The cell was cold, lit only by a single flickering lantern. Chains carved with sealing runes wrapped around Li Xian's wrists and ankles, binding him to the wooden chair. His wounds still burned, but his gaze was steady, defiant.
He was confined beneath the sect's Hall of Discipline, guarded by layers of restrictions. To any outsider, it was a prison.
To Li Xian, it was simply another stage.
The system whispered in his mind like a dark lullaby:
> [Time remaining: 4 days.]
[Host confinement: Irrelevant. Seduction remains viable.]
Li Xian smirked faintly. Four days… Then I'll either ascend this cursed path, or vanish like dust. No middle ground.
The stone door creaked.
His eyes narrowed as the lantern's light shifted, revealing a figure entering silently, robes of white shimmering like snow under the dim glow.
Su Yao.
Her veil was lowered this time, revealing the entirety of her flawless face. Cold, distant, like a goddess carved from jade.
She stepped closer, the fragrance of orchids trailing behind her.
"You shouldn't have survived," she said quietly. Her voice was steady, but softer than before, as though the walls of this underground chamber loosened her mask.
Li Xian leaned back against the chair, chains rattling, crimson glint flickering faintly in his eyes.
"And yet, here I am." He tilted his head, a crooked grin on his bloodied lips. "Disappointed, Saintess?"
Her gaze sharpened, but for a moment, her lips parted—no words emerging. Then she pressed them closed again.
"I came to warn you."
"Oh?" His grin widened. "Or did you come because you couldn't stop thinking about me?"
Her cheeks didn't flush, but her eyes betrayed the faintest tremor. She drew closer, standing just before him.
"The elders plan to petition the Sect Master tomorrow," she said, ignoring his taunt. "They'll call for your execution. They will not allow demonic cultivation to take root within our walls."
Li Xian chuckled low. "Then why tell me? Why not let me be dragged out and slaughtered? That would make your path cleaner, wouldn't it? Saintess, loyal disciple, dutiful daughter."
Her hand tightened on her sleeve. "Because…"
The word slipped out, then died on her tongue.
The system chimed:
> [Target Su Yao: Emotional conflict rising.]
[Affection +25%. Hidden emotion: Concern.]
Li Xian leaned forward as much as the chains allowed, lowering his voice to a whisper.
"Because part of you still remembers, doesn't it? Before you cast me aside. Before you chose Zhao Feng. You once promised to stand at my side."
Her breath caught. For just a moment, her perfect mask cracked.
"You've changed," she said softly, eyes narrowing with both fear and curiosity. "You're… dangerous."
"Dangerous men are remembered." His grin widened, shameless and sharp. "Unlike Zhao Feng. When you looked at me earlier, in that arena—tell me, Su Yao. Did your heart not tremble, even for a breath?"
Her jade-like eyes widened. Silence pressed thick between them.
The system purred:
> [Target Su Yao: Desire awakened (latent).]
[Affection +30%. Critical threshold approaching.]
Su Yao stepped back, turning away, her white robes flowing like snow. "You're mad. Whatever… power you've gained, it will consume you. And if the sect doesn't end you, heaven will."
She moved toward the door.
But at the threshold, she stopped. Her slender fingers gripped the frame tightly, her back still to him.
"…Sleep lightly tonight, Li Xian. For tomorrow, you may not live to see the sun."
And then she left, the door sealing shut behind her.
Li Xian leaned back, laughter low and dark echoing in the chamber.
Her voice trembled. She warns me, yet doesn't let me go. She's already mine… she just doesn't know it yet.
The system whispered approvingly:
> [Seduction Progress: 30%.]
[Host status: Chains binding only flesh, not fate.]
The lantern flickered again. Outside, thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, as if the heavens themselves listened.
And in the shadows, unseen, another figure watched the cell from afar—eyes burning with killing intent.