Xu Xiaoyou once suspected she had misheard. Upon realizing that the two people in front of her were serious, ten thousand question marks rose in her mind, and black lines crawled across her face.
"Are you threatening me?"
A sense of intimidation radiated from Xu Xiaoyou. It was her ultimate trump card, 【Vulcan's Path】. If a fourth person had been present, they would have certainly been suffocated by the pressure. However, she was facing two grade 5 fixers who remained perfectly composed in the face of this overwhelming aura.
"How can this be considered a threat?" Ivy said with a smile.
"This is a form of protection. Right now, the whole world is eager to peel back your veil of mystery, to possess you or to kill you. In such a weakened state, even if you heavily injured us and escaped, where could you go?"
"Why not settle down here, rest, and recuperate? During this time, we will provide you with sanctuary."
"You... sanctuary for me?" Xu Xiaoyou let out a dry laugh, her mental will further driving the 【Vulcan's Path】 hidden beneath her coat.
The air in the room began to warp due to the high temperature, and the tables and chairs showed signs of melting. A massive phantom of a flame demon seemed to appear behind the girl, with glaring eyes like a vajra and turbulent waves of fire. Hot breath capable of melting steel spewed from its nostrils.
Ivy broke into a cold sweat internally. As expected of a luminous prism grade fixer, even weakened to this point, she still possessed means that could potentially kill them. He couldn't guarantee that they could retreat unscathed if they truly came to blows—at the very least, those children outside and the innocent people for hundreds of miles around would be unlikely to survive.
"Your Excellency Dark Gold Rose, please, stay calm," Ivy said with a strained smile.
Beside him, Tiger Tail Orchid's eyes were filled with a surging fighting spirit. She stepped onto the table in front of her and stared straight at Xu Xiaoyou.
"Is there a problem with the word 'sanctuary'?"
"Get a clear grasp of your current situation. I admit you might have been very strong hundreds of years ago, enough to reflect the world's brilliance. But right now, you are just a weakened wretch who needs the protection of someone stronger than yourself. And the people who can protect you are right in front of you, yet you want to turn against us over some ridiculous pride?"
"Try making a move against us if you have the guts. Let's see who can hold out until the end."
The nearly frozen atmosphere was like a powder keg on the verge of exploding. For the three people in the room, those few seconds felt as long as centuries.
Xu Xiaoyou gave a muffled groan and terminated 【Vulcan's Path】 through her mental will. The expressions of Ivy and Tiger Tail Orchid also softened, no longer as aggressive as before.
"You just want to find an excuse to keep me here so you can observe me, right? Did the Dawn Society tell you to do this?" Xu Xiaoyou's voice betrayed no emotion.
Ivy and Tiger Tail Orchid offered no response.
Xu Xiaoyou sneered inwardly. This was exactly the situation she wanted. First, show a corner of her trump card to let them know her capabilities, then show weakness to indicate her attitude. It appeared as though a former powerhouse was actively lowering her stance and lying low under the talons of force.
In reality, the insect was pulling the scales of status between itself and the elephant to the same horizontal level, ensuring she wouldn't be restricted at every turn and could maintain a certain level of initiative.
No matter what the ultimate goal of these two grade 5 fixers was, those behind them would have to weigh the importance of the "Dark Gold Rose."
"I cannot accept your request," Xu Xiaoyou said.
"Are you expecting us to just provide for you with good food and drink for nothing?" Ivy's tone suddenly became stern. "Your Excellency Dark Gold Rose is penniless right now, destitute with nowhere to go, aren't you?"
Xu Xiaoyou looked up and saw the man staring at her solemnly.
"You must have done countless things to deceive ladies and toy with their feelings. Regardless, you must practice a man's way of the leaf in the Mint Green Leaf Shop. You will approach, understand, and delve deep into the hearts of those ladies with an attitude of service, learning just how much harm they have suffered because of your bastardly actions."
"Wait." Xu Xiaoyou's mouth twitched. "Why have you subjectively decided that I've done something heinous?"
"A person's eyes do not lie," Ivy said, his tone unwavering. "Your eyes tell me that you must have used a series of vile methods like deception, bewitchment, and mockery to hurt the innocent hearts of countless young girls, all just to satisfy your own desires or interests!"
Xu Xiaoyou thought to herself, was she really that bad? How come she didn't know?
"I couldn't tell, so you're that kind of person." The way Tiger Tail Orchid looked at Xu Xiaoyou also became more scrutinizing.
"This point is non-negotiable. You need to pay for the mistakes you've made. Stay here and atone for the young girls who have cried because of you, until you carry out the man's way of the leaf and learn how to 'serve' in emotional interactions rather than blindly 'taking'!"
"I'm telling you, don't judge a person based on your preconceptions." Xu Xiaoyou was already thinking about how to change the subject and get rid of these two lunatics.
Ivy stood up, his gaze like a torch and his voice like a great bell. "Do you dare to ask your own conscience and say loudly that you haven't hurt a single beautiful soul?"
Xu Xiaoyou, who was already feeling a bit guilty, was now speechless. Beads of sweat the size of beans slid down from her forehead. Could she really have a clear conscience?
The experiences of being with Lin Ran, Bai Youyou, Anya, Tang Xin, Chihong, Angelina, and others surfaced in her mind involuntarily. Damn it, how could she think of so many people at once?
No, wait. Xu Xiaoyou reconsidered. How did she get sucked into this? The focus of the current discussion should be whether she wanted to become a green leaf, not whether she had a clear conscience!
"Tch, fine, I get it. I'll try to do this way of the leaf you mentioned. As for things like going to the second floor, that's impossible." Xu Xiaoyou finally chose to compromise, but it certainly wasn't because she felt guilty.
With her charm, wouldn't it be easy to wait on those lonely, wealthy ladies? If she made them happy, her empty little treasury might just swell up again one day.
The premise, of course, was that she sold her skills but not her body; she would only enter the ladies' hearts, not their lives.
Just thinking about the tragic encounters of those delicate green leaves sent a chill through Xu Xiaoyou. The result of blindly "serving" in a relationship was being taken to the second floor, hands tied, eyes blindfolded, facing a wire brush...
Xu Xiaoyou almost broke out in full goosebumps.
As if he had guessed what Xu Xiaoyou was thinking, Ivy smiled and said, "Your Excellency Dark Gold Rose, most green leaves sell their art, not their bodies. What you saw were only the lowest-tier, unrefined green leaves, the low shrubs of the lush forest. Most of them were street thugs before entering the shop, with low talent and cultural literacy, so naturally they don't know how to win over a lady's heart mentally."
"But you are different. You are the Dark Gold Rose, after all. To be able to hurt young girls as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, it means you must understand very well how to open a girl's tightly closed heart and steal her hot, burning heart away."
Rate on N.U.
