The winding path, the pavilions and carved balconies, everything dazzling to the eye, beauty everywhere she looked.
Whether she’d forgotten or was doing it on purpose, Guan Fusha actually kept holding Taohua’s hand all the way back to Furong Courtyard.
Her hand was a little bigger than Taohua’s, soft and boneless, skin smooth and delicate. The warmth of her palm spread all the way to Taohua’s fingertips, her whole hand comfortably warm. Taohua snuck a glance at Guan Fusha. Seeing she had no intention of letting go, Taohua simply let her keep holding on, though for some reason there was a strange feeling in her chest. She couldn’t tell if she disliked it… or liked it.
There was a faint smile at the corner of Guan Fusha’s lips. It wasn’t that usual meaningless, polite smile of hers, but something that seemed to bubble up from deep inside, a genuine, unguarded happiness.
Two soft little hands were clasped together, and a white and a pink figure slowly walked along the secluded path in Furong Courtyard, like two butterflies dancing through a sea of flowers. The scene was picturesque.
Guan Fusha brought Taohua back to her own boudoir. She rifled through the wardrobe, picking and choosing, finally pulling out a pale pink-and-blue gauze dress for Taohua.
“Here. Little junior sister, put this on.”
Taohua’s face twitched.
This thick thigh really did have a serious obsession with pink.
She accepted the dress, put on a sweet smile, and pretended to be well-behaved as she thanked her.
“Thank you, senior sister.”
Guan Fusha smiled back.
“Hurry and get changed.”
“Mm.”
Taohua nodded.
Guan Fusha left the room, closing the door behind her so Taohua could change.
Taohua held the gauze dress as she walked behind the screen. The smile vanished from her face in an instant, replaced by pure reluctance as she stared at the pink-and-blue outfit.
She cursed silently in her heart. She wouldn’t even wear this kind of show-offy color herself, and now she was being forced into it. Seriously…
Early the next morning, Taohua was woken by Xiaozhu.
Still half-asleep, Taohua glanced at the other side of the bed. It was empty; it seemed Guan Fusha had gotten up long ago.
After they’d returned to the room yesterday, Guan Fusha had kept her there to talk. One topic led to another, and before they knew it, it was already evening. Guan Fusha asked her to stay the night. Taohua had been so sleepy by then she didn’t think much of it and agreed. Sure enough, the moment she lay down she’d fallen fast asleep.
Taohua lifted the quilt and got out of bed.
“Where’s senior sister?”
Xiaozhu already knew that Dongfang Wen had accepted Taohua as his disciple, and her attitude was even more respectful than before.
“In answer to miss, the Protector is currently in the main hall meeting with the four Elders and the eight Hall Masters.”
In the Night God Cult, the highest ranks of power were, in order: the Cult Leader, the two Protectors, the four Elders, and the eight Hall Masters. The current Cult Leader had long since stopped concerning himself with sect affairs. Everything, big and small, was handled by Guan Fusha. The four Elders and eight Hall Masters had probably already started treating her as the real cult leader.
Taohua’s curiosity was piqued. Since she was now part of the Night God Cult anyway, she worked up the nerve to ask,
“Why is senior sister meeting with the four Elders and eight Hall Masters? Is something going on?”
As Xiaozhu helped her change clothes, she replied,
“It should be about you, miss.”
“About… me?”
Taohua’s face was the very picture of confusion.
“What could I possibly have going on?”
“Since miss has acknowledged the Cult Leader as your master, according to our sect rules, from the moment you took him as your teacher, you became our sect’s Right Protector. The position of Right Protector has been vacant for many years. Naturally, Protector will have to explain the situation and introduce you to the four Elders and eight Hall Masters.”
Taohua almost dropped her jaw in shock.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
They were making a total good-for-nothing who didn’t know a single move of martial arts the Right Protector of the Night God Cult?!
Wasn’t this basically shoving her onto the path of fighting Guan Fusha for the cult leader’s seat?!
Yamete, she just wanted to hug a nice thick thigh, that was all. Did they have to scam her this hard?!
Just as Taohua was silently debating whether her “thigh-hugging plan” should be labeled a failure or a complete and utter disaster, the door was suddenly shoved open from the outside. A young maid dressed much like Xiaozhu stormed in, bristling with anger.
Taohua recognized her at a glance. She was the maid who had driven the carriage for Guan Fusha in front of Ruyi Hall that day. If she remembered correctly, her name was…
“Xiaoyuan?”
Xiaozhu put down the crescent comb in her hand, rarely showing a displeased expression.
“What do you think you’re doing? Don’t you know you can’t just barge into the Protector’s room? You’re being incredibly rude!”
Instead of backing down, Xiaoyuan only grew more furious.
“I should be asking you what you’re doing! Don’t you know this woman is trying to steal Protector’s position as Cult Leader? And you’re actually helping her dress up?!”
…
The innocent Taohua, hit out of nowhere, really wanted to shout, “I’m innocent!”
She had gone through so much trouble to sneak into the Night God Cult just to cling to Guan Fusha’s thick thigh, all right? As for the Night God Cult Leader’s seat—whoever wanted that star-crossed position could have it. Even if they gave it to her for free, she’d spit on it and refuse!
Xiaozhu’s brows tightened even more, and she said sternly,
“You’re being extremely disrespectful. Apologize to the young lady at once!”
“Hmph!”
Xiaoyuan snorted heavily. She flicked her wrist and drew a leather whip from her waist, taking up a fighting stance.
“Demoness, I won’t let you steal Protector’s rightful position as Cult Leader!”
The moment the words left her mouth, she leaped lightly onto the table, then flipped off it, her whip darting like a spirit snake as she lashed it viciously in Taohua’s direction.
Taohua hadn’t expected girls these days to be this unreasonable—losing the argument and immediately resorting to weapons. She was so startled she froze in place, completely forgetting to dodge.
Xiaozhu had no weapon on her. She whirled around, yanked down the bed’s gauze canopy, and gripped each end tightly, pulling it taut to block the whip.
“You’re actually protecting her?!”
Seeing that the good friend she’d known for so many years was “betraying” Protector to help this mysterious woman, Xiaoyuan burned even hotter with rage. She became even more convinced that this was all Taohua’s fault. Her attacks grew more vicious.
“You hateful woman, what kind of magic soup did you feed A-Zhu to make her so biased toward you?!”
That shout jolted Taohua back to her senses. She scrambled and dove under the dressing table.
“Don’t you slander me! I’m from a wealthy family, I would never stew soup!”
“Twisting words and quibbling!”
Xiaoyuan took Taohua’s line as deliberate mockery. In her fury, she brought the whip down with all her strength, splitting the dressing table cleanly in half.
“I’d like to see where you hide now!”
Taohua stared blankly for a second before realizing her “refuge” had just been smashed to pieces!
Xiaozhu, unarmed, had to both protect Taohua and withstand Xiaoyuan’s full-force attacks. It didn’t take long before she began to struggle. She shouted at the dazed Taohua,
“Miss, run!”
“O… okay!”
Taohua grabbed a bronze mirror and held it over her head like a shield. She bolted a couple of steps, then suddenly turned back and called to Xiaozhu,
“Miss Xiaozhu, hold on! I’ll go find someone to save you right away!”
“Demoness, don’t run!”
Seeing Taohua trying to escape, Xiaoyuan moved to chase her, but Xiaozhu once again blocked her path.
Furious, Xiaoyuan let out a cold snort and snapped her whip through the air.
“Fine. Today I’ll give Protector a proper lesson for you, you traitor!”
