novelraw Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Chapter 26: Desire
Perhaps because they had abided by the rules of the lotus platform and were not judged as having “maliciously seized treasure,” the journey that followed proceeded with an almost uncanny smoothness.
The surroundings were silent, with only the faint rustling of grass and trees, as if the secret realm itself permitted their passage.
“Swish—”
Lin Xiaowan’s wrist flicked slightly, and the Azure Lotus Sword traced a streak of clear light through the air. The vines ahead fell in response.
She led the way, and the two quickly exited the low forest shrouded in pale pink mist.
Their view suddenly opened up. A tranquil crescent-shaped lake lay quietly in the valley, its waters crystal clear, reflecting the sky and drifting clouds.
Looking ahead, at the center of the lake stood a delicate octagonal wooden pavilion, connected to the shore by several winding wooden corridors.
At the center of the pavilion, a lotus bloomed quietly.
Its stem and leaves were nearly transparent, like crystal carvings. Only at the heart of the lotus shimmered a deep blue glow. Even from afar, one could feel a pure and ethereal aura rushing toward them.
“Pure Water Lotus… it truly is this.” Yun Yazi’s voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible sigh. “It matches exactly the aura I sensed from afar back then. Judging by its form, it has fully matured.”
“So this is the Pure Water Lotus that can enhance aptitude…” Lin Xiaowan sheathed the Azure Lotus Sword, curiosity flickering in her cool eyes.
The treasure lay ahead. One after the other, they stepped onto the corridor.
At first, Lin Xiaowan’s attention was entirely on the octagonal pavilion ahead, and she paid little mind to the corridor itself.
But as she walked, her gaze was inevitably drawn to both sides of the corridor.
The railings, pillars, and even parts of the wooden planks beneath their feet were carved with exquisite reliefs.
And the content… without exception, depicted men and women entwined in intimate embraces, their poses varied and indulgently suggestive, displaying every possible nuance of passion.
“This senior truly studied matters between men and women quite deeply…”
Lin Xiaowan sighed inwardly, raising her hand to brush aside the layers of gauzy curtains before her.
Such pink veils hung above the corridor at intervals.
They fluttered gently in the breeze, dreamlike and illusory, carrying a faint, cloying fragrance.
At first, Lin Xiaowan only felt that such decoration was overly romantic and clashed with the usual cold austerity of a cultivator’s dwelling, but she gave it no further thought.
However, as they advanced deeper, passing through one small pavilion after another—each filled with erotic paintings and love poems—and as the pink veils repeatedly brushed against her face…
A strange sensation quietly began to grow.
“Strange…”
At some point, Lin Xiaowan’s breathing had become slightly rapid, and her heartbeat inexplicably quickened.
An unprovoked heat rose within her, spreading through her limbs and bones.
Even her normally steady Qi Sea showed faint signs of stagnation, as if wrapped in an invisible warm current.
“Something’s wrong!”
She suddenly became alert!
These paintings, these poems, these drifting pink veils… were definitely not mere decorations!
This seemed to be an extremely sophisticated technique or restriction designed to stimulate desire!
It did not attack directly, but instead subtly stirred one’s primal urges through visual, olfactory, and tactile cues, disrupting both the mind and the flow of spiritual energy!
“Zhang Fan, be careful! These thi—”
Before Lin Xiaowan could finish her warning, her legs went weak. She could barely stand, leaning against a nearby vermilion pillar, breathing softly.
Within her body, the Profound Essence Scripture began to circulate on its own.
This technique, specializing in Dual Cultivation, allowed her mind to retain a measure of clarity even as desire invaded, enabling her to analyze the situation clearly.
But… her body’s instinctive reactions were strongly aroused by the technique, making them difficult to fully suppress.
Her cheeks beneath the veil flushed red, her breathing quickened, and a faint mist clouded her eyes, revealing a rare softness.
Zhang Fan’s condition was clearly far worse than hers!
“Xu… I, I think…”
Lin Xiaowan steadied herself with difficulty and looked up. Zhang Fan stood a few steps away, his body rigid.
His face was flushed red, veins bulging at his temples, his breathing heavy like a bellows.
His eyes were fixed directly on Lin Xiaowan, who leaned against the pillar.
“Xu… Miss Xu…” Zhang Fan’s voice was hoarse. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white as he struggled to control himself. “I… something’s wrong… you… stay away from me… go…”
Though he told Lin Xiaowan to leave, his steps moved uncontrollably, inching slowly toward her.
At that moment, a fierce battle raged within his mind, as two completely opposing voices clashed wildly!
“Go on! Zhang Fan! Haven’t you thought about it long ago? Since the first time you saw her by the stream… you already did! Why pretend to be a gentleman!”
“She’s the top courtesan of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion! A woman Qin Bai has already played with! Who knows how many men she’s been with! Just a pretty face! You’re risking your life here for her, and she might already be in another man’s arms!”
“Look at her now… isn’t she completely at your mercy? How are you any worse than Qin Bai? Why can he have her, but you can’t? If you miss this chance, are you even a man? Pin her down! Let her know you’re the one who—”
Filthy thoughts and vile fantasies gnawed at his sanity.
And yet another voice—his own rationality and conscience—resisted desperately, though weak, refusing to yield:
“No! You can’t do this! Zhang Fan! You are meant to stand tall and upright! How can you take advantage of someone in danger?!”
“Miss Xu has a tragic past—she had no choice in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion! She trusts you, that’s why she travels with you! How can you harbor such despicable thoughts! Calm down! Calm down!”
“Master! Master, help me!”
However, Yun Yazi’s voice did not respond.
The violent clash of thoughts twisted Zhang Fan’s expression, his body trembling even more than Lin Xiaowan’s.
On the other side, leaning against the cool pillar, Lin Xiaowan watched Zhang Fan’s struggle through misty eyes. Without thinking, she could guess the storm raging within him.
“Heh…”
She felt little shame or fear at the possibility of being violated.
“A typical aphrodisiac scenario. If it were another woman, she would either panic and hope the man restrains himself like a hero, or fall into despair and terror. Unfortunately…”
What she found unfortunate was not that Zhang Fan might lose control.
On the contrary, she regretted that Yun Yazi existed within him.
If that Golden Core remnant soul master were not present, this situation would have been a heaven-sent opportunity for her!
After all, when she left the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, she had already stopped controlling the Midnight Hour restoration of her “intact body” through the Profound Essence Scripture.
So she was still a virgin!
Given the situation, she could have easily gone along with it—or even guided it—using the effects of this aphrodisiac technique to perform Dual Cultivation with Zhang Fan, whose cultivation method was decent and whose primordial yang was pure.
Afterward, she could simply attribute everything to the formation’s influence, claiming both sides were “unable to restrain themselves.”
With Zhang Fan’s upright and emotional nature, he would inevitably feel guilty, believing he had defiled her.
That guilt would become an excellent leverage she could exploit long-term.
Not only would she improve her cultivation, but she could also bind his moral conscience—a perfect win-win.
Just as Lin Xiaowan calculated rapidly, and Zhang Fan’s inner battle reached the critical point where his rationality was about to be consumed by desire—
Zhang Fan suddenly let out a low roar like a wounded beast!
He gave Lin Xiaowan one final look, his expression impossibly complex—desire, struggle, and a final trace of clarity and resolve overcoming everything.
Then, he did something that completely surprised her.
He staggered back two steps, then, summoning all his strength, suddenly turned and leapt off the corridor into the crescent lake!
“Splash—!”
Water surged high as his entire body plunged into the icy lake. The bone-chilling cold enveloped him instantly. Holding his breath, he swam downward with all his might, trying to extinguish the raging fire within him.
On the corridor, only Lin Xiaowan remained.
She leaned weakly against the pillar, breathing softly as she looked toward where Zhang Fan had jumped. The ripples on the water gradually stilled.
“He does have… some decisiveness,” she murmured, brows slightly furrowed. “You’ve cleared your mind, but left me alone…”
She had no intention of jumping into the lake like him.
Closing her eyes slightly, Lin Xiaowan took a few deep breaths, leaning against the cold pillar as her body slowly slid down to sit…
……
After about the time it took for an incense stick to burn, accompanied by the sound of splashing water, Zhang Fan surfaced near the corridor.
His lips were pale from the cold, but the redness in his eyes had faded, replaced by clarity—and lingering exhaustion, along with a trace of complex emotion.
Climbing onto the corridor with some difficulty, he immediately looked toward the pillar where Lin Xiaowan had been.
She was no longer there.
She now stood slightly ahead, her back to him, seemingly steadying her breathing and adjusting her appearance.
“Miss Xu, are you… alright?” Zhang Fan’s voice was dry as he approached cautiously, his gaze unconsciously sweeping over her.
Lin Xiaowan turned slowly, her voice calm behind the veil: “Mm, I… am fine.”
Zhang Fan let out a breath of relief.
But as his gaze inadvertently swept the base of the pillar where she had leaned… there seemed to be faint traces on the smooth wooden floor.
His body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Before he could process the vague thought, Lin Xiaowan’s reaction stunned him.
She had also noticed it.
And he clearly saw that in her usually calm, cool eyes, a flicker of panic and… embarrassment flashed by.
“Thank you… just now…”
Her voice was soft as a mosquito’s hum. She instinctively shifted slightly, as if trying to block that “evidence,” her slender fingers curling unconsciously.
That reaction… was nothing like that of a seasoned courtesan accustomed to such matters!
Zhang Fan’s heart shook. The previously filthy speculations in his mind were instantly swept away.
Lin Xiaowan seemed to realize her loss of composure and quickly turned her face aside, her tone becoming slightly hurried yet deliberately cold: “Since we’re fine, let’s move on. Taking the Pure Water Lotus is more important.”
With that, she turned first and walked toward the pavilion.
Zhang Fan, still dazed by the contrast, responded belatedly and hurried after her.
Soon, the two arrived at the pavilion.
Inside, it was even more refined. At the center was a circular water platform connected to the lake, where the Pure Water Lotus was rooted.
Its leaves were crystal-clear, and the deep blue glow at its core emitted a pure aura.
On the white jade-like stone wall beside the platform, another line of text appeared:
Those without desire, and of a virgin body, may take it.
Lin Xiaowan saw it as well. Her brows moved slightly, and a faint sound escaped from beneath her veil.
“This requirement is quite straightforward.” She tilted her head slightly toward Zhang Fan. “This senior’s trials are truly… interconnected.”
She gestured toward the lotus. “Go ahead. This opportunity—I won’t compete with you.”
Their agreement had been clear—each would take turns with opportunities. She had taken the Azure Lotus Sword; this lotus belonged to Zhang Fan.
Yet Zhang Fan stood rooted in place, unmoving.
Lin Xiaowan tilted her head, her clear eyes blinking in mild confusion.
Then, as if suddenly understanding something, she covered her lips lightly, her tone turning strange.
“Don’t tell me…” She looked him up and down. “So you’re… no longer…”
“I…” Zhang Fan opened his mouth, unable to explain.
Panicking, he called out: “Master! Master, please explain for me!”
Yun Yazi’s calm, aged voice sounded in his mind, carrying a trace of helplessness.
“Fan’er, how would I know such matters? I reside within the Soul-Nourishing Jade and do not pry into your private affairs unless necessary.”
“Master!”
Zhang Fan wailed inwardly, utterly deflated.
Even his master wouldn’t help—he truly couldn’t clear his name, even if he jumped into the lake again!
After a long internal struggle, he sighed deeply. “Miss Xu… let’s go somewhere else.”
He turned to leave.
“Wait.” Lin Xiaowan suddenly called out.
He stopped and turned back, confusion and disappointment lingering in his eyes.
Lin Xiaowan looked at him quietly. “You… really want this Pure Water Lotus, to improve your spiritual root aptitude, don’t you?”
In his low state, Zhang Fan nodded heavily without thinking. “Yes! I dream of it! If I can upgrade my three spiritual roots to two—even slightly purer—my cultivation path will become much smoother!”
“Oh.” Lin Xiaowan responded flatly.
After a pause, she said slowly, “Then I’ll get it for you.”
“What?” Zhang Fan was stunned.
“As an exchange.” She raised two fingers. “Next time we encounter any treasure, you must help me obtain it—without complaint. Deal?”
Zhang Fan stared blankly.
Then he saw her eyes curve slightly, as if she smiled beneath the veil.
And then came the words that struck him like lightning:
“Because,” Lin Xiaowan said calmly, with a faint trace of shyness, “I am still a virgin. I should meet the condition…”
Zhang Fan’s mind went completely blank.
He watched as Lin Xiaowan’s slender hand slowly dipped into the spiritual liquid, her fingers grasping the lotus stem, gently lifting it from the platform.
The Pure Water Lotus glowed softly in her palm, obedient and serene.
He stared at her and the lotus—symbol of purity and flawlessness—as if witnessing the most unbelievable sight in the world.
Qin Bai. The top courtesan of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Countless men—
All the filthy thoughts he had entertained under the aphrodisiac’s influence now struck him like resounding slaps across the face.
“I—I’m sorry! Miss Xu! I… I actually thought such things about you… I…”
Zhang Fan stammered, face burning with shame, his eyes filled with overwhelming regret.
Yet alongside that guilt surged an indescribable joy.
Not just because he regained the lotus—
But because the girl he secretly admired was not as sullied as rumors suggested.
She was pure.
Like the lotus in her hand—clear, flawless, untouched by dust.
“Alright, calm down.” Lin Xiaowan chuckled softly, twirling the lotus between her fingers. “Do you still want it? If you keep staring, I might just take it back.”
Zhang Fan snapped out of it and hurriedly took it with both hands.
The solid touch confirmed it was real.
“I… I don’t know how to repay you… Miss Xu, from now on, no matter what you ask—ten things, a hundred things—I, Zhang Fan, will go through fire and blade without hesitation!”
Lin Xiaowan withdrew her hand, crossing her arms as she watched the trembling, overjoyed youth.
She keenly noticed that his attitude had changed entirely because of one fact—she was still “intact.”
How… dull, yet expected.
Lin Xiaowan sneered softly inwardly.