Tiangang Continent, Liang Kingdom, Qifan Village.
When Clara Xiling came to, her body was on fire—hot, itchy, like ants crawling and biting under her skin. Every breath was a blast of heat. Her cheeks burned, her heartbeat raced, and the heat pooling in her lower belly surged like wildfire.
She prided herself on her self-control, but now her body betrayed her, trembling uncontrollably. A wave of desire crashed through her, urgent and raw. Her mind flooded with illicit images, and for the first time, she didn't just see them—she wanted them.
She twisted instinctively, desperate to find relief, some escape. But no matter what she did, nothing helped. Her limbs grew limp, even breathing turned into gasping moans. Her clothes had slipped off halfway down her shoulders, and her flushed face looked like a flower dripping with temptation, nearly irresistible.
Then, somewhere beneath the fog in her mind, a sliver of clarity pierced through. This wasn’t normal—someone had drugged her. A strong aphrodisiac. Her body was out of control because of it. But… hadn’t she died in that lab explosion?
Suddenly, searing pain shot through her arm. Clara shuddered from the sting—sharp, real—and it cleared her head a bit. Sound returned first. A woman’s voice yelled next to her ear, vicious and shrill.
“Shameless bitch! Trying to seduce men in front of me? I’ll teach you a lesson! See how you like it when I ruin that vixen’s face!”
With a jerk, her vision came back. A villager woman crouched over her, shouting with madness, stabbing her again and again with embroidery needles. The pain Clara felt earlier had come from those—and now the woman raised one, aiming straight for her face.
Clara’s hand lashed out fast, clamping down on the woman’s wrist. The woman howled in pain, then came the sickening crack of bone snapping. A sharp, dry crunch—chilling to hear.The embroidery needle clattered to the ground. The woman who’d been hitting her froze in fear. Something was off—this dumb girl from the Xiling family wasn’t the same anymore. Her bloodshot eyes blazed with fury, like a wild beast ready to tear someone apart.
Only then did Clara Xiling realize she was on the ground. Above her, the sky was clear, the blue pure and sharp. But that burning heat inside surged up again, pulling her back into a haze. She staggered to her feet, but the woman yanked her back, still trying to fight.
Clara’s gaze swept past her and caught sight of a pond nearby. First things first—cool down the fire in her body. As for this woman... Clara shot her a sharp glare. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back for you soon enough.”
Then she stumbled forward, forcing her legs to move as fast as they could toward the water.
Behind her, the woman howled, her voice shrill and broken, “Stop her! She snapped my arm!”
The villagers who’d been watching sprang into action. One shouted, “Quick, stop her! That fool hurt someone and thinks she can run?”
But Clara had already reached the edge of the pond. She didn’t hesitate. Without a word, she dove in headfirst.
As she disappeared beneath the surface, the voices from the shore rang out, “Look! The idiot from the Xiling family jumped in!”
“Fool’s still a fool. That pond’s deeper than it looks. She jumped in there—no way she’s coming out alive.”
The water quickly swallowed every sound. Clara forced herself to calm down, letting the cold seep into her bones. She even drank a few mouthfuls, letting the chill run straight through her. The heat inside finally dulled a little.
More and more villagers gathered at the shore. None tried to help. Instead, they laughed loud and hard.
“Place your bets! Life or death—ten coins a round! Hey, Old Li, you betting she lives? Bold move! And Old Zhang’s betting she dies? Hah, easy money! If the Xiling family waste really does climb back out, I’d kick her back in myself!”
Laughter broke out all around. Then suddenly—splash! A pale arm shot up from the water.