Chapter 112: We, We Cannot Do This

The men in black seemed startled, clearly unable to comprehend why she remained conscious despite being drugged. However, they were trained professionals, and this momentary lapse in focus lasted only a heartbeat. The next instant, they drew their swords and closed in on Jin'er.

As the clash of steel began, Mo Yan, from the adjacent room, arrived at the sound. The room, already modest in size, suddenly felt cramped.

At first, Jin'er believed that although their opponents were formidable, they were few in number; with Mo Yan by her side, handling them should not have been a problem. Gradually, however, she realized she had been too optimistic. Her body was undergoing changes—a growing heat and a weakening of her limbs.

Damn it! Was there an aphrodisiac mixed in with the sedative? Who was so shameless?

She was immune to sedatives, but aphrodisiacs were her Achilles' heel. Daring not to slacken her defense, Jin'er gritted her teeth and fought for her life.

The cold light of her Flying Flower Sword flickered, slicing through the flesh of a black-clad assailant. Blood splattered silently, and the room was soon thick with the scent of iron.

Jin'er and Mo Yan each took on three attackers. Though Jin'er gave her all, the opponents were skilled; she had only managed to severely wound one, while the other two suffered only minor injuries. Mo Yan, who initially held the upper hand and had severely wounded two, began to falter.

Seeing Mo Yan’s condition—he seemed sluggish—Jin'er realized he must have inhaled the residual sedative when he entered. Panic surged within her. If this stalemate continued, they would surely face a dire fate. She cursed her own lack of foresight for not keeping her poisons on her after her bath.

Looking for an exit, Jin'er fought toward the door. One of the men, anticipating her intent, flashed forward and slammed the door shut. Enraged, Jin'er exploited an opening and landed a heavy blow on one of her two remaining opponents.

Just then, she heard a muffled groan. Looking over in alarm, she saw Mo Yan take a sword strike.

"Mo Yan!" Jin'er cried out, just as a gust of sword energy flew toward her.

Her gaze turned icy. Her body swayed like a willow in the wind, arching backward to evade the strike. Using her long sword as a pivot, she vaulted out of the encirclement formed by the three men. Simultaneously, she drew her blade across her own left wrist.

The three men paused, confused by her action, but only for a second before closing in again. In that split second, Jin'er drew a mouthful of her own blood. Dodging another blow, she spat the blood directly at the three men.

Fortunately, they were not wearing masks. She prayed this would work.

"Damn it, what are you doing?!" The men were caught off guard. One dodged aside, but the other two were caught in the spray—one cursing, the other raising a hand to block. In that instant, the bloody mist drifted into their mouths and was inhaled through their noses.

Ignoring them, Jin'er turned her focus to the man who had dodged aside.

"Ah!" The man who had been cursing suddenly shrieked. He stumbled, collapsed to the floor, and after a few spasms, lay still. The other man, shocked, clutched his chest, propping himself up with his sword, his eyes wide with horror as he stared at Jin'er. His hands trembled, and before long, he too groaned and collapsed.

Mo Yan, his consciousness bolstered by the pain of his injury, gritted his teeth. His sword erupted with a fierce, fiery crimson glow, illuminating the dark room. He had been careless before; now, while his mind remained clear, he needed to end this slaughter.

With a flash of his blade, he struck. His opponent raised his own sword to parry, but the weapon shattered into scrap metal upon impact. The man panicked and retreated. The other two attackers charged at Mo Yan, one of them also manifesting a crimson glow, though it was significantly weaker than Mo Yan's.

Mo Yan let out a cold snort, confirming his suspicions. With a ruthless gaze, the light on his sword transformed into roaring flames. The opponent with the fire spirit was stunned, clearly not expecting Mo Yan’s power to be so great, and turned to flee. Mo Yan would not allow it and blocked his path.

Thus, a fight more intense than before began.

Meanwhile, the last opponent facing Jin'er was astonished to see his comrades fall. Seeing Mo Yan display his power and kill another, and realizing the room was now a series of one-on-one duels, he sensed his own demise. He parried Jin'er’s relentless strikes while searching for an escape.

They had underestimated Mo Yan, intending only to spirit the woman away quietly with drugs. They never expected her to be so skilled—or that her blood would be a lethal weapon. The situation was entirely beyond their calculations.

Just as he thought this, he felt a chill at his throat. His eyes widened, filled with sudden, boundless terror and despair.

Blood sprayed from his neck, splashing onto Jin'er’s face. The thick, metallic tang made her gag. She kicked the dying man aside and turned toward Mo Yan, her beautiful almond eyes flashing with a predatory light. Gripping her sword, she rushed toward the final assailant who was still struggling against the wounded Mo Yan. With a flash of steel, the man, already exhausted by their combined efforts, fell under multiple wounds.

As his burning body hit the floor with a thud, silence returned, broken only by the heavy breathing of Jin'er and Mo Yan.

A groan followed. Mo Yan, having held on by sheer will, finally relaxed, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.

"How are you? Are you badly hurt?" Jin'er snapped back to reality, rushing to his side. The room was dim, lit only by the dying flames of the assassin's clothing.

She couldn't see his wounds clearly, but the sight of the crimson stain on his chest made her heart stop.

"It's not severe, just a bit dizzy... and hot," Mo Yan said with a faint smile. He knew he had been drugged, but fortunately, the dosage wasn't fatal, or he wouldn't have been able to resist.

Not daring to delay, Jin'er draped his arm over her shoulder and helped him up. Ignoring the prying eyes of the inn staff and guests, she steered him into the next room and helped him onto the bed.

She returned to her own room to retrieve her pack, then hurried back, locking the door and lighting the lamps. The dark room finally glowed with warmth. She quickly found two vials and fed him the antidote from the smaller one. Fortunately, she had been well-prepared.

Setting the vial aside, she saw his white undergarments were soaked in blood from his chest to his abdomen. Her heart raced, but she pushed aside her fear and began to unfasten his clothes.

"Your current actions make me think of the word 'indecent,'" Mo Yan said, staring at her with a faint smile, his eyes gradually clearing.

Jin'er rolled her eyes. "Is this really the time for jokes?"

As she opened his robe, his jade-white chest was revealed. Had it not been for the blood staining his right chest and abdomen, it would have been an incredibly alluring sight.

It was then that Jin'er realized her own face was burning, her body feverish, and a strange, restless stirring took hold of her. She had suppressed the aphrodisiac’s effects while fighting, but now that she was relaxed, the symptoms returned with a vengeance.

She coughed, trying to focus on his wounds. Finding the deep, bleeding gash near his shoulder, she sighed with relief—it hadn't hit anything vital.

She finished removing his robe, tore a clean piece of fabric for bandages, cleaned the wound, and applied medicinal powder. She carefully helped him sit up to wrap the bandage.

The touch of her fingertips against his skin made her feel his high temperature. He trembled slightly at her touch. Jin'er blushed, his masculine scent enveloping her, her breathing turning ragged.

*Damn it, I must leave!* she thought, her hands moving faster. Being this close to a handsome, half-naked man she loved—even without the drug—would have been enough to make her mind wander. With the aphrodisiac, it was pure torture.

Fortunately, the drug was only an auxiliary and not potent enough to completely override their will. Once she finished, she would meditate to calm her mind.

As she tied the knot, she looked up to find Mo Yan staring at her, his eyes burning with undisguised desire. Jin'er panicked and tried to pull away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the edge of the bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her heart hammering. She hadn't forgotten he was drugged too. Seeing that look, she feared he might pounce on her at any moment.

Seeing her fear, Mo Yan suppressed his longing, licked his dry lips, and picked up a damp cloth she had used to wipe his face, moving to wipe her face instead.

Jin'er flinched, confused.

"You have blood on your face," he whispered, his voice hoarse and hypnotic.

She froze, unable to move, letting him wipe her face while her heart raced. Looking at his handsome face, her eyes landed on his thin, alluring lips. A desperate urge to kiss him grew, so strong that she bit her lower lip until it hurt to suppress it.

"Let go, you've bitten your lip," Mo Yan murmured, his finger tracing her lips with tenderness.

Jin'er shivered, her heart skipping a beat. Just as she moved to escape, he pulled her waist, and his lips descended upon hers.

The hot, soft sensation caused her defenses to crumble. Her last shred of reason fought back—they were drugged, they would lose control—but as he deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth, her will vanished. Only a deep, aching longing remained. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

They clung to each other, kissing desperately, as if trying to consume one another.

Breathing heavily, Mo Yan suddenly stopped and pulled away.

Jin'er felt a sudden emptiness. Before she could react, her outer robe was stripped away, and he lifted her onto the bed. He removed her shoes and lay beside her, gazing at her. His eyes, while burning with passion, were filled with a tenderness that made her want to drown in them.

She turned toward him, resting a hand on his waist, and kissed him again. Seeing the joy in his eyes, she felt encouraged and kissed him more fervently. She didn't want to think about anything else—she only wanted to enjoy this moment.

Her hands wandered over his muscular frame, her tongue teasing him. Feeling his tremors of excitement, she felt a sense of triumph and fulfillment.

Soon, Mo Yan rolled over, pressing her beneath him, kissing her neck and ears while undoing her undergarment. Jin'er felt a chill, realizing she was down to her pink chemise. As he stared at her, she tried to cover herself, but he caught her hands and kissed her chest.

He stripped away her remaining layers, leaving her exposed. She closed her eyes, turning her head away, breathing unsteadily. Mo Yan rose slightly, his hands caressing her waist, marveling at her delicate, fair skin. He wanted to possess her, but he didn't want to rush the beauty of the moment.

Jin'er kept her eyes shut, gritting her teeth against the overwhelming pleasure his touch ignited.

"Mo Yan!" she cried out, her voice trembling with frustration and longing.

He finally stopped, his body hovering over hers, his hardened, burning core pressing against her.

"Ah!" Jin'er gasped, freezing. Seeing him panting, struggling to restrain himself, she felt a flash of fear, her consciousness returning.

"Mo Yan... what are we doing? Let me go," she pushed him, but her strength was gone.

"Jin'er, I want you," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

"We... we've been drugged. We can't," she pleaded.

"No," he said, his voice firm. "I am clear-headed, and so are you. That drug isn't controlling us; it’s only giving us the courage we lacked. Jin'er, you know how much I love you, don't you?" He gently stroked her flushed face. "You love me too, don't you?"

Looking into his eyes, she realized he wasn't acting out of drug-induced madness, but out of genuine desire.

"Jin'er, do you love me?" he asked, his eyes filled with hope.

She had never confessed her feelings. She had always kept him at a distance, causing him constant anxiety. He needed to know.

She stared at him, unable to speak. His earnest gaze made her heart race. She had never confessed to anyone. Seeing her silence, his eyes dimmed with disappointment and pain.

"I understand," he said with a sad smile, moving to leave.

Just then, she reached out and grabbed his arm.

He froze in shock. Slowly, a warmth returned to his eyes, replaced by a glimmer of hope. He looked back to see Jin'er biting her lip, her expression complex.

After a long moment, she sighed, pouting reluctantly. "What's the rush? I never said I didn't love you."

Before she could finish, he pulled her into a fierce embrace.

"I knew it, I knew you loved me... Jin'er, I love you so much!" he murmured, his voice trembling with excitement. "Do you know? This is the second happiest moment of my life. I feel like I could die of happiness!"

"The second happiest?" she rolled her eyes. "Is that any way to sweet-talk someone?"

Mo Yan laughed sheepishly, pulling back to look at her. "The happiest was the day I rescued you from the Crown Prince's mansion and realized you were alive."