Chapter 193: Playing With Fire
After the Grand Witch left, Chen Yin turned to Nan Xiaoxiang curiously.
“Why were you talking about me? It sounded rather… interesting.”
“…What did you hear?”
“I heard you two praising my handsomeness, charm, and virility, saying you couldn’t live without me, dreaming of sharing me—”
Chen Yin’s rambling was cut short by Nan Xiaoxiang’s calm gaze.
He chuckled awkwardly.
“…She recognized me.”
Nan Xiaoxiang lowered her head slightly. “I thought she had forgotten about me.”
“Weren’t you planning to see her anyway?” Chen Yin asked, curious.
“But… I’m not ready. I don’t know how to face her.”
Nan Xiaoxiang’s eyes were filled with uncertainty.
“She’s the Grand Witch of the Wu Xuan Cave now, a powerful cultivator. And I’m just a fragile mortal. Do my words… even matter to her?”
Chen Yin looked at her with amusement, then suddenly patted her head.
“What are you doing?” Nan Xiaoxiang blinked at him, surprised.
“Taking you out for a treat.”
He grabbed her hand and led her out of the hut.
Chen Yin’s “treat” was stinky tofu.
Nan Xiaoxiang had no idea how he managed to make it in this remote and resource-scarce village.
She stared at the glistening, fragrant tofu, her expression a mixture of surprise and disgust.
“Let’s eat!”
Chen Yin rubbed his hands together excitedly and dug in.
Seeing her hesitation, he urged her, “Try it. Does it taste like the stinky tofu in Yanxia Province?”
Nan Xiaoxiang hesitantly took a bite.
…It was delicious.
The rich, savory flavor warmed her from the inside out.
After a few bites, she stopped and asked, “Why stinky tofu?”
“When you’re feeling down, food is the best comfort.”
Chen Yin said, his cheeks bulging, “A full stomach makes everything better.”
Nan Xiaoxiang took another bite, then said softly after a moment,
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Chen Yin grinned mischievously. “I slipped an aphrodisiac into the tofu. I’ll have my way with you when you’re asleep tonight.”
Nan Xiaoxiang blushed and glared at him. “Can you be serious for once?”
“You didn’t deny it when the Grand Witch asked if you were my woman.”
“…I just didn’t want to argue with her. Don’t misunderstand.”
“Think about it,” Chen Yin winked at her, “I’m everything you could ever want in a man~”
Nan Xiaoxiang rolled her eyes, then asked after a moment, “Are you going to the secret realm with the Grand Witch in three days?”
Chen Yin nodded.
“Once I get the Phantasmal Harmony Ganoderma, our business here will be concluded. I have more important matters to attend to.”
“Dealing with… Shen Li?”
“Yes.”
Nan Xiaoxiang hesitated for a long time, then said seriously, as if she had made a decision, “I have an idea. You’ve been complaining about how secretive and elusive Shen Li is, right?”
“So?” Chen Yin asked tentatively.
“Seduce the Grand Witch.” Nan Xiaoxiang said, each word deliberate, “And convince her to join Shen Li. She can be your inside woman.”
Chen Yin was silent for a long moment, then finally asked, “By ‘seduce’… do you mean…?”
“Don’t let her arrogant demeanor fool you.”
Nan Xiaoxiang’s voice was calm. “She’s just a naive girl in her early twenties. It shouldn’t be difficult for you to charm her, right?”
So it was literally seduction.
“Hey, don’t put words in my mouth. I’m a gentleman. I don’t play with women’s hearts.”
“You have plenty of women already,” she frowned slightly. “What’s one more?”
Chen Yin stared at her for a long moment. “Are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“Why?”
“I’ve made up my mind.” Nan Xiaoxiang’s eyes were clear and bright. “I’m not going to let her get away with this.”
Chen Yin was dumbfounded.
“I’m not going to let her insult me and get away with it. She used you to provoke me, so use her back. Let her experience the harsh realities of the world. I want to see her play with fire and get burned.”
Nan Xiaoxiang’s tone was serious.
Chen Yin felt a little numb.
How had he become a pawn in their little game?
“Can’t you two just fight it out yourselves and leave me out of it?”
“Wouldn’t you enjoy it?” Nan Xiaoxiang looked at him calmly. “She’s quite beautiful.”
Chen Yin coughed and put on a righteous expression. “I, Chen Yin, am not one to be swayed by beauty.”
“What if I can grant you one wish?”
“Any wish?”
“Anything.” Nan Xiaoxiang blinked.
Chen Yin’s breath hitched.
He could think of a thousand wishes.
“Ahem… this Shen Li organization is pure evil. They must be eliminated.”
“I apologize, Grand Witch, but for the sake of the world, I have to use my… charms.”
He sighed dramatically. “My chastity is a small price to pay for world peace.”
Nan Xiaoxiang smiled. “I like you when you’re being shameless.”
Chen Yin looked at her, then suddenly reached out and pinched her cheek.
Nan Xiaoxiang flinched. “What are you doing?!”
“Collecting some interest.”
Before she could react, he lifted her chin and kissed her.
Nan Xiaoxiang’s mind went blank.
Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, her features delicate and perfectly proportioned, her skin flawless.
And her mortal aura, so different from the ethereal beauty of cultivators, added a unique charm.
He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her close.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, she pulled away, her heart pounding, her face burning with embarrassment.
“What… what are you doing?!”
“I told you,” Chen Yin shrugged,
“I don’t like being used as a tool.”
“You think the Grand Witch will get burned, but what about you?”
Nan Xiaoxiang froze, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
“The rest of the interest… you’ll have to pay later.”
Chen Yin waved his hand dismissively. “When this is all over, I’ll collect my due.”
“I want you to pay it back willingly.”
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