Chapter 67: Have You Ever Hated Me?
A cacophony of snores echoed through the room.
Zhao Han was slumped over the table, dead drunk. Chen Yin glanced at him indifferently, then quietly slipped out of the room.
After navigating through a maze of winding corridors, he arrived at a hidden room and knocked three times. The door slowly creaked open.
“Young Master.”
“How did it go?” Chen Yin entered the room and asked softly, “Did you manage to map out the general layout?”
“Yes.”
Qingying unfurled a scroll. Although crudely drawn, it clearly depicted the layout of the entire main altar.
“This place is truly massive. The tunnels are incredibly complex. It took me a long time to complete this map.”
“And these are the most heavily guarded areas.”
Following Qingying’s finger, Chen Yin mentally noted the locations.
…The Dao Master’s chambers and the main hall of the demonic sect’s main altar.
“Those two places are heavily guarded. We won’t be able to approach them easily.”
She lowered her voice. “There are a few other areas with less security, but we didn’t dare get too close to avoid arousing suspicion. We only observed from a distance.”
Chen Yin nodded as she pointed out several locations, then said casually, “Impressive. As expected of someone from the secret division, you’re quite skilled at this.”
“Am I to understand that as sarcasm?” Qingying asked coldly.
“Consider it a compliment.”
Chen Yin shrugged, committing the map to memory. He turned to Luo Luo and said,
“Good news. Your friends are alive, and they seem to be safe.”
Luo Luo’s eyes widened, her ears and tail perking up.
“Really?” she asked excitedly.
“When have I ever lied to you?” Chen Yin smiled gently.
“Tomorrow, you’ll stay by my side. I’ll find a way to see them and confirm their safety.”
“That’s great! Thank you, Young Master!”
Luo Luo cheered and hugged Chen Yin’s arm, rubbing her cheek against him.
Chen Yin patted her head affectionately.
Qingying stood silently, her arms crossed.
“Alright, let’s get some rest for now.”
Chen Yin said softly, “I’ve heard that the demonic sect’s main altar is also sparsely populated, with most of the rooms unoccupied. We can stay in any empty room we find.”
“Let’s use this empty room for now.”
Luo Luo didn’t object, but Qingying stared at him intently and said, “What about me?”
“If you don’t want to sleep with us, find yourself an empty room.”
Chen Yin said nonchalantly, “There are plenty of them. Just be careful not to be discovered by any passing demonic cultivators.”
“But I doubt you’ll be able to sleep peacefully that way.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Qingying said coldly. “Those of us in this line of work are used to sleeping like this.”
“I’ll be next door if you need anything.”
With that, she turned and left the room without another word.
Chen Yin watched her leave, a scoff escaping his lips.
…What an arrogant woman.
To be honest, if he didn’t want to avoid unnecessary trouble, he would have loved to pin this arrogant and aloof woman down and spank her hard. Her defiant and resentful gaze was incredibly alluring, stirring a primal desire for dominance within him.
But then he realized how twisted that thought was and quickly dismissed it.
After making the bed, Chen Yin lay down and stared at the ceiling.
Luo Luo curled up beside him, her tail swaying gently.
“Luo Luo,” Chen Yin suddenly spoke.
“Have you ever hated me?”
Luo Luo’s ears perked up curiously. “Hate? Why would I hate Young Master?”
“Because, when I think about it, what I did was no different from those demonic cultivators.”
Chen Yin said slowly, “We both forced you into a contract and used you for our own purposes.”
“Don’t you resent me?”
Luo Luo bit her finger, tilted her head thoughtfully, then shook her head.
“No, I don’t hate you. Because Young Master is good to me. You never force me to do anything, and you buy me lots of delicious food.”
Chen Yin couldn’t help but chuckle at her answer.
…This girl, her simple heart could be won over with just a few snacks.
Perhaps this was the embodiment of “Orcs will never be slaves, unless you provide food and shelter.”
Even so, Chen Yin remained silent for a moment, then said:
“Luo Luo, once this is over, we’ll cancel the master-servant contract.”
“I’ll give you back your freedom. You can go wherever you want.”
Luo Luo’s eyes dimmed with disappointment, and her ears drooped sadly.
“Young Master… don’t you want Luo Luo anymore?” she asked timidly.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m just giving you back your freedom.”
He gently stroked Luo Luo’s hair and said softly, “You’ve been away from home for so long. You should go back and see your family. So they won’t worry.”
Luo Luo lowered her head, lost in thought for a while, then mumbled softly:
“Then… Young Master can come with me…”
“What?”
“I-I mean…”
Luo Luo averted her gaze and whispered, “Wouldn’t Young Master want to visit my home?”
“You can consider it a vacation.”
Chen Yin pondered for a moment and nodded slowly. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“After this is over, if I have time and nowhere to go, I can visit you for a few days.”
Luo Luo’s expression brightened. “Then I’ll treat you to the best wine we have at home.”
“And we have so many delicious foods that you can’t find anywhere else. I’ll let you eat your fill!”
“You only think about food.” Chen Yin chuckled silently. “Be careful, one day you might actually eat me out of house and home, and I’ll have to abandon you on the streets.”
“No, you won’t. Young Master is the best to me, you wouldn’t be so heartless.”
Luo Luo grinned, revealing her adorable fangs.
Chen Yin gently stroked her fur, feeling a warmth in his heart.
…Actually, if Luo Luo had shown even a hint of hesitation or resistance, he would have readily released her from the contract and given her back her freedom.
He always felt a twinge of guilt for using such a naive and innocent little fox.
But seeing that Luo Luo seemed to be enjoying herself and didn’t mind the arrangement, he decided to let things be.
He would definitely miss her if he let her go now.
“Young Master, Luo Luo can’t sleep. Can you tell me another story?”
“Another bedtime story?”
Chen Yin cleared his throat and began, “Once upon a time, there was an innkeeper…”
The candlelight flickered and died. Soon, soft and even breathing sounds filled the air, coming from Luo Luo, nestled against Chen Yin’s chest.
***
The next day, as the sun rose high in the sky, Zhao Han finally woke up with a pounding headache.
He rubbed his temples and slowly opened the door. As he stepped out, he was greeted by Chen Yin, holding a tray of tea.
“Yo, you’re awake, Brother Zhao. I just finished making you some hangover tea.”
Zhao Han sat down at the table, his head still fuzzy, and watched as Chen Yin poured him a cup of tea. He said with satisfaction, “Good job, kid. You’re learning fast.”
“Hehe.” Chen Yin smiled sheepishly, then asked tentatively, “About what you promised last night, Brother Zhao…”
“Oh, you mean seeing those little foxes?”
Zhao Han slapped his forehead. “I drank too much and almost forgot.”
“It just so happens that it’s time to feed them. Grab some leftovers from the kitchen and come with me.”
Chen Yin followed him obediently, his smile fading the moment they were out of sight.
There were indeed plenty of leftovers in the kitchen, usually cleared out in the morning.
Under Zhao Han’s instructions, Chen Yin picked a few decent-looking dishes and followed him deeper into the main altar.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, they arrived at a hidden prison cell.
“Here we are.” Zhao Han casually unlocked the cell door. “If you’re interested, you can go down and feed them.”
Chen Yin forced a smile, carrying the tray of food as he slowly descended the long staircase.
The prison was even worse than he had imagined. There was no light, and the air was thick with a suffocating stench of dampness and decay.
Chen Yin reached the bottom of the stairs and finally saw who he was looking for.
Behind a dilapidated door, several emaciated young fox girls huddled in the shadows.
They were dressed in tattered clothes, their bodies skeletal, as if they were nothing but skin and bones. Their fur was dull and dirty, clearly unwashed for a long time.
Their lips were parched, their eyes lifeless, and their wrists and ankles, bound by chains, revealed protruding bones.
Even Chen Yin couldn’t help but gasp at the sight.
“Ya Ya!” A cry of anguish rang out beside him.
Luo Luo, her eyes red-rimmed, rushed towards the fox girls.
“Luo… Luo?”
The fox girls, who had been unresponsive to Chen Yin’s arrival, slowly lifted their heads upon hearing Luo Luo’s voice. A flicker of light returned to their eyes.
“I-is it really you?”
“You… you weren’t captured by them too—”
“No… Wuu, wuu, I’m here to save you…”
Luo Luo held the hand of the weakest-looking fox girl, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
“I didn’t have the courage to save you back then. I could only watch as they took you away…”
Seeing Luo Luo’s heartbroken sobs, the fox girls finally came to their senses. They huddled together, tears of joy and relief streaming down their faces.
“Luo Luo… seeing you again is like a dream…”
“I thought… we would be trapped in this prison forever…”
Chen Yin stood silently, watching their emotional reunion without a word.
After a long while, Luo Luo’s sobs subsided.
She wiped her tears and turned to Chen Yin, her expression serious.
“Young Master.” Her voice was unusually firm.
“I know.” Chen Yin nodded calmly.
“Don’t worry.”
“His life is yours.”
“Do with him as you please.”
Leave a Reply