Chapter 104: Are You Going Through Puberty?
A carefree youth wanders amidst the clear breeze and singing wind.
Having left Yanxia Province, Chen Yin finally began the last two tasks on his to-do list.
First, take Luo Luo and Ya Ya back home.
Then, take Qingying to the Azure Cicada Ancient Domain to find her brother’s remains.
Luo Luo’s home was in the northern region, near the mountains bordering Hanqing Province. So Chen Yin and his companions left Yanxia Province and headed north.
However, the journey was long, and they couldn’t reach their destination within a day or two.
While resting at an inn, Luo Luo, Ya Ya, and the others were playing and squabbling over the candy and drinks Chen Yin had given them. Meanwhile, Chen Yin sat at a table, engrossed in a thick book.
“What are you reading?” Qingying asked, appearing beside him at some point.
“Postpartum Care for Sows.”
“…Speak human.”
“Demonology.” Chen Yin closed the book and rubbed his temples. “I’m going to be visiting Luo Luo’s home soon. I need to do some research.”
“The problem is, I really don’t know much about the demon race.”
…This wasn’t his fault.
The demon race had been in seclusion for over a thousand years. Especially the more powerful demon clans, who rarely emerged from their hidden realms, avoiding the conflicts of human cultivators.
It was normal to encounter stray demonic beasts in the wilderness. But powerful demon clans, such as the dragon clan, the phoenix clan, and Luo Luo’s Azure Fox clan, rarely showed themselves to the world.
They had difficulty reproducing, their numbers were small, but each member possessed extraordinary talent. Some demons with strong bloodlines could even achieve realms that human cultivators could only dream of, simply by awakening their bloodline, without any cultivation.
So, even if you did see a powerful demon in the cultivation world, it was usually a guardian beast of an established sect, its strength around the Supreme Clarity Realm.
These guardian beasts weren’t necessarily imprisoned by the sects. Their relationships were more like cooperative agreements.
It was incredibly rare for someone like Chen Yin to stumble upon a wild Azure Fox and form a master-servant contract with her.
That was why the demonic cultivators had been so excited when they captured Ya Ya and the others. Even if their bloodlines weren’t that strong, those Azure Foxes were still incredibly valuable in the cultivation world.
Because of this, the younger generation of cultivators knew very little about the demon race.
“Honestly, before reading this book, I never realized how complex the demon race is.”
Chen Yin complained, “So many branches, so many different talents and characteristics, and then there’s the distinction between transformed demons and demonic beasts…”
It felt like he was cramming for an exam.
“It’s not that difficult to understand.”
Luo Luo came over to him, her tail swaying gently. “Transformed demons are like Luo Luo, demons who have taken human form. Demonic beasts are those who retain their original forms.”
“There’s not much difference between the two. You don’t have to memorize it.”
…Thank you, Professor Luo Luo, for summarizing the key points. Chen Yin’s lips twitched.
Qingying couldn’t help but scoff. “My, you’re really putting in the effort, just for a visit to her home.”
“Well, I can’t be rude.”
Chen Yin sighed. “After all, I did kidnap their daughter. This visit is also a way for me to apologize.”
“Hopefully, everything will go smoothly.”
“It will.” Luo Luo smiled. “My mother is very kind.”
“Well, except when she’s scolding me…”
Chen Yin suddenly remembered something and asked, “Speaking of which, I haven’t heard much about your family.”
“Tell me about them, so I have some idea of what to expect.”
Luo Luo exchanged a glance with Ya Ya and the others, a hesitant expression on her face.
“Actually… there’s not much to tell.” She whispered. “My mother is just an ordinary Azure Fox.”
“Our Azure Fox clan is small, and we live a free and easy life. There’s not much hierarchy.”
“As for my father… I don’t know.”
She propped her head up with her hand and mumbled, “I’ve never met him.”
Chen Yin immediately fell silent.
“Anyway,”
Luo Luo’s melancholic expression lasted only a second before she brightened up again. “When we get to our town, I’ll show you around and make sure you have fun!”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Chen Yin gently ruffled her hair. “It’s getting late, get some rest. If we travel quickly, we can reach your home tomorrow.”
Luo Luo nodded obediently, then turned back to play with Ya Ya and the others.
Qingying, her arms crossed, said in a tone that was surprisingly less cold than usual:
“This Azure Fox town… sounds interesting. I imagine there are many unique things we can’t find in the human world.”
“Yes.” Chen Yin’s eyes crinkled with anticipation. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“I wonder what the brothels and taverns in an Azure Fox town are like~ Are the fox girls’ breasts soft~?”
Qingying took a deep breath to calm herself down, then said seriously:
“…You should really reincarnate.”
Night fell. Inside the inn room…
Chen Yin was still reading up on demonology by candlelight when a gentle breeze blew through the window.
Without looking up, Chen Yin asked softly,
“Didn’t I tell you to get some rest?”
“…I couldn’t sleep.”
Luo Luo, dressed in a light blue silk dress, gracefully leaped onto Chen Yin’s lap, her tail swaying gently.
“You’re full of energy. You were so active during the day, Ya Ya and the others are exhausted and fast asleep, but you’re still wide awake.”
“Hehe.” Luo Luo grinned, revealing her small fangs.
“Want to hear a story?”
“Yes.”
“Let me think… how about a story about a divine general reincarnated as a pawn shop assistant?”
Chen Yin’s storytelling was slow and deliberate, but captivating. Luo Luo listened intently, her ears twitching occasionally.
They had both grown accustomed to this nightly ritual. Whenever Luo Luo couldn’t sleep, she would come to Chen Yin, and he would always tell her a story.
As his throat grew dry, Chen Yin was about to take a sip of tea when he noticed a bottle in Luo Luo’s hands.
…It was the cola he had given her and Ya Ya earlier.
“Huh? You’re still holding onto this?”
Luo Luo blinked. “Because it’s really delicious.”
“But Ya Ya and the others said they didn’t like it. They said it tasted like medicine.”
“It’s just a matter of personal preference. It’s okay if they don’t like it.” Chen Yin smiled faintly, then took the bottle and took a sip. “I’m thirsty. Mind if I have some?”
“Ah! Wait—”
Luo Luo suddenly reached out, her face flushed, but Chen Yin had already taken a sip.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“W-well…”
Luo Luo’s hand hovered in the air, then she quickly withdrew it, her head, ears, and tail drooping.
“Nothing…”
Chen Yin looked at the empty bottle in his hand, puzzled, and scratched his head.
Was she upset that he drank her cola?
He had plenty more in the System Shop. He could just get her another one.
He casually took out another bottle from behind him and offered it to her. “Here, have another one.”
But Luo Luo just held the bottle, her tail sweeping across the bedsheet, her head lowered in silence.
It was unclear what she was thinking.
“I’ll continue the story now,” Chen Yin cleared his throat. “So, this pawn shop assistant was noticed by an immortal master and taken to the mountains to learn cultivation techniques…”
Chen Yin didn’t notice the distant look in Luo Luo’s eyes.
She stared at the candle flame, her head resting on Chen Yin’s lap, lost in thought.
…What was I thinking just now?
He just took a sip of my drink.
Didn’t I also steal Young Master’s half-eaten buns before?
Luo Luo didn’t understand. It seemed like such a trivial matter, yet her heart had raced for a moment.
But she had never cared about such things before.
She had happily finished Chen Yin’s half-eaten candied hawthorns. They had even shared a large bowl of sour plum soup.
This time, it was just an ordinary drink.
But when Chen Yin’s lips touched the bottle, a strange feeling had surged through her heart.
…She couldn’t describe it. It was like the sourness of unripe plums melting into rain.
For some reason, her gaze had shifted to his lips.
Then she looked at the empty bottle on the table.
She glanced at Chen Yin, her finger unconsciously touching her own lips.
Ah.
…Mmm. She couldn’t help but pout slightly, her hands nervously fidgeting with her dress, her round face flushed crimson in the candlelight.
Chen Yin noticed her strange expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Your face is so red, are you feeling unwell?”
“N-no!”
Luo Luo shook her head vehemently, stammering, “Luo Luo… is just a little sleepy.”
“Then go to sleep. Isn’t that what you usually do?” Chen Yin looked at her strangely. “The bed is big enough.”
He was curious. Luo Luo was acting strangely today.
Indeed, she usually fell asleep while listening to his stories and would just lie down on his bed without a care, even asking him to tuck her in.
But today, she seemed hesitant and fidgety, her fluffy ears twitching nervously.
“N-never mind.”
Luo Luo whispered, her face flushed. “Luo Luo will go back to Ya Ya and the others.”
“Goodnight, Young Master!”
She quickly disappeared into the void.
Chen Yin scratched his head, puzzled.
“Strange. Is she going through puberty or something?”
He didn’t think too much about it. They were almost home, so perhaps she was just feeling anxious.
She would probably be back to normal after seeing her mother.
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