Volume V: Emerging Prominence - Chapter 27: The Status of the Saintess

After a long while, Li Chengzhu finally realized that his posture was somewhat awkward. Originally leaning forward to force his gifts onto Shui Ruyan, he had been propping himself up with his feet on the ground, leaving the rear two legs of the chair suspended in mid-air. The distance between their faces was less than half a foot; Li Chengzhu could even feel the young woman's breath, a mix of panic and deep emotion.

However, the softness beneath his large palm was genuinely comforting.

This girl must not be diligent in her cultivation normally; otherwise, how could her thighs be so soft? Xiao Ying was different. Years of running and her lively personality made her thighs firm and resilient yet full of springy substance, often coming close to nearly snapping Boss Li's lower back with her squeezes. This girl's thighs were noticeably softer even than Gu Linglong's.

Relishing that comforting softness, Boss Li shamelessly pressed the back of his hand hard against the base of Shui Ruyan's thighs, rubbing firmly. Shui Ruyan was caught in a dilemma, not knowing whether to move or stay still. She bravely raised her head and glared fiercely at him, her tear-filled eyes revealing boundless affection.

The breathing of the scoundrel Li Chengzhu grew rapid once again.

Boss Li swallowed hard and was just about to retract his protruding head when a crisp "creak—" sounded. The bamboo-woven chair could no longer bear the weight and was on the verge of collapsing. Li Chengzhu's body sank downward, startling him into instantly straightening his spine. This movement coincided precisely with Shui Ruyan coming to her senses and preparing to steady him, bringing them face-to-face.

With a soft "poof," as if destined by nature, their lips met. Li Chengzhu blinked his eyes, staring at the pair of large, tear-filled eyes right before him.

Face-to-face, Li Chengzhu felt the enchanting fragrance radiating from Shui Ruyan's body and the sweet nectar of her lips. Just as he was preparing to press the attack and engage in a passionate battle of tongues, Shui Ruyan snapped out of her stupor. She hurriedly averted her small head, breaking free from the Boss's assault. Her delicate face was flushed an enticing shade of pink, and her rapid breathing caused her full chest to heave delicately.

The atmosphere instantly became intoxicating to the extreme.

Boss Li wiped his mouth with his hand, still lingering in the aftertaste of that accidental kiss, and looked with a wicked smile at Shui Ruyan, who was sitting on the bed with her head turned away in shyness.

After another moment of silence, Boss Li racked his brain for something to say to break the awkwardness.

If possible, Li Chengzhu would have loved to simply push down this little beauty right then and there. After all, she was already his woman; pushing her down sooner or later amounted to the same thing. But, yet, however... looking at the sobbing young beauty, he truly couldn't bring himself to do it just like that.

"Um, the quality of your chairs isn't very good," Li Chengzhu said, glancing sideways at Shui Ruyan. He noticed her lips were slightly red and a bit swollen, probably from the bump earlier.

Shui Ruyan bit her lip without saying a word, her small hands tightly clutching the items Li Chengzhu had just shoved into them. Her flustered expression only added to her cuteness.

"Let me give you a ring to store these in," Boss Li looked left and right, noticing that Shui Ruyan didn't have a single magical storage treasure on her, and hurriedly began rumbling through his pockets.

"Ruyan cannot accept this anymore. Husband, the things you've given me are already more than enough," Shui Ruyan stammered in panic. Any single one of these items would be regarded as a supreme treasure within her tribe. How could this husband of hers give them away so casually? Yet, this interruption effectively diluted much of the prior awkwardness.

"Don't worry. Your husband lacks many things, but these trinkets aren't one of them," Boss Li smiled slyly. He had picked up piles of flying swords and storage rings on the Red Rock Plateau; he could give them away for a hundred or eighty years and never run out.

Searching high and low, he finally fished out a relatively decent ring. Without waiting for Shui Ruyan to react, he grabbed her left ring finger and slipped it on.

The dark-colored ring paired with the delicate Shui Ruyan inexplicably added a hint of a mysterious aura.

"Husband..." Shui Ruyan's eyes misted over with tears as she looked at Li Chengzhu, choked with emotion and unable to speak.

Ah, what a silly woman. Boss Li sighed inwardly. Looking at Shui Ruyan's expression, a pang of ache struck his heart. He smoothly sat down on the edge of the bed, pressing close beside her.

"Don't worry. If your Holy Mother or the elders ask where these things came from, just say your husband gave them to you. I'll take full responsibility for everything."

"Husband... you are too good to Ruyan." Shui Ruyan lowered her head again, looking at the ring on her finger. Such magical artifacts were possessed only by the Holy Mother and the grand elders; she had never dared to dream of owning one herself one day. Shui Ruyan was too excited to know what to say.

"Hehe," Li Chengzhu let out a lewd chuckle. "Then how will you repay your husband?" As he spoke, he extended his demonic claws and gently rested them upon Shui Ruyan's jade-like hand.

Shui Ruyan merely shuddered slightly, offering no resistance and letting him hold her softness.

"Ruyan is already Husband's spirit slave. Whatever you wish to do, Ruyan will obey." Shui Ruyan's voice was soft, carrying an indescribable tenderness and charm.

Temptation—naked temptation. Boss Li swallowed a mouthful of saliva, continuously rubbing Shui Ruyan's small hand. "Well, let's talk about that later. Do you know how to activate this ring?"

Shui Ruyan gently shook her head. As a Holy Saintess, she usually stayed within a designated range and wasn't even allowed to practice cultivation freely most of the time. How could she possibly know the incantations for magical artifacts?

Li Chengzhu patiently taught Shui Ruyan the incantations to open and close the ring, taking every opportunity to snatch a few advantages and fondle her hands to his heart's content.

Shui Ruyan was still like a child who had yet to grow up, with a heart pure to the extreme. Obtaining a ring regarded by her tribe as a precious magical artifact, she played with it happily, constantly putting things inside and taking them back out, her small face radiant with a spring-like smile. She raised her head to look at her husband, hoping to receive a few words of praise.

"Mhm, Ruyan is truly clever. You learn it the moment you're taught." How could Boss Li not know what the little girl was thinking? Words of praise were wholesale-priced from his mouth, coaxing Shui Ruyan until she was as happy as a little girl who had just received a new toy.

After playing for a while, Shui Ruyan let out a soft cry of "Ah," as if remembering something. Turning slightly, she fumbled around her waistband and pulled out a glowing red fruit, placing it on her palm with an expression of pure excitement.

Li Chengzhu looked closely—wasn't this the Profound Ice Fruit he had given her earlier?

The reddish fruit, complementing Shui Ruyan's flushed little face, reflected off one another, making her look indescribably alluring and charming.

"Eat it. Even though it hasn't been refined, it's very delicious." Li Chengzhu had tasted the Profound Ice Fruit before; it was truly the best-tasting fruit he had ever eaten, fully deserving of its reputation as an immortal fruit.

Shui Ruyan swallowed hard, looking hesitatingly at the Profound Ice Fruit resting on her palm. After a long while, she shook her head. "No, I want to give this to my sisters. When my sisters cultivate, they never have any material assistance, making it very difficult. With this holy fruit, they will surely be very happy."

Damn it, this girl is too kind-hearted. Boss Li dug another one out from his ring and handed it over. "Then you can give that one to your sisters, and eat this one yourself, right?"

"Husband," Shui Ruyan softly called out. "Ruyan truly cannot accept any more of your gifts. I really cannot take this holy fruit either, otherwise Ruyan will have no way to repay you."

*Then offer yourself to me,* Boss Li thought inwardly, though his face remained utterly sanctimonious. "I have plenty of these fruits. In a few days, after we kill that big snake, I'll pluck all the fruits from that place. Don't I want as many as I please? It's just a fruit, no need to be so reserved."

Shui Ruyan still stubbornly shook her head. Li Chengzhu negotiated with her for half a day without success, infuriating the Boss to the point where he wanted to hit someone.

With a roll of his eyes, Li Chengzhu came up with an idea. "How about this? I'll ask you some questions, and this fruit can serve as the intelligence exchange fee. How's that?"

Shui Ruyan burst out laughing. This husband of hers could come up with all sorts of bizarre terms, yet they were instantly understandable. Looking into his resolute eyes, Shui Ruyan had no choice but to nod. If she kept arguing, he might just bite off a piece and shove it into her mouth. A rush of heat flooded her small face, and she quickly suppressed that embarrassing thought. "As long as it doesn't involve the secrets of the Jade Rabbit Tribe, Ruyan can naturally tell Husband."

"Don't worry, the questions I'm asking are all inconsequential matters," Li Chengzhu nodded.

A series of questions and answers allowed Li Chengzhu to understand the status of a Saintess within the Jade Rabbit Tribe. Naturally, he picked simple questions, knowing from the girl's silly and pure demeanor that she probably didn't know any inside information anyway.

The so-called Saintess were female members of the Jade Rabbit Tribe who were kept in captivity simply to feed the holy beast. Without exception, these Saintess were beauties chosen from a hundred candidates, superior in both figure and appearance. Yet, because they were raised like livestock meant to be fed to the holy beast, their material treatment naturally differed.

In terms of living supplies, the Jade Rabbit Tribe satisfied all demands of the Saintess; no matter how difficult their requests, the tribe would fulfill them. Since the Saintess could bring them peace and development, they were naturally revered and deeply respected. However, when it came to cultivation supplies, the treatment of the Saintess was inferior even to many spirit slaves. Aside from their own innate cultivation, they received virtually zero cultivation supplies. Pills, energy stones, medicinal herbs—these were all entirely foreign to them, and they weren't even permitted to carry the most ordinary weapons.

The Saintess themselves were meant to be fed to the holy beast; using cultivation supplies on them was a waste, better spent on those who actually needed them.

Shui Ruyan's expression remained calm as she explained these things, leading Boss Li to guess that her brainwashing was virtually complete.

All of this reminded Li Chengzhu of raising pigs in the countryside during his childhood—fattening the pigs up before slaughtering them. Wasn't the fate of these Saintess practically identical to that of pigs?

It was just that their living conditions were slightly better than a pig's.

*What tactics,* Li Chengzhu couldn't help but admire the Holy Mother's methods. The brainwashing was so successful, and these women were even bestowed with the grand title of Saintess—how could they not willingly bleed and die for the Jade Rabbit Tribe?