Burial Village

"Qin Mo?" Hearing that name, Su Jinxuan's expression remained unchanged, but a flicker of an odd look flashed through her alluring peach-blossom eyes. She did not answer immediately. Xu Yuan was in no hurry to press her, but after waiting a moment, surprise gradually surfaced in his eyes as well. She was taking too long to think. Whether someone knew another person or not usually took only an instant to recall. Even if she needed to weigh her words before speaking, she wouldn't hesitate for this long. Su Jinxuan was certainly clever enough to understand such basic acting. So, judging by her reaction, was she actually preparing to reveal information about Qin Mo? If that was the case, things were getting interesting. The two of them had crossed paths, and she was willing to share information about Qin Mo without hesitation. Based on those two points alone, Xu Yuan could narrow down the storyline route this world's protagonist was taking to fewer than five possibilities. After a long while, Su Jinxuan said softly: "How did the Third Young Master learn of my acquaintance with Young Master Qin? It was months ago when I first met him, and at that time, you and I didn't know each other yet, did we?" Her voice was gentle, and her eyes rested faintly on Xu Yuan's. She could not understand how, back when she met Qin Mo, Xu Changtian had not even been rescued yet. If so, where had his information come from? Xu Yuan heard the probe in her words, but he had no intention of telling her, choosing to say nothing at all. Even if he knew the truth, it was best not to speak of concrete details unless absolutely necessary. Flexing and acting mysterious in front of others might feel great in the moment, but explaining it afterward would be a huge headache. It was the same reason Xu Yuan refused to copy poetry from his past life. He could make up whatever nonsense he wanted to an outsider like Su Jinxuan. People who didn't know the specifics would merely assume that this Third Young Master had been concealing his brilliance all along—that beneath his profligate exterior, he was actually strategizing from a thousand li away, having secretly built an intelligence network of his own. If such a reputation spread, the Chancellor's Manor's mocking moniker of "Two Dragons, a Phoenix, and a Rat" would likely turn into a flattering title like "Two Dragons, a Phoenix, and a Hidden Kun" or "a Hidden Qilin." But the problem was that while outsiders didn't know the real Xu Changtian, Xu Changge and that cheap old man of his knew this profligate inside and out. A person's character could change due to physical constitution, strength, status, and various other factors, but intelligence wasn't something you could just conjure out of thin air. They might not suspect his identity, but an explanation would still be required. Pausing briefly, Xu Yuan said in a low voice: "You don't need to ask how I know. Su Jinxuan, you only need to answer my question now." "......" After a moment of silence, Su Jinxuan bowed her head in acquiescence. "The Third Young Master is right. Jinxuan overstepped just now." Xu Yuan waved his hand. "Never mind that. What I'm curious about right now is: what is the relationship between you and Qin Mo?" Su Jinxuan giggled, her eyes brimming with charm. "Is the young master asking this because you're jealous over Qin Mo?" Xu Yuan shook his head with a noncommittal chuckle. "Perhaps. After all, I truly covet a constitution like the Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique." "This humble woman already belongs to the young master..." Su Jinxuan exhaled a breath sweet as orchids, leaning gently against his shoulder. "If you crave it, why doesn't the young master simply devour me?" Xu Yuan sneered inwardly, casually draping an arm around her shoulder as he continued: "So, Jinxuan, what is your relationship with Qin Mo?" Xu Yuan wanted to find out which route the story's protagonist was taking so he could prepare appropriate countermeasures. Besides, Xu Yuan didn't necessarily have to kill the protagonist. On certain routes, the protagonist was far more villainous than the villains themselves, even more of a scoundrel than his original self. If their goals aligned, reaching a cooperation with him wasn't out of the question. Su Jinxuan pondered slightly, then said with a soft laugh: "If Jinxuan tells the young master, will there be any benefit for me?" "A benefit?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, turning his gaze to meet her autumn-water eyes. "Mm." Smiling with narrowed eyes, Xu Yuan gently brushed the back of his fingers across the gorgeous face before him, speaking in a low, measured voice: "Of course there will be benefits. Once we arrive at the manor and hand you over to Ying'er, I'll put in a few good words for you, so she'll treat you a bit more gently." His voice was tender, as though lovers were flirting, yet the smile on Su Jinxuan's face froze slightly. A lingering glimmer of hope had remained in her heart. She had hoped Xu Changtian was bringing her back to keep her as a captive plaything. She knew very well how tempting her body was to men. Though she was unwilling, as long as Xu Changtian couldn't resist touching her, and if the ancient text Mister Qin gave her was accurate, she would still have a slim chance of turning the tables. Yet Xu Changtian's words instantly reduced that hope of hers to a joke. Ying'er clearly referred to the masked woman she had seen the moment she woke up. That attire was unmistakably that of the Chancellor's Manor's Shadow Guards. If she was handed over to Ying'er, her fate... At that thought, a flicker of panic involuntarily crossed Su Jinxuan's eyes. After a long silence, she lightly bit her lip and said softly: "Then Jinxuan would rather forgo any benefits. But if I tell you everything truthfully, could the Third Young Master grant me a swift death?" Because she had hesitated to drag everyone down with her back then, her charm essence had been thoroughly sealed within her sea of consciousness by the expert at Xu Changtian's side, leaving her unable even to take her own life now. Xu Yuan stroked his chin, offering an amused smile. "That depends on your performance, Jinxuan. We're still about an hour away from the manor. If you can offer something that catches my interest, your proposal can certainly be considered." Su Jinxuan took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll speak. In truth, my relationship with Qin Mo is not complicated. We traveled together for a time, and when we parted ways, we made a bet." "A bet? Let's hear it." "When I parted with him, I said that if he could retrieve the demon core of the deer demon in the Wind Crow Forest within the month, I would play a private tune for him." Xu Yuan nodded slightly, chuckling. "If that's all you have, it's hardly enough for me to grant you a swift death, Jinxuan." A trace of bewilderment appeared on Su Jinxuan's face, but she soon gritted her teeth. "I approached Qin Mo because Mister Qin said his background might not be simple..." Those words caused Xu Yuan's eyes to narrow. Here it was again—a plot deviation. In his past life, he had always thought the protagonist's encounter with Su Jinxuan was a chance meeting dictated by the plot, yet behind it was someone else's meticulous orchestration. Even though their meeting had been engineered, the routes where they fell in love had to be genuine. After all, the game system's affection meters wouldn't lie. Pulling his thoughts together, Xu Yuan said, "Continue." Su Jinxuan glanced at him, sighed, and said softly: "Mister Qin said this Qin Mo might be connected to a place called Burial Village." "Burial Village?" Xu Yuan murmured under his breath, growing even more certain that this Mister Qin was definitely not merely a member of the sects. Su Jinxuan shook her head. "Mister Qin didn't say much more. Jinxuan only knows that Qin Mo might have come from Burial Village."