Chapter 136: Don’t Leave
The wine-soaked chamber had grown heavy with silence, save for the occasional crackle of the oil lamps. Xu Mochen’s head had lolled slightly, his once-practiced smile now weakened by drink. Ling Yu’s own tolerance far outstripped his, enhanced both by her system and by the iron will she had cultivated through years of surviving betrayal and apocalypse.
She watched him through lowered lashes, her mind a calculating storm. Every word he had spilled tonight had been neatly filed away. Every glance, every slip of pride, every boast, it was all ammunition. And now, as his words slurred and his eyes drooped, she knew it was time to leave.
’Enough of this charade. I’ve squeezed him off all the information for what I need tonight.’
She rose quietly, smoothing her clothes, making her way toward the carved wooden door at the end of the chamber. Her fingers brushed the bronze handle, cool against her skin.
But just as she was about to slip away—
A sudden weight crashed into her, the strong reek of wine filling her nostrils. Xu Mochen’s body pinned her down onto the velvet-lined sofa, his face far too close, his breath hot and heavy with intoxication.
"Yu’er..." His voice was a husky drawl, stripped of pretense now. "Don’t leave, please stay with me. I missed you, missed you so much... I’ve missed you more than you know. You... you belong here, with me by your side."
Ling Yu’s eyes hardened instantly, her calm expression fracturing into a glacial glare. Disgust burned beneath her skin like acid.
’Of course. A snake dressed in silk is still a snake. In the end, this is all he ever wanted, just a toy, a possession. He has no idea who he’s dealing with now.’
"Xu Mochen," she said coldly, her voice cutting like a blade. "Remove yourself from me!"
But the bastard only chuckled, pressing closer, his hand sliding toward her wrist. "Don’t be so cold, Yu’er. You were mine once, and fate has brought you back to me. Jiang Meng was never truly worthy. You— ah, only you—"
His words slurred further as he lowered his head, attempting to press his lips against her skin.
In that instant, something inside Ling Yu snapped. The disgust, the memories of abandonment, the insult of his false tenderness, all surged forth like a blade sharpened in darkness.
Her system pinged in her mind, not with a warning this time, but with a suggestion:
[System Notice: Optional Objective
Neutralize Xu Mochen’s advance. Methods of execution will alter future rewards.]
"Disgusting," Ling Yu hissed under her breath.
Her knee shot upward with merciless precision, slamming into his gut with enough force to knock the wind out of him. His body convulsed with a strangled gasp, his drunken strength crumbling. She didn’t stop there. With the swiftness of a predator, she twisted her wrist free, her hand striking sharply at a pressure point along his neck.
Xu Mochen’s eyes widened in shock, a strangled sound escaping his lips as his body buckled. The momentum of the blow sent him sprawling, his once-smug form collapsing onto the floor with a dull thud. His cup rolled from the table, wine spilling across the rugs like fresh blood.
He groaned, reaching feebly toward her, but consciousness was already slipping away. His head lolled, and he tumbled onto his side, utterly defeated.
Ling Yu rose slowly, smoothing her clothes once more, her expression one of icy composure. She didn’t even spare him a glance as she stepped toward the door.
’Men like him are filth. They mistake obsession for love, possession for care. He dares to think he can toy with me again? Never.’
Her hand pressed against the door’s bronze handle. She glanced back once, not at him, but at the table, at the scattered remnants of their evening. The spilled wine empties his boasts.
Her lips curved into a cold smirk. "Pathetic."
And with that, she left the chamber, her steps silent as shadows, never once looking back at the man unconscious on the floor.
[System Notification]
[Quest Update: "The Snake in Silk Robes"]
Xu Mochen’s attempted assault was neutralized.
Player resisted Charm Effect successfully.]
[Hidden Weakness Identified: Xu Mochen loses rational control when drunk.
Optional Pathway Opened: Manipulate his obsession further for strategic gain.]
[Reward: Increased Reputation (Shadow Alignment). +5 System Favor.]
The corridor outside was quiet, the faint hum of the fortress city’s energy resonating in the walls. The night air pressed cool against her skin as she slipped into the dimly lit hallway.
It seems he sent the guards from the door away before their time. All the things that were almost going to happen were part of his idea for tonight; just the thought of it made her stomach twist in unease.
For the first time in hours, Ling Yu allowed herself a breath of relief. Not of weakness, but of grim satisfaction. She had seen Xu Mochen’s true nature, torn the mask from his face. And she had walked away unscathed, stronger than ever.
Now, she had what she needed: the knowledge of the divine anchor, the proof of his corruption, and the leverage of his weakness.
As she descended the stairwell, her steps echoed softly, but her mind was sharp and cold as steel.
’This city is built on blood and lies. And that snake of a man thinks himself a king. I’ll let him revel in his illusion a little longer. Because soon enough, I’ll tear down everything he’s built, with his own hands, if necessary.’
Her smirk returned, faint but deadly.
Seeing her return alone from the building in a half-disheveled state, the guards outside the building thought that their boss seemed to have had his way with the girl he had been eyeing for a few days. Since it went just as he planned, even if she were to return now, they had no reason to stop her from leaving, as she might return by herself at some point.
Obviously, they were oblibious of what happened inside the building tonight, no one except Ling Yu knew it anyway.