Chapter 6: The Hill

Her hips were perfectly shaped, round and plump. I couldn't help but touch them, feeling their silky smoothness.

Mia's thighs were free of any hair or blemishes. They were as pristine as frost. My hand lingered on her body, unwilling to move away.

Mia's leg twitched, and she asked, irritated, "Why... why haven't you started sucking yet?"

"I'm about to," I replied, pressing around the wound. A trickle of dark blood began to ooze out. I took a deep breath and brought my mouth closer to the wound.

As soon as the dark blood touched my lips, it tasted bitter and metallic, almost making me gag. I quickly spat it out onto the ground.

Seeing the nauseating dark blood made me hesitate, but looking at the beautiful woman lying before me, I steeled my resolve. How could I, as a man, leave someone in distress?

With that thought, the repulsive taste somehow turned sweet in my mind. I leaned down and sucked at Mia's wound repeatedly until the ground was covered with dark blood. Finally, when the blood turned bright red and Mia let out a pained moan, I stopped, feeling my tongue tingle and my head spinning.

After resting for a while, I thought that although the dark blood was expelled, some poison might still remain. Medicine was needed to eliminate it. I struggled to my feet, searched the surroundings, and fortunately found several Septa-Leaf Flowers. Overjoyed, I crushed the flowers and gently applied them to Mia's wound.

As I reached to help Mia with her pants, I hesitated, my hand instinctively brushing against her legs. Suddenly, Mia let out a soft whimper, and I quickly withdrew my hand, suppressing the unnamed fire within me, and slowly pulled up her pants. Since she was lying down, I had to lift her to fasten them properly.

Once Mia was dressed, I was breathless, wondering if I had poisoned myself while sucking out the venom.

Just then, a cool sensation rose from my core, the numbness in my tongue subsided, and I felt much more alert.

I was startled when Nerissa's voice echoed in my ears.

"This snake venom is trivial. Didn't you want to become stronger? The girl before you is still a virgin. If you absorb her essence, it will enhance your vitality."

I asked, "Is this The Art of Balance?"

"Something like that."

"Does sleeping with her mean I will absorb her essence? What benefits does enhancing my vitality bring?"

Nerissa replied, "This technique, The Art of Balance, must be performed as I instruct to absorb her essence. Once you have it, your sexual prowess will increase, and your physical abilities will be enhanced, and you'll even master the Aroma of Beauty Technique."

"Aroma of Beauty Technique?"

"Yes, it allows you toeasily  discern the secrets within a woman's body."

I was more astonished the more I heard. This technique was invaluable. I eagerly asked Nerissa to teach me The Art of Balance.

Nerissa said, "You must learn this through practice."

I glanced at Mia, who seemed to be asleep. I slowly crouched beside her, observing her prominent chest and slightly parted legs. She was the perfect subject for practice.

A voice echoed in my mind: "Undress her and have sex with her."

Involuntarily, I reached out to remove Mia's pants.

As soon as my hand touched her waistband, Mia let out a soft moan. Reflexively, I pulled my hand back.

A snake had bitten Mia, and I had just extracted the venom. Wouldn't it be wrong to take advantage of her and sleep with her now?

I would wait until she had recovered. After all, with Dan gone, she would have to marry again. She would come to me for the Awakening Ceremony when that time came.

Her essence would be mine eventually.

I gently woke Mia and told her I had removed the snake venom and would take her back now.

Mia panicked, exclaiming, "I can't go back! If I do, they'll make me Dan's Burial Accompaniment. I don't want to die."

"I'll secretly take you to your mother's house," I suggested.

"That's still a death sentence. Dan paid a marriage gift of two thousand dollars to my family. They'll demand the money back if I don't accompany him to the burial. That money is for my brother's education. Demanding it back is like taking my parents' lives. They won't return the money; they'd rather have me accompany Dan!" Mia said, her voice choked with tears.

My heart ached for her.

I had thought Mia was a strong-willed, dominant girl, but I hadn't realized she lived in such circumstances.

Suddenly, voices echoed from the mountain below.

"They're up there! Bring them back, and there's a reward of twenty bucks for each."

"Damn it, Caden. If I don't drag you back for burial, I'll change my last name."

Startled, I told Mia that Bowen had brought people to capture us.

A flicker of fear crossed Mia's eyes.

I helped her to her feet and asked if she could walk. 

Mia tried taking a few steps, letting out a pained groan, her delicate brow furrowed.

"I'll carry you," I said, crouching before her.

Mia clung to my back as we headed toward the other side of the mountain.

Initially, Mia seemed hesitant, but after a while, she wrapped her arms around me, her body pressing close. The soft fullness of her chest rested against my back.

Listening carefully, I could hear the others from a distance and avoided their search parties.

For an entire day, I carried Mia, playing cat and mouse with the villagers on the mountain. When we were hungry, we picked wild fruits. It wasn't until nightfall that Bowen and his men descended the hill.

We couldn't stay overnight, as the hill was full of poisonous insects and wild animals. I carried Mia down quietly to the orchard behind the village.

The orchard belonged to a man named Roberto Lawne, who grew pear, orange, and peach trees. 

A small wooden hut stood in the orchard where Roberto would stay when the fruit was nearly ready for harvest.

As I approached the hut with Mia, I suddenly heard splashing water from inside.

Someone was in the hut.

I set Mia down and told her to wait while I checked who was inside.

I was creeping up to the hut and was about to peer through the crack when the door suddenly swung open. A hand reached out, grabbed mine, and pulled me inside.

"Finally, you're here! I've been waiting so long I've bathed twice!"

The scent of shower gel filled the air as I was pulled into a woman's embrace, my forehead bumping into something soft and yielding.