Harem Master: Seduction System

Chapter 356: Feng Xiao’s Other Three Beauties

The air in the secret underground chamber of Lin Ruoli’s private residence was heavy, stagnant with the scent of plotting and the lingering, musky aftershocks of the previous night’s debauchery. Alaric sat at the head of the dark jade strategy table, his fingers drumming a rhythmic, impatient tattoo on the cool stone surface. The map of the Celestial Dragon Empire spread out before him was no longer just geography; it was a menu. And he was a starving man looking at a feast.

"A fake flame won’t work," Alaric stated, his voice cutting through the silence of the room like a serrated blade. He leaned back, his ruby eyes narrowing as he looked at Lin Ruoli, who stood dutifully by his side, dressed in a silk robe that did little to hide the bruises he had left on her neck. "Not for a man like Feng Xiao. If he is a Master Alchemist, and if he has reached the level of a Martial King—the ’Flame King’ as they call him—he will smell a magical construct from a mile away. It lacks the... chaos. The specific, violent laws of heaven and earth that birth a true Heavenly Flame."

He ran a hand through his dark hair, frustrated but invigorated. Even with his Archmage capabilities, creating a sentient, elemental force of nature that contained the primordial laws of this world was beyond simple spellcraft. It required the universe itself to bleed.

"I can fake the heat," Alaric continued, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "I can fake the color. But I can’t fake the soul of the fire. If he gets close and realizes it’s a dud, he won’t step into the trap. He’ll run, or worse, he’ll strike from the shadows. I need him on the stage, blinded by greed. I need him drooling."

He turned his gaze to Lin Ruoli, his eyes burning like coals. "You need to find me a real one, Lin Ruoli. It doesn’t have to be the strongest. It doesn’t have to be a world-ending calamity. It just has to be rare. Something exotic enough to make a collector like him lose his mind."

Lin Ruoli bowed low, the silk of her robe pulling tight across her hips. "Master, finding a wild Heavenly Flame is a matter of immense luck. However... the Jade Serpent Guild has records. There are rumors of a ’Void-Eating Black Python Flame’ that was sealed in a beast core three centuries ago. It is unstable, dangerous, and slowly dying, but it is real."

"A dying flame," Alaric mused, a wicked, predatory smile spreading across his face. "Perfect. A damsel in distress for our hero to save. He’ll think he can nurture it back to health. He’ll think it’s his destiny to claim it before it fades."

He reached out and grabbed Lin Ruoli’s wrist, pulling her closer until her hip bumped against the armrest of his chair. "Secure it. I don’t care how much it costs. Bribe, steal, or kill for it. That flame is the bait. And once he takes the bait, the hook will rip his throat out."

Lin Ruoli shivered, a mix of fear and arousal washing over her at his touch. "Yes, Master. I will send the orders immediately."

"Good," Alaric said, releasing her. "Now, tell me about the other pieces on the board. A hero like Feng Xiao never travels alone. He collects women like he collects flames. Who are they? I want the ones who make him weak."

Lin Ruoli moved to the other side of the table, her hands trembling slightly as she sorted through the new stack of jade slips her subordinates had delivered via the teleportation network.

"The intelligence is... difficult to verify, Master," she admitted, her voice hesitant. "The circles around Feng Xiao are tight. But we have identified three key figures of extreme beauty and influence."

"Speak," Alaric commanded, leaning forward.

"First," Lin Ruoli said, picking up a slip that glowed with a faint, greenish light. "The Snake Queen. Her name is Cai Wei. She rules the Snake-Human Tribe in the vast Tagor Desert to the west. She is... terrifyingly beautiful. They say her gaze can petrify a man’s soul, and her body is the ultimate temptation."

"A snake woman," Alaric murmured, his imagination firing. "Exotic. Dangerous. I like it. What is her relationship to Feng Xiao? Is she his mount? His lover?"

"It is... ambiguous," Lin Ruoli explained, her brow furrowing as she deciphered the encoded reports. "She is rarely seen by his side in public. However, my analysts found patterns. Anomalies. A few years ago, a major faction known as the Demon Flame Valley was wiped out overnight. The official report said it was a natural disaster, but scavengers found traces of corrosive venom that dissolved stone."

"Venom," Alaric noted.

"Yes. And another faction, the Ten Thousand Poison Sect, located in a county filled with poison cultivators... they were hunting Feng Xiao for a bounty. They were slaughtered to the last man. Their bodies were found crushed, as if by a giant constrictor."

"Coincidences?" Alaric asked, though he knew better.

"Too many to be coincidences," Lin Ruoli said. "Why would Queen Cai Wei’s Snake-Human Tribe, which usually stays isolated in the desert, travel thousands of miles to destroy factions that had no conflict with them? Factions that just happened to be enemies of Feng Xiao? She is his shadow. She clears the path for him."

"A guardian angel with fangs," Alaric grinned. "And her personal life?"

"There are rumors from the desert, Master," Lin Ruoli said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The snake-people speak of a child. A daughter. Born with the blood of both human and snake. The father is unknown, and the Queen refuses to speak his name. But the timeline... it aligns perfectly with the year Feng Xiao vanished into the desert to cultivate."

Alaric threw his head back and laughed, a harsh, barking sound. "A secret love child? Oh, that is delicious. If he is the father, he’s bound to her by blood. If he isn’t... well, that’s even more interesting. A single mother, a queen ruling a savage tribe... she must be lonely. She needs a strong hand to guide her. And her daughter needs a father figure."

"Next," Alaric demanded.

"The Frozen Cloud Asgard," Lin Ruoli said, picking up a white slip that felt cold to the touch. "The former Sect Master. Her name is Yun Lan. She was the teacher of Nalan Yue—the fiancée who humiliated Feng Xiao."

"The teacher," Alaric smirked. "The forbidden fruit. Let me guess. She tried to kill him to protect her student, but he defeated her, and now she’s conflicted?"

"More than conflicted, Master. They have a connection," Lin Ruoli said. "When the elders of the Asgard tried to execute Feng Xiao for destroying their sect’s reputation, Yun Lan stood in their way. She even took a blow meant for him. She has since stepped down as Sect Master and gone into seclusion. She wanders the mountains, protecting him from the shadows, just like the Snake Queen. But she is righteous. She struggles with her feelings."

"Honor is just a shackle," Alaric scoffed. "She needs someone to break it for her."

"And the third?" Alaric asked, his eyes gleaming.

"The third is... closer," Lin Ruoli said, picking up a slip made of red jade. "She is in the Northern Prefecture, in the Golden City. She is the Chief Auctioneer of the Gilded Lotus Family. Her name is Ya Su."

Alaric’s interest spiked. "An auctioneer? A merchant, like you?"

"Like me, but... different," Lin Ruoli corrected. "She is known as the ’Golden Vixen.’ She possesses a natural charm technique, a seductive body that drives men to empty their treasuries just to see her smile. She wears tight qipaos that leave nothing to the imagination. She manages Feng Xiao’s finances. She sells his pills. She is his... wallet. And his confidante."

"Is she a virgin?" Alaric asked bluntly.

Lin Ruoli shook her head. "No, Master. My spies confirm she spends many nights in Feng Xiao’s private quarters when he visits. She is his woman. Completely devoted. She manages his connections in the North while he travels."

"His woman," Alaric repeated, a dark, heavy pressure filling the room. The thought didn’t deter him; it inflamed him. "Already broken in. Already trained to serve. But trained by a boy."

He stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the stone floor. "What is her cultivation?"

"She is an Elite Martialist," Lin Ruoli said dismissively. "She focused on commerce and administration, not combat. She is three full realms below a Martial King. Physically, she is weak."

"Weak," Alaric grinned, "and situated in the Northern Prefecture. That’s where the Alchemy Tournament will be held, isn’t it?"

"Yes, Master."

"Then we are going to the Golden City," Alaric declared, a wicked grin stretching across his face. "I’m going to pay Lady Ya Su a visit. I hear she’s an excellent hostess. It’s time she learned how to serve a real guest. A guest who doesn’t ask for permission."

The journey to the Golden City in the Northern Prefecture took three days, even with the portable teleporters. Alaric, Lin Ruoli, Saintess Ceanna, and Professor Lilliana moved like ghosts through the Empire’s infrastructure, bypassing checkpoints and sliding through the cracks in the spatial barriers.

When they finally arrived, the wealth of the Golden City was palpable. The streets were paved with gold-flecked stone, the buildings were towering pagodas of red lacquer and jade, and the air smelled of spices and rare metals.

Alaric didn’t care about the scenery. He cared about the massive, domed building in the center of the city—the Gilded Lotus Auction House.

He rented a luxurious estate near the auction house, setting up his local base.

"Information," Alaric commanded Lin Ruoli as soon as they were settled. "Where is she right now?"

"She is in the auction house, Master," Lin Ruoli reported an hour later. "Preparing for the monthly grand auction tonight. She will be in her private appraisal room on the top floor. It is isolated. Soundproofed for client confidentiality."

"Perfect," Alaric said. He turned to his women. Lilliana was dressed in a sleek, scholarly robe that barely contained her massive breasts. Ceanna wore a veil, her holy aura suppressed.

"You two stay here," Alaric ordered. "Secure the perimeter. Set up the secondary anchors. I want a quick exit if things get... messy."

"You’re going alone?" Lilliana asked, pouting slightly.

"I’m taking Lin Ruoli," Alaric said. "She’s a Guildmaster. She speaks the language of thieves and merchants. Besides..." he smirked, "I might need someone to hold the door while I teach the auctioneer a lesson in supply and demand."

He dressed in expensive, dark purple robes, the color of royalty and shadows. He looked every inch the mysterious, powerful young master from a hidden sect.

They walked to the auction house. The guards at the door took one look at Lin Ruoli’s Jade Serpent token—which she flashed discreetly—and ushered them through the VIP entrance.

The interior was a cathedral of greed. Crystal chandeliers, velvet carpets, and the hum of thousands of voices haggling.

Alaric ignored it all. He followed Lin Ruoli up the private stairs, past the heavy guards who bowed at their passing, all the way to the top floor.

They stopped in front of a pair of double doors made of rosewood, carved with images of phoenixes rising.

"This is it," Lin Ruoli whispered. "Her private sanctum."

Alaric didn’t knock. He simply pushed the doors open with a wave of mana, breaking the privacy seal with a contemptuous crack.

Inside, the room was dimly lit, smelling of orchids and tea. A woman stood behind a desk, examining a piece of ancient armor.

She looked up, her eyes flashing with annoyance that quickly turned to calculation.

Ya Su.

She was everything the reports had promised, and more. She was wearing a cheongsam of crimson silk that was so tight it must have been sewn onto her body. The high collar accentuated her long, elegant neck, while the keyhole cutout on her chest revealed a deep, creamy valley of cleavage that drew the eye like a magnet. Her breasts were massive, heavier and fuller than Alaric had expected, straining against the silk with every breath.

Her hair was a cascade of mahogany waves, pinned up with gold sticks. Her face was a perfect oval, her lips painted a sinful red, her eyes shaped like almonds and filled with a sharp, dangerous intelligence.

But it was her body that held Alaric’s attention. She was ripe. Voluptuous in a way that screamed fertility and sin. Her hips were wide, her waist impossibly narrow, and her buttocks, visible as she turned, were a perfect, heart-shaped promise of pleasure.

"I don’t recall having an appointment," Ya Su said, her voice a smoky alto that vibrated in the air. She didn’t seem afraid. She leaned back against her desk, crossing her arms under her breasts, pushing them up even further. It was a practiced move, designed to disarm and distract.

"I don’t make appointments," Alaric said, stepping into the room and closing the doors behind him with a heavy thud. The soundproofing wards slammed into place, sealing them in.

Ya Su’s eyes narrowed slightly at the display of magic. "Bold," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. "I like bold men. They usually spend the most."

She looked at Lin Ruoli, recognizing the Guildmaster of the Jade Serpent. "Guildmaster Lin. A surprise. I didn’t know the Jade Serpent was looking to expand into the North. And who is this... young dragon you’ve brought?"

"I am Alaric," he said, walking towards her. He didn’t stop until he was on the other side of the desk, invading her personal space.

"Alaric?" Ya Su tilted her head. "I do not know this name. Are you from the Central Prefecture?"

"It doesn’t matter where I’m from," Alaric said, his eyes raking over her body. "It matters what I want."

"And what is that?" Ya Su asked, her hand drifting casually toward a small jade talisman on her desk—a communication slip linked directly to Feng Xiao.

"You," Alaric said flatly.

Ya Su laughed, a light, tinkling sound. "I am flattered," she purred, stepping closer, her hip brushing his thigh. "But I am afraid I am... spoken for. My heart belongs to another."

"Your heart belongs to Feng Xiao," Alaric corrected her.

The smile froze on Ya Su’s face. The playful light in her eyes vanished, replaced by a cold steel. "You know the Flame King?"

"I know of him," Alaric said, reaching out and grabbing her wrist before she could touch the talisman. His grip was iron. "I know he’s a lucky little boy playing with fire. And I know you’re his... piggy bank. And his mattress."

"Watch your tongue," Ya Su hissed, her aura flaring. She was an Elite Martialist, her Qi sharp and refined. She tried to yank her hand back, but Alaric didn’t budge. "Feng Xiao is a hero. A dragon among men. He will rule this continent one day. Release me, or you will face his wrath."

"His wrath?" Alaric laughed, pulling her closer, yanking her body against his. "He isn’t here, is he? He’s off in the mountains, playing hero. Leaving his beautiful, loyal dog all alone to guard the house."

"He is never far," Ya Su lied, her free hand glowing with Qi as she aimed a strike at Alaric’s throat.

Alaric caught her other wrist effortlessly. He crushed her Qi with a pulse of his own overwhelming mana, shattering her defense instantly. He pinned both her hands behind her back with one hand, forcing her chest out, pressing her pelvis against his.

"You’re weak," Alaric whispered, leaning down to nuzzle her neck, inhaling her scent. "An Elite Martialist? Against me? You might as well be a child."

"Who are you?" Ya Su gasped, realizing the disparity in their strength. This man was terrifying. His aura was an ocean compared to her puddle.

"I am the man who is going to show you what a real King feels like," Alaric growled.

Ya Su’s eyes darted to the talisman on the desk. She tried to channel her Qi into it remotely, a desperate attempt to send a distress signal. Feng Xiao! Help!

Alaric felt the fluctuation. He smirked. He didn’t stop her. He let the signal fly.

But it never left the room.

His own mana, which saturated the air, caught the signal like a spider catching a fly. He crushed it in mid-air, the jade talisman on the desk cracking down the middle with a sharp snap.

"Did you think I wouldn’t notice?" Alaric mocked. "Your little love letter just died in the air. No one is coming, Ya Su. Not Feng Xiao. Not the guards. No one."

Ya Su’s face paled. The talisman was shattered. Her connection to her protector was severed.

"Let go of me," she commanded, trying to maintain her dignity. "You are making a mistake. Feng Xiao... he has killed Martial Kings. He has destroyed sects. If you touch me..."

"If I touch you?" Alaric interrupted, his hand moving from her wrists to her throat, pinning her against the desk. "He’ll what? Cry? You’re already used goods, aren’t you? He’s already broken you in."

"I am his wife in all but name!" Ya Su spat, her loyalty absolute. "I gave myself to him willingly! I love him! You are nothing compared to him! He is a dragon, and you are a snake in the grass!"

"A snake?" Alaric laughed, his eyes flashing dangerous ruby. "Let’s see if the snake can swallow the dragon’s leftovers."

He ripped the high collar of her cheongsam.

Rrrrrip!

The sound of tearing silk was violent in the silent room. The red fabric parted, revealing the creamy white slope of her shoulder and the top of her lace bra.

"You..." she gasped, shivering as the cool air hit her skin.

"Feng Xiao... does he fuck you well?" Alaric taunted, his hand sliding inside the tear, his rough fingers grazing her skin. "Does he make you scream? Or is he too busy cultivating to satisfy a woman like you?"

"He satisfies me perfectly!" Ya Su screamed, struggling against him. "He is gentle! He is kind! He respects me!"

"Respect," Alaric sneered. "Boring."

He grabbed the front of her dress and ripped it down to her waist. Her breasts spilled out, confined only by a flimsy red lace bra that did nothing to hide her dark, erect nipples. They were magnificent—heavy, swaying with her struggles, the flesh milky white and inviting.

"Look at you," Alaric murmured, his eyes devouring her. "You’re built for this. You’re built to be fucked hard. Not to be ’respected’."

He shoved her backward. She stumbled, her heels catching on the thick carpet, and fell back onto the large appraisal table. She scrambled backward, trying to cover herself, kicking out with her long legs.

"Lin Ruoli," Alaric commanded without looking back.

"Master?" Ruoli stepped forward, her face flushed as she watched the scene.

"Hold her legs," Alaric ordered. "She likes to kick."

Ya Su looked at the other woman, betrayal in her eyes. "Guildmaster Lin! Help me! We are merchants! We have a code!"

Lin Ruoli walked over, her expression a mix of pity and dark arousal. "The code is power, Sister Ya Su. And he has it all."

She grabbed Ya Su’s ankles, spreading her legs wide open on the table.

"No! Don’t!" Ya Su screamed, thrashing. "Get off me! Feng Xiao will kill you both! He will burn you alive!"

"He’s not here," Alaric said, stepping between her legs. "I am."

He tore her panties off in one ruthless motion.

She was wet. Despite her fear, despite her loyalty, her body was betraying her. The sheer dominance, the overwhelming power Alaric exuded, was triggering instincts she couldn’t control.

"See?" Alaric said, touching her slick entrance. "Your body knows. You’re dripping."

"No... that’s... that’s fear..." she sobbed, trying to close her legs against Lin Ruoli’s grip.

"Is it?" Alaric unbuckled his belt. His trousers fell. His massive erection sprang free, rock-hard and pulsing.

Ya Su’s eyes went wide. It was enormous. Thick, veined, and looking more like a weapon of war than a part of a man.

"Oh gods..." she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Compare," Alaric commanded, gripping his cock. "Is Feng Xiao this big? Does the Flame King carry a weapon like this?"

"He... he is..." Ya Su stammered, trying to find a lie, trying to defend her lover’s honor. "It doesn’t matter! Size is not everything! He loves me!"

"So he’s small," Alaric concluded with a cruel laugh. "That explains why you’re so tight. He probably barely stretches you."

"He is not small!" she shrieked. "He is perfect! You are a monster! A freak!"

"Let’s see if you can handle a freak," Alaric growled.

He grabbed her hips, lifting them slightly. He lined himself up with her wet entrance.

"No! Please! I don’t want it! I don’t want you!" she begged, her head thrashing from side to side.

"Your mouth says no," Alaric whispered, pressing the head of his cock against her. "But your pussy is inviting me in."

He thrust.

It wasn’t gentle. He didn’t ease in. He shoved his hips forward with the force of a battering ram.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Ya Su screamed, her back arching off the table, her head throwing back. He was too big. He stretched her beyond anything she had ever felt. It felt like she was being split open.

"So tight," Alaric groaned, burying himself to the hilt in one go. "Tighter than a virgin. Feng Xiao really hasn’t been doing his job, has he?"

"Get out! Get out!" she sobbed, hitting his chest with her fists. "It hurts! You’re tearing me!"

"I’m filling you," Alaric corrected, starting to move. "I’m stretching you out properly for the first time in your life."

He began to pound her. His rhythm was punishing, relentless. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. The sound of his flesh hitting hers echoed in the room.

"Mine," he growled with every thrust. "Mine. Mine."

Ya Su tried to resist. She tried to hate it. She tried to think of Feng Xiao, of his gentle touch, of his promises. But the sensation was overwhelming. Alaric was hitting spots deep inside her that Feng Xiao never reached. He was rubbing against walls that had never been touched.

The pain began to fade, replaced by a burning, searing pleasure that terrified her.

"No..." she moaned, her voice changing. "No... ah... ah!"

"You like it," Alaric accused her, grabbing her breast, squeezing it hard. "You like my big cock stretching your little pussy."

"I hate it!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. "I hate you! Ah! God! Too deep!"

"Liar," he snarled.

He leaned down, capturing her lips in a brutal kiss. He forced her mouth open, his tongue invading her just as his cock was invading her body. He tasted her fear, her tears, and her arousal.

He fucked her on that table for an hour. He didn’t stop. He didn’t slow down. He made Lin Ruoli watch, made her hold Ya Su’s legs wider so he could go deeper.

"Look at her, Ruoli," Alaric panted. "Look at the Golden Vixen. Look at Feng Xiao’s loyal woman. Taking it like a cheap whore."

"She is beautiful, Master," Lin Ruoli whispered, her own face flushed.

"She is mine," Alaric said.

He pulled out, flipping Ya Su over. She was limp, gasping for air, her hair a mess.

"Doggy style," he commanded. "I want to see that ass."

"No more..." she whimpered. "Please... I can’t..."

"Up," he ordered. He grabbed her by the hips and hauled her onto her knees. He pushed her face down onto the table, her cheek pressed against a ledger of auction items.

He entered her from behind. This angle went even deeper.

"OH GOD!" she screamed, her fingers clawing at the wood of the table.

He spanked her. Hard. Crack!

"This is for belonging to another man," he growled. Crack! "This is for lying to me." Crack! "And this is for enjoying it."

"I’m not enjoying it!" she sobbed, her ass turning red.

"Your pussy is clamping down on me like a vice," Alaric laughed. "You’re milking me, Ya Su. You’re trying to make me cum."

"No! I’m not!"

"Cum for me," he commanded. "Show me how a slut cums."

He increased his pace, finding her spot and hammering it mercilessly.

Ya Su couldn’t hold it back. Her body betrayed her completely. A wave of pleasure built up in her belly, hot and undeniable.

"Feng Xiao... forgive me..." she whispered.

And then she shattered.

"AAAAAH! YES! GOD! YES!" She screamed, her body convulsing, her inner muscles squeezing Alaric’s cock in a rhythmic spasm of ecstasy.

Alaric roared, his own climax hitting him. He drove deep, burying himself inside her womb, and unleashed a torrent of seed. He filled her, flooding her, claiming her inside and out.

He stayed there for a long time, pulsing inside her, letting her feel every drop.

Finally, he pulled out. Ya Su collapsed onto the table, sobbing, her body twitching.

Alaric wasn’t done.

"That was round one," he said, wiping his cock on the expensive silk of her ruined dress.

"No..." she whispered, horrified. "You... you finished..."

"I recovered," he grinned, his cock already twitching, hardening again. "I can do this all day, Ya Su. Can Feng Xiao do that? Can he fuck you ten times in a row without stopping?"

"He... he is a cultivator... he has stamina..." she tried to defend him, but her voice was weak.

"Not like this," Alaric said. "Get up. On the floor."

For the next twelve hours, Alaric turned the appraisal room into a den of sin. He fucked her on the floor. He fucked her against the wall. He sat in her chair and made her ride him.

He climaxed inside her again. And again. And again. Thirty times. He filled her pussy until his seed was leaking out onto her thighs, dripping onto the carpet.

He made her climax until she was screaming, until her voice was hoarse, until she passed out from the sheer sensory overload and he woke her up by thrusting into her again.

He degraded her. He humiliated her.

"Was his dick this thick?" he would ask as he stretched her.

"No..." she would sob. "No..."

"Did he make you cum like this?"

"No... ah! No!"

"Who owns this pussy now?"

She would try to stay silent. She would try to be strong.

But by the twentieth round, broken and delirious with pleasure, she broke.

"Who owns it?" Alaric demanded, slapping her ass.

"You!" she screamed. "You own it! Just finish me! Please!"

"Good girl."

As the sun began to set outside, casting long shadows across the room, Alaric finally stopped. He stood over her, buttoning his pants. Ya Su was lying on the floor, surrounded by the shreds of her red dress, her body covered in sweat, bruises, and his scent. She looked destroyed. And undeniably, terribly sexy.

"Lin Ruoli," Alaric said, his voice calm.

"Master?"

"Clean her up. Get her a new dress. Something... revealing. She has an auction to run tonight."

Ya Su’s eyes fluttered open. She looked up at him, dazed. "An... auction?"

"Yes," Alaric grinned. "You’re going to sell my items. And you’re going to do it with a smile. You’re going to serve your guests."

He walked over and crouched down, grabbing her chin.

"But remember, Ya Su. From now on, I am the only guest that matters. No one else touches you. Not even Feng Xiao. If he tries... you tell him you belong to the King of the West. Do you understand?"

"I..." she tried to find her defiance. She tried to hate him. But her body was humming, her womb was full of him. "I... understand."

"Good."

Alaric stood up. "Let’s go. I want a front-row seat to watch my new property work."

He walked out, leaving the broken, remade woman behind him. One target down. The trap for the Flame King was set. And the bait was sweeter than ever.