Xue Zhao tightened his arms around Xiu Jixin.
A faint blush still lingered across his cheeks.
Now that they had returned to the familiar way of kissing, he felt much more comfortable.
Burying his face against Xiu Jixin’s collar, he gently rubbed against it.
“When did you arrive?”
Xiu Jixin answered,
“Not long ago.”
“Then stay a little longer before leaving, okay?”
Xue Zhao’s voice was slightly muffled.
“There are probably… a lot of people outside right now.”
No matter how one looked at it, the relationship between them was far too intimate.
It absolutely couldn’t be discovered by others.
“Alright.”
Xiu Jixin lowered his head.
His slightly heavier breathing brushed against Xue Zhao’s ear.
For a moment, it felt almost as though he was kissing him again.
A faint itch spread across the tip of his ear.
Xue Zhao instinctively shrank away a little.
At the same time, he quietly breathed in the familiar scent lingering on Xiu Jixin’s body.
In the end, Xiu Jixin still couldn’t stay for long.
The black cat remained on guard atop the rooftop. Once everyone had returned to their rooms and the courtyard had fallen silent, he left on his own.
Standing beneath the corridor, Xue Zhao watched as his figure gradually disappeared into the pitch black night.
“So he came all the way here personally just to ask you that?” the system remarked.
Xiu Jixin had wanted to see Xue Zhao and had gone straight into his room to wait for him. The risk was far too great. If anyone noticed, it could affect Xue Zhao’s mission as well…
The system had quite a few complaints about it but couldn’t openly voice them.
“I don’t know…” Xue Zhao replied as he returned to his room.
He opened his status panel. Later on, his Life Points had increased by another point. He now had nineteen in total.
“Why does it increase by three points when he kisses me?” Xue Zhao was still fixated on the matter, unable to let it go. “When I kiss him, it only gives me two…”
“Alright, alright,” the system said helplessly. “The difference isn’t that significant. There could be many possible reasons. We just can’t figure it out right now.”
Xue Zhao reluctantly nodded.
“Okay…”
Perhaps…
When Xiu Jixin was the one who initiated the kiss, the increase would naturally be greater.
At that thought, Xue Zhao recalled the kiss from yesterday.
Xiu Jixin had even asked whether he disliked it.
Xue Zhao’s true form was a Mimosa plant. Even after arriving in a new world and gaining a new identity, his innate nature had never disappeared.
Yet at the same time, he was also a succubus who relied on “food” to survive.
So…
Of course he liked it.
Xue Zhao quietly admitted this to himself.
If there was a next time, he couldn’t be so timid anymore.
Still, his Life Points had already reached nineteen. For the time being, he didn’t urgently need a large increase.
Nineteen Life Points!
Xue Zhao secretly celebrated for a while.
After delaying for so long, it had become quite late. He hurried to the dining hall and collected the last remaining portion of dinner.
Before going to sleep, the window emitted a soft sound.
The black cat skillfully squeezed through the opening.
“Meow, meow.”
It sounded as though it were greeting Xue Zhao.
Afterward, it found a comfortable spot on the desk and curled up there, preparing to guard him through the night as usual.
The next morning, Xue Zhao was awakened by a notification from his panel.
A new side mission has been issued!
Mission Details: Enter the Church Restricted Zone and search for clues regarding the Holy Relic.
Mission Reward: Villain Points +5
Current Villain Points: 39
In the previous mission, Xue Zhao had discovered a way to infiltrate the restricted area and had already visited the library.
Now, he needed to continue searching for the “Holy Relic.”
However…
The reason he had successfully entered the restricted zone last time was because Xiu Jixin had brought him back to his residence.
If he passed through that courtyard, he should be able to reach the true restricted area.
“Are you planning to use the same method?” the system asked.
Furthermore, Xiu Jixin couldn’t be there when he entered. Otherwise, there would be no opportunity to complete the mission.
Xue Zhao hesitated.
“I’ll try…”
The mission was mandatory.
Whether he wanted to do it or not, he had no choice.
Besides, the assistant he had previously slipped a talisman into had returned to work today and no longer seemed to be monitoring him.
“Alright,” the system said. “Let’s make preparations.”
The mission deadline was only two days.
He had to make at least one attempt today.
After asking around, Xue Zhao learned about Xiu Jixin’s schedule.
Apparently, he would be occupied throughout the entire day.
Yesterday had been Confession Day. Under normal circumstances, many residents would come to confess today.
Following the system’s suggestion, Xue Zhao chose to act shortly before nightfall.
At that time, most assistants would be preparing to leave and there would be fewer people in the church.
Even if Xiu Jixin happened to discover him, he could simply claim that he had come looking for him.
As for the time required to complete the mission, the system would assist him using the save point item.
Throughout the day, Xue Zhao worked diligently and obediently, adding charcoal to the medicine furnace.
Around six or seven in the evening, after the sun had set, he locked the courtyard gate and quietly departed along a small path.
Because they would be carrying out a mission inside the church, the system remained on high alert throughout the entire process.
It expanded its scanning range to the maximum while deliberately chatting with Xue Zhao in a relaxed manner so he wouldn’t become overly nervous.
On the surface, Xue Zhao appeared calm.
With his head lowered, he quietly walked forward and reached his destination without incident.
At the end of the red painted pathway, the courtyard gate wasn’t locked.
Xue Zhao gently pushed it open.
Taking a deep breath, he cautiously stepped inside.
Nothing stopped him.
“So this really is a gap in the defenses,” the system concluded.
Xue Zhao quickly shut the gate behind him.
At the same moment, the system activated the item.
Save Point Space Activated. Save Duration: 1 Second.
One second was the minimum duration.
Within the Save Point Space, Xue Zhao could move freely yet in the outside world, only a single second would pass.
Whenever he left the current area, the system would activate another save point in the next region until the mission was complete.
The courtyard was completely silent.
No one was around.
Xue Zhao glanced about before deciding to first locate the route leading to the restricted zone.
Perhaps because no one would ever be bold enough to secretly sneak into the priest’s residence, no one had imagined that an actual demon had infiltrated the church.
None of the rooms around the courtyard were locked.
Xue Zhao inspected them one by one.
Finally, beyond a side door connected to the study, he discovered a corridor.
Passing through the corridor, he pushed open another door.
An unfamiliar collection of buildings appeared before him.
Xue Zhao took a few steps forward.
Off to one side, familiar red markings covered the ground.
Yet he had already crossed beyond them.
He had entered the Church Restricted Zone.
“Only seven seconds have passed so far,” the system reported.
The item remained active.
Xue Zhao suddenly realized he had far more time than expected.
He carefully observed his surroundings.
The central area of the restricted zone wasn’t particularly large.
The buildings looked no different from those outside.
With the item’s assistance, he approached the nearest structure and pushed open the door.
The door wasn’t locked.
The moment he saw what was inside, Xue Zhao froze.
“Why is there nothing here?” the system exclaimed.
The sky was growing dark.
The room was dim and empty.
There was nothing inside at all.
Xue Zhao examined it carefully before closing the door and heading toward the next room.
He opened it.
Also empty.
Then a third room.
A fourth.
A fifth.
Every single one was exactly the same.
Not even a table or a chair could be found.
The system immediately developed a bad feeling.
“Don’t tell me this is going to be like the last mission and end with zero percent progress again?”
Closing another door, Xue Zhao continued forward.
“I’ll keep looking. Maybe it’s farther inside.”
Save Point Space Activated. Save Duration: 1 Second.
Save Point Space Activated. Save Duration: 1 Second.
Thirty seconds later, Xue Zhao had searched every building within the restricted zone.
There was truly nothing to be found.
Mission Completed!
A notification appeared on the panel.
When Xue Zhao opened it, his progress showed 0%.
The reward had been reduced to only one Villain Point.
The system fell silent.
Then it sighed.
“What did I tell you?”
“But this is really strange. How can there be absolutely no clues at all?”
And if the restricted zone contained nothing…
Why was it even called a restricted zone in the first place?
The system couldn’t make sense of it.
“Let’s head back first,” it instructed.
The item was still active.
Xue Zhao nodded and turned toward the corridor leading back to the exit.
He emerged from the study and carefully closed the door behind him.
The moment he looked up, he saw the black cat leap onto a nearby rooftop, its golden eyes fixed directly on him.
The appearance of another living creature automatically canceled the Save Point Space.
Already nervous and guilty from doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing, Xue Zhao instantly stiffened.
“Don’t panic,” the system reassured him. “Just follow the original plan… We only spent ninety seconds inside.”
A minute and a half.
What kind of wrongdoing could possibly be accomplished in such a short time?
Besides, with Xue Zhao’s actual abilities, he wasn’t capable of doing much anyway.
Xue Zhao forced himself to calm down and took the initiative to walk forward.
The black cat jumped down from the rooftop.
At the same time, Xiu Jixin appeared from a side path.
Pushing open the courtyard gate, Xue Zhao hurried over and threw himself directly into Xiu Jixin’s arms.
Trying to conceal his guilt and anxiety, he buried his face against him and muttered softly,
“You’re finally back…”
Xiu Jixin lifted his gaze and briefly glanced toward the courtyard behind them before wrapping an arm around Xue Zhao.
“You came looking for me?”
There was nothing unusual in his tone.
Meanwhile, the black cat sat nearby, calmly grooming its fur as though it had noticed nothing.
Relief flooded through Xue Zhao.
“Mm.”
His body finally relaxed.
With no one else nearby, Xiu Jixin led him back into the courtyard and into the room.
Xue Zhao sat sideways on the sofa and wrapped his arms around Xiu Jixin’s waist, resting his chin against his chest.
“Were you especially busy today?”
Xiu Jixin lowered his eyes.
“Not too much. There were simply more residents coming to the church than usual.”
Not every resident required Xiu Jixin’s personal attention.
Some of the more experienced assistants could help.
Even so, he was undoubtedly much busier than normal.
Noticing the trace of fatigue between Xiu Jixin’s brows, Xue Zhao stopped talking.
Instead, he quietly nestled against him.
“You should head back early,” the system reminded. “Otherwise someone might see you when you leave the church again.”
The time the two of them could spend together each day was already limited.
Without saying anything, Xue Zhao tightened his embrace.
Only after his Life Points slowly increased by one did he finally raise his head.
“I should go back now.”
Reluctantly, he released Xiu Jixin and slowly sat up.
“Alright,” Xiu Jixin replied gently.
“Little Cat will escort you.”
At his call, the black cat immediately trotted over.
Yet Xue Zhao remained seated on the sofa, looking as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it.
Xiu Jixin quietly waited for a moment.
Then he leaned closer.
Brushing aside the loose strands of hair across Xue Zhao’s forehead, he pressed a gentle kiss there.
Life Points Increased by 3.
As expected…
Whenever Xiu Jixin kissed him, he gained an extra point.
Delighted, Xue Zhao gave Xiu Jixin one last hug before standing and leaving with the black cat.
After he departed, a trace of coldness surfaced in Xiu Jixin’s eyes.
He remained seated alone on the sofa.
After a long moment, he rose to his feet and headed toward the study.
Through the study’s side door.
Then down the corridor beyond it.
The red markings on the ground remained vivid and bright.
Darkness blanketed the entire area.
Xiu Jixin’s gaze swept across the surroundings once.
Then he turned and left.
Several days had passed since the well poisoning mission.
The residents who had fallen ill were gradually recovering, including several of the assistants.
After confirming that the illness had completely disappeared and was no longer contagious, several assistants returned to the church to resume their duties.
As a result, the temporary assistants who had been filling in were expected to leave, including Xue Zhao.
The system couldn’t help but complain.
[So you’re just leaving like this? After coming to the church, the mission progress hasn’t even advanced as much as before.]
They had completed several missions but the “Holy Relic” Xue Zhao was actually searching for still had no clues whatsoever.
On the other hand, Xiu Jixin’s affection had increased significantly…
That was undoubtedly their greatest gain.
Unfortunately, once he left the church, opportunities to meet him would become much rarer.
Xue Zhao hesitated as well.
“If I leave, what am I supposed to do if there are more church related missions later?”
At that point, everything would become much more inconvenient…
However, this concern did not last for long.
Around noon, an assistant brought everyone a new piece of news.
“The church is recruiting permanent assistants. Any temporary assistants who are interested may submit an application to stay.”
Once accepted, they would become official assistants.
Unless something unexpected happened, they could remain at the church indefinitely.
Without hesitation, Xue Zhao immediately collected one of the application slips.
Just as he was about to write down his name, a new mission appeared.
A New Main Quest Has Been Issued!
Mission Details: Review the town’s public notices, historical news and records from recent years. Continue searching for clues regarding the Holy Relic.
Mission Reward: Villain Points +5
Current Villain Points: 40
“Public notices and news?” Xue Zhao looked confused. “Where am I supposed to find those?”
The system searched through its database but came up empty handed.
Eventually, Xue Zhao found an opportunity to ask one of the assistants.
“What do you need those for?” the assistant asked thoughtfully. “If I remember correctly, they’re stored in the clinic.”
Xue Zhao thanked him.
With the system’s help, he quickly fabricated a reasonable excuse and successfully avoided further questioning.
“The clinic, huh?” the system mused. “Then we’ll need to find time to go there.”
But…
If Xue Zhao became an official assistant, things might become less convenient.
“Can’t I ask for leave and go out?” Xue Zhao lowered his head, gripping the application slip tightly. “I could say I want to visit Aunt Huai…”
“Of course you can,” the system replied. “But this mission is directly related to the main storyline.”
The main storyline had already shifted away from the church.
Future missions might also require leaving the church grounds.
Once he became an official assistant, Xue Zhao’s status within the town would become even more unique.
His movements might no longer be as convenient.
He could even end up much busier than before.
Xue Zhao understood exactly what the system meant.
The dilemma immediately became even more painful.
“Maybe you should prioritize the mission,” the system suggested.
“Let’s visit the clinic first.”
“And besides, Xiu Jixin’s affection level is already so high. Afterward, if you still want to become an official assistant, you can just talk to him. It shouldn’t be difficult.”
Looking at the situation objectively, either choice was acceptable.
The only downside to leaving the church was that he would have to be separated from Xiu Jixin for a while.
As for the demon that had attacked him before, it had never appeared again.
Opening his status panel, Xue Zhao glanced at his personal information.
Life Points: 23.
Twenty three points already…
When he first arrived in this world, his Life Points had constantly hovered between three and five.
Compared to that, his current number was almost luxurious.
Although it still wasn’t particularly high, it was more than enough for him.
After struggling with the decision for a long time, Xue Zhao ultimately chose the mission over his “food.”
Just as the system had said, Xiu Jixin’s affection was already extremely high.
He liked him.
If necessary, he could always find a way to return to the church later.
The application slip, which already had his name written on it, was torn apart by Xue Zhao.
He threw the pieces into a trash bin by the roadside.
After doing so, he crouched beside the trash bin and stared at it for quite a while.
Only then did he stand up and leave.
Later that afternoon, an assistant came looking for Xiu Jixin.
He carried the first batch of application slips and placed them on the desk.
“Father, these are the applications from those wishing to become official assistants.”
Without lifting his head, Xiu Jixin replied calmly,
“Leave them there for now.”
“Understood.”
The assistant responded and quietly withdrew from the room.
A moment later, Xiu Jixin casually tossed aside the book in his hand.
Suppressed displeasure and faint traces of anger darkened his eyes.
What the assistant hadn’t noticed was that there was already an application slip beside him.
The back side faced upward.
Its owner could not be identified.
However, the paper had clearly been torn into pieces before being painstakingly reassembled.
The black cat lay on the windowsill, enjoying the breeze.
Sensing something unusual about Xiu Jixin’s mood, it turned its head and let out a questioning meow.
“Meow?”
Xiu Jixin said nothing.
He rose quietly and headed toward the storage room behind the confession hall.
Several items were stored there.
After the warehouse had been destroyed by demonic fire, only a small portion of supplies had been salvaged and moved to this location.
Opening a wooden chest, Xiu Jixin looked inside.
Under the illumination of the lamp, the contents emitted a faint, shimmering glow.
It was the very last remaining supply of silver salt.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Every chapter has a price. This one accepts 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?