System S.E.X. (Seduction, Expansion, eXecution)

Chapter 589: The Binding Oath

Within minutes, the door to the adjoining suite clicked open, and Mary walked back into the room. Her hair was damp and neatly combed, and she was wearing a fresh set of clothes, completely rejuvenated. Her sharp, experienced eyes instantly scanned the layout of the dining table, and a knowing, highly satisfied smirk slowly crept across her lips.

Roy was already happily chewing on a succulent rib, laughing heartily as he chatted with Ethan about the martial techniques they had practiced during the week. But right across from them sat Louisa. The poor girl hadn’t touched a single grain of rice; she was staring fixedly into her empty glass, her entire face, ears, and neck still dyed an incredibly intense, bright shade of red, her chest heaving slightly with every breath.

Mary’s smile widened as she walked over, quietly taking her seat beside her daughter. She reached under the table, giving Louisa’s knee a gentle, encouraging squeeze of pure maternal approval, thoroughly convinced that her daughter’s intense embarrassment was simply the result of a highly successful romantic conquest.

Roy ate like a starving beast, his mouth full of spirit-deer meat as he enthusiastically replayed the details of the afternoon battle, gesturing wildly with his chopsticks. Ethan listened with a calm, patient expression, occasionally offering a few words of concise tactical advice, while Mary kept the cups filled with vintage plum wine, her eyes gleaming with absolute contentment.

Louisa sat in absolute silence, her cheeks still carrying a faint, beautiful flush. She quietly chewed her food, her heart skipping a beat every time Ethan’s broad shoulder shifted next to her, completely bound to her new reality.

As the plates were finally cleared and the heavy atmosphere of the frontier night settled back into the room, Ethan took a slow, deliberate sip from his silver chalice. He set the cup down with a soft, echoing tap against the dark wood, his piercing amethyst eyes turning directly toward Mary.

"Sister Mary," Ethan spoke, his deep voice instantly silencing the room. "Let us speak of the future. I will be completely sincere with you and your family. My sole purpose for traveling to this frontier citadel is to participate in the upcoming admission evaluation for the Heavenly Sword Pavilion. The moment the trials begin, my path will take me inside the inner peaks."

Mary’s hand froze over the wine pitcher, her expression turning serious as she nodded. "We knew a master of your caliber wouldn’t stay in the lower districts for long, Ethan. It is only natural that a dragon seeks the heavens."

"However, there is a condition," Ethan continued smoothly, his voice carrying an unyielding, absolute weight as he glanced briefly at Louisa before looking back at her mother. "I want Louisa to become my woman. From this night onward, she belongs by my side. And according to the ancient decrees of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, any elite disciple who successfully passes the core trials is officially granted the privilege to bring two personal attendants into the inner sectors to manage their estate. I intend to take Louisa and you with me when I ascend."

Mary’s breath caught in her throat, a sudden wave of profound, euphoric joy threatening to overwhelm her. It was everything she had secretly prayed for. But before she could even utter a word of enthusiastic agreement, Ethan’s gaze shifted toward the young swordsman sitting next to him.

"My only concern," Ethan murmured, his tone dropping into a serious, heavy note, "is Roy. If I take the two of you into the inner peaks as my designated attendants, he will be left behind to survive on these brutal streets alone. I do not wish to tear your family apart."

A heavy, suffocating silence gripped the table, but it lasted for only a fraction of a second.

"Master Ethan, you do not need to waste a single ounce of your worry on me!" Roy erupted suddenly, his voice thick with an intense, unadulterated resolve.

The boy slammed his hands onto the table, standing up so fast his wooden chair scraped loudly against the floorboards. His eyes weren’t filled with jealousy or resentment; instead, they burned with a fierce, blinding spark of ambition.

"I am a swordsman of the frontier!" Roy declared, his chest heaving as he stared directly into Ethan’s purple eyes. "I never intended to ride on your coattails into the inner peaks! I am going to register and participate in that exact same admission evaluation myself! If I possess the talent and strength to break through the trials on my own merit, then I will meet you at the summit as a fellow disciple. And if I fail..."

Roy paused, a proud, fearless smile breaking across his youthful face. "Then that is simply my destiny! If my sword isn’t sharp enough to enter the Pavilion, I will pack my bags, turn my back on this city, and roam the vast mortal world to temper my blade against the strongest warriors I can find. I will never allow myself to become a pathetic burden dragging down my mother, my sister, or you!"

Mary’s eyes welled with sudden, emotional tears as she looked at her son, realizing that Ethan’s brutal lessons had truly carved the soul of a real man into the boy’s chest.

Roy reached down, grabbing a full chalice of plum wine. He raised it high toward Ethan, his hand completely steady. "Master Ethan, thank you. Thank you from the absolute bottom of my soul for taking my sister under your protection, and for ensuring my mother will never have to suffer a single day of poverty in the slums again. This is my salute to you!"

Roy threw his head back, draining the entire cup of burning wine in a single, continuous gulp.

Clack!

He slammed the empty chalice onto the table, stepped away from his chair, and immediately dropped down to his knees on the hard floorboards. Without a single shred of hesitation, Roy bent his torso forward, slamming his forehead firmly against the wood in a resounding, absolute kowtow of ultimate devotion and gratitude.

"Please accept my deepest respects, Brother-in-law!" Roy roared toward the floor, his voice echoing through the closed suite, sealing the fate of the family under the permanent shadow of the tyrant.

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From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.

Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.

Body Refinement Realm

Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement

Spiritual Gathering Realm

Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation

Spiritual Core Realm

Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion

Golden Core Realm

Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction

Spiritual Sea Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Dao Manifestation Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Spiritual Transcendence

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??