Inside the Jinling City Punishment Division.
Li Ye, having finished his morning meal at home, hurried toward the main hall with a file in hand.
In recent days, frequent incidents of demonic beasts injuring people outside the city had kept the entire Punishment Division extremely busy. Nearly all Shadow Blades had been dispatched to capture the beasts, and Li Ye was overwhelmed by the situation.
Demonic beast uprisings had not occurred in a century. Typically, only a few highly intelligent demonic beasts chose to appear in human-inhabited cities, while the majority remained active deep in the mountains, rarely venturing out.
However, over the past few months, the number of demonic beasts outside Jinling City had noticeably increased. At first, they paid little attention to it, but as attacks on humans grew more frequent and highly intelligent demonic beasts began to appear within the city, the Punishment Division finally took the matter seriously.
After communicating with several nearby cities, they realized that the demonic beast uprising was not limited to Jinling City alone. Other cities were also experiencing varying degrees of demonic beast rampages.
The ordinary citizens, unaware of the underlying situation, continued their daily routines, working from sunrise to sunset and striving to make a living.
Only those cultivators tasked with slaying demonic beasts sensed a hint of danger, suspecting that this incident might conceal deeper secrets.
For now, the demonic beasts causing trouble within Jinling City were not yet a significant threat. But if a large number of beasts were to attack the city in the near future, given the limited number of cultivators inside, even if they could barely fend off the beasts and protect the city, the ordinary people would inevitably suffer devastating consequences.
The soul of a city lies in its vibrant life. If the people were to suffer heavy casualties and fall into destitution, the city would lose its reason for existence.
Therefore, to prevent such a tragedy, the Punishment Division had both the responsibility and the duty to uncover the truth as quickly as possible and suppress the potential disaster at its source.
Other cultivator factions within the city also sensed an unusual shift in the wind and dispatched their most capable members to investigate the situation outside the city.
The City Lord's Mansion, in particular, sent personnel to fully support the Punishment Division's efforts.
In short, the direction of Jinling City had already changed. Everyone was preparing themselves, bracing for the possibility of an intense battle ahead.
This was also why Li Ye had returned home only a handful of times over the past few months. His heart was willing, but his strength fell short.
"Big dummy! You usually show up for work before the rooster crows. Why are you so late today? This isn't like you at all!"
Just as Li Ye's thoughts wandered, a clear and melodious voice called out from a distance.
He didn't need to look to know it was Xu Ruanyao, as she was the only one in the entire Punishment Division who would call him "big dummy."
Ever since the two of them had captured the Cloud-Devouring Beast together at the Cuixian Pavilion some time ago, they had grown much closer. Li Ye couldn't help but develop feelings for this bold, quirky, and clever girl.
Moreover, she always seemed to have unique insights into demonic beasts, delivering fatal blows at critical moments, which made Li Ye regard her with even greater admiration.
Xu Ruanyao, in turn, often sought him out, whether she had a reason or not. When she was in high spirits, she would cheerfully drag him to the city's best restaurant for a lavish meal. When she was feeling down, she would act like a three-year-old, throwing a tantrum and insisting on buying candied hawthorns, chattering noisily and filling the air with liveliness.
Li Ye, who was used to being alone, thoroughly enjoyed this dynamic. Being with her often reminded him of Qingyi's shadow, and he couldn't help but sigh, thinking how wonderful it would be if Qingyi could be this lively too.
Thus, through repeated interactions, the two gradually grew closer and became inseparable friends who could talk about anything.
Li Ye would always think of Xu Ruanyao's expertise first whenever he went out to hunt demonic beasts. With her by his side, it was like carrying a demonic beast encyclopedia—no matter how rare the creature, she could pinpoint its weakness, allowing him to defeat it with a single strike.
Unfortunately, Xu Ruanyao had been obsessed with tales and oddities about demonic beasts since childhood and had no interest in cultivating immortality. To this day, she had yet to cross the threshold into the Innate Qi Refining stage, remaining an ordinary mortal.
Because of this, Li Ye had no choice but to abandon the idea of bringing her along on his hunts.
Upon learning this, Xu Ruanyao threw a tantrum and cried for a while, but then, as if suddenly enlightened, she stopped pestering him.
Li Ye assumed she had given up on her own. To his surprise, however, the girl possessed an astonishing talent for cultivation. After tricking her father, Xu Zhengfeng, into giving her his cultivation manual, she spent just over a month studying it on her own and officially stepped into the Innate Qi Refining stage!
Ordinary cultivators, even with guidance from masters, typically require at least three months to half a year, along with countless attempts at absorbing spiritual energy and expelling impurities, before they can gather immortal energy and cross the threshold of cultivation. Yet this girl's comprehension was far beyond the ordinary—she broke through entirely on her own, without any instruction!
This truly shocked Li Ye. After all, with his own sixth-level spiritual intelligence and the guidance of his master, Chu Xiongzhi, it had taken him nearly half a month to enter the Innate Qi Refining stage. Though Xu Ruanyao still lagged behind him, achieving what she did was remarkable.
Upon further reflection, he realized that Xu Zhengfeng and Ruan Ruan were both renowned figures among Jinling City's cultivators, so it stood to reason that their daughter wouldn't be weak either.
He still remembered the day Xu Ruanyao stood proudly before him as a full-fledged cultivator. At first, he thought she was up to her usual tricks—even daring to fake immortal energy. But after thorough inspection, he confirmed that the energy flowing around her was unmistakably that of the Innate Qi Refining stage, and he had no choice but to acknowledge her strength.
From then on, he could never shake her off. Almost every time a case was assigned to him, Xu Ruanyao—as if equipped with clairvoyance and clairaudience—would immediately get wind of it, forcing him to take her along.
It must be said that Xu Ruanyao, with her deep understanding of demonic beasts, became an immense help to Li Ye on his hunts. With her assistance, his efficiency in capturing demonic beasts increased significantly.
He had assumed life would continue smoothly like this, but an incident a few days ago left him unsure how to face Xu Ruanyao. Whenever he recalled the intimate scene from that day, feelings of panic and regret surged uncontrollably within him—along with, surprisingly, a hint of... delight.
What truly made it difficult for him to confront himself was the hidden affection in his heart. Whenever he saw Xu Ruanyao, his heart would flutter wildly with joy and excitement, almost unbearable.
He had asked himself countless times: What exactly did he feel for Xu Ruanyao? Did he simply see her as a younger sister?
No, that wasn't it.
Then... did he like her?
Every time he pondered this question, his heart would fall into silence, unable to find an answer.
He also wondered if these feelings betrayed Chu Qingyi. Yet, without a doubt, he deeply loved Chu Qingyi and could not imagine life without her.
Tormented by a whirlwind of complex emotions, Li Ye had no choice but to bury himself in work, avoiding any further contemplation of those vexing matters.
Thus, in recent days, he had made every effort to steer clear of Xu Ruanyao, using the excuse of feeling unwell to handle paperwork within the bureau and rarely venturing out to hunt demons.
But as the saying goes, you can run but you can't hide. Sure enough, the very person he dreaded seeing the most was now standing right before him, vibrant and full of life.
"Hey! You big oaf, how many days have you been avoiding me? Planning to keep it up, are you? So what if I took advantage of you? Do you have to take it so seriously? Besides, looking all pitiful like that—what, are you expecting me to take responsibility for you? Dream on!" Xu Ruanyao couldn't help but roll her eyes, her expression haughty and proud.
A few days prior, the two of them had accidentally stumbled into a hidden realm while hunting demons. Initially overjoyed at the prospect of gaining some fortuitous opportunities, they fought their way through, cutting down most of the demon beasts inside. Only in the end did they realize there was no great fortune to be found—it was nothing but a den of debauchery!
Demonic beasts have an extremely poor ability to reproduce naturally. A female demon beast is considered fortunate if she can bear even one offspring in her lifetime, and their subsequent lives are dedicated to raising their young to maturity.
However, some demon beasts with strong innate sexual desires, who rely on mating to refine and enhance their power, often resort to perverse methods due to the difficulty of finding cultivation partners. For instance, they might use their formidable strength to forcibly detain weaker demon beasts in the vicinity, turning them into cultivation vessels to boost their own power.
Xu Ruanyao had only read about such twisted cultivation methods in books, and even then, she was appalled. How could such lewd and absurd demonic practices exist in this world?
But after witnessing it with her own eyes that day, she couldn't help but marvel at the endless strangeness of the vast world.
Just as the two were about to leave in disappointment, they inadvertently fell victim to a trap set by the demon leader, who doused them with the aphrodisiac originally intended for other demon beasts!
Furious, Li Ye immediately unleashed his ultimate move, striking down the demon leader in one blow.
They had assumed the aphrodisiac would only affect demon beasts, but they overlooked the fact that demonic constitutions are far more robust, and the dosage of ingredients used in such potions is several times stronger than what humans can tolerate. Once the effects took hold, there was no resisting them.
Within half an hour, the aphrodisiac's effects surged forth with overwhelming intensity, driving the two into a state of uncontrollable desire, each yearning to tear off the other's clothes and indulge in passionate release to quell their urges.
Due to the difference in their cultivation levels, Li Ye was in a slightly better state than Xu Ruanyao. Clinging to the principle of focusing inward and calming the mind, he closed his eyes and meditated, circulating his spiritual energy to barely suppress the overwhelming tide of lust within him.
But Xu Ruanyao, with her innate Qi Refining realm strength, was utterly powerless against the raging flames of desire consuming her. Her eyes turned bloodshot, and the moment she caught sight of Li Ye, she lit up like a starved tiger spotting its prey. She clung to him, planting frantic kisses all over.
Even as Li Ye struggled to restrain his desires, he was no match for the advances of a bright-eyed, radiant beauty. Like dry tinder meeting a blazing fire, the two ignited instantly, tangling together in a fervent embrace.
As their lips met and their passions intertwined, they felt like parched earth finally blessed with nourishing rain, their bodies drenched in ecstasy. Their hands roamed and caressed each other's forms, stirring the deepest, most primal desires within their hearts.
Just as the two were disheveled and their passion reached its peak, with Li Ye's erect penis, driven by the aphrodisiac, approaching her already drenched honeyed entrance, the image of Chu Qingyi suddenly surfaced in his mind. It struck him like a blow to the head, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, dousing most of the desire in his heart.
Regaining a moment of clarity, he hurriedly recited the Heart-Cleansing Mantra under his breath, managing to stop just in time.
Beneath him, Xu Ruanyao's inner flames of desire still burned. Deprived of comfort, she once again wrapped her arms around Li Ye's waist, moaning and pleading for intimacy.
Her delicate face flushed crimson, brimming with the glow of passion, Xu Ruanyao actively sought pleasure, twisting her enchanting body restlessly. Her tender, alluring lips continuously let out soft moans—a scene so arousing that even a sage long detached from worldly desires would find it hard to resist.
Li Ye felt the flames of desire rekindling within him. Immediately, he closed his eyes, silently reciting an arcane technique, his hands forming a seal. Strands of immortal energy seeped into her body, like cool water washing over her limbs and bones, forcibly suppressing the desire within her.
But this was only a temporary measure. To truly resolve the trouble caused by the aphrodisiac, they had to tackle it at its source—the demon beasts.
Li Ye scanned the surroundings and finally fixed his gaze on the den of the demon beast leader. Typically, when demon beasts concocted their own drugs, they would carry the antidote with them. Since the aphrodisiac was found here, the antidote must be nearby, and the best storage place would be its own lair.
Without hesitation, Li Ye plunged into the demon beast leader's den. After exerting immense effort, he finally found the antidote. He took it himself and quickly fed it to Xu Ruanyao. Gradually, the flush on her face receded, and Li Ye let out a sigh of relief.
When Xu Ruanyao slowly awoke, it was clear she remembered everything that had happened. Though she insisted she wouldn't let Li Ye off easily, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she avoided meeting his gaze, behaving like a bashful young woman.
Li Ye, for his part, had no idea how to interact with her. The two of them traveled in awkward silence until they returned to the Department of Strict Justice, where Li Ye seized the excuse of organizing documents to flee in a panic.
Several days had passed since the incident, and Li Ye's heart remained unsettled. He still didn't know how to face Xu Ruanyao.
Compared to him, Xu Ruanyao felt even more helpless. As a delicate woman, she hadn't even hinted at holding a grudge, yet he was the one acting hesitant and affected, avoiding her at every turn.
The more he evaded her, the more determined she became to confront him. Finally, today, she managed to catch him.
"N-No, how would I dare avoid you?" Seeing no way to escape, Li Ye had no choice but to brace himself and step forward to greet her.
"Ha! I know exactly what you're thinking. You just can't get over it, right? Don't worry—this matter stays between us. We'll keep it to ourselves, and no one else will know. You don't need to dwell on it, nor worry about how Qingyi would react if she found out." Xu Ruanyao patted Li Ye's shoulder with a carefree demeanor, acting as though it meant nothing to her.
Yet, deep in her eyes, there was a trace of loneliness.
Hearing this, the heavy stone in Li Ye's heart finally lifted. The turmoil and confusion of the past few days vanished in an instant, and he couldn't help but sigh in relief.
But why did he feel a faint sense of loss?
"Ruanyao, what kind of perfume have you been using lately? Why does it smell so unique, and it seems to linger for a long time?" Li Ye asked.
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