Chapter 24: The Clear Starry River
Back in their room, Chen Yin asked Xiang’er if she wanted to return to Mount Yu since her match was over. However, Xiang’er insisted on staying until the end, saying that since they were already there, they might as well see it through.
Chen Yin didn’t press the issue. He knew what she was up to.
That night, Chen Yin sat in his room, reading an ancient book by candlelight.
After a while, the window seemed to creak open as if blown by the wind, and a fluffy fox tail flashed past.
“You’re back?” Chen Yin asked without looking up. “How did it go?”
“Young Master, that guy was telling the truth.”
Luo Luo landed gracefully in the room and plopped onto Chen Yin’s bed, crossing her legs. “There really is a demonic branch altar in Fragrance City.”
“But it seems even more hidden than the one in Flowing Cloud City. I didn’t see anyone there, but there were a lot of message jades.”
…Just as that demonic underling, Wang Wei, had said.
Since Fragrance City was located at the foot of the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion’s main branch, it would be too risky to be conspicuous.
Therefore, most of the demonic cultivators in Fragrance City avoided meeting in person and relied mainly on message jades and transmission stones for communication.
“This makes things easier for me.” Chen Yin muttered to himself.
However, he would have to wait until the Fairy Conference was over before taking action.
“Good work.”
Chen Yin continued reading without looking up. “There are pastries on the table I bought specifically for you. They’re from the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion, a special treat.”
Luo Luo immediately pounced on the pastries with a cheer, stuffing her cheeks.
Chen Yin continued reading.
Outside the window, the starry river was clear and bright, and a cool breeze blew past the candle, making the flame flicker.
With her cheeks bulging from the pastries, Luo Luo walked over to Chen Yin, wagging her tail, and asked:
“Young Master, what are you reading?”
“Records of the “Cultivation World” I bought from the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion.”
Chen Yin said softly, “It contains some strange and interesting stories from the history of the cultivation world. It’s quite fascinating.”
Of course, that wasn’t the main reason.
The main reason was to see if he could find anything related to “Changli Palace.”
Luo Luo let out a soft “oh” and sat down obediently, no longer disturbing him.
The room fell silent, only the soft sound of the wind and the rustling of pages could be heard.
Luo Luo couldn’t help but steal glances at Chen Yin’s face.
Under the candlelight, Chen Yin’s profile as he read was serious and focused. His long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his brow was furrowed in thought.
Luo Luo tilted her head and stared at his face.
It was as if she had only just realized how handsome Young Master’s profile was.
Noticing Luo Luo’s gaze, Chen Yin turned to her curiously and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Is there something on my face?”
“Nothing, hehe.”
Luo Luo grinned cheerfully.
Chen Yin was even more puzzled. He looked at the table. “Are you still hungry? I can buy you some more snacks.”
“No, the pastries Young Master bought are delicious! I’m full.”
“Then…” Chen Yin lowered his head. “Do you want to read too?”
Luo Luo froze, about to say no, when Chen Yin suddenly stood up. “Why didn’t you say so?”
The next moment, he scooped Luo Luo up by her arms and settled her onto his lap.
Luo Luo’s youthful face instantly flushed crimson in the candlelight.
“If you want to read, let’s read together. This book is quite interesting,” Chen Yin said matter-of-factly.
Luo Luo was truly petite. Even compared to a normal girl of fourteen or fifteen, she was even smaller, making her feel like a large, cuddly cushion in Chen Yin’s arms. Her fluffy fox tail, especially, curled up behind her and pressed against his chest, radiating warmth and softness.
Holding Luo Luo like this, Chen Yin found it rather comfortable. He couldn’t resist gently stroking her head before returning his attention to the book. Luo Luo, on the other hand, lowered her head slightly, her hands awkwardly straightening her posture as her breathing became a little erratic.
Time, already flowing slowly, seemed to slow down even further.
The book recounted many significant events in the cultivation world: the rise and fall of prominent sects, the legendary tales of powerful cultivators, and the stories of their decline and even destruction. It was all incredibly captivating.
However, Luo Luo couldn’t bring herself to focus on the stories within the book.
She was acutely aware of the broad and sturdy chest behind her, radiating a sense of inexplicable comfort and security.
And the gentle hand stroking her hair.
Luo Luo closed her eyes in contentment, savoring the feeling.
She had instantly fallen in love with this sensation.
It was like lying on a soft, sun-drenched lawn on a summer afternoon.
Chen Yin seemed to notice her expression and whispered in her ear, “What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable sitting like this?”
“N-no,” Luo Luo replied, her ears drooping slightly as she averted her gaze. “It’s just that sitting in Young Master’s lap while reading is so comfortable, I almost fell asleep…”
Chen Yin chuckled. “If you’re sleepy, go to sleep.”
“I’m planning to stay up all night reading, so you can sleep in my bed.”
Luo Luo nodded obediently, took off her shoes, and climbed onto the bed, her bare feet padding softly on the sheets.
The bed carried a comforting scent. Luo Luo snuggled into the pillow, then peeked out from under the covers, her eyes fixed on Chen Yin.
Chen Yin’s focused profile as he read seemed to have a strange allure, drawing Luo Luo’s gaze again and again.
After watching him for a while, sleepiness finally overcame her, and she drifted off to sleep.
Chen Yin continued reading. At some point, soft breathing sounds reached his ears from behind. He turned and saw that the little fox was sleeping restlessly, her blanket kicked aside.
Sighing softly, he walked over and tucked her back in, gently stroking her pretty, youthful face.
“You’ve worked hard these past few days,” he said in a gentle voice.
Finding suspicious individuals among the large crowd attending the Fairy Conference was a difficult task for Chen Yin alone. For the past two days, Luo Luo had been diligently positioning herself in advance, concealing herself in the void to observe everyone, and reporting any suspicious activity to Chen Yin. This was how he was able to catch that demonic underling.
Having her scout for him and search for the demonic branch altar down in the city, Chen Yin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.
In his previous life, this would be considered child labor, punishable by law.
To compensate, Chen Yin spent a considerable amount of spirit stones, buying Luo Luo a variety of delicious pastries and snacks from the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion.
…After spending this time together, Chen Yin’s fondness for the little fox had grown.
Initially, he was worried that the silly and naive little fox would cause trouble. But along the way, she had proven to be surprisingly reliable, diligently carrying out his instructions and completing every task flawlessly.
He wondered if it was because of the master-servant contract.
But the contract wasn’t permanent. Chen Yin had initially planned to release Luo Luo from the contract and grant her freedom once Xiang’er’s affairs were settled.
Now, however, he felt a twinge of reluctance.
“Such a cute and useful little fox… maybe I should keep her by my side?”
But then he shook his head self-deprecatingly. “Why think so far ahead? Xiang’er’s situation is far from resolved.”
It’s tough, but I’ll have to ask you to bear with me for a while longer.
In her sleep, Luo Luo’s little nose twitched slightly, and she mumbled something adorable in her sleep.
Chen Yin chuckled softly and returned to his desk, resuming his reading.
After flipping through a few pages, he suddenly let out a surprised sound.
“Changli Palace… it actually exists.”
Chen Yin read carefully: “Changli Palace, a sect of the Dao Origin lineage, was destroyed when its sect master went mad during cultivation.”
“…That’s it?”
That was all there was, just a single sentence briefly mentioning the destruction of an entire sect.
Chen Yin fell into deep thought.
The fall of Changli Palace was a major incident. It shouldn’t have been brushed aside so casually.
However, this book, which recorded strange and interesting events in the cultivation world, didn’t mention any details, which gave Chen Yin a sudden realization.
“It seems… there’s more to Changli Palace than meets the eye.”
“I need to find a way to gather more information… I’ll probably have to wait until the Fairy Conference is over.”
He flipped through the book a few more times but couldn’t find any other information about Changli Palace. He closed the book and blew out the candle.
Before dawn broke, Chen Yin left the room, taking advantage of the last traces of darkness.
***
Luo Luo woke up to the sun already high in the sky.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and climbed out of bed.
On the table, she found a basket of steamed buns, some pastries, a few spirit stones, and some silver. Beside them was a note:
“Taking a day off for you today. Buy whatever you want, eat whatever you like.”
“But be careful, don’t get tricked again.”
Luo Luo read the note over and over, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
“Silly Young Master,” she murmured.
“Luo Luo isn’t just a gluttonous fox.”
Putting the note away, she sat at the table, picked up a warm steamed bun, and began to eat contentedly.
***
After buying breakfast for Luo Luo, Chen Yin went to Xiang’er’s room.
He knocked several times but received no answer. Entering the room, he found a note that read: “Silly Senior Brother, you woke up too late. I went to watch the matches first.”
…This girl, she couldn’t even come up with a better excuse to avoid me. What’s with this constant implication that I can’t get out of bed? Chen Yin sighed lightly.
He returned to the arena of the Fairy Conference. After a day of eliminations, the number of participants had been significantly reduced. On the other hand, the betting booth where he had placed his wager was drawing in a larger crowd than before.
“Hey! Come one, come all, place your bets! A fresh dark horse has emerged!”
As Chen Yin approached, the young man recognized him and greeted him enthusiastically. “Oh, it’s you again, young man!”
“You have a great eye! That female cultivator named Yin Mengwan is a hidden master!”
“Based on our estimations, she might be close to the Boundless Realm! This could add some suspense to the Fairy Conference championship!”
Chen Yin ignored him and glanced at the match results board.
Yin Mengwan’s column was filled with checkmarks.
Undefeated.
Leave a Reply