Chapter 62: Bad Habits

Chapter 62: Bad Habits

Shen Shuanglian had a very bad habit.

She loved to bite.

She liked to bite Chen Yin’s fingers, his wrists, his shoulders, and his earlobes.

She bit hard, deep, and painfully, leaving marks that wouldn’t fade even by the next morning.

No matter how much Chen Yin told her to stop, she never changed, only looking at him with red-rimmed eyes.

In the end, Chen Yin simply gave up. If she wanted to bite, he’d let her bite. After all, it wasn’t that painful.

—At least, not as painful as she probably felt.

<+>

The next morning, the two of them arrived at the edge of the small town.

“Head back early and be careful on the way,” Chen Yin reminded her again.

Shen Shuanglian lowered her head slightly, her expression full of reluctance.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m a little reluctant to leave you,” she whispered, gently holding Chen Yin’s hand and refusing to let go.

Chen Yin smiled and said softly, “Don’t be too greedy. Greedy kids don’t get any candy.”

Shen Shuanglian was quiet for a moment before murmuring, “...But if I just behave like a good girl, would that mean I could get more candy than everyone else?”

Chen Yin paused, stunned for a long while before silently patting her head.

“You don’t always have to be so obedient,” he said.

“But as long as you’re happy, I’ll always save the most candy for you.”

Shen Shuanglian thought about this, then nodded obediently.

“Alright, I’ll go now. Take care of yourself.”

She glanced at Chen Yin reluctantly before slowly turning to leave.

After she disappeared into the distance, Chen Yin let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Good thing she didn’t insist on staying,” he muttered.

“Otherwise, the next step of my plan would’ve been tricky.”

At that moment, ripples shimmered in the air beside him, accompanied by a light, playful voice: “What are you planning next, Young Master?”

“Based on what you scouted yesterday, it seems the headquarters of the demonic faction is indeed here,” Chen Yin said slowly.

“I’d rather not rush in and alert them. That leaves only one option.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a mask from his robes.

This time, as he donned the mask, his appearance and physique subtly transformed.

Before long, the handsome face he usually wore had been replaced by an unremarkable and forgettable one.

But this face was far from unfamiliar.

—It was the face of Wang Wei, the demonic cultivator Chen Yin had captured at the Heavenly Beauty Summit.

“Let’s go.”

Chen Yin’s voice had also changed, becoming thinner and sharper. “Let’s see what makes the headquarters of the demonic faction so formidable.”

Moments after Chen Yin’s figure disappeared, a shadow that had been following them emerged once again.

The figure glanced in two opposite directions—one where Chen Yin had gone and the other where Shen Shuanglian had left—seemingly caught in hesitation.

“...By the sect leader’s orders, that man is the true mastermind who incited the senior disciple to investigate the Changli Palace,” she murmured to herself.

“It seems killing him would complete my mission.”

With that, her silhouette dissolved into ghostly mist and darted after Chen Yin, vanishing in an instant.

<+>

Shen Shuanglian, meanwhile, hadn’t walked far before she stopped in her tracks. She stood silently with her head bowed.

[...Are you really willing to leave like this?] came the system’s voice.

Shen Shuanglian lowered her head, murmuring to herself, “System, redeem the Stealth Scroll.”

[I knew it]

The system chuckled softly and said slowly, [But think carefully. The system is already issuing a storyline alert]

[This means if you insist on following that man to continue investigating, there could be significant deviations from the plot]

Shen Shuanglian muttered softly, “Can you still hold on?”

[Me? Hah, don’t worry about it]

The system’s tone was devoid of emotion. [I don’t have much time left anyway. Whether I vanish now or later doesn’t matter. Might as well gamble big with you this once]

[Honestly, I’m a bit curious, too. What happens when you defy the storyline records all the way to the end?]

Shen Shuanglian lowered her voice apologetically, “…I’m sorry.”

“If I followed the storyline records, maybe you wouldn’t disappear.”

[Don’t apologize,] the system replied flatly. [You’re human. I’ve always been something entirely different from you. There’s no need for you to apologize to me]

[And you didn’t choose to become my host. Ultimately, we’d both rather end this connection]

Hearing this, Shen Shuanglian asked curiously, “Are all systems like you?”

[Who knows? You can ask them yourself]

As they spoke, a golden scroll materialized in front of Shen Shuanglian.

[Here’s a complementary omniscient map of Xianyun Prefecture. The location of the demonic faction headquarters has already been marked for you]

The system chuckled softly. [Consider it a little parting gift]

Shen Shuanglian held the map and scroll tightly, her lips curving slightly. “Thank you.”

[Save your gratitude for your little crush.]

The system teased, [If you don’t hurry up, your little crush might have already flipped the demonic faction headquarters upside down by now.]

Shen Shuanglian didn’t hesitate. With a determined glint in her eyes, her azure robes shimmered and dissolved into light as her figure disappeared without a trace.

<+>

Xianyun Prefecture – A dimly lit teahouse

Yu Xiang, clad in a pale green silk gown that tightly hugged her graceful figure, gently swirled the lid of her teacup, taking small sips of the fragrant tea.

Before her, a man with a fawning expression stood respectfully, his face full of ingratiating smiles.

“...The tea is passable,” Yu Xiang said indifferently after a long silence.

“As long as it pleases the esteemed Saintess, we have dozens of finer teas for your enjoyment.”

The man, dressed like a steward, chuckled obsequiously. “If you wish, I can have the servants prepare them immediately—”

“No need.” Yu Xiang coldly interrupted, her voice icy. “I’m going to meet the Dao Lord now. I’ll drink it when I return.”

“Ah, yes, yes! My apologies,” the man continued to flatter her. “Of course, meeting the Dao Lord is of utmost importance. I’ll have the tea ready for when you return.”

Yu Xiang said nothing further, carefully concealing the trace of disgust in her eyes as she rose gracefully, her gown fluttering elegantly as she moved.

“Go about your business. Stop bothering me.”

With those sharp words, her figure disappeared down the long corridor outside.

The man only dropped his forced smile once she was out of sight, letting out a long sigh.

“Ugh, the Saintess is becoming more and more impossible to please.”

“What terrible luck—serving tea and water isn’t enough; now I have to take gate duty later. It’s exhausting.”

Checking the time, the man sighed and trudged toward the entrance of the demonic faction headquarters.

After changing shifts with another guard, he began his tedious watch, yawning out of sheer boredom.

Suddenly, a sly voice interrupted him: “Hey, brother, want a smoke?”

The man turned to see a shifty-looking face grinning at him, holding out a pipe.

“This is Wànxiàng Pavilion’s premium blend—hits hard!”

The man, surprised, accepted the pipe and scrutinized the stranger. “Who are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“Oh, no wonder, brother. You wouldn’t know me,” the stranger said with a laugh.

“I’m Third-Rank member, Wang Wei from the Xiang City branch. Came along with our branch master to witness the big event!”

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