Rachel Luo thought her reaction was perfectly normal—after all, this place was basically a deluxe brothel, and Easton was strutting around like he was about to prove his worth through sheer sex appeal. The guy couldn’t stop twisting his hips and showing off, occasionally tossing in some flirty moves. No matter how you looked at him, he was just plain shameless. Even with that pretty-boy face straight out of a shoujo manga, he couldn’t hide that cheeky vibe. Honestly, it made you want to grab a cleaver and chop him down to size.
"If we're talking about a contest of sexiness, there's nobody in the world I'm scared of!" Easton puffed up his chest, throwing out challenges in every pose imaginable. "One challenger? I'll take them down! Ten challengers? Line 'em up, I'll knock 'em out!"
Did he just say "take them down"? He’s really using that verb now, so you know exactly what he means. The ladies around here didn’t seem to care, but for us respectable girls—especially Fiona Fang—hearing that kind of talk right in front of us made me want to burst into flames! Rachel Luo shot him a cold look: "So, tell me, how exactly do you want to compete? Weren’t you saying you wouldn’t bully anyone? If all your challengers are women, you..."
She was about to ask, if a woman really challenged him, how would they even judge that kind of ability? But suddenly her cheeks went red—because if a woman really did challenge him, wouldn’t it actually be even easier and more, uh, straightforward? As for the specifics... well, you can probably guess what kind of "match" that’d be!
"Women? If a woman wants to go toe-to-toe with me in a sexiness contest, it all depends on whether she can really let loose. But even if she does, she’s still no match for yours truly!" Easton swaggered around, swinging his hips with way too much confidence.
"Sis, what does he mean by ‘let loose’? Like, what’s supposed to open up?" Fiona Fang blinked in total confusion, her innocent eyes searching for answers. Rachel Luo could only blush with embarrassment—seriously, how could anyone be this shameless?
"Alright, alright, let me show you how this contest is gonna work!" Easton waved his hand, and suddenly all the women perked up, eager to see the show. He gestured around the grand hall: "The stage is set—right here!"
"Right here?" Rachel Luo stared in disbelief. "You mean, in front of everyone in the big hall?" The place was about the size of a theater—he seriously wanted to hold a sexiness contest in front of a full house?
Easton threw his arms around two pretty girls and declared, "Everyone here is a contestant!"
"E-everyone?" Rachel Luo stammered. There were who knows how many women here—was he seriously saying everyone had to join in? Even in the martial arts world, nobody could pull off something this outrageous!
"Alright, but you gotta tell me—who do you love more, me or Ying Ying?" she teased, her voice sweet as honey.
"Isn't it obvious? Of course I love you! Ying Ying who? Never heard of her!" Easton shot back, quick and bold.
"You just can't help but blurt out the truth!" Cui Cui wrapped her arms around Easton's neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek.
And just like that, he scored a kiss.
But the show wasn't over yet—Easton turned to the girl on his right, looked deep into her eyes, and asked, "Ying Ying, how about a kiss for your man?"
Turns out she was Ying Ying! Easton was all charm, but Ying Ying just snorted, icy as ever: "Fine, but you gotta yell out that you're a dumb donkey."
"Easy! Listen up—" Easton cleared his throat and belted out, "I'm a dumb donkey!" He even threw in a couple of donkey brays for good measure. Not a shred of dignity left.
"You just love telling the truth." Same words, totally different vibe. Rachel Luo and Fiona Fang were left speechless.
That's right—in a contest like this, everything else is just fluff. The real trick is tossing your dignity out the window! Whoever can ditch their pride fastest and farthest wins. Watching Easton, who clearly had zero shame, Jack Young couldn't help but sigh: I may be a schemer, but I've gotta save a little dignity…
On one side, Easton was busy collecting kisses—his cheeks now stamped with lipstick marks. He puffed up, bragging, "That's how you play! It's about quality, not quantity—whoever gets a kiss from the prettiest girl wins! And for the judge, it's gotta be Madam Dai. Madam Dai, how about a kiss for your favorite guy?"
Madam Dai replied coolly, "Sure, but only if you grab a knife, cut open your belly, pull out your guts, strangle yourself with them, and chop off your own head to bring to me. Then I'll consider it."
Easton burst out laughing, "Hahaha, no way I’m winning that one—Madam Dai’s ice-cold! But that frosty vibe just makes her even more irresistible! Jack Young, wanna try your luck? She’s the judge—win her over and you win it all!"
Everyone turned to stare at Jack Young—even the girls looked like they wanted to see what he'd do. After all, he was pretty popular after the last few contests. Rachel Luo and Fiona Fang gave him worried glances, like kids watching their dad about to cheat. Even Madam Dai was watching, her beautiful eyes full of mystery.
"Uh..." Jack Young hesitated, for once not sure what to do.
"Come on, man! Win this and you sweep all four contests. We'll even give you our secret martial arts tips—help you make a name for yourself! You’re not chicken, are you? Hahaha! A real man can’t skip out on wine, women, money, or pride—if you can’t handle this, you’re letting all men down!" Easton goaded, full of bravado.
Jack Young took a deep breath and finally said, "I'm out for this one."
"Quit?" The crowd was shocked. Even the ladies chimed in, "Jack, if it’s you, we won’t make things hard for you. You’re way cuter than that rascal!"
"Thanks for the love, everyone," Jack Young smiled, "but I’m still sitting this one out."
Jack Young’s eyes grew complicated. He couldn’t remember anything specific, but a deep, strange feeling welled up inside him—a feeling so strong that, even without knowing why, he wanted to save that kiss for someone special.
Who is it? Why do I feel like this?
But he just couldn’t remember—couldn’t figure it out at all.
Suddenly it hit Jack Young: maybe this is the root of my inner demon.
Quietly, another hundred petals unfolded on his crown chakra. With five hundred petals open, his training was halfway done.
"Ah, Jack Young, that's just lame—such a shame! How can you lose or chicken out in a contest like this?" Easton gestured wildly, almost like he needed a hip-hop soundtrack. "You're letting all men down! So, in this final contest of wine, women, money, and pride—you lose..."
"Hold up," someone cut him off—it was Rachel Luo: "I'll take this challenge!"
"You?" Everyone stared at her in shock.
"We're three versus your four. I stepped up for the money contest, so why not now?" Rachel Luo was fearless, suddenly showing a side of herself rarely seen—a bold, take-charge woman, unafraid to face a crowd alone.
"Well, I guess that works..." Easton was thrown off—he’d never had a woman challenge him to a sexiness contest before. "If you're asking for kisses... Madam Dai, can we get a few handsome guys ready?"
"No need!" Rachel Luo waved her hand with the air of a general. "Just pick the prettiest woman in the room and ask for a kiss, right?"
"Right." Easton was a bit stunned by her sudden burst of confidence.
"Alright then." Rachel Luo, full of confidence, turned and said, "Fiona, take off your makeup."
"Huh? Oh." Fiona Fang had been in disguise, but at Rachel Luo’s request, she peeled off a mask, revealing her real face. The whole room gasped, staring in disbelief.
"Fiona, give your big sis a kiss?" Rachel Luo asked, playful and affectionate.
"Sure!" Fiona hugged Rachel Luo and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "Good girl," Rachel Luo said, patting Fiona’s head, then turned with dramatic flair to Easton: "I win. If you can’t even beat me, who’s the real loser here?"
Turns out she was defending her master’s honor. Jack Young’s refusal made her really happy.
Easton's jaw nearly hit the floor. He'd known Fiona Fang was in disguise, and figured she might be pretty—but not this level! She was still a little loli, but... but...!
Thud! Easton suddenly dropped to his knees, banging them on the floor like a drum. His hair was a mess, tears streaming down his face—he looked like he was about to say, "Coach, I want to play basketball." He sobbed, "It’s me, I’m the loser. I bragged about being the king of sex appeal, but didn’t see the goddess right next to me! I—I…"
He suddenly looked at Jack Young with reverent awe: "Master Jack, does your Flower Shifting Palace need a protector? I’ve got a bookish nerd, a little kid, and a big black cow I can offer as gifts…"
"Get lost, you jerk!" "You're a disgrace!" "Give me back my spot as leader! I don’t want to be called South Elder Qi anymore!" The three jokers rushed Easton, pounding him with punches and kicks—every hit landed. Easton shielded his head and rolled around, still shouting, "South Elder Qi, just give up—you’ll always be South Elder Qi! Oh, and Master Jack, I’ll settle for being a doorman—think about it!"
"Enough." This time it was Madam Dai who spoke, standing up slowly. She addressed the four jokers: "You lost all four rounds of wine, women, money, and pride. According to your rules, what happens now?"