A demi-human?
Or a half-blood of some other race?
Su Cheng thought uncertainly, but it didn't really matter. She had seen plenty of things that weren't human anyway.
The man in front of her looked very young. His hair was as white as cascading fresh snow, yet he didn't look the least bit old.
His skin was as smooth as porcelain, glowing with a certain translucent light. Only under the warm yellow chandelier did he barely show a hint of a living creature's rosy complexion.
"A mercenary...?"
He looked at her casually, idly swirling his wine glass. "How has business been lately?"
The man's slender fingers loosely wrapped around the goblet. The gradient green liquid rippled inside, like a moonlight-soaked forest swaying in the night breeze.
The top layer was a nearly transparent lime mist, gradually fading into a mint green, while the bottom of the glass settled into a dark, jade-like hue.
Tiny bubbles slowly rose along the glass wall, resembling the fleeting fireflies of a summer night.
His hands had distinct knuckles and a cold white complexion. A few drops of the liquor slid down the back of his hand, shimmering with a crystalline silver-green in the light.
Su Cheng's gaze paused for a moment before landing on his face again.
The man had an excessively beautiful face, yet those cold, callous eyes, exuding a sinister aura, carried a strong non-human feeling.
Like a flower blooming over corpses and bones; beneath its gorgeous facade were roots covered in rotting flesh and crawling with highly venomous bugs.
In that instant, it was as if a cognitive framework etched into her DNA had been breached. A specific form had triggered a neurological alarm against an alien species—
She instinctively felt uncomfortable.
Her tipsiness also instantly dissipated by more than half.
"It's alright."
Su Cheng said in a low voice.
Although he was a rare beauty, the feeling he gave her was truly bizarre.
No wonder no one approached him while he sat here, and the seats next to him were empty.
Under normal circumstances, anyone with a face like that shouldn't be left alone.
Could it be that everyone else had been scared away?
"...What about you," Su Cheng couldn't help but ask, "Are you here for the student recruitment?"
"Hmm?"
The white-haired man rested an elbow on the counter, propping his face up with his hand to look at her, his expression somewhat playful.
His gaze shifted. Those pale emerald eyes were tinged with gold dust by the light's shadow, fluttering down with the trembling of his eyelashes, making his smile turn ambiguous.
"You think I'm a freshman?" he said, almost to himself. "Do I look that young?"
"Bro, if you've ever looked in a mirror, you'd know the answer is yes. You look barely twenty."
Su Cheng couldn't help but curl her lips. "Are you saying that just to hear me praise you? Why are you guys all like this..."
Her gaze involuntarily swept over him again.
The white-haired man set down his glass and casually fiddled with the button at his collar. "Hmm, perhaps?"
The gold thread piping on his shirt ran from the lapel to the cuffs. The tailored fit outlined his lean waist, and the thorn-carved gold buttons gleamed.
The folded high collar was open, immediately revealing the sharp lines of his Adam's apple. The hollows of his collarbones held shadows, like empty wine glasses urgently waiting to be filled.
He used those nearly transparent green eyes to stare at the girl in front of him. "If I wanted even more, would you satisfy me?"
The white-haired man curled his lips into a smile, his stark white, sharp canines seemingly flashing with a cold glint.
For a moment, Su Cheng had the illusion of being pierced by venomous fangs.
The toxin slowly climbed up her spine, bringing a hair-raising shudder.
"Then I'll have to think carefully," she took the wine bottle from the bartender. "Is this your only wish? To hear me praise you?"
Su Cheng squeezed the neck of the bottle, trying hard to look casual. "Or rather... don't you want to get more things from me?"
The white-haired man gave her a half-smile. "One must always take things step by step."
Su Cheng raised an eyebrow.
She casually tugged at her sleeve, hiding her burning hand, while realizing that a conversation of that level was not enough to trigger the restriction.
"Actually," Su Cheng thought for a moment, "You look very young, but your aura doesn't match. So when I said joining the recruitment, I meant as a school mentor or staff member."
"So I look like a teacher?" The white-haired man tilted his head with interest. "What do you think I teach?"
Su Cheng gave a deadpan stare. "I think you look like a vicious dorm manager, the kind who would corporally punish students wandering at night."
Wait.
Did she just say that out loud?!
Su Cheng subconsciously covered her mouth as soon as she finished speaking. "Uh, I have a bit of a headache. I just drank some alcohol, so everything I'm saying right now is just nonsense!"
"Hahahahahaha!" The white-haired man laughed joyfully. "I've never punished anyone for that before!"
Su Cheng: "?"
What was so funny about that?
Her brain hadn't quite caught up. Just as she wanted to ponder it carefully, she suddenly felt something wasn't quite right.
Did she really speak out of turn just because she drank?
Or was she influenced by some kind of power?
Su Cheng turned around to jump off the chair.
The white-haired man grabbed her arm. His icy fingers wrapped around her upper arm, locking it tightly like an iron hoop. "Where are you going?"
Su Cheng tried to pull away. The other party didn't seem to be using much force, but she just couldn't break free.
The tavern hall gradually became noisy. The melodies of violins and accordions intertwined, mixing with a lively drumbeat.
People began to dance in the hall, their heels striking the solid wooden floor, the hems of their clothes flying and swirling in the air.
Young people shouted boisterously, singing loudly with liquid courage. It was chaotic everywhere, and no one noticed the commotion on their side.
"Where do you want to go?" The white-haired man looked down at her, a smile still seemingly hanging on his face. "We can go together—"
Su Cheng blinked, just about to speak.
The man suddenly leaped down from the high chair, stretched out his long arm, and pulled her over. He smoothly wrapped his arm around her back, clasped the side of her waist with his palm, and lifted her up.
Su Cheng: "???"
She cursed. Having just set down the alcohol, she was scooped up from the chair by the other party and carried directly in his arms in a princess hold.
Speechless, Su Cheng leaned against his chest. Her suspended body was forced against him, and she felt his firm chest and the contours of his arm muscles.
The white-haired man's body temperature was very low, and the chill continuously transferred over through the fabric.
She felt like she was standing in the snow, while the noisy drums and singing still rang in her ears. For a moment, the world spun, and everything became surreal.
He carried her through the dancing crowd, surrounded by whistles and screams.
Many people saw their intimate posture and cheered for this pair of exceptionally attractive young people, seemingly treating it as a romantic and sensual encounter.
It wasn't rare for strangers to become lovers in a tavern. Many regulars and drunks could tell similar stories, so they only jeered and egged them on right now.
The white-haired man hummed a song in a cheerful mood. Even while carrying a person, he still looked completely effortless, and even let her suspended body gently sway to the rhythm of the dance music.
"What are you doing?!" Su Cheng was completely baffled by him. "You're the one who's drunk, aren't you?"
She reached out to grab his collar, but the man caught her wrist instead.
Just like that, he was holding her with one arm.
Although he was quite tall, he didn't have the massive, door-like physique of the Commander.
Su Cheng was genuinely afraid she might fall backward and smash the back of her head, so she instinctively wrapped her other arm around his neck. Did you hear what I said, hey!
The white-haired man lowered his head and took her wrist into his mouth.
Su Cheng: ?!
His teeth pressed against the inside of her wrist bone, like a beast confirming its prey's vital spot. Her muscles instinctively tensed, and her fingertips curled unconsciously.
Immediately after, cold, sharp canines pierced her tender skin, bringing a sharp sting. But they stopped right on the verge of drawing blood, turning into a slow, grinding caress.
He controlled his force perfectly; just a little more pressure, and her blood vessels would rupture.
A damp coolness spread through the lingering pain.
The tip of his tongue swept over the teeth marks, licking away the faint scent of blood, yet his lips remained pressed tightly against her radial artery, as if feeling her accelerating heartbeat.
With every breath, his icy exhalations sprayed across her wrist, stirring up a flurry of tiny shivers.
Su Cheng felt an itchy, aching sensation. It wasn't particularly uncomfortable, but the feeling was incredibly subtle and strange.
She couldn't help but suck in a breath. Fuck—
The moment the white-haired man lifted his head, a ring of pale red teeth marks remained on her wrist, faintly glistening with moisture.
She was about to speak when the rhythm of the dance music suddenly grew intense. He abruptly lifted her up, almost making her sit on his hands.
Su Cheng's field of vision suddenly elevated.
In her daze, the pain in her wrist dissipated, transforming into a tingling wave of pleasure.
Her mind seemed to lose focus, but for some unknown reason, her senses became sharper, capturing every detail of her surroundings.
It was a very contradictory feeling.
She saw the crisscrossing oak beams on the ceiling, their wood grain turned a honey-like dark brown by years of smoke.
Brass chandeliers hung from the beams, the magical beast crystal cores inside them glowing brightly. Those chunky, orange-yellow crystals were slowly melting away like burning candles.
In the rough stone fireplace on one side of the hall, pine logs of varying lengths crackled. The dancing flames brushed past a hanging cast-iron pot, antler specimens, and faded banners.
She saw the mottled scratches on the utensils, the dents gouged into the walls and tables by weapons, and the patrons sitting at those tables.
The maps, ledgers, menus, and cutlery by their hands; the weapons, travel bags, or book chests at their waists and backs; the fish-scale gleam on their armor, the mud on the soles of their boots, the dust in the folds of their clothes.
The clay pots of stew in the waiters' hands puffed white steam, the golden-crisp edges of toasted bread gleamed with oil, and the rippling liquor refracted dazzling colors like rose-gold sand.
Everything seemed distinctly visible.
She was held in the air and spun around. All the scenery stretched into blocks of color, yet her darting eyes could still capture all kinds of information—
The warm, molten-gold candlelight dragged viscous, honey-like streaks of light across her retinas.
The strings plucked by the musicians trembled continuously, shaking fine dust into the air.
...Beautiful.
Su Cheng thought dizzily.
The young people on the dance floor leaped arm in arm. Orange-red, tangerine-yellow, cyan-blue—the swirling skirts turned into a kaleidoscope. They held up wooden mugs and sang loudly. The beer foam surged at the rims, exuding a sweet, refreshing fragrance that rushed into her nose and permeated her throat, like sugar melted by the tongue.
The cold, powerful hands gripping her waist seemed to soften as well, rubbing against her bare skin with the rise and fall of her breathing.
Su Cheng felt an indescribable joy.
Then, she felt very hot.
It was as if a fire was burning in her abdomen, steaming her entire body, and then the heat surged downward.
The fabric on her body seemed to become rough, and the muscles in her thighs suddenly tensed.
The blood in her veins felt as if it had evaporated, turning into melting, overflowing wax. The heat fermented and seared within her pelvis, roasting her waist and abdomen.
Then, it completely melted.
Like snowmelt scattered by the sun, or like slippery grease, it flowed over the muscle lines of her hip bones.
It felt like slipping into a warm, misty hot spring, nourishing her from her soul to her physical body.
A sharp pain shot through her back.
Su Cheng: ?!?!
She sobered up completely, using all her strength to keep her expression from changing too much, tilting her head up while maintaining that previous dazed look.
Then she looked at the man in front of her.
Those green eyes stared at her unblinkingly. There was no warmth in them, only cold scrutiny.
Great.
He probably thought she wasn't fully awake yet.
Su Cheng decided to just go all in. She tugged at the man's collar, slipped her fingers inside, and began to blindly grope and knead.
When she touched his chest muscles, which were as cold as marble, she let out a satisfied sigh.
...This wasn't entirely an act, either.
She was genuinely very uncomfortable right now, and just touching him brought her relief.
Su Cheng panted, According to what you said earlier, for what reasons do you usually punish people?
An interesting question, the white-haired man leaned in slightly, his breath, tinged with the scent of alcohol, brushing the tip of her nose. I haven't really summarized it. There are quite a few reasons.
He led her away from the main hall, exiting through a side door and entering the alleyway outside.
As the heavy oak door closed, the chaotic music was shut out.
The tavern's back alley was quite narrow. The damp stone walls were covered in moss, and a few empty wine barrels were piled at the entrance of the alley, their wooden textures swollen from the rain.
The white-haired man pinned her against the wall, gripping her shoulder with one hand.
He looked down at her. Beneath his pale eyelashes, his translucent green eyes rippled with light, harboring a cruel and teasing sense of pleasure.
So, he curled his lips into a smile, are you happy?
Su Cheng wanted nothing more than to kill him.
This guy had bitten her, and somehow, it had triggered her lust.
If it were anyone else, it might have been fine, but she happened to have that damn curse on her!
The curse was triggered along with it!
Now there was no telling how this would end!
She suppressed the urge to slice him into minced meat with wind blades and grabbed the hand he had resting on her shoulder. ...Do you like me?
The white-haired man raised his eyebrows slightly and answered in a completely insincere tone, I do.
Really?
Su Cheng tilted her head back and revealed a satisfied smile, like a child who had just received a beloved toy.
She spoke in a soft, coquettish tone, Liars have to swallow a thousand needles!
The white-haired man looked at her in amusement, as if looking at a fool. ...Of course.
Oh, Su Cheng dropped her smile. Then enjoy yourself.
The scale mark on her palm began to heat up.
The man seemed like he wanted to say something, but just as his Adam's apple bobbed, the first silver needle pierced out from under the root of his tongue.
The silver spike penetrated his soft palate like a living creature, blooming into a mist of dark red blood at the corner of his mouth.
His pupils began to tremble violently as more needles surged up his throat, as if drawn by an invisible magnet.
In the blink of an eye, that beautiful face became riddled with holes. The sound of sharp needles piercing skin was as faint yet continuous as a swarm of silkworms devouring mulberry leaves.
Long needles pierced through the epidermis one after another, weaving a silver spiderweb around his neck, jaw, and collarbones, before erupting from his chest cavity. Those tiny wounds festered at a visible rate.
The white-haired man began to tremble, his expression twisting. Moans and howls shattered together as more silver needles burst from his abdomen, pinning his entire body into a blood-leaking wreckage.
Su Cheng took two steps back, watching him slump to the ground.
She touched her burning back, finding that the curse did not seem to worsen, though she was still tormented by that agonizing yet euphoric sensation.
She could not help but press her knees together slightly.
Just as she was about to go back and have Camus take a look, she suddenly sensed something was wrong.
The mangled body in the pool of blood suddenly began to twitch.
An eerie livid purple surfaced beneath the needle-embedded skin. All his veins seemed to bulge, pulsing beneath the surface like living creatures.
Ding!
The first silver needle bounced onto the ground, its bloodstained tip still quivering slightly.
Immediately after, all the silver needles piercing his body began to rapidly withdraw in reverse.
Su Cheng: "..."
Su Cheng turned around to flee.
However, the moment she moved her legs, her entire body felt incredibly heavy. After just two steps, she was so exhausted she nearly dropped to her knees.
The white-haired man slowly climbed to his feet. From his jaw and neck down to his chest and abdomen, all the torn flesh and bone healed at an astonishing speed. His newly formed skin gleamed with a pearlescent luster.
His chest heaved continuously. His fractured ribs let out crisp clicking sounds, snapping back into place like interlocking gears.
"Hah—"
Blood dripped down his beautiful jawline.
His cream-white shirt was stained entirely red, patched with clumps of coagulated blood, while fresh blood slid down the hem.
"What an amusing and adorable punishment, hahahahaha—"
The moment the man straightened up, he grabbed the few silver needles still lodged in his chest and intentionally drove them even deeper, relishing the thrill brought by the piercing pain.
His eyelashes were also dyed red, resembling frost flowers burning in the sunset. In the shadow of the sunless alley, his eyes appeared a gloomy, eerie green.
His vertical pupils shrank into thin slits.
"So—"
The white-haired man raised his hand, yanked out the last few needles, and then licked the blood from his fingertips.
Beneath his tattered clothes, his lean, snow-white body had completely healed, without a single wound remaining.
"I suppose this makes us even, one to one, Lady God-Favored."
