Chapter 71: Aphrodisiac

  What was originally a bloody battle to annihilate the southern rebels came to an abrupt end with Qing Xia's sudden appearance. When a large number of soldiers from the Northern Camp of Southern Chu rushed to the scene, the battle had already reached its final stages. As the Holy Maiden of Southern Jiao, Wu Si Mei held a revered position in Southern Jiao, and her capture led to the easy surrender of the Southern Jiao soldiers. After dealing with the Southern Jiao rebels, Chu Li did not order his troops to return to their barracks but instead instructed them to rest on the spot inside Wu Si Mei's tent, while he himself entered the large tent filled with ambiguous atmosphere.

  Inside the grand tent, a chill ran down people's spines. More than 50 black-clad guards in armor stood rigidly like they were facing a formidable enemy, staring intently at a white-robed woman as if afraid that she would vanish into thin air with just one blink of an eye.

  Qing Xia sat cross-legged on the luxurious big bed, her back straight as a pen, with her eyes closed and meditating. She didn't even glance at this group of people. However, a pair of ears perked up, not letting go of any information or signal that could escape.

  Heavy footsteps suddenly sounded inside the large tent, all the soldiers knelt down in unison and shouted loudly: "Pay respects to the Great Emperor."

  "Get up," Chu Li said in a low voice, his tone suppressing anger and calm before the storm, "Everyone get down."

  "Yes!" The black-clad guards in the room let out a collective sigh, as if they had been granted amnesty, and retreated one after another. Footsteps approached the large bed, warm breath sounded above her head, and the wind outside howled, but even in this warm tent, she could feel the biting cold of the icy weather outside. Qing Xia's cotton robe, warhorse, and weapons were all confiscated, and more than 300 of Chu Li's personal guards stood guard outside the door, with a large number of black-clad guards and Northern Camp soldiers surrounding them. Having learned from past experience, it was now almost impossible for Qing Xia to escape.

  "Are you still thinking of running away?" A low voice suddenly sounded above her head, Qing Xia slowly opened her eyes, raised an eyebrow provocatively, and glanced sideways at the man with a gloomy face.

  Chu Li stood in front of Qing Xia, looking down at this pale woman sitting cross-legged on the couch.

  She hadn't been seen for half a month, and she looked even more haggard. She had lost a lot of weight, her eyes were sunken, making them look bigger and darker, like two deep pools of water. Her face was pale, with almost no color on her lips. Her cheeks were thin, and her chin was pointed. She pursed her lips tightly, raised her head in defiance, and glared at herself fiercely, like a small angry cat.

  But despite this, Chu Li suddenly discovered a hint of radiance on Zhu Qingxia's face that she never had before: fierce, stubborn, angry and bold. That pale little face was filled with sparkling light, even when furious, it carried a thread of confident beauty. She quietly raised her head, her snow-white neck flashing a beautiful arc under the lamp, shining with crystal light. Although she didn't say a word, Chu Li knew that once given the opportunity, she would suddenly jump up and use her sharp little claws to fiercely strike herself.

  A familiar feeling suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart, and Chu Li even had a bit of abnormal pleasure. Looking at that magnificent large bed, he almost felt dry mouthed. But suddenly thinking of this guy just lying under the big bed earlier, that little ambiguous mood flew away in an instant, and dark colors rose up in his eyes. Chu Li almost gritted his teeth and said: "You were lying down here just now?"

  "Ah!" Qing Xia shouted impatiently, she didn't know what bad luck she had encountered, instead of walking on the Yangguan Avenue, she herself came to the door, and angrily said: "I heard everything about you and that demon girl taking off your clothes and kissing, what do you want to do with me?"

  "YOU!" Chu Li's face turned red with rage, his good temper and cultivation of over twenty years seemed to vanish into thin air the moment he saw Qing Xia. He glared at her with a menacing gaze, his voice cold as ice: "You have a big nerve!"

  "You think I'm brave or something? You're just realizing that now?" Qing Xia retorted coldly, her words sharp as a needle.

  "Good." Chu Li's chest heaved with anger as he said in a low voice, "It seems I've spoiled you rotten, and now you can't even tell who's the master!"

  "Stop putting on your emperor's airs in front of me, get out!"

  "What did you say?" Chu Li was furious, his eyes wide with astonishment as he asked.

  Qing Xia suddenly stood up on the bed, and although the short bed was not high, standing on it allowed her to finally look Chu Li in the eye without having to tilt her head back. This instantly gave Qing Xia a sense of confidence, just like when she used to fight with male comrades who looked down on women in the army. Qing Xia suddenly stretched out her hand and pushed it heavily onto Chu Li's shoulder, saying in a domineering tone: "I'm telling you, I've tolerated you for a long time. Don't think that just because you became a temporary leader, you can order me around. If you provoke me, one of these days I'll cut off your head and hang it on the city gate tower of Sheng Du!"

  Chu Li was tongue-tied, almost not daring to believe everything he saw and heard before his eyes. Was this still the delicate little girl who had pulled on his hem a year ago? Was this still the eldest young lady of the Zhuang family who had been married to him for a year with tears in her eyes but dared not speak out? Was this still the weak and timid girl who had been bullied by Empress Dan for a year without fighting back? Why did this woman change drastically after being beaten by Empress Dan, was she crazy?

  "You... you actually dare..." Chu Li's anger was almost inarticulate.

  Qing Xia stood on the bed with his arms around his shoulders and his legs crossed, pointing at Chu Li with disdain: "How about it? Do you want to call those idiotic soldiers outside to take me down? Are you a man or not? You can't even handle your own wife without calling for backup?"

  This remark ignited Chu Li's anger even more, but soon his eyes flashed with a hint of evil smile, coldly saying: "You're right, you are my concubine, already married into the Chu family's gate, even if you escape to the ends of the earth, I will catch you back, and obediently stay by my side."

  "Self-inflicted sentimentality." Qing Xia's lips curled up coldly, she was talking about the real Zhuang Qing Xia, not herself. But as long as Chu Li didn't call out to the soldiers outside, she wouldn't have to worry about being at a disadvantage. She said indifferently: "I'm too lazy to waste words with you."

  Chu Li suddenly grabbed Qing Xia's wrist and pulled her down from the bed, pulling her tightly in front of him. He said in a cold voice: "It seems that I really need to teach you a lesson, actually wanting to cut off your husband's head and hang it on the city gate, this is simply outrageous."

  "You're just a cuckold!" Qing Xia angrily pulled her hand, but didn't pull it back. She suddenly lifted her head and glared at Chu Li with a cold voice: "Let go immediately! Don't think that just because you're on your own turf I won't beat you up!"

  Chu Li narrowed his eyes, not only did he not let go but instead wrapped his other arm tightly around Qing Xia's slender waist, pulling her close to his body. With a sly smile, he said: "In the Chu Palace, how many young ladies are waiting anxiously for your favor? As a woman, don't you expect it?"

  "I've been waiting for you, big-headed ghost!" Qing Xia was furious, suddenly lifting her foot and heavily stomping on Chu Li's heel.

  "Hmm..." Chu Li hummed, gritting her teeth and tightly grasping Qing Xia Bai Zhe's wrist. With a fierce tone, she said: "You're really bold, woman! It seems that Lian truly needs to teach you a lesson, let you understand what the three virtues and four moralities are."

  Chu Li suddenly grabbed Qing Xia's two wrists and pulled them back, tightly pinning them behind her. His tall figure instantly trapped Qing Xia in his arms, a sly smile spreading across his face as he lowered his head and his lips parted to fiercely capture Qing Xia's pale pink lips.

  A fierce flame suddenly rose in his heart, and what was originally a punitive kiss completely dissipated Chu Li's anger the moment it touched those warm lips. The woman's sweet breath, tinged with a hint of coldness, directly invaded Chu Li's mouth and entered his heart, as if his heart had been nibbled by a small insect, and a numb electric current surged through his limbs. The next moment, Chu Li tightly hugged Qing Xia in his arms and deeply kissed her again.

  His kiss was fierce and passionate, with a hint of destructive madness. Qing Xia's eyes widened, although her rational mind desperately told herself that she should kick this man away with all her might, but her body suddenly softened without any strength, for an instant it seemed like she couldn't stand anymore, softly collapsing into Chu Li's arms, letting this man do as he pleased on her lips.

  Feeling Qing Xia's weakness, Chu Li grasped the back of her small head with one hand, his fingers deeply inserted into Qing Xia's thick black hair, and his hot tongue darted into Qing Xia's mouth like a snake.

  A strange and intense pleasure suddenly swept through the nerves of both people, the air in the tent was filled with a sweet mist that carried an intoxicating aroma. Qing Xia was held in Chu Li's arms, feeling as if her body was about to melt away. Her mind was a complete blank, yet it seemed like there were countless thoughts racing wildly, Was it because she had been in ancient times for too long without a man, so she couldn't bear the desire? Or was it that Zhan Qing Xia, who was actually still a virgin, was experiencing her first kiss with this body.

  In the midst of her chaotic thoughts, Chu Li's large hand had slowly slid down from her head, and a chill suddenly ran across her chest. A dangerous electric current surged into her brain in an instant, and Qing Xia's eyes widened as her consciousness recovered for a moment. With a severe and fierce expression flashing across her face, she opened her white teeth and bit down fiercely.

  "Ah!" Chu Li pushed Qing Xia's body away, covering his bloody lips and retreating two steps, looking at Qing Xia's smug expression with regret and saying: "You dare to bite me?"

  "This time I'll just bite you," Qing Xia said coldly, looking at Chu Li as she fastened the opened collar of her clothes. "Next time if you dare to lay a hand on me again, I'll castrate you with one knife and make your family of Chu extinct!"

  "What did you say?" Chu Li was furious, how could a young lady from a good family utter such words. But looking at Qing Xia's nonchalant and even slightly smug expression, he no longer doubted his own ears. "Zhuang Qing Xia, I really underestimated you, you're not only not a flower vase, but also a cat with sharp claws, if one is not careful, they'll be hurt by you."

  "It's fine as long as you know." Qing Xia said with a sharp tongue.

  "But," Chu Li took a slow step forward, his black eyes gleaming with an entrancing light: "Even if you're a cat, you can't defeat a tiger."

  "Stay back," Qing Xia cautiously took a step back, stretched out her hand and made a habitual free-punching gesture, "If you dare to mess with me again, don't blame me for not being polite."

  "I'd like to see how you can be impolite." Chu Li let out a cold snort, and with one swift motion, he scooped up Qing Xia's slender waist.

  In an instant, the slender figure of Qing Xia suddenly flashed, a standard and neat uppercut kick connected to a single flying kick, her palm tightly grasped Chu Li's wrist, reversed arm lock, over shoulder back flip, only to hear a loud crash, Chu Li's tall body crashed to the ground.

  Chu Li cried out in pain and had not yet climbed to his feet when the curtain outside the door was suddenly pulled open by the guards standing at the entrance. More than a dozen black-clad imperial guards rushed in, their faces panicked, shouting: "Your Majesty, what's wrong? Are there assassins?"

  The next second, those black-clad guards suddenly regretted that their mothers did not give birth to them as blind people. Looking at the big emperor lying on the ground with his legs spread apart, and the dangerous girl who was left behind by the big emperor standing beside Chu Li, still maintaining her over-the-shoulder throwing posture, anyone who didn't understand what was happening was a fool.

  But before they could bind the bold and daring man who dared to lay hands on the great emperor, Chu Li's furious roar thundered: "Who allowed you to enter? Get out of here!"

  It's better to have one thing less, the crowd of people suddenly understood and quickly retreated, and before leaving, they tightly closed the curtain of the main tent.

  The great emperor of Southern Chu stole fragrance and jade but ended up getting a beating instead, after all it's not something to be proud of.

  "You..."

  "What's with you?" Qing Xia said in a crisp voice: "I've already told you, don't think that just because we're on your turf, I wouldn't dare to fix you."

  "Unite! Unite the world and take everything, yet you don't believe I can handle a small woman like you?" Chu Li was enraged, scrambling up from the ground and charging towards Qing Xia.

  Qing Xia shouted "Fool!" and gazed at Chu Li's approach, suddenly flying up with a sideways kick, hooking around Chu Li's right ankle, and with a sudden burst of force, Chu Li let out a thud and heavily fell to the ground again.

  A loud crash suddenly rang out, and the entire large tent seemed to tremble with it. Chu Li's face turned pale with anger, he crawled up from the ground, and unyieldingly charged forward again.

  "Hey! You're still coming?" Qing Xia took two steps back, half-bowed her body, suddenly spun around and kicked. Before Chu Li fell to the ground, she grabbed his collar and pulled him down with force. Chu Li ended up in a strange posture at Qing Xia's feet.

  "Hum!" Chu Li let out a loud shout, and with a flick of his body, he stood up, his eyes fixed on Qing Xia, his face red with rage.

  "Hey!" Qing Xia looked at Chu Li's red eyes and said with a tone that could kill: "You're not going to cry just because you can't beat me, are you?"

  "YOU!" Chu Li's anger was irrepressible, and with a sudden flourish of his clothes, he made a gesture as if holding a gun. If he had actually held a long gun in his hand at that moment, it might have been quite impressive. However, with his clothes disheveled, hair messy, and eyes red, he looked somewhat comical. But the person involved didn't notice any of this, and with a loud shout, he charged towards Qing Xia.

  Qing Xia swiftly retreated backwards with a Chu Li-style attacking posture, his hands clenched into fists and crossed over his chest. Suddenly, he straightened his knee in a linear motion, rotating 180 degrees in a linear spin, accompanied by the simplest yet most effective Burmese straight punch, striking Chu Li's chest and abdomen simultaneously from top to bottom.

  "Cough...cough..."

  Chu Li was beaten until he was out of breath, and suddenly started coughing loudly. Qing Xia withdrew his fist, looked at the stubborn man with a mixture of helplessness and annoyance, and said in a low voice: "You can't beat me, is that all?"

  "Hmm!" Chu Li, who was lying on the ground, suddenly let out a cold hum and rushed forward again without any movement. Qing Xia's eyebrows were tightly locked, just about to make a move, but suddenly found that Chu Li's calf was covered in blood, and didn't know if it was caused by his own blows or injuries from the previous battle. In this brief moment of distraction, Chu Li had already pounced close.

  At this time, just one axe kick can hit Chu Li's face door, and kick him a full head of golden stars. However, this move is too ruthless, and if not careful, it will have a great impact on the person who takes the move. Just as Qing Xia was hesitating, Chu Li rushed up without any politeness, and slammed Qing Xia to the ground with one hand.

  Qing Xia fell heavily to the ground with a thud, and on top of her was Chu Li, who was as tall and big as a horse. Her back seemed to have been broken for an instant, and the pain was unbearable. At the moment she fell, Chu Li used his hand to cushion the back of her head, otherwise this one move would have been enough to make her suffer.

  The pain reaction from the attack lasted less than a second, Qing Xia suddenly grasped Chu Li's wrist, exerted a clever force at his waist, and flipped over to press down on Chu Li's body. He tightly grasped Chu Li's arm, wrapped his legs around Chu Li's legs, and pressed his elbow firmly against Chu Li's shoulder, saying in a low voice: "Enough!"

  "Hmph!" Chu Li pouted and turned her head to the other side, like a sulky child, her face sinking into silence.

  "Hey! I'm asking you something!" Qing Xia's elbow dug tightly into Chu Li's shoulder, exerting a strong force. Chu Li suddenly let out a stifled groan and scrunched up his eyebrows in pain.

  "How's that? Afraid of me now?" After a round of exercise, Qing Xia was also slightly panting, looking at Chu Li with some satisfaction.

  At this time, something hard suddenly pressed against Qing Xia's thigh.

  Qing Xia was taken aback. Did this guy have a hidden weapon? Just as he thought of taking action to disarm him, Chu Li's only remaining hand suddenly grasped Qing Xia's wrist tightly.

  A thread of danger flashed through Chu Li's eyes, as if the deep and dark night-like eyes revealed a strange color that Qing Xia had never seen before. Chu Li's breathing gradually became heavier, his hand grasping Qing Xia's also gradually heated up, his eyes staring straight at Qing Xia's, his robust chest under Qing Xia's pressure, having a thread of fiery heat burning like wildfire.

  Qing Xia only then realized how ambiguous their posture was, her entire body tightly pressed against Chu Li's, in order to hold him down, the two of them had their legs tightly entwined, face to face, her chest still firmly pressed against Chu Li's chest. Thinking back to when she wanted to take away his sword, Chu Li had grabbed her hand, and her eyes couldn't help but look towards Chu Li, only to suddenly discover that Chu Li's eyes were as deep as the ocean, seemingly about to swallow her whole.

  "I... I won't bother with you," Qing Xia said in a somewhat breathless tone, her voice slightly husky, "Get up quickly."

  Qing Xia's body twitched restlessly, and as soon as she moved, she suddenly discovered that the hard object originally pressed against her thigh had slid up slightly, just perching between Qing Xia's two legs.

  A surge of heat flashed through her entire body, Qing Xia was as if electrified, petrifying on the spot. She stared blankly at Chu Liu's dark eyes, her mind a complete blank, her body suddenly losing all strength, foolishly collapsing there, no longer daring to make a single move.

  "Hmm..." A low, husky hum suddenly echoed out, and in the midst of dizziness, Qing Xia didn't realize until she came back to her senses that Chu Li had turned the tables, taking advantage of her momentary distraction to pin her down on the warm, thick fur rug.

  A warm breath sprayed on her face, Qing Xia's body trembled slightly under Chu Li's oppression. She forced herself to put on a brave front and wanted to say a few harsh words to save face. But as soon as the words came out, they turned into the most classic lines of a girl being bullied: "You, what do you want to do?"

  "What do you say?" A low, husky voice slowly echoed in the silent black night. Chu Li was like a huge storm at this moment, his eyes as black as ink, slightly narrowed, and a hint of a wicked smile hung on the corner of his mouth: "I've been thoroughly thrashed by you again, what do you think I should do now?"

  "Chu Li!" Qing Xia shouted loudly with insufficient breath: "Do you want to beat me up?"

  "Are you going to hit me?" Chu Li Xie Mo smiled slyly, suddenly lowering his head, his lips almost touching Qing Xia's cheek, warm breath spraying on her neck, tiny goosebumps rising layer by layer on her skin, trembling and shaking as she stretched out her hand, but suddenly found that it was as if she had eaten a sedative, without any strength.

  "Not yet," Chu Li said in a low voice, his lips close to Qing Xia's ear, gently blowing air into her ear, "I still have more important things to do."

  "Chu Li, don't be rash... uh..." Before the words were even out, Chu Li suddenly opened his mouth and covered Qing Xia's plump earlobe, his hot breath instantly enveloping her ear. The girl's face turned bright red in an instant, as if she had drunk wine, with waves of heat rising from her bones.

  "Chu... leave me, I will... be... angry..." Qing Xia's words were incoherent and stuttered as she spoke.

  "Hmm?" Chu Li slowly raised his head from Qing Xia's ear, his black eyes fixed firmly on Qing Xia's flustered face, and smiled faintly: "What will you do if you get angry?"

  Suddenly lowering her head, her lips deeply sucked on Qing Xia Bai Zhe's neck.

  "Hmm..." Qing Xia let out a low, muffled hum, her body involuntarily arching up, her tone unstable and stuttering as she said: "I... will heavily... hit... hit you..."

  "It's really not gentle." Chu Li said vaguely, his large hands instantly roaming over Qing Xia's delicate body, "Do you think I'm that easy to bully?"

  A chill suddenly swept across her chest, and by the time Qing Xia reacted, she had already been occupied. A thread of anger instantly rose, almost without thinking, the most basic anti-wolf technique for women's self-defense was subconsciously used. Her knee suddenly jerked upwards in a squatting motion, charging straight at Chu Li.

  With a loud crash, the sound of two legs colliding rang out. Chu Li smiled as he looked at Qing Xia's infuriated eyes and said: "Can't always let you have your way? Do you really want to make your husband childless?"

  The scene in front of her suddenly spun around, and Qing Xia was picked up from the ground by Chu Li. Chu Li walked quickly to the bed, stretched out his hand and was about to untie Qing Xia's clothes.

  Qing Xia couldn't let him get away with it, so she rolled over and escaped from Chu Li's clutches. She covered up her disheveled clothes in anger and glared at Chu Li furiously.

  Chu Li wore a dark green long gown, with her dark hair scattered across her chest, making her sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes even more striking, looking handsome and unrestrained.

  He sat on the couch, laughing and patted the bed, saying: "Come over!"

  "Hum!" Qing Xia snorted and put her hands on her hips, shouting: "Why should I listen to you?"

  "I am your husband," Chu Li said matter-of-factly. "I will make up for our wedding night right now."

  "Not interested!" Qing Xia said with a huff: "This lady is not interested in you, go find those lowly women instead."

  It suddenly occurred to her that earlier Wu Si Mei was having a wild time on this very bed, Qing Xia put on her clothes and angrily got out of bed, indignantly saying: "I don't want to stay here, everything here is dirty."

  Chu Li stretched out his arm and wrapped Qing Xia in his embrace. Just as Qing Xia was about to move, her wrist was caught by Chu Li.

  "May I assume," Chu Lixia smiled and stared directly into Qing Xia's eyes: "you're being jealous."

  "Will I be jealous for you?" Qing Xia's voice suddenly rose several pitches, as if she was about to struggle free.

  "Qīng xià, wǒ cuò le."

  Translation: "Summer of Youth, I was wrong."

  A low, husky voice suddenly sounded in her ear, and Qing Xia thought for a moment that she had misheard. Several well-planned moves came to an abrupt halt as she stared at the man before her, her eyes wide with incredulity.

  "I've investigated clearly, last time you were deceived by someone else's scheme, you didn't genuinely want to save King Bei Pan of Huainan." Chu Li tightly hugged Qing Xia's waist from behind and said in a low voice, "I've been searching for you everywhere, almost going crazy. Fortunately, heaven rewards those who are sincere, I finally found you."

  "Chu Li..." Qing Xia called out softly, her soft palm covering Chu Li's forehead, "Are you running a fever?"

  Chu Li's face suddenly turned black, and she retaliated by tightening her grip on Qing Xia's waist, saying angrily: "Anyway, this time, you won't be able to escape from my grasp."

  As soon as the words fell, Chu Li suddenly tenderly leaned his face close to Qing Xia's cheek, gently stroking it, and said in a low voice: "Qing Xia, I knew you wouldn't betray me so easily. We grew up together since childhood, how could you really fall in love with Qi An? You must have also been protecting me, otherwise why would you marry me? You saved me so many times later on, risking your life to take the poison for me, and driving away the enemy for me. Was I too suspicious, always being cold to you? Come back to Nan Chu with me, okay?"

  Qing Xia let out a sigh in her heart, the real Zhuang Qing Xia was indeed pitiful. Looking at Chu Li's appearance, she couldn't help but feel a soft spot in her heart. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a warm sensation on the back of her neck, and before she knew it, she heard Chu Li's low voice filled with a hint of confusion and coquetry: "Qing Xia, I've been poisoned by Wu Si Mei Er, it feels so terrible..."

  "What?" Qing Xia was taken aback, and then a raging fire suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart. She turned her back on Chu Li, took two deep breaths, and asked in a biting tone: "Do you want me to help you?"

  Chu Li nodded hastily with a delighted expression, thinking that he had finally succumbed to her charm.

  "Alright, I'll help you!" As soon as the words fell, Chu Li suddenly felt a fierce dizziness, and before he could react, he was slammed to the ground by Qing Xia with a loud thud.

  Chu Li let out a mournful cry and shouted angrily: "Zhuang Qing Xia, you!"

  "What's wrong with you? Didn't you want me to help you?" Qing Xia pulled Chu Li's foot and dragged him out of the tent.

  Chu Li was thrown by Qing Xia, and in an instant she was unable to counterattack. Before she could find a chance to strike back, a chill ran down her spine.

  "Great Emperor!" The black-clad guards exclaimed in unison, staring aghast as Chu Li was dragged out of the large tent by Qing Xia, yet not one person stepped forward to intervene.

  With a thud, Chu Li was thrown into a high snowdrift.

  Qing Xia patted his hand and exclaimed breathlessly: "Let's get sober in the snow, it just so happens to be able to detoxify you!"

  Having said that, he turned around and walked into the warm tent.

  "Zhuang Qing Xia!" A hoarse and furious roar echoed from behind, and everyone witnessed the miserable scene of Nan Chu Da Huang being thrown into a snow pile. Chu Li's face was bright red, his hair and clothes covered in white snow, as he struggled to get out of the snow pile, shouting loudly at Jin HuangSe's large tent: "I won't let you off!"