Chapter 1176: Chapter 643: Deadly Question (Quadruple Release 4-in-1)
She hadn’t consumed yang energy for a long time, and now her eyes gleamed.
The stupid girl wiped away imaginary drool, lowering herself bit by bit.
Then, she slightly opened her mouth and aimed at that rich source of yang energy, forcefully and deeply—
Inhaled!
Chen Yi visibly shivered a little, furrowing his brow in his sleep but remained soundly asleep.
After all, the stupid girl harbored no malice; she was merely wanting a midnight snack.
Donggong Ruoshu saw that he continued sleeping and didn’t want to wake him up. After a while, she bent down again, taking large gulps.
Exhale—in—
Exhale—in—
In the silent room, only Chen Yi’s steady breathing could be heard, along with... the barely audible inhaling of a certain female ghost while she "dined" diligently.
.........
Two days later, Xie Maping, gambling den.
The familiar clamor, sweat odor, and mingling scent of maidens drifted together as the housekeeper swiftly computed on the abacus, calculating this month’s share.
When Chen Yi’s silhouette appeared at the entrance, the abacus sound paused, and the housekeeper glanced over, tinged with a trace of uncertain surprise, while the person ignored him and walked directly to the deepest room, pushing the door open.
Yan Kan was smoking from a water pipe, squinting while contemplating. He looked up at the sound, and when he recognized the visitor, his indolent expression froze. His pupils contracted, and he forgot to puff the pipe.
...Returned alive?
"Oh? Brother Chen?" Yan Kan put down the water pipe, plastering a smile on his face, but the uncertainty in his eyes lingered, "What a rare guest! I thought you would... um, cut all ties? Do sit, do sit!"
Chen Yi didn’t sit but stood at the door, looking darker and more weary than when he left, the hem of his robe seemingly stained with unwashable dark grime.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, "Thanks to Boss Yan Kan, I almost truly ’cut ties’. Transporting some soil goods for you nearly cost me my life."
"What do you mean by this?" Yan Kan feigned surprise, his heart tightening though.
"What do I mean?" Chen Yi sneered faintly, his voice not loud yet piercingly cold, "You sent me to die, and now ask what I mean? If I hadn’t fled in time, I would have been finished there. Boss Yan Kan, I ran errands for you and almost lost my life to the barbarians. How do you account for this?"
Yan Kan’s smile started to falter.
He quickly weighed things over, realizing that someone able to return alive has some acuity and vigilance, having a strong fate. Now, boldly coming to settle accounts suggests those people didn’t insist on pursuing to kill. What happened amongst them remains unknown...
He didn’t assume Chen Yi had killed all four; achieving one against four and withdrawing intact would already make him a prince mansion Zige Bureau ace, famous in Nanwei. Would he gamble everything here?
Thus, the most likely scenario is they see potential usefulness, deliberately letting him return...
"Oh, misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!" Yan Kan slapped his thigh, standing up, appearing extremely remorseful, "Brother Chen, those barbarians are uncivilized; who knows what madness they stir? I swear on the heavens, I merely wanted you to get acquainted with the path, and meanwhile... hehe, see if there’s another way to profit. Who knew they’d dare move against Zige Bureau’s people? Outrageous!"
As he spoke, he observed Chen Yi’s expression, seeing his gaze still icy, his mind rapidly calculating.
"Here’s how!" Yan Kan gritted his teeth, fetched a heavy money pouch besides and pulled out a drawer with a stack of silver notes, pushing them towards Chen Yi, "Brother, you’ve been startled. These two hundred silver and an additional one thousand silver note are a little token from me to apologize! We’ll have many more opportunities to work together in the future."
Chen Yi’s gaze lingered on the heap of wealth for a moment, his expression seemingly softening. He weighed them, pocketing them, and said lightly, "Boss Yan Kan is quite straightforward."
Seeing Chen Yi take the money, Yan Kan was relieved, his smile growing warm again, "As it should be, as it should be! Brother Chen is someone achieving great things, and I’ll rely on you in the future. Come, come, today must be lucky, play a few rounds?"
Anyone soothed by money isn’t hard to handle; lacking money isn’t Yan Kan’s issue. This deal isn’t a loss; even Chen Yi surviving further proves his value, worth drawing in closely.
"Sure, sure."
Chen Yi toyed with the money pouch, tossing it in the air.
.........
For several consecutive days, this Zige Bureau newcomer seemed utterly engrossed in the gambling den’s intoxicating revelry, spending lavishly, surrounded by the most alluring women of the den, winning more than losing, elated and full of spring.
Yan Kan observed with pleasure, even subtly instructing underlings to let Chen Yi "win more", increasing bets, winning more, and hence betting more. He’s seen many like this, and Chen Yi is indeed one.
The gambling den temporarily closed, and Chen Yi scooped up the chips from the table.
"Brother Chen’s luck sure is strong!"
Yan Kan approached with a full wine cup, beaming.
"There’s a small task, and I’d need brother to help once more."
Chen Yi pushed aside the beauties next to him, casting a sidelong glance, "Oh? Still escorting people?"
"Exactly, exactly!" Yan Kan lowered his voice, "It’s those previous friends again, with two elders needing to go someplace. This route is more familiar and safer! You just need to escort them to the designated location, same as last time, one eye open one eye closed, letting them pass smoothly. Once done, this amount!" He gestured a number, even more tempting than before.
Chen Yi paused for a few beats, then said, "Alright."
Still amid fierce snow on an isolated mountain path.
Two heretical elders, wrapped in heavy black robes, silently proceeded under Chen Yi’s "escort", the atmosphere as oppressive as frozen air.
