The auction ended in disarray.
Xiao Fan didn't know how he left the venue that had shattered his dignity.
He returned to his dorm, disheartened, everything around him seemed to silently mock his overestimation of his own abilities.
The fire spirit jade, which had cost him all his funds, was worth a billion, and yet Jiang Lian had discarded it like an old shoe, still radiated a scorching heat.
But this heat could no longer bring him any ambition or pride, leaving only a burning sarcasm.
A billion! He hadn't even had time to buy anything for himself, still waiting to earn more with the system!
"It's all this thing's fault!"
"Trash!"
Xiao Fan violently threw the stone towards the corner of the wall, like discarding a piece of hot garbage.
The fire spirit jade hit the wall with a dull thud, rolled to the ground, its glow dimming slightly.
It was at this moment that the originally magnificent [Tycoon Investment System] interface in his mind was suddenly covered by a dazzling blood-red!
[Warning! Novice mission utterly failed!]
[Designated unique Fated Heavenly Maiden "Jiang Lian", current favorability: -100!]
[As the host failed to complete the mission and caused the target Heavenly Maiden's favorability to drop to rock bottom, initiating Level One Punishment Mechanism!]
[Punishment Mission: Mental Electroshock Therapy, initiated!]
"No..."
Xiao Fan's pupils suddenly constricted, before he could even let out a pleading wail.
Zzzt—!
An indescribable agony instantly pierced down from his cerebral cortex, wildly tearing at every single one of his nerves!
"Ah ah ah ah—!!!"
A shrill scream echoed in the small dorm room.
Xiao Fan's entire body sprang up from the bed, then fell heavily, his body convulsing violently and uncontrollably, foaming at the mouth, his eyeballs rolling back.
At this moment, he truly understood what it meant to wish for death.
In the instant his consciousness blurred, he seemed to see again the eyes of those people at the auction, looking at him like a clown!
From his body, several orbs of light slowly emerged... [Endurance +10]
[Masochist +100]
...At the same time, at Lu Family Manor.
[Ding! Detecting sub-system host is currently undergoing punishment, triggering Hundredfold Return!]
[Congratulations to host for obtaining: Special Title "Sadist"! When you inflict mental pain on enemies, you will receive a doubled effect!]
In the living room, Lu Cheng was lazily reclining on the sofa.
Lu Ying was kneeling on the soft carpet, meticulously peeling fruit for Lu Cheng with her fair, jade-like hands.
Her movements were slow, even a little clumsy... This was also part of Lu Cheng's instruction to her; as a former High Priestess, she wanted to experience more things.
And this was to let her experience the work of a maid!
Before Lu Cheng, a virtual light screen clearly displayed a "highlight reel" of Xiao Fan convulsing, screaming, and foaming at the mouth in his dorm room.
The visuals were high-definition, the sound effects Stereo, as if one were actually there.
Lu Cheng watched with great interest, casually picking up a grape that Lu Ying had just peeled and offered to his mouth, dropping it in and savoring its sweetness.
"The power of this electroshock is still a bit too low; next time, I'll have the system upgrade his package."
He commented with relish, as if watching a slightly crudely produced but somewhat interesting film.
"Brother! What are you doing again!"
Lu Xuan, dressed in cute loungewear, ran down from upstairs, and upon seeing another "competitor" beside Lu Cheng, immediately became fiercely jealous.
Like a protective kitten guarding its food, she squeezed directly beside Lu Cheng and snatched the remaining fruit from Lu Ying's hand.
"I want to eat too! I can peel too!"
She glared at Lu Ying indignantly, then, imitating her, clumsily began to peel.
Lu Ying looked up blankly, first at the aggressive Lu Xuan, then at the playful Lu Cheng, and finally obediently lowered her head, remaining silent.
Is this the affection between ordinary siblings?
When she was the High Priestess, Long Yi and she had more respect, and their actions were always within the confines of rules.
She silently picked up another fresh grape and continued her unfinished work.
Lu Cheng found the childish "clash" between his sister and Lu Ying quite amusing.
He didn't stop them; instead, he reached out, ruffled Lu Xuan's head with one hand, and gently patted Lu Ying's hand with the other, as if to comfort her.
Enjoying this unique kind of love triangle was also a good pastime... On the other side, the pain of the electroshock finally receded like a tide.
Xiao Fan was like a dehydrated dead fish, drenched in cold sweat, sprawled on the bed, without even the strength to move a finger.
His mind was blank, only the extreme fear of that pain remained.
However, greed and unwillingness were more stubborn poisons than pain.
Just when he thought everything was over, the system interface refreshed again.
The blood-red warning disappeared, replaced by a brand new pop-up window.
[Host's masochistic attribute is full, electrocuted to the point of rolling his eyes in pleasure, system reward: Atonement Mission has been issued!]
[Mission Content: Within three days, make Heavenly Maiden Jiang Lian publicly accept your second gift!]
[Mission startup funds halved: Five hundred million!]
Seeing this number, Xiao Fan's unfocused pupils instantly re-focused!
Although less than before, it was still not a small sum!
More importantly, the system was giving him another chance!
Although... slander!
He wasn't enjoying it... This time, he had to seize the opportunity; what he had just experienced... he didn't want to experience it a second time!
His inner emotions were replaced by immense temptation and unwillingness!
Failure?
No!
There was no failure!
That was just an accident!
It was that guy causing trouble!
This time, I will definitely prepare a gift that Jiang Lian cannot refuse!
I must avenge myself!
He gritted his teeth, his face, which had been distorted by pain, now became even more ferocious due to greed and malice.
He was completely unaware that he had already fallen from a chess player to a chess piece, manipulated by desire, not even knowing where he was going...
Jiang Family, quiet room.
Sandalwood incense wafted, refreshing the mind.
Jiang Lian sat cross-legged, her fair, jade-like palm gently cradling the divine phoenix blood amber.
She took a deep breath, slowly closed her proud phoenix eyes, and began to circulate the Nine Revolutions Burning Heaven Art.
The moment the cultivation technique circulated, a pure, noble, and sacred phoenix aura, full of life, slowly flowed out from the blood amber, gently merging into her meridians.
The feeling was entirely different from the violent heat of the fire spirit jade.
If the fire spirit jade was an uncontrolled wildfire, then this divine phoenix aura was a divine fire that nurtured all things.
Wherever it passed, the subtle internal injuries she had sustained from forcefully cultivating earlier were instantly repaired, becoming even more resilient than before.
The previously somewhat stagnant bottleneck in her cultivation technique, under the cleansing of this sacred aura, even showed faint signs of loosening!
Boom!
A much purer aura than before spread out from within her body.
Jiang Lian suddenly opened her eyes, her phoenix eyes filled with shock and disbelief!
The effect was a hundred times better than she had imagined!
The value of this small crystal could not be measured by money at all!
And the more immediate the effect, the more curious, wary, and even... a trace of unspeakable fear she felt about that man's identity.
This man named Lu Cheng... he seemed to be her destined nemesis, yet he was also her only "antidote."
This feeling of being seen through, controlled, and even having her future path laid out in advance by the other party, made her, a proud daughter of heaven, feel powerlessness for the first time.
No!
She, Jiang Lian, would never allow her fate to be controlled by anyone!
She commanded the butler, who had been guarding the door!
"Use all available resources to investigate!"
"I want to know everything about that man named Lu Cheng!"
"Remember, everything!"