Chương 107: Chapter 106: Is This a Trap?

Upon seeing Sun Ruoxin, Ye Chen's expression remained largely unchanged. To be honest, when it came to appearance, Sun Ruoxin was slightly more alluring than Lin Ke'er and Lu Jing. She had a unique charm of her own. With those long, shapely legs and a figure that was neither too large nor too small, just the right size to be perfectly grasped, she was indeed striking. But her personality, however, was utterly selfish and self-serving.

To be truthful, with the gifts of the flying boat and the Green Cloud Sect spot, even an ice queen would have shown some warmth to ease things. Yet Sun Ruoxin still tried to manipulate and control him. She had no conscience at all. So, after giving her a brief glance, Ye Chen couldn't be bothered to say a word, intending to head straight for Sword Peak.

"Junior Brother, please forgive me! I truly know I was wrong!" Sun Ruoxin said with her eyes red, her voice filled with desperation. Ye Chen didn't even look at her, lifting his leg and preparing to leave. But then, to his surprise, Sun Ruoxin suddenly dropped to her knees in front of him, clutching onto his leg.

"Junior Brother, don't go. I wasn't lying. I really do understand my mistakes! I've thought about all the things I've done before, and I feel like such a terrible person. I often wake up in the middle of the night, slapping myself in regret.

"Junior Brother, I didn't come today to beg for your forgiveness. I'm not foolish enough to think I can win back your forgiveness. I just want to ask, Junior Brother, for a chance to make up for everything. Junior Brother, will you come to my room tonight? I'll repay you well, and after tonight, I'll never appear before you again." Still holding onto Ye Chen's leg, Sun Ruoxin tilted her head back, her eyes filled with pleading. Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at her words.

The sight of her clinging to his leg and gazing up at him felt strange. But Ye Chen knew well what cultivation technique Sun Ruoxin practiced—before reaching Foundation Establishment, she couldn't lose her virginity, or her chances of reaching Foundation Establishment would be practically nonexistent. Yet here she was, inviting him to her room. It didn't seem quite right.

To be honest, with Ye Chen's understanding of Sun Ruoxin's selfish and self-serving nature, there was no way she would simply give up her hope of reaching Foundation Establishment just because she regretted her actions and wanted to make amends. Could she really be trying to set him up? If he went to her room, she could claim that he was the one who made the move. But Ye Chen had the Peak Master backing him—there was no way anything serious would happen if things escalated. What was Sun Ruoxin really up to?

Ye Chen couldn't help but show a look of confusion. Seeing Ye Chen's wariness, Sun Ruoxin let out a bitter laugh. Her actions had made it impossible for her to regain Ye Chen's trust. With a serious tone, Sun Ruoxin spoke, "Junior Brother, I'm not lying. I'm leaving Green Cloud Sect!" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. Leaving Green Cloud Sect? She had worked so hard to enter the Green Cloud Sect, and now she was leaving? Ye Chen became even more skeptical.

He had a lot to do and didn't want to waste more time on Sun Ruoxin. He lifted his leg to leave. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. However, Sun Ruoxin clung to his leg tightly, a miserable smile on her face.

"Junior Brother, I'm telling the truth. The sect has forced me to take on a mission, and I can't refuse. My teammate is Kong Xiangbei! He's been stuck at the eighth layer of Qi Refining without breaking through, and who knows what will happen during this mission.

"The sect's mandatory task means I have no choice but to go. But once I do, it's certain I'll be used as a furnace to help him breakthrough. After that, I'll either have to submit or be killed by him. And I don't want any of that. Since I can't avoid this fate, I'd rather help you, Junior Brother, with your breakthrough.

"Right now, you're at the eighth layer of Qi Refining. With my help, you'll surely break through to the ninth layer. Consider it my gift of redemption. After I give myself to you, I'll leave the Green Cloud Sect. Without value, the Kong family won't target me anymore." Looking at Sun Ruoxin and recalling what Kong Xiangbei had said at the arena, Ye Chen began to believe her. To be honest, Ye Chen did feel some disdain for Sun Ruoxin.

Of course, part of that was due to her low multiplier, which couldn't meet his needs. But even with his disdain, he didn't want to leave her for another man to use as a furnace. Though Sun Ruoxin wasn't his woman, Ye Chen couldn't shake the feeling of being betrayed. He looked down at her. Despite her low multiplier and self-serving nature, she wasn't entirely useless. She could help him improve his cultivation. Breaking through sooner was always better.

Moreover, Sun Ruoxin's father, Sun Ye, had once been in charge of the Green Cloud Market. His storage ring was nearly a third full of treasures, but he hadn't had the time or chance to sell any of them. Perhaps Sun Ye could help him out in that regard. After a moment of contemplation, Ye Chen decided to test Sun Ruoxin. He needed to confirm whether she had truly repented, as she claimed, or if she had simply run into trouble and was now playing the pity card to seek his help.

After all, as a direct disciple with the Peak Master's backing, Ye Chen might have the means to solve her problems. The results of this test would determine how Ye Chen would treat Sun Ruoxin from then on. He took out the Heart Command Talisman he had just bought. Bending down, Ye Chen smiled and said softly, "Senior Sister, here's a gift for you." Sun Ruoxin, who had her head tilted back, froze. She gazed at Ye Chen's warm smile, one she had only seen in her memories, and the way he was presenting her with a gift.

Her eyes immediately filled with tears... She didn't know if Ye Chen's change of heart was because she was willing to offer her body to help him break through his cultivation, but Sun Ruoxin didn't care. Just hearing Ye Chen call her "Senior Sister" again was the greatest surprise. Her hands released Ye Chen's leg, trembling slightly as she took the talisman he offered her. Her eyes sparkled with the joy of having regained something precious.

"Senior Sister, won't you see what the gift is? Is it to your liking?" Ye Chen asked, grinning. Sun Ruoxin, her face filled with joy, shook her head.

"As long as it's from Junior Brother, I'll love whatever it is." The next moment, a system notification sounded in Ye Chen's mind.

"Gift successfully given!"

"Gift: Heart Command Talisman."

"Processing feedback..."

"Fifteen-fold feedback in progress..."

"System detects that the gift is of great importance to the recipient, exceeding their expectations, causing a significant shift in their mindset, triggering a critical hit reward!"

"Reward: Fifteen Ancient Heart Command Talismans!" Hearing the system's notification about the reward, Ye Chen's smile deepened. Fifteen talismans should be more than enough, right? Most importantly, the critical hit reward had been triggered. This meant that Sun Ruoxin was truly pleased and happy with the gift. So it seemed that Sun Ruoxin had really repented.

"That talisman I just gave you is called the Heart Command Talisman," Ye Chen said.

"I've already infused it with my blood. Once you use it, you'll never be able to betray me or harbor any ill intentions toward me. But you won't be under my control either—you'll still have your independence. Once you use the talisman, follow me up the mountain. If not, you're free to leave." Ye Chen didn't give Sun Ruoxin any time to think. He casually began making his way toward Sword Peak. As the Sword Peak formation recognized the token on Ye Chen, it immediately opened a large light barrier.

Ye Chen stepped inside. After hearing Ye Chen's words, Sun Ruoxin didn't hesitate for even a second and pressed the Heart Command Talisman to her forehead. As long as it meant receiving Junior Brother's forgiveness, Sun Ruoxin would willingly accept anything—even the enslavement talisman, if it were required. The Heart Command Talisman flashed brightly before turning to ash in an instant. With a face full of joy, Sun Ruoxin rushed toward Sword Peak. Finally, she had earned Junior Brother's forgiveness.