Warning: Sexual Content
The lovers soaked inside the ceramic bathtub. The two men knew that whatever the goddess had told them worried Ping'an deeply.
Guo Baiyu pulled her into his arms, his voice soft against her ear. "Don't worry too much about it." He kissed her on her right neck, then rested his chin on her right shoulder, holding her close.
Zhao Renshu stared at them from the other side of the tub, a playful glint in his eye. "You always think too much, dear, and how about we just go with the flow? That's what makes it even more exciting."
Ping'an turned around and sat on Guo Baiyu's lap, facing him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, her body pressing against his. She felt his hard member rub against her right groin. One of Guo Baiyu's fingers began a circular motion on her soft backdoor, and then he slowly inserted a finger inside. Guo Baiyu slowly thrust his finger, and then a second finger followed. Above the water, their mouths and tongues kissed and twisted in a passionate embrace, while Guo Baiyu's fingers worked below, gently stretching her backdoor.
Looking from the other side of the bathtub, Zhao Renshu washed himself. Most men would be consumed by jealousy and anger at the sight of their wife with another man. Zhao Renshu was indeed one of those very jealous husbands; if someone so much as looked at Ping'an or tried to flirt with her, he would throw the first punch. He admitted that sometimes he was overprotective when it came to Ping'an or Guo Baiyu. Yet, when Ping'an and Guo Baiyu made out, he felt no jealousy at all, because the other man was Guo Baiyu. He reached down and washed his member but found that it had become firmly hard. He then moved directly behind Ping'an, positioning himself.
Zhao Renshu inserted his member inside Ping'an's backdoor. Ping'an gave a loud moan, her back arching slightly. He slowly thrust inside her backdoor. Ping'an arched back and kissed him as he continued to thrust from behind, licking Ping'an's lips with his tongue. Meanwhile, Guo Baiyu sucked and licked her breasts, a dance of shared passion.
"Renshu," Shan's cold, ethereal voice cut through the intimate atmosphere.
The sudden, cold voice of Shan startled the lovers, instantly halting their actions.
"Lao Shan!" Zhao Renshu shouted frantically, clenching a fist with his right hand and hitting the top of the ceramic bathtub with a resounding thud.
Shan stood expressionless, his gaze unwavering. He simply asked, "What?"
Zhao Renshu was furious. "What do you mean... what?!" He shook his head madly, his eyes wide with exasperation. "Did you see?"
Shan remained expressionless. "Taking a bath is taking a bath," he stated plainly. "Last time I checked, the bed was created for sleeping and lovemaking."
Zhao Renshu grabbed a bar of soap and threw it violently at Shan. The soap, an ordinary object, passed harmlessly through Shan's ghostly form. Zhao Renshu knew that physical objects could not harm Shan, but he was so angry that he enjoyed the catharsis of throwing things at him.
"What is it, Shan?" Guo Baiyu asked, calmly, trying to salvage the situation.
"Waterfall City," Shan stated. "Two weeks of walking up North."
"How much is it?!" Zhao Renshu demanded, still fuming.
"Thirty coins," Shan answered.
Zhao Renshu was still livid at Shan for ruining their intimate moment. "We are not poor to the point that we take a job for thirty coins!" He glared furiously at Shan. "Why are you taking a job for thirty coins? Are you crazy? I am not going!"
"You assured the late master that you would not choose to work for money," Shan reminded him, his voice flat. "You would choose to work for the right reason."
"You don't have to remind me!" Zhao Renshu snarled, gritting his teeth in frustration.
"Thank you, you can go back now," Guo Baiyu said, dismissing Shan.
Zhao Renshu shouted at Shan's retreating form, "Remember, you have to knock on the door before you enter the room, otherwise if you hear that we are busy, don't pop up!"
Shan still stood expressionless, his voice calm as he replied, "It's not like I've never seen you naked before, and it's not the first time." With that, Shan walked straight through the wall and disappeared.
"Stupid old Shan!" Zhao Renshu muttered furiously, climbing out of the tub. He whined, "We have to travel all the way up North just for thirty coins. Unbelievably stupidly ridiculous!"
"Where are you going?" Guo Baiyu asked, intrigued.
"I am not in the mood anymore," Zhao Renshu declared, shaking his head. "Going to change now."
Ping'an playfully slapped Zhao Renshu's butt. "Let's continue in bed," she suggested with a mischievous smile.
The two men exchanged frivolous expressions, then smiled at each other, a shared understanding of her playful invitation.
After a week of rigorous horseback riding, the lovers came to the border of Waterfall City. Waterfall City was famous for its breathtaking scenery, boasting more than two hundred cascading waterfalls.
Many houses had been built on the mountain, some even nestled right beside a waterfall, their inhabitants living amidst the constant roar of nature.
The mayor had declared that the city should remain peaceful, and everyone, from the highest status to the lowest, should be treated equally.
Many convicts on death row who had successfully escaped from the mainland ended up in Waterfall City. As long as they stayed within its boundaries and did not commit another crime, they were welcome to stay, effectively making Waterfall City a rehabilitation center for criminals. Because the criminals living in Waterfall City were often highly skilled, no one dared to cause any trouble when visiting the city.
Another advantage of Waterfall City lay not only in its beauty but also in its strict rulings. A good example was its punishment system: anyone who committed serious crimes there would be publicly executed.
The lovers stood on the top of the mountain, looking down at Waterfall City, its magnificent scenery truly jaw-dropping. A group of maids were waiting on the first rest pavilion, all impeccably dressed.
"We can rest there," Guo Baiyu suggested, pointing at a smaller, more secluded pavilion further away.
The lovers walked to the furthest pavilion and sat inside. Guo Baiyu took out his handkerchief and poured some water on it. He squeezed out the excess water and gently wiped Ping'an's face, then his own. He poured more water, squeezed out the excess, and handed the handkerchief to Zhao Renshu. As Zhao Renshu wiped his face, he noticed the maids and servants at the other pavilion staring intently at them.
Zhao Renshu turned to Guo Baiyu, a teasing grin on his face. "Hey, you need to tan yourself! Your skin is too white, and your face is so handsome. Look at those ladies staring at you!" He laughed heartily. "When we get home, I think you need to do more farming and hunting."
"I was the one who is always out hunting," Guo Baiyu retorted, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
"Whose fault, is it?" Zhao Renshu teased. "Out of all the weapons created by my Master, you chose the Bow and Sword!"
"Do you think that the Bow and Sword is not a good weapon?" Guo Baiyu challenged, his eyes glinting.
"I think that my lightning sword is faster and more powerful," Zhao Renshu countered, boasting playfully.
"You want to finish that battle five years ago?" Guo Baiyu asked, a hint of genuine challenge in his voice.
"Anytime, brother," Zhao Renshu smiled, picking up Guo Baiyu's handkerchief and throwing it to him.
Ping'an looked at the maids. They were all young ladies, perhaps between sixteen and twenty years old. She smiled. "Those ladies are looking at both of you," she observed.
Soon after, a horse carriage stopped by the first rest pavilion. Two well-dressed women got off. Zhao Renshu's gaze immediately fixed on them. One was wearing a pristine white dress with neatly combed hair, two silver butterfly hairpins elegantly clipped on each side. The other woman was dressed in striking black and red clothes, specifically a crimson robe. Her inner layer of clothing was black, and her long shirt fell to her knees. She wore a pair of black pants with black leather boots that reached her knees. She was holding a sword in her right hand, and on her left belt were two red spirit flags with black writing. Her hair was neatly combed up and tied with red and black ribbons. The girl in red turned around and stared directly at Zhao Renshu, her gaze piercing.
"It is inappropriate to stare at a lady," Guo Baiyu said calmly, handing Ping'an a pear.
Zhao Renshu turned away, a frown on his face that quickly morphed into a feigned sadness. "I was wondering why our Ping'an never wears luxury dresses like those upper-class ladies. I was thinking about going there and asking the woman in white where she bought her clothes." He smiled at Ping'an, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You would look very beautiful in that outfit."
Ping'an handed him a pear. "I don't think I'm suitable for that kind of clothes," she demurred.
Zhao Renshu took the pear and took a big bite. He said, "I bet that if our Ping'an dressed nicely, she would be the prettiest." He kept thinking about the lady in the white dress, imagining Ping'an wearing that outfit, perhaps even lying in bed with them. He giggled to himself.
The Lady in red noticed that Zhao Renshu had been staring at them for a long time. She walked over and stopped right in front of Zhao Renshu, her stance aggressive.
"Why are you looking at my senior sister?" the Lady in red said coldly, her voice sharp.
Zhao Renshu looked up and saw her furious face staring coldly down at him. Then he stood up, moving to stand beside the Lady in red, feigning politeness.
"Good, you came over here," Zhao Renshu said with a disarming smile. "I was just going to come over to ask where she got her dress from."
"Pervert," the Lady in red spat, her eyes narrowed.
Zhao Renshu felt genuinely offended. "Pervert? Me? Hey, what is so perverted about asking where she got her clothes? Women ask that all the time!"
"You are not a woman," the Lady in red retorted coldly, her hand moving towards her sword.
The lady in red was about to sheath her sword, but the lady in white walked over, intervening.
"Hongse, don't cause trouble," the Lady in White said, her voice calm and apologetic. She walked into the small pavilion. "I'm sorry for my cousin's actions. I am Huang Yueliang. We are members of the Huang Clan, disciples of Guzheng Sector. This is my cousin sister, Huang Hongse."
"Hongse? Like the color red?" Zhao Renshu asked, a playful smirk on his face.
"The color red like your blood," Huang Hongse replied coldly, her hand still resting on her sword hilt.
Zhao Renshu's eyes widened with excitement. "The Red Moon Hunters? Am I right?"
Huang Yueliang smiled and nodded, while Huang Hongse rolled her eyes at Zhao Renshu's apparent enthusiasm.
"Since you know us," Huang Yueliang asked politely, "are the three of you also hunters?"
"Nah... we are not," Zhao Renshu replied, waving a dismissive hand. "We just like the story of hunters." He gave Huang Yueliang a big, disarming smile. "I was just going to ask where you get your dress from."
"It should be the store in town, the store closest to the water fountain in central hall," Huang Yueliang said, her voice obliging. She smiled at them politely.
"Oh... Thanks," Zhao Renshu said, satisfied.
Huang Hongse rolled her eyes with a very arrogant attitude. "According to your appearance, you will not be able to afford this outfit."
Huang Yueliang smiled and shook her head at Huang Hongse's comment. "I do apologize. Excuse us."
The Huang sisters then returned to their pavilion.
"Baiyu," Zhao Renshu mused, turning to Guo Baiyu, "that lady Huang Yueliang has a very similar personality to you." He suddenly burst out laughing, always amused when he made fun of Guo Baiyu.
Two maids carried a teapot towards the lovers' table.
"Sir, this is from my lady Huang," Maid One said, placing the tea down.
"Thank you," Zhao Renshu replied, accepting the gesture.
The two maids set the teapot with two cups and some dessert on the table, then walked back.
Guo Baiyu poured a cup of tea, pricked it with a needle from his sleeve to test for poison, and then nodded to Zhao Renshu. He took a sip, then handed the tea to Ping'an.
After drinking the tea, Ping'an handed the empty cup back to Guo Baiyu. Guo Baiyu poured another cup for himself.
Zhao Renshu did the same thing: he took a sip, then passed the cup to Ping'an, and then he poured another cup for himself.
Ping'an looked at the men and said, "Enough rest, let's go."
Zhao Renshu waved his hand at the Huang sisters' pavilion. "Hey, Miss Huang, thanks for your tea!"
Guo Baiyu and Ping'an both bid farewell with a nod.
The Huang sisters watched the three strangers disappear into the distance.
"What strange people," Huang Hongse muttered, her nose still wrinkled in distaste.
"What do you mean?" Huang Yueliang asked, curious.
"Such a pervert," Huang Hongse scoffed. "I never want to see him again."