"Toy..." Shen Yun murmured, her eyes vacant.
She was utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend what the other person was saying. For the first time, this close friend felt like a stranger.
"Chen... Chen Xi, kidnapping is illegal! Don’t persist in this madness. Let me go!"
"This has to be a prank, right?"
"Is your family short on money? I can give you lots of it, even that newly released rare Pet Beast! Just don’t do anything foolish."
Shen Yun grew agitated. She would rather weave lies to deceive herself than believe Chen Xi would actually harm her.
How could such a gentle and pure young woman be a villain?
"Actually, my initial reason for getting close to you was simply to keep some annoying flies away."
Chen Xi’s pink lips twitched, and she slowly shook her head. "It’s strange, really. Humans are such foolish and complex creatures. They show the utmost tolerance for beautiful things, yet simultaneously harbor fantasies of destroying that very beauty."
As a Royal Princess of the Enchanting Demon Royal Court, she could sense the sins emanating from people whenever she walked among them—arrogance, jealousy, greed, desire, covetousness.
These miasmas thoroughly disgusted a noble, pure-blooded Enchanting Demon like her.
That was precisely why she had chosen to befriend Shen Yun. Firstly, it helped her better integrate into human society. Secondly, Shen Yun’s outspoken nature helped her avoid the disturbance of those pesky flies. Otherwise, killing people indiscriminately would attract attention from the Federation’s higher-ups.
Shen Yun’s expression froze. She stared in disbelief at this unfamiliar Chen Xi.
The other woman was revealing a series of plans, explaining how she had treated Shen Yun as a mere tool, even using her to get close to Chu Yi—it was all laid bare.
Each revelation struck Shen Yun like a blow, leaving her face deathly pale and her expression wretched.
In the dim light, the young woman wore a gentle smile. A pair of writhing bat wings emerged from her slender back, and a tail tipped with a heart-shaped charm snaked out, flicking back and forth like a sensor.
"You... you monster..." Shen Yun gritted her teeth, her face a mask of despair.
"That’s about enough." Chen Xi stroked her lips, a smile playing on them. A thick, ink-like miasma drifted out from her surroundings, enveloping Shen Yun. Rustling, gnawing sounds gradually began to echo.
Chen Xi’s beautiful eyes flickered, a hint of a blush appearing on her cheeks. Senior Chu Yi is an even stranger monster than I am!
"AHHH..." A bloodcurdling scream tore through the cell.
Hearing this sound of utter despair and collapse, Chen Xi instinctively felt a wave of pleasure.
After all, she was an inheritor of the ’Retribution’ lineage within the Enchanting Demon Royal Court.
Soon, her eyes narrowed, and a pinkish-purple halo flared to life. In the darkness, there was a clang of metal on metal as chains dropped down, pink electrical currents crackling wildly. Countless eternally slumbering curiosities awoke at this moment, grotesque and bizarre.
The Dark Night Skeleton King, Cursed Dolls, Pumpkin Scarecrows...
"Elder Sister, are you truly so unwelcoming towards your dear little sister?" A sweet voice drifted over, carrying a cloying, sweet fragrance. A loli in a matching ink-black dress, clutching a purple doll, spoke timidly.
"Oh?" Chen Xi folded her arms, a faint smile on her lips. "Weren’t you supposed to be at the Royal Court? What brings you here?"
At this, Xing Mei stomped her slender foot. Beneath her dress, her shapely calf struck the floor, sending spiderweb-like cracks across its surface.
Her small hands clutched the corner of her dress, her beautiful eyes reddening as tears welled up. She bit her lip with her small, pearly teeth. "WAAAH... Elder Sister, I was bullied by a Taboo..."
"Where has he been all night?" Lias frowned, watching the holographic projection. The Little Fox and Lulina were in the living room, binge-watching dramas late into the night, with plenty of cola and chips at hand.
As members of the Blood Race, they hardly needed rest, and night was their active period.
Usually, she would watch him fall asleep. But now... where was he?
Had he, a living person, not returned home? Yet his Pet Beasts were all here.
Could it be an assassin organization from the underworld? Besides those already dealt with, were there any who had slipped through the cracks?
Or perhaps... was there a part of the house where she hadn’t installed surveillance?
Wait, his strength has progressed so rapidly; he must have his own secrets.
Lias glanced at the screen. Lulina had curled up like a flower bud and was undergoing a wondrous transformation. Her level was rising!
Realization dawned on her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. But then, recalling his bold actions during the day, her pretty cheeks puffed out slightly, and her flawless, ivory face flushed with an indescribable coyness.
This bastard. Does he really need me, this young lady, to personally say, "I like you"?
Can’t he be more proactive... Oh, wait. He *is* very proactive.
Lias paused, momentarily stunned. Her fair cheeks flushed as if dusted with soft pink, growing slightly warm. A rosy hue spread across them, and she suddenly felt parched.
She rose. Her slender legs, veiled only by a sheer nightdress, occasionally revealed faint love bites.
She walked to a corner of the room. A mechanism whirred, and a section of the wall slid away, revealing a large refrigerated vault.
As the vault door opened, icy air, tinged with a faint, bloody sweetness, wafted out.
Inside, flowers bloomed profusely, their fragrance mingling with the scent of grass and trees. Rows of precious flowers were neatly arranged.
These flowers were, in fact, nourished by the blood of beautiful virgins—the exclusive sustenance of the Blood Race’s Royal Family, each with a unique flavor and of superior quality.
The Bloodthirsty Rose on her nightdress stirred, its vines extending, ready to serve as a tool for its master to select a drink.
It felt quite dejected. Earlier this morning, it had been thoroughly demoralized by that young fox. Just a few days ago, the fox was merely at the Servant level, but in the blink of an eye, it had become incredibly powerful!
Compared to that, doesn’t it just make me look rather pathetic? I’m so useless! it despaired.
"This one looks good." Lias’s gaze settled on a particular flower.
It was a pink chrysanthemum, plucked from the icy mist. Its petals were closed, forming a small, fluffy ball that exuded a sweet fragrance tinged with coolness.
The pink chrysanthemum was delicate, like a bashful maiden draped in a sheer veil, brushed with a fresh, sweet, honey-like hue.
Nourished by blood, this pink chrysanthemum trembled slightly. Its core was red and tender, plump and juicy. It was ideal for a hot summer night, perfect for cooling the body, detoxifying, moistening a dry throat, and dispelling inner heat.
The Bloodthirsty Rose fetched a tool and placed the flower into a mortar. It added Honey, red dates, coconut pieces, and other ingredients, then used a crimson pestle to pound them vigorously.
The subtle sweetness within the petals burst forth as juice, its fragrance spreading through the air.
It imagined the mortar was that Little Fox vying for its master’s affection, and couldn’t help but increase the force of its pounding by several degrees.
For a moment, it sounded like a torrential downpour, rain lashing against banana leaves, a continuous, sharp, CRACKLING patter.
After a while, a cup of chrysanthemum infusion was ready.
Lias carried the infusion to the balcony.
The surroundings were quiet and lush with vegetation. A bright, clear moon ascended, scattering its fragmented light. This light seemed to carry hints of the vibrant greenery from below, casting them upon Lias’s beautiful hair.
"I wonder how Brother is doing."
She took a sip of the infusion. The sweet, blood-tinged flavor lingered between her lips and teeth. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze distant, her long eyelashes fluttering like the wings of butterflies alighting on flowers.
As if responding to the young woman, the moon, high above, cast down even more of its light.
For a moment, the scene below seemed to grow even more verdant under its glow.