Chapter 14

As the two of them bantered and bickered their way at a leisurely pace to the front hall, the once boisterous and lively crowd gathered there had already been politely “invited” back to their quarters in the rear courtyard by the estate’s assigned pages. It was, perhaps, at the behest of the “convalescing” Lord of the city, and though most guests grumbled a bit—complaining about the poor hospitality of the City Lord’s residence—they eventually drifted away in small groups, discussing the situation among themselves as they went.

Of course, there were still a few guests who remained seated in the spacious front hall, expressionless and unmoving, as if rooted to their spots.

At that very moment, Lin Yu had just stepped into the now-empty front hall, and there was such a person before him—

A man sat quietly in one corner, his face as calm and deep as still water. His jade-green eyes, usually gentle, now seemed laced with chill as he glanced over at the sound of footsteps. Noticing that the person at the door had returned unscathed after being missing, the coldness in his gaze faded somewhat, but he still said nothing.

Being targeted by the man’s inexplicably intense look, Lin Yu instinctively froze at the threshold. But the figure behind him, Yin Fei, gave him a not-so-subtle push, reminding him to move forward.

Sharpening his senses out of habit to gauge the mood, Lin Yu noted that behind the man stood only Ace, the little elf, and another attendant. A bit farther off was an unfamiliar page bearing refreshments, but the six tall, formidable elven bodyguards who usually accompanied them were nowhere to be seen.

“Young Master Qi, you’re back!” Ace, who clearly had no sense for subtlety, immediately brightened and waved cheerfully to Lin Yu, a stark contrast to his earlier anxious silence. “Where have you been? Master Xiu was so worried! And the other guards sent to look for you haven’t returned yet!”

…

Wait a moment—are you sure that icy expression on his face means he was worried about me, and not that he’s about to interrogate me in anger?

And Ace, couldn’t you pay a bit more heed to the attendant beside you, who’s desperately signaling you to be careful what you say?

Even as these thoughts raced through Lin Yu’s mind, his feet carried him forward, shoulders hunched, and he called out weakly to the man, choosing to come clean: “Xius… Sorry, I got too caught up looking at the mural in the corridor, and when I turned around, I realized I’d fallen behind. I was just about to catch up when—” He gestured toward Yin Fei, who was leaning nonchalantly by the window, clearly enjoying the scene. “—I ran into him.”

The man lifted his eyelids with mild indifference, casting a brief glance at the silver-haired Yin Fei, who was smoothing his hair with smug satisfaction, before focusing back on Lin Yu, who now hung his head even lower. To Lin Yu’s surprise, the man’s tone was calm and steady as he asked, “Hmm… And then?”

Lin Yu’s heart skipped a beat; almost instinctively, he blurted, “And then he abducted me and made me go with him to…”

“The cemetery,” Xius interjected.

“To see the flowers,” Yin Fei cut in, still lounging by the window.

The man raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

“Uh, it’s just a…” garden full of poisonous flowers.

But before Lin Yu could finish, Yin Fei suddenly spoke in a languid, almost haunting tone, “Hey, back when I was holding you… did you really have to get so worked up and nervous you tore my sash? It was our first time, after all…”

…

Damn it!!!

Couldn’t you… have picked a better time to say that?!?

And what’s with those deliberately ambiguous words of yours?! Are you just trying to draw attention to yourself?!

Lin Yu instinctively looked up, ready to explain to the man, but before he could say anything, he caught a glimpse of blue and white robes out of the corner of his eye. The man, who had been seated above, now pressed his lips into a thin, indifferent line, shot a frosty glance at the silver-haired figure, then rose and strode past Lin Yu without a word.

Lin Yu: qaq…

Unbeknownst to Lin Yu, as Xius’s cold gaze swept over, the silver-haired man gave a barely perceptible nod, like a silent exchange of secrets completed in an instant.

When the elven guards rushed back, faces full of worry and confusion, they found the three of them walking ahead in the corridor, shrouded in a strange, tense silence. The elves exchanged bewildered glances among themselves.

They all assumed they would return to the rear courtyard in this same “peaceful” silence, but at that moment—

“Honored elven guests, please wait a moment.” The attendant leading the way suddenly stopped, turned, and bowed politely, his voice gentle and harmless. “Please, this way. The steward requests your presence.”

The three exchanged silent looks, and Xius was the first to nod for the attendant to lead on.

Soft, bright sunlight slanted through the high, upturned eaves as they followed the attendant around a courtyard where willow catkins drifted, then wound through several ancient, elegant corridors before stopping at a place called “Stranger’s Court.” The attendant stood respectfully by the stone gate, making no move to enter, and politely stopped the towering elven guards. Bowing low, he said to the three, “Honored guests, please proceed inside.”

Without further comment, the three indicated for their followers to wait outside and stepped forward.

Unexpectedly, instead of a painted gallery, they were met by two towering ancient steles carved with grand, intricate patterns, their surfaces gleaming in the sunlight, testament to the wilderness’s ancient history. As they drew closer, they could glimpse through trailing willows a gracefully arched stone bridge in the distance, spanning a clear stream rippling beneath.

As they crossed the bridge unhurriedly, they heard the approach of four or five different sets of footsteps behind them. Xius, unconcerned, drew Lin Yu—who was trying to look back—firmly to his side, maintaining his pace without waiting for the others.

Perhaps it was the innate wariness of elves in unfamiliar environments, but Lin Yu’s pointed ears had already picked up, faintly and indistinctly, a strange conversation drifting from the nearby courtyard, where figures stood behind fluttering veils—

“Even if it’s defective…” came a voice utterly devoid of emotion.

“I have no idea what ‘defective’ specimen you’re referring to…” replied another, equally cool.

“Hey, Little Yi! Didn’t Xiao Hei just say there’s the scent of that worthless one here!” a third, impatient voice interjected.

“…If you have no intention to trade it, I won’t push. After all, it’s just a lowly defective specimen.” The first, emotionless voice again.

“Hmph, let’s go, Little Yi…” the irritable voice grumbled.

Lin Yu glanced suspiciously at the man beside him, who was watching the figures striding out from behind the white veils in the courtyard with a calm expression.

“There seems to be a rather unpleasant scent…” murmured Yin Fei, who had been silent until now.

“Scent?” Lin Yu wrinkled his nose and sniffed the air.

But before he could react further, Xius, his face as calm as ever, suddenly tightened his grip, pulling Lin Yu instinctively to his side in a protective gesture.

Under Lin Yu’s puzzled gaze, the man seemed to think nothing of slipping an arm around Lin Yu’s waist, drawing him close.

“W-what’s wrong?” Lin Yu stiffened immediately, pressed close to him.

“Don’t move…”

The man spoke softly, as if afraid a louder voice would startle something, his tone gentle enough to keep Lin Yu frozen in place. He added, “There’s something dirty in your hair…”

Yet even as he said this, Xius’s cold jade eyes were fixed elsewhere—on the approaching group: a pair of red-haired, red-eyed demon twins and an unusual companion.

If Lin Yu still remembered that night, he would recognize one of the twins approaching: the red-haired demon with a bare, athletic upper body and a look of disdain.

“Are you done yet, Xius?” Lin Yu whispered, nose twitching.

“Just a moment longer.”

Xius’s expression remained cold, but his tone was gentle. His watchful gaze lingered on the twins, but when he caught sight of their companion, he found he could not look away.

That figure had long, snowy white curls and wore a white robe that trailed to the ground. His face was expressionless, almost devoid of emotion. One eye was black, the other white, both scanning the group before sliding away. Most striking of all were the massive wings behind him—one black, one white, both adorned with shimmering feathers. Around his slender, pale neck was a special collar, beautifully inscribed and forged from dark steel. The other end of the collar’s chain was held by one of the demon twins in black robes.

Their gazes met as the group drew near…

Three meters…

Two meters…

One meter…

Then—

They passed by, once more, without a word.

Neither Xius nor Yin Fei, frowning intently, noticed that as the twins passed, identical, enigmatic smiles curled simultaneously across their handsome faces.

—“Little Yi, what do you think? Are you satisfied with making him the prize for our next contest?”

—“Hmm, not bad. He’s really whetted my appetite.”

—“I think I… can smell the scent of our own kind.” The winged one at the back paused, almost unconsciously.