Song Wanníng kept her guard up deep inside. Her words were careful and precise, revealing nothing.
It was Xie Qinglan, on the other hand, who soon let all her cards show to Song Wanníng.
"My father is the Sect Master of Qingyun Sect. Song Daoyou, you just recently ascended. If you have no place to go, why not join Qingyun Sect?
For a genius like you who can challenge beyond your rank, my father would definitely welcome you!"
This was Xie Qinglan's first time meeting Song Wanníng. She was thoroughly impressed by her formidable skills, her eyes sparkling whenever she looked at her.
At the moment the spirit boat flew by, all she saw was Song Wanníng's sword slash…
That figure was as handsome as her Senior Brother!
"Thank you for your kindness, Xie Daoyou," Song Wanníng replied with a smile. "But my master down below has already ascended as well. I must go find her."
Song Wanníng was no stranger to social graces. Since Xie Qinglan was so enthusiastic, she didn't want to be too cold and kept the conversation polite.
Xiao Heyun sat silently nearby, never uttering a word, but carefully observing the surroundings, quietly ensuring the safety of the two.
She glanced at Xiao Heyun and frowned slightly but said nothing more.
Xie Qinglan saw this and misunderstood the situation immediately. She quickly explained, "Don't mind my Senior Brother's cold demeanor. He's famous for being aloof, but he's actually very kind-hearted."
She covered her mouth with a laugh before continuing to praise, "Don't be fooled by his icy exterior. He's soft-hearted at the core. Whenever he sees cultivators with low ranks suffering injustice, he never hesitates to draw his sword and defend them.
And he never looks down on anyone because of their cultivation. He treats everyone with respect, even my father praises his noble character!"
Once she started praising her Senior Brother, Xie Qinglan could hardly stop talking.
She grabbed Song Wanníng's arm and began to recount Xiao Heyun's glorious past.
Song Wanníng listened passively, but the more she heard, the more uneasy she felt.
These descriptions… why did they sound so familiar?
Wasn't this just a replay of Ye Chuxue?
It couldn't be such a coincidence, right?
Her heart sank as she openly glanced at Xiao Heyun.
Receiving the beautiful woman's gaze, Xiao Heyun quietly straightened up. Though his face still held that cold expression, inside he was secretly delighted.
"Haha, see? This beauty has probably already been won over by my charm. In this cruel world of cultivation, who cares about others? Only I do, hahaha…"
Inside and out, his true feelings were split in two. Usually, the system forced him to suppress his emotions and act cool.
Luckily, he could occasionally vent by chatting with the system, or else he might have choked from holding it all in.
"Of course, host. You have already conquered seven targets, with favorability reaching ninety-five percent, just a little more and it will be full!" the system said with a calculating tone.
"As your favorability grows, your appearance will become more outstanding and your talents will improve. These women won't be able to resist!
But as for this one, if she sleeps with you or not, don't worry too much. The priority is to raise Xie Qinglan's favorability to one hundred percent. Then you can advance to late Void Refinement!"
The system's voice was full of scheming. Once favorability hit one hundred percent, its authority level would increase. If the host listened carefully, the two of them would one day reach the pinnacle of life.
"I understand. At this critical moment, I cannot afford any mistakes."
Xiao Heyun thought silently, feeling a little regretful.
Now was the key moment to boost favorability, but it wasn't convenient to make a move on Song Wanníng yet. Better to wait until her favorability was maxed before trying anything.
No matter how outstanding these women were, no matter how good their backgrounds…
In the end, weren't they just stepping stones for his smooth rise?
This world needed men to rule; women only needed to be good wives and mothers.
Xiao Heyun was still basking in his own thoughts. Meanwhile, Xie Qinglan went on about her Senior Brother's heroic deeds, oblivious to Song Wanníng growing increasingly silent.
Because the person being described sounded so much like Ye Chuxue's clone.
But she only sensed it, she couldn't confirm.
Then Xie Qinglan's next words jolted her fully awake.
"And my Senior Brother's ambitions are lofty. He says he wants to create a flourishing era where everyone is equal! I really admire him so much!!!"
Xie Qinglan's eyes shone with stars, overflowing with admiration.
Because her Senior Brother truly was exceptional!
At first, he was the discarded son of the Xiao family. Not only did his cousin steal his betrothal, but during his travels, he injured his dantian, ruining his foundation.
Yet, despite all this, he never gave up. He searched for ways to survive, eventually not only healing his injury but awakening his innate spirit bones.
Finally, he became a disciple under her father.
He never slackened in cultivation. Progressing through ranks was as easy as eating and drinking. The Xiao family members were deeply regretful.
"Oh, and my Senior Brother is an all-rounder, excelling in all four arts of cultivation!"
Xie Qinglan added this enthusiastically.
Her introduction pleased Xiao Heyun immensely.
Every time his junior sister met someone compatible, she had to praise him once again.
This was tacitly agreed upon because it helped him boost favorability automatically.
As expected, after hearing all this, Song Wanníng gave a breathtaking smile.
Xiao Heyun stared at that face, momentarily distracted.
But for some reason, being stared at by that smiling gaze made him feel nervous. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with that smile.
"System, why do I feel like this beauty's smile is strange?"
"I think you just got flustered seeing a beauty," the system sneered. "You liked to date even before you transmigrated, but because of your bad looks, you scared them all away.
Now that you're here, you have no restraint in that area, often spending spirit stones at entertainment places.
And you want to devour those targets, but your favorability is not maxed yet. For now, you can only make small moves. This guy has been looking forward to seeing beauties. Of course, he's imagining things."
Xiao Heyun: "…"
Alright, looks like he was overthinking.
Putting away his thoughts, Xiao Heyun struck a pose, confident in his own handsomeness.
He felt Song Wanníng's scrutinizing gaze and decided to show his most charming side, hoping to win her over later.
Unexpectedly, Song Wanníng was thinking about how she would kill Xiao Heyun when the time came.
His neck?
Or his heart?
Or just slice him in two with one sword?
Eh, never mind. Better to smash his bones to dust instead.
A flash of murderous intent flickered in Song Wanníng's heart. Earlier, she thought her luck was bad, but now she realized this was probably the work of the Three Lives Mirror.
An era of equality for all?
Spit. These hypocrites care about power and status more than anyone, yet their slogans are deafening.
Just listening to it made her sick.
Yet some people actually believed in their lies.
Especially the woman in front of her, who was even more deeply poisoned than Bai Yang.