Chapter 8: A Midnight Request and a Daring Heist

Although his right arm had regained its form, it still hung limply, poised as if a withered leaf ready to fall at any moment. Su Qin let out a deep sigh, realizing that the night had already grown late.

“Could it truly be that only human blood would suffice?”

He had already experimented with animal blood, to no avail. And in his haste, there were no human blood reserves to be found.

“Continuing like this, cultivation would be impossible.”

Rising, Su Qin made his way out of the hall. Though the lights in Gu Yuhe’s distant cottage were extinguished, he could perceive her diligent efforts continuing in the basement.

“Perhaps it would be best not to disturb her after all.”

Su Qin turned, entering the dungeon. Without the usual wailing of imps, the silence was profound, making his footsteps resound with an almost startling clarity.

So clear, in fact, that they roused a sleeping occupant.

Rubbing her eyes, Qi Shuyue looked up, her gaze still heavy with sleep:

“Demon… Sir? It’s awfully late; what brings you here at this hour?”

“The matter is urgent, and well… I need to draw a little of your blood.”

Qi Shuyue paused, her expression momentarily stunned, before a slow smile began to curve her lips. Her eyes then playfully assessed the somewhat disheveled Su Qin.

Any trace of drowsiness vanished from her instantly.

“Oh dear~, what ever shall we do? That sounds like it would be quite painful, wouldn’t it?”

Qi Shuyue delicately tapped her index finger against her lips, feigning a pitiful expression that instantly stirred a profound sense of guilt within Su Qin.

“I will endeavor to be as gentle as possible.”

Upon hearing his words, Qi Shuyue’s lips curved into a teasing smile, her eyes sparkling with unconcealed amusement.

“Hehe, is Demon Sir truly so foolish? No matter how gentle you try to be, it will still hurt, won’t it? How could that possibly count as compensation?”

“Then what is it you wish for me to do?”

At his question, Qi Shuyue covered her mouth, her giggles echoing softly. Then, with a deliberate slowness, she raised a hand and tugged her collar to the right, revealing skin as smooth and lustrous as polished jade.

“I haven’t quite settled on the terms yet. Demon Sir, you may use it first and settle the payment later, but do be gentle, won’t you~?”

Su Qin nodded, then slowly leaned closer.

As the warm liquid flowed into his mouth, a peculiar sensation blossomed within Su Qin’s chest.

***

An hour later, the towering Su Qin, with Qi Shuyue on his back, seized a moment of the guards’ inattention and, with a swift movement, slipped into the Treasure Pavilion.

“Wow, Demon Sir’s speed is truly astonishing!”

Qi Shuyue’s heart hammered wildly in her chest, the thrill of the moment painting her cheeks with a vivid blush.

The formidable Demon Lord, carrying her — the Saintess of a rival sect — was brazenly breaking into the Demonic Sword Sect’s Treasure Pavilion.

“All the truly valuable treasures are locked, and anything beyond the fifth floor is protected by powerful enchantments.”

Once his body was fully restored, Qi Shuyue’s sole condition had been a visit to the Demonic Sect’s Treasure Pavilion; thus, Su Qin had brought her here.

Below the fifth floor, the items were largely trifles, only considered treasures by Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining disciples. None of the artifacts found there exceeded a thousand in age or value.

“Then, Demon Sir, are you unable to force your way through? I sense a formidable power within you; you hardly seem to be merely a Golden Core cultivator.”

“Please, spare me your flattery. Breaching the enchantments on the fifth floor and above would demand considerable time, and such an act would inevitably draw the attention of the Law Enforcement Hall.”

Su Qin pondered this. He recalled that the girl’s previous magical artifacts had never quite suited her, which was why he’d felt no compunction in taking them. It appeared she intended to acquire a new set of equipment today.

“I’ll simply take you directly to the fourth floor.”

“No, the very first floor holds what I wish to see.”

Qi Shuyue’s eyes gleamed with excitement as she pointed towards a small section in the distance. Su Qin, looking over with a puzzled frown, felt his entire frame jolt with surprise.

‘This woman… she is truly terrifying.’

“What on earth are you looking at those things for?”

A difficult expression crossed Su Qin’s face, a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

That particular section belonged to Chu Lingge’s Serene Splendor Hall exhibition.

The artifacts on the first floor were barely even worthy of being called magical treasures, capable only of inscribing simple runes and performing rudimentary, repetitive actions.

“Didn’t Demon Sir already promise me? I’m simply curious; is it truly forbidden for me to look?”

With no other recourse, Su Qin carried her over. Qi Shuyue then hopped down, her large eyes wide with curiosity as she surveyed the oddly shaped ‘toys’.

Truthfully, Su Qin felt a considerable lightness now. Carrying her moments ago had felt like being pressed by two rising dough balls; he hadn’t even dared to breathe deeply.

Though both were nineteen years of age, Gu Yuhe was akin to a reserved air conditioner remote control, while Qi Shuyue felt more like a perfectly ergonomic game controller, fitting snugly in one’s hand.

Both she and Bai Zhenye possessed captivating figures, the kind that grew more alluring with every glance.

This, too, was why Qi Shuyue and Bai Zhenye had always been his favorite characters.

He had never anticipated, however, that the truth would be so utterly different: one a deranged, knife-wielding maniac, the other a suppressed, seductive demoness.

Qi Shuyue gazed with fascination at these intricate magical artifacts: some were shaped like strings of beads, others like tuning forks, and still more were biomimetic, resembling lamb’s tongues, lantern fish, or snails.

“Wow, how incredibly clever…” The girl’s eyes practically sparkled with stars.

“I’ve truly never seen so many varieties! Demon Sir, have you… used all of these before?”

Su Qin cleared his throat awkwardly, offering no reply.

A wicked grin spread across Qi Shuyue’s face as she pointed towards a cylindrical artifact, looking every inch a mischievous imp:

“Demon Sir, I wish to see you use this one.”

“What?”

Su Qin could scarcely believe his own ears.

“Was I not clear enough? I want to watch you use this. I’ve yet to see a man employ such a device.”

‘She’s insane, truly insane,’ Su Qin thought, convinced the girl was nothing short of a monster.

‘No, where did this Saintess even come from? If she hadn’t been identified as such, he would have sworn she was some seductive demoness from a demonic sect!’

Creak

Su Qin’s pupils instantly constricted. Scooping up Qi Shuyue, he swiftly ducked behind a towering shelf. Qi Shuyue, with perfect timing, activated her Breath Concealment Art, effectively masking both their auras.

—Thump! Thump!—

Their bodies pressed tightly together, they watched the entrance with bated breath.

From the entrance emerged an aloof fairy with raven hair and obsidian eyes. The instant she appeared, a sharp phantom pain lanced through Su Qin’s right arm.

‘Bai Zhenye!’

‘What is she doing here?’ Su Qin’s heart leaped into his throat.

The two remained utterly motionless, their gazes fixed on the figure as she slowly advanced towards their hiding spot.

‘Have we been discovered?!’

Su Qin’s palms grew slick with sweat from the sheer tension. He knew, unequivocally, that he stood no chance against her at present.

Just as he contemplated whether to channel his energy and flee, a pair of small hands gently enveloped his throbbing, phantom-painful arm.

It was Qi Shuyue, her face radiating a gentle calm. Her soft voice then whispered into his ear.

“Don’t be alarmed; she likely hasn’t detected us. And that injury of yours just now… she was responsible for it, wasn’t she?”

Su Qin nodded. Qi Shuyue paused for a moment, gently caressing his cheek, all the while subtly committing Bai Zhenye’s image to memory with her peripheral vision.

‘Where could that book be?’

Bai Zhenye murmured to herself as she entered the Serene Splendor Hall exhibition, beginning to browse the bookshelves.

‘It must succeed on the first attempt, but I have no idea if that fellow is even capable.’

A short while later, she located her target: a book boldly titled ‘100% Conception Secrets and Fetal Education’.

After flipping through a few pages, a blush crept across her delicate features, and she swiftly tucked the ‘secrets’ into her spatial pouch.

Bai Zhenye flashed out of the pavilion, transforming into a streak of light that rapidly disappeared into the distance. Her movements were as fluid as flowing water, so seamless that the guards remained utterly oblivious.

The two remaining occupants of the pavilion let out a collective sigh of relief. Su Qin lifted Qi Shuyue into his arms; the young girl nodded, and seizing another moment of the guards’ inattention, they too vanished in a flash.

Upon their return to Silver Splendor Hall, both gasped for breath.

The thrill was almost overwhelming; that sensation of nearly being discovered left Qi Shuyue’s delicate face still flushed with excitement.

“Are you truly a Saintess?”

Su Qin shot her an exasperated glare, yet Qi Shuyue merely offered a soft smile in return.

“This evening was truly delightful. Thank you, Demon Sir; I feel I’ve gained some rather pleasant memories.”

“Then I shall return to the dungeon for now.”

Qi Shuyue moved to leave for the dungeon, but Su Qin stopped her.

“Don’t go to the dungeon. You should come to my room instead.”