Just as lady Ku used one of her techniques, Bai Rui lost his power and fell back on bed, exhausted.

At last, Bai Rui lay panting, sweat gleaming across his skin. He reached for the jade box at the side table and pushed it into Lady Ku's hands. It clinked with the weight of spirit stones—hundreds, if not more.

"Enough to buy you a new slave," he said, eyes gleaming with malice. "And all of it is yours… if you do one thing for me."

Lady Ku leaned forward, veil slipping slightly to reveal a cruel smile. "And what does the young master desire?"

Bai Rui's voice was a hiss. "There is a new disciple in your sect. His name is Mo Han. He is proud, reckless… and he humiliated me. I want him broken. I want him addicted to your body, enslaved by pleasure until he forgets his own name. Seduce him. Hollow him out. Make him nothing but your puppet. Then deliver him to me when he's begging to lick my boots."

Lady Ku's eyes glimmered behind her veil, amused and wicked. "Mmm… so much venom for just one boy. He must be handsome."

Bai Rui's lips curled. "He has a face that women will fight for. But that is why I chose you. Your arts… will strip him bare. Turn his strength into weakness."

Lady Ku laughed, the sound like bells wrapped in poison. She pressed the jade box against her chest and rose with feline grace. "Consider it done. I will wrap this Mo Han in silk and chains of desire. Soon, he will crawl to you of his own will."

Bai Rui's grin widened as his eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Good. Break him for me. And when you do, I'll double this reward."

Lady Ku bowed, her veil hiding the smirk playing on her lips. "The Eternal Night Mansion will give him pleasure. But I will make it his prison."

She glided out into the night, leaving behind the faint scent of musk and the laughter of a predator who had just scented her prey.

---

The Eternal Night Mansion sprawled across the eastern ridge of Golden Silk City like a dream laced with desire and shadows. Disciples in crimson robes moved gracefully through corridors lit by moonstones, each pair of eyes sharp, curious, and sometimes predatory.

When Mo Han stepped through the gates with Jia Kai, Chi Kai, and Fatty Lambu at his side, whispers rippled immediately.

The other disciples of Elder Mei gathered to see the new disciple.

Instead of a cramped dormitory or a shared pavilion, Mo Han was taken to Elder Mei's private garden. Nestled at the heart of that garden, beside a pond filled with silver lotuses, stood a massive stone house built with layered jade bricks and carved with protective arrays. It wasn't just a house; it was a statement of authority.

As Mo Han stepped inside with his companions, disciples who passed through the garden halted in their tracks, whispering in disbelief.

"Why is a newcomer being given one of Elder Mei's largest stone house?"

"Not even senior disciples have stepped into that place!"

"Could he be… her personal cultivating disciple?!"

Some even muttered darker thoughts. "If Elder Mei is protecting him this openly, then… who exactly is Mo Han? Is he some prince from the imperial clans?"

"Or many be a good doll for her night... Hahaha..." Another commented openly.

Mo Han himself, with his usual calm, simply inspected the stone house without arrogance. Fatty Lambu, on the other hand, nearly fainted from shock the moment he stepped inside.

"Brother Han!" Fatty exclaimed, stumbling over his own feet as he explored the wide hall and separate meditation chambers. "We can live here? Do you know how many spirit stones this kind of residence is worth? Even if I sold myself to ten sects, they wouldn't give me a single corner of this place!"

Mo Han chuckled faintly, carrying himself with a quiet confidence. "It doesn't matter what the house looks like. What matters is how strong we become inside it."

But Fatty was already rolling on the floor, touching the engraved lotus-shaped tiles like a child who found treasure. "Strong or weak, I could die happy just eating here every day…"

—--

Meanwhile, across the sect grounds, the plum-cheeked administration lady hurried into another estate—this one dripping with golden curtains, sandalwood incense, and a faintly oppressive aura. She fell to her knees as soon as she entered.

"Elder Park… forgive me," she said in a trembling voice, holding her head low. "I… I failed to reject him. Elder Mei interfered directly. She accepted the boy herself."

From behind a silk screen, a woman's voice rang out cold, like a blade wrapped in honey. "What did you say?"

The screen slid open revealing half naked and exhausted men, and Elder Park emerged. She was beautiful, her features sharp, but her eyes carried venom. Draped in violet silks and wearing a golden headpiece, she radiated authority—and something more dangerous, a pride that could not tolerate insult.

"You dare tell me that Elder Mei has stolen a seedling recommended by Pink Blossom Tree Sect… and planted him in her own garden?" Elder Park's voice was low, but it cracked the silence like thunder.

The fat administration lady trembled harder. "Yes, Elder… she gave him her largest stone house. The entire sect is already whispering."

Elder Park's lips twisted in fury. "That scheming Mei… so this is how she wants to challenge me. Using a boy as her weapon."

She turned, snapping her fingers. "Jumi!"

At once, a lithe woman in her twenties stepped forward. She was Elder Park's disciple, known for her sharp tongue, dazzling looks, and merciless methods. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she bowed. "Master, you called?"

Elder Park's tone dripped with venom. "There is a new disciple called Mo Han. He came with the recommendation of Pink Blossom Tree Sect, but Elder Mei has stolen him into her care. I want you to make a spectacle of him."

Jumi arched an eyebrow. "How so, Master?"

"Challenge him to dual cultivation in public," Elder Park said with a cruel smile. "Mock his ability. Spread the word that he is nothing but a fraud who can't even satisfy a partner. In this sect, reputation is more important than blade or spell. If you shatter his pride in front of others, Elder Mei will choke on her own arrogance."

The administration lady's mouth opened slightly in shock, but she quickly covered it. Jumi, however, only smiled, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

"As you wish, Master. If he is just another spoiled young master, I will crush him with words and shame. If he's truly skilled…" her lips curled as though savoring the thought, "then it will be entertaining either way."

"Do not fail me, Jumi," Elder Park said coldly. "Find out everything you can about him. Where he sleeps, who he keeps close, what his weaknesses are. If you need help, use the other disciples. But within three days, I want Mo Han's name dragged through the mud."

Jumi bowed low, the silk of her robes sweeping across the floor. "By your will, Master."

As she departed, Elder Park turned to the administration lady. Her expression softened only slightly, though her eyes remained cold.

"And you… if you breathe a word of my involvement, not even your ashes will remain in this city. Do you understand?"

The fat woman trembled violently. "Y-Yes, Elder Park. I will not speak of this."

"Good. Then leave."

-

Hehehe...:-)