Chapter 3: The Lustful Bargain
The moon hung heavy over the Black Vein Sect's outer courtyard, casting long shadows across the stone pathways. A chill wind swept through the trees, rustling the leaves like whispers of forgotten secrets. Raiyen stood near the center of the courtyard, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
He could feel it—the pull. The first taste of the Sinbound System's true potential.
It had been two days since his rebirth, and already, the world around him was shifting. He had sown wrath, envy, and fear. But now, he needed to move toward something more... personal.
Lust.
The system thrummed in his mind, urging him forward. Every step he took felt like a step closer to a power unlike anything the world had ever seen.
Raiyen's gaze shifted to the group of disciples gathered in the distance. They were mostly young women, their robes fluttering in the wind as they practiced their cultivation. Their movements were graceful, their spiritual energy flowing in sync with the natural world. But Raiyen saw past their beauty. He saw their weaknesses. Their desires. Their sins.
One woman stood apart from the others, her golden hair cascading down her back like a river of light. Her eyes, though, were clouded with something else—a hunger. A hunger for power.
Lian Yu. The daughter of the Sect Leader, and one of the most talented disciples in the Black Vein Sect. Her beauty was unparalleled, but it was her ambition that Raiyen found most interesting.
She was destined for greatness, but she was also a pawn—one he could use.
Raiyen walked toward her, his footsteps silent on the stone ground. As he approached, the other disciples parted, their eyes flickering with curiosity and envy. Lian Yu, however, remained focused on her cultivation, her aura unwavering.
Raiyen stopped just a few paces away from her, his presence heavy in the air.
"You know," he said, his voice smooth, "ambition can be a dangerous thing."
Lian Yu's eyes flicked up to meet his. Her gaze was sharp, calculating, as if she could see through him.
"And what would you know of ambition?" she replied, her tone cool. "You're just a servant."
Raiyen smirked, unfazed. "Is that what you think?" He took a step closer, his eyes locking onto hers. "You don't recognize me, do you?"
Her brow furrowed slightly, but she didn't back away. "I've seen you around, but I don't waste time remembering servants." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand, turning back to her cultivation.
Raiyen's smile widened.
"Then allow me to refresh your memory," he said softly. "I am Raiyen Xian. The Monarch of Azure Flame. The one you will beg to serve you when the time comes."
Lian Yu's hand stilled mid-motion, her eyes narrowing as she looked him up and down again, clearly reassessing him. "You... you're not the same man. What happened to you?"
Raiyen chuckled darkly. "A lot has happened. But more importantly, I'm the one who can make your ambitions a reality."
Lian Yu's expression shifted slightly, but she said nothing. Instead, she took a step closer, her voice barely a whisper.
"And what would you want in return for this 'help' of yours?"
The system flared in his mind, a surge of power washing over him.
> [Sin Sown: Lust – Moderate]
+30 Sin Points Acquired
[Skill Unlocked: Sinbound Charm (Tier 1)]
Raiyen could feel it—her interest, her curiosity. It was the perfect opportunity.
"I don't ask for much," he said, his voice lower now, laden with meaning. "Just a small... token of your trust."
Lian Yu's lips parted, her gaze flickering to his lips for a moment before she quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"You are bold," she said, her voice a mixture of amusement and caution. "But if you truly believe you can help me rise, then perhaps there's more to you than meets the eye."
Raiyen took another step closer, his presence pressing down on her. "I don't just help people rise," he said softly. "I help them control the rise."
Lian Yu's breath caught, and for a moment, Raiyen saw the flicker of something deeper—desire, yes, but also fear.
Her ambition was strong, but so was her pride.
"You'll regret this," she warned, though her voice lacked conviction. "I won't be anyone's plaything."
Raiyen smiled, almost kindly, and raised a hand to gently touch her shoulder. "I'm not asking you to be anyone's plaything. I'm asking you to take control of your future. Together, we can dominate this sect. We can rule this realm."
Lian Yu's gaze softened for the briefest of moments, and Raiyen knew he had her.
She leaned in closer, her voice low. "And what exactly do you want from me?"
Raiyen met her gaze, his own eyes burning with the hunger of a man who had been reborn for this moment.
"I want you to choose me, Lian Yu," he whispered. "Not just as an ally, but as someone who will help you achieve your greatest desires. I will show you what true power is. All I ask is that you give me your trust, and... a small token of your affection."
Her lips parted, as if to speak, but Raiyen stopped her with a gentle finger on her lips.
"Don't worry," he said, his voice a seductive whisper. "You'll come to understand. Trust me."
---
The next few days passed in a blur for Raiyen. With Lian Yu now watching him closely, her behavior toward him shifted. She no longer treated him with disdain. Instead, she began to seek him out, asking him for advice, for guidance on her cultivation, and even for help in navigating the political intrigues of the sect.
But Raiyen knew what it really was.
She was drawn to him—not just because of his knowledge or power, but because of the sin he represented.
The more he spoke with her, the more the system rewarded him. Lust. Temptation. Desire. Each interaction fed into the power he was building. The more he made her crave him, the stronger he became.
Lian Yu had made a bargain with him, one she didn't fully understand yet. And Raiyen intended to make sure she never did.
---
On the fourth day of their meetings, Raiyen stood in the secluded garden where they had agreed to meet. The air was thick with the scent of blooming lotus flowers, their petals pale and soft against the dark waters of the koi pond.
Lian Yu arrived dressed in flowing purple robes, her hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. She walked toward him with purpose, her gaze never leaving his.
"I've been thinking," she said, her voice soft yet firm. "You've given me much to consider."
Raiyen turned to face her, his eyes burning with anticipation.
"And?"
Her lips curled into a smile—a dangerous, knowing smile.
"I think I'm ready to make that bargain of yours official," she said, stepping closer.
Raiyen's heart quickened. This is it.
He reached out, taking her hand in his.
"And what exactly does that mean, Lian Yu?" he asked, his voice low, a thread of desire running through his words.
Lian Yu looked up at him, her gaze steady. "It means that I'm ready to take the next step. Together. But know this, Raiyen. I'm not just a tool for your power."
Raiyen smiled, his fingers tightening around hers.
"Then let us begin," he whispered, and the Sinbound Monarch took yet another step toward his ultimate ascension.
The moon hung heavy over the Black Vein Sect's outer courtyard, casting long shadows across the stone pathways. A chill wind swept through the trees, rustling the leaves like whispers of forgotten secrets. Raiyen stood near the center of the courtyard, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
He could feel it—the pull. The first taste of the Sinbound System's true potential.
It had been two days since his rebirth, and already, the world around him was shifting. He had sown wrath, envy, and fear. But now, he needed to move toward something more... personal.
Lust.
The system thrummed in his mind, urging him forward. Every step he took felt like a step closer to a power unlike anything the world had ever seen.
Raiyen's gaze shifted to the group of disciples gathered in the distance. They were mostly young women, their robes fluttering in the wind as they practiced their cultivation. Their movements were graceful, their spiritual energy flowing in sync with the natural world. But Raiyen saw past their beauty. He saw their weaknesses. Their desires. Their sins.
One woman stood apart from the others, her golden hair cascading down her back like a river of light. Her eyes, though, were clouded with something else—a hunger. A hunger for power.
Lian Yu. The daughter of the Sect Leader, and one of the most talented disciples in the Black Vein Sect. Her beauty was unparalleled, but it was her ambition that Raiyen found most interesting.
She was destined for greatness, but she was also a pawn—one he could use.
Raiyen walked toward her, his footsteps silent on the stone ground. As he approached, the other disciples parted, their eyes flickering with curiosity and envy. Lian Yu, however, remained focused on her cultivation, her aura unwavering.
Raiyen stopped just a few paces away from her, his presence heavy in the air.
"You know," he said, his voice smooth, "ambition can be a dangerous thing."
Lian Yu's eyes flicked up to meet his. Her gaze was sharp, calculating, as if she could see through him.
"And what would you know of ambition?" she replied, her tone cool. "You're just a servant."
Raiyen smirked, unfazed. "Is that what you think?" He took a step closer, his eyes locking onto hers. "You don't recognize me, do you?"
Her brow furrowed slightly, but she didn't back away. "I've seen you around, but I don't waste time remembering servants." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand, turning back to her cultivation.
Raiyen's smile widened.
"Then allow me to refresh your memory," he said softly. "I am Raiyen Xian. The Monarch of Azure Flame. The one you will beg to serve you when the time comes."
Lian Yu's hand stilled mid-motion, her eyes narrowing as she looked him up and down again, clearly reassessing him. "You... you're not the same man. What happened to you?"
Raiyen chuckled darkly. "A lot has happened. But more importantly, I'm the one who can make your ambitions a reality."
Lian Yu's expression shifted slightly, but she said nothing. Instead, she took a step closer, her voice barely a whisper.
"And what would you want in return for this 'help' of yours?"
The system flared in his mind, a surge of power washing over him.
> [Sin Sown: Lust – Moderate]
+30 Sin Points Acquired
[Skill Unlocked: Sinbound Charm (Tier 1)]
Raiyen could feel it—her interest, her curiosity. It was the perfect opportunity.
"I don't ask for much," he said, his voice lower now, laden with meaning. "Just a small... token of your trust."
Lian Yu's lips parted, her gaze flickering to his lips for a moment before she quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"You are bold," she said, her voice a mixture of amusement and caution. "But if you truly believe you can help me rise, then perhaps there's more to you than meets the eye."
Raiyen took another step closer, his presence pressing down on her. "I don't just help people rise," he said softly. "I help them control the rise."
Lian Yu's breath caught, and for a moment, Raiyen saw the flicker of something deeper—desire, yes, but also fear.
Her ambition was strong, but so was her pride.
"You'll regret this," she warned, though her voice lacked conviction. "I won't be anyone's plaything."
Raiyen smiled, almost kindly, and raised a hand to gently touch her shoulder. "I'm not asking you to be anyone's plaything. I'm asking you to take control of your future. Together, we can dominate this sect. We can rule this realm."
Lian Yu's gaze softened for the briefest of moments, and Raiyen knew he had her.
She leaned in closer, her voice low. "And what exactly do you want from me?"
Raiyen met her gaze, his own eyes burning with the hunger of a man who had been reborn for this moment.
"I want you to choose me, Lian Yu," he whispered. "Not just as an ally, but as someone who will help you achieve your greatest desires. I will show you what true power is. All I ask is that you give me your trust, and... a small token of your affection."
Her lips parted, as if to speak, but Raiyen stopped her with a gentle finger on her lips.
"Don't worry," he said, his voice a seductive whisper. "You'll come to understand. Trust me."
---
The next few days passed in a blur for Raiyen. With Lian Yu now watching him closely, her behavior toward him shifted. She no longer treated him with disdain. Instead, she began to seek him out, asking him for advice, for guidance on her cultivation, and even for help in navigating the political intrigues of the sect.
But Raiyen knew what it really was.
She was drawn to him—not just because of his knowledge or power, but because of the sin he represented.
The more he spoke with her, the more the system rewarded him. Lust. Temptation. Desire. Each interaction fed into the power he was building. The more he made her crave him, the stronger he became.
Lian Yu had made a bargain with him, one she didn't fully understand yet. And Raiyen intended to make sure she never did.
---
On the fourth day of their meetings, Raiyen stood in the secluded garden where they had agreed to meet. The air was thick with the scent of blooming lotus flowers, their petals pale and soft against the dark waters of the koi pond.
Lian Yu arrived dressed in flowing purple robes, her hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. She walked toward him with purpose, her gaze never leaving his.
"I've been thinking," she said, her voice soft yet firm. "You've given me much to consider."
Raiyen turned to face her, his eyes burning with anticipation.
"And?"
Her lips curled into a smile—a dangerous, knowing smile.
"I think I'm ready to make that bargain of yours official," she said, stepping closer.
Raiyen's heart quickened. This is it.
He reached out, taking her hand in his.
"And what exactly does that mean, Lian Yu?" he asked, his voice low, a thread of desire running through his words.
Lian Yu looked up at him, her gaze steady. "It means that I'm ready to take the next step. Together. But know this, Raiyen. I'm not just a tool for your power."
Raiyen smiled, his fingers tightening around hers.
"Then let us begin," he whispered, and the Sinbound Monarch took yet another step toward his ultimate ascension.