Chapter 117: The Price of a Necklace

Su Mian’s heart was in turmoil, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the warm pendant, almost embedding it into her palm.

“Su Mian.”

Su Baixue’s voice, cold and sharp, cut through the air once more, carrying an undeniable demand for answers.

She took a step forward, her gaze fixed intently on the faintly shimmering necklace adorning Su Mian’s neck.

“That necklace of yours,” she pressed, “how exactly did you come by it?”

Each word was delivered with chilling clarity, every syllable tightening the listener’s chest as if pinned in place by her stare.

Su Mian’s breath hitched, feeling as though she were indeed nailed to the spot by that piercing gaze.

Her throat felt dry. She instinctively averted Su Baixue’s eyes, her voice dropping unintentionally, betraying a distinct lack of confidence.

“It… it was a gift from a friend…”

“A friend?”

Su Baixue’s eyebrow arched, a hint of undisguised mockery playing on her lips.

“What kind of ‘friend’ would give you a necklace that is clearly a women’s design? And a luxury item, at that, worth more than seven figures.”

Her sharp gaze swept over the embedded gemstones and intricate craftsmanship of the pendant.

Su Mian’s cheeks flushed crimson, not just from the embarrassment of being questioned, but because Su Baixue’s remark about it being a “women’s necklace” had precisely struck her most secret, most unspeakable reality.

She opened her mouth, yet found herself utterly unable to concoct a plausible lie that would convince both Su Baixue and Ling Chen, without exposing Xiao Moyuan.

“Tsk tsk,”

Ling Chen watched from the side, arms crossed, thoroughly amused. His gaze lingered on Su Mian’s slightly reddened cheeks and delicate neck, his tone unpleasantly flippant.

“Look at your ‘brother’—such delicate skin, so fair and smooth. I daresay it’s even whiter than our Miss Su’s, wouldn’t you agree?”

He deliberately drew out his words, his meaning clear.

“I’ve heard that quite a few wealthy old men particularly favor clean, handsome young lads like this.”

“They’re quite generous with their money, so it’s not surprising they’d send expensive gifts.”

These words were an almost naked insult, a malicious insinuation.

“Ling Chen!”

Su Baixue whirled around, her voice suddenly rising, filled with sharp fury.

“I’ll say it again: he is not my brother! There is no blood relation between us whatsoever!”

“And watch your words!”

Hearing Su Baixue draw such a resolute line once more, Su Mian felt a bitter pang of heartache.

Ling Chen, however, was unfazed by Su Baixue’s anger. Instead, he grinned as if he had discovered something amusing.

“Oh? Such a strong reaction? I thought Miss Su truly didn’t care about this former family member at all. So, it’s not that you pity your ‘brother’; you’re afraid my words might offend someone, or ruin someone’s reputation?”

Su Baixue’s chest rose and fell slightly, clearly struggling to suppress her rage.

She no longer looked at Ling Chen, but instead directed her cold, sharp gaze back to Su Mian—or rather, to the necklace.

Taking a deep breath, as if steeling herself, she revealed the crucial truth in a tone even colder and harder than before.

“The spiritual energy imprint flowing on this necklace belongs to Senior Xiao Moyuan.”

“What?!”

Ling Chen’s flippant smile instantly froze, replaced by genuine shock.

He snapped his head towards the pendant around Su Mian’s neck.

His previous purely greedy gaze shifted, now infused with an even deeper curiosity.

“A spiritual artifact personally forged by Xiao Moyuan? How—”

He instantly understood why Su Baixue had been so agitated, so quick to stop him earlier.

It wasn’t out of consideration for Su Mian, but rather concern that he might offend, or even tarnish, the reputation of the esteemed “Senior Xiao.”

“Heh…”

Ling Chen quickly recovered, letting out a low, ambiguous chuckle. His gaze darted between Su Mian and the necklace, his tone growing strange.

“So that’s it. No wonder… Does this mean our Senior Xiao has rather unique tastes?”

“Ling Chen! How dare you slander Senior Xiao with such nonsense again!”

Spiritual energy surged around Su Baixue, radiating outwards and forcing Ling Chen to take half a step back. Yet, that irritating smile still lingered on his face.

“Slander?”

Ling Chen spread his hands.

“Miss Su, let’s be frank. Anyone with eyes in the Demon Exorcism Academy can see that you like Xiao Moyuan. But don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment and deceive yourself.”

He raised a finger, pointing at Su Mian—or rather, at the necklace.

“Then explain to me why such a precious protective spiritual artifact, forged with Xiao Moyuan’s painstaking effort, is on this man—who, according to you, has no relation to you whatsoever?”

Su Baixue’s breath hitched abruptly.

She had indeed considered that very question.

Yet, the deep admiration and trust she held for Xiao Moyuan made her instinctively reject certain terrible possibilities.

Su Mian, at this moment, felt a tempest raging within her.

‘My sister likes Xiao Moyuan?’

The realization plunged her mind into chaos.

No wonder Su Baixue’s reaction had been so intense earlier.

No wonder she was so fixated on the necklace’s origin… A profound, indescribable sense of absurdity and an even deeper fear seized her.

‘Absolutely! I absolutely cannot admit my true relationship with Xiao Moyuan!’

‘If Su Baixue were to discover that I not only transformed into a female fox demon but also, by some twist of fate, had the most intimate relationship with Xiao Moyuan, even becoming his shikigami…’

‘Then the already precarious ‘sibling’ bond between us would likely shatter instantly, with no room for reconciliation.’

‘With what disdain, what hatred, would Su Baixue look upon me, her ‘brother’?’

‘Truth be told, Xiao Moyuan’s charm is quite potent. Shen Zhixia likes him, Su Baixue likes him. Even I myself…’

Su Baixue forcefully suppressed her churning emotions, her gaze turning icy as she looked at Su Mian, commanding without question: “Speak!”

Su Mian shivered from the coldness in her eyes, stammering, “Speak—”

“Speak what?”

“Why?”

Su Baixue’s voice was almost squeezed through her teeth.

“Why would Senior Xiao give you such an important spiritual artifact, one he forged with his own hands?”

“What exactly is your relationship?”

She seemed to recall something suddenly, her eyes flickering slightly, her words quickening, as if trying to convince herself.

“I remember, Shen Zhixia, she also likes Senior Xiao.”

“By all logic, you and Senior Xiao should be… rivals in love, shouldn’t you?”

This thought seemed to offer her a new line of reasoning, slightly easing her tense expression, though her gaze remained icy.

“Could it be… this necklace was originally intended for Sister Zhixia by Senior Xiao?”

She stared intently at Su Mian, trying to find a flaw in her expression.

“And you acquired it through some unscrupulous means?”

“Just like you always tried to find ways to obstruct Sister Zhixia’s interactions with other men in the past?”

Rather than accept the possibility of a special connection between Xiao Moyuan and Su Mian, she preferred to believe that Su Mian had used underhanded methods to steal or ‘trick’ the necklace from Shen Zhixia.

People, after all, instinctively seek out explanations that are most favorable and acceptable to themselves, to convince themselves.

Su Mian’s heart leaped to her throat, cold sweat breaking out on her back.

How could she explain?

‘Admit that Xiao Moyuan gave it to me?’

That would be like igniting a powder keg. ‘Admit, following Su Baixue’s guess, that I ‘got it’ myself?’

‘Though it would tarnish my image, it seems like the best way to quell suspicion and avoid further scrutiny right now… At least, it would temporarily remove Xiao Moyuan from the equation.’

Looking at the undisguised disgust in Su Baixue’s eyes, a bitter feeling spread through Su Mian’s heart.

‘Was this truly the image she held of me in her heart? A petty person who would steal and destroy others’ relationships?’

‘Such a misunderstanding, though hurtful, was still better than the truth being exposed.’

Su Mian forced a smile that was both awkward and somewhat guilty, vaguely echoing Su Baixue’s words in a low voice.

“Baixue… you know, I… I just like Zhixia, I just can’t stand seeing her with others…”

She didn’t directly admit to stealing the necklace, but her evasive attitude and mention of her obsession with Shen Zhixia undoubtedly greatly reinforced Su Baixue’s suspicions.

Indeed, the disgust in Su Baixue’s eyes intensified, as if she were looking at something vile. Yet, at the same time, her tense shoulders imperceptibly relaxed by a millimeter. Deep down, she felt a strange sense of relief.

‘Good… at least it’s not the worst possibility she had imagined.’

“Heh, what a show.”

Ling Chen, who had been listening with keen interest, chimed in at the opportune moment, pulling the conversation back to reality.

“You two can put your family drama aside for now. Let me make one thing clear—”

His gaze returned to Su Mian, greedy and determined.

“Regardless of who Xiao Moyuan gave this necklace to, or how you got your hands on it. Right now, in my eyes, it is an ownerless, top-tier spiritual artifact. I’m taking it.”

Su Baixue glared at him. “Ling Chen! There’s a limit to your greed! If Senior Xiao discovers his spiritual artifact in your hands, how will you explain yourself?”

“Explain?”

Ling Chen sneered, completely unconcerned.

“If I found it in the Misty Realm by my own skill, or ‘took’ it from someone unworthy of possessing it, then it’s my spoils of war. Who do I need to explain myself to?”

“Shameless!”

“Call me what you like, my dear partner.”

Ling Chen replied sarcastically.

“If anyone’s to blame, it’s Xiao Moyuan himself for being careless. To lose something so important, or let it fall into the hands of someone insignificant.”

“It seems those rumors about how formidable he is in the Demon Exorcism Academy are somewhat exaggerated. A senior who makes such amateurish mistakes, heh heh.”

‘Are such blatant, low-level tactics being openly employed now?’

These words were like a thorn, piercing Su Baixue’s wavering defenses once more.

Indeed, with Senior Xiao’s caution and ability, was it truly possible for Su Mian to ‘acquire’ such a personal protective spiritual artifact from him or Shen Zhixia?

A shadow of doubt, after all, was difficult to completely dispel.

Just then, the blood-red demonic mist around them churned violently again!

More chaotic and ferocious roars and rustling sounds closed in from all directions than before.

A second wave, far greater in number and clearly more ferocious, of Misty Realm demons, drawn by the lingering human aura and spiritual energy fluctuations, was swarming towards them!

Ling Chen’s expression changed slightly. He immediately extended his hand towards Su Mian, his tone laced with warning, threatening doubt, and urgency.

“Alright, no time for nonsense! Give me the necklace!”

He pointed to the unconscious Qin Xuan and Lu Yang, then glanced at Su Baixue’s grim face and the increasingly clear outlines of monsters surrounding them.

“The second wave is here, and they’re much tougher than the last! I’m not obligated to protect your troublesome friends anymore, nor do I have the leisure to figure out how to drag you burdens back to the real world from this damned place!”

“Either die here with this necklace that might not even belong to you, or use it to buy a way out. You choose!”

Su Mian’s face went pale. She looked at Ling Chen’s outstretched hand, then turned back to the unconscious, fate-unknown Lu Yang and Qin Xuan, her heart pounding in her chest.

‘Give it to him?’

‘That was the most precious talisman Xiao Moyuan had given her, a promise, a bond she couldn’t sever.’

‘Don’t give it to him?’

‘What about Lu Yang and Qin Xuan?’

‘She might be safe with the necklace’s protection, but they…’

‘Or, should I stop hiding my identity and fully unleash my demonic form?’

‘Though Xiao Moyuan had repeatedly warned her not to expose her identity…’

‘Compared to the first two options, this one seemed the most suitable.’

“The necklace, don’t give it to him.”

A clear, calm voice distinctly reached everyone’s ears.

At the same time, a chill spread without warning, rapidly engulfing the entire area.

Tiny, shimmering ice crystals condensed in the air, drifting down and intertwining with the crimson moonlight, forming an eerie yet tranquil scene.

Su Mian whirled around, only to see a tall, slender figure who had quietly appeared, standing before her and the unconscious Lu Yang and Qin Xuan.

The newcomer’s waist-length hair cascaded down like icy silk, shimmering with an ice-blue luster under the red moon and ice crystals.

She was no longer wearing her ordinary school uniform, but a set of ancient, elegant, blue-and-white kimono-style clothing, its sleeves fluttering, adorned with snowflake and icicle patterns.

The most striking feature was her eyes—still ice-blue, but even more translucent and profound than in her human state, devoid of any human emotion.

Visible pale blue cold air emanated from her, and the ground beneath her feet was rapidly covered in a layer of white frost, which continued to spread outwards.

This figure was both familiar and strange. Her delicate features still bore Xue Li’s outline, but her aura and appearance had undergone a radical transformation.

Su Mian gazed blankly at the back of this figure, radiating powerful demonic energy and non-human beauty. She subconsciously, with incredible hesitation, whispered:

“This… this must be Xue Li… right?”

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