After the Fairy Maidens Fell to Darkness, They Captured Me to Ruthlessly 'Repay' Their Gratitude-Chapter 65 - "Miss Luo Yi, Ive Heard So Much About You"

“Haha, may I ask this young friend’s name?” Li Jianyuan asked with a polite smile.

But He Ange’s own smile was strained. “Just call me He Ange.”

“So, Brother He Ange it is. A pleasure to meet you,” Li Jianyuan replied warmly, gripping He Ange’s hand tightly.

He Ange’s sharp eyes narrowed as he felt the Abyss Orb’s sinister energy spreading through Li Jianyuan’s touch. He quickly pulled his hand away.

Having been through this before, he had no intention of falling victim to the Abyss Orb’s corruption a second time.

Thankfully, An Luo Yi hadn’t shaken hands with Li Jianyuan. Otherwise, she too might have been tainted by the orb’s dark power.

Unlike He Ange, An Luo Yi didn’t have Feng Yuan’s bloodline to protect her. If she were to be corrupted by such a malevolent artifact, it would be disastrous.

“My apologies,” Li Jianyuan said with a courteous smile. “Fairy An is an exalted immortal, and it would be improper to shake hands with her. I hope you’ll forgive me for asking you to do so in her stead.”

He Ange didn’t respond, his cold gaze fixed on the city lord as his mind raced. Only when Li Jianyuan gestured for them to proceed did he follow behind An Luo Yi.

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As a disciple of the Shengxu Sect, An Luo Yi was seated in a prominent position at the banquet. He Ange was given the seat beside her, which had originally been reserved for a nobleman. However, since An Luo Yi hadn’t come alone, the city lord had graciously reassigned the spot to He Ange.

Throughout the banquet, many guests approached An Luo Yi to toast her. She politely declined the alcohol, substituting tea instead, and went through the motions with a calm demeanor.

Having attended such gatherings since childhood, An Luo Yi was well accustomed to the formalities.

Seated beside her, He Ange also received polite greetings from the nobles and officials after they had paid their respects to An Luo Yi. However, as he wasn’t a direct disciple, not everyone treated him with the same level of courtesy.

Not that he cared.

He Ange’s primary goal in attending the banquet was to observe Yong’an City’s elite and identify those who exhibited signs of demonic influence or corruption by the Abyss Orb.

By the end of the evening, he had a rough idea.

Out of the hundred or so nobles present, roughly one-third showed signs of being connected to the Demon Sect.

Nightfall’s reach was impressive.

Through coercion and bribery, he had managed to turn even the city lord into one of his pawns.

As He Ange analyzed the situation, the silver-haired fairy beside him glanced at him with concern.

“Are you holding up okay?” she asked softly.

“I’m fine. What about you, Senior Sister?”

“I’ve always been like this. It’s not a matter of being used to it or not. It’s just sitting here and nodding at mortal nobles,” An Luo Yi replied with a sigh, clearly finding the banquet tedious.

If not for He Ange’s company, she wasn’t sure how she would have endured the evening. For her, even practicing swordsmanship alone on the mountain would have been more enjoyable.

“In the future, the sect master might assign me to guard Yong’an City as an immortal attendant at the Abyss Spirit Hall. Tonight’s banquet is meant to familiarize me with the local nobility,” she explained.

“The Abyss Spirit Hall...” He Ange murmured, his expression turning serious.

The Abyss Spirit Hall was the Demon Sect’s next major target.

At such a critical juncture, sending An Luo Yi to the Abyss Spirit Hall was like throwing her into the lion’s den.

Come to think of it, the intelligence that had led the Shengxu Sect to prioritize the Abyss Spirit Hall had all come from He Ange’s reports to Qin Shiyan.

It was likely that Qin Shiyan, concerned about potential threats to the hall, had orchestrated this move behind the scenes.

Damn it...

He Ange realized he had inadvertently become the architect of this mess.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want me to be an immortal attendant in Yong’an City?” An Luo Yi asked, noticing his troubled expression.

He Ange forced a smile. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about how much I’ll miss you if you’re no longer at the Shengxu Sect.”

He had been growing bolder with his words lately.

After all, with the impending chaos in Yong’an City, He Ange wasn’t sure if he’d even be able to stay in the Shengxu Sect much longer. He might as well speak his mind while he still could.

His sudden sweet word caught An Luo Yi off guard. She wasn’t used to such directness, especially in a formal setting with so many eyes on them.

Meanwhile, He Ange’s attention was drawn to two cultivators across the room. An Luo Yi followed his gaze, meeting the eyes of the two figures.

“Miss Luo Yi, I’ve heard so much about you... Oh, my apologies. I seem to have interrupted your conversation,” said Xu Daoyun as he approached, bowing respectfully. His gaze briefly flicked to He Ange before he feigned surprise and offered an apology.

Following him was Liu Moqing, dressed in a flowing white gown. She nodded politely. “Miss Luo Yi, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Senior Xu, Senior Liu,” An Luo Yi said, rising slightly from her seat and nodding in return.

These two were the current immortal attendants of the Abyss Spirit Hall. Unlike the city lord, Li Jianyuan, they were directly under the command of the Dragon Empress and held significant status in the immortal world.

Seeing the two seniors stand, He Ange felt it would be inappropriate for him to remain seated. He quickly stood behind An Luo Yi, listening quietly as they exchanged pleasantries.

Both Xu Daoyun and Liu Moqing were at least at the late Core Formation stage. They wouldn’t bother with someone like He Ange, and he didn’t expect them to.

But just as He Ange thought he could fade into the background, the white-gowned fairy turned her attention to him.

“This must be Junior Brother He Ange. I’ve heard much about you,” Liu Moqing said warmly.

“...Me?” He Ange asked, startled.

Liu Moqing, a Core Formation peak cultivator and immortal attendant, was not someone he expected to know his name. Why would someone of her stature have heard of him?

“I saw you compete in a swordsmanship duel in the capital once,” Liu Moqing explained with a gentle smile.

Her words caught both He Ange and An Luo Yi by surprise. They exchanged puzzled glances before turning back to Liu Moqing.

Meanwhile, Xu Daoyun, noticing that the focus had shifted away from him, narrowed his eyes slightly and studied the white-robed boy who had stolen the spotlight.

“Ah, I was young and foolish back then. I must have made a fool of myself,” He Ange said, his tone humble.

Being the center of attention for three powerful cultivators made him feel like a mouse surrounded by cats. As a rogue cultivator, he couldn’t help but feel out of place.

“Not at all. Your swordsmanship left a lasting impression,” Liu Moqing said, her enthusiasm evident.

Xu Daoyun nodded in agreement, patting He Ange on the shoulder. “It seems this young friend is quite the swordsmanship prodigy. No wonder he’s worthy of standing by Miss Luo Yi’s side.”

Xu Daoyun’s slightly sinister gaze made He Ange uneasy. The pat on his shoulder only heightened his discomfort, sending a shiver down his spine.

What’s more, Xu Daoyun’s touch carried the same abyssal energy as the city lord’s handshake.

Seriously?

Two individuals corrupted by the Abyss Orb in one night—and both were prominent figures in Yong’an City.

To make matters worse, Xu Daoyun wasn’t just testing He Ange’s strength. He was probing for deeper secrets, his energy subtly infiltrating He Ange’s defenses.

Thankfully, He Ange managed to intercept the intrusion, gripping Xu Daoyun’s arm to cut off the flow of energy.

“Senior Xu, it’s an honor to meet you,” He Ange said with a polite smile.

Xu Daoyun returned the smile, though his eyes betrayed a hint of coldness. He knew He Ange was hiding something. This white-robed boy was clearly not as simple as he appeared.

Still, Xu Daoyun had no intention of pressing the issue further. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, he wouldn’t stoop to picking a fight with a junior.

Withdrawing his hand, Xu Daoyun chuckled lightly and turned back to An Luo Yi. “Miss Luo Yi, soon we’ll be colleagues at the Abyss Spirit Hall. Since you’re new, you might not be familiar with the hall’s intricacies. Perhaps we could step aside, and I could provide you with a detailed briefing?”

“That won’t be necessary,” An Luo Yi replied coldly, her expression unyielding.

Her curt refusal left Xu Daoyun momentarily stunned, his smile faltering.

“If there’s an imperial decree, I’ll learn what I need to know,” she added, her tone dismissive.