Xue Zhao looked at Xiu Jixin. His thick eyelashes trembled slightly, but he calmly replied, “Mm.”
Could it be that the cage used to trap demons could only be used once? So new ones had to be constantly made?
The system hurriedly searched through its database, but it couldn’t find any useful information.
For some reason, it felt vaguely uneasy, yet it couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was worried about.
If Xue Zhao’s identity had already been exposed, Xiu Jixin’s favorability toward him would definitely have decreased. But right now, the two of them were still holding hands.
Xiu Jixin had even taken the initiative to tell him the use of the silver block, without showing the slightest intention of hiding anything.
The system struggled and analyzed the situation for a while before finally deciding to prioritize the mission.
【System】: Forget it for now. The main quest is more important.
The time limit for the mission was only three days. They had to find a way to enter the restricted area as soon as possible.
Xue Zhao steadied his emotions and naturally leaned into Xiu Jixin’s arms.
The two of them were even closer now. If he moved forward just a little more, he could kiss him directly.
But it was daytime, and someone else could come by and see them at any moment.
Xue Zhao held himself back. He only brushed the tip of his nose lightly against Xiu Jixin’s chin and asked curiously, “When I got lost yesterday, I think I saw red paint drawn on the ground.”
Xiu Jixin held Lei Zhao in his arms and straightened his back. His back rested against the wall, and his dark eyes lowered slightly.
“The area inside the red paint is the restricted zone. Without my permission, no one is allowed to enter.”
Only with his permission…
【System】: Try the old method? We should be able to find some useful talismans.
The “old method” the system mentioned was relying on the save-point items. However, the range of the item space was small, while the red paint was almost always drawn in wide, open areas where it was difficult to choose a suitable spot.
Xue Zhao also didn’t dare ask any more questions, afraid of arousing suspicion. He only responded with an “Mm,” then tilted his head and rested against Xiu Jixin’s chest, quietly breathing in the faint “food” scent.
He was still too weak…
If his life value could increase more, would he become stronger?
Xue Zhao let his thoughts wander for a while and briefly lost focus.
Not long after, more residents arrived to confess their sins. Xue Zhao also needed to return and check on the fire under the pot of medicine. Taking advantage of no one paying attention, he quietly slipped out through the side door.
On the way back, the system asked hesitantly, “What kind of relationship do you two have now?”
Favorability was at 72. It still hadn’t reached the stage of being lovers.
But if they said they weren’t anything…
They had kissed, and they had hugged…
Moreover, the system had to admit that Xue Zhao had never failed in front of Xiu Jixin. Their progress had been incredibly fast.
Either Xiu Jixin’s mind was naturally weak and he was easy to tempt, or he truly liked Xue Zhao. In that case, his favorability definitely still had room to rise.
“What kind of relationship…” Xue Zhao lowered his head while walking, muttering softly to himself.
Seeing that he looked completely ignorant of such matters, the system sighed.
“If you like him too, then there’s nothing wrong with it.”
These were only mission experiences. The system’s role was merely to provide assistance and suggestions. Everything still depended on Xue Zhao’s own wishes.
Xue Zhao habitually responded with an agreement and quickly returned to the courtyard where the old priest stayed.
He opened the door and confirmed that the fire under the medicine pot had not gone out, then added a little more charcoal.
The person lying on the bed was quiet and still, showing no signs of waking up. The earlier movement seemed almost like nothing more than Xue Zhao’s imagination.
Xiu Jixin had said he would send someone over to check on him, but he didn’t know when they would arrive.
Xue Zhao looked toward the bed, and the curiosity in his heart became harder and harder to suppress.
Every day, he had to boil away so many herbs, and every time, his heart ached over it. He really wanted to know what kind of person the human who needed so many plants to keep himself alive actually looked like.
Xue Zhao hesitated for a moment, then slowly took a step forward.
When he got closer and saw half of a withered, darkened hand resting beside the edge of the bed, he suddenly felt afraid again. He turned around and left the room.
Just as he turned away, a faint strand of black smoke quickly flashed past behind him before disappearing into the air.
Xue Zhao knew nothing about it. He sat on the steps outside the door, still worrying about how he should complete the mission.
【System】: I’m looking for usable talismans. It’s inconvenient to act during the day, so let’s wait until nighttime and talk about it then.
However, when Xue Zhao tried to use the same old trick and planned to stay in the courtyard until nightfall, the assistant who had met him earlier during the day came over.
“Why haven’t you left yet?” The assistant saw Xue Zhao sitting by the door and urged him, “There’s no need to keep watch at this time anymore. Hurry and go back.”
He had probably come here specifically to check on the situation. Xue Zhao had no choice but to stand up.
“Alright, I was just about to leave anyway.”
The assistant stood outside the courtyard, waiting for Xue Zhao to come out. Then he walked ahead of him, intending to leave the church together with him.
This time, the plan might really be ruined.
Xue Zhao was worried, but the system comforted him.
“It’s fine. There are still two days left. If we can’t do it at night, then we’ll go check during the day tomorrow.”
The main quest had to be completed, but it was also possible that, like the time when the silver salt was destroyed, the reward would be given according to the actual progress.
After returning to his residence, Xue Zhao took out the snacks Aunt Huai had sent him earlier and ate two pieces of biscuits.
Ever since his life value had increased to seven points last night, Xue Zhao’s condition had improved somewhat. Even this ordinary human body’s appetite had gotten better.
He nibbled on the biscuits while looking through the information sent by the system.
The system had selected several usable talismans from its database. There were ones for instant movement, teleportation, magic shields… and even one that could dig a tunnel through the ground.
【System】: I don’t know which one will be the most effective. We need to first find a space where we can read the save point, then test them one by one.
If one didn’t work, they might need to immediately switch to the next one. But as long as they could find a suitable save-point space, everything else would become much easier.
Xue Zhao looked at those strange and unusual talismans, then glanced at the seven points of life value on his status panel.
He took two deep breaths, trying his best to prepare himself mentally.
【System】: It’ll definitely be fine. Weren’t all the previous missions done the same way?
Lei Zhao put away the unfinished snacks and stored them inside the cabinet.
“Mm.”
He closed the cabinet door and prepared to wash up and rest. Suddenly, the light bulb above his head flickered several times.
Xue Zhao raised his head.
The bulb flashed again, and the light gradually grew dimmer.
[System]: Is the light broken?
【System】: Wait… something’s wrong.
At the same time, a strange smell began drifting through the air.
For some reason, Xue Zhao became tense. He cautiously looked around, immediately retreating toward the door, wanting to leave at once.
But when he grabbed the doorknob, the room suddenly fell into complete darkness.
The door also seemed to have been firmly locked by something, and no matter how hard he turned it, it would not open.
【System】: There’s another demon here.
It reacted quickly and searched out a talisman.
Xue Zhao’s breathing trembled as he slowly turned around.
In the darkness, a mass of smoke-like substance slowly condensed into shape.
It had a tall figure and slender limbs. It crouched with its knees bent, its lowered palms supporting itself against the ground, while its narrow red pupils looked over.
Compared to the time when Xue Zhao had been attacked before, the demon in front of him clearly carried a much stronger sense of oppression.
“You…”
The demon sized Xue Zhao up and whispered in a strange voice, “You can turn into a human? Without possessing someone?”
It seemed that it had no immediate intention of attacking.
Xue Zhao forced himself to calm down and, following the system’s guidance, asked:
“Who are you? Why are you here?”
Standing by the door, Xue Zhao quietly moved one hand behind his back and slowly used his fingernail to carve a talisman onto the wooden door panel.
“Of course… I’m here to thank you.”
The demon laughed twice before continuing.
“I’ve been hiding for such a long time. Thanks to your appearance, I was finally able to leave.”
It had been hiding inside the old priest’s body, and it didn’t even know how much time had passed.
Many humans had entered that room before, but once those people were possessed inside the church, they were extremely easy to expose.
But Xue Zhao was different.
He could actually disguise his original form as a human, making him the perfect special vessel.
“However…”
The demon examined Xue Zhao carefully. Crawling forward on all four limbs, it slowly approached him.
“You smell so weak… Why don’t you give me your body and become my new vessel?”
A demon… could possess another demon too?
Xue Zhao’s expression turned grim as he stared at the demon.
“I can disguise myself as a human and freely enter and leave the church. What makes you think I’m weak?”
He was terrified, but he endured it, forcing his body not to tremble.
And those words successfully had an effect.
The demon stopped moving, as if it had fallen into hesitation and thought.
【System】: It’s very likely that it’s also in a weakened state. It doesn’t know your true situation.
【System】: Hold on a little longer.
The entire room had been sealed off by magic, preventing anyone outside from sensing what was happening inside.
Xue Zhao’s fingertips trembled as he slowly dragged them across the door panel. His skin was accidentally scraped open, and a thin trace of blood seeped out.
The demon was hesitating because of Xue Zhao’s words and had not immediately taken action, but then it suddenly caught the scent of blood.
“What are you doing?”
Its voice became deeper, and it suddenly lunged forward.
The next moment, a pitch-black claw grabbed onto Xue Zhao’s shoulder, and his entire body was violently thrown against the wall.
At the same time, the talisman carved onto the door panel was finally completed. With a soft “snap,” it broke open a gap in the magic that surrounded the room.
The opening was extremely small, but it was enough.
The abnormal aura inside the room instantly leaked out.
At the same time, the black cat that had been licking its paw on the rooftop immediately raised its head and lightly twitched its nose.
Inside the room, the demon was furious. Its red eyes glared fiercely at Xue Zhao, who had fallen to the ground. Yet it did not attack him immediately. Instead, it quickly withdrew its own magic power.
This area was very close to the church. The demon was clearly wary of something. Its figure blurred, and in the blink of an eye, it scattered like smoke and disappeared.
The light bulb returned to normal, and the surroundings became completely quiet.
It was also quiet outside. There weren’t many people living on this floor besides Xue Zhao, so they probably hadn’t noticed any unusual noise.
Xue Zhao slowly pushed himself up from the floor, then hugged his knees and curled up in the corner of the wall, taking small, shaky breaths.
【System】: It’s gone. It should be safe now!
【System】: It’s still not too late. Do you want to go ask someone else for help?
The demon could come back at any time, and Xue Zhao was still in danger.
But if he went to find someone else, how could he explain everything?
The demon had escaped the church silently because of Xue Zhao, and it had also confirmed that Xue Zhao was the same kind of being as itself.
The previous demon had already been dealt with, but this time, things might not go so smoothly.
The system hurriedly analyzed the situation, trying to figure out what excuse they could make up if someone discovered them.
Xue Zhao adjusted his breathing, picked up the broken pieces of the cup on the floor, and slowly moved toward the door. He wiped away the talisman carved into the door.
His hands were still trembling, and at the same time, a warning appeared on his status panel.
【Reminder: Current life value is too low】
The demon had not directly attacked Xue Zhao, but his body was far too weak. The impact from being slammed against the wall just now had caused his life value to drop directly to one point.
His condition was extremely dangerous. He had only managed to stay conscious by forcing himself to endure.
After wiping away the talisman, Xue Zhao put down the broken cup pieces. His vision suddenly turned dark.
At that moment, the window moved slightly, and a gap was pushed open from the outside.
The black cat squeezed its way inside, its golden eyes scanning the room.
The demon’s remaining aura had already disappeared, leaving only Xue Zhao sitting weakly by the door.
The black cat hurriedly jumped over to him, lowered its head, and rubbed against his hand.
“Meow?”
Seeing the black cat, Xue Zhao suddenly felt like crying for some reason.
He gently touched the tip of the black cat’s ear and asked quietly,
“Can you take me to him?”
The night was deep and dark.
At the entrance of the church, an assistant was responsible for keeping watch.
Footsteps sounded. He looked up and saw someone approaching at this hour, and just as he was about to ask, a black shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes.
The black cat jumped onto the steps at the entrance, its golden eyes looking over in warning.
The assistant immediately lowered his head and gestured for Xue Zhao to simply go inside.
Xue Zhao lowered his head and, as he passed by, softly said,
“Thank you.”
At this hour, the inside of the church was equally dark. There was not a single person in sight.
The black cat walked ahead, occasionally stopping to wait for him, leading Xue Zhao all the way to the building from last night.
At the end of the red-painted area.
Xiu Jixin’s residence.
The black cat leapt over the wall and entered the courtyard.
Xue Zhao stood outside, not daring to step directly inside.
By the time he had made it here, he was completely exhausted. He leaned against the wall and slowly collapsed down onto the ground.
After a moment, the lights inside the house in the courtyard turned on.
A familiar figure came over to Xue Zhao.
Xiu Jixin bent down and crouched in front of him, gently caressing his cheek.
“What happened?”
Xue Zhao raised his head. His expression was filled with grievance and fear, and tears were faintly swirling in his eyes.
He tightly gripped the sleeve of Xiu Jixin’s clothes, but he didn’t say anything.
Xiu Jixin looked at him for a while before pulling him into his arms. He wrapped an arm around his waist and lifted him up, carrying him back inside the house.
【Character favorability has changed】
【Mission completed!】
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
No propaganda here. Only coffee.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · [Mission Identity]: SuccubusChapter 2 · Let him copy the scriptures fifty more timesChapter 3 · Can I seduce him?Chapter 4 · Can I have a bite?Chapter 5 · I wasn’t full at allChapter 6 · This is its original formChapter 7 · Xue Zhao slowly licked it againChapter 8 · If something is discoveredChapter 9 · Because he is… a succubusChapter 10 · Are you trying to seduce me?Chapter 11 · That’s right, a cage to lock up the devilChapter 12 · Can I keep you company for a while?Chapter 13 · Only one kiss a dayChapter 14 · Uncomfortable?Chapter 15 · Day of RepentanceChapter 16 · It’s the last bit left, silver halideChapter 17 · Current Form: SuccubusChapter 18 · This is your… original form?Chapter 19 · What would you like to eat?Chapter 20 · I’ll show you my tail… okay?Chapter 21 · The premise is that he didn’t lieChapter 22 · It has a light, pleasant fragranceChapter 23 · Demons typically have a limited dietChapter 24 · Don’t touch me…Chapter 25 · MaturityChapter 26 · Touch What?Chapter 27 · I never imaginedChapter 28 · “I’ll feed you until you’re fullChapter 29 · You’d better keep having this kind of luckChapter 30 · Anyway, I’ve already touched it onceChapter 31 · Like a kitten begging for extra food.Chapter 32 · [Skill “Charm” in effect]Chapter 33 · [You have entered the “Mature Stage”]Chapter 34 · He wanted Xiu Jixin to feed him….Chapter 35 · You’re trying to seduce me againChapter 36 · He seems… even more off now.Chapter 37 · Xue Zhao blushedChapter 38 · The fallen Holy SpiritChapter 39 · [Health points have reached maximum]Chapter 40 · [Corruption Value]: 63%Chapter 41 · Besides seducing me, what else can you do?Chapter 42 · Can we take the NPC with us?Chapter 43 · Horror Comics: The Murder DollChapter 44 · [Task Details]: Find a new owner for your itemsChapter 45 · The skill “Entering Dreams”Chapter 46 · The thought of making him cryChapter 47 · With a rather wicked interest.Chapter 48 · I’ll buy you new clothes, little bunnyChapter 49 · I should say, thank you, MasterChapter 50 · Do toy bunnies go into heat?