At that moment, May Gu had already sidled up to Shawn, her supple, snake-like body pressing against his back. Her soft, ample curves squished into him in a rather suggestive manner. She practically nibbled on Shawn’s ear as she giggled softly, “Oh—who would’ve thought, Mantis Guo, you really do have some skills! I never knew you had this kind of talent before, hehe—looks like you’ve got quite a few secrets, huh?”
May Gu’s words instantly made Shawn feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. He glanced across the pool, catching Tiger Cloud’s fierce glare sweeping over him. Even Andrew Qi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, seemed to have his attention focused on Shawn. Nervousness washed over him, and his body tensed up. Sensing this, May Gu placed her delicate hands on his shoulders, her touch just right—firm yet gentle, almost professional—helping Shawn relax despite his anxiety.
May Gu giggled, “Hehe—so, how’s my service, pretty good, right?”
“Uh—yeah—yeah, it’s great! Really great—” Shawn nodded eagerly, squinting his eyes and looking completely blissed out.
“Hmph—hope she drains you dry and turns you into a dead mantis!” Tiger Cloud spat from across the pool, his eyes burning with jealousy. Clearly, he’d had some improper thoughts about May Gu himself, and now he was seriously provoked.
Shawn was startled by this, suddenly recalling May Gu’s notorious skill for draining men’s vitality. His body tensed up again, but May Gu just puckered her bright red lips teasingly at Tiger Cloud and laughed, “Hehe—don’t worry, Mantis Guo, I won’t use the ‘Maiden’s Heart Sutra’ on you. Next time, let’s find a nice place and really have some fun—hehe, your elephant is way more impressive than that limp little tiger!”
“You—” Tiger Cloud jolted as if shocked, jumping up in the pool, furious. Shawn glanced over and finally got a good look at his ‘little tiger’—it was laughably out of proportion to his big, fierce frame, even smaller than average, drooping lifelessly.
“Haha—of course, my elephant’s way tougher than the little tiger! May Gu, whenever you want to have some fun, your little brother’s always ready!” Shawn grinned wickedly, standing up in the pool too. His proud ‘elephant’ lifted its head toward Tiger Cloud, looking all smug and cocky.
Tiger Cloud saw this and felt a surge of anger in his chest. His bronzed face darkened instantly. He’d always been self-conscious about his little tiger, and Shawn’s move had just stabbed right at his pride. Tiger Cloud grunted, clenching his pale fists, ready to blow up.
Just then, Andrew Qi, who’d been silent all this time, squinted and spoke up, “Ahem—ahem—Elder Wan, calm yourself!”
Tiger Cloud froze, then shot Shawn a vicious middle finger. He snarled, “Dead mantis, just you wait! We’ll see who comes out on top!”
“Elder Wan, didn’t you hear what I said?!” Andrew Qi’s voice suddenly turned icy, like it came straight from the depths of hell.
“Uh—” Tiger Cloud jumped, realizing he’d almost slipped up. He quickly covered his ‘little tiger’ and sat back down in the hot spring, saying nothing more. His face was a stormy mask, his fierce eyes fixed on Shawn, as if he wanted to carve him up with a thousand blades.
Shawn felt uncomfortable under that murderous stare. He could tell—given the chance, Tiger Cloud would definitely come after him.
Suddenly, a strange aura drifted in from behind, chilling the steamy air around the hot spring.
“Oh—looks like all the elders are here! Perfect, we can start this year’s ritual right away!” A voice as enchanting as a heavenly melody floated in from behind.
Shawn felt his whole body shiver, inexplicably drawn to that cold yet mesmerizing voice. He quickly turned to look, and instantly felt his blood ignite.
Through the misty steam, Shawn spotted a white figure—a perfect girl, so flawless she seemed sculpted from marble. Her skin was smooth as milk, her figure just right, her long black hair half-covered a delicate, heart-shaped face. Her eyebrows were soft and arched, her eyes like smoky southern autumn waters, her lips plump and red like ripe cherries, begging to be bitten. Her waterfall hair draped over her body, shyly hiding the important parts, making her even more alluring. She was, in every way, a beauty to topple kingdoms.
But it was her unmatched aura—dreamlike, ethereal, like a goddess descended to earth—that stunned Shawn most. Of all the women he’d ever seen, not one could compare. Her beauty would drive even the prettiest girls mad with envy, and make any man feel utterly unworthy. She was a goddess! An enchanting, otherworldly elf queen!
She was so beautiful, it was hard to believe she was even human! Most striking of all—this fairy-like girl was shrouded in a hazy white mist, cold and mysterious, especially around the crucial spots, always covered by clouds of steam. She wore brown deerskin gloves that somehow only made her look more ethereal.
Just then, the girl suddenly looked at Shawn, and he looked back. Their eyes met—and something incredible happened. “Ah!” Both felt a jolt run through their bodies, a strange atmosphere swirling between them, impossible to describe. Their gazes locked, hearts echoing the same thought: "It’s him! It’s her! It’s really him! It’s really her!"
Such an incredible, mysterious feeling—Shawn had never experienced anything like it. It was as if he’d known this elf goddess forever, maybe for lifetimes before. He felt a strange warmth and dreamy sense of familiarity! He didn’t know why, but his heart raced, his breath quickened, and his emotions surged uncontrollably.
The ‘elf goddess’ was clearly affected too. She stared at Shawn, her beautiful eyes misty, her slender body trembling, and her lovely lips parted in shock. She was clearly struggling to contain her astonishment!
“A-Are you alright, Boss Xiao?” May Gu noticed her odd reaction and quickly asked, sounding concerned.
“Oh! I-I’m fine, maybe I’m just feeling a little unwell again—” The ‘elf goddess’ quickly shifted her gaze away from Shawn, trying to cover up her reaction.
In that moment, Shawn understood—the ‘elf goddess’ was none other than the mysterious new leader of the Thirteen Enforcers, the ‘Jade-Faced Witch’ Xiao Yuewu! But he was baffled—how could he feel such a powerful sense of déjà vu for someone he’d never met before?