Dual Cultivation System: The Villainous Servant’s Rise

Chapter 264: Are You Here for Your Big Sister, Pretty Boy?

Lying on the cold, damp stone before Lin Jiaomei was a man who, only two days ago, had been a proud Soul Formation expert.

Now, he was a pathetic ruin. His face was a ghastly, bloodless white, his lips were bruised purple, and a thick, yellowish foam bubbled from his mouth. His aura, once vast and overwhelming, had flickered down to a dying ember. He looked less like a cultivator and more like a desiccated husk, his skin clinging to his bones as if the very marrow had been sucked out.

His entire heaven-reaching cultivation had been stripped from him, harvested like ripe grain by the woman standing over him.

This sight confirmed Han Lie’s darkest suspicions. Lin Jiaomei was a parasite in human skin.

Unlike the Yin Yang Demonic Art—which, despite its dark reputation, was a sophisticated path of mutual resonance and dual progression—Lin Jiaomei’s path was pure, unadulterated predation. She didn’t seek to harmonize Yin and Yang; she harvested the essence, Yang energy, and cultivation bases of men as if they were nothing more than cattle.

Compared to her, Han Lie and Ye Qingxuan were practically saints.

Lin Jiaomei’s method was far more sinister and vicious, yet Han Lie had to admit its efficacy was undeniable. If it weren’t for the absolute peak-tier nature of his own technique and his unique physique, he would never have been able to keep pace with a monster who simply stole her power from others.

“Pretty boy,” Lin Jiaomei purred, slowly pulling her robes over her shoulders with a languid, practiced grace. Her voice was like honey laced with venom. “Are you here to find your Big Sister? Come closer… let me show you what real ecstasy feels like.”

“Uh… I was just taking a shortcut,” Han Lie said, his heart hammering against his ribs as he calculated the distance to the main street. “Don’t mind me. I’m already gone.”

With that, Han Lie vanished into the shadows, retreating at a speed that bordered on teleportation.

Lin Jiaomei didn’t give chase. To her, Han Lie was still an ‘ant,’ a toy she could crush at her leisure. This was the Ancient Desolate Heaven, and despite her formidable backing, she wasn’t foolish enough to start a slaughter on the Chen Family’s doorstep.

Still, she frowned as she watched the empty alley.

How strange… why didn’t my charm take root in that little brat? It shouldn’t be possible.

She could ensnare Soul Formation masters with a wink. A mere Nascent Soul should have been crawling at her feet within seconds, begging to be consumed.

Han Lie didn’t stop until he reached the safety of the inn.

Once inside, he gave Ye Qingxuan a detailed report of his findings. When she heard that no ‘Core-tier’ powers had arrived to contest the Taiyin Profound Maiden Fruit, she visibly relaxed. Her shoulders dropped an inch, though she quickly masked the relief with her usual imperious mask.

“Hmph. It’s not as if This Palace must have it,” she said, her tone dripping with tsundere pride. “It has its uses for female cultivators, certainly, but I doubt it is half as miraculous as the Chen Family’s marketing claims.”

Han Lie believed the part about the marketing. As for her not wanting it? I’m ruthless, not blind. Given her temperament, he didn’t call her out. He knew that while the fruit might not transform her talent—she was already a once-in-a-generation genius—the massive boost to her Yin energy would turn their Yin Yang Demonic Art sessions into something truly legendary.

“By the way, Zi Zi,” Han Lie said, leaning against the doorframe. “I have something else to tell you.”

He briefly explained his meeting with Qin Yusheng.

“The Son of Heaven, Qin Yusheng?” Ye Qingxuan’s brow arched in surprise. “I know the name, of course. But how does a ‘Little Brother’ like you know the Emperor of the Great Qin Dynasty?”

“Well, Zhuo Hongyi is from his empire. I went to Qin Yang once, and through a series of… let’s call them ‘fortunate accidents,’ I ended up on his radar.”

Ye Qingxuan didn’t pry. She appreciated that Han Lie had his own network of influence; she had no desire to be his warden.

“As for his proposal of cooperation…” she mused, her eyes narrowing as she shifted into Sect Leader mode. “Great Qin is a powerhouse. An alliance isn’t out of the question.”

The next morning, the sun broke over the horizon, signaling the start of the city’s most important day.

The Ancient Desolate Heaven was vibrating with energy. A massive tide of people surged toward the Immortal Bridge—a glowing span of white light that connected the city to the floating Chen Family Auction House hanging in the clouds.

At the base of the bridge, on the Ancient Desolate Square, Qin Yusheng was already waiting, flanked by a silent, powerful retinue.

“Senior Qin,” Han Lie called out as he and Ye Qingxuan approached. He kept the introduction brief. “This is the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Void Sect, Ye Qingxuan.”

Qin Yusheng turned, his eyes sweeping over Ye Qingxuan with genuine appreciation. He offered a polite cup-fist salute.

“Hehe. I have long heard that Sect Leader Ye possesses a beauty that shames the moon and a wisdom that spans the ages. Truly, hearing it a hundred times is nothing compared to a single glance.”

He smiled, his imperial aura clashing softly with her icy dominance. “I would say the rumors don’t even capture a tenth of your true presence.”

“You flatter me, Emperor Qin,” Ye Qingxuan replied, returning the salute with effortless, swan-like grace. “The management of a dynasty is far more grueling than that of a Sect. I find your accomplishments quite admirable.”

“Hahahaha!” Qin Yusheng laughed, a booming sound that drew several eyes from the passing crowd. “Enough talk of business for now. Shall we enter?”

Ye Qingxuan nodded.

The party moved onto the bridge, ascending toward the sky. As they drew closer, Han Lie was struck by the sheer scale of the auction house. It was a palace of gold and white jade, radiating a divine pressure.

Near the entrance, hundreds of vendors had set up stalls. They were perfectly aligned, governed by strict Chen Family laws. Han Lie scanned them, wondering if his “transmigrator luck” would trigger a hidden bargain.

He sighed and shook his head. Most of it was garbage.

The idea that a legendary artifact would be hidden in a pile of junk in the Ancient Desolate Heaven—the most profit-driven place on the continent—was a fantasy. These vendors were the elite of the merchant world; if something was valuable, they knew it.

Keep moving, Han Lie thought. The real show is inside.

Of course, there might be rare cases of picking up bargains, but they definitely wouldn’t happen in a place like the Ancient Desolate Heaven, where everything prioritized profit above all else. Those daring to set up stalls here were all shrewd individuals among the shrewd.