My Demon Lord Junior Sister Is Pretending to Be Good to Seduce Me - Chapter 24

“You shouldn’t resort to these wicked, demonic ways. She doesn’t like it.” Mu Xuewei pulled down her cloak, obscuring her face. “I’m leaving you alive because I want you to take a message back to your master. Just say…”

“Stay far away from the bounds of Mount Xuanling.”

“Y-yes, yes.” The demon cultivator scrambled away.

Before he could get far, a sword light pierced straight through him.

“Forget it,” Mu Xuewei sighed softly, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from her sword. “I’ll just tell her myself later.”

Mu Xuewei lifted her head, and her cloak slipped down slightly. She looked at the dead tree reaching straight up to the heavens, her gray pupils deepening from light to dark, casting a pall of gloom beneath their pale hue.

Her gaze narrowed, and the surrounding withered, towering trees rapidly carbonized, turning into dark ashes that scattered with the wind.

She squatted down, brushing the strands of hair away from Lin Yumo’s face. Her fingertip traced the curve of Lin Yumo’s features down to her earlobe, her eyes welling up with tears.

Lin Yumo had a tiny scratch on her cheek and a smudge of dirt on the tip of her nose. Her usual youthful energy was, at this moment, tinged with a touch of the mundane, just like when Mu Xuewei first saw her as a child—dusty and quite endearing.

She slowly leaned down and slipped a pill into Lin Yumo’s mouth. Before the person beneath her woke up, she gently pressed a kiss upon her, then stood up, adjusted her cloak, and dared not linger.

The poison was neutralized; Lin Yumo would wake soon.

She had to leave.

…

In the hazy miasma, Lin Yumo opened her eyes with a frown. The dust made her cough uncontrollably.

Her hand rested on the Kunwu sword, a sense of having narrowly escaped death filling her heart.

It seemed even the heavens pitied her and didn’t let her die here.

She smacked her lips, tasting a bitter flavor in her mouth, suggesting someone had detoxified her.

She scanned herself repeatedly, as if searching for something, only to sigh in disappointment when she couldn’t find anything.

Her benefactor hadn’t even left a name after doing a good deed.

She earnestly cupped her hands and bowed toward the air, resolving that if they were lucky enough to meet again, she would repay this kindness with all her might.

She looked at the surrounding desolate wilderness and would have thought it was all a dream had she not actually been injured.

She brushed the dirt from her clothes, fastened her sword to her waist, and, despite her less-than-clean state, wandered through Shili Langdang, buying two bags of crisp candy before finally returning to the Purple Bamboo Forest with a sense of satisfaction.

Lin Yumo quietly entered her room, only to see Lin Qinglu staring at her with wide eyes, pouting, her gaze finally settling on the two bags of crisp candy in Lin Yumo’s hand.

Sensing the attention, Lin Yumo quickly put her hands behind her back, deliberately hiding her “treasures.”

“Sister, I saw it! What are you holding?” Lin Qinglu sidled up to her, craning her neck and reaching for the bags in her hands.

Lin Yumo smiled slightly, raised her arms, and held the two bags of candy high up, intentionally keeping them out of Lin Qinglu’s reach, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

Lin Qinglu pulled her hands back and put them on her hips. “If you don’t let me look, I’ll go tell Elder Wei that you stayed out all night.”

“You!”

Lin Yumo was truly furious. In this Purple Bamboo Forest, everyone, one way or another, had leverage over her. She could ignore the so-called Miss Mu, but to be threatened by a fifteen-year-old child was simply…

Too much!

She gave in.

“Fine, fine, fine.” She shoved one bag of crisp candy into Lin Qinglu’s hand, bent down, and said fiercely, “If anyone besides the two of us finds out about this, I’ll…”

She gradually clenched her fingers into a fist, holding it up in front of Lin Qinglu, “Throw you into the Burial Ground!”

Lin Qinglu nodded, then shook her head. “But,”

“But…”

“A third person already knows…”

Lin Yumo’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly checked the sheepskin scroll on the side table that she hadn’t managed to put away.

It had been moved.

Her eyes moved, settling on the room next door.

Mu Xuewei!

Lin Yumo closed her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to confront Mu Xuewei directly. So, she hastily grabbed a jar of wine and knocked on Mu Xuewei’s door.

She felt uncertain, but she hoped Mu Xuewei had no connection with the demon cultivators.

“Would you like to drink?” Lin Yumo’s voice was low, and it was clear she was not in a good mood.

“Senior Sister, you…” Mu Xuewei looked at Lin Yumo’s clothes, which she hadn’t had time to change, and couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh. “Did you fall into a pit?”

Lin Yumo wiped the dirt from her face, thinking to herself: As if you, the great demon, wouldn’t know whether I fell into a pit or not?

She took a few steps closer to Mu Xuewei, backing her against the wall, a hint of coldness in her eyes. “Mu Xuewei, you drink wine, don’t you…”

“Don’t you know my capacity for alcohol, Senior Sister?” Mu Xuewei curbed her smile, her voice softening, likely having guessed her intent.

Her eyes dimmed slightly. She took Lin Yumo’s hand. “Senior Sister, please sit.”

Lin Yumo poured two bowls of wine and pushed one toward Mu Xuewei. She didn’t ask directly, choosing a different topic instead. “What was that enchanting technique you mentioned to me the other day?”

Mu Xuewei sat down beside Lin Yumo and replied, “It was the Butterfly Demon I encountered in Shili Langdang. Elder Xiao said they have a type of technique, similar to an enchantment, that can control people’s minds.”

She cupped the wine bowl with both hands and, with a slight frown, took hurried sips. Just one bowl brought a blush to her face.

Perhaps the alcohol was strong, as one bowl was enough to make her tipsy.

The more she thought, the more wronged she felt that her Senior Sister would suspect her.

“Senior Sister, you don’t just want to ask me about this, do you?” Mu Xuewei’s voice was soft, and she tilted her head to look at her, her eyes reflecting seriousness.

Lin Yumo glanced at her, taking a large gulp of wine to steady herself before she could calmly ask the question she really wanted to ask: “Did you touch anything in my room?”

Mu Xuewei’s pale lashes trembled slightly, and her eyes reddened. She wrapped her arms around Lin Yumo’s neck, pulling her closer.

She sighed deeply, her gray eyes somewhat hazy, tears welling up.

“I,” Mu Xuewei forcefully met Lin Yumo’s gaze, “did not!”

She had indeed seen the sheepskin scroll, which was why she went to the Burial Ground, but when she went into Lin Yumo’s room, the scroll was already openly placed on the table.

She wasn’t stupid; if she had truly searched for it, she would have put it back in its original spot.

Perhaps because they were so close, Lin Yumo could smell the faint scent of bamboo leaves on her, in addition to the fragrance of pear blossom wine.

The tear that had been clinging to Mu Xuewei’s eye finally rolled down. Her voice was slightly trembling. “Am I the first person you suspect, Senior Sister?”

“Ever since you brought Lin Qinglu back, you’ve been looking at me disapprovingly and finding fault with me, haven’t you?”

“Senior Sister can spend a rainy night with her biological younger sister whom she hasn’t seen in over ten years, yet you won’t spare me a moment of compassion…”

“Did you bring this jar of wine because you sincerely wanted to drink with me, or for some other reason?” Her voice gradually became tearful.

“You… never trusted me…”

Mu Xuewei withdrew her arms and, slightly drunk, slumped onto the table, her eyes watery as she stared at Lin Yumo. After a long while, she stubbornly turned her head away, unwilling to look at her anymore.

Lin Yumo lowered her head. She admitted that suspecting someone without evidence wasn’t right, but she really wanted to be honest with Mu Xuewei and ensure she would never associate with the demon cultivators in this lifetime.

But it seemed she had made a mistake.

“I took care of Lin Qinglu simply because she came to visit the mountain. If she suffered any grievance at Mount Xuanling, it would reflect poorly on Mount Xuanling’s reputation.”

She didn’t know why she said such a thing, but…

She just felt like saying it.

Mu Xuewei curved her lips into a faint smile and slowly closed her eyes.

Lin Yumo sighed.

Her tolerance for alcohol was still that poor.

Lin Yumo quietly slipped out of Mu Xuewei’s room and gently rested her forehead against a pillar.

She could not hide her shame and frustration.

She inwardly cursed herself.

Lin Yumo, Lin Yumo, you’re an absolute scoundrel!

Why did you barge into her room without any evidence!

Bastard! Utter bastard!

Only after a long period of calming herself down did she return to her room and say to Lin Qinglu with some severity, “In the future, don’t touch my belongings without my permission! Do you hear me!”

Lin Qinglu glanced at the side table, scratched her head, and, knowing she was wrong, replied, “Oh.”

Meanwhile, in the other room, Mu Xuewei opened her eyes. Dipping her finger into the wine in the bowl, she traced the three characters ‘Lin Yumo’ on the wooden table, then stared at the wet marks until they dried.

Lin Yumo.

“I will never betray you.”

I am the one you can trust the most.

The night deepened. In September, the weather was always punctuated by intermittent light rain, and the air grew cooler day by day.

Wei Qingyi held a slip of paper in her hand. The sea eagle perched on the window sill flew off into the rain, flapping its wings.

“Demon cultivators. Alas… that’s a matter for the younger generation now.”

Wei Qingyi passed the slip of paper over the candlelight, burning it to ashes.

The next day, the sky cleared, and the air was filled with the smell of damp earth. Wei Qingyi summoned her three disciples, accompanied by Shen Zhuli, who claimed to be a disciple under Wei Qingyi’s tutelage.

“There’s unrest in Qingzhou. Go investigate.”

Wei Qingyi glanced at Shen Zhuli. She hadn’t wanted Shen Zhuli to go with her disciples, as Shen Zhuli was not her direct disciple, and if anything happened, it would be difficult for her to explain to Xiao Tang.

However, she reconsidered, thinking that a disciple trained by Xiao Tang shouldn’t be that incompetent.

She gave a final instruction: “Be careful in all things. If anything goes wrong, send a message back.”

“Master,” Lin Yumo glanced toward her room, “Lin Qinglu…”

“I will send her back.” Wei Qingyi held a cup of tea, her eyes fixed on the liquid. She sneered lightly, thinking that old fellow Lin Yang claimed to send someone to visit the mountain, but he was actually just using emotional manipulation to strengthen the relationship between Yumo and his Mount Kunlun.

What relationship could Yumo have with Mount Kunlun?

A joke.

The speaker had no ill intention, but the listener took note.

To Shen Zhuli, these words meant Wei Qingyi would personally go to Mount Kunlun and meet with Ji Nangui. If… if…

She lowered her eyes, feeling a pang of unwillingness, but she had no excuse to go with her.

She stared at the sword tassel on Wei Qingyi’s Jade Bamboo Sword—a light blue silk cord with a pale green jade pendant hanging from it.

The jade was fine, lustrous, and clearly expensive.

It doesn’t look good! It’s not pretty at all!

It doesn’t suit Master’s Jade Bamboo Sword in the slightest.

She silently felt jealous, secretly making a mental note of this debt.

…

Qingzhou was far from Mount Xuanling. They traveled for several days before reaching Qingzhou.

Wei Qingyi had only said that Qingzhou was in chaos, but not the nature of the chaos.

And when their group arrived, Qingzhou outwardly appeared peaceful.

“Three rooms with soft beds.” Lin Yumo spoke without hesitation, not even pausing.

“Three rooms?” Li Shuangxing was confused.

Lin Yumo figured that since she needed to keep an eye on Mu Xuewei anyway to prevent contact with the demon cultivators, they might as well sleep in the same room for convenience.

Shen Zhuli smiled, pushing Li Shuangxing upstairs. “Three rooms it is, then!”

Lin Yumo turned around and met the clear, gray eyes staring intently at her.

Feeling a bit awkward, she cleared her throat and led Mu Xuewei upstairs. As they walked, she hastily demarcated their boundaries with Mu Xuewei, saying, “You sleep on the bed; I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Mu Xuewei followed her up, her hand subtly resting on the edge of Lin Yumo’s waist sash, barely touching, so that Lin Yumo didn’t even notice.

“Senior Sister, inns like this only have one bed; there won’t be a couch.” Her voice was soft and gentle, but carried a hint of private delight.

…

After checking their rooms and putting away their things, the four of them sat around the dinner table.

As the saying goes, information still flows best in places like inns.

Before their seats were even warm, they heard the nearby group of men discussing something.

Lin Yumo leaned her ear toward them, her pace of picking up food slowing down, absently feeding herself.

“Ah! Did you hear? Another woman disappeared last night.”

“Aiyo, this Qingzhou is really in a state of panic now.”

“Shh—keep your voice down. The authorities don’t allow discussion of this.”

“Drink, drink.”

“Senior Brother,” Lin Yumo gave Li Shuangxing a look, pointing behind her.

Li Shuangxing immediately understood. He ordered the most expensive jar of wine, took it, and walked over, squeezing in among the men. He put his arm around one of the men’s shoulders. “Brother, may I ask what caused this?”

He patted the wine jar.

The man looked at the fine wine, pursed his lips, smacked his mouth, and after a moment of hesitation, whispered, “Let me tell you, women and children frequently go missing in Qingzhou City.”

“It used to be better, years ago. The authorities would still send people to search, and back then, they could still find corpses and send them back for burial.”

“Aiyo, it’s not like that anymore. Any family that reports it to the authorities disappears overnight, and even some of the local officials have suffered. It’s causing widespread panic! Now, even the authorities don’t dare to intervene!”

“We, the common people, can only pray for the benevolence of the great officials.”

Li Shuangxing poured wine into the man’s bowl, his face showing pity. “Alas, in broad daylight, how can such heinous acts be committed!”

He patted the man on the shoulder. “But don’t worry, I am from the Imperial Guard.”

He said this without changing his expression, even cupping his hands and bowing toward the door. “I have been specially commissioned by the Son of Heaven to investigate this case. Rest assured, this matter will definitely be resolved.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the man tried to stand up to bow, but Li Shuangxing forcibly pushed him back down and said softly, “Brother, don’t get too excited. I’m conducting a secret investigation this time, so my identity must be kept confidential.”

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