Chapter Ninety-Three: An Unexpected Embrace

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The insect’s pale body swelled into a bloated black mass. It opened its mouth, smiling affectionately and teasingly, stroking its soft form before reopening the jar’s lid to place it inside once more.

“The experiment has failed,” the camp attendant said regretfully as he looked at Kai Ming, who had fallen unconscious.

Huo looked at her expressionlessly. “We can try again next time.”

“Master!” The attendant’s eyes widened in alarm. “This medicine is too fierce; the human body can’t withstand it!”

“Huo, are you ordering me around?” she retorted coldly.

“Of course not,” the attendant bowed his head.

Huo sneered, “The fiercer the poison, the more effective it is against the enemy’s army.”

The attendant fell silent for a moment.

The remnants of the candle flickered and crackled, its flame wavering. The attendant curled up on the floor, fast asleep, while Huo sat cross-legged, resting his elbow on his chin, thoughtfully gazing at Kai Ming.

This woman’s body was indeed remarkably strong—no matter how many times she was tormented, she remained unharmed. It seemed heaven had gifted him this test subject so he could achieve his goals sooner. The thought made the corner of his mouth twitch into a faint smile.

“Cold…” Kai Ming turned over, curling her head and face inward.

Huo was momentarily stunned. Only then did he realize that during the earlier struggle, her clothes had come undone, her shoulder exposed. The white cloth wrapped around her arm hadn’t been put back on properly. It was undoubtedly his own negligence.

His eyes flicked to the attendant, who was sound asleep. After some hesitation, he reached out to touch her shoulder but quickly withdrew his hand; it was as cold as ice. Remembering the bedding he had brought when moving, he decided to get up and fetch a blanket.

Suddenly, her long sleeve was grabbed. Kai Ming’s icy hand touched the back of his, murmuring, “So cold…” before she nuzzled deeply into his embrace.

Huo had never encountered such a thing in his life. He froze on the spot, utterly bewildered.

Once he brought her to the warmth of the fire, Kai Ming refused to let go, nearly wrapping herself around him completely. Coming to his senses, he desperately tried to pull her hand free, but it wouldn’t budge. Frustrated, he called out, “Attendant! Attendant!”

At such a critical moment, the attendant merely stirred slightly, too lazy to even open his eyelids.

Huo sighed and calmed himself. As his body relaxed, he immediately felt the strange sensation transmitted through her pressing skin.

He tugged at her fallen collar. His fingers brushed smooth skin, stirring him deeply, his thoughts drifting to distant memories.

How long had it been since anyone dared touch him? Raising his face, the crimson hue in his eyes had faded, replaced by an even paler lake blue. His golden hair, once vibrant, had dulled to a muted flaxen shade.

He lifted his long hair with a self-mocking smile.

Because of his identity as a Gu master, everyone in the Northern Palace feared him; even the servants dared not meet his gaze. His mother had chosen this path for him but never embraced him again, her eyes filled with loathing. Abandoned from the start, sacrificing for the Northern Palace was only natural.

Anyone whose eyes and colors changed after every Gu trial was seen as a demon. The hostage this time unquestionably fell to him.

Besides accepting fate, he had another purpose for coming here.

If he could defeat the Central Palace by his own strength, would the Northern Palace’s royal family regard him differently?

Lost in thought, faint rustling of clothes and the attendant’s surprised voice broke through: “Master?…”

Huo glanced at him indifferently. “Go fetch that bedding.”

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The attendant quickly got up, rubbing his eyes, bewildered. Was he still half-asleep, or had his vision blurred?

Returning with the blanket, he saw Kai Ming still tangled like an octopus around Huo and sighed deeply. It wasn’t his eyesight; this world was simply too strange.

“She dares to touch you?” the attendant chuckled strangely.

Huo was annoyed. “Enough chatter. Don’t you see I’m uncomfortable holding her like this?”

The attendant spread the blanket over her and couldn’t help teasing, “Master, she’s the first woman besides the Dowager Empress to dare hug you directly!”

Huo shot him a fierce look. The attendant shut up but couldn’t stop smiling.

After much effort, they pried her fingers apart and tucked her limbs under the blanket, finally breathing a sigh of relief. The attendant added mischievously, “You bled on her, and she hugged you back—no loss on either side.”

Huo glared again. Though the attendant chuckled, he quickly moved away.

A while later, curiosity got the better of the little devil, who asked again, “Master, I always thought you preferred men.”

This time, Huo showed no reaction, but the spot where the attendant sat suddenly jumped as if electrified. It was crawling with tiny scuttling scorpions brandishing their pincers at him.

The next morning, at dawn, Kai Ming awoke groggily. She hadn’t drunk, yet her head spun fiercely, and her hands ached faintly.

Struggling to sit up, she glanced at her hands wrapped in white cloth stained with blood. Memories of last night slowly returned: who had forced that unbearably bitter medicine on her? Who had touched her body when she was about to lose control?

“Awake?” a faint voice came from beside her.

She whipped her head toward the sound and stared in stunned silence. The pale blue eyes, nearly colorless, the dull flaxen hair lazily resting on the table—was this the Northern Palace prince she once knew?

Hesitantly, she asked, “Is it really you?”

The unfamiliar young lord smiled gently in response, “It’s me. Don’t doubt it; this is the inevitable reaction after every poison test.”

“After poison?” she asked, puzzled. “Doesn’t poison kill? Why just change the eye and hair color?”

Huo gave a faint smile. “My constitution has always been different. Whenever I come into contact with potent toxins, I don’t die—I absorb them. That’s why I became a Gu master.”

She stammered, “So your blue eyes, pale skin, and yellow hair weren’t your true appearance?”

“Of course not.” Huo brushed his long hair back with a slight smile. “I’m a genuine Northern Palace native. The white skin is only a temporary reaction after poison exposure. Look.” He pointed to his face; as she observed, his complexion was indeed much duller.

Surprised, she crawled closer and reached out to touch his hair. “Does that really happen? Change color?”

Seeing her unguarded approach, a strange gleam flickered in Huo’s eyes. This woman truly wasn’t afraid of him. Last night she had clung to him while unconscious; now, fully awake, she dared to touch him—she was truly bold.

Lost in thought, a sudden sharp pain tugged at his scalp. Kai Ming grinned mischievously and fixed him with a teasing look: “Have you cleared the insect Gu yet?”

He was momentarily stunned but nodded.

Her grip tightened, and she ground her teeth in frustration. “Then why do I feel like I’ve offended you somehow?”

Feigning innocence, he asked, “How so?”

“I’m not only ungrateful as your landlord who lent you a room but you’ve poisoned me repeatedly! What have I done to deserve this?” she said angrily.

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Only then did Huo understand that her early morning approach was a formal complaint.

He smiled and gently patted her hand. Seeing no response, he reminded her, “Kai Ming, you must remember, I’m a Gu master.”

“So what?” she snapped. “Does being a Gu master give you the right to harm others?”

“Your toxins from yesterday have indeed been eliminated.” Huo’s eyes shimmered with liquid gentleness, his entire face filled with alluring charm. “But just now, I placed another Gu on you.”

“You’re lying!” She pushed away his hair angrily. “Do you think I’m a fool? Can you just slap one on me like that?”

“Besides, as a Gu master, you being so close to me makes it easy for me to hypnotize you. Don’t you understand?” Huo’s smile was oddly sinister. Kai Ming’s eyes met his grin, and her heart trembled slightly.

Hypnosis? In modern terms, that was mind control. Could this man really hypnotize? Better to believe it than not. She quickly shut her eyes, avoiding his gaze, and fumbled toward the door.

Her blind groping was so comical that Huo couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Suddenly, she bumped into two legs, and the attendant’s booming voice echoed, “Commander, what’s wrong? Did the poison blind your eyes?”

She jumped in anger. “You’re the one who’s blind!”

The attendant looked at her well-functioning eyes in confusion.

Kai Ming turned her head and shot Huo a resentful glance, clearly signaling that this was far from over. Huo caught the message in her eyes and said calmly, “Remember to come early tonight.”

She jumped, “For what?”

Without looking up, Huo fiddled with a lacquered object on the table. “Didn’t I say? You’re infected with another Gu.”

“You’re serious about this!” She raised her hand skeptically, then grinned. “You’re joking, right? We’re close; just kidding is fine.”

“Who’s joking? Come if you want. When it starts acting up, don’t come crying to me,” Huo said, not even glancing at her, engrossed in his own things.

Kai Ming stood at the door, stunned for several minutes. The attendant poked her with a finger, and she snapped back to reality. Fixing Huo with the most venomous glare, she spat, “You’re unbelievable!” and turned on her heel.

Her footsteps echoed as she ran away. The attendant sat on the floor, hesitating as he looked at Huo. “Master, maybe you should stop now.”

Huo lifted his eyelids and glanced at him.

“We’ve given the commander enough trouble. Let’s call it quits!” The attendant sighed.

“I haven’t troubled her,” Huo said expressionlessly. “I didn’t place any Gu on her; I only fooled her.”

The attendant looked at him, puzzled.

Huo smiled faintly. “What if I said I just wanted the commander to talk to me more—would you believe that?”

The attendant stared at him for a long moment, then muttered gloomily, “I don’t believe it.”

Huo laughed joyfully. “You know me well, Attendant.”

(To be continued)