Chapter 1: A Woman of Countless Graceful Postures

Kunlun Mountains, Yusi Kingdom.

In the quiet and mysterious night, lights flashed all around the Kunlun Mountains. From a distance, they looked like the starlight in the heavens, flickering beautifully; however, up close within the great mountains, tents were scattered everywhere. From afar, the tents formed the shape of a Bagua diagram. All the tents were white, except for the one at the very center of the Bagua, which was yellow. At this moment, light emanated from within, and under the glow of the lamp, the tent turned a golden hue, appearing exceptionally dazzling amidst the white tents. A circle of guards dressed in yellow ceremonial uniforms stood outside the tent. Despite the late hour, every one of them was high-spirited and standing perfectly straight, making it clear they were all hand-picked elite guards.

Upon the large yellow tent, the silhouettes of many women lined up were projected. Each possessed a graceful and charming figure. They were all bent over, naked, and leaning against the stools in front of them. Standing behind them was a tall and upright figure, engaged in vigorous movement with the woman at the very front. The woman beneath him let out frantic screams. "Ah! My Lord, I can't take it anymore!" she gasped incessantly, her hands gripping the armrests of the wooden chair tightly, her small cherry mouth constantly calling out to the man.

The man’s face bore no expression; there was not a trace of emotion in his deep, sharp black eyes. Ignoring the woman's screams, he continued his frantic thrusting. His movements grew increasingly violent until, finally, the woman could no longer endure it and collapsed to the ground. He did not spare her a single glance, instead ruthlessly taking a step to the right and plunging directly into the body of the next woman waiting beside her. A second later, the woman's screams rang out again, though whether they were of pain or pleasure was unknown.

The guards standing outside remained as still as statues. Listening to the heart-pounding sounds behind them, they showed no reaction, seemingly long accustomed to it. Just then, a light breeze blew, lifting fallen leaves from the ground, which then made a sound as they settled back down. A set of hurried, rapid footsteps approached the large yellow tent.

The newcomer stopped before the large tent. He wore a pure white robe, and a thin layer of sweat already coated his forehead, showing that he had traveled a long distance and at a very high speed. His complexion was fair, and his features were delicate yet handsome, possessing a touch of handsomeness blended with a hint of gentleness! The aura he radiated was complex, like a mixture of various temperaments, yet amidst that gentleness and handsomeness, there was a unique etherealness and elegance unique to him! He was the strategist of this military camp, Mo Xing.

When the guards at the tent entrance saw the newcomer, they were stunned at first. After a moment, they reacted, immediately bowing in a grand salute and saying respectfully, "Greetings, Strategist." From their actions, it was evident they held great respect for this Mo Xing, indicating his high status within the army.

Mo Xing nodded without speaking. His black eyes looked toward the interior of the large tent with concern, watching the man engaged in the frantic activity, before looking up at the round moon in the sky. He stood quietly outside the tent, waiting.

After an unknown amount of time, the man inside the tent finally stopped. His jet-black, straight hair was not tied up but draped loosely over his shoulders. His handsome, slightly slanted sword-like eyebrows and long, thin black eyes, deep as a bottomless pool, made it impossible to ever fathom the thoughts deep within his heart. His thin lips were pressed together, his features were well-defined, and his tall, slender frame was not rugged, appearing like an eagle in the night—cold, proud, and solitary, yet imposing. In his solitary stance, he radiated a dominance that looked down upon heaven and earth. Without even looking at the women sprawled on the floor, he turned and walked toward a large wooden tub nearby.

Two young and beautiful maidservants stood beside the tub; they had already prepared hot water. Seeing the man approach, they immediately supported him on either side. The man lifted his leg, stepped into the tub, and sat down, leaning his head against the rim. He squinted his eyes; his face was somewhat pale and his lips lacked any color, showing that his body was currently in a state of weakness. He was the supreme ruler of this military camp, Sima Bo. Sima Bo was the Second Prince of the Yusi Kingdom. Three years ago, a coup had occurred in the Yusi Kingdom. Three years ago, Consort Su—a concubine of his father, the Emperor—seduced the minister Wang Yu, and together they conspired to drive his father to his death, seizing the throne in the process. Since Wang Yu's son, Wang Yu, held significant military power, they easily subdued the uncooperative civil and military officials, and of course, killed many ministers loyal to his father.

At that time, Sima Bo was still at war with the neighboring Tianxing Kingdom. There were five countries in this region: the Yusi Kingdom, the Tianxing Kingdom, the Suichuan Kingdom, the Lingxing Kingdom, and the Xiangyi Kingdom. Among these five, the Yusi Kingdom was the weakest. His father had been diligent and patriotic in his youth, but as he aged, he became obsessed with women, spending his days drinking and carousing with Consort Su. Over time, the nation began to decline and was oppressed by neighboring countries. It wasn't until three years ago that the Tianxing Kingdom invaded their territory. He was ordered to repel the enemy, but less than three months after his departure, news of the coup arrived. Having no other choice, he had to fight a desperate battle against the Tianxing Kingdom because no one was providing them with grain and fodder anymore. Ultimately, he managed to repel the Tianxing Kingdom and retreated to the Kunlun Mountains with a hundred thousand elite troops.

Seeing Sima Bo sit in the water, the maidservants immediately took medicinal herbs that had been prepared on a nearby rack and slowly sprinkled them into the water. At that moment, the entire tent was filled with the scent of herbs. After the herbs were finished, one of the maidservants walked to the tent entrance. She did not pull back the tent curtain but stood inside, saying softly to the outside, "You may enter." After speaking, she returned to stand by Sima Bo's side.

The guards outside heard this and immediately entered. They formed a neat single-file line, hoisted the women lying on the ground onto their shoulders, and quickly departed.

Mo Xing waited until the guards had moved far away before pulling back the curtain and walking in slowly. Looking at the resting Sima Bo, his face was filled with worry. He gave a look to the two maidservants, who then put down their things and walked out of the tent to guard the entrance.

Mo Xing walked up to Sima Bo and knelt on the ground with a thud, saying with utmost respect, "Greetings, Your Highness. Your Highness, your subject has returned! Your subject has returned!" His voice was incredibly emotional, and his eyes were already clouded with a layer of mist. He had been scattered during the final battle against the Tianxing Kingdom three years ago and had only just returned.

Hearing the familiar voice, Sima Bo immediately opened his eyes, his gaze quickly landing on the figure kneeling before him. In the next second, he was completely stunned. After a moment, he finally found his voice. "Mo Xing, you didn't die... you actually didn't die!" His calm black eyes finally showed signs of agitation, but he quickly regained his composure and said in a heavy voice, "If you are alive, why have you only returned now? Or did you simply not want to return at all?" For all these years, he had believed Mo Xing was dead; now that Mo Xing had suddenly appeared, his heart was filled with both joy and anger.

Kneeling on the ground, Mo Xing looked up at Sima Bo and spoke slowly. "Although we won three years ago, we paid a heavy price. Not only were the losses immense, but even the strategist was lost. I was ordered to guard the granary, but I only had a few thousand soldiers. Who knew that after the Tianxing Kingdom's defeat, thirty thousand remnants fleeing everywhere would accidentally stumble upon the granary? I had no choice but to lead my troops into a decisive battle with them. In the end, the entire army was wiped out, and the few survivors were captured by the Tianxing Kingdom. Of course, I was one of those few survivors. For these three years, I have hidden my identity and worked as a horse groom in the Tianxing Kingdom. I thought I wouldn't be able to return for a long time, but two months ago, a coup occurred in Tianxing. I took advantage of the chaos to escape, returning here only after narrowly escaping death." In a few sentences, he explained everything that had happened over the past three years, but only he knew how much hardship and bitterness those three years had held.

Sima Bo was speechless for a long time. He was shaken and filled with admiration for Mo Xing. One had to know that the days of being captured as a slave were worse than death, yet he had endured for three years and finally returned to his side. How could he not be moved? "Mo Xing, get up quickly. It is enough that you have returned." Looking at Mo Xing's thin body and those coarse hands, he ultimately chose to believe him. After all, Mo Xing had been by his side since he was ten years old; their bond was naturally different from that of ordinary people.

Mo Xing slowly rose to a standing position and looked with concern at Sima Bo's pale face. He stepped forward anxiously and asked, "Your Highness, how have you been feeling lately? Why did you require so many women just now?" He was an expert in celestial and terrestrial patterns, capable of divination, and naturally understood medicine as well. His medical skills were ranked second among the five countries, and it was precisely because of his medical knowledge that he had stayed by Sima Bo's side since childhood.

This was because Sima Bo possessed a Saint Spirit Pearl within his body. There were two Saint Spirit Pearls in total, one Yin and one Yang. The Yang one was called the Saint Spirit Pearl, and the Yin one was called the Water Spirit Pearl. The one inside Sima Bo was the Yang Spirit Pearl. Legend had it that if one possessed both Dragon Pearls simultaneously, they would achieve immortality. The pearl in Sima Bo's body was left to him by his mother. Sima Bo's mother was his father's most beloved concubine. When she gave birth to him, his father bestowed this Saint Spirit Pearl upon her. His mother passed away when he was ten years old; upon her death, she had Sima Bo consume the pearl. Initially, there was no reaction, but whenever the full moon arrived, his entire body would burn with heat. Every time, he had to soak in ice water to counteract the symptoms. As he grew older, specifically when he turned sixteen, the ice water could no longer suppress the fire within him. Since then, he had been seeking women to vent, moving from one woman to a large group, proving that the fire in his body was becoming increasingly severe. This was a constant source of worry for Mo Xing.

After soaking in the medicinal water for a while, the color in Sima Bo's face gradually returned to normal. He reached out and placed his hand on the edge of the wooden tub, saying nonchalantly, "During these three years you were gone, the energy emitted by the Saint Spirit Pearl in my body has become much greater than before. If the Water Spirit Pearl cannot be found, I might not live much longer." He knew clearly that he could die at any moment. Just like moments ago, when the fire in his body had completely vanished, his body felt as if all his blood had been drained, leaving him with no strength at all. Only he knew how much effort it had taken just to approach the tub, because he knew that if he fell, he would never be able to get up again.