Chapter 597: One Person and One Fox, Playing Everyone Around!
On a certain planet with continuous mountains and perpetually falling crimson maple leaves, a luxurious building had suddenly appeared on a cliffside peak, overlooking the serene, scarlet landscape.
Inside one of its opulent rooms, the air was thick with the scent of perfume, sweat, and satisfaction.
"Alas, Benefactor, this humble one's guess was correct; this trip is indeed not peaceful," Tingyun purred, her voice a low, seductive murmur. She lay intimately against Ren's bare chest, her body draped over his like a second skin. One of her fluffy fox ears was being playfully twirled between his fingers, and her large, soft tail was draped over their joined bodies, being gently kneaded by his other hand.
"Hehe, you knew the possibilities and still came out with me," he chuckled, his voice a low rumble against her ear.
If she hadn't come, she probably wouldn't be lying on him now, exhausted and blissfully disheveled after a truly chaotic "battle." Just a few hours ago, this room had been a whirlwind of activity. It had all started with his simple suggestion, masterfully amplified by Tingyun's cunning mediation. One by one, the less experienced girls had fallen to their combined assault.
He recalled Fu Xuan's fierce but futile resistance, her prideful glares slowly melting into breathless moans as he and Tingyun worked together to break down her defenses. He remembered Qingque's lazy compliance, her usual desire to slack off perfectly aligning with simply lying back and letting him do all the work, her soft sighs the only indication of her participation. And then there were Guinaifen and Sushang, the innocent duo, their initial wide-eyed curiosity turning into a flurry of surprised yelps and unrestrained cries of pleasure as they were introduced to a world of sensations they never knew existed.
It was, as Tingyun had predicted, anything but peaceful.
Tingyun's foxy eyes swept over Fu Xuan, Qingque, Guinaifen, and Sushang, who were all sound asleep in a tangled, beautiful pile of limbs and blankets around the massive bed. A charming, victorious smile appeared on her lips. "Who told you, Benefactor, that you saved this humble one's life? In Xianzhou, there's a culture of 'repaying a life-saving kindness by offering oneself.'"
"Oh?" He hooked her chin, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Don't think I don't understand Xianzhou culture. The culture you're talking about is from popular romance novels. And isn't it said you only offer yourself if you meet a good-looking person?"
She wasn't embarrassed by his teasing; instead, she lightly kissed his lips. Smiling, she said, "Perhaps this humble one has read too many books. But since things have come to this, you shouldn't abandon me, right?" As she spoke, she used her foot to hook her tail and gently rub its soft fur against his thigh, a clear invitation for another round.
His subsequent actions showed he had no intention of abandoning her.
Vixen! Fu Xuan, with her back to the two, stared wide-eyed at the wall, furiously complaining in her heart. She had thought it would be a sweet trip for her and her future husband. She never expected him to be divided among a vixen, an airhead, a street performer, and a slacker queen. But "love is blind." Although she had resentment, she stubbornly believed he was the one being seduced.
Her wide-open eyes happened to catch Qingque's half-open, half-closed ones. She was just pretending to sleep. Originally, she was just eavesdropping on their post-battle flirtations, but she felt a sharp gaze. She opened her eyes and saw the Grand Diviner's stare fixed on her. Their eyes met. She was caught. An indescribable awkwardness spread between them.
Fiore Kingdom. Fairy Tail Guild. The hall was filled with the sounds of clanking mugs, raucous laughter, and the scent of spilled ale.
"Hiss! I can't believe Erza actually completed the 100-year quest alone in just a few days! That's incredible!!!"
"Natsu, weren't you going to challenge her? Why are you so dejected?"
"You bastard! I'm going to defeat her sooner or later!"
"Hahahaha!"
It was as noisy as ever. Everyone was celebrating Erza. Her strength was surprising. Even Gildarts, their strongest mage, hadn't returned for almost three years from that quest.
A drunken Macao raised his glass. "Do you think Erza might be the strongest now?"
"Bang!" A table on the second floor of the guild shattered into splinters. Only S-class mages were permitted up there.
"Strongest? Heh heh, you dare call yourself the strongest without defeating me?" an arrogant, crackling voice boomed, silencing the hall.
Everyone looked up. Under heavy footsteps, a man in a fur-collared coat walked to the edge of the platform. He had short yellow hair, a lightning bolt-shaped scar over his right eye, and wore headphones over his ears.
"Laxus, what do you mean?" Natsu asked, his usual grin gone, replaced with a serious look.
Laxus glanced at him with utter disdain, completely ignoring him. He scanned the crowd below and sneered, "Heh, just flattery from a bunch of weaklings."
"You bastard!!!" Natsu's mouth ignited with flames.
"Natsu!" Happy quickly flew up and covered his mouth. It wasn't just Natsu; many in the guild were angry at his contemptuous gaze, but there was nothing they could do. He was an S-class mage, and he was Master Makarov's grandson.
Makarov's expression turned stern. "Laxus, take that back."
Laxus completely ignored him. He snorted coldly and looked at Erza. To be honest, he was shocked she had completed the quest. But that didn't mean he thought he was weaker. "Erza, why do you mix with a bunch of weaklings?"
Erza's gaze was serious and firm. "Sorry, my philosophy is different from yours. No one is born strong; everyone grows from being weak. Natsu and the others aren't weak; they just haven't finished growing yet."
As soon as she spoke, Laxus knew they were not on the same path. He snorted coldly, turned, and walked out of sight.
Just as the others were about to resume their celebration, the guild's main doors were suddenly burst open.
Loki, his usual suave demeanor gone and replaced with sheer panic, shouted, "Something terrible has happened! Blue Pegasus... has been annihilated!"
[Inorin Note:
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