Chapter 74: Senior Sister Jiang, You Owe Me Another One~♡

“Oof! Oh my goodness!” He Yimo exclaimed exaggeratedly, rushing forward with feigned concern as Chen Jianxin stumbled. “Yikes! Look at that! So clumsy! You really gotta watch where you’re going!” He reached out a ‘helpful’ hand.

Chen Jianxin shakily pushed himself upright, glaring daggers at He Yimo. He saw the offered hand, saw the faux sympathy… and saw the tiny, barely concealed, utterly mocking smirk twitching at the corner of He Yimo’s lips.

“Bastard… You BASTARD…” Chen Jianxin’s fists clenched, his eyes burning with pure hatred. Grrrrrr!! He lunged, swinging a wild punch straight at He Yimo’s smug face—

Woosh! —But He Yimo sidestepped effortlessly, letting Chen Jianxin stumble past him, nearly face-planting again. This time, though, He Yimo didn’t let him fall completely, catching his arm just before he hit the dirt.

“My my, Brother Chen! ” He Yimo chuckled, steadying him. “Such enthusiasm! We were only apart one night, did you miss me thaaaat much~?♡”

“L-Let… Let go of me, you… ASSHOLE!” Chen Jianxin spat, violently wrenching his arm free. He lowered his voice to a furious hiss, trembling with humiliation but managing not to completely lose it in front of everyone this time. Huh. Progress? He just glared murderously at He Yimo, teeth clenched so hard it looked like he wanted to tear him limb from limb.

`Well, look at that!` He Yimo thought, mildly impressed. `The protagonist isn’t completely useless! He actually learned something! Not a total idiot after all!` A flicker of genuine appreciation sparked in He Yimo. `If only the game protagonist had this much fire early on… could’ve saved us from so many of those stupid, forced plot twists later… Ah, well.`

Too bad, He Yimo mused inwardly, a touch of melancholy creeping in, this newly budding, potentially interesting ‘darkened’ protagonist ran smack into me. Poor guy. Never stood a chance… He sighed internally again. `Innocent man, guilty heart… destiny’s a bitch, ain’t it?`

He Yimo calmly pulled his hand back, took out a clean handkerchief from his sleeve, and meticulously wiped the hand he’d used to ‘help’ Chen Jianxin. “Alright, alright. Have it your way. Whatever makes you happy~” He offered Chen Jianxin, who was practically vibrating with suppressed rage, a polite, patient smile, nodding slightly.

But the calmer He Yimo acted, the more terrified and enraged Chen Jianxin became. Enraged, because he felt utterly, profoundly despised. Terrified, because even his fury… was met with this gentle, almost pitying tolerance from the black-haired youth. He Yimo wasn’t even mocking him anymore… his eyes held a look of… compassion? Like a doctor visiting a terminally ill patient on their deathbed! AAAAAAAH!

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!” Chen Jianxin finally choked out, abandoning the verbal sparring match and shoving past He Yimo towards the now-open basement entrance.

He Yimo didn’t resist, simply stepping aside gracefully, watching as Chen Jianxin and the other disciples eagerly filed into the chamber. Tsk tsk… He stood outside the door, hands clasped behind his back, observing the crowd packed into the small underground room. `You know… if there happened to be, say… a Life Sacrificial Altar hidden down there right now… this would be the perfect opportunity… Could probably break straight through to Core Formation with this many sacrifices…` He mused absently, his thoughts drifting into familiar dark territory.

Fortunately, his morbid daydreaming was interrupted by a soft poke to his side. “Um… Young Master He…?” Yun Jin whispered, holding up the single bottle of antler powder now that everyone else was inside. She cupped a hand beside her mouth shyly. “Wh-What do we… do with this…?”

Seeing Yun Jin’s completely innocent, round little face looking up at him expectantly, He Yimo’s dark mood instantly evaporated. He blinked, a genuine smile softening his features. He reached out and gently pinched her soft, squishy cheek. “Nawww~ What else? If they ask about treasure from the basement later… just give ’em this bottle.”

“B-But…” Yun Jin puffed out her cheeks, looking surprisingly disgruntled. “I… I don’t wanna give it to Chen Jianxin…” She mumbled the rare negative sentiment, looking a bit guilty even as she said it, clearly unused to badmouthing people behind their backs.

Oh? He Yimo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Even the sweet, starter-guide Yun Jin had her limits, apparently. “Why not?”

“B-Because…! I… I saw him! Lots of times!” Yun Jin blurted out, her indignation growing. “He’s always either talking bad about you behind your back, or picking on you for no reason! He even tried to hit you just now…!” She pouted fiercely, clearly feeling it was terribly unfair to give such a precious item to that jerk.

He Yimo found this amusing. “But didn’t he also try to protect you from the cultists earlier?” he countered gently.

“…Ugh…” Yun Jin’s already conflicted expression became even more tangled. She lowered her head, her ahoge drooping sadly. She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again, clearly struggling with the moral dilemma. Uh oh. Fatal Error?

He Yimo waited patiently, observing her internal struggle like a scientist watching a particularly interesting lab rat. C’mon, figure it out…

“I just… I just think it’s unfair to you!” Yun Jin finally burst out, looking up defiantly. “It’s… It’s not like I hate Chen Jianxin!”

“He’s just always being so mean and petty towards you! That’s why I don’t want to give him the antler powder…”

“BUT!” she added quickly, her voice firming. “But… if those cultists came back right now… and Chen Jianxin was really in danger… If I could help him… I… I still would!” She finished her reasoning, looking rather proud of herself for navigating the complex feelings. Okay, so she wasn’t completely naive. She just lacked real-world experience, making her seem overly innocent and kind. Her core logic was sound.

Seeing her puffed-out cheeks and earnest expression, so genuinely concerned for his sake, He Yimo felt a surge of warmth in his chest, effectively chasing away the last vestiges of his earlier dark thoughts. A soft smile touched his lips. He gently patted her head. “Okay… New scenario, then.”

“Let’s say… Me and Chen Jianxin both fall off a cliff.” He leaned in playfully. “And you can only save one of us. Who do you save?”

“C-Can’t I save both?!” Yun Jin asked immediately, wide-eyed.

“Nope. Only strong enough to grab one hand.”

“Then… Then I save you!” She declared instantly, without a shred of hesitation, her big, innocent eyes fixed firmly on He Yimo.

He Yimo’s heart did a little happy flip-flop. He couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face, though he tried to suppress it. “Aw~ Really? You dislike Chen Jianxin that much?”

“I didn’t dislike him at first!” Yun Jin insisted stubbornly. “But… But he just keeps picking fights with you! Over and over! And we haven’t even done anything wrong! Are we really obligated to share the treasure we found with him?! Is that fair?!” The questions tumbled out, her conviction growing stronger with each one, her gaze becoming surprisingly fierce.

He Yimo chuckled, gently rubbing her still-puffy cheek in approval. He glanced towards the basement entrance, where sounds of rummaging and frustrated muttering could still be heard. A cold glint entered his eyes. “Alright then. Here’s the plan. When Chen Jianxin comes out and asks… just follow my lead. Watch my eyes.”

“Okaaay~♡” Yun Jin nodded obediently, her head still slightly fuzzy from the cheek-rubbing, completely missing the mischievous darkness swirling in He Yimo’s gaze. Even though He Yimo wasn’t technically her senior in rank, being near him always gave her that reliable ‘Senior Brother’ feeling… or maybe… like a dependable ‘older brother’? Whatever it was, she felt safe listening to him, confident that following his lead was always the right choice!

Just as He Yimo was enjoying patting Yun Jin’s head, Chen Jianxin finally emerged from the basement, empty-handed and radiating frustration, followed by the equally disappointed disciples.

“He Yimo!” Chen Jianxin stormed up to him immediately, glaring. “There were like, eight different chests down there! Did you seriously take everything?!”

He Yimo subtly positioned Yun Jin slightly behind him. “Wasn’t me, ” he replied calmly. “Those chests were already empty when we got there. Must’ve been looted by the cultists earlier, I guess? Bad luck.”

“BULLSHIT!” Chen Jianxin exploded. “That basement was hidden deep! The only footprints in the dust down there were yours and Yun Jin’s! Who ELSE could have emptied it?!”

“Now you’re just making baseless accusations, ” He Yimo countered coolly, casually fiddling with the Storage Ring on his right index finger, pointedly ignoring Chen Jianxin’s fury. “You want me to cut open my stomach to prove how many bowls of rice I ate?”

Seeing He Yimo flaunting the Storage Ring so blatantly, Chen Jianxin’s rage spiked higher. Grrrrr! “You… You asshole! That Nine-Colored Compass needs materials from the Deer to work! And now you’ve hoarded all the materials! How are we supposed to track the Nine-Colored Deer now, HUH?!”

“HE YIMO! I KNEW IT!” Chen Jianxin’s suspicion finally boiled over into full-blown accusation. “I’ve suspected you were a spy all along! That night! You deliberately ditched Senior Sister Jiang! Then you left Yun Jin all alone at the hot springs!”

“And when the cultists attacked us later, you just happened to be conveniently absent! You must have led them right to us!”

“And NOW! You steal all the materials from the vault! You’re obviously guilty! Scared of us finding the Nine-Colored Deer! ADMIT IT!” Losing control completely, Chen Jianxin lunged forward again, grabbing He Yimo by the collar. RAAAAH!

But this time, before He Yimo could even react, the gentle-looking girl beside him moved faster. Swish! Yun Jin snapped two fingers together, summoning a shimmering Azure Crane  spirit creature made of light, which instantly materialized between them, slamming into Chen Jianxin and knocking him back several steps. BAMF!

“Chen Jianxin!” Yun Jin cried out, stepping protectively in front of He Yimo, her usual shyness replaced by fierce determination. “We’re all fellow disciples! Stop resorting to violence all the time!” She held her two fingers extended, the Azure Crane hovering protectively beside her, ready for a fight.

Woah. Everyone stared, stunned. Not just Chen Jianxin, who was blinking in shock from being knocked back by Yun Jin, of all people… but even He Yimo and Jiang Jinyue exchanged surprised glances. Jiang Jinyue shot He Yimo a look that clearly said, `Did you teach her that?!` He Yimo just shrugged innocently. `Nope. Not me.`

“Senior Sister Yun Jin… Even you—?!” Chen Jianxin stammered, utterly bewildered.

“If you have something to say, say it properly!” Yun Jin retorted sharply, her voice trembling slightly but firm. “Don’t just start shouting insults, making false accusations, and trying to hit people!” Even sweet, non-confrontational Yun Jin had finally had enough of Chen Jianxin’s increasingly erratic behavior. She wasn’t used to scolding people, but basic respect was something she understood!

As Yun Jin spoke out, murmurs of agreement rippled through the other Wuji Sect disciples. They’d all noticed Chen Jianxin’s growing paranoia and instability since the fight last night, his constant muttering of strange theories. They’d been too intimidated to say anything, but Yun Jin voicing it seemed to validate their concerns. Chen Jianxin was becoming the group’s resident weirdo again, just like before.

“Fine! FINE! FINE!” Chen Jianxin laughed bitterly, shaking his head, nodding three times with sharp, angry movements. The last shreds of his composure vanished. He glared hatefully not just at He Yimo, but now at Yun Jin too. “Alright! Since you ALL feel that way… then who’s gonna tell me NOW… since these two apparently stole everything from the basement… how are we supposed to find the Deer’s materials for this compass?! HUH?! Where do we get them NOW?!” He threw his hands up, turning to glare challengingly at the other disciples.

Silence. Everyone avoided his gaze, unwilling to get involved.

Just then, He Yimo spoke up coolly. “I did say the chests were empty… ” he paused, letting the implication hang in the air, before glancing meaningfully at Yun Jin beside him, “…But that doesn’t mean… we didn’t happen to find… maybe… one little bottle of antler powder tucked away in some dusty corner down there.”

Yun Jin immediately understood her cue. She nodded and quickly produced the small bottle she’d been hiding. Ta-da!

Chen Jianxin’s eyes practically bulged out of his head when he saw it. He shot another venomous glare at He Yimo, already anticipating, with dreadful certainty, what He Yimo was about to say next.

“He… Yimo…” Chen Jianxin ground out through clenched teeth, his fists shaking. Don’t you DARE…

But before He Yimo could deliver the final, smug, humiliating blow… the pink-haired girl, who’d been silently observing from the back of the crowd, suddenly stepped forward.

“Aaaawww~! Young Master He is soooo magnanimous! Such a big heart~!♡” Jiang Jinyue chirped sweetly, inserting herself smoothly into the tense standoff.

“For my sake~♡ Pretty pweeeease~? Could you maybe possibly share just a little bit of that antler powder with us poor folks~? Hmmmmm~?” She beamed, effectively cutting off whatever deliciously cruel remark He Yimo had been about to make.

With her years of experience as a chaos-loving demoness, Jiang Jinyue could read He Yimo like an open book. She knew exactly what he’d been planning: offer to share the powder with everyone… except Chen Jianxin. She could perfectly picture the ensuing scene: Chen Jianxin, utterly isolated, his already fragile psyche shattering completely under the public humiliation… He’d probably snap and go full dark-side crazy right then and there.

Normally? Jiang Jinyue would have loved that! More drama! More chaos! Especially if it messed up Mu Yanran’s plans! Let her deal with the fallout! Heehee! But now? Mu Yanran’s plan was already failure. Jiang Jinyue was the one who needed to prove herself, prove she wasn’t the Organization’s mole. If Chen Jianxin went completely off the rails now… Jiang Jinyue’s own revised plan would be ruined, and she’d have nothing to show Mu Yanran. No no no! Bad!

So, much as it pained her inner chaos gremlin, Jiang Jinyue couldn’t let He Yimo pour gasoline on this fire. She had to personally intervene, calm things down, and get Chen Jianxin back on track towards the Wuji Sect’s rear mountain pronto. Her agenda depended on it!

“Senior Sister Jiang?” He Yimo blinked, genuinely surprised. He’d fully expected Jiang Jinyue, the ultimate troll, to be hiding in the back, eagerly munching on metaphorical popcorn, waiting for Chen Jianxin’s inevitable meltdown. He never thought he’d see the day Jiang Jinyue actually played peacemaker. Had the sun risen in the West?! Wha…?

“C’moooon, Young Master Heeee~♡” Jiang Jinyue purred, fluttering her eyelashes coquettishly. “You’re so big and strong and forgiving~! Don’t stoop to arguing with that… that simpleton~♡ Pretty please~?” She leaned in slightly, giving him a pleading look that was surprisingly effective.

But seeing Jiang Jinyue acting so… submissive… immediately set off alarm bells in He Yimo’s head. Hold up. This felt wrong. Really wrong. `Trap detected!`

This was the Demoness of Delight! The bringer of chaos! Willingly debasing herself… for the protagonist?! Something was seriously fishy. He stared intently into Jiang Jinyue’s awkwardly smiling eyes, his mind racing. `Deep analysis commencing…`

`Could it be…?` he pondered, suspicion hardening. `She wants the antler powder so desperately… because she needs it to lure Chen Jianxin to the rear mountain… to get him killed?!` Click! That actually made perfect sense! In the original story, Jiang Jinyue had manipulated events, first tricking Yun Jin, then the protagonist, into walking right into Gu Wanglan’s trap at the rear mountain! So, her plan to eliminate Chen Jianxin… probably hadn’t changed at all! Aha!

“Senior Sister Jiang…” He Yimo said slowly, a knowing smirk spreading across his face as he pieced it together. “You owe me another favor for this~” He gave her a look dripping with hidden meaning.

Jiang Jinyue, knowing she needed his cooperation, tilted her head cutely, her pupils shifting into those adorable pink flower patterns again. Under He Yimo’s gaze, even her slight pout seemed devastatingly charming. For a fleeting moment, He Yimo could almost swear he saw three fluffy fox tails swishing playfully behind her, trying to win him over. Woah.

“Did you… Did you just use an illusion on me?” he asked abruptly, rubbing his eyes. The pink hearts and wagging tails vanished. She was just standing there, smiling sweetly.

“Aw~ Can’t a girl just owe Young Master He a little favor~? Is that soooo bad~?” Jiang Jinyue cooed, dodging the question entirely, continuing her syrupy-sweet persuasion.

Maybe it was the lingering effect of some subtle charm… He Yimo found himself struggling to resist her clingy, cutesy fox-girl routine. He quickly looked away, clearing his throat to hide the sudden acceleration of his heartbeat. Ahem! “Urk… F-Fine! Whatever!” he mumbled awkwardly. “I wasn’t planning on keeping all the powder anyway…” Okay, yeah. He’d basically caved.

“Yaaaay~! Thank youuuu~♡” Jiang Jinyue beamed, instantly snatching the bottle from Yun Jin’s hand before He Yimo could change his mind. She gave him another dazzling, flirtatious smile.

He Yimo pointedly turned away again, unable to handle the cognitive dissonance of the Demoness of Delight acting like a damn K-Pop idol. He deliberately avoided meeting her eyes, especially now that those pink flower patterns were back. `Definitely some kind of charm magic!` he thought frantically. `Gotta resist!` He knew Jiang Jinyue had at least three types of illusions: standard brainwashing, the reality-warping Abyss Illusions, and this… this Soft Charm , designed to subtly manipulate emotions and make people view her favorably. It wasn’t forceful mind control, but it tinted perception, making the target susceptible… like seeing imaginary tails and heart effects… `He Yimo, you idiot! Don’t fall for it! She’s the manipulative villainess from the story! Not some cute, cuddly fox girl!` Focus!

“Alright, alright~!” Jiang Jinyue chirped brightly, turning back to the group, holding up the bottle triumphantly. “Okay, Junior Brother Chen, stop sulking now~! Young Master He generously gave us the powder! Let’s put aside petty squabbles for now, okay~? More importantly, let’s test out this Nine-Colored Compass with the antler powder! C’mon everyone! Gather ’round!” She spoke warmly, radiating fake unity.

Most of the disciples obediently clustered around her. Chen Jianxin, however, remained stubbornly outside the circle, still glaring daggers at He Yimo. Jiang Jinyue’s sweet smile flickered for a fraction of a second, replaced by a flash of pure annoyance.

“Chen Jianxin!” she snapped, her voice suddenly losing its sugary coating. He frowned, turning towards her… and his eyes met hers. Zap! A flicker of crimson light flashed in Jiang Jinyue’s pupils, and Chen Jianxin’s expression instantly went blank, glazed over.

“Junior Brother Chen, ” Jiang Jinyue commanded, her left eye subtly glowing with illusion magic, her tone now clipped and efficient, all pretense of warmth gone. “Come try the Nine-Colored Compass. Now.”

Hypnotized, Chen Jianxin robotically obeyed, shuffling forward without resistance. As the illusion faded a moment later, he blinked, looking slightly dazed, but the intense animosity towards He Yimo seemed to have genuinely vanished, replaced by dutiful focus on the task at hand.

The group huddled around the compass again, the atmosphere turning serious as they prepared to activate it. Yun Jin, seeing things seemingly resolved, started to drift towards the group, curious… but He Yimo gently caught her wrist.

“Yimooo…?” Yun Jin blinked, turning back questioningly.

He Yimo didn’t speak this time. He just gave her a look – cold, sharp, and utterly uncompromising.

“Just don’t.”

After their recent experiences, Yun Jin had learned to recognize that look. She immediately subsided, puffing her cheeks out slightly but staying obediently by his side. Okay… She didn’t ask why. She knew by now: the things she needed to know, He Yimo would tell her freely. The things she didn’t… asking wouldn’t get her anywhere but silence. And if she disobeyed…? He wouldn’t stop her, but that look in his eyes would shift from sternness to cold indifference, a look that said, `Fine. Go die then. See if I care.`

More than anything, Yun Jin now feared He Yimo not caring about her. Having tasted kindness and protection… the thought of being truly alone again was terrifying. She trusted He Yimo had his reasons for keeping her away from the compass. He must!

“Okay… I think… first you put the powder on the sensor part… right?” someone in the group murmured. “And then… try injecting spiritual energy into the base…?”

Chen Jianxin, now fully focused, carefully followed the instructions. As he channeled his energy into the compass, the central needle began to spin rapidly. Whirrrrr…

“Look! Look! It stopped!” someone gasped. “It’s pointing… that way!”

Everyone eagerly turned to look in the indicated direction… which happened to be directly… at He Yimo, still standing impassively off to the side.

“Huh?”

“Why’s it pointing at Young Master He?”

“He Yimo?”

Someone tried nudging the compass, but the needle remained stubbornly fixed, aimed squarely at He Yimo.

He Yimo stood perfectly still, arms crossed, expression unreadable… but a tiny bead of sweat trickled down his temple. He didn’t react, his gaze flicking calmly towards the fox girl standing slightly apart from the main group.

In that instant, Jiang Jinyue blinked. Her initial confusion vanished, replaced by dawning horror as she realized exactly what must have happened. Oh. Oh NO. Her eyes widened, and suddenly, her face was beaded with sweat, looking far more panicked than He Yimo.

“W-W-WAIT! STOP!!!” Jiang Jinyue cried out frantically, lunging forward and snatching the compass out of Chen Jianxin’s hands before he could investigate further.

As the bewildered disciples stared at her, Jiang Jinyue turned back towards them, her eyes no longer pink or crimson, but swirling with hypnotic, kaleidoscopic patterns of illusory light— Bloody Kaleidoscope .

“Hey, Yun Jin!” He Yimo called out casually, turning his back pointedly towards Jiang Jinyue’s flashing illusionary lights. “Look over there! I think I just saw a little deer run past! Quick!” He waved, deliberately drawing Yun Jin’s attention away.