The sensation of being touched was like a brand.
The deity's fingers pressed down slightly, kneading that soft, tender flesh, fingertips tracing the lines of her lips.
Su Cheng was plunged into immense panic.
Not because of these actions—those no longer mattered.
But because her life had begun its countdown.
Su Cheng: "Your Highness—"
The fingers lingering on her lips suddenly increased their pressure, the pad of a finger pushing past her teeth, invading the warm, moist cavity of her mouth with irresistible force.
His hand was too large. One finger pinned her shrinking tongue, his knuckle lodged between her molars, forcing her to keep her mouth open.
Su Cheng tasted ink, saltpeter, and the flavor of iron, mingled with faint threads of blood.
A wave of scorching heat surged forth, as if molten gold sand were being poured down her throat.
A bent finger scraped against her palate. Her freed tongue tried to push back but was seized by the opportunity, gently kneading the soft surface of her tongue.
It was too hot.
Su Cheng felt as if she had swallowed a ball of fire, like a horseshoe just pulled from a forge, or melting sealing wax on a scroll.
It blocked all argument and questioning, sealing this unfair transaction.
Instinctively, Su Cheng tried to push him away, but the difference in their builds was too great. Raising her hand, she collided with a wall of burning, hard abdominal muscle.
Su Cheng: "..."
Her fingertips sank into the sharply defined grooves of muscle. The honey-brown skin was incredibly smooth, like steel wrapped in silk.
Sliding down along those contours, she could clearly feel the direction of every muscle fiber and the boundless power contained within.
The crimson-gold chain hanging from his waist swayed gently, its cool metal links brushing against her trembling hand.
Her fingertip touched a slender ring.
Beneath that ornate, intricate waist chain, hidden from view, was an exquisitely patterned navel ring, adorned with teardrop-shaped gemstones like several fallen tears.
"Before sunset," the deity murmured softly. "I will be waiting for you."
No!
Su Cheng thought in despair.
In that instant, she could feel her body grow heavy, as if bound by some invisible shackles.
The deity withdrew his finger and lifted his head to look toward the shop counter.
He spread his arms in an elegant, slightly exaggerated bow, like a performer taking a curtain call.
Su Cheng did not see this.
But her perceptual world soon changed as well.
Light and shadow completely dispersed.
Su Cheng leaned against the shelves, breathing heavily. Sweat trickled down her hairline, across her cheek; the fabric from her collar to the middle of her back was almost soaked through.
She bit her lip hard, trying to confirm this wasn't a dream.
Her lips still seemed to retain a lingering heat, which was then pierced by a sharp sting.
Damn.
This seemed to be real.
—Why why why!
The murmurs in the shop died down. The two people at the counter looked over in unison.
"Hey," the shopkeeper said, utterly bewildered. "Have you caught some disease? Don't die in my shop!"
Kai watched her quietly, his gaze lingering briefly behind her before settling on her face.
Those sharp golden eyes held a touch of concern. "Are you alright?"
Su Cheng shook her head slightly, indicating she was fine.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead, using her hand to shield her eyes at the same time.
In her perceptual world, the presence of the fire spirits was so vivid, like torches burning in the darkness.
Their heat, state, number—all were reflected in her mind with perfect clarity.
The nearby thunder and wind elements were exactly the same.
She could sense that the number of elemental spirits bound within that magic array was immense, far more than it appeared.
Enough to complete various large-scale spells.
Su Cheng couldn't help but twitch her fingers.
On the wind elemental array, the restraints suddenly shattered, transforming into countless golden motes of light. The bound wind spirits shrieked as they scattered in all directions.
Some of them joyfully rushed toward her. Cyan-green currents of wind traced arc-shaped trajectories, coalescing around her into swirling blades of air.
Su Cheng: "..."
The shopkeeper behind the counter slammed the table in shock as she stood up. "Only a Supreme-grade talent or higher can break the restraints of a Spirit-Binding Magic Array like this—"
As she spoke, she looked at Su Cheng, a shrewd gleam lighting up in her murky eyes. "Little girl, do you have a teacher yet?"
Su Cheng wasn't in the mood to talk and brushed it off vaguely. "I do."
The shopkeeper pursed her lips and sat back down. "Ten gold coins, or you can repair my magic array yourself."
"Alright," Su Cheng fished out ten gold coins from her pocket. "I'm sorry."
The shopkeeper snorted, grabbed the coins, and tossed out the other materials she had prepared earlier. "Get out."
With that, she retreated behind the counter, paying no further attention to the outside.
With a heavy heart, Su Cheng walked over, intending to heft the crate containing various alchemical ingredients, only to find she couldn't lift it at all.
Su Cheng: "?"
It looked like it weighed at most twenty or thirty pounds, right?
"Some of the containers inside are made of special materials, they're a bit heavier—"
Kai bent down and lifted the crate with one hand. "I'll carry it."
Su Cheng sighed. "If I survive tonight, I swear I'll try cultivating martial aura."
The dark-haired man glanced down at her, his expression indistinct in the dim room.
After a moment, he raised his other hand and gently grasped the girl's slender shoulder. "If you're sincere, I can teach you. Before we reach the Imperial Capital."
Su Cheng was surprised. "Huh?"
The corner of his mouth curved up slightly. "As long as you don't mind. After all, I'm not some professor or elder from a prestigious academy."
Su Cheng scoffed. "What do those people count as—"
In a way, she had even "killed" one such person.
Though not by her own hand.
As she spoke, Su Cheng's expression changed again. Thinking of her transaction with the God of Contracts sent a chill through her entire body.
What if, before sunset today, she failed to offer him an Oath-Breaker?
How exactly was an "Oath-Breaker" defined?
Someone who betrays a vow?
Find someone who cheated after marriage?
They probably made promises during the wedding ceremony.
Find someone selling counterfeit or shoddy goods?
They likely violated the terms of a contract.
Find someone guilty of corruption and bribery?
They all took oaths upon assuming office as Imperial officials.
...Wait!
It also had to be Supreme-grade talent!
There are many types of magical talent, but generally speaking, so-called Supreme-grade talent refers to the level of elemental resonance.
—Low-grade, Medium-grade, High-grade, Supreme-grade.
Among resonators, eight or nine out of ten have Low-grade talent. Medium-grade is already uncommon. High-grade is one in a thousand, and Supreme-grade is exceedingly rare.
Su Cheng abandoned the idea of going to a brothel to find a married patron.
The God of Contracts had given her a monumental challenge.
If she failed to complete the transaction before sunset, Su Cheng had no doubt her fate would be the same as Elder Li's and that junior sister's.
"Sir—"
Su Cheng placed her hand over the large, powerful one resting on her shoulder and looked up at the man before her.
"That song Sasha sang earlier, 'Thetia's Funeral Bell.' The last line, 'The sophist and the swindler offer you tribute.' What does that refer to? Offering the souls of those who break oaths to the God of Contracts? Right?"
Kai nodded slowly.
According to the story told in the lyrics, the God of Contracts encourages his blessed to play with words and clauses, luring more people into becoming "Oath-Breakers."
Su Cheng pondered for a moment, then suddenly patted the back of his hand.
"Right, since this place doesn't have it, let's forget about the succubus blood for now. I need to go! You keep browsing, Mr. Leader!"
Kai was somewhat puzzled. His hand movements paused, his long fingers clasping her shoulder, holding her in place.
"Are you in a hurry?"
"Yes," Su Cheng nodded emphatically. "I'm planning to cast 'Wind Step' on myself, so I can run a bit faster and maybe even scale a wall or two."
He was taken aback. "Where are you going?"
Su Cheng saw no reason to hide it from him. "The Mages Guild."
The moment her words fell, the man before her suddenly leaned down, his arm encircling her waist.
The damp, musty smell of the underground street was scattered by the rushing wind.
Holding her with one arm, he sped through the alleyways.
Amid the howling wind, the surrounding scenery stretched and distorted—
The orange candlelight from stalls, the dark blue glow of magic crystal lamps, and the luminous sheen of runes on shop signs all melted into multicolored molten steel at that moment, scattering into fragmented splashes of color on her retina.
She saw a stall owner lighting a pipe, the flying sparks becoming crimson afterimages trailing like meteor tails.
Another vendor was demonstrating a magical artifact; a purple-and-red intertwined ball of lightning unfurled in his palm, light strands like fireworks stretched into fibrous shapes, reflected in the grimy yellow shop window opposite.
Su Cheng had no time to capture more details.
She clutched her sunhat tightly. The images that entered her mind one second hadn't even been processed before she was whisked out of the labyrinthine underground district the next.
This wasn't the way they had come.
The crowded, dense residences of the lower city, gardens planted with various fruits and vegetables, walls overgrown with verdant vines—everything became fragmented, broken images in her pupils.
She heard the startled cries of passersby carried on the wind.
The chest she leaned against was broad and burning hot, but the heat that should have seeped into her skin was blown away by the gale.
In an instant, they stood in the central district's plaza, surrounded by various workshops and shops, with two majestic towers facing each other to the north and south ahead.
Those were the Mages Guild and the Warriors Guild.
Due to their comprehensive facilities and excellent conditions, both major guilds had lent out parts of their grounds, leasing sections to institutions here for student recruitment.
Countless carriages were parked in the plaza at that moment.
Some were inlaid with gold and silver, their pearl-embroidered curtains stamped with family crests, as young masters and ladies in splendid attire alighted one after another, their attendants carrying chests filled with magical artifacts or gleaming, graded warrior weapons.
Others had canvas tops, their pinewood bodies gleaming with tung oil under the sun, as young people who had hurried in from out of town, carrying their luggage alone, walked toward the guild halls with eager anticipation.
Occasionally, one could see magical beasts fitted with harnesses: griffins flapping their wings, pegasi tapping their hooves on the ground.
Due to the dense crowd, some beasts seemed uneasy, but having undergone strict training, they hadn't lost control yet.
"...This might be a bit faster?"
Su Cheng heard a voice by her ear.
Her spine was pressed against the man's solid chest, almost able to feel the resonance when he spoke.
"A bit?" Su Cheng blinked. "More like a whole lot faster."
"Is that so," Kai fell silent for two seconds. "I wasn't aware of your magical proficiency, so I couldn't make presumptions."
They stood at the edge of the bustling plaza. He bent down to set her on her feet, perhaps worried she might be unsteady, one hand still hovering supportively behind her waist.
Su Cheng turned to look at him.
If she didn't have a deadly urgent matter right now, she would certainly have a lot to say.
"...Thank you, Mr. Leader."
As she said this, a wave of sorrow suddenly welled up in her heart.
She might only have a few hours of life left.
"If," Su Cheng said softly, "if we can meet again tomorrow, may I join your mercenary group?"
Kai looked down at her.
He fixed his cold, calm golden eyes on her, his gaze falling on her jawline. He lightly raised a hand, as if to touch the corner of her mouth.
Then he lowered his arm again. "I thought you already were."
Su Cheng looked up, meeting his eyes. "Huh?"
He raised an eyebrow slightly. "You called me 'Leader'."
Su Cheng was stunned. "That was just a sort of term of endearment—"
Kai: "?"
Su Cheng slapped her own forehead. "I mean, considering you a friend—"
With that, she turned and ran.
But she hadn't dashed more than two steps before the man behind her pressed a hand on her shoulder, turning her back around.
The girl's dark, curly hair was slightly disheveled. Perhaps due to nervousness and fear, her face was pale from lack of blood, only her lips were an unusually vivid red.
The bitten lips seemed slightly swollen, like ripe berries almost dripping with juice.
Kai wiped away the trace of blood at the corner of her mouth. "I wish you smooth sailing."
Then he released her.
