Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist

Chapter 884: Liu Ruyan’s Submission

The heavy stone door of the secret cave dwelling remained shut, a silent guardian separating the quiet intimacy within from the festive world outside. The single spirit lamp cast a warm, golden glow, painting the simple chamber in soft, gentle tones. The air was still, carrying only the faint, lingering scent of their recent passion and the fragrant aroma of the Moonpetal Dew tea that sat cooling on the low table.

Liu Ruyan lay nestled in Wang Jian’s arms on the plush beast furs. Her naked, voluptuous body, a masterpiece of delicate curves and pale, moonlit skin, was a stark, beautiful contrast to the ruggedness of the furs. Her head rested on his firm chest, the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat a soothing lullaby in the quiet cave.

She felt a contentment she had never known, a deep, bone-weary satisfaction mixed with the thrilling, terrifying newness of what she had just done. The night had been a whirlwind of sensation, a complete surrender to this enigmatic, powerful man who had so effortlessly dismantled her serene composure.

"Jian," she whispered, her voice husky, her fingers tracing idle, lazy patterns on the hard planes of his stomach. "Last night... and the festival... I have never felt so... carefree."

Wang Jian smiled, his hand gently stroking her long, silken hair, his fingers tangling in the dark strands. "You deserve to feel that way, Ruyan. Always." His voice was a low, intimate rumble that vibrated through her, sending a fresh shiver of pleasure down her spine.

He savored the moment, the feel of her soft, yielding body in his arms. She was exquisite, her ethereal temperament a unique flavor he had not yet tasted in this new world. He had enjoyed their date, the simple pleasure of walking through the festival with her, but his mind, ever calculating, was already moving beyond the night’s simple conquests.

He shifted slightly, propping himself up on one elbow so he could look down at her. His gaze was warm, affectionate, but with an underlying intensity that made her heart flutter.

"Ruyan," he began, his tone shifting from that of a lover to that of a fellow scholar, a partner in a grand pursuit. "Your understanding of alchemy is truly profound. It’s one of the things I find most captivating about you."

She blushed at the compliment, a shy smile touching her perfect lips. "You are too kind, Jian. My knowledge is but a drop in the vast ocean of the Dao of Alchemy."

"Perhaps," he conceded, his fingers now tracing the delicate line of her collarbone. "But your drop is purer than most. I feel it when we speak of it... a unique resonance. A shared passion for the art of creation."

He let his words hang in the air, weaving an atmosphere of shared purpose, of a special connection that went beyond the physical.

"Imagine what we could achieve together, Ruyan," he continued, his voice filled with a powerful, infectious ambition. "Two minds like ours, united in purpose. With my insights and your sect’s profound heritage, we could create pills the world has never even dreamed of. We could reshape the very foundations of alchemy in this State of Yue, perhaps even beyond."

His gaze was intense, drawing her in. "My own sect’s knowledge is... limited, focused more on martial might. But your Crimson Pill Sect... its name is legendary. If I could just study some of your core techniques, understand the principles behind your most secret formulas, I believe I could reach a new level of understanding. We could unlock secrets together."

His words were a masterful blend of flattery and ambition, framing his demand not as a personal request, but as a grand, shared destiny.

Liu Ruyan listened, her heart swelling with a strange mix of pride and excitement. The idea of working with him, of combining their talents to achieve something truly monumental... it was an intoxicating thought.

But then, the full weight of what he was asking for crashed down upon her.

She sat up, pulling a fur pelt around her naked form, her expression shifting from one of dreamy contentment to one of stark, sudden anxiety. The warmth in her cheeks was replaced by a sudden pallor.

"Jian..." she began, her voice trembling slightly. "You... you don’t understand what you are asking."

He watched her, his expression carefully neutral, giving no hint of his true intentions. "I am asking to learn, Ruyan. To grow. With you."

"No," she said, shaking her head, her eyes wide with a dawning horror. "You are asking for treason. The recipes you speak of, the core techniques of my Crimson Pill Sect... they are our lifeblood. They are secrets guarded more fiercely than any treasure. To share them with an outsider... it is the highest form of betrayal."

Her voice dropped to a terrified whisper. "The punishment, Jian, is not a simple death. The sect’s laws are absolute. Anyone caught leaking core knowledge has their soul forcibly extracted and refined into a Cursed Soul Lantern, to burn in agony for a thousand years as a warning to others. I... I cannot do it."

She looked at him, her beautiful green eyes pleading. "I have a duty. A duty to my sect, to my Master who took me in as an orphan and raised me as his own daughter. I cannot betray him. I cannot betray everything I have ever known."

Her conflict was genuine, her fear palpable. She was a woman bound by loyalty, by gratitude, by the very fabric of the world she had been raised in.

Wang Jian listened to her impassioned plea in silence. He watched the tears well in her eyes, watched her body tremble with the weight of her conviction. The affectionate lover who had so gently brewed her tea just hours before vanished in an instant.

His expression turned to ice.

He moved, not with the languid grace of a lover, but with the shocking speed of a predator. He sat up, his hand lashing out.

SMACK!

The sound was sharp, explosive in the quiet cave. It was not a playful tap, but a hard, stinging slap that landed squarely on the magnificent, rounded curve of her buttock, which was barely concealed by the fur pelt.

Liu Ruyan cried out, a sharp, shocked yelp of pain and disbelief, her entire body jolting from the impact. She stared at him, her eyes wide with shock and a dawning fear. The warmth in his gaze was gone, replaced by a cold, possessive fire.

"Your sect?" he repeated, his voice no longer a warm murmur, but a low, dangerous growl that vibrated with barely contained power. "Your Master?"

He leaned over her, his presence overwhelming, his Foundation Establishment aura washing over her like a physical force, pressing her down. He grabbed her chin, his grip firm, forcing her to meet his cold, hard gaze.

"Ruyan, look at me."

She trembled, unable to tear her eyes away.

"Who was with you last night?" he demanded, his voice a relentless hammer against her crumbling defenses. "Who made your body sing in ways you never thought possible? Who tasted your sweetness, who filled you, who made you scream his name in the darkness?"

She whimpered, a tear tracing a path down her pale cheek.

"Who do you belong to now?" he pressed, his voice dropping to a possessive whisper that was more terrifying than any shout.

"You are my woman now, are you not?" he continued, his tone a razor’s edge of command. "Your body, your pleasure, your loyalty... they are all mine. Are you going to disobey the first true order your Lord Husband has given you?"

The words, the title he so casually claimed, the absolute ownership in his voice, shattered her. The last vestiges of her resistance, her carefully constructed world of loyalty and duty, crumbled into dust. This man... he was not a partner. He was a master. And she... she was his.

A broken sob escaped her lips. The fight was gone, replaced by a wave of overwhelming, terrifying submission.

"No..." she whispered, the word a surrender. "No, my Lord Husband... I won’t disobey..."

She launched herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck, burying her face in his chest, her body shaking with convulsive sobs. "I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please, don’t be angry with me! I’ll do it! I’ll do whatever you ask! I’ll get you the recipes! I’ll do anything! Please..."

Wang Jian held her, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, the coldness in his eyes softened, replaced by a flicker of dark satisfaction. He began to stroke her hair, his touch now gentle, soothing.

"Shh, it’s alright," he murmured, his voice returning to its warm, comforting tone. "I know it’s a difficult choice, Ruyan. I know you are afraid."

She looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed, her face a mess of tears and confusion.

"But you have nothing to fear," he continued, his voice a powerful, possessive promise. "I will protect you. If your sect ever discovers what you have done, if they dare to lay a hand on you, I will stand between you and them. I will burn the entire Crimson Pill Sect to the ground before I let anyone harm a single hair on your head. You are mine to protect, Ruyan. Mine."

His words were a terrifying, absolute vow, and yet, in her current state, they were the most reassuring thing she had ever heard. The fear of her sect was eclipsed by the terrifying security of his ownership.

"You... you would do that? For me?" she whispered, her voice filled with awe.

"For you," he confirmed, "I would tear this world apart."

He sealed his promise with a kiss, a deep, soul-searing kiss that was not a seduction, but a branding. She melted into it, her last doubts washed away by the sheer force of his will.

When he finally pulled back, his mood had softened completely. He looked down at her with a warm, indulgent smile.

"You have been a very good girl, Ruyan," he praised, his voice a low purr. "And good girls... deserve a proper reward."

He gently pushed her back onto the furs, his eyes gleaming with a renewed, possessive hunger. He began to make love to her again, but this time it was different. It was a slow, languid, romantic dance of passion, a reward for her submission. He worshiped her body, his hands and lips tracing every curve, his whispers filled with praise for her beauty, her sensitivity, her devotion.

He made her feel cherished in her betrayal, adored in her submission. It was the final, masterful stroke of his psychological conquest. He was not just her master; he was now her savior, her protector, the only one who truly understood her.

Hours later, as they lay tangled together, their bodies sated, a comfortable, intimate silence settled between them. Liu Ruyan, now completely his, snuggled against him, her mind at peace for the first time in her life. She had a new master, a new purpose.

Wang Jian, his own desires satisfied, began to outline the future. His voice was calm, casual, as if discussing the most mundane of matters.

"I will be establishing a new, permanent base of operations soon," he began, his fingers idly playing with a strand of her dark hair. "A private cave dwelling, outside the sect’s official territory. I have found a place with a powerful Spiritual Eye, a natural convergence of spiritual energy. The cultivation environment there will be... exceptional."

Liu Ruyan listened, her heart hanging on his every word.

"Lingshan and I will be living there primarily," he continued, deliberately dropping Yue Lingshan’s name. He felt Liu Ruyan’s body tense for a fraction of a second, a flicker of jealousy he had been expecting.

He tightened his arm around her. "But," he added, his voice dropping to an intimate whisper meant only for her ears, "that does not mean our time together is over, Ruyan. Far from it."

He turned to look at her, his eyes serious. "I want you to visit me there. Often. You will bring me the sect’s secrets, and I will reward you... appropriately."

He saw the conflict in her eyes – the desire to be with him, warring with the fear of being discovered by Yue Lingshan. He moved to cut off her protest before it could even form.

"Lingshan... she has a rather... possessive streak," he said with a sigh of feigned regret. "Her jealousy would only cause unnecessary complications for our... scholarly pursuits. She would not understand the profound alchemical resonance we share."

He framed their affair as something special, something unique that Yue Lingshan couldn’t comprehend, making Liu Ruyan feel chosen, elevated.

"Our time together, Ruyan, must be our own special secret," he whispered, sealing his words with a soft kiss. "A bond that is ours, and ours alone."

The last of her reservations vanished. To be his secret, his special confidante in the art she held so dear... it was a temptation she couldn’t, and no longer wanted to, resist.

"I understand, my Lord Husband," she whispered back, a thrill of forbidden excitement coursing through her. "It will be our secret."

She had accepted her new role completely. She was no longer just Liu Ruyan, the ethereal fairy of the Crimson Pill Sect. She was now Wang Jian’s secret mistress, his alchemical partner, his loyal, devoted woman.

And as Wang Jian held her close, his mind was already leagues away, contemplating the next phase of his grand design, the intricate web of power, lust, and conquest he was weaving across this new world.