Elder Park sat in her dim-lit chamber, her fingers tapping the lacquered armrest of her chair. The incense curling from the bronze burner before her failed to calm the storm in her chest. Word after word had reached her ears all day long:

"The new healer… Pleasure Master… women moaning under his touch… crowds flooding the Healing Tower…"

Her teeth clenched. The name repeated in her head like a curse. Mo Han.

She slammed her palm on the armrest, cracking its surface.

"How… how is he doing this?!" Her eyes burned with frustration. "He came from that wretched Pink Blossom Tree Sect, rejected once by me, punished with impossible manuals—and yet… he dares to gain popularity inside my Eternal Night Mansion?!"

Her thoughts churned darker. If he truly gained a strong footing, it would become far more difficult to uproot him later. His fame was spreading like fire on dry grass. Even the elders would begin to take notice. And once he was recognized… her hand in his earlier rejection would no longer be hidden.

Her fury could no longer be contained. "Jumi!" she barked.

Within moments, her personal disciple, Jumi, entered the chamber, bowing low. She wore pale robes that shimmered faintly with talismanic runes, her eyes lowered, her face pale with unease.

Elder Park's voice cut like a blade. "What became of the task I gave you? I told you to humiliate that boy in public by proposing dual cultivation. Where are the results?"

Jumi trembled. She raised her head slightly, only to be pierced by her master's cold glare. Helplessness filled her voice. "Master… it's impossible. He… he shows no interest in women at all. Many disciples, even beauties with perfect constitutions, threw themselves at him. But he treated them like stones on the road. He doesn't bend."

"Useless!" Elder Park roared, slamming her hand on the table. "All those years you spent learning my techniques, and you cannot even bend a single boy with your charms?!"

"Master…" Jumi whispered, lowering her head further.

"What happened to the Enchantment Powder I gave you?!" Elder Park's eyes glinted with venom.

Jumi flinched, her fingers tightening around her robes. "I still haven't… found a good situation to use it."

Elder Park leaned forward, her voice low and venomous. "Then make one. Tomorrow, you will go to the Healing Tower. You will use that powder on him. Force him to dual cultivate inside the Tower itself. It is against our sect's rules. Once caught, he will be thrown out without question. Do you understand?"

The air around her crackled with suppressed power, suffocating.

Jumi's heart pounded. She knew how dangerous this was. If she failed, she would be humiliated before the sect. If Mo Han resisted and exposed her, her name would rot. But Elder Park's gaze left no room for refusal.

Her lips quivered as she nodded. "Yes, master. I will… I will make him submit."

"Good." Elder Park leaned back, satisfied, though her chest still burned with hate. "Do not disappoint me again, Jumi. I don't care how you do it—tomorrow, he will fall."

Jumi bowed deeply, hiding the fear in her eyes, and left the chamber. As she walked out into the cold night air, her hands trembled. Do I dare? If I fail… no, I must succeed. For master… and for my own survival.

–

Meanwhile, far across the city, within the towering walls of the Bai Clan estate, another storm was brewing.

Inside a lavish chamber draped with silken curtains, Princess Bai Gu paced restlessly, her slippered feet tapping the jade tiles. Her long hair shimmered like black satin under the lantern light, and her sharp eyes blazed with curiosity and frustration.

For hours, gossip had reached her ears.

"A healer whose touch makes women moan like lovers…"

"The Pleasure Master of the Healing Division…"

"Crowds gathering, women weeping for his touch…"

Her hands clenched the folds of her gown. "A divine healer, they say… one who can stir pleasure with but a finger."

Her mind raced, her pride both intrigued and challenged. She was Bai Gu—the proud daughter of the Bai Clan, ruling one of the four great families of Golden Silk City. She always got what she wanted. And now, her heart whispered with a dangerous curiosity.

She waved her hand sharply. "You—bring me every detail about this man."

Her servants bowed and scattered. Hours later, they returned, kneeling before her.

"Princess," one said, lowering his head. "The healer's name is Mo Han. He is the same man who placed a sword at your brother's neck in the streets."

Her brows shot up. "What?"

"Yes, Princess. He humiliated Young Master Bai Rui in public. Later, Bai Rui sent a beauty to seduce him. But she failed miserably. He turned her away without a glance."

Another servant added quickly, "But the rumors of his healing are true. Many confirmed it. His touch… they say it is divine. He heals without pain, turning agony into moans of bliss."

Bai Gu's lips curved slowly into a dangerous smile. "So… he is not only skilled with the sword, but also immune to seduction. Brave enough to face my brother… and skilled enough to bend crowds to his name."

Her heart pounded with hunger—not just of the body, but of pride. She wanted him.

She turned sharply to her servants. "Bring him to me."

One dared to raise his head. "What if… he is not interested, Princess?"

Her smile sharpened like a blade. "Then offer him wealth. Offer him a hundred spirit stones. A thousand, if needed. I don't care what it takes. Tomorrow, I want him in my chamber."

The servants shivered, bowing deeply. "Yes, Princess."

As they scurried away, Bai Gu stood at the center of her chamber, her arms folded, her chin high.

"I will see if this so-called Pleasure Master can resist me. No man has ever done so before. If he thinks he can heal without bending to a woman's will…" Her eyes gleamed with fire. "…then I will make him kneel."

That night, two storms brewed silently—one from Elder Park's schemes, another from the burning desire of Princess Bai Gu. And Mo Han, quietly meditating in his stone house, remained oblivious to how many nets were being cast to snare him.

-

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