Leave him?
The way he had spoken to her was like that of a lover.
Xiu Xiang may not be experienced when it comes to love, but she wasn't stupid. This man held some affection for her.
Why? Wasn't he in love with Bai Qing? Isn't that why he agreed to marry her?
Many questions swirled her mind. A strange foreign feeling settled in her heart and she felt it race. She wasn't sure if she liked this feeling or not. All she knew was that her face was burning and wanted to escape his hold.
"Let go," she told him.
"No."
"Let go!" Xiu Xiang's struggles were feeble and weak compared to Wei Xing's strong embrace.
It didn't last long because the two of them heard a loud cough behind them. They both looked over and found that Hua Jian had finally gotten up to his feet. He grinned like an idiot, pointing one finger at them while attempting to hide his grin with his free hand.
As if Wei Xing realized that what they were doing was extremely embarrassing, he finally let Xiu Xiang go. Her legs were wobbly once her support from him was gone and was easily captured in Wei Xing's arms again.
"Hua Jian, come over here," Xiu Xiang ordered. She didn't want to linger near Wei Xing. Her heart thumped rapidly and she feared that her heart might explode. Hua Jian had only taken a few steps forward when he stopped. Wei Xing had glared viciously at him, forcing him to come to a stop.
"Hua Jian, are you ignoring my orders?" Xiu Xiang raged.
Hua Jian eyed them back and forth and then said, "One bites and the other barks. Aiya..."
Xiu Xiang looked up at Wei Xing and the two of them locked eyes. Seeing his clear dark eyes that seemed to pierce right into her soul, she quickly looked away.
"I'll take you back to your quarters," Wei Xing said. He slipped an arm under her legs and waist then carried her off before she could protest, leaving an injured Hua Jian baffled.
After much argument and protests, Xiu Xiang was finally carried into her room. Wei Xing placed her gently on the bed and sat down next to her.
"You can leave now," Xiu Xiang ordered but Wei Xing didn't budge. It was as if he wasn't even listening. He grabbed her hand, causing Xiu Xiang to flinch. She tried to pull away, but Wei Xing wouldn't have it.
"You've lost a lot of energy. Let me help you," Wei Xing said harshly. He gripped her hand tightly, refusing to let her pull away. Almost immediately, she felt a warmth pass through from his hand to hers. The warmth spread throughout her body, making her feel extremely comfortable. Without realizing it, she had already eased back into her pillow, on the verge of falling asleep.
Now that her mind was cleared up, she suddenly wondered how Wei Xing escaped the harem. He even managed to find her in the large dark Demon Realm. She was just about to ask when Wei Xing spoke up, "Why must you free the Demon King's soul?"
"Because I owe the Demon King a debt of gratitude and..." I want to live. Those last words nearly escaped her lips.
The golden restraints on her limbs were like a constant reminder of who she was and who Wei Xing was to her. She quickly pulled her hand away. The warmth disappeared and coldness seeped in.
"That's enough," she said sharply. The heartbeat slowed and she waved him off. "You can leave now."
She was about to turn in and sleep, but Wei Xing wouldn't have it. He grabbed her hand again and warmth filled her again. She tried to pull away but his strength was too great. Out of frustration she snapped.
"What do you want from me?! You're Wei Xing, the great Elder of Tian Ling Sect. A cold, stoic, and composed man! Do you think I need saving? Don't be so naïve, oh great Elder Wei."
For a second, Xiu Xiang thought she saw pain flash across his face. She passed it off as a mere flicker of light. The two of them locked eyes again, neither willing to look away. She smirked at his proud demeanor, wanting to shake him. She suddenly had an urge to tease him and so she did.
"Or perhaps... it is because you have fallen for me?" Xiu Xiang asked. A light flickered in his eyes, but she didn't notice.
Xiu Xiang leaned in, leaving only a foot's length between their face.
"You're constantly chasing after me... since when did you fall for me, great Elder Wei?"
She leaned in closer. Her lashes drooped as she looked down at his thin, soft lips.
"What's the matter? You were begging me to not leave you alone, didn't you? You won't run away now, will you?"
She was only inches away from kissing him when he finally pulled away. He quickly turned his back on her and without looking at her, he said, "It seems like you've recovered enough. I'll leave you to rest."
Wei Xing left the room without another word.
At first, Xiu Xiang wanted to laugh. It was so much fun teasing him. The smile on her soon disappeared. She quickly remembered that Wei Xing was the one who would kill her in the end.
With the way he had reacted when she nearly kissed him, she was almost sure that he had feelings for her. Her eyes never left the door where Wei Xing disappeared through.
If they weren't fated to be enemies, would they have been good friends? Would she be able to fall in love with him?
"You can't fall in love with him. You're the Demoness and he's the savior of the world..."
A small voice repeated those words over and over.
"Of course. There's no way I would fall in love with him," Xiu Xiang muttered to herself. She tore her eyes away and leaned back. How could she possibly forget? The real Demoness in the novel had given in to love and look where that got her?
No. She decided to choose a different path. She wasn't going to go down the same road as the Demoness. She was going to free the Demon King, free herself from these shackles, and live a carefree and prosperous life. She lived her entire life without love and she made it out just fine. Who was Wei Xing to shake her heart anyway? There was no way she would make such a silly mistake and veer off the path that led toward her goal.
Months had passed, and Tian Ling Sect were still searching for clues on how to entire the Demon Realm. The secret messages that Wei Xing had been sending out stopped a few months ago and it worried Sect Leader Lin.
"Have you found out anything new?" Sect Leader Lin asked the scout, who arrived just moments ago.
Sect Leader Lin had invited many great leaders of the righteous sects to hear of the latest news.
"We found a town that is being run by a high level demon. It seems like he is the right vanguard of the Demoness. If we capture him alive, we might be able to use him to get into the Demon Realm," the scout replied.
Cheers erupted within the large hall as many of the sect leaders in the hall started shouting out their own ideas. Among the leaders, stood a beautiful young maiden dressed in a pink dress. The smile on her was bright and cheerful.
"Isn't that great, my lady? Your future husband will be saved soon," whispered Bai Qing's maid. The word 'husband' made Bai Qing blush.
She had spent the last several months practicing her skills for the day when she was going to rescue Wei Xing. When he was kidnapped, she vowed that when he returned, she was going to faithfully follow him as his wife, and she hadn't forgotten that vow.
"I don't know if I should tell you this but..." the scout trailed off when the cheers died down.
"What is it?" Sect Leader Lin frowned. He didn't like the way the scout's expression had fallen.
Could something had happened to his dearest disciple, Wei Xing?
"It's just that..." The scout looked flustered as he struggled to speak the next words. "I heard rumors that Elder Wei was put into the Demoness's harem and had become her lover."
Rage filled the hall. Many insults were thrown at the Demoness and Bai Qing's face darkened at the thought.
"That Demoness dares to steal my lady's husband?!" the maid exclaimed.
"That is absurd! The Demoness has no shame! She even has a harem?!"
"That audacious demoness must not live! We need to rescue Elder Wei!" shouted a loyal disciple under Wei Xing.
Bai Qing couldn't believe it. Not only did Xiu Xiang used her, she was even going to steal her husband? Doubt and darkness formed deep within her heart, festering until it turned into hatred.
"I hate the demoness! We need to hurry up and save Wei Xing!" Bai Qing hollered. Many voices agreed with her opinion, inflating her self esteem. She stepped forward and quickly voiced out her plan.
Meanwhile, back in the harem of the Demoness...
It's been a few months since Xiu Xiang entered the harem. When she did, she didn't even glance at Wei Xing. She would openly flirt and act seductively with the many men and women in her harem, except for Wei Xing. She didn't even try to get close to him. It was as if he didn't even exist in her eyes.
This happened several times after Xiu Xiang attempted to kiss him. Then she stopped entering the harem altogether a few months ago, confusing Wei Xing a lot. He even stopped sending secret messages to Tian Ling Sect because he wasn't able to hear Xiu Xiang's voice anymore.
His resolve to not get closer to Xiu Xiang had faltered months of staying within the harem. The more he watched Xiu Xiang being wrapped in the arms of those half naked people, the more he wanted to cut off every limb that so much as touch her and gouge out the eyes that even glanced at her. When she stopped coming that first month, he was glad, yet he was annoyed. It was the only excuse he had to even be able to see her, but he didn't want to see her messing with those dirty people within the harem that simply wants to use her a steppingstone to climb higher in ranks.
When another month passed by and Xiu Xiang still didn't enter the harem. He grew worried, wondering if something had happened to her to cause her not to enter the harem. He mustered up the courage to ask Feng Yue about her since he was the only one who could communicate with Xiu Xiang outside of the harem but he wouldn't answer, not even after he was threatened. This alarmed Wei Xing and he had no choice but to break out of the harem again.
"Move aside," Wei Xing said. The guards eyed him warily.
They remembered what happened the last time, they refused to move. They were severely injured and before they could even heal, they were punished badly by Xiu Xiang for not keeping a good watch on the harem, letting many prisoners escape. Those who were captured and brought back were also punished. The only one that didn't get punished was Wei Xing. Because of this, they knew that Wei Xing was special to their lord and knew not to insult him.
After much thinking, the two guards stepped aside to let Wei Xing pass through.
He headed straight for Xiu Xiang's quarters. Not a single guard was able to stop him because he was much too fast. When he arrived at Xiu Xiang's quarters and slammed the door open, despite the female servants protest, he saw Xiu Xiang sitting on her bed with her bare back opened towards Hua Jian.