24. Devoted

Each word, like a dazzling firework, exploded into the boy's heart, illuminating the darkness of his sixteen or seventeen years.

"Master..." He had just opened his mouth when Chu Qing frowned and swiftly set up a barrier around him.

The heavy spiritual energy isolated all sounds on the mountain. Yin Li lay on the ground, trying to stay awake, staring warily at the person in front of her, unwilling to let him get close.

"Yin Li"

A soft call soothed the boy's tense and wary heart. Chu Qing took out a pill from her brocade pouch and held it to his lips, gesturing for him to swallow it.

Seeing that Yin Li was still unwilling, even though he was covered in injuries, he still pursed his lips and moved backward with difficulty, using the strength of his arms.

As his spiritual energy was lost more and more, the demonic energy surrounding him grew thicker and thicker. Soon, the entire scene within the barrier was covered by the purplish-red demonic energy.

well

Chu Qing sighed inwardly, "Don't worry, this is a pill made from Sun Spring Grass. Quickly suppress it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yin Li, who was lying on the ground, clenched his fists and suddenly looked up. Contrary to his expectations, he thought that Chu Qingge would definitely hand him over to the Jing Shi Tang for disposal with a cold face.

But, but—

The barrier isolated the raging storm outside, and the boy looked into a pair of eyes filled with tension, worry, and tenderness—eyes that held a warmth he had never felt before.

It wasn't Chu Qingge's eyes, it was the master's eyes.

This is 'his' master...

Unbeknownst to him, everything in his vision became blurry. Yin Li didn't know what damned thing was blocking his eyes, but the familiar fragrance that slowly wafted from his lips into his nose, and following his hazy consciousness, he opened his mouth and swallowed the pill.

The moment her hand left, Chu Qing slowly stood up, intending to cast a spell to stabilize Yin Li's demonic energy.

But just as that familiar aura faded, Yin Li suddenly felt an impulse. If he didn't step forward now, would the other party just abandon him forever?

Master, do you hate the demon race?

No, she wouldn't. She had clearly told herself that the world is a balance of yin and yang, with both good and bad aspects, but...

But how could his master not despise him for being so despicable and vile?

[Beep, beep, beep, the male lead's emotional value has been detected to be extremely disordered. The system will recalculate! Recalculate! Countdown: 15 minutes!!!]

"Master, Master, your disciple, your disciple didn't..."

The boy, who had been retreating, was filled with impulse. He no longer cared about any pain and just kept crawling forward with his still relatively intact arms. The hem of his clothes was right in front of him, but it seemed to be very, very far away.

"Disciple did not collude with the demons." His hands trembled, his face was flushed from difficulty breathing, and tears streamed down his face, making the corners of his eyes red.

Time seemed to stand still within the barrier; the surroundings were peaceful and silent for a moment before a voice slowly came from above.

"Yin Li"

"Master believes in you."

Master, I trust you.

Each word, like a dazzling firework, exploded into the boy's heart, illuminating the darkness of his sixteen or seventeen years.

Because of this one sentence, he could erase all the injustices and pain from before, and erase all the harm that Chu Qingge had caused him.

Originally, he was a demon living in the mud, enduring and lying low for the moment when he would truly become powerful. If it weren't for today, if it weren't for the current variables, perhaps he would have become a devil that everyone would want to kill in the future.

It will become that cold, powerful ruler, devoid of desire and emotion.

However, the demon in hell seemed to have been saved by a savior. A gentle light shone directly on him, dispelling all the gloom.

Yin Li's blood surged, and scarlet liquid kept flowing from his mouth. When Chu Qing saw him like this, she felt a sudden pain in her heart, as if needles were pricking her and spreading throughout her heart.

He's just a child who hasn't grown up yet, how could he have suffered so much injury and pain?

The lingering fragrance returned, and a pair of fair hands first lifted Yin Li's arms. Then, the dirty boy fell into a warm, clean, and soft embrace.

"Alright, don't be afraid anymore, there's no one else here."

Gently, soothingly, the stroking followed Yin Li's head and spine, patting him lightly.

But the boy's tears wouldn't stop. Chu Qing had never seen the male lead cry so vulnerablely before. Only now did he reveal some of the vulnerability that one would expect at his age.

While comforting him, she also secretly used the effects of the Sun Spring Grass to suppress Yin Li's demonic energy. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the demonic energy that had been floating in the air disappeared completely, and he returned to being the dignified and upright disciple Yin Li of Green Mountain Peak.

[Beep! Beep! Beep! After system recalculation, the male lead's current favorability rating is 60, 70, 80! 80! 80! Please keep up the good work, host, and strive to complete the mission as soon as possible!]

Is he already 80?

A smile played at the corners of his lips, it seemed...

He bet/she guessed right.

Golden sunlight shone on the two people embracing, facing each other but looking in completely opposite directions.

Yin Li continued to tremble and sob, but the fear on her face had long been replaced by a sense of "success".

Therefore, his original guess was completely correct; his good master was no longer that fool Chu Qingge.

Chu Qing had a stroke of good luck today. She never expected that what was just an accidental act of protection would result in the male lead's affection level being much higher than she had anticipated.

At this rate, the artifact from the secret realm will be within reach soon.

After a while, Chu Qing saw that the boy in her arms seemed to have calmed down, so she released her embrace. While tidying his messy hair, she said seriously, "Yin Li, you must not tell anyone about what happened today, or you will only face death, understand?"

The touch of fingers on the skin of the cheek sent shivers down the other person's spine, making their blood boil with excitement.

His master, just as he had imagined, harbored no resentment and showed no disdain.

Master, I "accidentally" revealed this bloodline to you, so you shouldn't lie to me anymore.

hehe

But what happens if you lie?

He was lied to, and he—

"Yin Li, let's go quickly and go back to heal your wounds."

The cold voice pulled Yin Li back to reality. Seeing that the little brat's eyes were getting darker and darker, and she wondered what he was calculating, she knew she had to strike while the iron was hot and solidify her goodwill towards him.

"good"

"Can I still walk?"

Yin Li was startled, moved her legs slightly, and her eyes couldn't help but redden again: "Master, it hurts—"

"Then, hold on to me and stand firmly on the Bloodstone."

"good"

The young man's jade-like fingers grasped that white smear, and the instant their skin touched, the excitement and trembling in his blood once again completely enveloped him.

Both of them had their own ulterior motives and didn't say much along the way. It wasn't until they returned to the Cloud Mist Sect that Chu Qing realized how serious Yin Li's injuries were.

Ye Lang had gone all out, but he hadn't considered how he would explain himself if the other party really died here.

However, the most likely possibility is that Wen Ruyu wants Yin Li to be injured and recuperate so that when the trial begins, there will be almost no rivals to compete with him for the Fire Dance Spirit Orb.

After Yin Li had his wound dressing changed with Mo Yu's reluctant "help," Chu Qing instructed Mo Yu to brew some medicinal herbs. She then stepped into the room and stood in front of Yin Li's bed.

Sooner or later, Yin Li would have to explain to her what had just happened.

"Master, I..."

After recovering from his serious injuries, Yin Li was still somewhat frightened. He lowered his head and remained silent, but anyone with eyes could sense his guilt.

"You've always known, haven't you?"

Chu Qing sat down on the small wooden table in front of the bed, seemingly having anticipated everything, and calmly asked, "When did you discover your bloodline?"

“Master, your disciple has known this since childhood.”

"Splash!"

The sound of shattering porcelain echoed through the room. She abruptly stood up, raising her voice slightly: "If I hadn't discovered it today, how long were you planning to keep it a secret?!"

The boy kept his head down the whole time and didn't say a word.

Seeing his stubbornness, Chu Qing felt a pang of anger. She pretended to be even angrier and said with a look of disappointment, "Yin Li, do you know what would have happened to you if I hadn't arrived in time today?"

"I'm sorry, Master."

"sorry"

For the first time, Yin Li, who used to be full of claws and scheming when facing her, became incredibly soft and gentle, and whatever she said went.

"Yin Li, no one else must know about what happened today, understand?"

The person on the bed quickly looked up, exchanged a glance, and then obediently nodded: "Yes."

"Now, I need to take one pill of Sunspring Grass every day without stopping. I'm going out for a bit."

Just as Chu Qing was about to turn around, Yin Li raised his dark eyes again and slowly voiced the question that had been bothering him for a long time: "Master's pills were prepared at just the right time."

Every word states the facts, every word affirms them.

She froze, realizing to herself that things were going badly.

Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws; why did I rush to take out the pills I had refined a few days ago?

Chu Qing merely glanced at the other person indifferently and left without saying a word.

A soft laugh came from inside the room. He always felt that his master was not that simple.

On the other side

Ye Lang knelt upright on the ground, half of his face swollen high, yet he still maintained an unruly demeanor.

"You're too impulsive, Yelang."

Wen Ruyu stood in front of him, his eyes sinister, "If you let momentary hatred cloud your judgment, you will surely never achieve anything great in the future."

"Kneel here today and reflect on your actions."

"Yes," Ye Lang replied, but when he thought about how Yin Li had been treated like a piece of trash and allowed to be manipulated by him today, he felt a surge of pleasure.

When Chu Qing arrived, this was the scene. He seemed to have been severely punished, but these minor injuries were insignificant compared to Yin Li's.

As she passed Ye Lang, she didn't even bother to glance at him, and walked straight towards Wen Ruyu's door.

"Bang, bang!"

An angry knock sounded at the door, but when she saw Wen Ruyu still looking calm and collected, her hand clenched quietly in her sleeve.

[Author's Note]

I'm sorry! I promised to write more today, but I really, really can't find the time. I'm afraid that the more I write, the lower the quality will be, so I'm really sorry. After this week is over, I will think about it and write it more carefully. Everyone, please enjoy reading and feel free to ask any questions!

(This chapter was originally perfect for some short skits featuring the male and female leads, but I was held up by something today. I'll make up for it later!)