The Empress Chose My Bride, and Now I’m Stuck with a Yandere at -9999 Affection - Chapter 33:

Chapter 33: Others Have Touched You, Yet You Still Pretend to Be Pure?:

When Jiang Xuan heard that the system’s hidden function was related to the Spiritual Root, his excitement instantly faded. 

After all, the quality of the Spiritual Root was merely the foundation for cultivation, and because Jiang Xuan had a Damaged Spiritual Root, he had long missed the best time to cultivate. 

His current cultivation was only at the 1st stage Martial Disciple Realm, which was the lowest level among Martial Apprentices in this world. 

Even if he now had a god-level Spiritual Root, it was too late for him to start anew. 

His circumstances would remain unchanged; he would still have to serve those influential figures humbly. 

When those powerful patrons were displeased, they would use him for amusement, plunging him once more into a life of misery and hardship. 

Thinking about all this made Jiang Xuan feel exhausted, but he still asked the system out of curiosity, “System, how exactly does the function to copy Spiritual Roots work? Even if I get a good Spiritual Root now, I don’t see any hope.”

[Ding! Host, you underestimate the hidden function of this system. The reason it’s hidden is that its effects are simply too heaven-defying. In this world, most people only have one Spiritual Root, and very few possess two or more. However, the function to copy Spiritual Roots can be used multiple times. That means, the more you use it, the more Spiritual Roots you will have, and with each additional Spiritual Root, your cultivation speed will multiply.]

After listening to the system’s explanation, Jiang Xuan was instantly energized. 

“So that’s how it is! System, I was wrong about you. I want to copy a Spiritual Root now. I’ll start with the Vice Pavilion Master’s. Later, when I meet the others from Xuantian Pavilion, I’ll copy all of theirs too! Hahaha, at this rate, I’ll become invincible soon!” Just 

as Jiang Xuan was indulging in his fantasy about a bright future, the system interrupted:

[Host, don’t be hasty. There are a few prerequisites for copying a Spiritual Root. First, the target’s Favorability towards the host must reach a certain level. Favorability at this level means the target would be willing to live and die for the host and must also possess a high-quality Spiritual Root. For ordinary people, even if they are willing to live and die for the host, their Favorability would fluctuate only between 100 and 1000. Second, during the copying process, the host must physically touch the target. Third, the success rate of copying is 50%. Fourth, each target can only have their Spiritual Root successfully copied once. Fifth, the function can only be used once per day.]

After hearing the prerequisites laid out by the system, Jiang Xuan was numb. 

Forget the others; just the Favorability requirement alone was a problem. 

So far, he had only seen such high Favorability with Nangong Liuyun. The Vice Pavilion Master beside him only had a Favorability of 9999—still a bit short. 

The only one who met the requirement right now was Nangong Liuyun. How was he supposed to proceed? 

Should he go back, apologize to Nangong Liuyun, and then be bedridden for three months? 

No matter how he looked at it, it was a huge loss. 

With his frail body, he couldn’t survive three months of that. It seemed that even after the upgrade, the system was still useless! 

In this perilous world, Jiang Xuan could only rely on his looks and maxed-out charm. He didn’t want it to be this way, but the dream he once had of traveling the world with a sword had long been crushed by reality, forcing him to bow to the powerful for survival.

As Jiang Xuan was still wallowing in his thoughts, the system suddenly spoke again: 

[If only the host had chosen to max out Martial Talent back then… things wouldn’t have ended up like this…] 

“System, what are you talking about… I haven’t even blamed you for still being a useless system after the upgrade, and now you’re blaming me? If you hadn’t hinted that good looks would let me do whatever I wanted in this world, would I have foolishly maxed out my charm instead of Martial Talent?” 

Just as Jiang Xuan was about to argue with the system, it wisely went silent and hid away. 

This left him fuming with no outlet for his anger.

When Jiang Xuan’s mind returned to the present, he and the Vice Pavilion Master, Xiao Hongxin, had already passed through a secret passage and arrived at a remote and dilapidated courtyard. 

This courtyard was located in a sparsely populated area within the Imperial City and served as a secret gathering point for the Xuantian Pavilion. 

At this moment, Jiang Xuan had put on a silver mask, covering his face completely. 

Beside him, Xiao Hongxin asked, “Pavilion Master, what’s our plan now? We’ve already left the Jiang family. What’s our next move? Should we leave the Dajiang Empire’s Imperial City?”

“Well… Right… Vice Pavilion Master, didn’t you say that the core members of Xuantian Pavilion are all waiting for orders outside the Imperial City? Take me to meet them. It’s been a long time since I saw them.” 

“Pavilion Master, the core members of Xuantian Pavilion are indeed outside the Imperial City, but they are scattered. If you want to meet them, perhaps it’s better to summon them here.” “That works. This gathering point is relatively safe for now.”

Just as Jiang Xuan finished speaking, the silver mask on his face was suddenly removed by Xiao Hongxin, revealing a face so stunning it could overturn cities. 

“Before we summon the members of Xuantian Pavilion, it seems our dear Pavilion Master has forgotten that we still have unfinished business from the Jiang family,” Xiao Hongxin said, her gaze full of unhidden desire. 

Jiang Xuan immediately realized that the most dangerous person to him now was Xiao Hongxin herself.

Previously, Jiang Xuan had tried to bluff Xiao Hongxin using Nangong Liuyun’s cultivation, but it hadn’t worked. 

Instead, it only seemed to trigger her competitive nature. 

At this moment, Xiao Hongxin wrapped her arms around Jiang Xuan and whispered devilishly in his ear, “Pavilion Master, you wouldn’t want your true identity to be exposed, would you? You’re a legendary figure in the Xuantian Pavilion. All the members believe you are an invincible expert. Your legend is so famous that even children know about you—defeating all the world’s experts with a single sword, cutting down the sun, moon, and stars with one slash, unrivaled through the ages, the masked white-robed sword immortal, so awe-inspiring. If they find out that you’re actually just a 1st stage Martial Disciple Realm rookie, do you think they will still worship you?”

Jiang Xuan remained silent. “Vice Pavilion Master, are you threatening me? Do you really think you can control me with this? I don’t rely on strength. If you expose the truth, I won’t hesitate to reveal my face to the members of Xuantian Pavilion. Originally, I only wanted you to know my true appearance, but now, to retain the members, I’ll have no choice but to show them. What do you think? Will they still be willing to leave the Pavilion after seeing me?” 

Xiao Hongxin’s eyes widened in shock, “You can’t do that! You can only reveal your face in front of me! Pavilion Master, I’ve worked so hard all these years to build up Xuantian Pavilion for you. You’ve promised me rewards many times but never fulfilled them. I’ve lost all motivation to keep developing the Pavilion—unless… you agree to be mine. If you do, I promise I’ll treat you like a treasure for the rest of your life.”

Jiang Xuan was bewildered, “Vice Pavilion Master, this is insubordination and treason! Please conduct yourself with dignity!” 

“Sigh, I had hoped to win you over with words, but it seems I was too naive. Continuing like this will get us nowhere. My mother once told me that when a man keeps saying no, it actually means he wants it but is just being shy. She was right about so many things, and I believe she wouldn’t lie about this either.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xuan thought to himself, [There might be some truth to that. This Vice Pavilion Master is quite rebellious. The more I resist, the more she wants to dominate. Fine then, I’ll do the opposite and act eager—maybe that’ll scare her off!] 

Resolving himself, Jiang Xuan suddenly changed his demeanor from weak to domineering, grabbing Xiao Hongxin’s face. “In truth, I’ve long had feelings for you, Vice Pavilion Master. I’ve always considered you my forbidden treasure. Since you’ve come to me willingly, don’t blame me for being rude.” 

As he spoke, he licked his thin lips, exuding a roguish charm. To outsiders, he would look like some devilishly handsome villain.

Jiang Xuan thought his act would frighten Xiao Hongxin away. 

Unexpectedly, she looked delighted and said, “Pavilion Master, my mother said that it’s rare for a man to take the initiative. When he does, it’s true love, a sign that he’s given up all pretense. Boohoo, I didn’t expect you to feel the same about me. Let’s start right away! Don’t hold back; I’ll love anything you do as long as it’s from you!”

Seeing her even more eager than before, Xiao Hongxin picked Jiang Xuan up and carried him toward the house. 

Jiang Xuan screamed internally, [Damn it! Bring your mother here—I need to have a word with her. How can she say such double-standard nonsense and mislead her daughter like this!] 

Only now did Jiang Xuan realize that it didn’t matter what kind of person he was. What mattered was that his appearance and charm were maxed out. 

No matter what he did, it would always be seen in a favorable light.

Despite all his efforts to resist, it was all in vain. 

Just as Xiao Hongxin began to strip off Jiang Xuan’s clothes, she suddenly froze. 

She noticed the red marks on Jiang Xuan’s body and was stunned. 

Her previous eagerness instantly cooled as if doused with cold water. Her expression darkened visibly. “So, my dear Pavilion Master, you’ve already been touched by others, yet you still pretend to be pure in front of me.”

Jiang Xuan remained silent. 

Seeing Xiao Hongxin’s shifting expression, he was secretly overjoyed. 

Covering himself with his clothes, he said, “Vice Pavilion Master, I’m sorry for ruining the image you had of me. It’s understandable that you would be disappointed with someone as filthy as me.” 

As he spoke, he tidied his clothes and, looking dejected, prepared to leave quietly.

But in the next moment, his wrist was grabbed. “Pavilion Master, you’d rather give yourself to those wicked women than spare me a glance? Even if you won’t give willingly, I’ll take it by force!” 

Jiang Xuan was stunned, [Wait, does she despise me yet still refuses to let me go? This is bad—the Vice Pavilion Master seems a little… unhinged.]