Chapter 25: This Third Princess Was Truly Impatient p1
Li Yu’s mind was a blank; she had no idea what was happening.
Just a moment ago, her little disciple had sweetly called her name and placed the retrieved pearl ornament in her hair, her touch gentle, as if afraid to hurt her.
But before Li Yu could bask in the heartwarming moment, the system made a puzzling sound.
【Protagonist Blackening Value +5%!】
【Current Protagonist Blackening Value: 16%!】
For a moment, Li Yu thought she had lost her ability to understand language.
She double-checked; Mu Tao’s blackening value had indeed suddenly increased by five points.
Li Yu looked at Mu Tao, who had just placed the ornament in her hair.
Their eyes met.
She searched for any sign of the sudden blackening but only saw a bright, crescent moon smile.
There wasn’t a hint of displeasure in those eyes.
How did her blackening value increase?
She couldn’t understand it, but it was shocking.
—Even more baffling than the fluctuating compatibility.
After a brief moment of eye contact, Mu Tao looked towards the dressing table, quickly walked over, and brought the bronze mirror back to Li Yu.
She carefully adjusted the angle so Li Yu could see the pearl ornament.
Mu Tao: “Look, Master~”
Li Yu: “…”
Why did she look so surprised in the mirror?
This was very out of character!
It was just a small increase in blackening value.
It had been at 30% before; what was there to panic about with a mere 16%?
Maybe it was a system glitch; it would probably return to normal in a few days.
Li Yu composed herself and forced a smile at her reflection.
Mu Tao suddenly placed her hands on Li Yu’s shoulders, leaned closer, and smiled.
The tarnished bronze mirror reflected both their faces.
They usually addressed each other as master and disciple, but their age difference wasn’t that apparent.
Li Yu had always seen Mu Tao as a child.
But in reality, this seemingly naive girl was far, far older than her.
“Master, you’re so beautiful!”
Mu Tao’s sweet voice brought Li Yu back to reality.
She couldn’t believe that the protagonist, whose blackening value had just increased, could still speak so sweetly.
Although still confused, being complimented like this made her feel slightly embarrassed…
No, no, that wasn’t important!
Even a small 5% increase shouldn’t happen without reason!
It was hard to convince herself otherwise; she really did mind!
Li Yu took a deep breath and pulled Mu Tao down to sit beside her. She wanted to ask something but didn’t know how to phrase it.
She held Mu Tao’s hands for a moment, then finally asked, “Are you in a bad mood today?”
“No!” Mu Tao shook her head, smiling.
“How about recently?” Li Yu asked again.
“No!” Mu Tao shook her head again, her smile unwavering.
The smile didn’t seem fake.
What was going on with that sudden increase in blackening value?
It was truly puzzling…
Mu Tao tilted her head, confused. “Why is Master suddenly asking this?”
“Nothing,” Li Yu replied with a smile, “I’m just worried you might be unhappy.”
“How could this disciple be unhappy? As long as I’m with Master every day, I’ll always be happy!”
Li Yu nodded; she could see that Mu Tao was genuinely happy.
She decided to put the mysterious blackening value aside for now.
Often, things that couldn’t be understood would either become clear later or simply cease to matter.
Mu Tao was in such a good mood; there was no need to spoil it.
Li Yu patted Mu Tao’s hand gently. “Lan City is a lively place. Would you like to go out and explore with me?”
This invitation surprised Mu Tao.
Her master always preferred quiet and avoided crowded places.
Not only did she avoid crowds, but Chaoxi Pond was the most secluded place on Mount Chao Yao. Without her master’s permission, no spirit could enter or leave.
And now, her master wanted to stroll around the bustling human city?
And with her…
“Why aren’t you answering?” Li Yu asked softly. “Are you tired from walking these past few days and need to rest?”
Mu Tao: “Huh?”
Li Yu: “If you’re tired, just go back and rest. I’m just bored; I’m not that interested anyway.”
Mu Tao quickly shook her head. “No, Master, this disciple isn’t tired!”
“Then…”
“This disciple is just…a bit surprised. Master usually prefers quiet, and now you want to go out with this disciple…” Mu Tao looked at Li Yu, her eyes shining with joy, and quickly linked arms with her, leaning against her cool body. “Does Master want to go now? The weather is nice today, not as hot and stuffy as the past few days!”
“I’m not afraid of the heat,” Li Yu chuckled.
Mu Tao smiled. “Master is so powerful, impervious to heat and cold. This disciple is foolish, always forgetting this.”
“My disciple is not foolish at all.” Li Yu stood up.
Mu Tao quickly put the mirror back in its place, ran to the door, and opened it for Li Yu.
Li Yu smiled wryly. “How many times have I told you to be more casual?”
“Oh!” Mu Tao put her hands behind her back and skipped to Li Yu’s side.
She tilted her head, a smile on her face, and winked at Li Yu.
Li Yu suddenly felt completely helpless against this girl.
Whether crying or smiling, Mu Tao always managed to soften her heart instantly.
Mu Tao: “Is there anywhere specific Master wants to go?”
Li Yu: “I’m not familiar with this place.”
Mu Tao: “Then I’ll take Master wherever!”
Li Yu: “Mm.”
That day, Li Yu followed Mu Tao around the market.
From morning till evening, they strolled, rested, ate, and strolled some more.
Mu Tao, having spent days searching for the vendor, knew Lan City well and expertly navigated the streets.
Like a little rabbit, she hopped and skipped, seemingly brimming with endless energy.
Li Yu was different.
Even in a different world, she still didn’t enjoy shopping.
This body didn’t get tired as easily as her previous one, but physical endurance didn’t change the fact that she preferred sitting down after walking for too long.
Several times, she wanted to return to the inn, but seeing Mu Tao’s enthusiasm, she swallowed her words.
The little protagonist was rarely this happy; she should indulge her. Perhaps her blackening value would decrease.
Li Yu’s thoughts were pleasant, but reality was different.
By the time they returned to the inn, it was almost dark.
Li Yu locked the door, sat down, drank some tea, and checked her system stats.
Great, completely unchanged.
That night, Li Yu tossed and turned in bed, unable to understand—why had the blackening value increased?
As one thinks during the day, so one dreams at night.
She fell asleep with this question on her mind and, naturally, spent the entire night battling the fluctuating blackening value progress bar in her dreams.
In her dream, her sweet little disciple would suddenly gain a large chunk of blackening value while smiling.
As the value increased, the sweet smile gradually became creepy.
In the end, she saw that familiar broken sword in her disciple’s hand.
For a moment, she felt like she couldn’t live like this anymore.
How could her little disciple be so cruel? Stabbing her whether she was kind or not!
As the sword pierced her heart, Li Yu’s eyes snapped open.
She let out a long breath, her eyelashes fluttering, and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
It was just that inexplicable increase in blackening value that scared her.
It was only five points; Mu Tao seemed perfectly normal. There was no need to be so nervous!
Li Yu rubbed her temples, pushing the matter aside.
She couldn’t think about it anymore. If she did, she would go out and run ten laps!
To avoid running, she forced herself to calm down.
While she was calming down, Zhao Xianchen, staying in the same inn, was becoming increasingly restless.
He usually didn’t dare disturb Li Yu, but today, he couldn’t hold back any longer and anxiously knocked on her door.
“There’s been no news from Immortal Mo for six days. Aren’t you worried, Immortal?”
“Why should I be worried?”
“Immortal, I’m not, I don’t doubt your abilities, but this vast ocean is unpredictable. Immortal Mo is alone on a small boat. What if something happened…” Zhao Xianchen emphasized, “It has been six days, with no news at all!”
“…”
Right, it had been six days without any news.
The place where they encountered the Luoyu was only about two days away from Lan City.
Logically, traveling on a small boat propelled by spells should be even faster than a large ship.
Surely the male protagonist hadn’t died already?
She still had a massive skill tree to unlock and currently lacked the ability to navigate the rest of the main storyline with the female protagonist.
Perhaps she should express some concern…
Li Yu pursed her lips and nodded seriously.
She raised her hand and conjured a spiritual butterfly, carrying a simple message, and sent it flying into the distance.
Li Yu: “Don’t worry, Lord Zhao, I’ve sent a message to my nephew.”
Zhao Xianchen: “Uh, a message…is enough?”
Li Yu: “What else can I do?”
She couldn’t exactly go out to sea and rescue him, could she?
Zhao Xianchen: “…”
Li Yu: “A message can reach him, a person might not.”
Zhao Xianchen felt slightly relieved. “Then, then I won’t disturb you any longer, Immortal. If you receive a reply, it would be great if you could let me know…”
Li Yu nodded absentmindedly and watched Zhao Xianchen leave.
If she remembered correctly, Mo Yichu hadn’t learned the spiritual butterfly message spell.
A reply was unlikely, but hopefully, seeing the message would encourage him to hurry.
Although there was no reply, two days later, Mo Yichu returned.
He had killed the Luoyu.
The Luoyu’s body was too large to bring back, so to prove his success, he brought its demon core.
The demon core, larger than a fist, was a dark red, clearly tainted by resentment, evidence of the countless lives it had taken.
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