At the break of dawn, Black Goose and White Dove returned to the inn with uneasy hearts.
White Dove said, "We finally found her, only for her to disappear again. That young mistress doesn’t know a single bit of martial arts—what if something happened to her?"
Black Goose wasn’t confident either, but he still comforted his wife. "None of us expected the people of Yunhuang Immortal City to interfere midway. It was an accident—don’t blame yourself."
"And that Miaojiang man!" White Dove clutched her head, nearly screaming. "If he finds out we lost Miss Chu, he’ll hunt us to the ends of the earth with all kinds of terrifying poisons!"
Black Goose shuddered. "Th-that Miaojiang man… is he really that vengeful?"
"Of course! He’s from Miaojiang!"
Black Goose and White Dove exchanged glances before throwing themselves into each other’s arms, weeping.
"Wife, in our next life, I still want to be with you!"
"Husband, when we reincarnate, you must come find me!"
"What are you two doing so early in the morning?"
A third voice suddenly cut in. Black Goose and White Dove froze, turning to see Chu'he sitting on the steps by the door, holding a bowl of noodles. A tangled clump of noodles dangled from her chopsticks, not yet brought to her mouth.
Beside her was Ninth.
His long hair, usually tied into his signature ponytail, was loosely bound with a red ribbon, the ends draped over Chu'he’s lap.
Ninth also held a bowl of noodles, clumsily mimicking Chu'he’s way of twirling them around his chopsticks. But his technique was unrefined—the noodles quickly unraveled and drooped back into the bowl.
He lifted his eyes, soft and gentle, and echoed, "What are you two doing so early in the morning?"
Black Goose and White Dove stood dumbfounded for a long moment before their senses returned.
Black Goose: "Miss Chu, you’re unharmed!"
Chu'he: "I’m fine."
White Dove: "Then what about last night…?"
The couple glanced at Ninth, who showed no trace of hostility, unsure if he had already poisoned them without their knowledge.
"Last night…" Chu'he deliberately drew out her words, watching as Black Goose and White Dove tensed up before finally saying, "I was kidnapped by someone from Yunhuang Immortal City, but Ninth found me in time and brought me back. That person is dead now, so there’s no need to bring it up again."
Black Goose and White Dove perked up, feeling as though they had narrowly escaped death once more.
White Dove shoved Black Goose aside, overcome with emotion. "Miss Chu, you’re truly a saint!"
Black Goose staggered, nearly falling over.
The couple, who had just been clinging to each other as if ready to die together, now seemed a little less affectionate.
Then, the white-haired, red-eyed youth spoke slowly, "A moment ago… you mentioned me."
Black Goose and White Dove stiffened.
Suddenly, Chu'he stuffed a clump of noodles into Ninth’s mouth. "Just eat!"
Ninth’s cheeks puffed out. He wanted to say it hurt a little, but then it occurred to him—Chu'he only poked him with chopsticks, only fed him. That must mean he was special to her.
He touched his cheek, chewing and swallowing the noodles thoroughly before opening his mouth again. "Ah—"
But Chu'he turned away, slurping her own noodles, ignoring him.
Ninth leaned forward, tilting his head to face her again, mouth open. "Ah—"
Chu'he shot him a glance before coldly looking away, eating on her own.
White Dove tugged Black Goose’s hand, and while Ninth was distracted, the two quietly slipped past the odd young couple to fetch breakfast inside the inn.
Black Goose whispered, "Wife, should we still take this job?"
White Dove pinched him. "Is money more important than our lives? You saw how much that Miaojiang man cares for Miss Chu. There’ll be other jobs—I don’t want to cross him."
Black Goose nodded. "Alright, I’ll listen to you."
Outside on the steps, dappled sunlight filtered through the trees, casting little halos of light on the youth’s jade-like skin, enhancing his delicate features.
Ninth had now crouched in front of Chu'he, holding his bowl but not eating, resting it on his knees. His eyes sparkled as he opened his mouth, his pink tongue tempting the girl who had indulged him countless times before.
"Ah—"
He tilted his head up, staring straight at her.
Sometimes, his patience was maddeningly endless.
Chu'he finally deigned to look at him properly. "Ninth, you’re like a puppy."
Ninth’s eyes flickered. "Woof."
Chu'he: "..."
He really had no shame.
And yet… she kind of liked it.
Glancing around to confirm no one was watching, Chu'he cleared her throat with an air of superiority. "Just this once."
She twirled another clump of noodles, about to feed him—when two groups of people arrived.
Chu'he quickly withdrew her hand, stuffing the noodles into her own mouth instead.
Ninth closed his lips, his gaze darkening as it settled on the newcomers.
Zhou Xian and Jia Yi both tensed, unsure what they had done to provoke the killing intent radiating from him.
And indeed, he was a god of slaughter.
Earlier, in the woods, they had stumbled upon a barely recognizable mass of flesh—hard to imagine the torment the person had endured before death, but easy to guess that Ninth’s methods were exceptionally cruel.
His brutality surpassed even that of Yunhuang Immortal City’s assassins. The only saving grace was that he was unaffiliated, not one of theirs.
Zhou Xian carried a swaddled infant in his arms, while his subordinates supported a unconscious woman—evidently, he had emerged victorious in the recent struggle.
Zhou Xian addressed Chu'he. "My wife woke briefly and mentioned that you helped her. Miss Chu, when you come to Canghaizhou, we will repay you generously."
Jia Yi curled his lip. As another retainer of Canghaizhou, he clearly held little regard for this "wife."
With Luo Qiaoqiao weakened and the child suffering from days of travel, Zhou Xian had no choice but to let them rest at the inn while sending word back to the city to inform Wenren Zhou that his master had been found.
Since Zhou Xian wasn’t leaving, neither was Jia Yi.
And Jia Yi had his own reasons. "I suspect there’s a spy from Yunhuang Immortal City among the guests here. Until I’ve investigated thoroughly, no one leaves!"
His men encircled the inn, sealing it off without care for whom they offended.
Upstairs, a window slid open. Jin Yuyuan asked meekly, "I’m in a hurry to reach Canghaizhou to find my distant relatives. Could you make an exception, sir?"
Financially strained and struggling to feed his child, he was genuinely desperate.
Yu Sanniang rushed out, flustered. "Sir Jia Yi, what’s the meaning of this? How am I supposed to run my business?"
Jia Yi tossed a stack of silver notes into her hands. "I’ll cover all lodging and meals during this time. The extra is for renting out your inn."
Hearing this, Jin Yuyuan withdrew his complaint and shut the window, returning to tend to his child.
