Chapter 95: A Masterful Game of Push and Pull
Chapter 95: A Masterful Game of Push and Pull
Many things only become clear in hindsight.
Now that Chen Yin thought back to the afternoon, when he had dragged Nan Xiaoxiang along to eat stinky tofu, he finally understood her stunned expression at the time.
"So, looking at it this way, I was really lucky, huh?"
Nan Xiaoxiang gave a gentle smile in response to his self-deprecating remark. "Fortune favors the good. Young Master Chen, as a cultivator, did not shy away from enjoying the humble delicacies of the mortal world. That is what spared you from this misfortune."
"So what you’re saying is..."
Chen Yin’s expression grew colder. "If I hadn’t eaten it, I’d be lying on the ground unconscious like them right now?"
"Why worry so much, Young Master Chen?"
Nan Xiaoxiang spoke casually, her red lips parting slightly. "It’s merely a temporary sleep. It wouldn’t have cost you your life."
"If you’re not robbing or killing them, why did you knock them out?" Chen Yin’s curiosity was piqued.
Nan Xiaoxiang didn’t answer immediately. Her cool gaze flickered slightly, tinged with a hint of bitterness.
"What choice did I have?"
"Many cultivators who have come to my medical hall warned me that Ju Shaohe, the Young Master of Canghe Sword Sect, is a notorious philanderer—heartless and fickle, treating women as disposable playthings. Yet, because of his sect’s power, no one dares to stand up for me."
"So tell me, am I really supposed to submit to a man like that?"
Chen Yin fell silent.
"How could a mere mortal woman resist a cultivator? If I wish to protect myself, I have no choice but to use every means necessary." Her voice carried the weight of helpless resignation.
"And what do you plan to do now?"
"It’s best if Young Master Chen doesn’t know."
Nan Xiaoxiang’s gaze met his directly. "Otherwise, if the the Canghe Sword Sect comes after me, you’ll be dragged into the mess as well."
Chen Yin pondered for a moment before letting out a sigh. "So basically, after all my effort luring him out, I’ve ended up doing all the work for you?"
"You haven’t really lost anything, have you?"
Nan Xiaoxiang’s tone was light, indifferent. "Why not just let me have this favor? Consider it a repayment for treating your friends."
"That does sound reasonable…"
"But unfortunately," Chen Yin shrugged, "I need this man alive. I can’t hand him over to you."
"If Miss Nan really wants me to repay the favor for treating Ya Ya and the others, I’d be happy to buy you a few more rounds of stinky tofu another day."
Nan Xiaoxiang’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. "No room for negotiation?"
"There’s always room for negotiation."
Chen Yin grinned. "Since we both have use for Ju Shaohe, why don’t we work together?"
"…I’m listening."
"Good. But since this is a partnership, let’s set some ground rules first."
In the next instant, under the moon’s cold light, a translucent glass-like sword appeared at Nan Xiaoxiang’s throat.
A gentle breeze lifted strands of her hair, revealing her pale, delicate collarbone.
"Keep those bugs away from me."
Chen Yin grinned, baring his teeth. "I’m a bit of a coward. I can’t stand creepy crawlies."
Nan Xiaoxiang’s clear, crystalline eyes blinked once.
The next moment, a faint buzzing of insect wings filled the air—before gradually retreating back into her palm.
"Young Master Chen is certainly cautious."
"Likewise," he chuckled, "Miss Nan shows no mercy either."
"Aren’t you worried I might have left some tricks behind on your friends?" she asked coolly.
"Not at all."
Chen Yin’s expression turned serious. "Unless you want the people of Guyu Town to be buried with them."
Nan Xiaoxiang’s gaze lingered on him for a long moment. Then, slowly and deliberately, she spoke:
"You wouldn’t do that."
"Young Master Chen is not someone who would slaughter the innocent."
"Ha. You're giving me too much credit."
Chen Yin’s gaze remained clear and unwavering. "If anything happens to them, I will kill every last person in Guyu Town, right in front of you, one by one."
Nan Xiaoxiang was silent for a long time before she slowly shook her head. "You're bluffing."
"Want to bet on it?" He watched her with an amused yet sharp expression.
This time, she had no words to counter him.
"…You win." Her voice carried a trace of exhaustion.
After a tense exchange of strategy and negotiation, Chen Yin had the upper hand once again.
With Changming stabbed into the ground before him, Chen Yin casually plopped down and said lazily, "Didn’t Miss Nan want to make sure this guy never bothers you again?"
"That’s easy."
"Just hand him over to me, and I guarantee he’ll never trouble you again."
But Nan Xiaoxiang hesitated and spoke softly, "If you plan to kill him and take his belongings, I fear all suspicion will fall on Xiaoxiang Medical Hall."
"If the Canghe Sword Sect comes looking for revenge, the ones who suffer won’t just be me—it will be the entire Guyu Town."
"That’s even easier," Chen Yin chuckled. "The Canghe Sword Sect won’t blame you. I guarantee it."
Hearing this, curiosity flickered in Nan Xiaoxiang’s eyes.
"I wonder, what exactly does Young Master Chen want with this man?"
"Oh, that’s obvious," Chen Yin replied with a wicked grin. "The young master of Canghe Sword Sect is fair-skinned and delicate—quite the pretty boy. And, well, I have certain interests in that regard. I figured I’d take him home and enjoy him myself."
Seeing the increasingly strange and awkward look Nan Xiaoxiang was giving him, Chen Yin coughed lightly and quickly corrected himself.
"Ahem. In truth, I’m simply delivering him as a gift to a friend."
"A friend? Who would want such a gift?"
Chen Yin thought for a moment and then let out a silent chuckle.
"—A girl who’s not good with words. A bit clumsy, but quite endearing."
Nan Xiaoxiang blinked but didn’t press further.
"If Young Master Chen can truly ensure that neither Xiaoxiang Medical Hall nor the people of Guyu Town will suffer any consequences, then I don’t mind handing him over to you."
"However," she looked at him seriously, "how can I trust you?"
"You’ll have to."
Chen Yin’s gaze was calm and unwavering. "Even if you don’t, I’ll be taking him with me regardless."
Nan Xiaoxiang shot him an exasperated glare.
"This is what you call cooperation?"
"Don’t get it twisted. You were the one who disrupted my plans, alright?"
Seeing how unyielding he was, Nan Xiaoxiang’s expression gradually cooled. She turned her head slightly, looking away.
"—Then I’ll trust Young Master Chen this once."
She slowly turned to leave. "I hope you keep your promise and don’t let this matter drag innocent people into it."
"Pleasure doing business with you~"
Chen Yin grinned, watching her retreating figure.
Nan Xiaoxiang glanced back at him one last time, her gaze unreadable, before she silently walked away.
"Sigh. Women really are troublesome."
"Only little girls like Luo Luo never give me a headache," he sighed to himself.
Then, turning his head to look at the unconscious Ju Shaohe sprawled on the ground, he smirked.
"Alright. Finally caught you, brat."
Without hesitation, Chen Yin pulled out a bundle of rope from his storage scroll, his grin turning downright wicked as he approached.
<+>
The next morning
When Luo Luo woke up, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned, her fluffy fox ears twitching as she stumbled out of bed, looking for some tea.
That’s when she noticed a letter on the table.
"Luo Luo, be good. I’m going out for a bit, but I’ll be back soon."
Luo Luo held the letter in her hands, her fox ears drooping in disappointment.
"Young Master… left me behind again…"
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