Chapter 59: Becoming a Male Concubine for Love

Chapter 59: Becoming a Male Concubine for Love

Lou Yuqing and the other woman followed the sound and saw Steward Xie holding a wine ladle, staring angrily at the empty wine vat.

Ling Yunxiao paused slightly. Last time he came, there was still half a vat of spirit wine in the wine vat.

Steward Xie angrily slammed the wine ladle against the wine vat and said, "I set up a small defensive array here to prevent anyone from stealing my spirit wine, but..."

As soon as he activated the defensive array, the spirit wine vanished without a trace, leaving him with only an empty shell. Despite his best efforts to defend against it, he still couldn't stop it.

Lou Yuqing and the other woman both understood the unspoken meaning behind Steward Xie's words.

Steward Xie looked indignant and said bitterly, "I don't know what despicable means this little thief used to steal the spirit wine from the wine vat without breaking my defensive formation."

Otherwise, he wouldn't have only discovered the truth now.

Spirit wine is rare to brew, and the process is complicated and tedious. In addition, he has a particular fondness for it, so he keeps an extremely strict watch on it. He doesn't drink it often, only once every ten days, which is very regular.

He hadn't originally set up a defensive array on the wine vat, but more than a decade ago, someone stole all his spirit wine, and even after reporting it to the Enforcement Hall, they couldn't find the culprit.

Once bitten by a snake, twice shy. Steward Xie had specially spent spirit stones to set up a defensive array, and until just now, nothing had gone wrong.

Who would have thought that fate would repeat itself?

Steward Xie took out the array plate and smashed it on the ground. He irritably ruffled his hair, sighing and cursing, "Useless thing, didn't even give me a hint."

Array Plate: "..."

Seeing his irritable behavior, Lou Yuqing guessed that the vat of spirit wine was not cheap, and couldn't help but suggest, "Steward Xie, report this matter to the Enforcement Hall, and they will handle it."

"It can't be dealt with."

Steward Xie plopped down on the stool, waved his hand at Lou Yuqing, and said helplessly, "My spirit wine was stolen once before, and the Enforcement Hall didn't find anything."

Lou Yuqing was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

“Have you forgotten that there’s a ready-made enforcement disciple here?” Ling Yunxiao suddenly spoke up when he saw them remain silent.

Lou Yuqing realized what was happening and exclaimed in surprise, "You..."

She paused, looking at the boy's determined eyes, realizing he was confident, and then persuaded Steward Xie: "Yes, with Ling Yunxiao here, we can help you investigate now. That little thief must have left clues after committing this crime."

Hearing the two responding to each other, Steward Xie's expression of refusal became hesitant, and he asked, "Young Ling, you've just become an enforcement disciple, do you know how to investigate cases?"

It wasn't that he didn't trust Ling, but investigating cases required experience. If a novice rashly proposed to investigate a case, anyone would have reservations.

Ling Yunxiao pretended not to notice his suspicion and said confidently, "I wouldn't dare to guarantee that I can absolutely find the thief who stole the spirit wine, but I have found some clues."

Steward Xie pressed further, "What clue is it?"

Could it be that Ling is actually quite capable?

Ling Yunxiao pointed to the ground next to the wine vat and said meaningfully, "Look, there is a drop of water here. Judging from the mark, it was dripped there not long ago."

Manager Xie observed the water stain for a while but couldn't figure it out. He thought to himself that it was just an ordinary drop of water, which he must have accidentally put there.

Suddenly, he realized something was wrong. He bent down abruptly, brought his face close to the water stain, took a deep breath, and his expression immediately changed: "It smells like alcohol!"

The spirit wine he brews has a subtle flavor that is almost imperceptible unless you smell it carefully. Only when you drink it will this wonderful flavor suddenly burst forth, bringing a delightful sensory experience to the drinker.

Upon hearing this, Lou Yuqing immediately realized that the water stains on the ground were from the thief who had accidentally spilled the spirit wine when he stole it; to be precise, they were wine stains.

Steward Xie barely managed to soften his livid expression and said, "Young Ling, you mean that the thief didn't steal my spirit wine for long, and as long as we identify the suspect who entered the back hall during that time, we can interrogate the culprit."

Ling Yunxiao surveyed the back hall and said with a smile, "Steward Xie, there's no need to be in such a hurry. Perhaps this person just committed the crime and hasn't had time to leave yet."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a crisp sound of porcelain clattering came from the corner, as if the boy's words had startled him.

Steward Xie narrowed his eyes and walked straight toward the place where the dishes were placed, saying fiercely, "Ling is right. The wine stains on the ground haven't evaporated yet, which means that the thief can't have gone far. Once he falls into my hands, I'll make him pay!"

He said this mainly to intimidate the other party and make them reveal more weaknesses, but it was also his true thought. He had worked hard to brew the spirit wine, but it was all drunk up by someone else, not a drop was left. What a tragic thing that was.

Lou Yuqing and Ling Yunxiao followed behind Steward Xie, the three of them and six eyes scrutinizing the transparent cupboard.

Neatly arranged on it are clean white porcelain bowls. Those with obsessive-compulsive disorder would surely feel comfortable seeing this. The only flaw is that the two porcelain bowls in the upper right corner are knocked together. It is no surprise that they were the ones that made the noise.

Steward Xie glanced around the cupboard. The thief might be hiding nearby. With that thought, he didn't hesitate to unleash a burst of spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy shot out like a serpent, fiercely piercing the air ahead. It was hoped that it would yield some results, but after circulating the spiritual energy everywhere, it still could not find any trace of the little thief.

Steward Xie frowned.

"Open the cupboard and take a look." Ling Yunxiao's eyes flickered slightly.

Lou Yuqing looked at him in confusion. Surely the thief couldn't be hiding in the cupboard.

Ling Yunxiao glanced at her, as if knowing her question, and said mysteriously, "The one who stole the spirit wine might not be human, it could also be..."

Lou Yuqing looked like she suddenly realized something. That's right, she was being limited. Who said that other living beings besides humans couldn't steal and drink the spirit wine?

Thinking of this, she suppressed the idea of ​​searching for answers on the system. After all, her gossip points had doubled, so she should spend them sparingly.

Steward Xie slammed the cupboard open and unleashed a burst of spiritual energy toward the two bowls. The energy circled the bowls once before dissipating into the air, without finding any suspicious targets.

Seeing this, Ling Yunxiao took down the two bowls and carefully examined the contents. The cabinet was made of a black wood, and the walls were as black as ink, so it was impossible to see anything unusual.

Steward Xie murmured, "Could it have just been a coincidence?"

Lou Yuqing glanced at him, disagreeing with his words. Too many coincidences were abnormal. She leaned towards the conclusion that Ling Yunxiao's judgment was correct, but the other party had hidden it well, deceiving them.

Just then, Ling Yunxiao reached out and grabbed something, then opened his palm to show it to them. There lay a section of jet-black vine on it.

"Ink Vine?"

Manager Xie looked puzzled.

Ink vine is a common basic material in the cultivation world. Due to its toughness, it is often used to make low-level magical artifacts such as ropes. Apart from that, there are no other advantages to mention.

But how did Mo Teng end up in the cabinet? Did someone not clean it properly back then?

Manager Xie thought about it and realized it was possible; the ink vine was as black as the cabinet and would be easily overlooked. He picked up the ink vine, intending to throw it aside.

"Wait," Ling Yunxiao called out, stopping him.

Steward Xie was stunned: "What's wrong?"

Ling Yunxiao looked at the girl with a strange expression: "What did Junior Sister Yuqing say?"

He was suspicious of the black vine that had suddenly appeared in the cabinet. Although the spiritual plant could not be moved, his intuition told him that the problem must lie with it.

Steward Xie also looked over.

Looking into their eyes, Lou Yuqing coughed lightly: "I think I roughly know what's going on. This Mo Teng is probably the wine-stealing thief."

She nudged Mo Teng and laughed, "How long are you going to keep up this act?"

Mo Teng remained motionless, seemingly determined to put on a show to the very end.

"Don't be fooled by its appearance as a stationary vine. We're just under its illusion, which is why we can't see its true form," Lou Yuqing explained.

Illusion...

Ling Yunxiao's eyes lit up. So that's how it is. That makes sense. He smiled slightly at the girl and said, "Junior Sister Yuqing's words are truly insightful. They have enlightened me."

Lou Yuqing said modestly, "It was just luck; I happened to have seen it before."

As she spoke, she briefly recounted the matter of the spirit beast dealer, and then added, "Mo Teng's true form is the Silver Moon Azure Wolf, which is Yuan Shenxing's natal spirit beast. Yuan Shenxing was introduced to Wendao Sect by Elder Shi Hua, and should be somewhere in the inner sect at this time."

Yuan Shenxing had the cultivation level of Foundation Establishment, so he became an inner disciple after entering the sect.

"Alright, I won't bother with this little wolf. Let its master pay the debt for the contracted beast!" After clarifying the matter, Manager Xie grabbed Mo Teng's body and took a step towards Yuan Shenxing to collect the debt.

Lou Yuqing and Ling Yunxiao exchanged a glance and followed.

...

Qishan.

A figure in cyan light drifted over.

"You've arrived."

Lingzhu Zhenren sat on a cloud in mid-air, sensing a familiar presence approaching. He looked up at the woman in green not far away and called out weakly.

Shi Hua frowned slightly and asked, "Why do you look so listless?"

"You have no idea how tiring it is to raise a child. Only after Zao Mo took it away today can I finally have some peace and quiet." Lingzhu Zhenren complained while channeling spiritual energy into the waterfall, as if this would release his pent-up frustration.

Shi Hua glanced at her and said irritably, "Your own child is your responsibility to take care of. Don't always try to shirk your duties. When Zao Mo comes back, the two of you will teach him together."

"Oh, please spare me."

Master Lingzhu sighed and said in frustration, "What's the difference between teaching children and subjecting them to torture? I'd rather go fight someone right now than stay here teaching children."

Shi Hua looked out into the valley and seemed to see figures working in the spirit fields. She said leisurely, "In the past, the little monkey didn't seem difficult to take care of when it stayed with that girl Ruan Qingzhu."

"It's all because of this brat's ability to play favorites!" Master Lingzhu complained. "He's well-behaved in front of other girls, but when he's with me and Zao Mo, he becomes incredibly mischievous. What a jerk!"

If it weren't for the fact that Ruan Qingzhu had to spend a lot of time in the spirit field every day, she would have liked to just hand the little monkey over to the other party and pay them the corresponding reward.

Shi Hua shook her head: "Your life isn't going well, let me find you something to do."

Um?

Upon hearing this, Master Lingzhu glanced at her sideways and said, "So you came prepared. If you need my help, just say so beforehand. If you don't want anything, don't bother."

As the sect's guardian spirit beast, she does not interfere in the sect's internal affairs, nor does she obey the orders of others. If you want her to do something, you must consult with her.

Shi Hua smiled and said, "A while ago, I suggested to my senior brother, the sect leader, that we conduct a character test on the sect's disciples, but due to the large number of people, the idea fell through."

“However, he proposed another feasible solution.” Shi Hua changed the subject, “Strengthen the Heart-Testing Array to attract disciples to challenge it, thereby weeding out those who are unqualified. What do you think?”

Master Lingzhu rested his chin on his hand and looked at her: "It's possible, but what does it have to do with me? I know absolutely nothing about magic arrays."

"Of course, your illusionary abilities are exactly what we've been looking for. Since you and your partner aren't leaving the sect for the time being, we'd like to ask you two to lend a hand." Shi Hua smiled gently.

Master Lingzhu clicked his tongue twice: "You've even got your sights set on building a motorcycle. Fine, I'll agree. The condition is that you help us take care of the child. How about it?"

She looked at Chao Shihua expectantly, as if she couldn't wait any longer.

"Deal!" Shi Hua did not disappoint her and agreed immediately.

Master Lingzhu immediately felt as if a burden had been lifted, stretched with a refreshed expression, and said, "There's no time to lose, I'll call Zao Mo back right now, and I'll entrust the child to you."

Shi Hua said, "No problem."

She wasn't worried about any trouble taking care of the baby monkey. Although it was a bit mischievous with its biological parents, it didn't play many pranks on others.

Moreover, Shi Hua believed she had a trump card—honey lotion—that the little monkey who loved sweets would definitely not be able to resist.

"Yuqing is here."

Shi Hua scanned the area ahead with her divine sense and exclaimed in surprise.

Master Lingzhu asked lazily, "I heard she was Senior Zixiao's last disciple?"

Shi Hua nodded: "Yes." She had just found out as well. She had always thought Lou Yuqing was an ordinary disciple, but she never expected that he was actually Master Zixiao's disciple.

Oh, and there's also her magical inner voice. After talking with the sect leader and the others, she discovered that Lou Yuqing's inner voice had saved many people, such as Wei Houming and Wei Tu, Song Li and the sect leader...

Shi Hua glanced at the spirit pearl secretly, thinking to herself that she and her child had also been saved.

Lingzhu Zhenren, unaware of Shi Hua's thoughts, raised his chin and said, "It seems something's happened over there. Let's go take a look."

The tone of joining in the fun was particularly obvious.

As soon as she got closer, she heard someone revealing something.

[Shocking! Yuan Shenxing actually became a male concubine for love!]

Lingzhu Zhenren: "..."

She subconsciously looked at Shi Hua and asked, "Are all the disciples of the sect this wild?"

Shi Hua: "..."

"It's not that bad, Wendao Sect is a legitimate place."

Shi Hua was silent for a while before saying, "This disciple, Yuan Shenxing, has only recently joined the sect. It seems that he went astray before joining the sect."

Master Lingzhu remarked with emotion, "No matter what, he was quite brave."

Shi Hua's forehead creased with annoyance. Yuan Shenxing was a promising talent she had discovered, and this revelation was not a good thing for him. She wondered if he had heard Lou Yuqing's thoughts.

Yuan Shenxing: "..." I heard it.

But he swore that wasn't the case.

Clickbait headlines misled me!