A deeply familiar scent filled Ni Ni Layan's nose as her senses took in the warm blankets surrounding her... and the bed. The incredibly comfortable bed she was lying on. She felt it was filled with an unerasable warmth, despite the thin layer of dust covering it.
Her body stirred... She woke up, looking around and yawning as she wiped her eyes. She sat up, pushing the blankets away. The tips of her feet touched the floor—sturdy, polished wood beneath her.
The atmosphere was gentle. She realized immediately that this was Morse's room from the portrait of him as a child hanging on the wall.
"So, this is how you looked when you were little..."
Though oil paintings usually fade with time, the sight of the innocent child sitting and laughing in the arms of the beautiful woman holding him made her smile involuntarily. She looked around and saw his wardrobe open, revealing his neatly arranged collection of ornate clothes. Perhaps she could find a detail in his personality that would help her make him fall in love with her.
However, being here alone felt strange. Why wasn't he by her side? This place was entirely unknown to her. She knew no one here, and she hadn't eaten in a long time. She was starving.
"Where did he go? And what is this... oh, tattoo Seal ?"
She picked them up to take a look, but as soon as she realized what they were, she threw them down immediately. She hadn't expected to find something so... bizarre on his desk.
She was hungry now and felt a strange sense of loneliness in his absence, as they had been glued to each other the whole time. She adjusted her clothes and decided to go out and look for him. But then she paused and decided to take the tattoo stamps with her—maybe he had forgotten them or something.
Before opening the door, she adjusted her appearance. She no longer looked like the teenager she was with Morse; instead, she took on a more mature form with fiery red hair, slightly sharp features, and breathtaking beauty.
As she stepped out, she looked around. The trees, the servants—it felt as if every object and living thing was staring at her. She had never imagined she would be searching for someone with this kind of anxiety. She felt like an outsider.
She pulled herself together, her face becoming an expressionless mask. She noticed the increasing stares from the servants. She didn't know where to go; the place was a labyrinth, with the library and the forge appearing out of nowhere. She was truly lost.
She was hesitant to ask anyone, but as she passed a mysterious building, the voices of two maids made her stop.
"Did you hear? They say the Young Master went to the Family Leadership building. They say he was shouting, 'I'll kill you, you bastard!' The enmity between the Young Master and that Bastard is beyond repair, even if the Heavens themselves intervened."
Ni Ni Layan had heard from Morse that he was the son of the Xuan family head. So, in her mind, Morse was obviously the "Young Master," and the "Bastard" was definitely the brother she had heard him cursing in his sleep.
She remembered the name was Bing. So, clearly, this bastard was Bing Xuan.
Though it seemed simple, she didn't know that there were direct orders to call Morse "The Bastard" instead of his name from now on. Thus, the Bastard was Morse, and the Young Master was Bing.
Because of this, she decided to find the Leadership building on her own, without asking a soul.
She moved on until she reached a truly massive building. A giant plaque hung there, reading: Family Leadership Building – Residence of the Patriarch. She decided to enter. As she gazed at the inner courtyard of this palace, she saw five guards standing watch.
They looked like sturdy cultivators in the final stages of Foundation Establishment. As Ni Ni Layan approached the gate, the guards focused their gaze on her.
"Oh... Ji-won, look at this beauty here. How stunning... It seems the Patriarch can still lure in beauties of this caliber. If she weren't one of the Patriarch's women, I would've taken her as my wife."
"Shut up, you idiot! What if she hears you? Will you be laughing then?"
"You're the idiot. Don't you see how many women enter here every single day?"
Ni Ni Layan approached them. She had heard their words, but she didn't care. "Identify yourself," their leader commanded.
Ni Ni Layan spoke from the bottom of the stairs.
"Fine... I am here for your leader. He is inside.
" She didn't know how else to phrase it. Since she didn't want to disturb Morse during his "family meeting," she planned to leave immediately after finding him.
"Didn't I tell you, Ji-won? Why are you always so skeptical? She's just another woman coming for the Master."
But their leader, Ji-won, didn't stop.
"Every woman who comes here must carry a Seal. Where is yours?"
Sorry, Morse... your home guards are far too complicated.
Immediately, she used one of her sleep-inducing techniques, putting all the guards to sleep instantly. What truly set Ni Ni Layan apart—despite her low cultivation level—was her inexhaustible arsenal of Heavenly Techniques.
She entered at once, but this time she remained completely hidden using her concealment technique. She moved from place to place, searching for the Patriarch's room. As she ascended the stairs, she noticed something strange—or rather, two things.
The first floor seemed routine: desks, office chairs, employees... everything appeared normal. However, she didn't see a single man working inside the palace; they were all women. Then, starting from the second floor, things got bizarre. Every woman she saw was wearing heavy makeup and provocative clothing.
Purple lights and intoxicating, sensitive fragrances filled the air. This certainly didn't look like the home of a Family Patriarch... but what about the plaque?
Ni Ni Layan moved from one corridor to another. Every time, the atmosphere, the decor, and the outfits made her doubt whether this was a leadership building or a brothel. No offices, no purity—just strange women everywhere.
"You know, Vyong,"
she overheard one woman say,
"yesterday I was in the bed of one of the guards from Elder Myeong's house. He said the whores at Byeong's house have vaginal fragrances that are incredibly seductive. Do you know how much they cost?"
Dammit... fragrances for what?! Is that even a thing people use perfume for? And why are the maids in the Patriarch's house so debauched?!
"Of course, we have jasmine, berry, and cherry... all scents are available."
Well... at least there's variety, Ni Ni thought bitterly.
When she ascended to the third floor, she saw nude portraits everywhere. But this time, there were men inspecting the naked bodies of women, grading them. They placed tags on them, deciding who was "acceptable" enough to ascend to the fourth floor.
Ni Ni Layan didn't waste time wandering and went straight up. On the fourth floor, she found a woman dressed in lavish, expensive robes organizing rows of girls. This was bizarre. What kind of strange family was this? Even the Demonic Sects wouldn't stoop this low.
"Please, Concubine Qian, let me have my chance with the Master... my life depends on it!"
one girl pleaded. To be a slave deep within one's soul—to have such a mindset was pathetic.
"Show your loyalty and obedience!"
Concubine Qian barked. Each girl was forced to strike herself, to hurt or even mar her own face, just to gain priority to ascend. Why this bullying of young girls? It seemed Concubine Qian couldn't stand anyone looking younger or more beautiful than her. She lived to torment the weak.
Ni Ni Layan had seen enough. Disgusted, she approached while concealed and delivered a slap so powerful it sent Concubine Qian crashing to the floor. Before the woman could realize what had happened, Ni Ni had already vanished to the fifth floor.
Finally, she reached the main chamber. She heard screams, strange noises, and an angry voice. She had reached her limit—this family was rotten to the core. She just wanted to find Morse and get out.
There was a layer of sound-isolation, but it wasn't perfect.
"Father, you must give me the authority to eliminate that bastard once and for all!"
What kind of chaos is happening inside?
Ni Ni Layan pushed the door open and looked in. A man with white streaks in his hair was naked, groping and suckling at a woman's breasts while... enough. Beside them stood a young man with a furious expression.
Time seemed to freeze from the sheer shock. This person isn't Morse. Where is Morse? Is this the Patriarch? What in the hell is this? And who is this fool talking to his father while the man is busy with women? This was the first time in her long existence that Ni Ni Layan had witnessed such a depraved scene.
Due to her shock, her concealment wavered. A dark, blurred silhouette appeared before the eyes of Bing and the Patriarch. When she saw them staring at her, she vanished instantly in a burst of blue flames. In her haste, she didn't notice the Tattoo Seals slipping from her grasp.
"Intruder! Guards! Where are the guards?!" the Patriarch roared. The women screamed in terror.
Terror struck Bing Xuan's heart as he looked down at the three dropped Tattoo Seals. He was stunned. He rushed down to the fourth floor only to find his mother, Concubine Qian, bleeding from the face after being slapped. When he reached the main gate, he found the guards fast asleep... just like his own men had been drugged earlier.
His rage boiled over. He hadn't expected to be infiltrated and humiliated like this. It was as if a message was being sent: I am watching you. I can do anything.
"Morse, you piece of trash... let me show you what it means to play seriously!"