Chapter 25

Chapter 25: This Subordinate Thought You Had Fallen for Her, Young Master

The night was deep, and all was silent.

Two crows flapped their wings and flew away from a branch.

In a secluded alley, they transformed into human forms and knelt before a young man in black.

“Young Master, here are the pills to suppress your cultivation,” Crow One presented a wooden box with both hands.

“Young Master, here is the lotus leaf chicken,” Crow Two presented an oil paper package with both hands.

Xie Chenzhou took the package and lifted the lid of the wooden box with one hand. Inside lay a brown spirit pill, with a bitter medicinal scent.

He casually picked it up and swallowed it.

The pill entered his stomach, and the spiritual energy in his body rapidly decreased, causing his meridians to slightly sting.

Xie Chenzhou didn’t care, “How long will it last?”

Crow One: “It will recover to the Golden Core stage after three months, and return to the Nascent Soul stage after another three months.”

Xie Chenzhou nodded: “Six months, that’s enough.”

Crow One said: “Now, even if the Sect Master of the Xiaoyao Sect comes, he won’t be able to tell your true cultivation level. He will only think you are an ordinary person, handsome and talented. You will be able to successfully infiltrate the Xiaoyao Sect!”

Crow Two: “But… isn’t our goal the Kunshan Jade shard?”

Crow One reprimanded: “What do you know? The reason why the Young Master followed them all the way to the Xiaoyao Sect is not just for the Kunshan Jade shard on Sang Yunling. He definitely wants to take over the Xiaoyao Sect, catching the righteous sects off guard.”

“Young Master, am I right?”

Xie Chenzhou: “.”

Xie Chenzhou: “Right.”

Crow One said: “The Young Master’s grand vision is beyond our reach!”

Crow Two was puzzled: “On the way, Sang Yunling encountered danger several times. Why did you save her, Young Master? Wouldn’t it be better for us if she died and we got the shard?”

Xie Chenzhou leaned back against the wall, casually glancing at him: “Are you questioning me?”

Crow Two: “This subordinate dares not!”

Xie Chenzhou’s voice was flat:

“If Sang Yunling died, the shard on her would disappear with her. To get the shard, we have to find another way.”

Crow One: “The Young Master endures humiliation and bears heavy burdens, we are far from your level!”

Crow Two suddenly realized, “So that’s how it is. This subordinate thought you had fallen for her, Young Master.”

Xie Chenzhou sneered:

“Heh, I would never fall for such a rude and uncouth woman.”

Crow One: “The Young Master remains true to his heart, we are far from your level!”

Crow Two: “This subordinate will find an opportunity to infiltrate the Xiaoyao Sect and fully cooperate with the Young Master’s grand plan, to take over the Xiaoyao Sect as soon as possible!”

Xie Chenzhou said coldly: “Before taking over the Xiaoyao Sect, there’s something else I need you to do.”

Crow One and Crow Two both looked serious:

“This subordinate is willing to go through fire and water for the Young Master!”

Xie Chenzhou beckoned them with his fingers:

“Come here.”

The two nervously stepped forward.

Xie Chenzhou transmitted his instructions through voice transmission.

Their faces changed, and they looked at each other.

Xie Chenzhou: “Do you understand?”

Crow One and Crow Two nodded: “Understood!”

Xie Chenzhou: “Go.”

The two bowed and left, disappearing into the night.

Only Xie Chenzhou remained in the alley.

He dusted off the nonexistent dust from his clothes, glanced at the stars overhead, a slight smile on his lips, and quickly walked back to the inn carrying the lotus leaf chicken.

He pushed open the door, and Sang Nian was crouched over the table, examining a bird egg.

Seeing him return, her eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over to take the paper package from him, complaining:

“You took so long to buy snacks. I’m starving.”

As she spoke, she opened the paper package:

“Wow, it’s lotus leaf chicken!”

Xie Chenzhou said coldly: “I’m not your servant. If you dare to order me around again…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when a chicken leg was suddenly stuffed into his mouth, blocking the rest of his words.

“Don’t say it, eat it while it’s hot,” Sang Nian broke off another chicken leg, took a big bite, and said in a muffled voice, “It won’t be good if it gets cold.”

Xie Chenzhou took the chicken leg out of his mouth and frowned at her greasy hands.

“I washed my hands before eating, three times,” Sang Nian said dissatisfiedly. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Xie Chenzhou’s brow furrowed in mockery: “Miss Sang, you truly have a hearty appetite.”

Sang Nian rolled her eyes and said rudely:

“No one in the world has ever been able to gracefully finish a lotus leaf chicken. If you want to eat, eat it. If you don’t want to eat, shut up and go to sleep. Don’t be sarcastic and ruin my appetite.”

Xie Chenzhou clenched the chicken leg.

He was wrong. Sang Yunling was not only rude, uncouth, and fickle.

She was also sharp-tongued.

And greedy.

He took a big bite of the chicken leg.

People who like her are either fools or blind.

No exceptions.

Downstairs.

The innkeeper’s staff had finished cleaning up the tables and chairs, greeted the innkeeper, and left for work.

After everyone left, the innkeeper opened the counter drawer and counted the money bills with a beaming smile.

“Knock knock—”

Someone knocked on the counter.

He looked up alertly.

Two men in black stood in front of the counter. One wore a ghost king mask with a green face and fangs, and the other wore a demon mask with white eyebrows and red eyes.

Although their faces were hidden, their aura was extremely terrifying.

The innkeeper’s heart sank. He put away the money bills and said with a forced smile:

“Our inn is full, gentlemen. Please go to another inn.”

The man in black wearing the ghost king mask said in a sinister tone:

“What if I don’t?”

The innkeeper dared not breathe, “My lord’s, I don’t know when I offended you two?”

The other man in black wearing the demon mask slowly said:

“You guess.”

The innkeeper’s cold sweat rolled down his face. He tried to please them:

“Gentlemen, how about this? I happen to have a talisman personally drawn by Master Cibei Ya Ruozhi, and two heirloom swords from my family. Normally, they would cost at least ten thousand spirit stones each. Today, I’ll give them to you for free, just as a way to make friends. How about that?”

The man in black wearing the ghost king mask said:

“Very good.”

The innkeeper hurriedly took out the talisman and the swords:

“Please accept them, please accept them.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the other man grabbed his collar and pulled him closer.

The innkeeper couldn’t break free from his grip and leaned back in fear:

“What are you doing?!”

The man wearing the demon mask grinned and waved his hand, setting up a barrier to block outside sight:

“You ignorant fool, you dared to cheat our Young Master.”

“Tonight, we’ll let you know the price of offending the Young Master.”

…

Perhaps it was because she was unfamiliar with the bed, or perhaps because she was thinking about the selection, she didn’t sleep well.

When Sang Nian woke up, it was just dawn, and the morning mist hadn’t dissipated yet.

Occasionally, she could hear the voices of vendors talking on the street, the wooden carts carrying goods rumbling over the ground, and larks soaring through the clouds, leaving behind a string of clear chirps.

It wasn’t loud, but it wasn’t quiet either.

She turned over and looked at the young man sleeping on the floor.

He slept very quietly, his hands clasped in front of him, motionless.

The window had been left open last night, and a few rays of morning light fell on his face without obstruction, moistening his delicate brows and eyes.

“He’s still frowning even when he’s sleeping.”

Sang Nian mumbled, unable to fall back asleep, so she got out of bed and tiptoed to close the window.

She had just taken a step when Xie Chenzhou suddenly opened his eyes and leaped up. In a flash, he drew his sword and pointed it at her throat, like a ferocious beast.

Sang Nian’s foot was still in the air: “…I was just going to close the window.”

He realized his mistake, put away his sword, and pressed his forehead hard.

Sang Nian closed the window as she wished, “Are you always like this?”

Xie Chenzhou hummed in response, a faint weariness spreading between his brows.

Sang Nian said: “No wonder you have such a bad temper. Not many people who don’t sleep well have a good temper.”

Xie Chenzhou looked up, smiling wryly:

“Then why are you so fearless? You keep provoking me.”

Sang Nian thought for a moment and said seriously:

“Then I’ll be nicer to you from now on, I won’t provoke you anymore, I’ll coax you more.”

Xie Chenzhou scoffed: “Sweet talk.”

Sang Nian looked at him: “It’s genuine.”

Their eyes met, and after a moment, Xie Chenzhou looked away and chuckled:

“Genuine? I’ve never seen such a thing.”

Sang Nian’s eyes were clear as water:

“Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Time will tell. You’ll know if I’m sincere to you or not in the future.”

Xie Chenzhou forcefully squeezed his knuckles, feeling absurd.

The person who had once humiliated him repeatedly was now claiming to be sincere to him.

It was… ridiculous.

What was even more ridiculous was that for a moment—

He believed it.

Xie Chenzhou closed his eyes, his knuckles turning white.

Useless things.