The next day.
"Senior Brother, Aunt Zhang in Liuyun City has finished my clothes. I'll go pick them up, alright?"
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"No need." Xiang'er smiled. "I'll be back soon."
"Alright, be careful on the way." Chen Yin smiled back.
Only after Xiang'er left did Chen Yin let his smile fade slowly.
—Just as he thought.
Before she left, Xiang'er still found an excuse to visit the demonic faction's branch in Liuyun City.
Fortunately, this time, Chen Yin was ready.
As soon as Xiang'er left, he put on a mask and cloak, taking a different path to rush to Liuyun City.
<+>
Arriving at the demonic faction branch ahead of Xiang'er, Chen Yin found the little fox Luo Luo waiting there.
"Young Master, over here~"
The little fox hid behind a pile of ruins, wagging her tail and waving at him.
"Is she here yet?" Chen Yin asked hurriedly.
"Not yet." Luo Luo looked around, twisting her head this way and that. "It's just you and me here."
"Good. Go keep watch; let me know as soon as someone enters."
The little fox nodded and gracefully vanished into thin air, slipping out of sight in the ruins.
Chen Yin covered himself tightly with his mask and hood.
Before long, Luo Luo's voice sounded in his mind: "Someone's here!"
Chen Yin quickly put away the stone he was holding and hid himself.
<+>
As she stepped slowly into the demonic faction branch, Yu Xiang's gaze sharpened slightly, and her pace quickened.
"This… what's this…?"
Reaching the main hall, she stared at the shattered ruins, deeply frowning.
The system's voice spoke up, equally puzzled: [What happened here?]
"Was the branch discovered?"
At that moment, Yu Xiang's eyes narrowed, and she pointed a dark purple sword toward a spot by the ruins.
A terrifying aura surged from her, her power reaching the level of the Unrestricted Realm, even rivaling the Frost Moon Sword Immortal Shen Shuanglian.
But under the oppressive pressure of her unleashed power, the person opposite her stepped forward with a steady, unhurried gait, coming to face her.
"Heh, no need to be so hot-headed, Your Highness the Saintess."
"Who are you?" Yu Xiang's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the mysterious man cloaked from head to toe before her.
"I'm a messenger from the headquarters, here to deliver a message for Your Highness."
A message? Yu Xiang looked at him suspiciously.
"The Immortal Yu Ling discovered this branch, and Elder Hei Ran fell to her hand."
"This place is no longer safe."
Yu Xiang froze for a moment. "My master…?"
But her face darkened in the next moment. "Hold on, why wouldn't such a critical message be sent through a communication jade?"
Unfazed, the man replied calmly, "Elder Hei Ran's death means many of the sect's secrets are at risk of exposure."
"The previous communication jades have all been rendered obsolete. Until the new ones are ready, all contact between you and the headquarters will go through me."
"It'd be best if Your Highness discarded the old jade as well, to avoid compromising your identity."
Yu Xiang cast him a skeptical glance, but the man's aura remained calm, with no sign of deception.
After a moment, she spoke slowly, "...Why should I trust you?"
"Heh, it makes no difference if Your Highness believes me or not," the man shrugged. "After all, this incident has led the headquarters to doubt your loyalty."
"After all…who's to say who might have revealed the branch's location to your master?"
Yu Xiang's face turned cold. "You think… I betrayed you?"
"I wouldn't dare," the man replied, unaffected. "I'm just a lowly messenger."
"If Your Highness wishes to prove her loyalty and clear her name, it would be best to focus on cultivating to reach mastery in demonic arts soon."
"Hmph." Yu Xiang turned lightly. "Don't trouble yourselves on my account."
"In fact, I'll be leaving for a while."
"I'll get rid of the old jade. If the headquarter needs to contact me, use this instead."
She tossed him a small stone.
The man took it, turning it over in his hand as he pondered.
"If that's all, I'll take my leave—"
"One last question, Your Highness," he said, bowing respectfully.
Yu Xiang turned back, a flicker of impatience in her eyes. "What is it?"
"Our branch in Liuyun City was destroyed after years of careful planning. Is Your Highness…not the least bit distressed?"
Yu Xiang gave him a disdainful look. "Why would I care?"
"We are merely allies," she said icily.
"I cultivate the 'Refinement of Darkness' demonic technique in exchange for resources from you."
"As for your affairs… I couldn't care less."
The man gave Yu Xiang a long look, then bowed slowly.
"Farewell, Your Highness."
She paused, glancing back at him one last time before turning and leaving gracefully.
Back in Liuyun City, Yu Xiang fell into a thoughtful silence.
[Hmm…] The system's voice murmured in her ear.
"What's wrong?"
[Nothing…just something feels off.]
"Why?" Yu Xiang asked. "Did his words differ from the story record?"
[Not exactly. The story record didn't mention this incident…though for minor matters not affecting the main storyline, it's not unusual for them to be omitted.]
The system still sounded uncertain. [But something doesn't feel right.]
"What is it…"
Yu Xiang just thought for a moment and shook her head.
"It doesn't matter. Let the demonic faction worry about its own affairs."
"I only need to train and grow stronger, so I can avenge my family as soon as possible."
"Anything beyond that has nothing to do with me."
"We'd better get back. Otherwise, Senior Brother might get suspicious," she said softly.
The system sighed helplessly and fell silent.
<+>
After Yu Xiang left, Chen Yin slowly removed his mask.
He gazed thoughtfully in the direction she'd gone.
—That conversation had been no less than a tightrope act.
But thankfully, he hadn't given himself away.
Still, for all the risk, he managed to get quite a bit of information out of her.
"The demonic technique 'Refinement of Darkness'..." he murmured to himself.
So that's the connection between Xiang'er and the demonic faction.
With his master's extensive knowledge, maybe she'd have some insight into this technique when he got back. There might even be a way to save Xiang'er.
However, he still couldn't quite understand why she would ever agree to work with the demonic faction in the first place.
"Looks like I'll have to find another opportunity to get her to talk," Chen Yin sighed, shaking his head.
Just then, the little fox Luo Luo's voice chimed in his ear:
"Young Master, is that girl…your sweetheart?"
Chen Yin couldn't help but cough lightly, replying awkwardly, "You're just a kid. Stop letting your imagination run wild."
"I'm not a kid!" Luo Luo puffed up her cheeks in protest.
"Oh, really?" Chen Yin cast her a dubious glance.
Luo Luo looked down at her, uh, rather flat chest, and her little fox ears drooped dejectedly.
"Ugh…"
"Don't worry. You'll grow up," Chen Yin said, patting her on the head to console her. He then looked around.
"Alright. This isn't a place to stay long. Let's get going."
<+>
After returning to his residence in Liuyun City, Chen Yin changed back into his usual clothes, intending to head back to the mountain before Xiang'er returned.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to say:
"By the way, get yourself ready in the next couple of days. We're going on a long journey."
"A long journey?" Luo Luo's ears perked up in confusion.
After some thought, Chen Yin figured that bringing Luo Luo along—especially with her unique ability to conceal herself in the void—would make it much easier to participate in the Heavenly Beauty Summit.
So, he ultimately decided to bring her along.
"When the time comes, hide in the void and stay by my side. Understood?"
"Huh? But, Young Master, concealing in the void is really tiring and drains a lot of spiritual energy—"
"I'll cover all food expenses along the way."
"—Then I, Luo Luo, shall serve you with all my heart and soul!" she chirped, her little tail wagging with sudden delight.
Chen Yin chuckled and ruffled her hair.
—Another benefit of bringing Luo Luo\ along:
With this fluffy, adorable little fox by his side, he could enjoy her company anytime he wanted.
<+>
When Chen Yin finally raced back to the small cabin at the foot of the mountain, he was relieved to find that Xiang'er hadn't yet returned.
As he reached the door, he let out a soft sigh of relief.
But just as he was about to enter his room, he froze.
"Master…?"
Inside the cabin, a little girl with loose, oversized silk robes sat cross-legged on a chair, pouring tea. Her expression was a mix of annoyance and amusement.
When she saw Chen Yin, her lips puckered, and she said with an air of grievance:
"So, you two have decided that making babies is better done at an inn in the city rather than at home, huh?"
Chen Yin: "...Master, how is it that your head is filled with nothing but trash?"
"Honestly, do you know how long I've been waiting?"
His master lifted the teapot high, pouring the tea straight into her little cherry mouth. A trickle ran down from the corner of her lips, tracing a line along her jaw and shoulder.
Chen Yin could only sigh helplessly at his master's oblivious lack of decorum.
"Where's Xiang'er? Why didn't she come back with you?"
She cast him a suspicious look. "Don't tell me you fuck her so hard she is left bedridden in the city?"
"Climb back to whatever demented lair spawned you, you perverted little granny!" Chen Yin exhaled sharply, trying to think up an excuse, when he suddenly heard Xiang'er's voice from the doorway:
"Huh? Senior Brother? Master? Are you two discussing something?"
Chen Yin's heart skipped a beat.
—He couldn't let her know he'd been away from the cabin.
If Xiang'er suspected something, it could ruin everything.
So he frantically made pleading eyes at his master, who just looked at him with a head full of question marks.
But then, his master's expression shifted, her lips curling into a sly smile that said, I get it.
That smile sent a chill down Chen Yin's spine.
<+>
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