“The puppy’s medicine fees? Um.” Song Yin’s mind raced. She only had a few copper coins in her pocket. Originally, she had planned to ask the pharmacy if they had any difficult tasks that needed doing so she could handle them in exchange for the medicine money.
But now that Helan had helped her, she didn’t want to pay.
“The puppy’s medicine fees? The puppy should pay for them himself, obviously!”
Song Yin gave him a sweet smile and quickly stuffed the puppy into his arms.
“The dog is yours! Find him a job so he can pay you back for the medicine!”
Helan Tan was caught off guard as a warm, large, living creature was shoved into his chest, and he scrambled to hold it steady.
“Wait!”
He called out again to Song Yin, who was turning to leave.
What now? Song Yin looked at him innocently, blinking.
“Song Yin, you can’t always…”
You can’t always provoke me and then ignore me.
But Helan Tan didn’t say it out loud. He lowered his head and asked instead, “Do you give puppies to everyone?”
“Of course not.” Song Yin thought he was a bit silly; it wasn’t like she picked up puppies every day.
The puppy, now in someone else’s arms, remained silent and trembling.
So, I’m the only one with a puppy. Helan Tan coaxed himself into a better mood with that thought.
He asked, “Are you here for the Zhuque Province competition? Which group are you in?”
“I’m not participating.” Song Yin looked at the sky. Jiang Zuilan would be back soon, and she had to get back to the inn for dinner.
Helan Tan, lacking any self-awareness, continued to walk beside her, his fingers occasionally teasing the puppy’s chin.
He rambled on: “Is your whole sect here? I think I saw your Master. How long have you been here?”
“Why should I report my movements to you?”
Song Yin could tell he was trying to cling to her.
A chance encounter in the Azure Dragon Province, and now another meeting in the Zhuque Province.
A slight pang of regret surfaced in her heart. Perhaps she shouldn’t have used him to “break her fast” in the first place. This man was too clingy; she hadn’t expected shaking him off to be such a hassle.
But that regret lasted only a second.
After all, he was truly beautiful. When she was in the cave, she had acted entirely out of her own heart’s desire, full of joy. It was her destiny to pick the most beautiful prey for her first hunt.
Song Yin casually plucked a stalk of foxtail grass and strolled along ahead of him.
She was running out of patience for coaxing people.
She had already “eaten” Helan Tan several times. Although her fellow Charm Demon sisters were all dead, they had told her: eat a man once and move on; don’t hang yourself from the same tree.
In the entire Charm Demon Valley, Song Yin was the only one left alive. She had to inherit the legacy of her sisters and grow into a reliable Charm Demon.
She didn’t want to embarrass them by ignoring their advice.
Helan Tan was still searching for a topic: “Let’s go browse the East Street Market. I just arrived in Zhuque Province and I’m not very familiar with it yet.”
“No.”
Song Yin’s reply was decisive.
Helan Tan’s hand stopped stroking the dog. The puppy’s breathing grew shallow, its bead-like eyes darting between the young man and woman.
She wouldn’t go shopping with him. Yet, she would go with others—just not him. He had seen her with his own eyes, holding a kite and walking a full lap with that poor sword cultivator named Li Jing.
What was so good about a poor sword cultivator? He couldn’t even afford a kite.
Helan Tan still didn’t leave. Walking by Song Yin’s side, he could smell the faint floral and fruity scent on her. Because she walked so fast, the scent drifted to his nose like the wind.
Helan Tan sped up to stay level with her.
“Since you’re here for the competition, you might run into injuries or need supplies. Is there any medicine you need?”
Song Yin slowed her pace slightly. Master only dealt with basic medicines, and the third one loved refining bizarre concoctions. The Medicine Sect, however, should be well-rounded with every kind of medicine available.
There actually was one medicine she kind of wanted.
Song Yin thought for a moment: “There is one thing, actually.”
Helan Tan breathed a sigh of relief. “What is it?”
“An aphrodisiac.” Song Yin turned around and said sincerely, “Can you give me some aphrodisiacs? I want to go sleep with a few ‘Heartless Way’ sword cultivators.”
She had heard that those on the Heartless Way were particularly hard to bed. She hadn’t challenged them yet, and it was better to be prepared with some supplies.
Helan Tan’s face darkened. He turned and left without saying another word.
With a cold expression and a sway of his blue robes, he strode away with the dog so fast he vanished in an instant.
What’s his problem? Song Yin stood there, staring blankly at his retreating back.
He was the one who asked. Why won’t he give it to me now?
Song Yin pouted.
It was the same every time. He got angry for no reason. Truly an incomprehensible person.
Although Zhan Zhaozhao’s combat ability was pathologically low, Sikong Lan had signed him up anyway.
She wanted him to make some friends and have fun.
It was like owning a dog—letting him burn off his energy in the arena so he wouldn’t come back to the sect and bother everyone else.
He registered for the Equipment category. The rule was to craft a magical tool and then use it in a duel. He made nothing but shields, yet none of them could block a single attack.
Zhan Zhaozhao became a human punching bag in the arena, growing more resilient with every defeat. Song Yin watched sympathetically from under her umbrella, occasionally shouting: “Junior Brother, you can’t sleep here! Hurry up and get up!”
Ling Yi leaned lazily against the railing of the guest seating, the red mole by his eye vivid. He wore a single green tassel earring, and the fan in his hand hung low, half-open.
It wasn’t until someone came over to discuss a business partnership that Ling Yi snapped his fan open, squinted, and turned serious.
The Elder of the Hehe Sect rubbed her hands together, planning to promote a few “star” disciples as recruitment bait.
She intended to collaborate with Ling Yi to buy the rankings on the spirit-web forums, ranking the handsome men and beautiful women of the cultivation world and subtly placing her favored disciples on the list.
Ling Yi agreed, asking for a steep price, which the Elder readily accepted.
After the guest left, Sikong Lan blew on her tea. “I told you I wasn’t the only ‘transmigrator.’ Your cultivation world is full of talent.”
She was certain the Third Elder of the Hehe Sect was a transmigrator.
Supposedly, the Third Elder held her position due to her ancestors’ merits. She had no real skill, only a bit of talent for writing lyrics.
When Sikong Lan first saw the titles of the lyrics the Elder wrote—Under Mount Fuji, Alaska Bay, Growing Pains, Wisdom Tooth, Stockholm Lover—she knew.
Definitely a transmigrator, and a fan-fiction writer at that.
Back then, inspired by those titles, Sikong Lan had thought of a way to make money: dictating popular novels and having ghostwriters adapt them to a cultivation setting.
Ling Yi had put her ideas into practice, buying a bookstore that had grown into a massive business.
In truth, he was a bit puzzled as to why Sikong Lan’s novels were all simple, melodramatic plots like The Immortal Alliance’s Real and Fake Heiress or The Immortal Alliance’s Three-and-a-Half-Year-Old Darling. It didn’t quite fit her persona.
“You don’t understand. When I was doing experiments, I loved listening to brainless novels. The more brainless, the better.”
Sikong Lan waved it off. You couldn’t expect her to keep her brain at full power all the time outside of earning five PhDs and Master’s degrees. Leisure time was for letting the brain relax.
She also told him the saying: “In youth, one watches tragedies without blinking; in old age, one prefers fluff and sweetness.”
Sikong Lan’s books all shared a signature trait: the main villain’s name was always the same.
Today, a novel business partner came to ask: “Why are the villains all named Tianlin? Narrow Tianlin, Wide Tianlin, the First Year of Tianlin…”
Sikong Lan fell into a painful memory, her expression full of heartache: “A bad person who committed academic fraud and didn’t even know what CNKI was made me pay a fortune in plagiarism check fees. Do you know how expensive those checks are? I stayed up until 5:00 AM revising my thesis until I could hear the birds outside… Ah, that’s not important. Just keep using the name.”
“Understood, understood.”
Several large deals were settled amidst the small talk.
Ling Yi was modifying a program on a transmission jade slip when he looked up to see Sikong Lan leaning against the railing, her gaze fixed on something distant.
Following her gaze, he saw the Young Master of the Medicine Sect not far from the arena, his eyes glued to Song Yin.
“I want to go warn him that Charm Demons have no feelings and don’t understand love.”
Sikong Lan crossed her arms.
“But then I remember his uncle is my enemy. Why should I meddle in others’ business?”
Song Yin was listening to two Buddhist cultivators debating nearby. With their hands pressed together, they spoke of how “in this world, there is no effect without a cause, and no cause without an effect.”
Song Yin nodded, understanding perfectly.
She agreed: “What’s so strange about that? Everyone in this world meets their own specific karma.”
Perhaps she was someone’s karma, too.
The Buddhist cultivators praised her for having great “wisdom roots” and departed with a nod.
“Miss Song.” Another familiar call.
Song Yin turned to see Helan Tan walking toward her, framed by the light.
He seemed to have dressed up specially today, looking even more dazzling than usual. His blue glass hair crown was intricately braided with several thin strands of hair that hugged his dark locks, with the patterns woven from his ears to the back of his head.
Strands of hair fell by his temples, and his blue crescent-moon earrings swayed, sparkling brilliantly.
He handed over a deep blue silk pouch with a snow lotus pattern, filled with large pills for both internal and external use.
“For your junior brother’s injuries.”
Song Yin looked up at the bruised and swollen Zhan Zhaozhao on the stage, realizing this medicine was truly thoughtful and useful.
She gave an “mm” and accepted the medicine gracefully.
Helan Tan had a hidden motive. As Song Yin took the medicine, he lightly squeezed her wrist and placed his hand around her waist, half-coaxing her into a darker corner.
Because the competitors in this match weren’t particularly outstanding, there weren’t many people watching below.
Once they reached a carved wooden pillar, Song Yin felt the fragrance she had smelled earlier grow even more intense.
She leaned in closer to sniff. “You smell so good.”
Helan Tan smiled. Yesterday, when Song Yin had asked if he had an aphrodisiac, he had been angry enough to flip a table. But after his anger passed, he thought about it—he could actually use her request to his advantage.
He had found the most potent “Moon Round Flower Good Pill” from the Medicine Sect, ground it into powder, and applied it to his collar.
No one knew if an aphrodisiac would work on a Charm Demon, but he had to take the chance.
“You really do smell good.” Song Yin leaned even closer, nearly sticking to his arm. She was like a cat that had caught a small fish, her eyes excited and fixed on him.
She looked up, the crescent-moon earrings tempting her.
How can he be so beautiful and smell so good? It made her heart itch with hunger.
Helan Tan’s voice was soft: “Miss Song, I remembered that the Medicine Sect can indeed lend you medicine. It’s just that there are too many types of aphrodisiacs; I don’t know which one you want.”
Helan Tan lowered his head, his gaze growing gentler and his tone more seductive. “Come to my room tonight and take your pick, mm?”
Song Yin stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
She hadn’t really listened to a word he said; she was just following her heart. In her daze, she only wanted to get close to him, stretching her neck to bite those thin, crimson lips that kept opening and closing.
Helan Tan suddenly stood up straight, preventing her from succeeding.
Song Yin missed her mark and blinked at him.
Why won’t he let me eat?
Helan Tan smiled at her again. He had standard phoenix eyes, and the angle he stood at was just right. In the play of light and shadow, the contours of his nose and jawline were clear and sharp, suiting her tastes perfectly.
“Mm, okay.” Song Yin’s brain finally recalled his words, and she agreed immediately. She hooked her hand into his, her fingertips drawing circles in his palm. “I’ll go to your room tonight to play.”
She tried to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him again.
Helan Tan smiled and dodged once more, his finger pressing against her lips.
His long, cool finger pressed down on her warm, red lips, never letting her succeed.
He unhooked her arm from his and moved his sleeve away. As he walked off, he looked back and smiled again: “See you tonight.”
Song Yin watched his tall figure, her throat bobbing. She practically wanted to pin him to the wooden floor right then and there—just like that time in the cave—tie him up, and get to work.
Even though she had been refusing him yesterday, she wanted to eat him today.
To be honest, every time she got close to him, she couldn’t help but feel the urge to hunt and feed. It was uncontrollable.
But so what? She was a Charm Demon.
Who could blame a Charm Demon for being fickle?
Night gradually fell.
Helan Tan was staying in the most luxurious inn in Zhuque Province. The leftmost room on the second floor. He had already given Song Yin the address.
He looked around the room once more. Pink and yellow roses were arranged in a vase on the left, and pastries were set on the table to the right. These were all decorations the little Charm Demon liked.
There were seven or eight mirrors on the stand—small gifts he had prepared: mother-of-pearl handle mirrors, seashell folding mirrors… she seemed to love collecting mirrors. She was so beautiful; she really should look at herself more often.
He sat leisurely by the table, tapping his fingers on the surface, though the rhythm was uneven.
He wondered: Will she come?
Or perhaps, will she trick me again?
Helan Tan looked at the moon; it was almost the beginning of the Hour of the Pig (9:00 PM).
He decided he would wait. If Song Yin didn’t come at the appointed time, he would wait until the Hour of the Rat (11:00 PM). If she still hadn’t come by then, he would wait until dawn.
Maybe…
Before he could finish the thought, his vision suddenly went black, and a sharp ringing erupted in his ears without warning.
Suddenly, the world spun, followed by a piercing pain that felt as if it were stabbing through his organs. It was as if countless long needles and arrows were piercing his vitals simultaneously, moving back and forth, grinding through his flesh.
Helan Tan collapsed to the ground in immense agony, his body twisting at an odd angle as he clutched his chest, suddenly coughing up a pool of blood.
He quickly realized what was happening. His experience as a “medicine tester” had made him accustomed to toxins.
He gritted his teeth, ignoring the blood seeping through them, and crawled to the table. Trembling, he stood up and reached for a mirror on the corner.
The mirror fell to the carpet, a corner shattering.
Helan Tan gasped as he looked into it. Sure enough, black bloodlines had appeared on the left side of his face, blooming into a dense, dark flower across his skin—a dark snow lotus formed by thin, black lines.
Damn the Medicine Sect’s secret poison.
This was a poison his uncle had administered. Previously, it would flare up every few months, but now it was becoming increasingly irregular.
Helan Tan’s father had been a failure, unable to craft Earth-grade pills, and had always been on the losing side of the power struggle with the uncle. Later, the father discovered Helan Tan had top-tier talent and pulled him out of the water dungeon to counter the uncle. Still later, Helan Tan had caused his own father’s death and continued the power struggle with his uncle.
He had been afflicted with a secret poison developed by his uncle, which was why he couldn’t openly break ties with him.
Helan Tan gritted his teeth, enduring the sharp pain that reached even his fingertips, and pulled a pill from his pouch.
After swallowing the pill, the agonizing pain in his body eased slightly, subsiding from a bone-deep agony to a duller ache, though flames still licked at his limbs and vitals.
A high fever set in, and his consciousness began to waver.
He was still clutching the mirror in his palm. He turned his head; that ugly snow lotus was still etched into his face.
His face was pale, his lips parched, and a mark like a criminal’s branding occupied half his face. He was deathly ugly.
The moon shone through the window, reflecting off the mirror.
A quarter past the Hour of the Pig (9:15 PM).
Helan Tan thought it would be best if Song Yin didn’t come tonight. She must not come; he was not fit to be seen.
Knock, knock.
The heart-stopping sound of knocking rang out right on time.
Someone was at the door.
“Helan, Helan.” Song Yin’s crisp voice drifted in, like a sweet, juicy pear, her tone carrying a sugary sweetness through the cracks in the door. “I’m here to have an affair with you.”
She knocked carelessly, as if her fingers were playing with the patterns on the carved wooden door, making a light scratching sound.
“Can I come in? I missed you.”
Helan Tan immediately grabbed a cloak by the door and threw it over himself, covering himself completely, and blew out the candle.
He hid behind the door, wrapping the cloak tight to ensure he was in total darkness.
“Miss Song, I’m sorry.”
His voice was hoarse, as if he had swallowed burning coals.
“Not tonight.”
The medicine tester’s mark had appeared, covering half his face. He clutched the cloak tighter, making sure every corner covered his face.
No sound came from outside.
After a short wait, Song Yin’s puzzled voice came through the door: “Are you playing me?”
Helan Tan could imagine her tilting her head in question.
He sighed softly, his hand holding the hood of his cloak trembling slightly: “I’m sorry. Please go back.”
After a long pause, the sound of footsteps leaving finally reached him. Another moment later, there was silence outside.
Helan Tan collapsed dejectedly. The void left by the sudden loss of tension was filled with a thousandfold surge of suppressed pain, engulfing him.
His fever spiked again, and he fainted by the door.
Song Yin looked back indignantly at the wooden door on the second floor of the inn.
Dammit! He seduced me and then wouldn’t let me eat!
I hate him, I hate him, I hate him! She cursed Helan Tan a hundred times in her head.
He had dressed up so fragrantly and beautifully today, suiting her tastes perfectly—what a delicious meal he would have been!
She had even specially changed into new clothes for the date, and he dared to shut her out. The delicious food was right behind a door, and he wouldn’t let her eat!
He had been enticing her since daytime, refusing to let her kiss him. She had even planned to bite his lip tonight.
She hadn’t expected him to reject her. It was too annoying. He had even blown out the candle when she arrived. How could he treat a guest like that? It was too much.
Song Yin had an internal struggle at his doorstep for a long time before angrily heading downstairs, where she squatted in a corner of the inn stairs like an angry mushroom.
She was hungry.
She even felt her spiritual energy was empty.
Helan Tan, wearing his blue crescent-moon earrings, flashed through her mind. She remembered the way he had looked back at her today, smiling as he walked away, inviting her to see him tonight.
Song Yin clenched her fists.
Hmph. If he won’t let me eat, am I just not going to eat?
She was a Charm Demon—a smart, brave, and strong Charm Demon with no moral standards. If she wanted to eat something, she had to get her hands on it!
After staring at Helan Tan’s inn for a while, gauging the distance to his room, she decisively climbed up to the second-floor window.
Author’s Note:
Hello everyone! Welcome to check out the ABO story featuring the same characters!
Can a Pretty Beta Be a Guide?
[Pretty All-Encompassing Beta Guide x Human Slaughter Weapon S-Class Sentinel]
[Heartless Black-Bellied Sweet Girl x Self-Coaxing “Flower on a High Ridge”]
There was an accident at the White Tower this year: they recruited a Beta Guide with zero foundation and zero experience.
Song Yin was very satisfied with her job report. Heehee, I don’t know how to do guidance or purification at all. I’m just here to mooch off the employment subsidy.
Song Yin didn’t understand the rules of this world at all. She had transmigrated into an ABO world, and as a Beta, she couldn’t smell pheromones at all.
Before she could even figure out the ABO part, the White Tower started classifying people as Guides and Sentinels, making her even more confused.
But it didn’t matter. As long as you interviewed for the Guide position, they gave you money. The internship even paid one million.
She stumbled through the interview and got the job, planning to finish her internship, claim she couldn’t learn the skills, and then take the money and quit.
Song Yin had no idea that beneath her job application was a line of small text: All units please pay close attention to this specialist; suspected Ultra S-Class.
At that time, Helan Tan had just returned from a battlefield of blood and gore. His S-Class human slaughter weapon, the Silver Wolf, was howling in a frenzy. He was told a nameless Guide had been assigned as his partner.
Helan Tan: “What is her spirit animal?”
Colleague: “…A Siren.”
Helan Tan was contemptuous and incredulous: “Is the White Tower crazy, or are you?”
How could a legendary Ultra S-Class creature like a Siren appear in such a nameless intern?
Helan Tan didn’t care. He was certain the White Tower had made a mistake and that Song Yin was there to scam the internship fee.
When he first looked at Song Yin, he was stunned for a moment, then nodded knowingly. She was too beautiful; no wonder she had bewitched the White Tower.
She really knew how to charm people. But he wouldn’t be fooled so easily.
He decided he must investigate her thoroughly.
The internship lasted for three months.
Song Yin held her internship manual and studied the techniques diligently.
A Guide needs to soothe the Sentinel. A massive, beautiful, and heartless Siren awakened. Song Yin sang amidst the waves, pinching the wolf’s snout to soothe the Silver Wolf.
Helan Tan: Her singing is terrible. How could it be a Siren? It must be a trick.
Daily work life: Every day, a group of Alphas vied for Song Yin’s attention like peacocks, releasing pheromones like crazy. Song Yin couldn’t smell a thing and just smiled, telling them not to block the way.
Helan Tan: Hmph. She’s still pretending to be a Beta. How could someone so beautiful be a Beta? She told the others not to block the way because she knew I was her partner. She has me in her heart.
A mission arose. Song Yin accidentally wore Helan Tan’s bulletproof vest and had to save him through a hail of bullets, thinking to herself: This one million is really hard to earn.
Helan Tan: She really loves me!
Colleagues asked about the mission progress. Helan Tan: “You’ve all been fooled by her. I’m only pretending to be fooled; I have my own pace.”
The internship ended. Song Yin got her million and happily said goodbye, without looking back at him once.
Helan Tan: She really is a liar. She really was just here for the internship fee. She doesn’t want a partner; she doesn’t want me. QAQ