Chapter 192 The Pirate Queen's Dilemma
"Shall we talk on the land?"
Wu Long asked, and after a moment of hesitation, she nodded. Cao Xiang left the ship in the hands of her second-in-command and Cao Mei, and then disembarked ahead of everyone else with Wu Long on a small boat, heading for the land.
As they went through the docks and the streets, round eyes looked at Cao Xiang from all directions as she was a very well-known figure in the Southern Archipelago, and her portraits were seen by nearly every local.
They arrived at a restaurant and headed for a private booth, which Wu Long secured with talismans as soon as the waitress brought their order and went out, happy with the generous tip Wu Long gave her.
"I must apologize to you again, I do not know how we can repay you for sparing me and helping us"
Cao Mei took a deep breath and started talking.
"I already told you my reasons for sparing you, and also for helping you"
"It does not change the fact that you did those things"
"Heh, are you asking me to decide how you should repay me?"
Wu Long chuckled as this was seemingly an attempt on her part to partially get rid of her guilt and feeling of gratitude that intensified that guilt by pushing him to demand something of them in return.
"...Haa~ ... it really is not easy to deal with people who see through others' intentions as well as speak frankly and not in ways that could be avoided"
Cao Xiang sighed as she lamented the fact that Wu Long seemed to pinpoint her desire to get rid of the guilt that was gripping her heart.
"Well, what do you want me to demand of you?"
He said with a smile that somehow made her a little uncomfortable as if he saw through her intentions clearly. She knew that he had no interest in riches since it was apparent he was not deficient in funds. He also was too powerful to need protection, and too knowledgeable to need any cultivation technique scroll she could get her hands on.
He seemed to be quite interested in Yang and Yin attribute medicines but he could buy them on his own without much trouble, and there seemed to be absolutely nothing he was lacking that she could offer. There was only one thing she could do that had the possibility of being acceptable to him.
"You seem to enjoy welcoming women into your bed chambers..."
"Hah, that's very true"
Wu Long chuckled.
"Then..."
"You seem to misunderstand. Extorting women for their bodies is something men, who cannot get a woman do. I am not in that category"
He said with confidence and she widened her eyes.
"What I am saying is not that I do not welcome more women because I am satisfied with the women I have though, since I am quite greedy and selfish,? it is that I do not enjoy when a woman gives me her body out of necessity"
He then further added. Cao Xiang sighed, lowering her gaze to the table as she finally understood her mistake in thinking that she could get rid of her guilt if she offered him her body.
"But..."
As he said this, Cao Xiang looked up at him again.
"...you don't have to come up with such things if you want to become my woman, you know?"
He said and astonishment appeared in her eyes once more.
"What do you..."
She started but her words trailed off and a light blush appeared on her face.
"I am not that weak, you know"
"Heh, I never implied that you were weak. Being strong and wanting to feel the warmth and care of a man do not conflict. Even the strongest people need some love in their lives"
Wu Long chuckled at the slight indignation in Cao Xiang's voice and words at Wu Long's insinuation.
"I may be wrong, but I think noticed something familiar in your look. I apologize if I missed the mark"
Wu Long said and Cao Xiang slightly shook, as a slight realization started to form in her mind. It was true that she felt guilty toward him, but it was not like she was a woman who would offer her body to anyone just for that. The very fact that she even considered this option was a tacit admission of her attraction to him. Her cheeks blushed stronger and she looked to the view from the window.
She may try to disguise that as her wanting to make amends and deny that, but the fact that she has been alone for so long, shouldering so much responsibility by herself, under constant stress and pressure, not feeling the touch of a man, never having anyone to lean on could not be denied.
Seeing how happy the women were around him, his strength, and how he shielded them from their worries made her feel a craving she had not had for a long time.
As she realized this she looked at him with an attentive gaze.
She could not quite figure him out. He was incredibly powerful and seemingly very knowledgeable, not overly benevolent since he stated that he would have killed her if she was not a beauty but also not completely ruthless since he did spare her and even helped. He obviously enjoyed bedding beauties but refused her offer simply because her reason was obligation and guilt.
"Just who are you really?"
She finally could not hold herself back and asked him directly.
"An immortal dual cultivator who descended on this world"
"Ha!"
Wu Long simply smiled at the dismissive snort coupled with the rolling of her eyes Cao Xiang made after his rather truthful answer.
He did not have any definite feelings for Cao Xiang since he met her not long ago and only felt slight interest. So he was not overly eager to get her to become his woman at the moment, but he did entertain that possibility in the future since he knew his tastes and his intuition usually served him well.
He lightly teased her since he noticed her craving, but he also knew that she was not going to jump into his arms just because of that, her pride would not let her. Not to mention, she did not have any feelings for him either, as she only felt attracted to his strength and that was simply exacerbated by her sexual frustration. And while he would have used that in the past, he was not as interested in passing relationships anymore.
"...Thank you"
She finally said after the pause, his light teasing helped her realize a few things that she did not want to admit before, and therefore prevented her from thinking in the direction of giving her body to him to ease her guilt and show her appreciation.
"Do you think there is any other way I can make amends?"
"Hmm, I do not really need anything from you, and do not expect you to make amends since it was ultimately my decision to forgive you, so the only thing that is the problem is your own feeling of guilt since you still cannot forgive yourself, and trying to shut it down by using external means is not the healthiest way to go about it. Time and the right mindset are the only way to deal with it"
He replied as there truly was no quick medicine to cure guilt that came from one's own morals, and not from the outside. And if there was such a quick cure, it had an element of self-deceit in it. Properly processing one's own mistakes and guilt was the path to dealing with them.
"The only thing I can say is that sometimes it is okay to make mistakes, as no one is perfect. Believe me, I know"
He said as a slight sadness flashed through his eyes.
"You just have to find a way to come to terms with it"
He then added, shaking off that glimpse of sorrow and smiling at her again.
She nodded, somehow intrigued by the light she saw in his eyes for a moment, but also understanding his point. She was not being blamed but felt guilty, meaning that she herself found it hard to reconcile her actions, and it was not Wu Long she had to seek forgiveness from, but her own conscience. Though there was also the issue with Cao Mei who recently was a little distant from her, but that was a separate matter from this one even though they stemmed from the same roots.
They talked a little more and then Cao Xiang went back to command her crew while Wu Long welcomed his beauties who arrived at the island. They went on a date in the city while the ship was unloading exhausted spiritual stones and loading in new ones.
Since the island was quite big, there were even Spiritual Lands with sects on it, and they rented out space for the spiritual stones to be recharged.
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