Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1592 - 968: Fox Demon Volunteers (Part 2)

Shifang City, the city that never sleeps, is a gathering place for those cultured poets and wandering scholars.

But tonight, the small tavern is devoid of other customers.

Qingxin kneels on the floor, evidently having waited for a long time.

She kneels on the ground, her forehead against her hand, her voice filled with deep guilt.

"Master, it’s my incompetence that allowed the Puppet Army of Shifang City to discover the base and take control of me.

Not only did I fail to assist you, but I have become a hindrance. Qingxin... deserves a hundred deaths."

Baili An helps her up, saying, "How could you say you are incompetent? That woman’s power is unfathomable; even I am not able to rival her. You don’t need to overthink it."

Qingxin clutches her fist tightly in the sleeve, her voice low, yet within it lies deep unwillingness and stubbornness.

"If only I could be stronger, I could more effectively aid you in achieving your grand endeavor."

Baili An notices her unusual condition tonight; normally, from his interactions with her, she doesn’t appear to be obsessed with power.

Yet now she seems caught in her own thoughts.

Baili An, worried that she may be overthinking, gently speaks:

"Those skilled in swimming drown; those skilled in riding fall. Everyone’s interests can turn into their downfall. Your heart is like a straight string, guarding your own path, which is not a bad thing.

Even if your cultivation is not high and your power not strong, you can accomplish what the powerful cannot, walking a righteous path that quells all evils.

Everyone’s existence holds a unique value, and you don’t need to be radiantly bright; just don’t stop yourself from shining."

Qingxin gazes up at Baili An, murmuring, "Don’t stop shining..."

Baili An chuckles softly, saying, "Enough of this, I initially wanted to discuss some matters with you, but I can’t resist the scent of the wine. Let’s take a stroll outside."

The hustle and bustle of the city, colored in the dust, lights flickering throughout Fan City. The night market buzzes with activity, shadows flowing everywhere, illuminating the city’s blue tiles and flying eaves, enhancing its beauty.

Shifang City is a place of earthly wealth, even when princes, nobles, and descendants of Immortals enter, they cannot help but be dazzled by this splendid night scene, losing their hearts.

Baili An observes Qingxin, whose eyes beneath her hood are lively and wandering, filled with wonder and shock.

Originally, she was closely following him, still whispering updates on the recent conditions within the Demon Alliance and various important tidbits she had uncovered.

But as the jugglers who swallow swords and spew fire pass loudly, a puppeteer manipulates long, mercury-like threads with his ten fingers, weaving intricate puppets into elegant dances.

Spinning pancakes, cloud-like noodles, roasted pork, five-tone colorful candies, a variety of food carts pass by.

Qingxin’s reporting voice becomes softer and softer, until she halts in front of a small stall, staring blankly at the vibrant, enticing sugar-coated hawthorn skewers.

While she is lost in thought, a pale, slender hand suddenly reaches out and draws out one of the skewers.

"Why do you girls all like this sweet and sour stuff?"

Qingxin gazes at the handsome youth playing with the sugar-coated hawthorn under the night lights, his eyes like pitch, posture like jade, his manner indescribably pleasing.

For a moment, she finds it hard to look away.

Until Baili An waves the hawthorn skewer in front of her, she regains her senses.

Qingxin, realizing her lack of composure, feels her cheeks flush, accidentally meeting Baili An’s warm, deep gaze, feeling as if a jug of wine splashes over her heart, an indescribable sensation.

She awkwardly takes the skewer from Baili An, barely touching it to her lips for a taste before stopping there.

Qingxin lowers her head, whispering with a faint tone of laughter:

"It’s not that I particularly like it, it’s just that when I was a child, my family was poor and we lived deep in the mountains.

Only as New Year’s approached, my aunt would take me to the town market, and such novelties were rarely seen.

Back then, I thought these things were exotic and wanted them, but I was too shy to tell my aunt. Each annual market, I missed this string of sugar-coated hawthorn.

It was my grandmother who noticed my little desire.

Unexpectedly, in such cold weather, while it was still snowing in the mountains, she silently took her wooden cane, walked for two hours through the mountain roads, to buy me a sugar-coated hawthorn.

Yet before she made it home, her heart ailment recurred, she fell along the mountain road, bleeding severely and almost losing her life.

The sugar-coated hawthorn she brought was also frozen in the snow, never to be eaten."

As she spoke towards the end, Qingxin’s voice became a bit hoarse, and her hand holding the sugar-coated peanuts trembled slightly.

She said, "Young Master, do you know? When my grandmother was young, she was a beauty and had learned martial arts; she could subdue a tiger with one hand.

But...as people age, they become useless. Even buying sugar-coated peanuts can lead to such a fall."

From that time on, she developed a nature that hesitated to trouble others easily.

She never voiced what she truly desired.

Kids from a poor family like her, clearly understood that to desire something meant you must pay an equivalent price.

Back then, when she went to the market, being so small, she could only help her aunt push the wooden cart selling goods, craning her little neck to gaze from afar at the sugar-coated peanuts on the high shelves.

In fact, at that time, she didn’t really want those sugar-coated peanuts.

Her pockets were empty, and she didn’t want to bring trouble to her already poor family by being capricious.

Dirty and dusty, she simply thought those sugar-coated peanuts looked nice; a distant glance made her satisfied, she never had any extravagant wishes.

Baili An stood beside her, quietly listening to her trivial past, then watched as Qingxin took out a piece of snow-white soft handkerchief, carefully wrapping the sugar-coated peanuts.

She sniffled and chuckled lightly, "Not afraid of you laughing at me, some things, rather than truly possessing them in my stomach, I prefer to see them perfectly cherished and looking nice.

I think I won’t eat this string of sugar-coated peanuts, can I wrap them up and keep them instead?"

Baili An said, "It’s not necessary; I can buy all the sugar-coated peanuts on this shelf for you."

Qingxin shook her head, laughed wryly, "No need, those who’ve been scared by poverty always fear losing what they gain. Young Master, let me be a little useless just this once."

Having said this, Baili An did not insist further.

As a core member of the Demon Alliance, Qingxin naturally wouldn’t lack for money or supplies.

What she feared losing was not just a bunch of sugar-coated peanuts.

Baili An could see that she had a past she couldn’t easily overcome.

He wasn’t someone who liked to delve into others’ secrets, so he let the topic rest.

Qingxin calmed her emotions and continued to stroll under the night city’s beautiful scenery with Baili An.

"Young Master, there’s something I think necessary to report to you."

"Feel free to speak."

"Recently, there’s been internal chaos in Shifang City. According to your instructions, Qingzhi has gathered many Demon Alliance members, hiding their identities and blending into the city to gather information and await your orders.

For some reason, there have been frequent cases of Demon Alliance members disappearing; within less than half a month in the city, six members have already vanished without reason."

"Is there such a thing?" Baili An frowned deeply.

In the end, someone couldn’t resist making a move against the Demon Alliance.

But the speed of these actions is rather swift.

The Demon Alliance has always acted discreetly, established for only a few years.

And the demon clan members who joined One Drop of Blood act extremely cautiously due to sensitive identities.

Even when on missions, they never act alone, at least two coordinate their actions.

So, occurrences of unexplained disappearances are rare.

Qingxin said, "This incident is strange; those six Demon Alliance members disappeared without any warning.

I’m very sure they aren’t people easily persuaded to defect by the enemy. More strangely, all the missing members are Banshees."

"Banshees?"

"Correct, Qingzhi has also arrived in Shifang City today, and the Three-tailed Demon Fox Ting Yan volunteered to investigate this matter."

"Volunteered to investigate?" Baili An turned to look at Qingxin, with a peculiar expression, "How does she plan to investigate?"

Qingxin awkwardly hesitated for a moment before speaking, "For Ting Yan, the place where she blends in the best is none other than the brothel."