After leaving Xie Lan behind, Cao Ning made her way home, her mind still reeling. A blush stained her cheeks.
"Why did I laugh?" she muttered to herself, fanning her face. "And why do I feel so… hot?"
She looked down. The scrap of blue fabric did little to hide the two hard points pressing against it. And between her legs, a familiar warmth spread, making her feel slick and uncomfortable.
Every man on the street stared as she walked. Their eyes were like hands, roaming over her body, lingering on the deep V of her neckline and the smooth, exposed skin of her back. She was used to it. Here, a woman's body was her currency and her armor. But today, their attention made her shiver. The rıghtful source is 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Finally, she reached the Cao family compound. It was nice and comfortable but not grand compared to the Xie estate. It was a clear sign of their status as a second-rate family serving the main clan.
Her father was the clan head and a Spirit Realm cultivator. As his only daughter, and with her cultivation already at the Peak Stage of the Qi Refining Realm, she was their golden ticket. Their hope for a better future.
That connection to her father, and by extension to the Xie clan leader, was the only reason she hadn't been snapped up as some young master's concubine already. Her beauty was both a blessing and a curse.
Stepping into her private room, she let out a long sigh. The door clicked shut behind her, and she collapsed onto her bed, the soft silk cooling her flushed skin.
Yet it wasn't enough. She needed to bathe, to wash away this strange heat that made her think of Xie Lan's hand… his fingers…
"Ahhh... What am I even thinking?" Cao Ning pulled the silk over her face, but the heat was starting to build to a slow burn between her legs.
Just as she was about to get up for a bath, there was a firm knock on her door.
Cao Ning opened the door to see a servant with her head bowed. "Miss," the servant said, her voice low. "Elder Cao Chang requests your presence for training."
"Training? Right now?" Cao Ning frowned. But she couldn't say no.
"Yes, Miss. He is waiting at the training hall."
With the servant gone, Cao Ning knew what she had to do. And she also knew what she would be walking into.
Elder Chang was her father's second-in-command—a dangerous position. He was a Spirit Realm cultivator, just like her father, and the clan's rules allowed any member of sufficient strength to challenge the leader.
He chose not to challenge her father. Instead, he became her master. Four years. For four years, he had guided her cultivation.
Yet, the man remained a mystery.
Over the last year, something had changed. During training, Cao Ning would feel his eyes on her. But it wasn't the look of a teacher watching a student. It was hungry. His gaze would linger on the curve of her breasts or the sway of her hips as she practiced her forms.
And he'd touch her. Not often, but it was always more than a simple correction. His hands would brush against the side of her breast as he adjusted her stance, or they'd linger a moment too long on the small of her back.
She had ignored it. What could she do? He was an Elder, respected and powerful. To accuse him would cause a massive rift in the family, a mess her father didn't need. And so she said nothing, pretending not to notice.
With a soft sigh, Cao Ning steeled herself. She couldn't refuse.
As she entered the training hall, the familiar scent of sweat and aged wood filled her senses. In the center, on a simple wooden chair, sat Elder Chang. He wasn't moving. He was just… watching. His gaze was intense, like a predator that had been waiting patiently for its prey.
Elder Chang was a clever man. A patient one. He knew that even if he became the family head, he would still be under the thumb of the powerful Xie family. But looking at Cao Ning, at her blossoming beauty and immense talent, he saw another path.
A life as the master of a future demonic sect powerhouse? That promised far more. So, he had been testing the waters, making small, careful advances, like getting close to a wary animal.
Making any big, sudden move now was foolish. But the temptation… oh, the temptation had been growing for a year now. And he was getting tired of waiting.
He knew of her soft spot for that useless Xie boy and that the boy's father protected her. Which made things more complicated. But all good things take time. He'd been teaching her for four years. He could afford to be patient.
As Cao Ning walked toward him, Elder Chang's eyes dropped, tracing the bouncing movement of her chest. It was a habit he no longer bothered to hide.
Her thin blue robe barely held her in check. And in this demonic cult, where it was customary for women to wear nothing underneath, her form was left almost bare.
Cao Ning saw him looking. Of course, she did. She felt his stare as a physical touch, making her skin crawl. It was even stronger today after her time with Xie Lan. Every nerve was on fire.
Stopping directly before him, Cao Ning bowed her head, her silver hair spilling forward to partly hide her face. "Elder Chang," she said, her voice tight. "I am here."
Elder Chang looked her up and down, taking his time before his lips curved into a thin smile. He began the session as always. "We start with the basics. They are the foundation of all power. The horse stance."
"Understood," Cao Ning said, moving to the center of the hall.