66: Chapter 66 Come to my room tonight, remember to wash up.

Nangong Waner bit her lip until blood seeped out, the metallic tang of pain bringing her a moment of clarity.

A sword cultivator would rather break than bend.

Even in death, one must not go back on their word.

"I will fulfill it."

She looked up, her once sharp eyes now red-rimmed, yet filled with a resolute stubbornness.

"From today on, I, Nangong Waner, am your... Personal Sword Attendant."

"Very good."

Xu Chen nodded with satisfaction, that punchable smirk still plastered on his face.

"It seems that while Miss Nangong's swordsmanship isn't up to much, her integrity is worthy of praise."

He turned around and waved at Ye Qingwu, who stood on the spectator stands with a complex expression.

"Senior, since the winner has been decided, I'll take my spoils... oh no, my sword attendant, back to rest."

"Tonight, I need to properly teach her what true Sword Dao is."

Ye Qingwu opened her mouth to speak but found she had no reason to object.

The bet was made right in front of her, and Xu Chen truly hadn't used any cultivation. He won fair and square—one might even say with... miraculous skill.

"Waner..."

Ye Qingwu looked at her disciple with heartache.

"Master, one must accept defeat when they gamble."

Nangong Waner took a deep breath and bowed to Ye Qingwu. Her voice trembled, yet it was exceptionally firm.

"This is my own choice. I... accept the consequences."

Having said that, she turned and followed behind Xu Chen like a walking corpse, heading toward the guest wing the Sword Sect had prepared for distinguished guests.

That desolate figure in green left the hearts of all the Sword Sect disciples present shattered.

Their Eldest Senior Sister... was just abducted like that?

And she was going to be a Bed-warming Maid?!

This was simply too cruel!

...

The Sword Sect guest room was named "Listening Sword Pavilion."

It was an exquisite pavilion perched on the edge of a cliff. Opening the window revealed a churning sea of clouds, the environment quiet and elegant.

Xu Chen swaggered into the room and flopped directly onto the large, soft couch, letting out a comfortable groan.

"Aiya, though this Sword Sect is a bit poor, this bed is quite soft."

He tilted his head to look at Nangong Waner, who was still standing at the door with her head bowed, not daring to enter. A playful curve hooked the corner of his mouth.

"What? Why are you still standing there?"

"Don't you know the duties of a sword attendant?"

Nangong Waner's delicate body trembled. After a moment of hesitation, she took heavy steps inside.

"What do you want me... to do?"

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. Her hands gripped the hem of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"What to do?"

Xu Chen sat up and pointed at the teapot on the table.

"First, pour a cup of tea for this Young Master."

"Do I need to teach you such a small thing?"

Nangong Waner gritted her teeth, walked to the table, lifted the teapot to pour a cup, and then held it out to Xu Chen with both hands.

"Please... please have some tea."

"Is this your attitude?"

Xu Chen didn't take it, instead looking at her with a half-smile.

"Call me Young Master."

"...Young Master, please have some tea."

"Too quiet, I can't hear you."

"Young Master! Please have some tea!"

Nangong Waner snapped her head up, her eyes brimming with tears—a sign of extreme grievance. As the prestigious Chief Disciple of the Sword Sect, when had she ever suffered such indignity?

"That's more like it."

Xu Chen took the teacup, took a small sip, and then set it aside casually.

He looked at the girl who was on the verge of tears, showing not the slightest bit of pity.

He knew that to tame this wild filly, he had to grind down her arrogance bit by bit, then reshape her world—a world centered around him.

"Alright, stop looking like you've suffered some great injustice."

Xu Chen stood up, walked over to her, and reached out to tidy her messy hair.

Though the movement was gentle, it made Nangong Waner's entire body stiffen, not daring to move an inch.

"Losing to me isn't shameful."

Xu Chen leaned close to her ear and whispered:

"Because in this world, besides my women, no one has ever beaten me."

"Now, you can go back."

"Go... go back?"

Nangong Waner looked up sharply, her face full of bewilderment.

He... was just letting her go? Didn't he say he wanted a bed-warmer?

"What? Reluctant to leave?"

Xu Chen smirked wickedly. "Or are you already impatient to fulfill your duties as a bed-warmer?"

"No! I'm leaving! I'm leaving right now!"

Terrified, Nangong Waner backed away repeatedly before turning to flee this den of devils.

"Hold on."

Xu Chen's voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable command.

"I'm telling you to go back and pack your things, and while you're at it..."

Xu Chen's gaze swept over her body without restraint, finally resting on her long, straight legs.

"Wash yourself until you're clean."

"Tonight at midnight, bring your sword and come to my room."

"I will personally guide you... in practicing the sword."

"Remember, don't be late."

"Otherwise..."

Xu Chen didn't state the consequences, merely blowing a light breath.

Nangong Waner felt her ears burn, her whole body reacting as if struck by an electric current. She fled in a panic without looking back.

Watching the girl's retreating back as she fled in disarray, the smile on Xu Chen's face gradually faded.

He walked to the window and looked at the churning sea of clouds outside, that rusty iron sword appearing in his hand at some point.

"Born with a Sword Spirit..."

Xu Chen murmured to himself.

"Truly a fine piece of unpolished jade. It's just a pity she was taught wrongly by those old fogies of the Sword Sect."

"Since she's become mine, let me be the one to reshape her."

"Tonight..."

A sharp glint flashed in Xu Chen's eyes.

"Not only will we practice the sword, but also... the person."

...

Night fell.

In Nangong Waner's private room in the Sword Sect's back mountain.

The steaming bathtub was filled with flower petals.

Nangong Waner submerged her entire body in the water, leaving only her bewildered and lost eyes visible.

The water was hot, but it couldn't warm her cold heart.

"Is it really going to happen..."

She looked down at her pure body, which had never been touched by the opposite sex. Xu Chen's detestable smiling face kept appearing in her mind, along with his words: "Wash yourself until you're clean."

Shame, anger, resentment, and a trace of... curiosity following her fear, which even she hadn't noticed.

What kind of monster was that man?

Was he really just a profligate?

If so, where did that Sword Intent that made ten thousand swords submit come from?

"Whatever!"

Nangong Waner suddenly stood up from the water, creating a loud splash.

Crystal-clear droplets of water slid down her skin, which was like congealed fat, shimmering with an alluring luster under the candlelight.

"I've already lost anyway."

"If he really wants to do something to me..."

A look of determination flashed in Nangong Waner's eyes.

"Then I'll just treat it as being bitten by a dog!"

"But if he dares to lie to me, if he dares not to teach me the true Sword Dao..."

"Even if I die, I'll drag him down to hell with me!"

She dried herself off and changed into a slightly thin white gauze dress she would never normally wear—this was her final bit of stubbornness as a "sword attendant."