Chapter 138 (II): The Ancient Town's Hidden Storyline

...Only one thought dominated the minds of all four men: A woman this intoxicating truly exists in this world. A woman this breathtakingly beautiful actually exists.

A subtle, bewitching fragrance drifted through the air. The woman stood by the window draped in gossamer silk, her body visible in teasing glimpses beneath the sheer fabric. She turned with a smile as radiant as peach blossoms and spoke in a voice like warm honey.

"Good sirs, I, a humble woman, lost her husband many years ago, and have been terribly lonely ever since. Might you gentlemen take pity on me and leave me a child or two?"

The men's breathing grew heavier. 

"Sure… sure…" murmured Fire Virtue.

Although his lips said yes, his feet stayed planted. His legs trembled faintly as he fought the overwhelming urge to step forward. The face of the quiet, reserved Wood Specter youth was twisted with signs of inner struggle, but in the end, the clarity in his eyes was swallowed, inch by inch, by desire.

"Bloated corpse… bloated corpse…" Li Chunfeng muttered under his breath, but his eyes remained glued to Xu Xiu'er, the lust in his gaze burning brighter with each passing second, incinerating what remained of his reason.

Zhang Yuanqing's throat was parched, desire churning inside him like a storm surge. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to seize the beauty by the window and pour out everything he had.

Still, a single, guttering flame of reason fought on, warring against the voice of temptation within him.

I can't go to her. The hidden quest is to resist temptation… 

Desire is only natural. A woman this exquisite comes once in a lifetime, forget the quest! 

I've been charmed. Quick, transfer the lust to Little Goofball… Guan Ya and Queen are still out there, in danger, I have to save them… 

Why bother saving them? It's not like they're going to sleep with me… 

Snap out of it! This stage is definitely more than just a seduction. Sleeping with her probably means a total party wipe… 

To die beneath the peonies is a worthy death, even if I have to wander as a ghost. If I can have her, dying is worth it…

Reason was a tiny boat on an ocean of desire, swallowed by waves one moment, while stubbornly bobbing to the surface the next. What little rationality he had left was being consumed entirely by the war raging inside his own head, leaving no part of him free to offer an actual response.

All four men fought the compulsion in their own way, each clinging to whatever thin thread of resistance they had left.

Xu Xiu'er glanced at the men standing frozen in place and let out a delicate sigh. She rose from the vanity, crossed the room with graceful, measured steps, and settled onto the edge of the bed.

Throughout her movement, Zhang Yuanqing and the others tracked every curve of that living, breathing masterpiece of a body.

Widow Xu's eyes shimmered, clear and seductive. She bit her crimson lip and said softly, "What are you gentlemen waiting for? Could it be that I, a humble woman, am too plain, too unsightly for your tastes?"

As she spoke, she lifted one slender hand and gently tugged the gossamer fabric from her snow-white shoulder, letting the fabric slide down along her flawless, luminous skin.

Everything was laid bare.

Someone swallowed hard, the sound audible in the thick silence. Zhang Yuanqing could not tell if it came from his teammates or from himself.

The last ember of reason fizzled out. Eyes bloodshot, he lunged at Xu Xiu'er and tackled her onto the soft, ornately-carved bed.

Behind him, his companions charged with the same feral abandon.

The men had become beasts of pure instinct, every shred of rationality obliterated. Primal urge commandeered their bodies as clothing fell away piece by piece. Shirts, pants, and shoes were scattered across the floor.

Zhang Yuanqing yanked off his T-shirt, his head pounding, his greedy gaze raking over Xu Xiu'er's body. He was just about to cross the final threshold when his eyes caught sight of the curve of her full, round backside, and a thought surged unbidden through his mind, utterly beyond his control.

What a beautiful bottom. Why doesn't it have a pig's tail?

The moment the thought surfaced, an inexplicable wave of disappointment washed over him. The woman on the bed simply did not meet his standards. A man could not, should not, be aroused by a woman without a pig's tail.

The surging tide of lust within him receded. Reason broke through the surface of the once-chaotic sea, and Zhang Yuanqing snapped awake.

Xu Xiu'er was breathing hard, cheeks flushed crimson. She reached out with pale arms to pull him in, her voice desperate. "My lord, hurry…"

The rationality that he had regained through such effort began to slip beneath the waves once more. 

At that moment, Fire Virtue, who had already stripped himself completely bare, shoved Zhang Yuanqing impatiently aside like a beast fighting for mating rights.

Zhang Yuanqing rolled with the push and immediately tried to transfer the rising feeling of lust to Little Goofball, but failed. The connection between them felt muffled, as though separated by a thin, hazy veil.

Is it because I'm inside the storyline, in this room, while he's outside? Zhang Yuanqing wondered. His mind raced, and he thought of the Demon-subduing Awl. The weapon had purification and demon-breaking effects, but he was not sure they would work against lust.

The awl's three sharp tines plunged into his thigh, piercing deep into his vital energy. Pure, blazing golden light erupted from the wound. The demon-breaking and purification effects stacked on top of each other, dissipating the mind-clouding seduction afflicting him and allowing his reason to reclaim the high ground.

However, the desire had not vanished entirely. At its core, it was not an external curse. The awl's purification and demon-breaking power could not transform a mortal man into an ascetic monk with a heart of still water.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

With three swift strikes, Zhang Yuanqing knocked all three of his teammates unconscious before they could fall any deeper into the abyss. 

With his frenzied companions dealt with, he waited in silence for a moment, but no hidden quest completion notification appeared.

Sensing something was wrong, Xu Xiu'er opened her eyes. Her cheeks had flushed an even deeper scarlet, a rosy blush spreading across her snow white skin, her gaze liquid and overflowing with need.

Her red lips parted, releasing a syrupy sweet moan. "My… My lord, give it to me…"

Zhang Yuanqing frowned inwardly. Strange. The notification for the hidden quest hasn't been triggered yet. Why? I've clearly broken free of the seduction. 

If he had not satisfied the objectives of the hidden quest, there had to be a reason. He needed to find out more of the dungeon's story. After a few seconds of thought, Zhang Yuanqing prepared himself, keeping his eyes averted from Xu Xiu'er's body and suppressing the lingering flicker of desire within him.

"Widow Xu, let's have a chat."

At the word "widow," the desire in Xu Xiu'er's eyes ebbed momentarily, but it surged back almost at once. 

"My lord, what… What do you want to know?" she answered in a breathless, pleading whimper. "Please, I'm begging you, just give it to me…"

"Answer my questions, and I'll give you what you want," Zhang Yuanqing replied, dangling the empty promise in front of her as he asked, "Do you know Granny Wang's son?"

Xu Xiu'er let out a dazed, coquettish laugh. "Know him? He was my lover."

What? The answer blindsided Zhang Yuanqing. He had not expected them to have that sort of relationship. It did not match Granny Wang's deep hatred toward her.

"Why was he cursed? And why are you here?" he pressed.

Xu Xiu'er went silent, refusing to answer. The standoff lasted several heartbeats before a helpless, involuntary moan escaped her lips and she yielded. 

"It was that woman… My lord, please stop tormenting me. Just hold me."

Zhang Yuanqing did not waver. "Who is she?"

Venom and hatred erupted in Xu Xiu'er's glistening eyes, and she ground her teeth. "The descendant of the Yin Yang Hermit. The true ruler of Yin Yang Town."

"Why did she curse Granny Wang's son?"

Xu Xiu'er clamped her mouth shut again and clutched at Zhang Yuanqing's trousers, begging, "My lord, I can't bear it any longer. Please, have mercy, just give it to me…"

The Demon-subduing Awl had purified the effects of the supernatural allure radiating from the woman, but setting aside that terrifying enchantment, a beautiful, voluptuous woman begging to be taken was still a beautiful, voluptuous woman. No normal man could be entirely unmoved.

Are you trying to outlast me? The awl's effect only lasts a few minutes. Worse comes to worst, I can just stab myself again. Zhang Yuanqing forced himself not to look at her body and kept his expression blank. 

Seeing that she could no longer seduce him, Xu Xiu'er surrendered and said in a mournful voice, "I was born beautiful, yet I was married off to a sickly wretch. He died within a few years. Those years alone were miserable, full of scorn and cruelty from everyone around me.

"Granny Wang's son was the town ruffian, idle and out of work. One night he crept into my home and… forced himself on me. What could a helpless woman do? But after so many lonely years, one thing led to another, and we became lovers. But in time, the faithless wretch grew tired of me. All he ever talked about was her."

Xu Xiu'er clenched her teeth, tears streaming down her face. "That ruffian should have taken a good look in the mirror. She was the descendant of the Yin Yang Hermit. She knew the mystic arts. The townspeople adored and revered her like a living goddess. What made him think he could lay a finger on her?"

Her words were words of praise, but the jealousy raging in her eyes was a tidal wave.

"One day, the ruffian came to me again. He gave me a vial of something and told me to slip it into her tea. She and I were the same age, and we had been childhood playmates. Getting close to her would be easy enough. I was afraid at first, but the ruffian said he had already made an arrangement with Squire Zhao, that they would handle everything neatly and make sure she could never retaliate."

"So you drugged her?" Zhang Yuanqing's eyes narrowed.

Xu Xiu'er did not deny it. "Yes!" 

Venom and jealousy blazed in her eyes once more. "After my husband died, she came to see me every day, to comfort me. But the more she pitied me, the more I hated her. I was every bit as beautiful as her. Why was my fate so wretched? I, widowed at twenty, violated by a ruffian, while she was born noble, and beloved by the entire town.

"Why? Why did she get to remain untouched and pure, spotless and clean in her white robes? I wanted to drag her down into the mud with me—defiled by the ruffian, condemned by a thousand pointing fingers."

"What happened after that?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

"After that…" Xu Xiu'er dissolved into a fit of eerie giggling. "After that, I never saw her again. The ruffian said she was dead. Good. Good riddance."

So that was the truth. The curses on both of them made sense now, and Granny Wang's deep loathing for Xu Xiu'er was entirely understandable. In a mother's eyes, her son's lust had not been the sin. The blame fell squarely on this widow, the seductress who had lured her boy astray and turned him into a creature that was neither man nor beast.

But if Xu Xiu'er was not a Hex Master, who had set up the hex array inside Granny Wang's house?

Granny Wang's son had conspired with Squire Zhao, and the Squire had hired a sorcerer. What roles had Squire Zhao, Blacksmith Wang, and this unknown sorcerer played in the whole affair?

Jealousy has consumed every last shred of her conscience. How truly vile. Zhang Yuanqing looked down at the ravishing woman sprawled before him and felt not a single trace of desire remaining.

At the same moment, he heard the sound of a notification chime.

【Ding! You have triggered Hidden Quest: Unquenchable Flames of Desire (2/3)】

【Unquenchable Flames of Desire: Jealousy and lust dragged her into the darkness, transforming her into a creature of shadow who committed unforgivable sins. Whatever you do, do not succumb to her seduction, or you will fall into the abyss.】

【Note: I will drown her in desire, and turn her into a harlot for any man who passes by.】

【Quest Item: One jade fragment】

So that was it. Only when he had genuinely, completely overcome the temptation would the quest acknowledge him. The Demon-subduing Awl alone could not do it for him. 

Zhang Yuanqing checked his inventory. The two jade fragments had combined into a complete jade pendant. The hidden quest item was fully assembled, but the hidden quest was still only two-thirds complete.

Xu Xiu'er's manic giggling trailed off as desire overtook her once more. She rubbed her thighs together and clutched at Zhang Yuanqing's trousers, whimpering, "My lord, I can't take it anymore. Please, have mercy… have mercy…"

Zhang Yuanqing felt no remorse. This is her curse upon you! 

"One last question. Before we arrived, did a fat man come up here?"

Xu Xiu'er hesitated, then glanced toward the space beneath the bed. Zhang Yuanqing immediately ducked down to have a look. Beneath the bed lay a skeletal figure, cheeks sunken and gaunt, looking like a famine victim who had gone months without a proper meal.

Zhang Yuanqing dragged the body out and looked him over, then exhaled in relief. It was indeed Lotus Eater. The once plump young man had been reduced to a living scarecrow. His vital signs were threadbare, but they were there. He was alive.

Xu Xiu'er let out a contemptuous snicker. "What a useless man. He only managed a few thrusts before he was finished."

Zhang Yuanqing silently offered the man a heartfelt apology. He had sent Lotus Eater ahead to scout, partly because the Earth Wraith class boasted superior endurance and defense, and partly because Demon Lord, one who notoriously indulged in carnal pleasures, had still managed to clear this dungeon, which suggested that this stage was less lethal than the Granny Wang encounter.

Technically, that assessment held up. Lotus Eater was not dead. In hindsight, though, he had underestimated Demon Lord and overestimated Lotus Eater. If he had not arrived in time, the young man would very likely have died from sheer exhaustion.

Zhang Yuanqing bent down, grabbed his teammates by the ankles one by one, and tossed them out the window.

Xu Xiu'er tumbled from the bed and crawled after him on hands and knees. "My lord, don't go, don't leave me…"

The agony etched on her face was unmistakable, a desperate, burning need that only a man could extinguish.

"Stay here and keep suffering your curse."

He did not spare her body another glance. Hands braced on the windowsill, he vaulted out, as Xu Xiu'er's scream pierced the air behind him.

***

Groggily, Fire Virtue came to, rubbing the back of his neck. "What happened to me? My whole body aches. It feels like somebody beat the hell out of me."

Grass Upon the Plains and Li Chunfeng stirred awake moments later, both groaning softly.

After a few seconds of blank confusion, memories of what had happened before they blacked out trickled back. They looked around in bewilderment, unable to comprehend the situation.

"Widow Xu's storyline is complete," Zhang Yuanqing said without emotion.

While his companions stared at him in a daze, he gave a brief summary of events, his tone dripping with exasperated disappointment. "You three are absolutely hopeless. Have none of you ever seen a woman before? One widow, and you all lost your minds."

Fire Virtue and the other two wore expressions of deep shame.

"How did you manage it?" Li Chunfeng asked, gratitude mixed with genuine surprise.

As long as your kink is deviant enough, no woman can seduce you. Zhang Yuanqing did not know whether to feel pride or sorrow at the revelation. 

"I have my methods," he said coolly instead.

Fire Virtue was staring at the skeletal figure on the ground. "Who's that?"

"Lotus Eater," Zhang Yuanqing replied.

Li Chunfeng and Grass Upon the Plains recoiled in shock, crouching to examine the emaciated body. "What happened to him?"

Zhang Yuanqing shook his head with a sigh. "That is what happens when you succumb to temptation."

The three men fell silent, gazing at Lotus Eater's unconscious, wasted form, and the realization finally hit them. They had walked right up to death's door and back. If Yuanshi Tianzun had not resisted the seduction and pulled them out, Lotus Eater's fate would have been theirs. 

He was truly a genius who had cleared S-rank dungeons back to back. Having a teammate like that was nothing short of a blessing. Li Chunfeng was filled with heartfelt admiration, and Fire Virtue and Grass Upon the Plains looked at their savior with deep gratitude.

"Time to find Guan Ya and Queen," Zhang Yuanqing said. 

He closed his eyes, settled his emotions, and reached out to sense Little Goofball's position.