Chapter 4092 — Betrothing a Maidservant?

"Really? You truly are an honest man!" Sima Qian burst into delighted, coquettish laughter, her whole air dripping with seductive, wanton charm. Then she said, "This young lady also finds you quite heroic—venturing alone into the Hu Caitian Wu Mountains to do missions is a rare sight in this day and age. It would be such a pity to let a rare talent like you slip by. How about this: why not come work for our Sima family?"

"This..." Wei Zhao was taken aback. He had been guessing all along what this Miss Sima was really after, but he never expected such an abrupt proposition.

Seeing his reaction, Sima Qian gave a radiant smile, reached out a slender hand, and gently tilted up Wei Zhao's chin. Licking her lips seductively, she said, "If you agree, then as a reward, I can betroth one of my household maidservants to you. She may not be as beautiful as I am, but she is still a rare beauty. Just nod your head, and she is yours!"

Wei Zhao frowned inwardly. However he listened, these words reeked of scheme. This seductive woman first deliberately provoked his desires with words and touches, then offered to betroth him a beautiful maidservant—one link hooked into the next. Had it been any cultivator with a slightly more impulsive temperament, he likely would not have been able to resist such temptation.

But Wei Zhao had long been on guard against this woman and had remained calm from start to finish. These muddled seductions were utterly ineffective on him; he did not even think much of a woman of Sima Qian's caliber.

To say nothing of the distant past—take the recent Shangguan Lan'er and Ning Xuefei. Which of those two was not more beautiful than Sima Qian? Even Huang Xiaotao, whose face had been ruined, left a better impression on Wei Zhao than Sima Qian did!

Still, for the time being Wei Zhao had to follow her lead and could not afford to fall out with this Sima Qian. He could only pretend to be delighted and play along: "Truly? That would be wonderful! To be frank with you, Miss Sima, I have always been lonely and despondent on the North Island. Female cultivators are such rare beings—only cultivators with sects and backing ever get the chance to encounter them, while I could not even dream of laying eyes on one. And ordinary women can hardly serve as companions. Miss Sima, you have not only saved my life but sent me coal in the snow. Such great kindness and virtue I can never repay!"

Seeing that Wei Zhao had indeed taken the bait, Sima Qian's lips curved slightly. Her silken, seductive eyes glanced at him as she lightly brushed his cheek with her sleeve and said, "Very good. Then rest well and recover from your injuries first. When the time comes, I will arrange everything for you. As long as you do exactly as I say, I guarantee you will carry a beauty home!"

"Yes, yes, I will certainly obey Miss Sima." Wei Zhao deliberately put on a lecherous expression, his gaze even wandering shamelessly up and down Sima Qian's delicate body as he nodded repeatedly.

Far from showing any displeasure, Sima Qian seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. She even deliberately swayed her waist and rubbed herself against Wei Zhao, now intentionally, now seemingly by accident, before she walked down from the carriage with a coquettish laugh.

Watching Sima Qian's departing figure, Wei Zhao's expression instantly turned cold. This woman was indeed no simple character. Just now he had deliberately taken the opportunity to observe her strength, and she was actually an expert at the great perfection of Foundation Establishment—truly a formidable figure!

Over the next two days, Wei Zhao remained in the carriage the whole time. Besides completely healing his injuries, he also took the chance to consolidate his cultivation realm somewhat.

Recently, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and he had grown a little complacent. But after that battle with the mid-stage Golden Core expert, that bit of restlessness had long since dissipated, replaced by an infinite thirst to grow stronger. Only strength was the foundation for standing firm on this Cloud Terrace Island.

During these two days, the caravan had completely left the mountain forest range and entered a flourishing region.

To Wei Zhao's great surprise, both the local customs and the architecture here were much like those of an ancient capital. Unlike the stern, solemn cultivation sects of the North Island, this was simply a bustling metropolis.

Along the way, inns, shops, taverns, brothels, and gambling dens kept appearing on both sides. Every worldly establishment one could imagine was fully present here. Beyond these were the deep-walled compounds of wealthy families, scattered amid the noisy, bustling market—carrying a secluded air of stillness within clamor that made one sigh with admiration.

"Could this be the Middle Island that everyone yearns for?" Wei Zhao could not help but marvel.

The Middle Island, legendary gathering place of top-tier sects, had in his imagination been much like the Threefold Pavilion of the North Island—famous mountains and Dao grounds everywhere, cave dwellings and immortal abodes. He had never expected such an unexpectedly prosperous scene. It felt as though he had returned to the mortal world—noisy and lively, yet always able to give one a rare sense of ease. Of course, this was the mortal world of ancient times.

Amid his astonishment, the caravan drove into a deep-walled compound. Judging by its dazzling array of courtyards layered one upon another, it must belong to a rare wealthy household.

After getting down from the carriage, Wei Zhao was promptly shown to a separate guest room. Yet no one came to attend to him. The guards outside had simply received Sima Qian's orders not to allow Wei Zhao to leave on his own.

With no other choice, Wei Zhao could only stay in the room and wait quietly. With his current strength, comparable to an ordinary early-stage Golden Core expert, it would not be difficult to shake off these guards—but what happened after he got out was another matter.

After all, this was the Middle Island, where dragons and tigers gathered. He was a stranger here, and his present strength might not be enough to handle sudden turns of events. Better to stay put for now and see how things developed.

Toward evening, Sima Qian finally arrived late. This time she had deliberately changed into an even thinner, more revealing low-cut gauze dress. Every gesture set her bosom surging, flesh half-hidden and half-revealed, and combined with her seductive, wanton air, she ceaselessly stirred a man's primal desires.

"Young Hero Ling, I have truly neglected you today. After days on the road, my body felt all sticky, so I went to take a bath. I hope you will not take offense." Sima Qian pressed close to Wei Zhao with a seductive smile, her alluring body brushing against him as if by chance.

"Not at all, not at all. Miss Sima, you have been most considerate. I am very satisfied." Wei Zhao laughed inwardly. To think a woman of this caliber would try to seduce him—she was simply asking for humiliation.

On the surface, however, Wei Zhao deliberately played along, his eyes shining and his breathing quickening in a textbook lecher's expression.

Seeing this, a trace of smugness flickered in Sima Qian's eyes. With light, graceful steps she personally brought over a bowl of soup and said, "Young Hero Ling, you suffered grave injuries before, and these past two days you have been jolted about in a carriage. Hurry and drink this bowl of ginseng soup to restore your vitality." R1152