Chapter 23: Making Dugu Yan Cry, the Hidden Traits of the Enchantress-Douluo: Imortal Exilado Desce ao Mundo, Espada de Vinho Mata Deuses(Xianxian Jianjia)

The blade pressed tight against her throat.

An bone-chilling cold spread, causing goosebumps to rise across Dugu Yan’s skin. Her green pupils constricted, and she said in disbelief, "You aren't poisoned?!"

"How is this possible?!"

Li Zhexian tilted his head and took a swig of wine. His wine martial soul had evolved twice, and it had already gained the ability to neutralize toxins.

"I accept my defeat. Do with me as you will, whether you want to kill me or slice me to pieces." Dugu Yan stiffened her slender neck.

"Heh..." Li Zhexian shook his head with a sneer. He raised his Azure Lotus Sword and flicked his wrist. With a crisp "crack," the back of the blade struck Dugu Yan’s right cheek.

The force was not insignificant. It sent her head jerking sharply to the right.

"If you weren't Dugu Bo’s granddaughter, you would already be dead the moment you used poison on me."

He usually didn't hit women, but for a vixen like Dugu Yan who insisted on pushing her luck, he had to apply some discipline.

Dugu Yan, however, hadn't heard a word he said. Her bewitching green eyes narrowed into slits, faint emerald scales began to appear beneath her neck, and two sharp fangs protruded from her red lips.

"I’m going to kill you!"

Having never suffered such humiliation, Dugu Yan opened her mouth and lunged straight for Li Zhexian’s throat. All three of her soul skills were poison-based, but since poison was ineffective against him, she had to resort to the most primal form of attack.

A fishy, sweet-scented breeze hit his face. Seeing Dugu Yan’s glistening fangs, Li Zhexian’s eyes flickered.

"Among the brewing methods I dreamed of last night..."

"There seems to be a basic spirit wine where the main ingredient is snake venom."

As the thought flashed through his mind, Li Zhexian didn't hesitate.

*Whoosh!*

The Azure Lotus Sword swung through the air with a whistling sound. Another "crack" echoed as it struck her right cheek with precision. This time, the force was quite heavy. Dugu Yan stumbled back several steps, and her already reddened cheek swelled up further.

"Dugu Yan, if you try to attack me again, I really won't be polite."

"Li Zhexian!"

"I will kill you!"

Dugu Yan’s tall, lithe body trembled as she rushed at him again.

"You started this."

The Azure Lotus Sword landed on her neck once more. The cold, biting edge of the blade forced her to calm down slightly. At that moment, Li Zhexian suddenly grabbed her jaw, forcing her toward the stone table in the courtyard.

He flipped his hand and picked up a teacup from the table. He pressed her pretty face against the cup, her red lips touching the rim and her fangs resting against the wall of the cup.

Dugu Yan’s breathing grew rapid. Fine emerald-scaled patterns emerged on her neck, and her two fangs secreted a fishy, sweet venom. In an instant, the bottom of the teacup was covered with a shimmering layer of liquid.

Li Zhexian suddenly let go. Dugu Yan staggered backward, collapsing to the ground, drained of strength. Her heaving chest rose and fell violently as she looked up at the visibly pleased Li Zhexian, her eyes slowly welling with tears.

"Li... Li Zhexian..."

The bewitching Dugu Yan had actually been moved to tears by Li Zhexian. He put away the snake venom. Seeing her looking as if she might shatter, he said with a hint of defensiveness, "I gave you a chance. You were the one who insisted on attacking me."

Dugu Yan staggered to her feet and walked out of the courtyard without a word. When she reached the gate, she paused, her slender hand slapping her storage pouch, and an object fell into her palm. Without looking, she tossed it directly at Li Zhexian.

Li Zhexian caught it instinctively. His brows jumped when he saw the familiar wine flask. Before he could ask, he heard her cold voice.

"This is from your little lover in Suotuo City. She told me to tell you: don't forget the promise you made to her."

With that, she leaped away.

Li Zhexian sighed silently. He had truly offended her this time. He opened the cap of the flask and took a sip.

*Hmm, not bad.* But it was still a little short of the quality of his Clear Spring flask.

"Huh?" Li Zhexian smacked his lips. "Why does Sister Zhuqing’s wine always carry the scent of flowers?"

...

A sweep of sword light cleared the clutter from the courtyard. Li Zhexian couldn't wait to start brewing.

"Good thing I got plenty of brewing materials from Xiang Qinghe! Now I can finally give this a try!" He rubbed his hands in excitement.

The wine he was preparing was called "Snake Saliva Rice Soul." Because it was a relatively basic brew, the steps were simple: soak selected spiritual rice, steam it until gelatinized, and then ferment it with snake venom. Its effect was that it could neutralize all snake venoms in the world.

"My current wine can already neutralize toxins," he mused. "If I can successfully infuse it with the Snake Saliva Rice Soul, a single cup will be enough to dispel any poison."

Li Zhexian followed the steps methodically. By the time evening arrived, he stared at the thick rice mash before him and carefully poured in the emerald snake venom.

*Drip.*

The snow-white mash turned emerald green. A heady, sweet aroma filled the air. But before Li Zhexian could celebrate, a *hissing* sound erupted.

The emerald-colored mash turned pitch black in the blink of an eye, and the sweet scent transformed into a foul, fishy odor.

"..." Li Zhexian’s expression darkened. He had expected brewing to be difficult, but the problem was that he was out of snake venom. Looking at the empty teacup, he sighed with exhaustion.

"Should I go get more from Dugu Yan?" Thinking of her tear-streaked face as she left, he rubbed his temples in frustration. "Forget it, I'll find another way."

...

Meanwhile, at the Dugu Mansion.

*Bang!*

Dugu Yan slammed the gate shut, startling Dugu Bo, who was cultivating in the garden.

"Yan'er, what's wrong?"

Dugu Yan turned her head, her purple hair obscuring her right cheek. She hurried through the garden and went straight to her room on the second floor. "Nothing, Grandfather. I'm going to cultivate."

Dugu Bo’s dark green brows furrowed. His intuition told him something had happened, but he couldn't ask directly. "I should keep a closer eye on Yan'er for a while."

On the second floor, behind curtains patterned with snake scales, Dugu Yan sat cross-legged with her eyes closed. Beneath her fair skin, green veins emerged, slowly creeping from her carotid arteries up toward her cheeks, faintly outlining a green snake pattern.

"Hmph!"

After an unknown amount of time, Dugu Yan suddenly groaned, her slender body arching and curling up on the bed. A pained moan escaped her throat, yet if one listened closely, one could feel a trace of hidden pleasure buried within the agony.

Dugu Yan suddenly threw her head back, letting out a ragged, breathless gasp.

After a long while, she sat at the table, drenched in sweat, and poured herself a glass of water, sipping it slowly. Scenarios like this happened every day. Her Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul was innately poisonous, allowing her to release toxins in battle, but during cultivation, the toxins would gradually erode her body.

The process was painful. But in the fourteen years since she awakened her martial soul at age six, Dugu Yan had captured a trace of morbid pleasure within that agony.

She touched her right cheek with her slender fingers. She could still feel the stinging heat. It felt like an electric current had surged through her heart.

"Li Zhexian!"

"You deserve to die!"

The memory of the young man in white, gripping her jaw and forcing her to spit out her venom, made her tremble with humiliation. Yet, hidden within that shame... was a forbidden pleasure she refused to admit. It was like the addictive urge to tear at a scab.

Dugu Yan drank the water, her red lips pressed against the rim. Her face gradually flushed, and her two fangs suddenly protruded, spraying venom into the cup.

But... she felt nothing.

Humiliation and pleasure churned in conflict in the depths of her eyes. She squeezed her hand hard, and the teacup shattered with a *bang*.

"Li Zhexian!"

"Just you wait!"