Chen Paya

A day later

Mo Bei walked into the bustling wine tavern of Pao Village, his heart racing with excitement.

He had just reached the peak stage rank 1 realm, an impressive feat for someone his age, and he was eager to celebrate. The room was filled with the sound of clinking glasses and raucous laughter, and Mo Bei couldn't help but grin at the lively atmosphere. Usually, he would come here with his friends and subordinates Shi Feng and Tang Chi, but this time, he wanted to keep his advancement a secret. That way, he would be able to reap the rewards that would be meant for Fang Zheng.

He knew that the clan leader could not just hand too much resources over his disciple without reason. Otherwise, many elders would complain about the favoritism.

Thus, he would use Fang Zheng's talent as an excuse to give him resources, as he did in the book. Most likely, he would use a form of competition that would highly depend on talent, making him unmatched. After all, grade A aptitude would allow him to cultivate twice faster than his peers. Without the liquor worm and abundance of primeval stones, it would have been impossible for him to beat him in cultivation.

Thankfully, Fang Zheng was an orphan who was being raised by stingy uncles. Even Fang Yang, who had C-grade talent, barely reached the middle stage, where Tang Chi and Shi Feng managed to do it in a month.

As he made his way to the bar, Mo Bei noticed a familiar stunning young woman sitting at a nearby table. She was dressed in tight-fitting clothes that accentuated her curves and her dark hair was styled in loose waves around her face. Mo Bei recognized her as Chen Paya, the upper-stage Gu Master who owned the wine tavern in the Pao Village. Even the village head appointed by the clan, Gu Yue Hue, a peak rank 1 Gu Master, respected her.

She might only possess upper stage cultivation, but she was still young, being 18 years of age. Without support of the clan, it was already praiseworthy to have reached the upper stage. Furthermore, she possessed three Gu worms, making her business quite protected. Unlike the Gu masters from the Gu Yue clan who often used the Moonlight Gu as their main Gu, she could not buy one of them, and had to rely on cheaper, lower quality Gu worms.

Chen Paya had a reputation for being a seductive woman who sought to raise her status through her skills, but Mo Bei knew he should be wary of her charms. Still, he had to admit he was attracted to her.

"Congratulations on reaching the peak stage," Chen Paya purred as Mo Bei approached. "It's a rare accomplishment for someone your age."

Mo Bei felt a surge of pride at her words and he couldn't help but feel flattered by her attention. "Thank you," he replied, his voice tinged with excitement, "But you are not doing so bad either. When the bandits attacked your tavern, you were a middle-stage Gu Master. How did you manage to break through in this environment?"

Chen Paya gestured to the empty seat across from her. "Join me for a drink?" she asked, holding out a glass of amber liquid, giving a mysterious air.

Mo Bei hesitated for a moment, but the temptation of celebrating with such a beautiful woman proved too strong. He took the glass and raised it in a toast. "To new beginnings," he said with a smile.

He was curious, too. He had talked with her on several occasions, although he was always closely followed by his two friends Shi Feng and Tang Chi. Occasionally, there would be a couple of students from class who would join them to learn, which Mo Bei accepted sometimes for the sake of spreading his reputation and influence. On the long run, it would serve him.

Chen Paya possessed three Gu worms, but he only knew about one of them: [Red Needle Shot Gu], which was a common offensive Gu worm which could be used to shoot red needles at high speed. Although it was not strong enough to kill someone with defensive Gu, it was sufficient to deal with mortals as its piercing power was very strong.

However, the refinement method of this Gu was from the evil path. This Gu required large amount of blood as nourrishment.

Mo Bei naturally made the connection. Chen Paya had gotten the inheritance of an evil Gu Master, most likely a rank 1 Gu Master.

As they clinked glasses, Mo Bei felt a rush of heat in his cheeks. He couldn't help but notice the way Chen Paya's eyes lingered on him, her gaze full of desire. Mo Bei knew he should be cautious around her, but he couldn't help but feel drawn to her confidence and sensuality.

As the night wore on, Mo Bei and Chen Paya drank and laughed together, their conversation growing more intimate with each passing moment. Mo Bei knew he was playing with fire, but he couldn't resist the pull of Chen Paya's charm.

As the night came to a close and the other patrons stumbled out into the cool night air, Mo Bei and Chen Paya remained at their table, lost in conversation. Mo Bei knew that he was in danger of falling under Chen Paya's spell, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her side.

In the end, it was Chen Paya who leaned in close to Mo Bei, her lips brushing against his ear. "Come with me," she whispered, her voice thick with desire.

At this moment, Mo Bei realized that something was wrong.

It must said that Chen Paya was very beautiful and seductive. However, this was only based on the world's standards. Her skin was rough, and her hair discheveled. She did not have the grace of a highborn lady, and lived most of her life in the forest. If anything, she looked like a barbarian for someone like Mo Bei, who was a reincarnated individual from Earth.

Mo Bei was not especially popular back on Earth, being an average college student. However, he was not shunned either, and he had plenty of friends who looked more beautiful than her.

So...what was it that made him so lustful? Was it the wine?

Of course not. As a college student, Mo Bei had had his fair share of hangovers, and knew his limits, always drinking below the point where he would lose clarity of mind.

This could only mean one thing: Chen Paya was using a Gu worm. This made even more sense since she possessed a Gu Worm that came from the evil path. Realizing this, all of his lust disappeared in a flash, as if a condition had been cleared, reducing the effectiveness of her Gu worm.

Faking that he was still under her influence, Mo Bei followed the crazy harpy in her room, while grinning as her servants closed the tavern.

"Wait a minute, I need to get undressed...", she said in a mischievous tone.

As she turned to unclothe her dress, Mo Bei took out a knife and put it under her throat:

"What is the meaning of this?"