MEI LIN POV
I never thought walking across the sect courtyard could feel like walking into battle.
But that's what it was. A battle not with swords or spirit techniques, but with the only weapon I had left: myself.
[Quest Active: Seduce Li Wei. Reward: +50 Charm Points, +1 Cultivation Rank.]
The glowing text hovered at the edge of my vision, taunting me with the promise of power. Every step in the Scarlet Lotus Robe made my heart pound louder.
The disciples training nearby whispered as I passed. Their sneers hadn't disappeared — they still saw me as trash. But some of their eyes… lingered.
Was it the robe? The aura? Or was it me?
I bit my lip, both terrified and exhilarated.
Li Wei was leaning against the training field gate when I approached, sipping smugly from a gourd of wine. He grinned when he saw me.
"Well, well. If it isn't Mei Lin, the sect's greatest failure. What, come to beg me for mercy?"
The words burned, but this time, I didn't flinch. Instead, I lowered my gaze, letting my lashes flutter. "Mercy? No. I came to… thank you."
His brows rose. "Thank me?"
"Yes." I forced the words out smoothly, even as my cheeks heated. "If you hadn't mocked me… if you hadn't pushed me down… I never would have found strength."
I stepped closer. My robe whispered with every move, scarlet silk clinging to my curves.
[Velvet Gaze activated.]
My eyes locked onto his. Power thrummed. His pupils dilated, his smirk faltering for the briefest heartbeat.
"What game are you playing?" he muttered, voice rougher than before.
"No game." I smiled faintly, leaning closer until my perfume brushed against him — faint lotus and honey. "Just a gift."
[Consumable: Perfume of Desire activated. Target's Desire +30.]
His throat bobbed as he swallowed. The arrogant gleam in his eyes shifted, warping into something darker. His hand twitched at his side as if he wanted to touch me but didn't dare.
The satisfaction that bloomed inside me was wicked. Sweet. Addictive.
"Mei Lin…" he murmured, suddenly softer. "You—"
"Shh." I placed a finger gently against his lips. "Don't speak. Just feel."
[Target Desire Threshold reached. Seduction progress: 80%.]
My heart raced so fast I thought I'd collapse. Was this really me? The same girl who cowered in shadows yesterday?
No. This was something else. Someone else.
Trash no more.
I leaned close, lips brushing his ear, my voice barely a whisper. "You'll regret calling me trash, Li Wei. But for now… just keep looking at me like that."
He shivered. Actually shivered.
[Quest Complete!]
[Reward: +50 Charm Points. Cultivation Rank increased: Body Tempering Stage 2 → Body Tempering Stage 3.]
The surge of power was instant. Spirit energy flooded my veins, brighter and hotter than it had ever been before. My body hummed with strength.
I gasped, staggering back slightly as the system messages filled my vision.
Li Wei frowned, confused. "What was that? Did you… just break through?"
The courtyard around us buzzed with whispers. Disciples who had been watching widened their eyes in shock. Trash girl Mei Lin… advancing? Impossible.
"Y-you—" Li Wei stammered, his face pale with disbelief.
I smiled. A real smile this time, sharp as a blade. "Yes. Thanks to you."
I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving him frozen in place, surrounded by stunned murmurs.
Every step felt lighter, my veins alive with new energy. The Scarlet Lotus Robe shimmered faintly in the morning light, and for the first time in my life, heads turned not to mock me… but to watch me.
By the time I returned to the riverbank, I was trembling. Not from fear. Not from shame. But from exhilaration.
[Congratulations, Host. Quest complete. You have officially taken your first step as a Pornstar Cultivator.]
I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my racing heart. "I actually did it…"
[Correction: We did it.]
I laughed breathlessly, a sound half hysterical, half triumphant. "You're insane. This is insane."
[Insane? No. Effective? Yes. Tell me, Host — didn't it feel good watching him tremble? Didn't it feel powerful when he couldn't look away?]
I bit my lip, the memory of Li Wei's gaze flashing in my mind. The way his arrogance melted into hunger. The way his mockery twisted into desire.
It did feel good. Too good.
Dangerously good.
"…Yes," I whispered. "It felt incredible."
[Good. Because that was only the beginning.]
The screen flickered again, and a new notification appeared.
[New Quest Unlocked: Corrupt the Sect's Flower — Zhao Feiyan.]
[Difficulty: High.]
[Reward: +200 Charm Points, +2 Cultivation Ranks, Skill Unlock.]
My breath caught. Zhao Feiyan. The sect's jewel. The beauty who outshone all others. The one everyone admired. The one who looked at me as if I were dirt.
Corrupt her?
I shivered. This wasn't just power. This was temptation. This was blasphemy.
And yet… I couldn't look away.