Chapter 105: Petty Women
The journey, filled with sightseeing and leisurely strolls, made the time pass quickly.
They arrived at a lush green valley in the southern part of Hanqing Province.
“We’re here,” Luo Luo announced excitedly. “Young Master, our town is just beyond that barrier.”
…It’s so secluded. Chen Yin looked around.
No wonder it was so difficult to find these hidden demon clans.
Not only were they located in a remote valley, but they were also protected by a powerful-looking barrier.
The barrier wasn’t very noticeable, but if you focused, you could sense a faint yet formidable energy emanating from it. Anyone who tried to force their way through would be obliterated.
“So, how do we get in?”
“Young Master, wait here for a moment.”
Luo Luo said softly, “I’ll go in and inform the guards. They’ll let you in soon.”
With that, she and Ya Ya, along with the other little foxes, vanished into the void before the valley.
Chen Yin waited patiently.
Out of boredom, Qingying’s cold voice suddenly came from behind him:
“Do you think those foxes will let us in so easily?”
“Hmm… I don’t know.”
Chen Yin shrugged. “If they’re not willing, we can just leave. I’ve already brought Luo Luo and Ya Ya back home safely.”
He had fulfilled his promise.
Qingying hesitated for a moment, then said, “After this… will you be taking me to the Azure Cicada Ancient Domain?”
“Unless something unexpected happens, yes.”
“Then I hope they refuse to let you in.”
Chen Yin chuckled wryly. “Don’t be like that. I’m not that repulsive, am I?”
“I just don’t want to waste time.”
Qingying, as always, was cold and aloof. She said those few words, then turned away silently.
Chen Yin was helpless against this icy beauty. But teasing her was still quite entertaining.
“I say, are you truly prepared to face the news of your brother’s death?”
Qingying’s eyes flickered, and she avoided his gaze. She bit her lip and said seriously:
“Even if A’Chen is truly dead, I need to see his remains with my own eyes.”
“To give him a proper burial?”
“If you don’t speak, no one will think you’re mute.”
Chen Yin shrugged.
He was certain that by now, even Qingchen’s remains would be gone.
All that would be left were some bones, his empty clothes, and a voice transmission jade.
Chen Yin didn’t know how Qingying would react to seeing her brother’s tragic end.
But that was her business, her choice.
He would simply respect her decision.
As Qingying had predicted, after Luo Luo and Ya Ya entered the barrier, over an hour passed…
…And there was still no news.
“It seems they’re not very welcoming.”
Qingying said sarcastically, “There’s no need to force ourselves on them. Let’s go.”
Chen Yin also looked at the barrier with a hint of regret.
He had anticipated this outcome.
After all, these demon clans had been in seclusion for so many years. It was natural for them to be wary of outsiders.
Luo Luo and Ya Ya were still young and probably didn’t have much say within their clan. Their elders might even think they had been tricked by some villain.
Chen Yin understood. But he still felt a twinge of disappointment.
From now on, there would be no more fluffy and adorable little fox girl by his side, like a sprite from a fairy tale.
He would no longer be able to pet her soft fur, hold her small and delicate body, and tell her bedtime stories.
He didn’t even have the chance to say a proper goodbye.
“Heh, I didn’t expect to feel a little sad about this parting.”
Chen Yin shook his head self-deprecatingly.
He glanced at the barrier one last time, then tucked his hands into his sleeves and turned to Qingying.
“Let’s go. We should—”
He stopped mid-sentence, his expression suddenly turning calm and indifferent.
Qingying noticed his sudden change and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Chen Yin didn’t answer. His eyes flickered, and after a moment of silence, he spat on the ground.
…It was a mouthful of blood and pus.
Qingying frowned, her voice tense. “Are you injured?”
“It’s nothing.”
The “Forgotten Everlasting Heart Sutra” circulated rapidly within his body, quickly suppressing the injury. Chen Yin looked at the blood on the ground and said coldly:
“Someone used a powerful technique to forcefully sever the master-servant contract between Luo Luo and me.”
…There were other ways to break a master-servant contract besides the master willingly canceling it or dying. It could also be forcefully severed by external forces.
However, this required a tremendous amount of power, something only a highly skilled cultivator could achieve. It also caused significant damage to both the master and the servant.
The master would suffer more severe consequences. In some cases, it could even be life-threatening.
Chen Yin turned his gaze towards the barrier, his eyes cold.
“Not only did you refuse to let me in,”
“You didn’t even bother giving me a proper explanation.”
“You don’t respect me, and you don’t respect Luo Luo.”
“It seems you Azure Foxes have been in seclusion for far too long.” He murmured.
Qingying sighed and instinctively stepped aside.
The next moment, the entire valley was illuminated by a blinding white light.
A deafening roar echoed through the valley.
It was a sound that most of the Azure Foxes had never heard before in their lives.
As if the sky itself was collapsing.
As the Azure Foxes panicked, a man holding a translucent, crystal-clear sword slowly stepped onto the moss-covered stone path.
Chen Yin looked around calmly.
It was a mountain city built halfway up the mountain, shrouded in mist and rain. The air was damp, and the sky seemed perpetually overcast, the stone path beneath his feet covered in moss.
Each step he took felt soft and springy, like walking on a carpet.
“You’re not holding back, are you?” Qingying said sarcastically from behind him.
“Just because I have a good temper doesn’t mean I don’t have a temper.” Chen Yin replied calmly.
Not only had they refused to let him in, but they hadn’t even bothered to inform him or consider Luo Luo’s safety.
And they had forcefully severed the master-servant contract.
This made Chen Yin very unhappy.
“Since Luo Luo calls me ‘Young Master’,”
“Then I have to find the person who broke the contract and demand an explanation.”
Chen Yin took a step forward, and the scenery around him shifted abruptly.
It was as if he had stepped into another dimension.
The damp and refreshing mountain scenery was replaced by an ancient and imposing hall.
Incense smoke filled the air, red silk curtains adorned the walls, and the hall was brightly lit, but its style was completely different from anything he had seen before.
Chen Yin didn’t pay attention to the hall’s decorations. He turned his head and saw Luo Luo standing alone, staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Luo Luo’s eyes were red-rimmed, as if she had been crying. Tear stains lingered on her delicate face. But she seemed to be in good spirits, not injured.
“Y-Young Master…” Luo Luo called out timidly.
“Are you alright?” Chen Yin asked gently. “Are you hurt?”
Luo Luo shook her head, her lips pressed together tightly. Her eyes were glistening with tears, like rain-soaked amber.
At that moment, a strange female voice came from the throne:
“Heh, Young Master?”
The voice was eerie, sending shivers down one’s spine and evoking a strange warmth. It was as if someone was whispering softly in your ear.
Chen Yin turned and couldn’t help but stare.
A woman sat on the throne, her posture seductive and alluring.
…How should he describe her?
Her beauty was beyond words, from her eyes and nose to her collarbone and ample bosom, down to her long, shapely legs. Her entire being exuded an irresistible charm.
Just sitting there, with a faint smile on her lips, she possessed a power that could capture a man’s soul.
Even Chen Yin was momentarily mesmerized by her alluring presence.
“That title, ‘Young Master,’ sounds rather intimate. Let me try it.”
“Young Master~” The woman’s voice was soft and seductive, sending shivers down his spine and making his bones melt.
Chen Yin snapped out of his trance and asked calmly, “Did you break the master-servant contract between Luo Luo and me?”
“Why? Are you unhappy, Young Master?”
The woman giggled. “I’m so sorry. Luo Luo is our precious treasure. If she were to become someone else’s servant…”
“It would break my heart, as her mother.”
“Mother!” Luo Luo cried out anxiously.
Chen Yin stared at the alluring woman on the throne, finally noticing the resemblance between her and Luo Luo.
Was she Luo Luo’s mother?
He coughed lightly and bowed slightly. “Senior Fox Demon, I apologize for the intrusion.”
“The master-servant contract was suddenly severed, and I was worried about Luo Luo’s safety. That’s why I barged in without permission.”
“You flatter me with that title, Young Master. Just call me Qingmei Niang.”
Qingmei Niang said playfully, “That intrusion of yours, Young Master, was quite a grand entrance.”
“You even cleaved through our Azure Fox clan’s protective formation with a single sword strike. How impressive.”
“There’s no need to be so sarcastic, Madam Qingmei.”
Chen Yin’s voice was calm and respectful. “Although I’m not skilled in formations, I can tell that your barrier has a strong self-healing ability. It should recover within half a day.”
“Considering that you forcefully severed the contract, why don’t we just call it even?”
Qingmei Niang’s alluring eyes narrowed as she studied him carefully.
“Your words are reasonable, Young Master… but you seem to have forgotten one thing.”
She suddenly smiled seductively. “Women like me… can be quite petty.”
The next moment, a fragrant breeze swept through the air, and the scenery around him shifted once again.
He found himself in a dimly lit bedroom. A woman, her face flushed, her breath coming in ragged gasps, lay half-dressed on the bed, her posture seductive and alluring.
She looked at him with a mixture of embarrassment and desire.
…It was Qingying.
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