He practically dragged her out of the training hall, ignoring the mocking laughter that followed them.
The moment they were back on the open street, Cao Ning tried to stop him. "Senior Brother Xie Lan, wait! Are you okay?"
As he turned to face her, he failed to notice the uneven paving stone right behind him. He stumbled backward, pulling Cao Ning with him.
"Woah!"
Her arms flailed as she lost her balance. In his surprise, his grip tightened, and they both crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
He ended up on top of her. And his hand?
His hand was planted directly on her right breast.
The softness was… incredible. It was like sinking into a warm cloud. It was even bigger and more supple than he'd imagined from just looking.
As he processed this, his fingers, moving on pure instinct, gave a soft squeeze.
"Aahn!"
A small, breathy sound escaped Cao Ning's lips. Her face bloomed a brilliant shade of crimson. She stared up at him, her eyes wide with shock and embarrassment. Beneath his palm, he could feel her nipple harden, stabbing into his hand like a tiny, perfect pebble.
Just as Xie Lan yanked his hand back as if he'd been burned, Cao Ning's hand flew up.
SMACK!
A sharp, stinging pain erupted on his cheek. The crack of the slap echoed on the busy street.
"How could you!" she cried, turning her face away, her shoulders trembling. A single, perfect tear slid down her cheek.
"I'm sorry! I tripped… I was just trying to—" Xie Lan scrambled to his feet, his mind a complete blank from the sting and the awkwardness.
Yet, even as he rubbed his reddening cheek, a chime echoed in his mind.
[Pervert System Notification:]
[Mission Complete: Accidentally grab Cao Ning's breast.]
[Reward: 50 Pervert Points.]
Xie Lan stared at the floating text, then back at Cao Ning's flushed, tear-streaked face. The realization hit him with the force of a physical blow.
This system… It rewarded this? It had given him points for his klutziness?
A slow grin spread across his face, undeterred by the angry glare Cao Ning was now shooting at him.
Cao Ning watched his expression shift from pained apology to glee. Her own anger evaporated, replaced by bewilderment and a tiny, unwanted spark of amusement.
Despite everything—his humiliation, her embarrassment—he was happy. And her angry facade couldn't hold against such absurd joy.
A small smile broke through her pout. "You're impossible," she sighed, a little huff escaping her lips. "Completely and utterly hopeless."
The sound of her genuine laughter made Xie Lan's grin widen. It felt like a victory. Not just the points, but this. She didn't hate him for touching her.
She just… laughed it off. Maybe Cao Ning was a goddess in more ways than just her appearance.
Their impromptu date seemed to be at an end. They walked in silence for a bit before Cao Ning spoke again, her voice more serious this time.
"The entrance examination, Senior Brother… it's in two months," she said, her silver hair catching the light as she turned to him. "You need to be ready. You have to show everyone what you're made of. I'll be training hard too. So you'd better not slack off."
The examination.
Xie Lan had heard about it, but his fragmented memories were fuzzy on the details. "Right," he said slowly, "the ceremony."
The entrance examination was a massive event held only once every three years. It was the single most important day for any young person hoping to join the demonic sect.
After realizing their potential, five factions in the demonic sect would choose people to join their factions.
The five factions were:
- Qi Cultivation
- Physical Cultivation
- Alchemy
- Weapon Refining
- Yin Cultivation
Each section had its own unique place in the sect's power structure. Qi cultivation was considered the most prestigious, and its practitioners were the sect's primary fighting force. Physical cultivators were the immovable walls of the sect. The alchemists were treasured for their potions, and weapon refiners created artifacts of immense power.
But the Yin Cultivators... they were something else altogether.
Also known as the Path of Yin, they were infamous. They accepted only the most beautiful girls into their faction because a pretty face was a weapon in their arsenal.
They practiced charm techniques and seduction arts that could bring the most powerful men to their knees. Their numbers were few, but their influence was absolute.
To many, the Yin Palace was a place of sin; to men, it was paradise on earth.
"It all makes sense now," Xie Lan muttered, pieces of the puzzle clicking together in his mind. This was his chance.
Each of the five factions would recruit only those who showed potential in their fields. For a clan to keep its prestige and power, it needed to have children join these respected departments.
And for Cao Ning, the beautiful daughter of a small branch of his clan that did not have much power? It was her one and only shot at moving up, at claiming a life worthy of her.