Mo Han walked with calm steps through the busy courtyard of the Eternal Night Mansion's Academy

At the counter, Elder Linga sat waiting. The old man had already prepared the discs.

"Ah, you've come," Elder Linga said, his long white beard swaying as he shuffled through a stack of circular crystals. "These are the ones I sorted out for you—flame attribute duels, elder rank cultivators, those with heavy use of swordsmanship. You'll learn more value from these than wasting your eyes on meaningless contests."

Mo Han bowed slightly. "I am grateful, Elder..." He slid forward a pouch of spirit stones, more than enough to cover the cost.

The old man chuckled. "Your hunger for knowledge is unusual for someone who entered this sect only days ago. But it is good—discipline, persistence, and observation are the pillars of growth."

Mo Han collected the discs and turned towards the private room.

But as he turned from the counter, a scent wafted through the air—sweet, thick, heavy with perfume.

"Mo Han…"

Her voice was velvet, low and dripping with allure. Lady Ku stepped forward, her body wrapped in crimson silk that clung to her curves, a veil half-hiding her lips.

Her eyes shimmered faintly with charm technique, subtle waves of spiritual energy flowing outward like invisible tendrils to caress his mind.

Dozens of disciples in the hall turned to look. Some grinned knowingly; others widened their eyes in envy. Lady Ku rarely bothered to approach anyone herself.

Mo Han stopped, his expression unchanged, his eyes cold.

Lady Ku smiled, gliding closer. "I was waiting for you… all these days you ignore me, but I know why. You're afraid."

"Afraid?" Mo Han repeated, his tone flat.

"Yes," Lady Ku purred, circling him slowly like a predator savoring its prey. "Afraid that if you touch me, you'll never want another woman. Afraid that my charm will bind you so tightly you won't be able to breathe without me." Her laughter rang out softly, drawing even more eyes.

Mo Han's lips did not move. He only looked at her, his gaze sharp as an unsheathed sword. That single glare was enough to make her words falter for half a beat.

But she quickly recovered, raising her voice slightly so the crowd could hear. "You hide behind cold eyes because you're powerless against temptation. What kind of man refuses when I—Lady Ku—extend my hand? Perhaps you're not even a man at all. Just a frightened little boy playing at strength."

The crowd murmured, disciples chuckling. Some whispered that perhaps Mo Han's aloofness was because he truly feared women.

Lady Ku smirked, emboldened by the growing attention. "You think you're special? I could break you with a glance. You'd be begging at my feet before the night was done. I—"

A flash.

"Sun Piercing Palm"

The air hissed as spiritual energy surged.

Mo Han's palm lifted casually, fire qi swirling in a tight sphere before anyone realized what he was doing. With a flick of his wrist, a blazing fireball shot past Lady Ku's face and smashed into the great fountain at the center of the hall.

BOOM!

Water erupted into the air, shards of stone flying as the fountain split and collapsed in on itself, steam rising as fire and water clashed violently. The disciples nearest the blast staggered back in shock, shielding their eyes.

Silence fell.

Lady Ku's eyes widened, her charm technique shattering instantly under the sheer weight of his killing intent. For the first time in years, she felt fear crawl into her chest.

Mo Han stepped closer, his voice calm but loud enough for all to hear. "Your beauty is not even worth my concubine."

Gasps rippled through the hall.

Lady Ku's lips parted, but no words came. Her pride, her seductive poise—it all shattered under the cold steel of his words. She felt small, narrow, insignificant.

Mo Han did not linger. He turned his back on her without hesitation, his robes swaying as he walked toward the exit. The steam from the broken fountain trailed after him like smoke following a fire.

The disciples whispered furiously.

"He rejected her…"

"Lady Ku… humiliated like this?"

"Did you see? He didn't even hesitate. That fireball—so precise, so merciless."

"More terrifying than his words was his indifference. To him, she's nothing."

A few bold disciples who had been planning to chase after Mo Han stopped dead in their tracks. If he could dismiss Lady Ku, whose beauty had toppled even seasoned cultivators, what chance did they have? Better to preserve their pride than be shattered publicly.

Lady Ku stood frozen, her hands trembling faintly. Her three male attendants hurried to her side, whispering nervously. But she shook them off, her eyes locked on the door where Mo Han had vanished. Her face burned, not with passion but with shame.

"I… I will make you kneel before me," she muttered under her breath, her teeth gritted. But even she could hear the hollowness in her vow.

Inside, Mo Han walked into the private room, unhurried, unbothered. His mind had already shifted away from the petty drama. To him, Lady Ku was irrelevant, just another obstacle testing his will.

His thoughts turned back to the discs within his robe. Every fight, every technique, every weakness—he would study them, break them down, and build himself sharper, stronger. He had no time for seductions or games. His path was clear, and nothing—not beauty, not schemes, not ridicule—would sway him.

Back in the Academy Hall, the whispers continued to spread like wildfire. By nightfall, every corner of the Eternal Night Mansion would know:

Mo Han, the new disciple under Elder Mei, had publicly dismissed Lady Ku—once considered one of the sect's untouchable beauties—declaring her unworthy of even being his concubine.

And with that single act, he had carved his name deeper into the mansion's heart than any rumor could.

Many women changed their thoughts of pursuing Mo Han. But his act attracted many more enemies as they saw his attacking ability.

-

Thank You!