Honey Trap

"That's right."

Ning Fan crossed his arms, lifting his chin as he stared at the two Yin Yang Peak disciples before him. Why pass up a perfectly good shield?

"W-we apologize! We had no idea this Junior Brother was Senior Sister Zhao's personal plaything. Please spare us, Senior Sister Zhao!"

The two disciples dropped straight to their knees, trembling like chaff in the wind.

"Get lost."

Zhao Yan'er raised her hand, a flicker of ice in her eyes.

As if granted amnesty, the pair scrambled to their feet and fled, terrified that she might change her mind if they lagged behind by even half a breath.

"Hehe, my little young master was almost thoroughly swindled just now," Zhao Yan'er said, her face melting into a sweet smile.

"Swindled?" Ning Fan scratched his head.

"Indeed."

"Those two aren't a real couple. The male disciple uses force to coerce the female disciple into acting as bait. She picks a target to seduce, and once things get messy, the male disciple steps in demanding a companion swap. That way, he gets to freeload a dual cultivation session for absolutely nothing."

"It's a rather transparent scheme, really. It only works on gullible newcomers who have just joined the peak."

Zhao Yan'er shrugged.

"..."

Ning Fan stood there, utterly dumbfounded.

People actually ran scams like this here?

He truly had no words.

"I must say, little young master, I was only gone for a brief moment and you already snuck out of the cave dwelling. Could it be that you are actively avoiding me?"

Zhao Yan'er stepped closer, her sultry eyes fixed on him like silken threads. She placed her palm gently against his chest, her finger tracing slow circles over his robes.

"Hiss-"

Ning Fan sucked in a breath of cold air and hastily took two steps back, breaking her hold.

This woman was an absolute demoness.

"Haha..."

"Didn't you say your husband suffered a sudden Qi Deviation and required your urgent care? I merely came out for a casual stroll, haha," Ning Fan offered with a dry laugh.

"Tch."

"Just some petty tricks to vie for my favor. Ordinarily, I find such antics mildly amusing, but when they actually disrupt my plans, it ruins my mood entirely."

An amused smile curled the corners of Zhao Yan'er's lips.

Ning Fan's suspicion was correct. Her husband hadn't suffered a Qi Deviation at all; it was just a ploy to pull her away from his side.

"..."

Zhao Yan'er watched him intently, searching for any ripple of emotion. By all accounts, if Ning Fan held any affection for her, he should have shown some jealousy or resentment toward her husband's behavior. Yet, he merely stood there with a perfectly neutral expression.

It was glaringly obvious that he didn't care in the slightest.

"Little young master..."

"I truly want to pin you down right this second and dual cultivate with you."

Zhao Yan'er ran her scarlet tongue slowly over her lips, her gaze locked onto him with raw, predatory intent.

Women were truly fickle creatures. The more indifferent Ning Fan remained, the more determined she became to conquer him.

In the next instant, her figure blurred.

She reappeared right in front of him, catching both of his wrists in a single hand and pinning them firmly above his head.

"What are you doing?"

Startled, Ning Fan instinctively fought back. However, his struggles proved entirely futile. Zhao Yan'er's grip was like an iron vice. Despite his formidable physical strength, he could not budge her hand in the slightest.

"..."

Ning Fan's mind sharpened with caution. Her cultivation was indeed vastly superior to his.

It made sense. She was at least at the late Profound Extreme Realm, if not higher, and her talent as the personal disciple of the Yin Yang Peak Master was undeniable. Expecting to match her head-on with his mere peak Yellow Extreme Realm cultivation was nothing short of a pipe dream.

"Little young master..."

With him thoroughly restrained, Zhao Yan'er leaned in so close that he could see the faint, delicate fuzz on her skin and feel her warm, shallow breath whispering against his face.

This went far beyond mere intimacy.

Yet, after a tense stalemate, she seemed to lose a bit of her amusement. She released her grip and stepped back, granting him space.

"What a pity. I dislike using raw force. True dual cultivation requires a perfect resonance of both emotion and desire to achieve the maximum benefit."

"Little young master..."

"I want to draw out the absolute limits of your Dual-Cultivation Physique."

"So... how exactly do I win your heart?"

Zhao Yan'er raised her hand, tapping a long, sharp fingernail against his chest. The hard tap resonated through his clothes, leaving a faint, tingling itch behind.

"Simple. Defeat me fairly," Ning Fan replied, a calculating gleam flashing deep within his eyes.

"Defeat you fairly?" Zhao Yan'er arched an eyebrow.

"Correct."

"Senior Sister Zhao, you have been a part of Yin Yang Peak for years, whereas I am a newcomer who just entered the main peaks-and from Changming Peak, no less."

"Our cultivation time and the resources at our disposal are completely mismatched. If you simply overpower me now, I will never truly accept it," Ning Fan argued smoothly.

"Oh?" A spark of genuine amusement danced in her eyes.

"But you must realize that while you cultivate, I do too. You will never close the gap in time. The only real disparity lies in our resources."

"How about this?"

"I will give you my personal token, allowing you unrestricted access across Yin Yang Peak. You may study our martial techniques, view our treasures, and enjoy the exact same authority I hold."

"In ten days, right before the grand inter-peak tournament, you and I shall duel."

"If you lose... you must submit to me completely, heart and soul."

Zhao Yan'er stared deeply into his eyes.

She didn't actually expect him to take the wager seriously. In her mind, even if she handed him every single resource on the peak, what could he possibly accomplish in a mere ten days?

No matter how much he grew, he could never be her match. She assumed he was just trying to stall, so she had thrown out an impossible condition to humor him.

Yet to her surprise, Ning Fan's eyes lit up with an intense, unmistakable excitement.

"Senior Sister Zhao, are you absolutely certain about this?" he pressed immediately.

"..."

Zhao Yan'er studied his face, trying to detect a hidden trap, but his gaze was entirely clear and devoid of deceit.

After a long pause, she nodded.

"Very well."

"But you must promise that if you lose in ten days, you will willingly dual cultivate with me. Agreed?"

She tilted her head, flipping her palm to reveal an intricately crafted disciple token that gleamed with the unique mark of a personal disciple.

"Furthermore..."

"During these ten days, you may act as you please, but any resources or treasures you acquire cannot be given away or hoarded. They must be used solely for your own personal cultivation. Do you understand?"

She added the condition to ensure he wouldn't use her name to stir up trouble across the peak. In her estimation, even if he stuffed himself to the absolute limit, a single person could only consume a fraction of the peak's wealth in ten days-an entirely acceptable loss.

"It's a deal!"

Ning Fan swiped the token straight out of her hand, a brilliant, sharp light flashing in his eyes.

88.181.249.5

ns88.181.249.5da2