Ning Tian trembled slightly, the blush on her cheeks deepening as her tightly clenched hands turned faintly white.
Moonlight spilled down, casting her figure beneath the shadows of the stone statues. Anticipation and shame mingled within her, yet she never doubted the authenticity of the immortal herb before her.
She bit her lower lip, her gaze wavering, and asked in a tiny voice, "D-do we have to do it here, right now?"
Chen Jie glanced at her indifferently and answered calmly, "Yes."
At his words, Ning Tian went rigid, her long, pale-gold hair swaying gently in the night breeze.
She instinctively looked around. Stone statues stood silently nearby, and the spacious plaza was deserted. But the thought of doing it right here, in this open-air plaza, instantly set her ears burning. Embarrassment and resistance filled her heart, yet when she thought of the immortal herb floating in midair, so much like Aromatic Silk Beauty, and how it could allow her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to break through its limits, she found it impossible to refuse.
She lowered her head slightly, her voice trembling as she asked in disbelief, "Outside?"
Chen Jie remained unruffled and said flatly, "You'll get used to it."
Ning Tian shuddered again, her purple eyes filled with helplessness as her fingertips twisted the hem of her clothes in a death grip.
The night breeze swept past, lifting her golden hair, while the moonlight illuminated every detail of her bashful face. On one side was the supreme immortal herb her sect had craved for generations; on the other was this mortifying predicament. She could neither advance nor retreat.
After a brief silence, she closed her eyes as though finally making up her mind. Her voice was so faint that the night breeze nearly swallowed it. "Go ahead..."
Chen Jie stepped forward and lifted Ning Tian bodily off her feet, supporting her securely.
With unhurried steps, he carried the stiff, burning-hot Ning Tian straight to the front of Ning Rongrong's statue.
Cool moonlight spilled over the white stone sculpture. Ning Rongrong's gentle likeness stood silently before them.
Held against his chest, Ning Tian completely lost her composure. She buried her head against his shoulder in a panic, not daring to look up at her ancestor's statue. Her body trembled uncontrollably as overwhelming shame and embarrassment engulfed her.
Yet her thoughts kept turning, and she silently resolved:
All of this is for the revival of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
If I can obtain Aromatic Silk Beauty, evolve my martial soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and then win Chen Jie's heart, I can bind him firmly to the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
With Chen Jie to rely on, the sect will no longer have to tread cautiously at every turn. It can rise again.
At that thought, she drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed her surging shame, silently telling herself that whatever she had to endure today, she had to see it through.
Chen Jie wrapped his arms tightly around Ning Tian, his low voice sounding beside her ear:
"Don't struggle for now. There's something I need to do."
Ning Tian instantly stiffened, held firmly within his arms, her breathing hurried and unsteady. Deep down, she stubbornly continued her calculations. As long as she endured this humiliation, obtained Aromatic Silk Beauty, and captured Chen Jie's heart, she could bind him to the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and use his strength to restore its glory.
But before she could think any further, Chen Jie's gaze grew intent, and he quietly activated his martial soul power.
A cloud of gentle yet domineering Pink Contract runes suddenly appeared around them. Flecks of soft light drifted and entwined like a lingering mist of blossoms, enveloping Ning Tian's body tenderly but forcefully. Countless tiny pink markings gathered together and settled firmly over her chest.
A warm, tingling sensation suddenly spread throughout her body. An intricate, mysterious Pink Contract mark slowly took shape, branding itself deeply into her skin and taking root in the depths of her soul.
The instant the mark formed, Ning Tian's mind changed!
The calculations, misgivings, and shame in her heart were completely swept away by an inexplicable warmth.
The bond inherent in the martial soul contract forcibly rewrote her feelings, making her develop dependence and affection for Chen Jie, who held her in his arms.
Her earlier self-serving desire to use him and win him over vanished without a trace, replaced by a surging tide of affection.
Looking at his profile so close to hers and feeling his steady, powerful embrace, she inexplicably became deeply infatuated. The man before her seemed so strong and dependable that she willingly let herself sink into him.
She was utterly stunned, shocked and confused.
She had intended to scheme against someone else, binding a powerful man to her sect to revive it. In the end, not only had he branded her with his exclusive mark and bound her to him for life, but even her feelings had fallen completely under his control.
The faint pink glow on her chest shone brightly, constantly reminding her that from now on, her body, heart, and affections all belonged to Chen Jie. She could never again harbor even the slightest thought of betrayal or scheming.
Just then, [Ding!]
A crisp system notification sounded in Chen Jie's mind alone.
[Congratulations, host! Successfully contracted Ning Tian!] [Reward obtained: Martial Soul Upgrade Card ×1 [For Ning Tian only]] [Ning Tian's affection +30 (The martial soul contract's inherent 20% base bond affection has been added and taken effect)] [Item obtained: Soul Connector ×1] [Item [Soul Connector] description: When used on an already contracted target, it can draw on the pathways of the target's bloodline and soul to establish an exclusive soul channel, connecting to everyone who shares a bloodline bond with the target, regardless of the limits of space and time.] [Passive privilege unlocked: The host's original contract limit of three people can now be freely exceeded, modified, and increased. The number of people is no longer restricted!]
The system notifications faded away.
Ning Tian nestled tightly against him, the gentle glow of the Pink Contract slowly circulating over her chest as the bond deep within her soul continued to intensify.
She lifted her clear purple eyes to Chen Jie, her cheeks flushed and her gaze soft and entranced. Her affection for him surged and transformed.
Her voice was gentle, carrying a trace of bewilderment and deep attachment. "Chen Jie... I feel like something in my heart has already changed. I keep wanting to be close to you."
Chen Jie bent slightly, his warm breath brushing Ning Tian's ear as he leaned in and whispered a few words.
Ning Tian's cheeks instantly burned. Her gaze darted away, and her fingertips lightly clutched his lapel. So embarrassed that her voice was barely louder than a mosquito's hum, she said, "You're the one who should press..."
Oh~ ho ho ho~
Before you continue