HONEY TRAP

The closest people immediately took a few steps backwards, visibly disturbed as they recoiled: the young youth in front of them was so dirty that even his facial features were indistinguishable. His long, flowing, black hair too, which reached down to his waist, had earth and mud clinging onto it…

It made one wonder whether that truly was hair, or rather a clamp of weeds from some untold location.

The absolutely worst thing though… was that the boy reeked!

He reeked so badly that many people had to hold their noses and breath through their mouths.

Judging by that smell alone, it wouldn't be weird for one to guess that the child had not taken a bath in a month. That, or he heralded from some swamp. Otherwise, it was unthinkable how a child could stink so bad.

"You-Young child, what matters could possibly bring you to come to my Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect? Is a sibling of yours perhaps studying there?" the Inner Disciple asked the small boy while doing his best not to expose his annoyance: despite his noteworthy acting skills, even he had trouble concealing the disgust on his face.

All the importance that he attributed to his image be damned; when the child had first appeared he had clearly bent back, if only to put the tiniest bit of distance between him and the dirty junior.

The golden-eyed child's gaze covertly scanned the man in front of him. In no time, his thin lips arranged into an imperceptible smile as he realized exactly the kind of person that was before him.

After noticing how much the man seemed to value face, the boy wasted no time and immediately started flattering him in front of the other disciples. The praises came out extremely smoothly, with the cadence of an actual starstruck child, without the slightest hint of sarcasm amidst the fancy words.

"Oh, Senior replied to me! Wow, wow- really! So kind... So good, uhh... This Lowly Junior has no siblings, no relatives, no friends at esteemed Senior's Mysterious, Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect. This lowly Junior came to join the Sect and become a powerful cultivator just like Senior! Esteemed Senior's strength can be seen simply by your air and demeanour! For sure if even a single disciple could rival you, then I am sure that I truly am in the vicinity of the Sect of Legends! For sure, for sure! No doubts at all!"

It was a beautifully done flattery, so much so that the man's expression immediately turned from disgust in the dirty youths' regards, to pride, and finally self-satisfaction. It was as if what he had just gained had not been a slight bit of face before his inferiors, but rather the greatest of riches imaginable; liquid gold.

He looked around, a huge smile plastered on his face as if he were saying: "See? This genius is so great even a small child understands how he should act in front of me!"

'Huhuhu! Indeed, This Genius is the greatest!'

"Cough, cough, ahem!" The disciple with three white stripes on his black robes stepped closer to the kid. He then waved his hand towards him: immediately afterwards, the airflow changed! An invisible pressure started to firmly, yet gently, burrow into the child's clothes before emerging; together with it out came the filt: the invisible power had also removed all traces of dirt or mud from the golden-eyed youngster's figure.

The child watched in 'amazement' as the grime gave way, leaving behind a clean and otherworldy young boy: his smooth and long pitch-black hair, his wide, somewhat girly, golden eyes, as well as his pretty face mesmerized the public on the spot.

Those long eyelashes, that small, straight nose pointing slightly upwards... With such delicate features to his name, how in the world was this child not a girl?

He was even prettier than many beauties!

It was to the point that some youths felt their breath leave them and immediately found themselves wishing to cuddle and embrace the beautiful boy.

The child's pretty, girly looks coupled with the innocent and pure look in his bright, golden eyes... If he was this beautiful while still so young, how breathtaking would he become in the future?

Gah! Arrows of blood shot into the sky…

Subconsciously ignoring the strange reaction from his companions, the thirty-one-year-old cultivator smiled at the child, placing a hand on his small shoulder.

"Good child! You sure know what you are talking about! You find yourself on the grounds just a short walk away from the grand Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect! As a little reward for guessing right..." The black-robed man looked up and the air surrounding them trembled. Then, the two suddenly shot upwards!

That single motion brought the both of them more than a dozen feet above solid ground. Just as they seemed on the verge of falling back down though, the crowd realized that the two of them did not seem to be dipping in the slightest.

With merely a few oscillations in their frame as the sole confirmation that they had yet to be completely freed of gravity, the child and the older man were comfortably fluctuating in the air.

The golden-eyed youth turned towards the man at his side, who was gently grasping his shoulder and sharing the power of flight of a true-blue Advanced Stage cultivator with him. The man looked back and, seeing his adorable junior's 'shocked' face, he explained while exuding superiority, "A king among men, you said? God among kings, peerless in this land, you said?"

The golden-eyed boy had no idea where the latter part had come from.

"Well my little Junior, you were absolutely right! Your Senior is indeed quite powerful... As an Advanced Stage Cultivator who has completely condensed the Core, I possess the power of flight! As a reward for... uh... guessing correctly, that's right! This Inner Sect Disciple, Liu Biao, shall personally escort you to the Mysterious Light-Shadow Sect!" Having said that, the man that had introduced himself as Liu Biao turned to face the tall walls in the distance with a profound gaze. With the rotation of his cultivation base to support his flight, he advanced with confident steps.

Imagine the shocked gazes of the people below, suddenly seeing a scholarly gentleman and a child walking on thin air a few feet above their heads. The two chatted with little regard for the commotion underneath.

'Huhuhu, be amazed! This, is the great me! Watch, and wonder!'

...or at least, they made sure to act the part.

Like so, they quickly made their way towards the Sect.

Half an incense's worth of time later, the two could see a river of people had come to form before them.

The fort itself spanned many miles in both length and width. It was absolutely massive, so big that it could easily house the millions the Sect's disciples while still having plenty of space left over. Currently, many others were making their way there. They harboured hopes of becoming cultivators of the esteemed Sect and striking it big. Countless men, women, children, and elderly, all coming together before the walls.

And above them, the unlikely duo of a scholarly gentleman and one charming young boy with a huge bag on his back, pleasantly conversing.

"My-oh-my young boy, you just never miss! You truly bring a smile to my face each and every time! Right, Senior has given you his name, so won't you tell me what your name is?" As they made their way to the front of one of the countless cues, Liu Biao finally remembered to ask the pleasant youth beside him a few questions.

"Senior, this Junior is called Hao and I come from the south. From a village there. This Junior truly thanks Senior for his assistance. This Junior hopes to one day be able to repay your kindness! But as Senior is so strong and important, this measly Junior truly doesn't want to waste the great Senior's precious time. Me thinks- Me thinks that for Senior's best, it is better to part ways here..."

How draining was it to talk cutely, childishly? Once again, the golden-eyed child was reminded of it.

Fortunately, although the intention to sweet-talk and flatter the older man was growing ever clearer in the boy's words, the 'Advanced Stage cultivator' had already fallen for the young man's soft schemes and sweet praises so much... That he actually couldn't bear to part with the boy!

It was like biting into a delicious cake: now that he had gotten a bite once, twice, thrice even, he couldn't help but crave more!

Because of that, Liu Biao quickly dismissed the boy's suggestion. "Hahaha, then this Junior can call me big brother Biao and I will call you little brother Hao! How about it? There would be no need for such worries between family right? Onwards, let this big brother help you easily pass the exam for Vacant Disciples!"

Cheng Hao caught onto the occasion and bent his head. His big, bright eyes appeared hesitant as he softly called out...

"Big... Big brother Biao..."

'Ugh! Too cute!'

Some passers-byes felt as if an arrow had suddenly stabbed into their chest.

'Huhuhu! Indeed, This Genius is not only the greatest in cultivation.To have such a cute little brother… I must also be the greatest big brother!'

"Ahahahah!" Liu Biao lifted his head upwards and roared in laughter, flaunting his understanding of fate and human relationships to the heavens.

By doing so though, he had also missed the elusive grin as well as the greedy countenance that had betrayed Cheng Hao's innocent pupils.

Suddenly, the child's expression changed as he slapped a golden blur that was about to shoot out from his ragged clothing. The blur whimpered once and then crawled its way back into the depths of one of Cheng Hao's front pockets.

"Not yet, you greedy thing!" the child hissed. Without being seen, he hurriedly closed the front pocket where, for a moment, a golden, scaly tail could be seen moving about...