Chapter 24: The Clear Starry River
After returning to their room, Chen Yin asked Xiang'er if she wanted to go back to Yushan Mountain now that the competition was over. Xiang'er, however, said that since they were already here, they might as well stay until the end.
Chen Yin, of course, didn't point out her reluctance.
That evening, Chen Yin sat in the room, reading an ancient book by candlelight.
Before long, the window seemed to blow open as if by the wind, and a furry tail flashed by.
"You're back?" Chen Yin asked without looking up. "How did it go?"
"Young master, that guy was telling the truth."
Luo Luo landed lightly in the room, plopping herself onto Chen Yin's bed and sitting cross-legged. "There is indeed a demonic faction branch in Xiang City."
"It's just that its concealment surpasses even the one in Liuyun City. There wasn't anyone inside, but there were plenty of communication jades."
—Just like that little demonic lackey Wang Wei had said.
Because Xiang City was close to the main hall of Wanxiang Pavilion, being too conspicuous would easily draw attention.
Thus, most of the demonic faction members in Xiang City rarely met in person and instead used messaging and communication jades.
"In that case, it makes my task easier," Chen Yin muttered to himself.
Still, he needed to wait until the Heavenly Beauty Summit concluded before taking action.
"Good work."
Without looking up, Chen Yin continued reading. "There are special pastries from Wanxiang Pavilion on the table. I bought them just for you."
Luo Luo cheered and rushed over, taking big bites.
Chen Yin returned to his book.
Outside, the stars sparkled in a clear night sky, and a gentle breeze swayed the candle flame, causing the light to flicker.
With her cheeks puffed from eating, Luo Luo munched as she walked over to Chen Yin, her tail swishing.
"Young master, what are you reading?"
"A record of the cultivation world that I bought from Wanxiang Pavilion," Chen Yin replied softly. "It documents some strange and intriguing events from history. It's quite interesting."
Of course, that wasn't his main reason.
His main goal was to find anything related to the "Changli Palace."
Luo Luo let out a small "oh" and obediently sat by his side, not interrupting further.
For a moment, the room fell into a serene quiet, filled only with the soft rustle of pages and the gentle sound of the wind.
Luo Luo couldn't help but steal glances at Chen Yin's face.
In the candlelight, his side profile was focused and attentive, his long eyelashes fluttering lightly, with a faint trace of thought in his expression.
Tilting her head, Luo Luo found herself staring at him.
It might have been the first time she realized just how captivating his side profile was.
Sensing her gaze, Chen Yin turned and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"Is there something on my face?"
"No, nothing." Luo Luo grinned carelessly.
Chen Yin grew even more puzzled, glancing at the table. "Still hungry? Should I get you more snacks?"
"No, the pastries you got were delicious! I'm already full," Luo Luo replied.
"Then…" Chen Yin tilted his head. "Do you want to read, too?"
Luo Luo froze for a moment and was about to say no, but Chen Yin abruptly stood up. "You should've said so earlier."
The next instant, he gently lifted her by her arms and placed her in his lap.
Luo Luo's small face flushed under the candlelight.
"If you want to read, let's read together. This book is pretty interesting," Chen Yin said matter-of-factly.
Luo Luo's petite frame was delicate, even smaller than most girls her age. Sitting in Chen Yin's lap, she felt like a plush toy.
Especially with her fluffy, bushy fox tail curled behind her and resting against Chen Yin's chest—it was exceptionally warm and soft.
Holding Luo Luo in his arms, Chen Yin found the sensation surprisingly pleasant. He couldn't help but stroke her head lightly as he resumed reading.
Luo Luo, however, kept her head slightly lowered, her hands fidgeting nervously, her breathing uneven.
Time, which already seemed to flow leisurely, now slowed even further.
The book detailed significant events in the cultivation world: which sects flourished, which produced powerful cultivators, and how they eventually declined or were destroyed. The stories were fascinating.
But Luo Luo couldn't make herself focus on them.
All she could feel was the broad, comforting chest behind her and the hand gently stroking her hair.
Slowly, she found herself relaxing, her eyes narrowing in quiet contentment.
She suddenly liked this feeling.
It was like lying on a sunlit, soft meadow on a summer afternoon.
Chen Yin seemed to notice her expression and leaned down to ask softly, "What's the matter? Is this position uncomfortable?"
"No, not at all," Luo Luo stammered, her fox ears drooping slightly as she avoided his gaze.
"It's just…. sitting in your lap and reading is so comfortable. I almost fell asleep…"
Chen Yin chuckled. "If you're sleepy, go to bed."
"Actually, I'm planning to stay up all night reading. You can sleep in my bed tonight."
Luo Luo obediently nodded, slipped off her shoes, and stepped onto the bed with her bare, smooth little feet.
The bed carried a comforting scent, and as Luo Luo rested her head on the pillow, she peeked her little head out from under the covers, secretly watching Chen Yin.
Chen Yin's serious profile as he read seemed unusually captivating, and Luo Luo couldn't help but steal a few extra glances.
After a while, drowsiness washed over her, and she unknowingly drifted off into a deep sleep.
Chen Yin continued reading, until a soft sound of breathing rose behind him. Turning his head, he saw the little fox sprawled out in a messy sleeping posture, her blanket kicked to the side.
Sighing lightly, he walked over to tuck her back in, then gently patted her youthful, slightly delicate face.
"You've worked hard these past few days," he said softly.
Finding suspicious demonic faction members among the crowd watching the Heavenly Beauty Summit was no easy feat, even for Chen Yin. Luo Luo had been diligently positioning herself ahead of time, hiding in the void to observe everyone and reporting suspicious individuals to him, which had ultimately led to capturing the demonic lackey.
She not only helped identify targets but also scouted out the demonic faction branch for him in the city. Honestly, Chen Yin felt a pang of guilt.
In his previous life, this would have been considered exploiting child labor—a punishable offense.
As a way to make it up to her, he had spent a good amount of spirit stones on special pastries and snacks from Wanxiang Pavilion to reward her.
—Through their time together, Chen Yin had developed a growing fondness for this little fox.
At first, he'd worried that the naive, clumsy little fox might cause trouble. But to his surprise, Luo Luo had taken his instructions seriously, completing every task meticulously. She was unexpectedly reliable.
Perhaps it was due to the master-servant contract.
In truth, the master-servant contract wasn't irreversible. Chen Yin had originally planned to release Luo Luo and restore her freedom after Xiang'er's matters were resolved.
But now, he found himself reluctant.
"Such an adorable and capable little fox… Maybe I should just keep her by my side?"
He shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. "Why think so far ahead? Xiang'er's situation is far from settled."
For now, she'd have to endure just a little longer.
As she slept, Luo Luo's small nose twitched, and she let out a soft, adorable mumble.
Chen Yin chuckled quietly, returned to his desk, and resumed reading.
After flipping a few more pages, his eyes narrowed.
"Changli Palace… it really existed."
He carefully read the passage:
"Changli Palace, a sect of the Dao Source lineage, was destroyed when its sect master succumbed to inner demons during cultivation."
"...That's it?"
It was a single sentence, barely scratching the surface of a sect's annihilation.
Chen Yin fell into deep thought.
The demise of Changli Palace was undoubtedly a significant event, yet the account in this record of cultivation-world lore was cursory at best. Its lack of detail stirred a sense of unease within him.
"It seems… there's definitely something suspicious about Changli Palace."
"I'll need to find a way to gather more information. Maybe after the Heavenly Beauty Summit ends."
He skimmed through the book again but found no further references to Changli Palace. Sighing, he closed the book and extinguished the candle.
Before dawn broke, Chen Yin slipped out of the room under the cover of darkness.
<+>
When Luo Luo woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she climbed out of bed and pulled off the covers.
On the table sat a basket of steaming buns, some pastries, and a small pile of spirit stones and silver coins. Beside them was a note:
"Taking the day off. Eat whatever you like, and buy anything you want."
"But be careful—don't get tricked again."
Luo Luo read the note over and over, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
"Young master, you're so silly."
"Luo Luo isn't just a food-loving, silly fox, you know."
She put the note away, sat at the table, and happily dug into the warm buns.
<+>
After buying Luo Luo her breakfast, Chen Yin went to Xiang'er's room.
He knocked for a long time, but there was no response. When he entered, he found only a note on the table:
"Silly senior brother, you woke up too late! I've already gone to watch the matches."
—This girl couldn't even come up with a decent excuse to avoid him. Did she really have to rub in his supposed laziness? Chen Yin sighed lightly.
Returning to the arena of the Heavenly Beauty Summit, Chen Yin noticed that after the first day of eliminations, the crowd had thinned significantly. However, the betting area—where he'd wagered before—was drawing an increasingly large crowd.
"Step right up, place your bets! The dark horse of the tournament has emerged!"
As Chen Yin approached, the bookmaker recognized him instantly and greeted him enthusiastically.
"Ah, young man, you're back!"
"You've got a sharp eye! That female cultivator, Yin Mengwan, is an absolute hidden master!"
"Based on our analysis, she might even be close to reaching the Unrestricted Realm. If that's the case, the outcome of this tournament just got a lot more interesting!"
Chen Yin ignored his chatter and glanced at the standings.
Yin Mengwan's record was marked with an unbroken row of checkmarks.
Perfect victory.
<+>
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