The ceremony is complete. Send them to the bridal chamber!
Then all the barbarian men looked at Lanling with gloating expressions.
All the barbarian women looked at Lanling with sympathy. Handsome men received favour from women everywhere, even among barbarians. Especially because his Dream Wedding piece had been truly too wonderful and moving.
Lanling and Mengtuoluo held a red silk cloth between them and entered the bridal chamber.
…
Inside the bridal chamber the candles burned red and the warmth felt like spring.
The bride Mengtuoluo sat dignified on the edge of the bed with a red veil covering her head.
Lanling stood quietly in the centre of the bridal chamber.
Neither of them spoke. Mengtuoluo did not even ask him to lift the veil.
Because lifting the veil meant beginning the bet, which was a gamble on life and death!
Lanling took a deep breath, walked over, reached out to grasp a corner of the red veil, and slowly lifted it.
A face so beautiful that it took ones breath away appeared. Her beautiful eyes were misty, her red lips like fire, delicate and alluring, captivating the soul.
Then this face smiled at Lanling and said softly, Husband, the hour is late. Let us rest.
Good. Lanling said.
Then Mengtuoluos slender jade like hands hooked around Lanlings neck as she slowly lay down.
I said I would honour the bet. Come. Mengtuoluo said hoarsely. Although I have been married more than ten times, I have never been touched by a man. I am still pure and untouched.
Lanlings breathing quickened. He reached out to undo all her clothes and also undid all his own clothes.
In an instant the two of them pressed tightly together in the most primitive way and their temperature rose sharply.
Mengtuoluos beautiful eyes began to show slight panic and her breathing became disordered.
She was a pure and untouched woman. Even though her soul and heart had fallen, her body remained innocent.
She was willing to give herself to Lanling because he was a kindred spirit and because she had lost the bet and would honour it.
Of course there was an even more important reason. She wanted revenge, revenge against the man she had deeply loved, the man who had betrayed her.
However at this moment she was truly panicked. It seemed far more difficult than she had imagined to give herself completely.
She had once treasured her body very much and wanted to give herself completely to the man she loved after the wedding.
However that man had discarded her like an old shoe and completely betrayed her.
Afterwards she had also given up on herself and completely fallen. Then her originally pure and precious body had become worthless.
The Suo Lun before her was her kindred spirit, so talented and so handsome.
Giving her body to him seemed like a good choice as well. It would also be complete revenge against herself and against that man.
Moreover Suo Lun was right. She could not hold on much longer and would collapse within three years at most and end her own life. Then while she was still alive, tasting the forbidden fruit once would not be bad.
But when this moment truly arrived she discovered she still could not bear it. Her entire mind and entire heart were filled with the figure of that man, the man she loved with bone deep intensity and also hated with bone deep intensity.
Her body from inside to outside seemed to be branded with that mans mark. Now she was about to let another person enter. Although this Suo Lun was charming and outstanding, her entire body and heart were resisting.
Mengtuoluo was really about to go mad. Even at this moment she could not forget that man.
Even though she kept saying how much she hated him, her body still regarded herself as his private property and resisted entry by anyone.
No, I do not want to be like this. I want to shatter your figure. Mengtuoluo shouted in her heart. I cannot be so weak. I want to drive him away and crush him.
Then Mengtuoluo bit her jade teeth hard, spread her legs and said, Suo Lun come. Take me.
After saying this she directly closed her beautiful eyes and waited for that moment to arrive.
Lanling looked at this exquisitely beautiful face twisted in pain and asked, Are you instinctively treating me as him right now?
Mengtuoluo did not answer. Although she wanted to deny it, the answer was indeed affirmative. She closed her eyes precisely to treat Lanling as her beloved man.
Lanling immediately stopped.
Why did you stop? Am I not beautiful? Mengtuoluo said. Have you not been waiting for this moment all along? This is your only chance to survive.
Lanling of course knew that to make a woman not kill him he first had to conquer her heart. To conquer her heart he first had to obtain her body.
This was the simplest principle, especially for pure and untouched women. Once they had the most intimate relationship with a man their hearts would instinctively develop attachment and even a feeling of blood connection.
Mengtuoluo said, I can even tell you that today is a day when I am easy to conceive. If I really become pregnant I probably would not let my child be without a father.
Lanling was stunned. However after calculating the days, when he had come out of the Shadow Spider Queens cave that day he had vaguely smelled a faint bloody scent on Mengtuoluo. He had thought it was left over from the killing but it turned out to be her monthly flow.
Calculating like this, these two days were indeed the days when she was easy to conceive.
Suo Lun, I must kill you but I also do not want to kill you. Mengtuoluo said. Because you and I are so alike, you understand me so well, you possess such outstanding artistic talent. A person like you should live. Therefore I must find a sufficient reason not to kill you, for example if we had intimate relations, or for example if I became pregnant with your child.
Lanling looked at Mengtuoluo in astonishment. He really had not expected the other party to have such complicated thoughts.
So if you do not give me a sufficient reason, how can I not kill you? Mengtuoluo said.
Why must you kill me? Lanling asked.
Zhi Ning told me that I must kill you. If I do not kill you the consequences will be very serious. Mengtuoluo said. Do you know why no hunter dares to kill people from the Viper Tribe?
Lanling said, Because you will take revenge. You will kill them all cleanly and kill their families cleanly.
Mengtuoluo said, How could I have that ability? My power is only a corner of the Ten Thousand Mountains. The ones who can kill those hunters and their families cleanly are Zhi Ning and Zhi Li. They have a very powerful and mysterious underground force.
Lanling suddenly understood.
Mengtuoluo said, They need a barbarian armed force so my Viper Tribe has been completely preserved and has become stronger and stronger. The surrounding tribal forces have no choice but to come and submit to me in order not to be wiped out by the hunters.
Lanling understood. This was like certain superpowers on Earth needing to nurture some terrorist organisation forces.
Then these terrorist forces were like bricks. They would attack wherever they were needed. For example they would only go to Syria and absolutely not to Saudi Arabia.
Therefore, in order for you to survive, you need to sleep with me. Mengtuoluo said. I need a reason not to kill you. To obtain a womans heart you first obtain her body. It is best to make her pregnant. You, a romantic浪子, should understand this principle best.
So if you really take me there is still a slim chance of survival. But if you do not sleep with me you will definitely die. Mengtuoluo said word by word. As for you being treated as a substitute for that man, what does it matter? Is dignity more important than life? You choose.
Then Mengtuoluo closed her eyes once again.
Lanling immediately fell into a life and death choice. Should he choose dignity or choose to seek survival?
Choosing to seek survival meant he could sleep with the most beautiful woman in the world and might still live.
The only downside was being treated as a substitute by this woman.
If it were making love with his own wife but being treated as another mans substitute, that would undoubtedly be the most painful thing.
However the woman before him was not his wife but merely a pitiful woman.
And if he chose dignity then he would leave this wonderful body and the result might be death.
Lanling needed to gamble with his life!
…
It seemed like a very long hesitation yet also seemed like only an instant. Lanling left Mengtuoluos incomparably wonderful delicate body, then turned over and sat cross legged there quietly, motionless.
Feeling Lanlings departure, Mengtuoluo opened her beautiful eyes and said slowly, Have you already made your choice?
Yes. Lanling said.
Mengtuoluo said, Are you not afraid of death?
I am afraid of death. Lanling said. I want to protect my sister. I want to revitalise my family. I cannot die.
Then why make this choice? Why choose a path of death? Mengtuoluo said. Is it merely because of a mans dignity and unwillingness to become someone elses substitute?
I do not know why. Lanling said. I did not choose with reason but with impulse and emotion. My heart wanted me to leave your body.
Mengtuoluo also sat up and said, Perhaps you are still gambling, gambling on another possibility. If you had slept with me I might have killed you with peace of mind. But if you did not sleep with me I might develop respect and let you go.
Lanling thought for a while then said, I do not seem to have had that thought. Perhaps I made this choice simply because I am naive, simply because I do not want to become someone elses substitute, perhaps simply for the sake of dignity.
Mengtuoluo looked at Lanling with her beautiful eyes and said, Are you afraid of death?
She asked this question again.
Lanling answered once more, I am afraid, because I want to protect my sister and revitalise the Suo clan.
Mengtuoluos jade hand slowly stroked Lanlings face and she said softly, You really are a proud man. If I had not fallen in love with someone else first, perhaps I really would have fallen in love with you. Unfortunately my heart can no longer hold a second person.
Lanling showed a smile once again without answering.
Also, what I said is true. If you had really slept with me just now I might really have become pregnant and I might really not have been able to bring myself to kill you. Mengtuoluo said. I really do not want to kill you but I must kill you because I need to protect my clansmen.
I… must kill you. I am sorry.
Lanling gave her a desolate smile and then nodded.
Do you have any last wishes? Mengtuoluo said.
Lanling said, Protect my sister, but you cannot accomplish that.
I will try my best. Mengtuoluo said. Do you blame me?
Lanling shook his head and said, You are just a pitiful woman.
Then why did you not resist? Mengtuoluo said.
I have already resisted. I used all my efforts and wisdom. Lanling said.
That is right. He had indeed resisted and had almost walked into Mengtuoluos heart. But at the last moment he had chosen empty dignity and was unwilling to become someone elses substitute, cutting off his last trace of chance to live.
Very well then. Close your eyes. Mengtuoluo said. I will properly prepare your corpse and send it back to your home. From now on I will no longer be the black widow. I will no longer suck mens blood and no longer find handsome men to hold wedding ceremonies with. I will remember that there was once a handsome, outstanding, and melancholic man who almost walked into my heart.
Lanling closed his eyes as if gambling on one last possibility, a faint possibility.
Tears slid from Mengtuoluos beautiful eyes. She brought her small mouth close to Lanlings neck, first gently stroking it, then kissing it with her red lips.
Finally she suddenly opened her small mouth, revealing snow white teeth, and bit down fiercely.
In an instant blood gushed out wildly, pouring into Mengtuoluos mouth and flowing down her throat.