Everlasting Longing

Не рullеd her out оf thе tеnt, whеrе his subordinates hаd аlreadу drapеd а сlоаk оver him, and thе tall, sturdy black horse wаs lеd besidе the tеnt.

"Аh!" shе gаspеd sоftlу аs Yеlü Lie liftеd her onto thе hоrse—whаt did he intend to dо?

Yelü Lie wаved his hand tо stор аnуоnе from follоwing, thеn spurrеd thе hоrse tоward thе nоrthern mountаin рeаk, riding as if harnessing thе wind. Even her "Wind Сhаsеr" had nеver run this fast! Thоugh thе blаck hоrsе wаs frightеninglу tаll, she quiсklу adjustеd. Yet it wаs only аfter аdjusting thаt shе reаlizеd shе wаs facing a bоne-chilling wind.

Suddenly, he rеleased thе hand that hаd beеn suрpоrting her waist. Among the ways she had imagined dying, falling off a horse and breaking every bone in her body was not one of them. With no other choice, she could only cling tightly to his chest.

Yelü Lie pulled the cloak over her, completely enveloping her in his presence! Her heart trembled faintly, unsure of what to do...

His unintentional tenderness was more devastating to her hardened defenses than any wicked act! Was this another one of his tactics? Where was he taking her now?

After riding for about a quarter of an hour, the howling wind in her ears faded, and she realized the horse had stopped galloping. She lifted the cloak and saw a forest of conifers. Strangely, at the peak of such a mountain, the lake surrounded by the conifers emitted a faint mist. It was a hot spring! This place must have once been a volcanic crater. But the volcano was long dormant, and even the trees were cold-climate conifers. There was no reason for this lake to still be warm.

Yelü Lie helped her down from the horse. Curious, she approached the lake, kneeling beside it and scooping up a handful of clear water—it was warm! The water's warmth drove away the chill in her hands. It truly was a hot spring!

Then, she understood why he had brought her here. It had been a long time since she had truly bathed. After leaving the Great Wall, disguised as a man and traveling in haste, she had only casually wiped her face and hands. Upon arriving at his place, she couldn’t imitate the men who jumped into the icy streams to bathe. She could only wash her hands and feet while doing laundry, but each time she shivered from the cold.

In other words, this hot spring stirred an intense longing within her. He had actually noticed her needs! It was strange, making her wary and wondering about his intentions.

Yelü Lie sat on a smooth stone, leaning against a large tree. He casually plucked a wild grass stalk and chewed on it, his expression teasing and playful as he watched her. His cloak was tossed aside, one leg bent, the other stretched out, his arms crossed over his chest. He showed no intention of leaving. No! He made it clear he didn’t want to miss the sight of her undressing.

Jun Qiluo bit her lower lip, feeling helpless once again—or perhaps shy... He had already seen her, so why was he still like this...

And—since he had already seen her, was there any need for modesty? Oh! She couldn’t do it! Even though they shared a bed every night, and sometimes he would caress her body with a certain provocation... but—but...

She turned her back to him, not daring to meet his eyes.

"In seven days, we will break camp and leave. The journey will take at least half a month, and there won’t be any hot springs along the way. This is your only chance!" he said lazily, his gaze sweeping over the small red and purple wildflowers by the lake. She was like those flowers, growing in the cold, proud and aloof—but beautiful!

Half a month without bathing? She had never been this dirty in her life!Slowly, she untied her hair, letting it fall onto the rough grass, then removed her garments one by one. Yet, in the end, she could not entirely cast aside her modesty. Clad only in her inner garment and undergarments, she stepped into the hot spring, her back turned to him all the while.

Yelü Lie’s appreciative gaze halted when it reached her right arm. A small, deep red mole dotted her snow-white upper arm—it was the Guardian Palace Cinnabar!

He had never noticed this mark on her before. Its presence served only to prove her chastity and would bring nothing but trouble—especially after he took her back to Great Liao! If he allowed her to keep that Guardian Palace Cinnabar before returning to Great Liao, it would only mean more complications for him. He believed her extraordinary beauty would surely cause a stir! She was his, and he would not allow anyone else to covet her. He spat out the grass root in his mouth, sending it flying into the water with just enough force to prick her before it settled.

Jun Qiluo was startled, thinking it might be a water snake or something similar, and quickly turned away, avoiding the ripples—but there was nothing except a stray blade of grass! Was this his doing? She glared at him angrily, unable to contain her frustration, and splashed water at him, only for him to dodge it swiftly. His infuriating laughter only fueled her anger further, and she searched around for him. Suddenly, she realized the man was laughing—a hearty, unrestrained laugh! Was it true? How could he possibly laugh?

In her dazed state, a pair of strong arms lifted her by the waist and brought her ashore, pulling her into his warm embrace.

Only then did she snap out of it, looking at him with fear and helplessness. His eyes had shifted to a dark blue again—this was the color they took on whenever he teased her, and this time, they were even deeper than before! A chill ran through her body, yet deep within, a flame seemed to be kindled.

Heavens! Was he going to force himself on her? In broad daylight? In this wilderness? How could he harbor such desires for her in a place like this? It was shameful, and—moreover—indecent and vulgar! Only improper women were treated this way, like those two Western Xia women. Even if fate was unavoidable, she could not allow it to happen under such circumstances.

"No!" she refused him with icy eyes and a haughty tone, doing her utmost to conceal the terror and unease in her heart. She knew that if she showed any sign of vulnerability, it would only strengthen this man’s resolve. She hoped her coldness would be enough to extinguish the fire in his eyes.

"Do you have a choice?" He reached behind her neck to untie the strings of her inner garment.

Her voice began to tremble—"You cannot! You are a leader. You cannot do this to me at this time, in this place—do you have no shame at all?"

"A bandit chief knows nothing of shame. Didn’t you know we Khitan are savages who know no bounds?" He spread out his cloak beside them and pushed her down onto it.

Jun Qiluo, her face pale with fright, tried to roll away. Even drowning in the pool would be better than engaging in such a disgraceful act with this shameless man in the wilderness. This man never missed an opportunity to humiliate her. She had known his sudden decision to bring her out held no good intentions, but she had never expected—he—to be so vile.

He pressed his body against hers, one hand gently stroking the Guardian Palace Cinnabar on her arm. "Why did you mark this? To prove your chastity to whom?"She remained silent. These debauched Liao People would never understand the sacred meaning represented by the Guardian Palace Cinnabar. Even if he began to mock her foolishness, she wouldn’t be surprised! They simply didn’t regard self-discipline or chastity as matters of importance!

Yelü Lie tore open her inner garment, his hand that had been caressing the Guardian Palace Cinnabar now beginning to torment her body.

"You marking yourself with the Guardian Palace Cinnabar only invites plunder. By declaring your purity to all men under heaven, do you know how many would rush to be the one to claim your first? You must return to Great Liao with me as my woman. If you still keep this mark on your body, do you know how barbarians seize women? A Han woman without an owner has no human rights at all—anyone can snatch her at will. Especially since the place we’re going is not the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, where Liao and Han intermingle, but a place inhabited solely by Liao People."

She bit her lower lip and stared at him.

"I understand your kind all too well! Every vile trait is fully displayed in you—it couldn’t get any worse!"

"You despise doing this sort of thing outdoors?"

"Disgusting!" No! This time she wouldn’t beg. Let him have his way! If she gritted her teeth, wouldn’t she endure it? Just as those two Western Xia women had said, once he had fully satisfied his male possessiveness, he would scorn her. By then, if she tried to escape, he wouldn’t even send pursuers. Since it was inevitable sooner or later, she had to endure it before her will was crushed by him, never again allowing him to trample her pride time after time.

"Proud little flower, don’t even think of escaping! Once you become my woman, I’ll never let you go. I know a little about you Central Plains people—the chastity you emphasize means staying with one man for life. Once the bond of husband and wife is formed, only the husband can divorce the wife; the wife cannot flee the husband. And you—my little female slave—when I no longer want an item, I would never hand it over to someone else. I’d rather destroy it with my own hands than allow others to touch it." He knew her thoughts, and anger rose within him, turning his once gentle caresses into fierce assaults. He was pleased to see her panic. Against such a violent onslaught, she was utterly unprepared. She began to hit and push him with all her strength—he was hurting her so much!