My Xianxia Harem Life

Chapter 357: Chapter 357 Rubber

”I guess we should be safe enough here,” Riley said quietly as he descended into the dense forest.

The canopy above was thick, blocking most of the moonlight, leaving only streaks of silver that cut through the darkness.

The air was damp and smelled faintly of moss and blood — reminders of the battle they had barely survived.

He looked around carefully, his sharp eyes scanning between the trees for any lingering presence of danger before finally easing Selena’s exhausted body to the ground.

Her back came to rest against the rough bark of a large tree, her long hair clinging to her sweat-soaked skin.

She was still breathing heavily, each inhale trembling as though her lungs were on fire.

It was obvious that the fifth-rank sealing formation had pushed her body to its limit.

Her spiritual essence had been nearly drained dry; her complexion was pale, her lips colorless.

She pressed one hand to her chest and tried to regulate her breathing, drawing in several deep breaths in an effort to steady herself.

Riley crouched a few feet away, his gaze still sweeping the forest.

Every sound — the rustle of leaves, the chirp of a distant insect — made him tense.

Only when he was certain that no one was following them did he finally exhale, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.

”What happened earlier, Riley?” Selena finally asked, her voice hoarse but laced with confusion. ”How... how are we still alive?”

Riley turned his head slightly, meeting her eyes for a brief moment before looking away.

”Someone saved us, Selena,” he said. His tone was calm, measured — too measured. ”It was an old man. A very strong one.”

”An old man?” she repeated, frowning faintly.

”Yes,” Riley continued, weaving his lie with the same steadiness that had carried them through the battle.

”He appeared out of nowhere — no sound, no warning. The moment he arrived, the entire formation collapsed. Our enemies were dead before they even realized what happened. I barely had time to react.”

Selena’s brows knitted in disbelief, yet the exhaustion clouding her mind made it hard for her to question him.

”And... what did he say?”

Riley sighed softly and looked off into the distance, as though recalling something profound.

”I thanked him, of course. I told him I would repay him for saving our lives. But he only said one thing before disappearing — that the people of this age call him the Divine Executioner.”

For a few heartbeats, only the sound of rustling leaves filled the silence between them.

Selena’s lips parted slightly.

”The... Divine Executioner?” she murmured. ”I’ve heard of that name before... a wandering cultivator who hunts down heretics and corrupt sects. But I thought he was only a myth.”

Riley gave a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. ”Maybe he’s real after all.”

She looked at him again, searching his face for any sign of deceit.

But Riley’s expression was calm — too calm, too steady for a man who had supposedly just witnessed a massacre.

Finally, she leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes, exhaustion claiming her. ”If that’s true... then we were lucky.”

Riley’s gaze lingered on her for a long moment before he turned away.

His hands, still faintly stained with the blood of their enemies, curled into fists at his sides.

”Yeah,” he murmured under his breath, a ghost of a smile crossing his lips. ”Lucky.”

But deep down, he knew the truth — there had been no Divine Executioner that night. Only him.

***

The two spent the night deep within the forest, their campfire crackling softly under the starry sky.

The faint glow of the flames danced across their tired faces, painting warmth over the cold air.

Selena sat close to the fire, her back against a fallen log, her breathing finally steady.

The exhaustion that had consumed her after the fifth-rank formation had slowly faded, and the color was returning to her cheeks.

Riley had kept watch most of the night, leaning against a nearby tree.

He hadn’t slept a wink, but his expression was calm and relaxed, as if standing guard in the wilderness was second nature to him.

By morning, Selena was strong enough to stand on her own.

They shared a simple meal before summoning their flying boat, the sleek silver vessel humming softly as it rose above the trees and glided into the clouds.

The forest disappeared beneath them, swallowed by mist.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The soft whir of the flying boat and the sound of the wind filled the silence between them.

But gradually, Selena’s eyes drifted toward Riley. Something had changed.

The distance she once kept from him—the cold, polite indifference she’d maintained since their first meeting—was gone.

Now, she found herself seeking his presence instead of avoiding it.

She asked about his injuries, about his past life in the mortal world, about things that weren’t important but made the journey less lonely.

Sometimes Riley answered seriously, other times with teasing humor that made her roll her eyes but secretly smile.

By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon again, the tension between them had turned into a quiet, unspoken comfort.

As the sky darkened into shades of gold and crimson, Selena leaned on the railing of the flying boat, staring at the endless horizon.

After a long silence, she turned toward Riley. Her voice was soft, thoughtful.

”Riley... I owe you my life. Thank you,” she said, sincerity shining in her eyes.

Riley, who was adjusting the boat’s controls, turned slightly to face her and gave a small smile.

”Don’t mention it,” he said casually. ”If our positions had been reversed, I’m sure you’d have done the same for me.”

Selena hesitated. His words struck a chord she didn’t expect.

Would she have stayed behind if the situation had been reversed?

Would she have risked her life to save him? She wanted to say yes—but deep down, she wasn’t sure.

She clenched her hands slightly, a pang of guilt flickering through her chest.

After a while, she took a quiet breath and said, ”Riley, if there’s anything you want—anything within my power—just say the word. I’ll do everything I can to repay you.”

Riley blinked at her, then smirked. ”Anything?” he repeated, his tone suddenly playful.

Selena crossed her arms. ”I mean it.”

”Well...” he drawled, pretending to think. ”It’s really nothing serious, but since you’re insisting, maybe I’d like you to s—”

Selena’s eyes widened as realization hit her.

”You’re unbelievable!” she cut him off before he could finish, her face instantly flushing red.

Riley chuckled as she turned on her heel and stormed toward the rear cabin of the flying boat.

”Hey, I was just going to say smile more,” he called out teasingly, but she didn’t turn back.

The sound of the cabin door sliding shut was his only answer.

Riley leaned against the railing, still grinning to himself.

The clouds reflected the last of the sunlight, painting the sky in streaks of violet and orange. He let out a small sigh and whispered under his breath, ”So easy to tease...”

Inside her room, Selena sat cross-legged on her bed, still blushing furiously.

”Smile more, huh? Hmph... liar,” she muttered to herself, though the corners of her lips betrayed her, curling into a faint, reluctant smile.

The flying boat drifted on through the endless sky, carrying with it the soft tension of two people whose fates were now tied closer than either of them realized.

A day later, Riley and Selena finally reached the Frozen Flame Sect.

Their arrival stirred the entire sect; disciples whispered in disbelief while the elders who came to greet them wore strained smiles.

It was clear from their faces that they hadn’t expected the pair to return alive.

Some even avoided eye contact, their guilt thinly veiled behind polite formalities.

Riley, ever the observer, saw it all.

He didn’t need to ask who had leaked their movements or who had arranged for the ambush.

The culprits were standing right in front of him.

Still, he said nothing.

He merely smiled — that calm, lazy smile of his that made people uneasy because they could never tell what he was thinking.

In truth, he wasn’t angry. Punishing them would’ve been a waste of effort.

If anything, he almost felt amused.

Their little scheme had not only failed spectacularly but had also brought him closer to Selena — something no amount of planning could have achieved otherwise.

For that, he supposed he could forgive their foolishness.

After a brief, formal exchange, Riley and Selena collected the contribution the Frozen Flame Sect owed to the Sacred Heart Sword Sect — two full years’ worth of delayed payment in rare ores and spirit stones.

The elders handed it over without protest, too relieved that Riley didn’t pursue the matter further.

”Let’s go,” Riley said once their task was complete.

Selena gave a curt nod.

Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed a subtle storm of emotions — anger, suspicion, and something she couldn’t quite name.

Their flying boat soared through the clouds soon after, leaving the Frozen Flame Sect far behind.

The return journey was quiet — far quieter than before.

Selena, who had been warm and almost playful just days ago, had returned to her usual aloof demeanor.

She spent most of her time meditating in her room, focusing on recovering her spiritual essence.

Riley didn’t mind.

He sat on the deck during the evenings, enjoying the wind against his face and the soft hum of the flying vessel beneath him.

He occasionally glanced toward Selena’s closed door and smiled to himself, as if he knew she wasn’t as indifferent as she pretended to be.

Days passed like that.

The distance between them seemed to stretch again — and yet, something unspoken lingered in the air.

It was on the final night before they were to return to the Sacred Heart Sword Sect that the silence broke.

The moon hung full and pale above the clouds, casting silver light across the flying boat.

Riley was seated on his bed, shirt half-unbuttoned, reading through a jade slip when a soft knock echoed against his door.

He frowned slightly — it was late.

”Come in,” he said.

The door slid open, and Selena stepped inside.

Her long black hair was loose, cascading down her shoulders, and the faint glow from the moon made her skin look almost ethereal.

She hesitated at the threshold, her hand gripping the doorframe tightly before she finally gathered the courage to speak.

”I... agree,” she said quietly.

Riley looked up from his jade slip, his expression unreadable. ”Agree?” he repeated.

Selena nodded slowly, her eyes darting away from his. Her voice trembled as she continued, ”If that’s really what you want... then please excuse me if I’m bad at it. I don’t have any experience in... what goes on between a man and a woman.”

Her cheeks burned red even as she forced the words out.

She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.

Every heartbeat echoed loudly in her chest, and her palms felt cold and clammy.

Riley blinked, studying her with quiet intensity.

Then, he set the jade slip aside and rose to his feet. His movements were calm — deliberate — as he took a few slow steps toward her.

Selena instinctively stepped back but stopped when her shoulders brushed the closed door.

Her heart raced.

She had faced spirit beasts and life-or-death battles, but nothing made her feel as nervous as the quiet look in Riley’s eyes right now.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Only the soft hum of the flying boat filled the air.

Riley stopped just short of her, close enough that she could feel the faint warmth radiating from his body.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was gentle — not teasing, not mocking, but calm and sincere.