Star God Emperor, do they look good?"

A mocking smile hid at the corners of Xuan Yue's mouth. She freely took Star God Emperor's large hand and guided it toward her precious chest, saying softly, "Your Highness can feel them with your hand."

"But if Your Highness wants to taste them, then I may have to disappoint you... because my husband very much enjoys tasting them, and I fear his scent is still left on them. I wouldn't want to 'dirty' Star God Emperor..."

Before Xuan Yue could finish, a burst of sharp pain struck.

Bang!

A soft, alluring body was hurled hard to the floor!

Star God Emperor could no longer control the monstrous rage in his heart and roared, "You're courting your own destruction!"

Before Xuan Yue could rise from the floor, Star God Emperor swept his sleeve and angrily stormed out of the Moon Temple!

Outside the bedchamber, Yuexin, who had finished sorting the information and was standing guard at the door, saw Star God Emperor leave in a fit of rage and the goddess thrown to the floor, and hurried inside.

"Goddess, why must you do this?" Yuexin supported Xuan Yue as she stood up and sighed with feeling.

Xuan Yue smiled gently and did not explain anything. Instead, she carefully reviewed the information Yuexin had gathered.

Whether or not she had deliberately angered Star God Emperor, the moment he intended to assassinate Lin Qingyun, they had already torn the mask off. Pretending to surrender and provoking him was also a way to exploit Star God Emperor's usual pride and his inability to tolerate even the slightest slight.

As expected, Star God Emperor had indeed stormed off in anger over that one remark, especially the word "dirty."

At the very least, this let Xuan Yue confirm that Star God Emperor would not touch her body anytime soon, allowing her to remain faithful to her husband Lin Qingyun.

As for the consequences of provoking him...

Star God Emperor had already ordered the encirclement of Lin Qingyun. What consequence could be worse than that?