This doesn't match what they told me at all!
Eve sank into deep self-doubt.
Or was it that they had been lying to her?
She hadn't actually gone out to lure anyone before, but she considered herself experienced and worldly. With her innately seductive nature and peerless beauty, she could captivate both men and women even without using any seduction techniques.
When she was little, all it took was a bit of fake crying and a Succubus would immediately come over to coax her. That had always been her final trump card. It was only because she was now in this smaller state that she was willing to use it. In her original, proud form, she would never have stooped to such a forbidden technique.
Yet when she looked at Ye Ling, he seemed like a machine devoid of emotion. His eyes were unnaturally clear, cold as midwinter, sending a chill straight down her spine.
Back when she was still within her clan, Eve had relied entirely on the Succubus clan's energy supply. She had never personally gone out to "fish" for anyone.
This time, her escape had two reasons. One was that she had finally seized a rare opportunity. The other was that she had repaid what she owed the Succubus clan. It was time to run.
What she hadn't expected was that she had completely misjudged this world.
She had thought the outside world would be filled with pure, refined energy. Instead, after leaving the Succubus clan, she discovered that filth was everywhere.
To be fair, it wasn't that she couldn't consume it. But to her, this kind of energy was like spoiled food. After being accustomed to purified essence, it left her feeling deeply uncomfortable.
It wasn't until her strength was on the verge of being completely exhausted that she caught the scent of Leng Qingqiu.
Although Leng Qingqiu's energy still didn't fully meet her ideal standards, Eve was already hovering on the edge of life and death. If she delayed any longer, she really would be finished.
And compared to most people in this world, Leng Qingqiu's energy had already reached an acceptable level for her.
That was why she had infiltrated the teleportation array room and encountered Leng Qingqiu.
As for Ye Ling, he was a total and unexpected bonus.
If Leng Qingqiu was only barely edible, then the aura emanating from Ye Ling was even more delicious than the energy she had consumed back among the Succubus clan.
In the West, this kind of presence on Ye Ling was called the Law.
In the East, the Law was the Dao.
Unlike Ye Ling's own understanding, what Eve truly needed was the Dao Resonance radiating from him.
"Leave."
Seeing the dazed, almost cute look on Eve's face, Ye Ling honestly felt reluctant.
His icy expression and attitude came from rationality, but that didn't mean he lacked emotion.
It was just that, at least for now, Eve hadn't shown anything capable of tipping the balance so that emotion outweighed reason.
"..."
Eve bit her lip. This time, real tears welled up in her eyes.
Unlike before, she truly wanted to cry now.
But it had nothing to do with Ye Ling. Instead—
Was this the price of freedom?
At this point, Eve had lost most of her power.
She had originally thought that acting cute around Ye Ling would at least help her recover a bit of energy.
But no matter what teasing words she used or what methods she tried, Ye Ling remained completely unmoved. That made her feel miserable.
So where, exactly, had things gone wrong?
With no experience at all in luring men, Eve grew more and more dejected.
"C-couldn't you… let me stay for one night?"
Gritting her teeth, Eve moved in front of Ye Ling and knelt down without hesitation.
There was nowhere ahead and nowhere behind. Even if she wanted to return to the Succubus clan's territory, she no longer had the strength to do so.
No matter what, she could only beg Ye Ling for help.
Otherwise, she would have to turn to ordinary people…
No!
That was the one thing she absolutely couldn't do!
Compared to personal dignity, Eve was even more unwilling to step into that truly sinful abyss.
"..."
Ye Ling didn't respond. His eyes were filled with indifference.
"..."
Seeing that Ye Ling still wasn't speaking, Eve fell silent as well and lowered her head.
One minute. Two minutes. Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Leng Qingqiu, couldn't you show up at a time like this for once?
To be honest, Ye Ling's heart softened.
It was impossible to say Ye Ling didn't soften. Eve had grown a lot, from a little girl into a young lady, but having such a cute kid kneel in front of him still made the last scraps of his conscience squirm.
So if Leng Qingqiu happened to walk back in right now, he could laugh it off and let it slide. Letting Eve stay one night was something he could do.
After all, up to this point, Eve hadn't shown any obvious hostility toward him. She had tried to guilt-trip him, sure, but the moment she realized he wasn't playing by moral rules, she immediately dropped to her knees and begged.
Of course, she was still hiding plenty from him.
But if it were him, he wouldn't tell a stranger he'd just met everything either.
So the real question was this: what, exactly, was worth Eve kneeling for?
"Hah…" Ye Ling let out a breath. "Give me a reason to let you stay."
If Leng Qingqiu were here, he could keep up his stone-cold persona. But since she wasn't, he could only give in.
Eve had been kneeling for half an hour. She was clearly on the verge of collapsing. If he didn't say something, she really might topple over.
"Brother…" Eve lifted her head, delighted. But when she tried to speak, she realized her body had gone stiff from kneeling. Before she could get a word out, she pitched forward toward the floor—
"I'm only taking pity on you. Don't get the wrong idea." Ye Ling reached out irritably and hauled her up, putting her in the seat across from him.
Tsk. Why did that come out so tsundere?
And this girl too. Kneeling until her legs were red. What was she trying to make people think?
Leng Qingqiu, if you dare show up right now, I'm not letting you off tonight!
Luckily, while Ye Ling was spiraling into pointless thoughts, Leng Qingqiu still didn't appear. Instead, Eve sat there, caught her breath, and flashed him a sweet smile.
"I can warm the bed!"
"Pfft—!" Ye Ling glared hard at her. "I'm not that kind of person. Give me something reliable."
So you know I wouldn't dare touch you, and that's why you say stuff like that, huh?
You really think I'm a pushover?
Don't force me to gamble everything just to let you experience my swordsmanship.
"Hm?" Eve looked genuinely puzzled. Tilting her head, she said, "But everyone says the beds I warm smell really nice. That still won't do?"
Warming beds had been her "skill" when she was little. After she grew up, she hadn't used it again, and no Succubus dared sleep in her bed anymore. Still, she was confident that when it came to warming beds, she was the best in the Succubus clan.
After all, whenever the others warmed someone's bed, it always ended up damp. Sleeping in it was miserable.
"Uh…" Ye Ling rubbed his forehead, staring at her innocent face as his headache worsened. He asked cautiously, "When you say 'warm the bed,' what exactly are you planning to do?"
"Help Brother warm up the bedding." Eve answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Just that?" Ye Ling's voice, for some reason, carried a faint trace of disappointment.
Men really were like this. If Eve actually wanted to do that kind of thing with him, he would refuse on the spot.
But if she didn't want to, he somehow felt like he was taking a loss.
"What else would it be?" Eve looked even more confused. She thought for a moment, then added, "If Brother wants me to sleep with him, that's fine too."
"Pfft… wait!" Having learned from last time, Ye Ling forced himself to calm down. Face stiff, he asked, "When you say 'sleep with me,' you mean literally just sleeping, right?"
"Mhm." Eve nodded like a small animal, her beautiful crimson eyes bright with excitement.
"In… out…" Ye Ling took a deep breath. He felt like he needed to interrogate Eve all over again.
Who would've thought I'd ever be seen as the 'safe guy'?
To make sure Eve wasn't acting, Ye Ling began forming hand seals.
"Justice." "Judgment."
A large number of simplified characters swirled into the air, quickly condensing into those two concepts. Then Ye Ling guided them into the concept of "Vessel."
"Seal!"
It was his first time making a contract, but the result was pretty much what he'd imagined.
Across from him, Eve's mouth fell open, her scarlet eyes stretched wide.
Forming a contract with bare hands… even at her peak, she couldn't have done that. That was authority held by the God of Contracts. Without a godhead, no matter how strong you were, it was impossible.
Is he the God of Contracts here?
Did I just run into a deity?
No wonder the energy is so delicious!
Good heavens… I really struck gold!
Eve was completely stunned by what Ye Ling had just done. Even with her long experience, she had only seen gods a handful of times.
Mostly because she had always stayed behind to guard the Succubus clan and rarely had the chance to go out.
"Sign this, then answer my questions." Ye Ling forced his face to stay cold as he pushed the contract toward her.
The terms he'd set were brutally harsh, almost like he was trying to scare her off, but—
"Hey! At least read it before you sign!" Ye Ling pressed a hand to his forehead, his temples throbbing.
What was this feeling?
It was the same kind of helplessness he'd felt back when he ran into Bai Yiyi.
"I trust you, Brother." Eve looked up and smiled sweetly.
If that earlier smile had been innocent, then to Ye Ling, this one looked unmistakably… "wise."
Use your head, Eve!
"Forget it. I'll go through it once. If you don't want to agree, I'll tear up the contract." Ye Ling felt like he'd gotten himself tangled up in a huge problem, so he gave her one last chance at fairness.
But—
"It's fine, I trust you, Brother… mmph!"
Annoyed, Ye Ling grabbed a spirit fruit from the table and stuffed it into Eve's mouth.
"Listen to me!"
He shot her a glare and said sharply, "First: I ask, you answer."
"Second: if you lie to me, under the restraints of the Great Dao, you'll become my slave."
"Third: if it's a question that could pose a threat to me, you have the right not to answer."
"Understand?"
Just as Ye Ling expected, Eve nodded hard, her little head bobbing up and down like she was pounding garlic, cheerful as can be.