12dz Chapter 6: Flavor
Chapter 6: Flavor
As soon as Thousand-Handed Rakshasa entered, his gaze quickly swept over the lavish furnishings of the room, then over the two women sleeping soundly on the bed, before finally settling on Xue Bufu.
The fear in her eyes deepened. She clapped her hands lightly twice, her voice muffled through the veil, yet possessing a unique magnetism.
"You killed people, stole their wealth, occupied their houses, and even took over the women so smoothly. You really don't waste a single thing."
Xue Bufeng leaned against the headboard, letting his silk robe slip off his shoulders, revealing his strong chest.
He paid no attention to the other person's scrutiny, and instead unabashedly admired the Thousand-Handed Rakshasa's curves, which could not be concealed even though he was wrapped in black clothes.
"Who doesn't do it this way in the martial arts world?"
He smiled with great interest:
"Isn't murder and robbery, the survival of the fittest, just a matter of course?"
The Thousand-Armed Rakshasa remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
She took a few steps forward, getting closer to the bed.
Her gait possessed an innate allure, which she unconsciously exuded even in this situation.
"Do you know who I am?"
"You are the Thousand-Armed Rakshasa."
"How did you know I was the Thousand-Armed Rakshasa?"
"Because I'm not blind. I saw very clearly how that young master who died at your feet today died."
The Thousand-Armed Rakshasa fell silent once more.
It was only now that she realized that the man in front of her was not only incredibly skilled with a sword, but also had terrifying knowledge!
After a long silence, the Thousand-Handed Rakshasa stared into Xue Bufeng's eyes and said, word by word:
"Do you even know why those two good-for-nothings, Pan Xiaoan and Shi Yaoxian, came here?"
"It's all for the golden silk armor."
Xue Bufeng said calmly.
A glint flashed in the eyes of the Thousand-Armed Rakshasa, but he wasn't too surprised.
She knew that the Golden Silk Armor was no longer a secret in the martial arts world.
If she can know, Pan Xiaoan and Shi Yaoxian can know, so why can't others know?
"So you've come for the Golden Silk Armor too."
"So what if it is? So what if it isn't?"
"Your martial arts skills are very high. It would be unwise to fight with you."
The Thousand-Armed Rakshasa lowered his voice, his tone seductive:
"But I'm not completely helpless. Perhaps I can lend you a hand. If you cooperate with me to obtain the Golden Silk Armor, I can split the treasure with you, or even forgo my share."
Xue Bufeng raised an eyebrow, revealing just the right amount of surprise:
"Oh? You don't want the treasure? Then what do you want?"
The Thousand-Armed Rakshasa took a breath and slowly said:
"The Plum Blossom Thief has returned to the martial world, committing countless bloody crimes, including rape, murder, and robbery. More than ninety well-known families and sects in the Central Plains have joined forces to offer a huge reward for his capture. Whoever kills the Plum Blossom Thief will inherit this fortune that rivals that of a nation. And that's not all..."
She paused, a strange light flashing in her eyes:
"Lin Xian'er, the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world, even made a vow in public that she would marry whoever could rid the martial arts world of this great scourge."
Upon hearing this, Xue Bufeng's surprise turned into amusement. He looked Thousand-Handed Rakshasa up and down, his tone teasing:
"You don't want money... could it be that you want the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world?"
He had only made it casually as a joke, but to his surprise, the Thousand-Armed Rakshasa nodded and asked in return:
"What's wrong?"
Xue Bufeng was genuinely surprised, and then burst out laughing:
"Have you never touched a man in all these years of wandering the world? Or rather, has no man ever touched you? You're really lucky."
These words touched a nerve with Thousand-Armed Rakshasa; her face darkened, and her tone turned icy.
"This is none of your business!"
"In short, I doubt you know the exact whereabouts of the Golden Silk Armor, while I happen to have connections to find it. If you're willing to help me, all the wealth will be yours afterward. You can have any kind of woman you want then, why bother competing with me?"
Xue Bufeng shook his head, his gaze sweeping over her as if appraising a fine prey:
"Wealth, women... those are all too far-fetched. Right now, there's something else right in front of me that interests me more."
"What?"
"Deposit".
"What deposit?"
"I want to know..."
Xue Bufeng said slowly and deliberately, "What exactly is a woman who only likes women like? And not just today, but every day before I helped you get the Golden Silk Armor."
"What did you say?!"
The Thousand-Armed Rakshasa's expression changed drastically!
Her face, hidden behind the black veil, flushed instantly, filled with shame and indignation.
Her right hand slipped into her sleeve like a ghost, where countless deadly hidden weapons were concealed.
A murderous aura instantly spread out!
Xue Bufeng remained languidly leaning back, not even touching the blood-stained knife beside his pillow.
He simply added casually:
"Have you thought this through?"
"Now you have the hidden weapon, but I don't have the knife. It seems like you have the upper hand."
He paused, his voice becoming slower, yet colder:
"But I might be able to kill you before you make a move."
"If you don't believe me, you can try it!"
"However, I have a habit of always killing anyone who tries to kill me, even if she is a beautiful woman."
The Thousand-Armed Rakshasa's hand suddenly froze in mid-air.
She recalled the two stunning, eerie, and elusive flashes of light from the blade during the day, and the horrific scene of Shi Yaoxian and Pan Xiaoan being instantly decapitated.
A chill ran from her tailbone straight up to the top of her head, making her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and her blood seemed to be freezing.
Regret, an overwhelming sense of regret welled up inside me.
Why was I so arrogant? Why did I step into this den of wolves?
But it was too late.
Xue Bufeng's amused yet cold gaze told her that none of this was a joke.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
The next morning.
After the snow, the sun shone brightly, casting a pale light on the still muddy official road.
An extremely spacious and luxuriously decorated four-wheeled carriage was already parked in front of the inn.
This was Pan Xiaoan's carriage, which now naturally has a new owner.
Xue Bufeng finished washing up feeling refreshed.
Yuanyuan and Bingbing had also woken up. Although their steps were still a little unnatural and their faces were somewhat pale, they mustered their spirits and carefully served the guests. They packed up all the valuable jewelry, jade, antiques, and decorations in the room, along with the precious sable and silver fox fur rugs on the bed, and loaded them back onto the carriage.
The carriage was covered with thick plush carpets and had a small table and a heater, making it warm and comfortable.
Xue Bufeng got into the car first, sat down in the most comfortable position, and closed his eyes to rest.
Yuanyuan and Bingbing nestled obediently at his feet, one gently massaging his legs, the other carefully peeling an orange that was warming on the stove.
The carriage slowly started moving.
However, in the carriage, besides the three of them, there was another person in the shadows in the corner.
Thousand-Handed Rakshasa changed back into the same elegant and luxurious clothes as yesterday, but he no longer had the same arrogant demeanor. He sat alone in a corner, biting his lip so hard it almost bled.
Her curvaceous body trembled slightly, whether from the cold or something else, it was hard to tell.
From the moment she boarded the bus, she didn't utter a single word or glance at anyone, like a lifeless sculpture.
All she knew was that she had paid a bloodstained deposit and was now entitled to her payment.
Xue Bufu is also a person who keeps his promises very well.
Since he had already agreed to cooperate with Thousand-Handed Rakshasa yesterday and even received a deposit, he naturally had to fulfill his promise.
The carriage rolled slowly and steadily through the snow and mud, heading deeper into the interior of the pass.
Outside the car it was freezing cold, but inside it was warm as spring, yet a silence more complex than the ice and snow outside the window permeated the air.