Chapter 1198: Well-Matched Opponents
After Xiujuan escorted the fox demoness to the study, she respectfully withdrew, leaving only Yang Haoran and the fox demoness in the room.
Yang Haoran's attire remained unchanged from yesterday; he was still clad in his Death God uniform. However, upon seeing the fox demoness's true appearance, a faint hint of surprise flickered across his face, only to vanish moments later.
Upon entering the study, the fox demoness remained silent, but her gaze was fixed on Yang Haoran, never straying. Seeing that Yang Haoran had merely shown a brief flicker of surprise at her true appearance before returning to normal, she couldn't help but feel a profound shock.
The fox demoness, naturally, understood better than anyone the captivating power of her own beauty and its effect on men. Nine times out of ten, men who beheld her face would become utterly infatuated. Only a rare few, possessing exceptionally strong self-control, would be unaffected. Yet even these men, upon first encountering her looks, would still require some time to compose themselves and adjust their mindset before they could face her with equanimity.
Men like Yang Haoran, who merely showed a hint of surprise before quickly recovering, were not nonexistent, but they were pitifully rare—to describe them as one in a million would be no exaggeration. Yet, she had recently encountered two such individuals: the Yang Haoran standing before her, and the Demon Hunter Ye Zhiqiu, who had forcibly brought her to this place.
“Heh, your self-control is quite impressive; it truly surprises me,” the fox demoness said with a mirthless smile, her words holding both a hint of admiration and a touch of mockery.
The fox demoness's state today was vastly different from yesterday. Having been thoroughly thrashed by Ye Zhiqiu and then forcibly brought here with her powers sealed, it was an immense humiliation for her. Thus, yesterday, her heart had been consumed by nothing but rage, utterly devoid of reason; she had spoken and acted without thinking.
Today was different. After a day of rest and regaining her composure, although the fox demoness still felt deeply annoyed and infuriated, she was at least no longer blinded by rage as she had been yesterday. She retained a basic level of rationality, and her previously "frozen" mind had begun to function once more.
“Heh heh, my self-control is decent,” Yang Haoran said with a chuckle. “However, my swift recovery wasn’t entirely due to that. It’s because I’ve grown accustomed to seeing such peerless beauty as yours, and thus developed a certain immunity. ”
Although the fox demoness hadn't explicitly stated it, Yang Haoran knew what she was referring to. Yet, the fox demoness didn't seem to entirely believe his explanation.
“You yourself called it ‘peerless beauty’—how could you possibly be accustomed to seeing it? Aren’t you contradicting yourself? ”
Yang Haoran's expression remained neutral. Just as he was about to reply to the fox demoness, a voice filled with allure drifted in from outside the study, answering on his behalf.
“‘Peerless beauty’ is merely an adjective,” the voice purred, “it doesn’t mean you’re the only one in this world who possesses it. ”
Hearing this, the fox demoness looked towards the study door, which was gently pushed open by an unseen force. Bai Xue, a seductive smile gracing her face, swayed her hips gracefully as she slowly entered.
The fox demoness's gaze fell upon Bai Xue, and Bai Xue's gaze likewise landed on the fox demoness. As their eyes met, surprise flickered across both their faces. From their reactions, it was clear that both were astonished by the other's striking beauty.
However, despite their surprise, neither woman lost her composure.
“Yesterday, I heard that a great beauty had arrived in our Guardian District,” Bai Xue began with a seductive smile. “I originally didn’t quite believe the news, thinking those fellows hadn’t seen much of the world, and that even ordinary looks could be called ‘great beauties’ in their eyes. Now, it seems I was wrong. I never thought that, besides myself, there truly existed someone with such striking beauty in this world. ”
Bai Xue spoke with a seductive smile. Although their beauty was on par, their personalities were vastly different. Bai Xue's every frown, every smile, every subtle movement, was imbued with an irresistible allure that men found impossible to escape. In contrast, the fox demoness was not as captivating in her words and actions as Bai Xue, instead belonging to a more cold and aloof type of beauty, somewhat different from the legendary image of fox demons.
“I’m returning the words you just gave me, word for word,” the fox demoness said coolly, her brows slightly furrowed, “’Peerless beauty’ is merely an adjective; it doesn’t mean you’re the only one in this world who possesses it. ”
Neither Bai Xue nor the fox demoness sounded particularly friendly in their exchange; one could even say it carried a definite provocative edge. Yet, neither denied the other’s striking beauty.
The reason Bai Xue knew about the great beauty’s arrival was that yesterday, when the fox demoness still hadn’t abandoned her thoughts of escape, she had found an excuse to have Xiujuan take her on a tour of the Guardian District. Ostensibly, it was to take a stroll and clear her mind, but in reality, she was scouting for any weak points in the district, hoping to find a glimmer of opportunity to escape.
During this process, some individuals had caught sight of the fox demoness and were utterly stunned by her peerless beauty. Thus, the news reached Bai Xue’s ears.
Given Bai Xue’s status and position within the Guardian District, ascertaining the truth of the matter was incredibly easy, posing no difficulty whatsoever. As a result, she merely inquired a little and learned the full story behind the incident.
Originally, Bai Xue had planned to go and meet the fox demoness yesterday. She had even specifically sought out Yang Haoran for this, but Yang Haoran had refused her, offering an explanation.
Yang Haoran’s explanation was simple: the fox demoness had just been forcibly brought to the Guardian District and was filled with pent-up rage with nowhere to vent it. Now was not the time to approach her, as it would only cause unnecessary trouble, so it was best not to meet.
In addition to this, Yang Haoran also told Bai Xue that he would have a proper talk with the fox demoness today, and if Bai Xue was interested, she could come to his study later that day.
Bai Xue didn’t act spoiled or stubbornly pester Yang Haoran. She readily accepted his suggestion without saying anything more, which led to the scene of her sudden arrival just moments ago.
However, before coming, a subtle action by Bai Xue still revealed her desire to compete with the fox demoness in terms of beauty. Normally, to avoid unnecessary trouble, Bai Xue would wear a mask most of the time to conceal her startlingly beautiful appearance. Only on very rare occasions did she truly forget, or when Yang Haoran’s trusted confidantes gathered together, would her face be without a mask. At other times, her face almost always bore a mask.
But today, when coming to see the fox demoness, she didn’t wear a mask not because she’d forgotten, but because she had deliberately chosen not to, specifically to compete with the fox demoness in terms of beauty.
Although unwilling to admit it, Bai Xue had to concede that, purely in terms of looks, the fox demoness was indeed not inferior to her in the slightest. However, due to their differing personalities, the auras they exuded were completely distinct. Yet, this in no way diminished the terrifying allure both possessed for the opposite sex.
At this moment, the fox demoness used Bai Xue’s own words to retort, which left Bai Xue momentarily speechless. However, not the slightest hint of embarrassment appeared on Bai Xue’s face.
When it came to the art of repartee, Bai Xue had certainly learned a great deal during her years with Yang Haoran. Although she felt she was certainly not as proficient as him in that regard, when it came to sheer thick-skinnedness, she believed her own skin was probably no thinner than Yang Haoran’s.
It was precisely because her skin had thickened to a certain degree that even though she had lost the initial verbal exchange with the fox demoness, she showed not the slightest embarrassment. Instead, as if nothing had happened, she curtsied delicately to Yang Haoran with a charming smile, selectively ignoring the fox demoness.
“Greetings, Underworld Officer. ”
Yang Haoran, of course, noticed Bai Xue’s momentary defeat, but if even Bai Xue’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest, how could his own possibly waver?
“Heh heh, both of you, please sit down first,” Yang Haoran said with a smile. “Whatever matters there are, we can sit down and discuss them at leisure. ”
Yang Haoran said with a smile. As his words fell, Xiujuan, who had only recently left, returned to the study and brought in excellent tea for the three of them.
Bai Xue, naturally, felt not the slightest constraint in Yang Haoran’s presence; she simply found a seat and sat down. The fox demoness, however, did not move a single step.
In such a situation, Xiujuan naturally wouldn’t speak. She withdrew from the study after delivering the tea, not uttering a single word from beginning to end, and even the sounds she made were extremely faint.
Even after Xiujuan had left the study and closed the door, the fox demoness still remained standing, showing no intention of sitting down. Her gaze, however, did not linger on Bai Xue but shifted from her to Yang Haoran, who occupied the main seat.
Since Bai Xue no longer intended to argue with her, she naturally had no interest in continuing to bicker. Compared to trivial sparring, she had far more important matters to attend to.
“We should indeed have a good talk,” the fox demoness said directly, “Tell me, what will it take for you to let me go? ”
The fox demoness didn’t beat around the bush, but directly and frankly posed her question to Yang Haoran.
“After you sit down, we can then discuss this matter properly,” Yang Haoran said with a smile. “With you standing like a distinguished guest, it puts quite a bit of pressure on me. ”
Yang Haoran said with a smile. Hearing his words, the fox demoness, though somewhat unwilling, still gritted her teeth, found the nearest seat to her, and sat down.
“I’m seated now,” she said. “Can you tell me now? ”
Yang Haoran nodded with a smile, then spoke.
“Heh heh,” Yang Haoran began, “as long as you’re willing to join our big family, you can not only leave my Guardian District anytime you wish, but also return whenever you please. Why wouldn’t you be happy to do so? ”
Yang Haoran’s words instantly caused the fox demoness’s expression to turn frigid. Although her face hadn't been particularly pleasant before, it was nowhere near as icy as it was now. She, who had just settled into her seat, immediately shot back to her feet.
“Are you playing with me? ”
The fox demoness’s voice was laced with intense killing intent. Her violent reaction, however, didn't cause Yang Haoran's expression to waver. But Bai Xue, sitting to the side, felt a surge of displeasure. She had already felt a little uncomfortable from being retorted by the fox demoness just now, though she hadn't shown it. Now, seeing the fox demoness act with such arrogance, how could she possibly tolerate it?
The powerful aura of a Demon King instantly burst forth from her. Green Demon Power enveloped her body, and the dense Demon Power instantly filled the entire study.
The sudden shift made the fox demoness's expression change drastically. Although her internal power was sealed, as a fellow demon, she was incredibly sensitive to Demon Power. The moment she sensed this potent aura, she immediately realized that Bai Xue's current realm was that of a Demon King—a realm she had yearned to enter but had not yet successfully reached.
Affected by this powerful Demon Power, the fox demoness, with a surprised expression, looked at Bai Xue. But before she could speak, Bai Xue interjected, cutting her off.
“Oh, it seems you still haven’t figured out your current situation,” Bai Xue said with a seductive smile, her face devoid of anger. “You are merely a captive at our mercy. Could it be that you actually still see yourself as a distinguished guest? ”
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