Chapter 13 Rare Treasure

Chapter 13: Rarity

A Wu had always known she possessed nothing. To survive, she’d have to pay some price.

She was never afraid of men. She even believed she could learn to control them, to make them serve her, to watch them go mad for her.

But now, she was afraid.

This man’s words were honeyed, his gaze calm and rational. Instinctively, she assumed he would be predictable in bed—someone she could handle.

Yet she never expected that once he moved, it would be like a wildfire, sparks scattering, as if he could consume her utterly.

In the chaos, A Wu nearly drowned, thrashing blindly.

What she didn’t know was that, to the Jingxi Emperor, her struggles only stirred something buried deep within him.

For the Jingxi Emperor, women were never lacking.

Princes of Great Hui married young, and the Jingxi Emperor, having ascended the throne in his youth, had wed early—taking an empress, selecting concubines, filling his harem as tradition dictated. His palace was never without gentle, exquisite women.

To him, the imperial harem was more about duty—perpetuating the royal bloodline, part of being a diligent ruler.

The Great Hui harem had strict and intricate protocols for royal summons. Every encounter with the emperor was recorded, and each concubine had to be bedded at least once every three months.

At first, he adhered strictly to these rules, visiting each concubine in turn without favoritism.

But later, after an injury during a hunt—though his vigor remained—no further heirs were conceived. The imperial physicians suspected some deeper damage and tried remedies, but to no avail.

He slackened, rarely summoning the harem afterward.

The empress and concubines had their suspicions but dared not ask, pretending obliviousness.

He knew the truth himself—it wasn’t that he couldn’t, but that he found it dull. He refused to be the ox plowing barren fields.

He was the emperor. Sometimes, he yielded to his whims. If he disliked something, he saw no need to force himself.

But now, here was A Wu—alluring, mysterious, struggling in his hold like a flailing fish. It awakened a predatory urge in the emperor, who was used to absolute control.

It was something atavistic, primal, a side of himself the Jingxi Emperor had never noticed before.

Suddenly, he realized that perhaps his years of disciplined morning exercises had been an outlet for these buried cravings—a way to burn away the urges he couldn’t act on, to keep himself safely in control, always victorious.

But now, this bewitching wisp of a thing had touched his nerves, igniting long-dormant desires. He was roused, as exhilarated as after his most intense workouts, craving to mold her in his arms!

He grew restless, feverish, unmoored, alight with ravenous need.

Meanwhile, A Wu trembled like a leaf in the wind, sobbing, "Please, my lord, have mercy... A Wu can’t take it anymore... spare me..."

Her soft, pleading whimpers only fueled the tempest. She was buffeted like a severed kite.

He lasted a long time—so long that A Wu was half-unconscious by the time it ended.

She curled up, shivering, her thoughts scattered.

Now she regretted it—deeply. She dimly sensed she had provoked someone she shouldn’t have.

Someone perhaps even more terrifying than Lu Yunjian!

***************

The sated sovereign bent to examine her. Her eyes were half-lidded, dazed, her expression blank.

He touched her forehead, examined her with his amber eyes, then left.

People were coming in and out of the chamber, seemingly tidying things up.

The rules here were strict; even with many people moving about, the chamber remained silent, tranquil, and impeccably orderly.

A Wu slowly regained her strength.

The man had been relentless in his passion—she had barely managed to endure it, feeling as though she had brushed against the gates of hell.

Now that it was finally over, she felt exhausted and slack, yet adrift with no future in sight. A sense of desolation filled her heart, and as memories of the past surfaced, tears gradually welled up in her eyes.

Leaning against the brocade coverlet, she wept softly, helplessly.

At that moment, the man reentered the chamber, and with a mere lift of his hand, the lanterns flared to life.

The light, filtered through glass and thin gauze, cast a honeyed glow. Though the room was well-lit, it was not harsh on the eyes.

A Wu stopped crying and gazed at the man with tear-filled eyes.

He had now fully attired himself, his slightly damp black hair carelessly bound with a satin ribbon. He wore an alabaster silk robe, loose and flowing, with subtle gilded ripples flickering across its surface—its material was unclear, but it was undoubtedly exquisite.

Seeing A Wu teetering between tears and wonder, her cheeks still wet yet her eyes wide with curiosity as she stared at him, the Jingxi Emperor found himself captivated.

A beauty’s tears, like rain on pear blossoms, utterly enchanting.

Born into the imperial family and raised within the palace walls, the Jingxi Emperor had seen it all—rare treasures, precious jewels, ancient texts, fine porcelain, and lavish extravagance accumulated over generations in the Great Hui Court.

Yet none of it had ever moved him. Accustomed to such splendor since childhood, he regarded it all with indifference—even the women of the harem.

Those who had served him since youth, kneeling at his feet—each was a peerless beauty, yet to him, whether plump or slender, they blurred together. One flower was much like another.

But this woman before him was different. She seemed carved from soft jade, every inch of her exquisitely crafted, as if she were a priceless artifact tailored just for him.

And she could cry—she could gaze at him with those innocent, lively eyes.

An overwhelming compassion and awe, unlike anything he had ever known, filled the Jingxi Emperor.

He bent down, his long fingers brushing away the damp strands of hair clinging to her cheeks, and asked gently, "Are you recovered?"

Hearing his question, A Wu understood his meaning.

Biting her lip shyly, she shrank bashfully away, trembling and averting her gaze.

By now, all the lanterns in the chamber had been lit—each one exquisitely crafted, seemingly made of ivory and carved with ethereal cranes soaring through clouds, clearly objects fit for the gods.

The lanterns illuminated the chamber brightly, allowing A Wu to finally see clearly.

She let out a dawning “ah!”

The Jingxi Emperor’s gaze remained fixed on her face, and now, seeing her expression of wonder, even the tears in her eyes seemed to pause.

Softly, he asked, "What is it?"

A Wu pointed to the nearby wall. "I thought this was solid brick earlier, wondering how such a lofty palace hall could appear in the mountains. Now I see—it’s all an illusion."

It turned out the "chamber" was not a chamber at all, but a pavilion of draped silks—jade-stitched silken hangings propped up and adorned with azure drapes painted to mimic masonry so realistic that, at first glance in the dim light, they resembled towering palace walls.

This pavilion of draped silks was erected along the thermal rivulets. Now, with the spring’s gentle trickling and the swirling mists, the grand "palace" stood in opulent splendor, shrouded in pearly vapors, as if floating in a realm of the immortals.

The Jingxi Emperor listened to A Wu's words and fell silent.

She was exquisitely beautiful, a rarity in this world, almost ethereal. Yet now, she spoke such naive and childish words, as if she knew nothing of the world, pure like a blank slate.

An emperor who had everything had the patience to shape her as he pleased.

He brought a silk robe and placed it around A Wu before asking, "Who are you? How did you end up in my hot spring?"

He’d asked earlier, but she’d been too flustered to reply, so he dropped it.

Earlier, while changing, the Imperial Guard captain reported that they’d scoured a ten-mile radius and found no suspicious individuals. As for where the woman had fallen, they’d only found scattered footprints.

Based on those footprints, it seemed she had come here alone. They were still tracking leads.

The Jingxi Emperor wasn’t in a rush. After all, she was in his hands now.

He ruled the world—wherever the sun and moon shone, wherever the wind and rain reached, who’d dare cross him?

Just a woman—whether a malevolent spirit, an immortal cultivator, or simply a scheming mortal—if he wanted her, she was his.

Under absolute power, even demons had to back down.

Yet, seeing the slightly bewildered look on the young woman's face, he gave nothing away and just asked softly, "Are you hungry again?"

A Wu went still at that, then instinctively placed a hand on her stomach.

She hadn’t noticed before, but now that he mentioned hunger, she suddenly felt ravenous, her stomach about to rumble!

She had been starving earlier, but too eager to trap him, she had ignored it. Those few pastries were long gone.

Hearing the unseemly growl, her cheeks flushed, and she muttered softly, "I wasn’t full earlier."

Her voice was soft, sweet, like honey.

The Jingxi Emperor raised his hand slightly in a gesture, and two lines of maids streamed in, swiftly setting up a long table with plates and utensils. It unfolded like magic. By the time A Wu realized it, a whole spread of exquisite dishes lay before her, each one delicate and mouthwatering.

She blinked in confusion, looking at the Jingxi Emperor with a dazed expression, hesitating to speak.

The Jingxi Emperor: "Hmm?"

A Wu parted her lips and whispered in a very low voice, "Just who are you, sir?"

Hearing this, the Jingxi Emperor understood—she was no spirit or immortal as he had suspected. She knew the ways of the mortal world.

So he replied calmly, "And you? Who are you?"

A Wu’s eyes clouded with confusion. She touched her head and shook it slightly. "I... I don’t remember..."

Playing the fool.

The Jingxi Emperor observed her and said, "If you don’t even remember yourself, why ask who I am?"

A Wu thought this man was truly cunning, but at this moment, she couldn’t say much, lest he grow suspicious.

She could only take things one step at a time.

Then, the Jingxi Emperor personally picked up chopsticks and served her a dish. "Would you like to try this?"

A Wu accepted it and nibbled daintily.

As she ate, the Jingxi Emperor observed her with quiet composure.

The more A Wu ate, the more she realized that the ingredients of this meal betrayed his high status—was he perhaps royalty?

She felt a flicker of relief. Though this man might be hard to manage, he appeared slightly older than her and treated her with kindness. If she stayed with him, she might gain some protection.

However, a man of his age and standing likely already had wives and concubines. She would probably end up as yet another concubine.

—But then again, given her background, she could never be the principal wife to anyone of status.

As for regular townsfolk, even if they were willing to make her their principal wife, how could they possibly protect her?

So she had no choice but to accept it.

A Wu didn’t have a particularly large appetite. Eating slowly, she soon felt full.

Once satisfied, she grew more alert and had the energy to glance around.

The Jingxi Emperor asked, "Tired?"

A Wu nodded.

He found her nod adorably meek.

He reached out and took her hand. "Come, I’ll take you back where I’m staying."

A Wu replied softly, "Alright."

She tucked away all her edges, playing the part of a guileless bunny.

The Jingxi Emperor then swung an ornate cloak over A Wu, wrapping her up tightly before scooping her into his arms.

The cloak was woven with gold thread and peacock feathers, glinting with gold and peacock hues. Curious, A Wu squirmed to look, but the Emperor’s strong hand held her head firmly, preventing her from looking up.

He leaned in, his deep voice growling near her ear, "You draw too much notice."

A Wu went still for a moment before understanding his meaning.

Just like how the Crown Prince had hidden her in the Huancui Garden, this man also seemed to think she belonged in shadows.

But that was fine—in fact, it worked to her advantage.