POV: Lin Yue
The golden gates of Huaqing Academy rose before her like the mouth of a dragon — elegant, ancient, and demanding submission. But Lin Yue didn't submit. She made the world kneel.
Her footsteps echoed against the white jade steps, each one laced with the authority of a queen reborn. She wore no jewels, no silk embroidery. Only midnight robes wrapped in quiet defiance — a calm before a storm.
Behind her, whispers buzzed like flies.
> "Is that the disgrace from the capital?" "Didn't she seduce the Crown Prince?" "Why is she here?"
Lin Yue let the words roll off her like water on obsidian. Let them choke on their ignorance. Today, the world would witness.
---
POV: Crown Prince (Rui Shen)
Hidden among the academy's highest pavilions, Rui Shen observed through the enchanted mirror that reflected every trial of the day.
His gaze lingered on her — Lin Yue. The woman who once wore shame like chains. Now, she walked like a sword drawn free.
His jaw tensed.
> "She's dangerous," murmured General Wei Han beside him. "She's mine," Rui Shen answered, voice low. "They just don't know it yet."
---
Scene: Examination Grounds
A massive arena — half palace, half battlefield. Dozens of noble children stood in line, most from the great houses: House Li, House Qiu, House Zhao.
And among them, the venomous eyes of Qin Lian (Stepsister) gleamed.
> "Oh? You actually made it here?" Qin Lian's voice was honeyed acid. "Should I have sent you a mirror to fix your face first?" Lin Yue replied, eyes calm.
The crowd sucked in a breath.
> "You'll fail," hissed Madam Qin (Stepmother) from the sidelines. "Your filth has no place here."
Lin Yue didn't look at her. She didn't need to. Her words were sharp enough.
> "Funny. That's what your kind always says—right before I rise."
---
Trial 1: The Pillar of Wisdom
A glowing orb hovered before each candidate. Within it: five illusions. Solve the puzzle, break the illusion, or be disqualified.
Many failed.
Some screamed as the illusion twisted their fears into reality.
Lin Yue stood silent, her fingers flickering through ancient runes. One illusion showed her dying in a back alley. Another, a cold Crown Prince turning away. The third, her father's disapproval.
She smiled.
> "You'll have to do better than that."
She crushed all five illusions in under a minute.
---
Trial 2: Combat
Two-on-one. The proctors smirked as they matched her against Li Jun and Zhao Mei, both sons of influential nobles.
Sabotage. Obvious.
> "Don't go easy on her," someone laughed from the crowd.
They didn't. Swords slashed toward her from both sides.
But Lin Yue was not the same girl they remembered.
She moved like silk across fire. A parry. A pivot. A strike. She disarmed one with a twist of the wrist. The other she brought to his knees — blade pressed gently against his throat.
> "Submit," she said.
He did.
---
POV: The Court Observers
> "Impossible. She's—" "Elegant," someone corrected. "Deadly," whispered another. "Unstoppable," murmured the Emperor.
---
Scene: After the Exam
As the last trial ended, the Grand Chancellor called out names of those who passed.
> "Li Jun. Zhao Mei. Lin Yue…"
Gasps.
> "Top scorer."
Silence.
Then—scattered applause. Shocked. Awed. Terrified.
In the shadows, Madam Qin (Stepmother) paled. Qin Lian (Stepsister) clenched her fists so hard her nails bled.
> "She'll ruin everything," Madam Qin whispered. "She already has," Qin Lian replied.
---
POV: Lin Yue (Final Scene)
She stood before the academy banner, head high, breath steady.
And the Lustbound System stirred.
> [Power Increased: +8% Seduction. +10% Strategy. New Skill Unlocked: Tongue of Thorns]
A soft chime echoed in her mind.
> "You are now eligible for Special Combat Elite Division. Welcome, Enchantress."
She smiled — slow, seductive, knowing.
> "Huaqing Academy," she whispered, "I'm not here to study. I'm here to conquer."
---
End of Chapter 8