Chapter 331: The Cat’s Out of the Bag!

Ye Wenxin had always found Jin Xiaoqin to be peculiar. She seemed indifferent to pills and responded blandly to Ye Wenxin’s show of respect. Ye Wenxin assumed Jin Xiaoqin was truly extraordinary and aloof. However, seeing Jin Xiaoqin’s reaction now, she realized it was more about her own alchemy skills not being up to par, that made Jin Xiaoqin disdainful.

“So, why did you call me over, Master?” Ye Wenxin asked. Jin Xiaoqin took back the bottles and asked, “Do I need a reason to call you over?”

“……”

Ye Wenxin was left speechless. As she turned to leave, she felt Jin Xiaoqin pull her back and say, “I wanted to tell you that the others can go to the villa, but you absolutely can’t join them.”

The conversation took a serious turn. Ye Wenxin reflexively glanced at Hei Haowen, who immediately stepped back to give the two of them privacy. Ye Wenxin looked back at Jin Xiaoqin. “Master, I have to go. I’m the only one here who has medical knowledge.”

“That’s even more reason for you to stay. If you leave, who’s going to tend to my wounds?” Jin Xiaoqin responded naturally. No one had expected that half of their numbers would die in less than a week in the secret realm. Only the first week had passed; it was hard to imagine what more challenging situations might arise in the future.

Ye Wenxin frowned slightly. Although staying with Jin Xiaoqin might be the safest option, she was even more curious about the truth of this secret realm. Moreover, there were rumors of hidden treasures left behind by an ascendant, and Ye Wenxin was determined to find at least one to compensate for the time she had spent.

Even if the items turned out to be of no use to her, she could let Green Isle Manor sell them for profit.

After a moment of thought, Ye Wenxin said, “I want to go in.”

“Listen to me. Don’t go in,” Jin Xiaoqin insisted earnestly. “If you do, you’ll just be a burden. Stay outside and wait. When your strength improves in the future, I won’t stop you from going on adventures.”

Jin Xiaoqin’s response was still relatively gentle, as she believed that the villa was fraught with danger and that Ye Wenxin needed protection. While Ye Wenxin understood that Jin Xiaoqin only meant the best for her, she had her own ideas, and thus continued to argue her point.

Both of them stubbornly held to their views, and after a few exchanges, Jin Xiaoqin became angry and refused to speak to Ye Wenxin. Ye Wenxin, not wanting to explain further, left Jin Xiaoqin’s side and went over to sit with Xuan Luofei.

“What’s the matter? Did you have a fight?” asked Xuan Luofei. She was still tuning her guqin and inspecting every part of it. When she noticed the movement, she knew that Ye Wenxin had come over.

“No, Old Jin is just angry by herself,” Ye Wenxin replied calmly. Now that she had cooled down, she thought it was quite childish for two old women to argue over such trivial matters.

“Elder Jin is worried about you,” Xuan Luofei said with a smile. She continued to adjust the strings of her qin, while her head was turned toward empty space. Ye Wenxin, feeling a bit helpless, gently guided her gaze back to where she was sitting.

Xuan Luofei was still smiling, and didn’t seem inclined to offer advice. Rather, she just sat up straight and asked, “Zhu-zhu, would you like to hear the story of our past?”

“I’ve told you, I’m not Zhu-zhu!”

Ye Wenxin sighed, but she didn’t refuse and listened as Xuan Luofei began recounting events from years ago.

Xuan Luofei’s Dao companion was a talented Nascent Soul cultivator in his forties, full of youth and vigor, yet he treated Xuan Luofei very well. The two were deeply in love and had planned to hold their wedding after the New Year. One day, Xuan Luofei’s Dao companion mysteriously told her that he would kill the Demon Lord and make a name for himself.

Of course, Xuan Luofei knew the Demon Lord’s reputation, and didn’t believe the possibility of her Dao companion’s claim, so she dismissed it. Soon, her Dao companion became increasingly busy and didn’t show up for a long time. Xuan Luofei suspected that he might have found another lover and began to investigate. She then discovered that he frequently went down the mountain.

Every time he returned, his cultivation had improved, but he appeared pale and emaciated. Xuan Luofei grew more unsettled, and later noticed that her Dao companion had taken on many feminine scents.

As the frequency of his absences increased and their communication dwindled, Xuan Luofei could no longer tolerate it. She confronted her Dao companion about what he had been doing. He remained silent and just took her to a cave.

Inside the cave, there were dozens of male and female cultivators who appeared entranced. There were these ghostly things, draining them of their vitality like jiangshi (hopping vampire) would. Her Dao companion quickly became absorbed in the scene and even tried to involve Xuan Luofei in the activities.

Xuan Luofei fought with all her might, and with Zhu-zhu risking her life to help her, she managed to buy some time for Xuan Luofei. Eventually, Xuan Luofei fled in a disheveled state and fell into a ravine. There, she cried in despair, not for her Dao companion, but for herself.

She lamented her own tragedy at falling for such a person.

Ye Wenxin was deeply surprised by the story Xuan Luofei shared; it was completely different from what she had imagined. She had indeed consumed a golden pig, but who did the blood come from?

Could it be Liu Churan’s own blood? Or was it the blood of those monsters?

Ye Wenxin didn’t dare continue with this train of thought, and her mind was filled with countless questions. She saw the previously calm Xuan Luofei trembled as she grasped her sleeve, seemingly exerting all her strength to ask, “Was Zhu-zhu tasty?”

Ye Wenxin felt a chill run through her body. The impulse to strangle Xuan Luofei and erase her from existence almost overwhelmed her.

“Don’t be afraid. Having spent so much time with you, I know you’re not a bad person. I just want to know, were you the one who ate my Zhu-zhu?” Xuan Luofei’s voice trembled more intensely, her vacant eyes filled with tears. She seemed deeply saddened, lamenting her own helplessness. To save her own life, she left Zhu-zhu, who then died tragically.

“Yes, it was me,” Ye Wenxin admitted. Xuan Luofei finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then tilted her head to ask again, “Was she tasty?”

The atmosphere suddenly became strange. Ye Wenxin thought for a moment before answering honestly, “Very tasty.”

“That’s good. After all, I fed her so many delicious things.”

Xuan Luofei smiled, but her tears continued to fall, seeming to mourn her past. Ye Wenxin listened silently, unsure of why Xuan Luofei was sharing her story at this moment.

“Senior Sister Xuan, you’re not planning to do anything to me, are you?” Ye Wenxin asked cautiously.

Xuan Luofei wiped away her tears. “Of course not. If I had any such intentions, I wouldn’t have helped you cover up your lie before. Our Beast Taming Garden has a special, secret method. Once the contract is signed, even if the spirit and form are destroyed, the final resting place can still be found. I searched for a long time and couldn’t find her. I didn’t expect that she had been consumed.”

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Author:

When I wrote this chapter, I obviously wanted to embellish the sad atmosphere, but what I ended up with was, “Was Zhu-zhu tasty?”

I made myself laugh. If reading that part didn’t make you laugh, then you’re a real man/woman!