Chapter 53: No Initiative, No Refusal (Patreon)

You weren't oblivious to the girl's subtle feelings over the years. As Danzhu grew up, it wasn't just her body that matured, but her mind as well.

Initially, her feelings for you were a complex mix of admiration, reverence, and attachment.

As she slowly matured, her admiration intensified, and her attachment gradually blossomed into love.

You knew this perfectly well, yet you feigned ignorance. Like a scumbag, you neither made a move nor rejected her.

In your heart, growing stronger was the top priority; everything else had to be pushed aside. Women were merely useful tools.

Soon, the next phase of your plan began.

Danzhu keenly sensed that the atmosphere within the Vidyadhara was gradually becoming tense.

Danzhu had a rough idea of the reason. The turmoil caused by Imbibitor Lunae had not yet subsided. After repeated negotiations between the Vidyadhara and the Ten-Lords Commission, Imbibitor Lunae was ultimately sentenced to the Exuviation Charm and had only just completed his molting rebirth.

With the position of the High Elder vacant, the Luofu Vidyadhara were like scattered sand. The Vidyadhara Elders, meanwhile, harbored their own sinister motives. Some sought to usurp the High Elder's power, others tried to obtain the secrets of draconic transformation, and some even attempted to meddle with the Alchemy Commission.

Especially that last point—she would never allow anyone to touch her master!

If her opponents weren't the Vidyadhara Elders, and if she could find the specific culprit, Danzhu's fiery temper would have driven her to march right up to them and beat them senseless!

Danzhu had no idea that the infighting among the Vidyadhara Elders was entirely orchestrated by your command. These Elders were like marionettes on a stage, completely controlled by your hand.

Your goal was to muddy the waters to conceal your true intentions. After all, the current Luofu General, Jing Yuan, is a master strategist known for his cunning—far more difficult to deal with than his brutish predecessor, Teng Xiao.

Poor Danzhu was being played right in the palm of your hand.

Thus, one night, after a 'detailed discussion' with the Vidyadhara Elder Taoran, you went directly to the Prison of Shackling Souls. There, you used a secret art on the newly reborn Imbibitor Lunae, causing him to recall the memories of his past life.

All of this was witnessed by Jing Yuan, who believed he had the entire situation under control.

However, what Jing Yuan didn't know was that you also took this opportunity to 'openly' seize a portion of the High Elder's power from the not-yet-awakened Imbibitor Lunae.

As the main culprit of the 'Imbibitor Lunae Crisis' and the focal point of the power struggle between the Ten-Lords Commission and the Vidyadhara, Imbibitor Lunae attracted more attention from the higher-ups than even a Xianzhou General.

Under these circumstances, any unauthorized contact with Imbibitor Lunae would be met with suspicion.

That's why you orchestrated this whole play—to 'openly' make contact with him.

The amount of the High Elder's power you took was pitifully small, almost useless for anything other than experimentation.

Because of this, no one, not even the owner of the power, Imbibitor Lunae himself, noticed a thing.

Everything went as you predicted. You were subjected to a rigorous investigation.

Following that, Jing Yuan issued an order demoting you to the status of a commoner.

During this time, the other Vidyadhara Elders, under your orders, all ignored your plight.

Only Danzhu, that stubborn, silly girl, ran around everywhere pleading on your behalf.

Touched? Perhaps a little. But mostly, it was a headache.

Because your plan was to use this very method to extricate yourself and disappear from the public eye.

Left with no choice, you had to personally step in to stop Danzhu's reckless actions.

Special story event triggered. Enter Reality Mode?

"Hm?"

Victor's face showed a hint of confusion. His simulated self was busy orchestrating major events behind the scenes and had no time for romance. How did this special story event trigger?

Victor immediately thought of a possibility.

'No way, this works too?!'

Whatever, who cares.

Only an idiot would turn down a delicacy served on a silver platter.

He wasn't one of those gentle Japanese anime protagonists. Besides, he'd bet that in reality, ninety-nine percent of such fools end up getting cuckolded.

Thinking this, Victor no longer hesitated and directly chose 'Yes'.

It began with the familiar dizzy spell.

Victor found himself in a study with an ancient Chinese aesthetic.

Besides the numerous books, the room also had various items related to traditional Chinese medicine scattered on the desk, such as medicinal herbs, acupuncture needles, and an incense burner.

A faint medicinal fragrance lingered in the air, a single whiff of which was enough to completely calm one's mind.

Knock! Knock!

Just then, a hurried knocking came from the door.

"Come in."

Victor called out.

The door was pushed open, and a fiery red figure dashed into the study. It was none other than his good disciple, Danzhu.

Danzhu was like a lit stove; the moment she entered, Victor was hit by a wave of warm fragrance.

Danzhu angrily threw herself onto your back, wrapping her arms around your neck and saying in a delicate voice:

"That old hag Yunqing is such an ungrateful wolf! I went to her for help today, hoping she would voice some support for you, Master, but who knew that ingrate would flatly refuse.

Hmph! Master, you taught her so much in the past and even promoted her to a senior alchemist, and now this is how she acts."

Danzhu was completely unaware of how intimate their current position was, which had far exceeded the bounds of a normal master-disciple relationship.

Victor extended a finger and gently tapped Danzhu on the head.

"Have you no respect for your elders? Is that what I taught you? Yunqing is your senior, after all, and she even taught you for a time."

"But I'm just telling the truth~"

Danzhu whined coquettishly, feigning grievance.

Victor reached out and gently stroked Danzhu's head.

"Little Danzhu, all these days, you've been the only one running around pleading for me. Your actions make your master very happy..."

Usually, whenever Victor added 'Little' before her name, Danzhu would instantly bristle. But this time, she seemed to sense that what he was about to say was important and made no move to interrupt.

"It's just that the waters of the Luofu are simply too murky..."

Danzhu's body trembled slightly.

"Master, you..."

"Let's leave it at that. I'm tired. It's time for me to go."

Even just from his voice, Danzhu could hear the profound weariness in her master's tone.

She gazed at Victor's back, which radiated an aura of decadence, dejection, and exhaustion.

Danzhu's heart felt as if it had been seized by an invisible hand, the pain making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Danzhu didn't know where the courage came from, but she reached for the collar of her clothes.

Rustle!

Her silk robe came undone, light gauze drifting to the floor.

Then, Victor felt a delicate body—warm as a stove, soft as a snake, and constantly emitting a soul-soothing, warm fragrance—embrace him tightly from behind.

A flicker of guilt vanished from Victor's mind in an instant. His body was warmed, but his heart remained colder and harder than steel.

"Take me with you."

"Alright."