"How long has it been since the Cao scion entered?"
"It's been a quarter of an hour now."
"And the potion I asked you to add to his wine, did you do it?"
"Relax. It's foolproof. As long as he drinks it, he'll imagine whatever we want him to imagine."
The low whispers belonged to two stunning women, dressed in ceremonial robes that marked them as priestesses of the order. Precisely which generation they were from was uncertain, but after a final inspection to confirm that no detail had been overlooked, the leader strode confidently into Fang Zhihua's villa.
"Oh!" Fang Zhihua's eyes widened in surprise. "Master, Auntie—what brings you here?"
There was no denying these two women were experts in timing; they'd entered just as Fang Zhihua appeared disheveled, her gaze hazy, her lipstick all but gone. Had they arrived even a few minutes later…well, let's just say that scene would have been scandalous.
"Well, isn't this a fortunate coincidence!" The hint of a smirk played at the corner of Cao Wenbin's lips, clearly unperturbed and, in fact, anticipating such a visit.
The two women, seasoned as they were, didn't flinch in the face of his amusement. Unbothered, they flanked him on either side, as though this was precisely the arrangement they had in mind.
"Oh, this is no coincidence, Master Cao," one of them, Lin Wancheng, murmured smoothly. "This is entirely intentional. A man of your caliber—did you think we'd let Zhihua enjoy you all to herself? Impossible." She held out a cup with a smile. "Here, try this—a rare wine, brewed by the order itself. We call it 'Radiant Delight.'"
Cao accepted the cup, eyeing her with a raised brow. "And you are...?"
"Lin Wancheng. I'm Zhihua's master, though it may not be long before you call me 'Master' as well." Her gaze glinted suggestively. "In more ways than one."
Then, perhaps inadvertently or perhaps not, Lin Wancheng traced her tongue over her lips, a subtle gesture of seduction. It was an invitation far too bold to misinterpret.
"Ah," Cao laughed, "then by all means, let's drink! Especially when such esteemed company is offering. But, drinking alone seems...incomplete."
Catching his drift, the other priestess stood gracefully. "If our lord wishes for a pairing," she said with a smile, "then I shall be honored to perform a dance for you." She began to move, her motions carefully calculated to hint without revealing too much, suggesting elegance and mystery.
"Marvelous," Cao applauded, watching with obvious appreciation. "Who would have guessed this palace holds such treasures! This settles it—I must find a way to take it all with me."
At his words, Lin Wancheng and the other women all exchanged a look, one eyebrow raised in bemusement. This man hadn't even drunk the enchanted wine yet, yet he seemed thoroughly captivated. Take the Holy Palace? That would require nothing short of a conquest of the Order itself!
Suppressing their amusement, Lin Wancheng leaned closer. "Well, Master Cao, we shall eagerly await the day you succeed."
Raising her cup in a toast, she added slyly, "To see that day come sooner, let us drink to it." Leaning in conspiratorially, she whispered, "There's something special about this wine. In fact, it's my own 'Daughter's Red,' crafted under my master's very guidance."
At this, she let her fingers trail suggestively along the rim of her cup.
Unperturbed, Cao downed the entire cup in one swallow, unaware of the intent behind the drink, and Lin Wancheng's eyes sparkled as she glimpsed her plan unfolding.
The leader of the priestesses subtly gestured, conjuring a spell that was meant to draw him into the desired trance. But as the seconds passed, her satisfaction shifted into confusion. Instead of drifting into a spell-induced stupor, Cao Wenbin remained completely unaffected, his gaze sharp as ever, his hands still all too willing to wander.
Frustrated, Lin Wancheng directed a silent query to her sister, Bai Rushuang, who had prepared the wine. "You assured me this would work," she sent telepathically. "Is it possible you withheld the dosage?"
Bai's brow creased in bewilderment, her whispered reply equally tense. "Impossible. I made sure to add enough to draw a thousand men into delirium. He hasn't yet reached Saint-level; this should be working."
Unknown to them, however, Cao's true nature shielded him. Having reached the threshold of sainthood, he wore a Celestial Armor—an artifact of unparalleled protection that rendered him immune to all toxins, curses, and magical influences.
Lin Wancheng's growing frustration echoed in her voice as she whispered, "We're running out of time! The High Judge's arrival is imminent, and if we can't create the scene we'd planned…"
She let the sentence dangle, and her companions understood all too well. According to the plan, once Cao Wenbin succumbed to the potion, he would lose himself in visions of abandon, unaware of any observers. Their task was to capture this in a scrying stone—a permanent record of his disgrace—that they could use for their ultimate goal: blackmail.
Without the evidence, though, what good were accusations? No one would believe that the illustrious scion of the Cao family had to resort to force when it came to women.