39. Sinking

But for now, let her shamefully sink into depravity.

A gust of wind suddenly swept in from outside the window, ruffling the curtains and causing the paper pasted on the windows to flutter and rustle.

In the empty room, apart from the faint sound of the two people breathing, there was nothing else.

How should I put it?

I have a mission, I have a system, I am from another world, do I need to rely on you to complete my goal and go home?

Chu Qing had a premonition. He knew that with Yin Li's intelligence, there was bound to be a risk of exposure after so long of contact. Whether she tried to maintain her persona in the early stages or didn't deliberately punish her later, there would always be a moment when she would be exposed.

But I didn't expect it to be exposed so quickly.

The gloomy boy didn't get the answer he wanted, and his heart turned completely cold. His eyes changed from expectation to disappointment, like a sharp blade slowly grinding against Chu Qing.

"Yin Li, if I have the chance, I will definitely—"

"Definitely what? Definitely tell me everything without reservation?"

The broad back froze. Yin Li found it amusing. In fact, from the moment he was released from prison two years ago, a seed of doubt had been planted in his heart, but he never thought of exposing it, simply because he had felt the warmth he had longed for as a child in this person.

But he couldn't accept being deceived or used; he didn't even know if his master would stay there forever...

Faced with Yin Li's aggressive questioning, Chu Qing couldn't give a more precise answer. She realized that she was being too hasty, too eager to explain past misunderstandings and express her true feelings, but she had overlooked what Yin Li actually cared about.

He wanted someone to protect and love him purely, without any ulterior motives, but he ultimately couldn't do it himself.

From the moment I was revived with the system, every action seemed to be profitable, so what if other emotions arose in the process?

She will eventually go home.

The dialogue ended in a lose-lose situation for both sides.

Chu Qing was confined to this room and unable to leave. Only a few maids, who were not regulars, brought her medicine three times a day.

She wasn't in a hurry to escape. The Demon Realm was so vast, and it was all under Yin Li's control. She wasn't proficient in demonic magic, so she couldn't avoid being monitored at all.

Lying in bed, the cold wind still howled angrily. Counting the days, about a week had passed since their unpleasant parting. However, this couldn't drag on any longer. Her mission hadn't made any progress, and she couldn't just stay here.

Finally, after Chu Qing finished taking the last of her medicine at noon, she began to plan her actions:

Right now, Qingshan Peak must be searching for Wen Ruyu's whereabouts. If the evildoer is not eliminated, the cultivation world will not be at peace. It is not difficult to find him. With Yin Li's strength and luck, he will eventually find him. But with the opponent's divine artifact in hand, how can he completely defeat him?

Setting... What was the scene like in the final battle between Yin Li and Wen Ruyu in the novel?

[System, could you please find the original novel for me?]

[Okay, host. We are checking for you. Please wait.]

Soon, a scene flashed into Chu Qing's mind. At that time, Yin Li had mastered the Demon Realm Techniques to a high degree and had basically stepped into the position of a Demon God. However, Wen Ruyu had a divine artifact in hand and could even contend with the Heavenly Dao.

How did Yin Li die in the end?

Chu Qing flipped through the pages one by one, arriving at the last chapter, where the book simply stated:

The Demon Lord Yin Li fought him for ten days and ten nights, but the outcome was still uncertain. Blood flowed like rivers in the Demon Realm, and the earth was stained with blood.

Amidst the desolation and ruins, a blinding purplish-red beam of light suddenly shot up into the sky. Before Wen Ruyu could react, the beam of light turned towards him with lightning speed.

Demon Lord Yin Li eventually exhausted his bloodline and perished completely.

(End of article)

Chu Qing:? ? ?

What is this? This can't be a pirated book, can it? What a terrible ending! He's dead already? Where's Wen Ruyu?

She had reason to suspect that something must have happened to the author at the time, which led to the male-oriented wish-fulfillment novel ending in tragedy!

Fortunately, she also gained something. According to the original setting, Yin Li's half-demon bloodline had enough power to contend with that artifact. But should she let Yin Li die again?

impossible

Regardless of whether it was out of personal motives, the system's mission was to keep Yin Li alive; if anyone was to die, it could only be himself.

[System, if I sacrifice myself to defeat the villain and successfully win over Yin Li, can I go back?]

[As long as this world returns to normal, that's fine.]

Since that's the case—Chu Qing narrowed her eyes, then suddenly smiled, understanding the other party's subtext.

Since the only one who can ultimately stand against this is the half-demon bloodline, and there is no one else in the world, then I will make myself the "chosen one".

But how can I do it without anyone noticing...?

"Squeak"

The door was gently pushed open, and Chu Qing turned her head to see the figure she hadn't seen for over a week.

It seems that all the conflicts lie with Yin Li.

Well, she must have gotten a tragic script. Not only did her disciple become a demon and rebel, but her master, who was also affectionate, started to exploit and deceive her.

"How is your meridian system recovering?"

"Oh, your medicine is very good, it made me recover much faster than it did at Green Mountain Peak."

"Um."

Yin Li walked in, grabbed Chu Qing's wrist with one hand and reached up. His fingers were icy cold, which made the other person shiver involuntarily.

"cold?"

Yin Li subtly increased the temperature of her fingers, and the room gradually warmed up under the influence of the demonic energy.

Chu Qing shook her head: "Can I go for a walk?"

The fingers resting on the pulse paused, and the other person pursed their lips: "Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere is fine, as long as you're not busy, keep me company."

A sharp pain jolted her nerves. Chu Qing saw that her wrists had been gripped so tightly that they were red marks, but she still endured it without making a sound.

"Um"

Yin Li didn't say anything more. He stood up, straightened his clothes, and said, "Let's go."

A wave of bitterness made Chu Qing's nose sting. Apart from the time when Yin Li lost control of his emotions at the Green Mountain Peak Disciple Assembly, he was now very sparing with words when talking to her. She knew that the fall off the cliff had hurt him deeply. The current Yin Li had a thick shell, and layers of protection made it difficult to see his true feelings. But she still had to try.

Pushing open the door, a gust of cool wind rushed into her collar, and Chu Qing sneezed, caught off guard.

Autumn has arrived.

The other person didn't reply, their dark eyes staring into the distance, lost in thought, as if they were thinking about something.

Chu Qing realized she might have said something wrong, so she tugged at his sleeve and tried to find a topic to talk about, jokingly saying, "Yin Li, why do you like red clothes now?"

"Blood, blood everywhere."

"What?"

"At that time, at the bottom of the cliff, all I could see was a sea of ​​blood."

Chu Qing's expression went blank for a moment, as if something had shattered, cutting her so painfully that she couldn't breathe.

She knew that it was Yin Li's experience, a heart-wrenching past that she herself had caused.

"sorry."

The sleeve in my hand was ripped away, leaving me feeling utterly empty inside.

"Let's go."

Those ahead simply followed the usual path, striding forward.

The two walked one after the other, occasionally passing by a few demon generals who looked like guards, who bowed respectfully and dared not look at Chu Qing.

I had long heard that the Demon Lord had brought a woman back and locked her in a side hall, but I never thought that the rumor would actually come true!

They look like VIPs, so why is it locked up?

Is this not the Lord's beloved, but an enemy?!

Demon General Rong Shao seemed to have discovered some incredible secret, his expression one of great alarm, and he wanted to share it with his cronies.

Chu Qing followed Yin Li to a mountain. The surrounding area was barren. The once lush green trees had turned gray and white due to the influence of demonic energy. The mountain was very high for ordinary people, but it was nothing to cultivators.

Even though Chu Qing's meridians have mostly recovered, she still doesn't dare to use her spiritual power casually. She was panting heavily and somewhat exhausted along the way.

But Yin Li seemed oblivious, continuing to walk forward without ever looking back.

"Ahem, Yin Li, slow down, I can't keep up."

Sure enough, the people in front slowed down, but still stubbornly refused to turn around and look.

I don't know if it was because I used too much physical strength, but a little bloody taste came out of my mouth. My mouth was dry, and under the dual stimulation of physiology and psychology, my eyes were filled with tears.

It took a very long time, so long that Chu Qing felt her legs were about to break, before they finally reached the top of the mountain and stood on a patch of yellow earth.

Where am I?

"This is my first time in the Demon Realm," Yin Li said calmly, as if no one was around, talking to himself.

"I was seriously injured and unconscious after falling off the cliff, but countless ferocious beasts below were coveting my blood, so I had no choice but to keep moving forward."

Yin Li paused, glanced at the pale-faced person beside him, and continued, "I killed the ferocious beast, but at that time the demonic energy was scattered. When I climbed here, I was almost unconscious and about to die."

But it's not over yet—

"Stop talking."

Chu Qing lowered her head, her lips trembling. She couldn't blame anyone; it was all caused by her inexperience. She was the one who hurt him, and now she was the one who felt sorry for him.

She never felt that Yin Li was as wicked as in the original novel, but when the other party cruelly exposed her scars time and time again, Chu Qing realized that she was in more pain than she had imagined.

"Yin Li, stop talking. I really never meant to harm you."

"You have always been my most promising disciple, and you have always held a very important place in my heart."

"Even now, you still won't tell me who you are?"

Her fingernails dug deep into her flesh, drawing out traces of blood, but Yin Li seemed unaffected, looking down at the person on the ground.

He knew his master was in pain, but he was in even more pain. The unpredictable, anxious fear that she might abandon him at any moment had been constantly enveloping and tormenting him for the past year.

Yin Li had tried to interrogate her master about his origins more than once, but all she could do now was apologize.

But he didn't want to apologize.

He just wanted to hear his master say in person that she would never abandon him again; that would be enough.

What good would it do to go back with him? He might keep her physically present for a moment, but her heart wouldn't be there. In the end, it would all be just a dream.

or

Perhaps due to the long-standing hatred, the emotions in his heart twisted wildly at this moment, and countless dark thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Or perhaps it would be better to imprison her, lock her soul, and never let her leave him.

[Beep! Beep! Beep! Current favorability value: ? Darkening value: 110, Darkening value: 110! Attention, host! Attention, host!]

Chu Qing's head was throbbing from the noise. She didn't want to care about the "darkening value" or "favorability value" anymore. Now, she just wanted to follow her heart and resolve a long-standing misunderstanding.

"Yin Li, at least for this period of time, I will be by your side, I will always be there."

"And then what?"

Do you want to hear the truth? I won't lie to you.

“My master said he wouldn’t lie to me, so he wouldn’t, but I’ll only believe him this once.”

Chu Qing turned around, her heart filled with complex emotions. She couldn't accurately determine whether her feelings were more protective or romantic. But she didn't want to make such a clear distinction. Let it be, let it be, and in the later stages of the mission, she would gain her own unique obsession.

"I don't know about the future, but Yin Li, I want to answer a question from a long time ago, a question I lied to you about."

"What?"

When faced with this moment, Yin Li suddenly had the urge to escape. He subconsciously took a step back, wanting to leave, but the pent-up emotions in his heart seemed to need a breakthrough. With just a slight prick from a delicate needle, they could instantly burst forth.

"Back then on the cliff, you asked me if I had ever felt even a little bit of attraction towards you."

"I--"

"Enough!"

The scattered flames were instantly ignited. The boy in red gasped for breath, trying to calm himself down and hear the real answer. But at this moment, he realized that he was still as cowardly as ever, even less fearless than a year ago. He dared not think about it.

I dare not think about my current identity. Even if I knew the outcome I wanted, how would I face it?

He is despicable, like the dirtiest thing in the mud, how could he allow the moon in the sky to be tainted with impurity?

"No, Yin Li, I admit it, I'm just smitten."

The words and phrases resonated in my ears: "I, Chu Qingge, dare to act and take responsibility, and I dare to face my inner feelings."

"Yin Li, yes, I always have."

"Master... Master..."

"Master is here, don't be afraid."

"Master... Master..."

She suddenly fell into a warm and generous embrace. The arm across her lower back trembled, revealing its owner's state of mind. Suddenly, warm drops fell into Chu Qing's neck.

[Current corruption level: 80, favorability level: ? Please keep up the good work, host.]

"Master, have you thought this through? I won't let you go so easily."

Yin Li raised her head with red eyes, like a raging little beast, yet also like a stray dog ​​that had finally found its home after years of wandering, wagging its tail and begging for mercy.

"I'm going to make you only have eyes for me."

"Little madman, be gentle, my shoulder is hurting." Chu Qing smiled helplessly. After a moment of joy, she was overwhelmed by endless guilt and reluctance.

How long will these leisurely days last?

Sooner or later, for the sake of the mission and to go home, I will have to deceive the other party again.

But for now, let her shamefully sink into depravity.

[Author's Note]

Hmm, I think this story will be finished in about ten or twenty chapters at most. I want to write up to 200,000 words, but I'll take it one step at a time. Next, I'll add two more chapters of their daily life together and then they'll start causing trouble, hahaha! Hope you all enjoy reading! [Sprinkling flowers]