Chapter Nine: Food and Desire, Human Nature Itself
Bian Zhenxin dared to swear by the all-powerful God of Flames that he had never seen such a beautiful woman in his life. This was also the reason he was willing to risk everything to take her away—he knew that missing this chance would be a lifelong regret.
Yes, he had fallen in love.
From the very first moment he laid eyes on Phoenix, he was captivated. He wanted to make her his own. Only among the stars could such a delicate and enchanting daughter be born; on the Old Earth, it was impossible. The women there were all dusty, their skin unpleasant, and they knew nothing of grooming or dressing up…
Even the few whose appearance was passable, whose skin was somewhat fair, entirely lacked that certain bearing in their every gesture…
Yes, bearing!
Now he understood why he was so enthralled by Phoenix—her bearing was simply too unique. She stood there in utter silence, yet all eyes were irresistibly drawn to her. As serene as orchids, as radiant as the bright moon.
That dazzling brilliance, that pleasing beauty, was a sight rarely seen in a lifetime.
No, it was the only time in his life he had ever seen such a thing.
He had accompanied his father to various banquets and met the wives and daughters of high-ranking Shrine members, but compared to this woman, they were like hens beside a phoenix.
“Let me go!”
“Let me go… My father will kill you when he returns!”
“You fools…”
——
Deep in the forest, Phoenix was cursing furiously.
Unfortunately, her good upbringing kept her from spitting out any real profanities. Compared to the earlier bravado of Tang Fei and Little Fatty, her performance was utterly lacking.
It was the first time she realized that cursing was a skill—family titles, animal names, and body parts thrown together could create such explosive chemistry, driving people’s blood pressure up and their emotions out of control, often leading to all sorts of desperate, reckless acts.
She had to admit, her verbal skills left much to be desired!
“Let her go!” Bian Zhenxin spoke up.
This woman was already in his grasp, his personal possession. Naturally, he felt a surge of tender protectiveness. Besides, in these wild mountains, what could a pampered daughter from the stars possibly do?
Escape? Impossible.
If she didn’t fall into his hands, she would end up the prey of some mutant beast…
“Better a miserable life than a good death”—everyone from the Old Earth knew this saying.
And they lived by it.
The gray-robed men released Phoenix’s arms, restoring her freedom.
Phoenix stretched, showing off her “delicate fists and slender legs,” then glared at the black-robed man in outrage. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing? You just abducted me… Once my father finds out, he’ll kill you all.”
Bian Zhenxin watched with relish, utterly unafraid of her threats. His smile was wild. “Kill us? Do you even know who I am? Do you know where you are?”
“They can only track us to the Flame Shrine, but our numbers are overwhelming… Even if your family has some minor influence on the New Star, what does it matter? The sky is high and the emperor far away—do you really think they can reach us?”
“How many could you possibly bring? Fifty? A hundred? But do you know how many people our Flame Shrine has? Do you know how many of us are just in the Henshan district alone?”
Survival was too harsh, life too desperate; humans longed for someone to lead them out of misery, to show them the way. Thus, the omnipotent gods were born.
When the Flame Shrine was first established, it was a sanctuary for the faithful.
Later, as their influence grew and they were on the verge of replacing the old administrative structures, all sorts of unsavory people were drawn to them.
For the sake of survival, power, women, or even self-preservation… everyone sought a way into the Shrine.
So, countless thugs, bullies, thieves, and even predators donned new garb and joined the Flame Shrine…
It became a den of criminals, a haven for terrorists.
“And even if you managed to dispatch a regular army after us, what then? We’d simply vanish into the deep mountains or forbidden zones… Where would you look for us? And even if you found us, what could you do? You couldn’t kill us—you might just end up as food for the beasts…”
Bian Zhenxin looked at Phoenix, his tone cold. “So, if I were you, I’d behave myself… As long as you please your master, your days might not be so hard… Otherwise, you’ll find life intolerable, death unreachable…”
“When I tire of you, I’ll pass you to my brothers. When they grow bored, you’ll be sold to the predators… Do you know what you’ll face then? By that time, you’ll long for my mercy…”
A scrawny, monkey-faced subordinate, hearing his leader talk about “rewarding my brothers,” eyes shining, sidled closer to the black-robed man and suggested, “Divine Envoy, by my calculations, today is an auspicious day… Why not take this woman here and now, under the heavens and upon the earth, and make her yours?”
Bian Zhenxin looked around, tempted.
Food and lust are basic human instincts, and he had no resistance to Phoenix’s beauty and allure. He was already parched, blood boiling, and would love nothing more than to have her body as soon as possible.
What’s more, this place was remote and quiet, his brothers standing guard. To consummate a union in nature was just his style.
His only concern was Phoenix’s emotions—he didn’t want to seem like a desperate rogue or a vulgar brute. He wanted to win her favor, to capture her heart…
“Strange, why do I care what a woman thinks?” Bian Zhenxin was startled by the thought.
He’d taken women by force before—use them, discard them. Only the highest quality ones remained at the Shrine for long-term enjoyment.
What was wrong with him today?
No, no—women only cloud the mind, preventing him from being as ruthless as before.
Bian Zhenxin decided he couldn’t let a woman sway him, so he prepared to accept his subordinate’s suggestion and have his way with Phoenix right here in the wilds.
Who knew what ideas his old man might get once they returned…
His gaze leered at Phoenix as he said, “I think they’re right… What do you say?”
“Don’t come any closer!” Phoenix clutched her chest, imitating the scenes she’d seen in melodramatic romance dramas where the heroine was about to be violated.
She retreated, face pale, voice trembling with fear. “Don’t come any closer…”
“Divine Envoy, she’s summoning you…” the monkey-faced man said with a cheeky grin.
In their eyes, a powerless woman saying such words to a man was the clearest invitation.
Bian Zhenxin’s spirits lifted. He waved his subordinates away, signaling them to withdraw and not spoil the mood.
“Enjoy yourself, Divine Envoy…”
“We’ll keep count for you this time… Maybe you’ll set a new record…”
“Leave security to us—not even a fly will get through…”
——
The gray-robed men jeered and joked, more excited than if they were taking action themselves.
Bian Zhenxin, wrapped in his black robe, approached Phoenix with a playful smile.
Step by step…
If Phoenix backed away quickly, he pursued quickly. If she slowed, so did he.
He loved this—noblewomen from the New Star knew how to play, unlike the women he’d taken from the Old Earth, who just lay there like dead pigs, never learning anything new.
Bang!
Phoenix’s back slammed hard against the trunk of a large tree, its diameter over a meter wide, its leaves dense, blotting out the sky.
“This is the place!” Bian Zhenxin reached out both arms, trapping Phoenix in place. His arms and the tree trunk formed a perfect circle—Phoenix couldn’t move at all, their faces mere inches apart.
“This is the place!” Phoenix squinted and smiled.
Bian Zhenxin was struck by her beauty—her smile was enchanting.
But something felt wrong…
Why was she smiling? Was this what she’d wanted all along?
She said, “This is the place”…
Why would she say that?
Danger!
Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Phoenix suddenly raised her knee.
Bang!
A heavy blow sounded.
It was as if something shattered.
Immediately, Bian Zhenxin’s body doubled over, his face contorted with agony.
At that moment, a dark shadow dropped from above.
Slash!
A dog-leg knife plunged cleanly through Bian Zhenxin’s skull, straight into his brain.