Chapter 9: The Mystery (9) (Fourth Update)
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“Luo Ying! Luo Ying!”
At this moment, the Male Character had nothing left to hide. While searching the courtyard, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
In no time, lights flickered on all around the courtyard.
Various little animals, half-asleep and curious, peeked out to see what was happening.
“Strange beings are strange beings; they just know how to get drunk and go wild,” the Squirrel Butler huffed, following the source of the noise until he found the Male Character.
“Hey, do you have any manners? Why are you making such a racket in the middle of the night?”
The Male Character didn’t have time for chit-chat; he simply replied, “My companion is missing. I have to find her.”
“Luo Ying? Luo Ying!”
Seeing that he wasn’t even giving him the time of day, the Squirrel Butler’s fluffy face trembled with indignation.
But it seemed he had no way to stop the Male Character, so after watching for a bit, he pointed to the garden and said, “Look carefully in that sea of flowers. Just stop shouting; if the master wakes up, we’ll all be in trouble.”
Seeing the Squirrel Butler’s serious demeanor, the Male Character nodded.
He had left Luo Ying’s room for just a minute or two, and when he returned, she was already missing, with no signs of the window being opened.
So, he deduced that Luo Ying must still be somewhere in the courtyard.
The garden was huge; thoroughly searching it would take at least an hour or two.
Not wanting to shout aimlessly anymore—perhaps Luo Ying was still drunk and wouldn’t hear him even if he screamed his lungs out—he borrowed a torch from the Squirrel Butler, determined not to miss any corner.
Fortunately, in less than half an hour, he spotted two little feet sticking out from a flower bush.
The Male Character sighed and carefully lifted the still-sleeping Luo Ying into his arms.
Whether it was the scent of the flowers or Luo Ying’s own fragrance, the delicate, boneless figure in his embrace stirred something sweet in the Male Character’s nerves.
But since Luo Ying was still unconscious, he couldn’t just go making any inappropriate moves.
After carrying Luo Ying back into her room, he decided to ignore any looming large shadows outside the courtyard as long as they didn’t pose a threat to him.
What he needed to do now was stay by her side until she was back to normal.
When the first light of dawn filtered through the translucent curtains, casting soft shadows on the floor, the Male Character suddenly woke up.
Seeing Luo Ying lying on the bed, breathing steadily, he let out a sigh of relief.
“Bang bang,” someone knocked on the door from outside.
Upon opening the door, a creature resembling an oversized rabbit smiled up at him, “The butler sent breakfast for you two.”
“Thanks.”
The big rabbit bobbed its head and hopped away with a grin.
Holding the tray, the Male Character felt like he had stumbled into a 3D animated movie.
The lord of the manor was treating them quite well, really as if they were guests, even if the little animals saw them as lowly beings.
After a while, Luo Ying finally woke up.
Her first instinct was to sit up and look for water. It wasn’t until the Male Character brought her a glass of cool water that she gladly downed it in one go.
Rubbing her head, Luo Ying murmured, “Thanks.”
She hadn’t expected to get that drunk and embarrass herself in front of the Male Character.
“You should wash up first; I’ll wait for you next door,” he said, giving her some space.
Luo Ying touched her flushed cheeks, feeling a bit flustered for the first time.
Considering Luo Ying’s condition, they decided not to leave the manor that whole day.
The Little Wild Cat lord was quite considerate; without showing his face, he had the kitchen prepare a hearty meal for the two.
Luo Ying dared not ask for any more alcohol.
During casual conversation, she perked up when the Male Character spoke of countless massive shadows wandering outside at night, instantly making her curious.
Thus, they made plans to investigate that evening.
After dinner, the Male Character thought that with four or five hours until midnight, it might be better to go back to their rooms and rest up first.
Luo Ying agreed.
The Male Character reclined on the bed, intending only to rest his eyes. Yet, when he awoke, it was already bright morning.
What the heck? How could he sleep so soundly?
Luo Ying hadn’t also overslept, had she?
He hurried to knock on the adjacent door. After a long wait, he finally heard a sleepy voice respond, “Hmm… Is it time to go?”
The Male Character was left speechless.
Once fully awake, Luo Ying too was at a loss, “This shouldn’t be happening. We used to wake up right on time; could it be that the alcohol effect hasn’t worn off yet?”
“Eh, maybe it’s because the conditions here are too good, making us lose our usual alertness.”
“So… let’s leave today!” Luo Ying declared firmly.
The Male Character nodded, “Exactly! We can’t stay here any longer.”
The two quickly packed their things and left the manor without a word.
Just a glance at their vanishing silhouettes made the Squirrel Butler look down, continuing to tend to the garden, as if he couldn’t care less about their departure.
Once they chose a direction, they moved forward without stopping.
The surrounding scenery didn’t change much; bashful little animals were everywhere, and whenever the two tried to approach, the critters scattered like leaves, never giving them the chance to get close.
Realizing this, they didn’t push it any further.
However, the moment the sun reached noon, both the Male Character and Luo Ying suddenly felt hungry.
Even though as cultivators, going days without food wouldn’t affect them much, their psychological need far outweighed the physical at that moment.
“Maybe… we should eat first before leaving,” the Male Character said with difficulty.
Luo Ying nodded, “Yeah, plus we need to stay up all night, so it’s good to stock up on food.”
“Alright then, this is the last meal.”
They agreed on that.
By the time they returned home, it was already evening. Missing lunch, they were faced with a lavish dinner and suddenly found their appetites insatiable, diving into the feast.
After gorging themselves, the two exchanged glances, silent.
They seemed to have forgotten about all the missions weighing heavily on their shoulders, like finding a way out of this place, uncovering the secret of the Monster King’s avatar locked away on Phoenix Mountain, and figuring out how to open the passage between the Small Thousand World and Sky Sword City.
One by one, those matters weighed on their minds, yet curiously, they hadn’t felt a hint of panic while eating.
Therefore, they reaffirmed that tonight they would uncover the mystery of the shadows, and first thing tomorrow, they would leave the manor without delay.
This time, they wouldn’t be separated; instead, they shared the same bedroom.
The Male Character said, “If you’re tired, just rest a bit. I won’t even blink. I’ll definitely wake you up when it’s time.”
Luo Ying hesitated, “Are you sure? I’m worried I’ll just fall asleep again.”
Feeling energetic, the Male Character nodded, “I’m sure.”
“Well, okay then. I’ll lie down for a bit, and then it’ll be your turn.”
“Mm…”
The following morning, suddenly jolted awake, the two locked eyes, wordless and shocked.
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P.S.: Anyone who has managed to read this far is true love! The intrigue intensifies, but the mystery will be unveiled soon! On the first day of May, let’s give a little vote of support to the hardworking author; thank you!
