Chapter 62: Feathered Cloak

Her voice was soft and exceptionally charming. Zhao Xing's outstretched hand unconsciously paused as he turned his head to look towards the source of the sound.

At one end of the small stream, a young girl suddenly appeared.

Her face was pretty, and her eyes were clear. Dressed in white with a sash flowing around her waist, she exuded an ethereal aura.

Her red lips slightly parted as she called out "Brother" towards him, her voice sweet. She raised her fair arms and waved, her smile pure.

As if she had finally seen her beloved after a long time, she started running towards him.

"Calling me?" Zhao Xing paused for a moment but still picked up the Vermillion Fruit.

When the girl saw his action, a flicker of surprise appeared in her eyes, and her steps quickened.

At the same time, the silver bells on her wrists jingled, emitting a crisp and melodious sound.

"Brother, have you forgotten me so quickly? I'm Qian'er," the girl said. She floated across the stream, stopped, and lowered her gaze, seemingly shy.

Zhao Xing watched her silently and quietly gave an order.

"Brother, last time we were together, you kept saying you'd come find Qian'er and that you'd bring the best treasure for me. Now Qian'er is here," Lu Qian said, slowly approaching, her alluring aura growing stronger.

She pointed at the Vermillion Fruit in Zhao Xing's hand, her red lips slightly parted as she asked, "Brother, are you going to give this to me?"

"You mean this?" Zhao Xing said, raising the Vermillion Fruit in his hand, his expression like that of a doting idiot, as he took two steps forward.

"Yes!" Lu Qian smiled even more happily.

"You're dreaming."

Lu Qian's smile froze. She immediately realized something was wrong.

This person was not affected by her charm spell!

Not only that, she even felt a hint of danger!

"Oh no!" Lu Qian immediately retreated.

She retreated quickly on her tiptoes with small, rapid steps, like a nimble dancer.

Her clothes billowed, colorful silk ribbons extended from beneath her sleeves, and her dancing sleeves fluttered up and down, making her figure exceptionally agile.

But she was still a step too late.

From the earth covered in autumn leaves, a golden palm suddenly emerged and seized her ankle!

A whooshing sound filled the air. Immediately, figures rose from the ground in all directions around her, quickly surrounding her.

"These are... straw figures?"

Lu Qian was somewhat astonished. Her dancing sleeves suddenly straightened and became rigid, like large blades, as she slashed them towards the Mighty Vajra holding her ankle.

"Clang!" A sound of clashing metal rang out. Her dancing sleeves bounced back, and only a faint white mark appeared on the Mighty Vajra's arm.

"What? It won't cut?" Lu Qian was shocked.

This was a top-grade, Tier-2 Silver Silk Sleeve Blade. It couldn't even cut a straw figure?

"Knock her down," Zhao Xing ordered indifferently.

"Wait!" Lu Qian's face turned pale with shock. She was about to say something when a Mighty Vajra rushed forward fiercely.

"Thud!" Lu Qian took a punch to the face, and her right eye immediately swelled up.

"Ah—" She was knocked backward, her cry of pain cut short as soon as it began.

The reason was that another Mighty Vajra jumped up and delivered an elbow strike to her left eye.

"Thud!" The white-clad fairy was immediately knocked down into the dirt, lying stiffly in the mud with a pair of panda eyes.

"Hang her up."

Zhao Xing waved his hand, having the binding straw figures hang the unconscious Lu Qian on a tree.

She received the same treatment as Zong Shichang, strung up in a full split between two trees.

"Splash~" A basin of water was poured over Lu Qian, and she woke up from unconsciousness.

"You, you let me go!"

Lu Qian was drenched, her graceful figure faintly visible. A perfectly timed expression of weakness appeared on her face as she bit her lower lip, looking pitiful. "You, what do you want?" she whimpered. "Don't come any closer!"

Zhao Xing actually stopped and said indifferently, "Stop pretending."

"You, what are you saying?" Lu Qian's gaze was somewhat unnatural.

"You're wearing a top-grade, Tier-3 Peacock Plume Robe underneath," Zhao Xing said, looking at her with a half-smile. "If I really came over to strip your clothes, I'd immediately fall for your trick and be enchanted by you. Do you think I don't know?"

Lu Qian's expression changed. She knew she was doomed today.

Her inner garment had been seen through; this person was much stronger than she had imagined.

Her charm spell had no effect on him at all!

Little did she know, Zhao Xing was a man who had passed the tenth level of the Heart-Enquiry Platform. Her meager illusion techniques were completely incomparable to the national-level elite trials of the Grand Dream Academy.

"Since Your Excellency has seen through me, please spare my life. I don't want this Vermillion Fruit anymore," Lu Qian said solemnly, shedding her alluring demeanor.

"What do you mean 'you don't want it anymore'?" Zhao Xing retorted. "It was never yours to begin with. You were planning to rob me."

Lu Qian argued, "I found the Vermillion Fruit up there. I was about to pick it when it fell down from above. Technically, I discovered it first."

Zhao Xing remained unmoved. "That reason isn't enough for me to let you go."

"What do you want?"

"Simple. Pay for your life. I want your Peacock Plume Robe."

"You..." Lu Qian was immediately filled with shame and anger.

The Peacock Plume Robe was not just a treasure; it was also her personal inner garment. To have it taken by a stranger like this was something she found impossible to accept.

Zhao Xing, however, did not give her much time to consider. "Due to the rules, I cannot directly kill you," he said. "If you want to be decent, take it off yourself. Otherwise, I'll have to help you."

"Fine, I'll take it off myself! You must keep your word!" Lu Qian gritted her teeth, having resigned herself to defeat.

If she remained tied up here, her life would truly be in danger.

Zhao Xing warned, "Don't try any more tricks, otherwise I can't guarantee I'll control the force of the counterattack."

After saying that, he waved his hand and had the binding straw figures release Lu Qian.

Lu Qian had been punched twice, and her whole body ached. She knew she couldn't resist and could only be at his mercy. This outcome was already quite good.

So she didn't try any more tricks. She turned her back, reached her hands inside her collar, and after some fumbling, unfastened a colorful inner garment.

"Here," Lu Qian said, turning around and handing over the Peacock Plume Robe. In her heart, she still held some hope that Zhao Xing would see the robe and be affected.

Unexpectedly, he remained unmoved and completely unaffected. This extinguished Lu Qian's last shred of hope.

"Good stuff."

High-grade Peacock Plume Robes are crafted from the feathers of rare peacocks, but this one used the feathers of a Roc-Phoenix.

However, one feather within it belonged to a Tier-4 rare beast, and the eye pattern on it made it hard to look away.

Zhao Xing stared directly at the robe, his eyes becoming somewhat unfocused. He quickly activated his Bright Eyes spell to cut off the spiritual connection.

This girl in front of him should be a sixth-tier Gathering Essence realm Illusionary Dancer. Dancers were typically officials of the Music Bureau. During the Zhou Dynasty, the system of rites and music flourished, used for sacrifices and other grand official ceremonies.

"Your Excellency has received the robe. Please allow me to take my leave," Lu Qian said, her tone stiff and clearly in a bad mood.

She had been a bit careless and somewhat impatient. Seeing that Zhao Xing was only at the fourth tier of the Gathering Essence realm, she hadn't even used her dancing skills or the Peacock Plume Robe. Otherwise, her charm spell would have been even stronger.

"Wait a moment."

"What? You..." Lu Qian was shocked and furious. Just as she was about to resist, she was knocked unconscious by a slap from a Mighty Vajra and collapsed limply to the ground.

"I said I'd let you go, but I didn't say when."

Zhao Xing didn't know if Lu Qian had any accomplices. His Vajra Bamboo was still a little short of maturity, so naturally, he had to wait until he left before releasing her.