A Promise

The moment he opened the door, he was met with a young woman dressed in a martial robe similar to his—black, but with blue embroidery instead of red. She had an athletic yet delicate frame, well-proportioned without being overly striking. Her dark hair was neatly tied back, though a few loose strands had slipped free, brushing against her face. Amber eyes gleamed under the morning light.

Around her wrist, a finely crafted blue jade bracelet shimmered, its carvings pulsing faintly with energy.

Jiang's gaze flickered to it, instinctively assessing.

A Mid-Tier spiritual artifact. She must come from a well-off family. But—

His eyes moved back to her hands. Her fingers were clenched tightly into fists, knuckles pale from the pressure. Her posture—rigid, tense, like a rabbit cornered by a predator.

Why does she look so scared?

A strange sense of unease settled over him.

Though his inherited memories were still fragmented, the ones he had seen painted a disturbing picture. He didn't yet understand the full story behind Jiang Shen's past or the people around him, but what he did know was enough.

The old Jiang… he was cruel.

Jiang saw glimpses of himself—no, of the original owner of this body—tormenting people. Mocking servants, sneering at their suffering. Standing among bullies, watching as they stomped on the weak. And then, the worst memory—one that made his skin crawl.

A man, kneeling. His back was torn open by lashes. Blood pooling beneath him.

"Please… Young Master Jiang, one last chance… I won't fail again… Please…"

The voice had been hoarse from screaming.

The old Jiang hadn't even blinked. No anger, no sneering—just indifference. Without a word, he had turned and stepped into an ornate carriage, leaving the man to bleed in the dirt.

Jiang swallowed hard. If that's the kind of person he was, then what the hell did he do to this girl?

"Se—Senior Brother, I did exactly what you told me to do. So you'll keep your promise, right?"

Her voice was small. Hesitant.

Jiang focused on her. She wouldn't meet his eyes, staring at the ground instead. Her shoulders were tense, her hands gripping the fabric of her sleeves tightly.

His pulse quickened. Promise? What promise?

He parted his lips, about to ask—but then—

[Assimilation Rate: 24%]

Pain shot through his skull. Sharp, searing—but not as brutal as before. He staggered slightly, fingers pressing against his forehead, but this time, it was bearable.

[Activating Personality Speech]

The girl flinched. Her breath hitched slightly.

"Senior Brother?"

Jiang exhaled slowly, forcing his body to relax. "Ah, yes. It's nothing. So… what did I tell you to do?"

The words felt off the moment they left his mouth. A wrongness.

His voice was his, yet it wasn't. The same depth, the same cadence—but something was different. Smooth, polite—yet laced with mockery. A subtle sharpness, a condescension that made it sound as if he were speaking to someone beneath him.

Then, he noticed the girl's reaction.

Her shoulders stiffened slightly. Her fingers curled against her sleeves, gripping just tight enough to reflect her unease. She hesitated before answering, voice quieter.

"I—I put the poison in Junior Brother Chen's tea, as you instructed."

Jiang froze.

What? Poison?

His mind raced, but before he could make sense of it, the sound of a door creaking open pulled him back.

Across the hallway, a boy stepped out of a room, rubbing his eyes as if just waking up. He looked at them, confusion flickering across his face. But he didn't ask anything. Instead, his gaze shifted briefly to Jiang, and after a small, polite bow, he turned and went on his way.

Jiang watched him disappear around a corner.

Only then did he take in his surroundings.

They were standing in an open hallway, lined with tall wooden pillars supporting a high ceiling. Sunlight streamed in, casting long shadows across the polished wood. The faint murmur of distant voices drifted from the courtyard—voices he hadn't noticed before.

This place is too open. Too many people passing by. If someone overheard…

His gaze shifted back to the girl. I need to get her inside the room first.

"Junior Sister, why don't you come inside?"

The words left his mouth smoothly, but something about them felt unnatural.

His lips curved into a smile—but it wasn't his. It felt sinister.

The moment he heard himself, he cringed internally. The way he spoke—it sounded like a third-rate villain forcing an innocent girl into a room, like something straight out of an arrogant young master scene in a cliché novel.

He had meant to say let's talk inside, but the words were omitted. That "Personality Speech" skill must be forcing my tone and wording.

Still, as much as he wanted to curl up from secondhand embarrassment, at least no one would suspect anything was off.

The girl hesitated but obeyed, stepping inside with careful movements.

Jiang followed, shutting the door behind him. His eyes scanned the room. No chairs. His gaze landed on the only option—the bed.

With no other choice, he sat down.

The girl remained standing in the middle of the room, uncertain. Jiang watched her for a moment before speaking.

"You can sit." He patted the spot near him on the bed.

She blinked. "Here? Near you, Senior Brother?"

Jiang smiled. "Yes, near me."

Her expression darkened slightly. She hesitated, fingers curling against her sleeves, before finally sitting beside him.

Jiang frowned internally. She's scared of me, but she still came inside without much resistance. That means she doesn't completely hate me. But then—why did she hesitate to sit near me?

Wait.

Then it hit him.

A senior disciple, alone in a room with a nervous girl, inviting her to sit beside him? Dim lighting, awkward tension, a bed as the only seating option—this had every setup of a bad romance drama.

This looked like the start of an R-rated scene.

Jiang tensed. He had played God's Game long enough to know the system allowed these interactions, but they were rare. He had always avoided them.

Yet now, he had just reenacted the start of one.

He turned to check her reaction, expecting discomfort or fear—but instead…

She was breathing fast. Inhaling sharply, exhaling in a way that was almost visible in the cool air.

Her hands, once stiffly gripping her sleeves, had now relaxed slightly, fingers twitching.

Jiang's brows furrowed. Is she… terrified?

He looked closer.

Wait. No.

That wasn't nervousness.

Her face was slightly flushed—not embarrassment, but something deeper, more unnatural. Her lips parted ever so slightly. She pressed her thighs together, shifting her weight as if—

Jiang stiffened.

No. No way.

A terrifying thought crept into his mind.

He had never played any romance routes in God's Game, but he had seen the community posts. The female NPCs were… unusual. Some had bizarre tendencies. Some enjoyed threats. Some even liked forced play.

And now…

This was real life.

Jiang's back went rigid. His instincts screamed at him to step back, but he couldn't move.

The girl lowered her head, fingers fidgeting with her sleeves. A deep red hue crept across her face.

"...A promise is a promise…" she murmured.

Jiang barely heard her.

Her fingers trembled, hesitating for just a moment—before reaching out and pressing lightly against his chest.

Jiang's mind blanked.

What the actual f**k?!