Chapter 39: Madam of the Singers
“Where is this?”
Ye Yu observed her surroundings and asked this while walking to the side.
Yet, Xuan Yi reached over and held her other arm, pulling her back.
“Don’t move around.”
Ye Yu almost trapped and after balancing herself with difficulty, she helplessly looked over at Xuan Yi.
“Even if you have a lot of strength, don’t use it on someone who can’t even cultivate. Who’s going to take responsibility if I throw myself in your arms?”
After saying this, Ye Yu regretted it.
“…Me.”
Although he was only stunned for a second, Xuan Yi blurted this, not even giving Ye Yu a chance to take back her words.
Ye Yu’s lips twitched and she looked away.
…She was the one who ‘teased’ him, so she’ll take the blame.
“What is this secret passage?”
Ye Yu who shifted their attention seized the opportunity to observe the underground tunnel they were in and the long pathway. The mud on the ground was soft and the rock walls were uneven and bumpy, with an altar lamp and a weak light on.
“Yes.” Xuan Yi shifted his gaze from Ye Yu and continued, “This is a secret passage to the devil palace and there is each an entrance in the inner palace, outside the palace, and outside the devil city…I had accidentally found this a few years ago.”
“Ah, this is the place where you activated your ancient blood heritage and reconstructed the channels in your body, cultivating once more.”
As Ye Yu said this, she looked at Xuan Yi who had a look of complication that flashed by quickly. In the end, he revealed a look of unresign and helplessness.
“Is there anything that I can hide from you?”
“…”
Ye Yu said nothing and pursed her lips, looking at Xuan Yi. In the end, she turned back around feeling conflicted.
Just before, she had captured Xuan Yi’s change of expression and did not see him being alert, on guard, or even wanting to murder her. These were emotions that were fairly normal for Xuan Yi to have according to the book.
Was he not wary of her at all?
“…Young people.”
Ye Yu sighed with emotions and reached over to rub the head of the youth who had recovered his appearance and was shorter than her by half an inch.
Xuan Yi was confused by the sudden tough and reacted 2 seconds later, his ears flushed.
“Don’t walk around casually. There are some traps here and you might accidentally injure yourself if you’re not cautious.”
“…I know.”
Ye Yu looked strangely at him and asked, “Didn’t I just pat your head? You know that and I want to know something, I will be able to after making physical contact.”
As she said this, Ye Yu raised her leg and jumped over an inconspicuous but bumpy round stone.
Yet, Xuan Yi looked at her, stunned. “It was because of this that you —”
Ye Yu who heard this slightly slowed down and looked back, smiling but not really smiling at him.
“What did you think? Why would I do that then?”
Before Xuan Yi could respond, she had turned back around and started to jump and hop over the traps.
A tint of sadness entered the youth’s pitch-black eyes.
But moments later, the eyes which took in the figure that was gradually becoming smaller was replaced by a tint of intense and dangerous feeling.
*
“Lian Sheng… Lian Sheng…”
The anxious and nervous calls echoed within the backyard of the devil palace’s Singsong Department.
A woman who was searching through the cluster of flowers suddenly glanced at the corner of a pavilion by the lakeside not far from her.
The woman focused her gaze and then she knitted her eyebrows, jogging towards that direction while lifting her long palace uniform dress.
When she arrived, the woman glanced at the figure on the luxury chaise lounge and helplessly said, “Lian Sheng, you’re still in the mood to take a nap here? There’s something big going on within the department and we will need to hurry over for an assembly.”
After a few seconds, the “Lian Sheng” who was curled up on the luxury chaise lounge moved and then she slowly turned around, revealing a sleepy small face. “Big thing going on?… What big thing?”
“Since it’s a big thing going on, how could singsong girls like us know beforehand?”
While speaking, she had a look of melancholy and sadness, but she quickly revealed her emotions and reached over to pull the figure on the cough
“You. Ever since you got severely sick half a month ago, it was like you changed completely. You were never this tired in the past. If you’re late today, be careful of the aunt-in-charge since she might punish you again.”
“Well, my body hasn’t recovered yet…”
“Lian Sheng” smiled and sat up, saying, “I’ll be going there. Xiang’er, you can go first.”
Xiang’er nodded and then turned back around after a few steps, reminding her while ill at ease, “You better not be late.”
“Mhm.”
The lady in the luxury chaise lounge nodded.
She watched until Xiang’er figure disappeared from her line of vision and then “Lian Sheng” placed away her pure and innocent smile, stretching her body without a care for her image.
Then, she stood up while yawning, saying, “Despite prolonging this for half a month, it still arrived…who knows whether I could still live this blissful days after being a “woman that tends to the Emperor’s sexual desires.””
An hour later, three sedan chairs carried three “women who tend to the Emperor’s sexual desires” out of the Singsong Department and lined up row by row, heading towards the Devil Emperor’s palace hall.