Chapter 130 He couldn't possibly be hiding the child inside his belly...
Her forearms were clasped together and bound in front of her chest. Lu Yuanyuan awkwardly shifted her shoulders: "Are you sure this will really fool them?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt the long ribbon extending from the knot on her wrist being tugged lightly. She was slightly startled, and immediately lost her balance, stumbling forward two steps before bumping into a chest that exuded a faint medicinal scent.
Like a puppy on a leash, it has to return to its owner's side when pulled by its owner.
She had just seen that every human brought in was bound in this way.
But they haven't even officially started rehearsing yet, have they? They should at least give us some warning beforehand. Lu Yuanyuan was a little annoyed: "You..."
At that moment, she felt Xi Ye grasp her wrist again, his fingertips loosening the knot, as if to ensure she had no chance of escape. Perhaps satisfied with the outcome, she heard him let out a faint sigh of relief.
But when he spoke, his voice was perfectly normal, without any sign of anything amiss: "From now on, don't speak."
It was time to get down to business. Lu Yuanyuan took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
Forget it, we can't argue with monsters too much.
Because they couldn't see anything, they could only rely on a rope to guide them, with the other end held by Xi Ye. Fortunately, he wasn't walking fast, and Lu Yuanyuan lagged behind him by a step, following him with small steps.
Gradually, the surroundings became noisy, with shouts and the cracking of whips mixed with desperate sobs. Although there were clearly more "people," the air seemed to have dropped several degrees, becoming murky and eerie.
Realizing they had arrived at the city gate, Lu Yuanyuan's heart pounded faster and her body tensed slightly.
Just then, the heavy sound of beastly footsteps approached them, accompanied by heavy breathing. It must be the ghost messengers riding on a demonic beast. Lu Yuanyuan could feel the beast's hot, throbbing head right next to her.
She feigned fear, shrinking her upper body and trembling as she tried to hide to the side—a reaction identical to that of the bound people around her. Sure enough, the ghost messenger glanced at her but didn't notice anything amiss. He intended to rush over, but he noticed that the demon beast he was riding became increasingly hesitant as it approached, pawing at the ground with its hind paws, appearing uneasy, anxious, and wanting to retreat.
The ghost messenger turned his head and looked around; beside him was just an ordinary demon. He tightened the demon's rope and asked Xi Ye where he came from and what he was doing in the city.
Xi Ye's answer was quite ordinary: "I want to go to the human market to sell goods."
After questioning them for a few minutes and finding nothing wrong, the ghost messenger let them go and gave a shout, ordering the demon beasts to move to the back of the group.
Having successfully passed this hurdle, Lu Yuanyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
The nine-tailed fox is, after all, the strongest branch of the fox clan, possessing the strength to rule wherever it goes. If Yue Qi knew that a powerful figure capable of challenging his position had arrived in his territory, he would certainly be on alert and might even take action.
However, powerful demons can conceal their demonic aura and suppress their oppressive power. Anything weaker than them cannot see through this disguise. Xi Ye must have used a similar method to deceive the ghost messenger earlier. But the demonic beast the ghost messenger rode hadn't yet developed sentience; it was essentially a beast, and therefore less susceptible to illusions. So, it feared Xi Ye based on its animalistic instincts.
But this is only the first hurdle. Next, they will have to figure out a way to get closer to Xiao Ruo.
According to the clues left by the system that night, Xiao Ruo is currently imprisoned in a dungeon, a place so remote that not even a fly could get in. Yue Qi personally delivers her food and water every day.
The thought of secretly rescuing the person later gave Lu Yuanyuan a headache.
The street was quite noisy, and in order not to attract attention, Xi Ye didn't speak the whole way. He pulled her into a quiet place before stopping and said softly, "We need to find a place to stay first."
Lu Yuanyuan lifted the blindfold. Swampland, as expected of a ghost town built on a mass grave, was eerie even during the day, unlike the bustling human realm and the Southern Territory, requiring lamps for illumination. The lamps burned not open flames, but blue will-o'-the-wisps. The streets were filled with nothing but monsters and ghosts—their appearances initially indistinguishable from humans, but their skin was utterly bloodless, like a blank sheet of paper with outlines but no color, and they cast no shadows.
Soon, they found out some basic information.
Swampland is divided into an inner city and an outer city, separated by a wall. The outer city is further divided into four areas: east, west, south, and north, enclosing the inner city in the middle. Here, the city's inhabitants are divided into different classes, with the oni (ghosts) receiving the best treatment. Monsters who come to join them later are at best second-class citizens and are not allowed to enter the inner city.
Lu Yuanyuan felt that things were a bit tricky.
Unfortunately, Yueqi's palace was located in the inner city. Only the Oni clan could enter that place with impunity. In other words, another obstacle had been added to their ranks.
Moreover, after wandering around the streets, Lu Yuanyuan finally understood why the checks on spies entering the city from Zhaolan weren't strict, yet they still never returned. Because wandering the streets yielded no useful information. The system said Yue Qi would take Xiao Ruo as a sacrifice in half a month, but nobody around was discussing it.
To gather valuable information, one must infiltrate the inner city's palaces. Many spies who reached this point ended up going in vertically and coming out horizontally.
However, there's no use thinking about it now. Let's find a place to stay before sunset.
The nearest inn to them was the South Market of the outer city, just two streets past the city gate. From the outside, the inns here looked dilapidated and dark. Xi Ye chose one that looked a bit deserted, raised his hand to knock on the door, and after a while, the door opened a crack, revealing the face of a dark-skinned, burly man: "Oh, a new face, are you checking in, sir? Please come in."
This is a two-story inn, with curtains covering the windows, making it very dimly lit. A staircase leads to the second floor.
Xi Ye withdrew his gaze, took out a spirit stone from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and said calmly, "I need a room."
Lu Yuanyuan had already blindfolded herself again, pretending to be a captured human, and followed behind Xi Ye, her fingers twitching slightly.
Spirit stones are the universal currency in the Three Realms. Seeing Xi Ye take out such high-quality spirit stones, the demon shopkeeper's eyes lit up. He quickly stuffed them into his sleeve and gestured to the shop assistant behind him: "Hurry up and prepare a room!"
The waiter responded and left.
While waiting for the room to be cleaned up, the shopkeeper chatted with Xi Ye: "Young man, are you also going to the human market to sell goods?"
"right."
The shopkeeper looked Lu Yuanyuan up and down and said, "I've seen many people in this line of work, but this is the first time I've seen someone with such delicate skin. You've come at the perfect time. People like this used to not fetch a good price, but they'll definitely sell for a good price recently."
Xi Ye asked, "Why?"
"In the past, the human market was all about whoever offered the cheapest price sold best. But recently, I've heard that young human women are selling exceptionally well, fetching much higher prices than other goods. I guess it's because some big shot with a big spender likes them."
Just then, the same shopkeeper's voice broke in from the side. He spoke loudly and casually, "I really don't understand how any adult could like such a skinny woman. You know, if you buy a cultivator, you can eat him to replenish your strength; if you buy a strong man, at least you'll be full. What's the use of buying someone like this, with skinny arms and legs, only having a pretty face?"
The shopkeeper clicked his tongue and slapped him on the head: "What do you know! Do they need that food? Maybe they're not after the food, they just enjoy the process."
The waiter swallowed hard, his mouth watering at his words: "Is it really that good? I've never tried it before."
Shopkeeper: "Who knows? I've never tried it..."
At this moment, Xi Ye suddenly interrupted them: "Is the room ready? I want to go upstairs to rest."
The waiter realized what was happening and said with a fawning smile, "It's ready, please come in, sir."
Upon entering the room, Lu Yuanyuan ripped off the blindfold. The room was small and dark, with a window that couldn't be locked, a wooden bed, a wooden table, and a low cabinet. The bed was covered with a thin quilt and only had one pillow, clearly intended only for sleeping at night; in their eyes, Lu Yuanyuan, a human, was unworthy of sleeping in a bed.
Xi Ye closed the door and turned around to see Lu Yuanyuan raising her arms in front of him, looking at him with wide eyes: "Help me untie this."
Although she could break free with brute force, she decided to save the outfit for tomorrow.
Xi Ye lowered his eyes, pulled her close, walked to the table, sat down, and untied the strips of cloth for her. She didn't know how he tied them; they looked like a knot that was impossible to untie, but his fingers were very nimble, and he untied them in a few quick movements. She didn't even see how he did it.
Lu Yuanyuan rolled up her sleeve and saw that there were still faint red marks on her skin. She rubbed them and noticed out of the corner of her eye that Xi Ye was staring at her arm, but as soon as she looked up, he casually looked away.
The mark couldn't be rubbed off, so forget it. Lu Yuanyuan pulled down her sleeve, lowered her voice, and said, "The princess is most likely locked up in the inner city now. The shopkeeper just said that recently, young human women have been being bought at high prices in the human market. Those who can afford the high prices are likely the ghosts living in the inner city. If we want to sneak into the inner city, we might be able to use a trick to send me in."
Xi Ye said, "We don't know how much of what the shopkeeper said is true or false; he only heard it from others. Let's go to the human market and see for ourselves before making a decision. Besides, your method is a bit risky; we shouldn't split up unless absolutely necessary."
Yes, it's good to be cautious.
Lu Yuanyuan responded and rubbed her arms. Then she heard Xi Ye say, "Come here and show me your legs."
Lu Yuanyuan suddenly snapped out of her reverie, realizing that some time had passed since he last helped kill the Spring Serpent. She sat on the bed as instructed, rolling up her trouser legs. The red flower on her calf had rekindled, growing a little bit, but it hadn't gone past her knee and was much smaller than when she hadn't done anything.
She saw Xi Ye sit down, a cold flame flickering in his palm. When his hand pressed against her calf, that familiar, tingling, tormenting sensation crawled through her bones. Lu Yuanyuan lowered her head, biting her lip to endure it. Perhaps things on the verge of death throb more violently; she felt this sensation growing stronger with each passing moment of burning. Gradually, cold sweat broke out on her back, her fingers curled up, and she even instinctively wanted to pull her leg away. But her ankle was held firmly. To prevent herself from letting out a sound, she took a breath and made conversation: "Speaking of which, this time, you suggested coming with me, is it because of my leg…?"
Xi Ye glanced at her and admitted, "That's part of the reason. I promised to help you resolve this matter, and I shouldn't have been separated from you for too long."
Lu Yuanyuan said softly, "Thank you."
When it was finally over, the red flower had faded to about halfway down her calf. As soon as Xi Ye stopped, she felt a little weak, her vision blurred, and her body suddenly lurched forward. Not wanting to bump into someone, she was startled and quickly reached out to steady herself, but her palm landed squarely on Xi Ye's thigh.
It wasn't noticeable through the clothes, but her thighs felt quite firm to the touch. This thought flashed through her mind, and the fabric beneath her hand slipped slightly under the pressure. Her hand, caught off guard, slid sharply towards the center and pressed down.
At the same moment, she heard Xi Ye's breathing pause for a moment, and his jaw tighten.
Oh no. Lu Yuanyuan's palm felt like it was on fire, and she instantly pulled it back. She felt her cheeks burning, and she was extremely embarrassed. She apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to press down on you... I'm so sorry."
She apologized a few times, wanting to see Xi Ye's expression, but he suddenly stood up and turned his back to her.
Is he angry?
Lu Yuanyuan was a little at a loss, but just then, there was a knock on the door: "Sir, we've come to bring you some food."
The daily routine of Swampland is the opposite of that of the human world. At noon, when the sun is at its strongest, the entire city is silent. Around midnight, the whole city comes alive, and the human market only begins at midnight.
Even their mealtimes are different from those in the human world.
Xi Ye walked over, only opening the door halfway, still blocking the way. From her angle, she couldn't see what the boss outside was handing in. Then, the door closed.
Xi Ye had his back to her, holding a food box in his hand. But he didn't come over immediately. Instead, he took the food box aside. Lu Yuanyuan saw his hand move a few times, as if he was checking something. After a while, he closed the lid, pushed the food box aside, and turned around.
Lu Yuanyuan glanced at his expression.
Such an embarrassing thing just happened, but in such a short time, he seems to have calmed down and isn't angry anymore. She pointed to the food box: "What did he send?"
"Meat buns. But it's best not to touch anything here."
Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback, then understood what he meant, and a chill suddenly ran down her spine.
That's true. In a place like this, who knows what kind of meat it is? Was Xi Ye preventing her from seeing the contents of the food box because she was human and he didn't want her to smell anything that would make her nauseous?
Lu Yuanyuan's heart skipped a beat. She then saw Xi Ye take out a packet of dry rations from his pocket and hand it to her: "You can eat this if you're hungry."
The rations were what they had brought before they set off; they were all ordinary food. Lu Yuanyuan thanked them softly, took the food with both hands, took a bite, and began to chew.
Xi Ye watched her eat, lowered his eyes, and seemed to consider for a moment before saying, "We'll set off for the Human Market at midnight. After you finish eating, take a nap, and I'll wake you up when it's time."
Lu Yuanyuan wiped the crumbs of dry food from the corner of her mouth and disagreed, saying, "That's not a good idea. Let's take turns. You go to sleep first, and I'll keep watch. Then it'll be my turn."
Xi Ye's eyes seemed to flicker slightly as he looked at her and slowly said, "It's nighttime now, and I am a monster."
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
I almost forgot, monsters are nocturnal creatures, they're most active at night. She, the human, is the only one who sleeps at night.
Since that's the case, Lu Yuanyuan didn't stand on ceremony. She finished her dry rations in a few bites and clapped her hands.
The conditions here were really poor. The bed creaked, and although the bedding was newly brought out, it was covered in a layer of dust and smelled of something that hadn't been aired in the sun for a long time. Lu Yuanyuan didn't touch the bedding, lay down fully clothed, and slowly closed her eyes.
She had been traveling since dawn and was quite tired. Curled up, she quickly fell asleep and had a hazy dream. She vaguely felt someone pull up her sleeve and something cool brushed away the red marks on her arm.
However, since it was an unfamiliar place, even if she fell asleep, she couldn't stay asleep for long. In her drowsy state, Lu Yuanyuan's eyelids trembled slightly, as if she had heard something, and she opened her eyes a crack.
She saw that the room was pitch black, and the lamps were out. Xi Ye sat by the window with his back to her, seemingly keeping watch, and silvery moonlight fell into his arms.
No, that's not right. The moonlight isn't that bright tonight. It doesn't seem to be the moonlight shining on his chest, but rather something glowing that's perched on his lap.
In an instant, Lu Yuanyuan was slightly startled, and her sleepiness vanished.
Although Xi Ye was turned to the side, she could see that he was holding a familiar little fox in his arms. But at this moment, Tangyuan was not a solid substance; it was just a hazy, silvery moonlight-like shadow, ethereal and elusive, with several fluffy fox tails curling down, the shadow passing through Xi Ye's wrist.
However, in the blink of an eye, the silvery-white shadow disappeared, leaving Xi Ye's arms empty.
...Disappeared?
Was she seeing things?
It must be.
How could Xi Ye possibly bring her child along on such a dangerous spy mission? Did she have a death wish?
She had been with him all day and hadn't seen any pocket on him that could hold a live little fox—he couldn't possibly have hidden the child inside his belly, could he?
Just then, Lu Yuanyuan noticed Xi Ye's sleeve move, as if he was about to get up. Instinctively, not wanting him to know she was awake, she quickly suppressed the strange doubt in her heart and closed her eyes.
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