Chapter 170: The New Beast

Upon hearing Phoenix Lady mention his name, Rayan's neck muscles tensed up like ropes. He had not anticipated that Phoenix Lady would directly tell Hart to be wary of him right in front of him.

He thought Phoenix Lady was going to take further action, so he placed his fingers directly on Phoenix Lady's throat, ready to twist her neck the moment she cried out, and simultaneously kill Marquis Hart, taking advantage of the momentary lack of reaction to escape with Lady Spring Rain —

But after Phoenix Lady finished speaking, she did nothing, as if Rayan wasn't behind her at all, and she was merely leaning against the wall and bed, speaking through the curtains to her foolish nephew.

What was this woman planning to do? Rayan was suddenly confused by Phoenix Lady's behavior. His hand remained on Phoenix Lady's delicate neck, but the force had significantly lessened.

Hart was also surprised. "Aunt, that boy is just a rustic noble from the countryside, both arrogant and rude, why bother yourself with him?"

While Marquis Hart could understand being cautious about the first two people mentioned, hearing Rayan's name listed alongside the Redwood patriarch and the Holy Light envoy stirred a strong jealousy within him.

"A rustic noble?" Phoenix Lady scoffed, "Do you even know where that arrogant and rude rustic noble is right now?"

Rayan's nerves tightened again, and he gripped harder.

Hart shifted uncomfortably, "Perhaps... maybe..."

"Stop guessing, with your brain, you'd never guess it," Phoenix Lady sighed. "Just remember, you need to keep a close eye on these three people, the others don't matter as much, but pay particular attention to Rayan. I even think you should become friends with him, get closer to him, learn from him —"

Before Phoenix Lady could finish, Hart interrupted her discontentedly, "Learn from that bastard? Aunt, you don't know what he's like, the way he looks at Lady Spring Rain is like a wolf seeing a sheep, drooling over her and shamelessly dragging her to dance, and taking the opportunity to grope her! I'd love to knock down this shameless ruffian and show him how formidable Hart Firebird can be!"

"Oh? Really?" Phoenix Lady's words seemed directed both at Marquis Hart and Rayan in the bed.

Rayan felt Phoenix Lady's smooth buttocks boldly rubbing between his legs, and as he was unsure how to react, Phoenix Lady casually continued to inquire, "How are his skills?"

"Of course there are—hm? Skills?"

Marquis Hart, who had been ready to embellish further, was caught off-guard by the unexpected question from Phoenix Lady.

"Um, I meant..." Phoenix Lady, seeing Rayan not moving, grew bolder with her movements, "his dancing skills."

Hart was puzzled by the tone of Phoenix Lady's question, but the strange thought passed quickly, and he immediately replied, "His skills are terrible, he stepped on Lady Spring Rain's feet no less than fifty times, and finally shamelessly lifted her into the air—"

"Heh, this kid is indeed smart, managing to turn a disadvantage that would be unrecoverable for most people into his own advantage," Phoenix Lady sincerely praised. "If my nephew Hart were half as clever, he might have already helped me position Second Prince as the crown prince."

Hart was annoyed, "Why do you always praise him? He clearly just wants to take advantage of Lady Spring Rain, using a bit of cunning."

Phoenix Lady spoke slowly, "With Spring Rain's personality, if Rayan didn't genuinely have charm, would she agree to dance? Would she continue dancing after being stepped on multiple times? I think the real person who wants to monopolize her is you, and let me warn you, you must not touch Spring Rain no matter what, treat her with all the respect you would as if your brother were still alive. If Firebird loses the external support from Pisces, then our enemies will be even more brazen."

Marquis Hart's mouth twitched, and he said with difficulty, "Nephew… understands."

Just then, chaos erupted outside, someone shouted, "Fire! Fire! The greenhouse is on fire! Come help put it out!"

"What's going on?" Phoenix Lady frowned.

Rayan knew exactly what was happening; the flames he had left on Duncan's room floor had ignited. The greenhouse, being remote, took a while before the fire was noticed, and even if they managed to put out the fire, Duncan's body would have already turned to ash.

Marquis Hart peeked outside, "It seems like the fire is near the greenhouse, aunt, you rest for now, I'll go command the servants to put out the fire."

Phoenix Lady nodded, "Go ahead, and remember, don't let anyone disturb me."

"Yes."

Marquis Hart backed out of the room, relieved, and hurried towards the fire.

No sooner had Hart left the room than Phoenix Lady turned to Rayan with a scolding tone: "No wonder they say I'm old, it turns out you just danced with Spring Rain!"

Rayan moved his hand away from Phoenix Lady's delicate neck and replied coldly, "That's a separate matter."

"Is that how you treat Spring Rain too?" Phoenix Lady pressed. "Would you also tie her to the bed and choke her?"

"No."

Rayan answered bluntly, "I would only do that to you."

"Oh?" Phoenix Lady asked with interest. "Why? Why is there such a difference?"

"Because she is a goddess, and you are a demoness," Rayan replied coldly and mercilessly.

Phoenix Lady paused for a moment, then burst into unbridled laughter. "A demoness? That's the first time I've been called that. But it's better than being called old and faded."

Rayan's brows furrowed slightly, and he warned, "Don't laugh so loudly, or I might gag you with a silk veil."

Phoenix Lady's eyes flirted, "I don't like silk veils. If you're going to gag me, use your own tongue—or something else."

Saying this, her voluptuous buttocks nudged against Rayan's groin once more.

"You truly are a shameless woman," Rayan sidestepped her actions.

"And you, are a very interesting man," Phoenix Lady smiled playfully. "You know, being with you makes me feel a decade younger."

"You don't think I'm as foolish as your nephew Hart, do you? Such sweet nothings don't work on me," Rayan scoffed, standing up from the bed and stepping over Phoenix Lady's body.

"Hey, how long are you going to tie me up?" Phoenix Lady asked with a laugh. "Since that's the case, why not come and enjoy it? Though it's hard to perform while tied up, I know much more than Spring Rain. I can offer you pleasures you've never experienced."

"Shut up!" Rayan frowned. "If you want to keep your tongue, I advise you not to speak. Your clever words can't deceive me. I'll say it one last time, you—cannot control me!"

A flush of irritation rose on Phoenix Lady's pretty face, but it vanished as quickly as it came, and she feigned a flustered look, "Oh dear, you've completely misunderstood my intentions. I was just admiring you, but I didn't expect you to be so unromantic. What's so good about that Spring Rain? Her beauty is merely because of her youth. Even a village girl, if cleaned up and dressed in noble attire, would look beautiful. But I'm different; my beauty withstands the test of time. If you were a little more patient with me, I assure you, you would quickly forget those superficial girls and fall for a woman of substance like me."

Rayan drew the Crow Sword and laid it impassively across his hands.

Phoenix Lady bit her lip and fell silent. The man in front of her sparked a fear she hadn't felt in a long time. Ever since she became the Lion King's concubine, she had seldom felt fear, although she was indeed trying to seduce Rayan with ulterior motives. But she had to admit, the dominant aura Rayan exuded was no less intimidating than the Lion King when she first met him.

She loved the Lion King from the moment she saw him. At that time, though the Lion King was immersed in the grief of losing his wife, his kingly demeanor was undiminished. She still remembered their first time was in the royal carriage as the Lion King returned to the palace. The Lion King had torn her carefully prepared dress, spread her legs, and forcefully thrust into her, riding her vigorously, utterly indifferent to her painful moans—

The pain of that tearing was as vivid in her memory as the pain of giving birth to the Second Prince a year later.

During the first pain, the Lion King had ridden her all the way until the carriage stopped at the palace gate. The heroes of the "Lionheart" guild stood silently for hours while the Lion King, naked, carried her twitching body down from the carriage as if no one else existed. At that time, the Lion King was powerful and muscular, a look could kill, not like today, old and portly, with drooping eyelids, like a toothless old lion.

And Rayan was a new lion, a beast that stirred Kiana· Firebird's desire to conquer more than the Lion King had in his youth.

Thinking this, her eyes watching Rayan's retreating back shimmered with fascination, and her legs unwittingly rubbed together, her lush delta uncontrollably damp and muddy, emitting seductive moans.

Rayan gave her a cold glance and casually grabbed a blanket to cover up Phoenix Lady's enticing spring scenery.

Only when the people outside slowly dispersed from the fire rescue and the inner courtyard garden regained its tranquility did Rayan approach Phoenix Lady and untie the silk veil binding her.