Standing above him was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
Though Qiu Yunru had never, in this life or the past, been flustered by any kind of beauty, he had to admit that this person was stunning beyond comprehension!
Her face was smooth and white, with arched black brows and scarlet lips. Her nose sloped elegantly, her peach blossom eyes glittered black and red in the dark, and her ink-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, some of it pinned up with extravagant gold and red flower pins. She wore silk robes as red as blood that flowed over the ground, sparkling with jewels.
Qiu Yunru actually did get a bit flustered when he looked down.
She--She wasn't wearing any pants!
It wasn't that she was exposed, but rather than wearing robes over a set of pants, her long white legs were visible, peeking out from behind her robes. Qiu Yunru immediately averted his eyes, face hot. He felt this certainly wasn't something he was supposed to be looking at!
Seeing his embarrassment, the demon laughed.
She was holding a scholar's brush dripping with black ink, which she hooked under his chin to lift his face up to her. She smiled sharply down at Qiu Yunru, demonic qi roiling around her form.
"Is the young master flustered? How adorable..."
Even her voice was silky-smooth! Refined and lilting, she could have been a professional singer!
Qiu Yunru cleared his throat, trying to keep some face. "This one was merely surprised. I didn't expect such a refined demon to be lurking here."
"Refined? You flatter this scholar! Call me Xie-Jie." Her red lips split into a smile that showed sharp canines. Using her brush, she carelessly turned his face this way and that, taking a good look in the dim light. "Hmmm. Good jaw, handsome features. Pretty for a man. Very good. You'll do nicely." With those last words, she crouched down and took a strand of Qiu Yunru's hair into her hand, examining it.
"Do nicely for what?"
From the doorway came Li Chenyuan's icy voice. Qiu Yunru looked over and coughed, unable to help himself. It was really quite a sight.
Li Chenyuan, who had been violently trying to free himself of the Binding Ink for the last minute, was flushed and disheveled. He gripped the doorframe with white knuckles. Though his appearance was flustered, however, his face was so utterly furious that it was like seeing an angry housecat who had been doused in water!
Meanwhile, the demon Xie-Jie laughed, the sound like petals fluttering in the wind. "Is the young master jealous? Don't worry, this jiejie will spend some time with you as well. You'll just have to wait your turn!"
Li Chenyuan's face went red like a tomato. He spluttered, clutching the doorway until it seemed the wood would crack. "I don't want to spend any time with you!"
This only made the demon laugh harder.
As she continued to tease poor the poor boy, Qiu Yunru took assessment of his situation. The more he considered his position, the hotter his face grew, and the more he wanted to dig a hole into the floor and die.
He had, of course, not been spared by Xie-Jie's Binding Ink technique. It had spread all over the floor of the room from her brush, soaking the floorboards like a sticky soup that caught whatever touched it. Therefore, when he had been flung into the wall and fallen down onto all fours...
That was exactly how he had been caught!
What was more, in the commotion, his robes had come a little loose, revealing his neck and part of his upper chest. In this position, on all fours, face flushed and hair falling out of his ponytail...
It really was a sight that should belong in a spicy BL Webtoon panel, not a situation he shoulder ever be in!
Across the room while arguing with the very entertained Xie-Jie, Li Chenyuan caught sight of Qiu Yunru's compromising position. His words, which had been so sharp and furious towards the demon a moment ago, grew clumsy and muddled:
"You ugly piece of--a-ah...Y-you...I...Ah..." He spluttered, unable to take his eyes off this unexpected sight. Xie-Jie laughed and pinched his cheek, assuming he was flustered by her closeness.
"Silly boy! Never tasted a woman's touch? Should this jiejie show you?"
"Get off me!"
Meanwhile, Qiu Yunru was in turmoil, hearing none of this. He couldn't lose his cool just yet. There was a powerful demon in the room, he was responsible for the life of this young lord, and the face of his sect was riding on his back!
Thus, Qiu Yunru closed his eyes, meditated momentarily, and then opened them, demeanor calm and graceful once more.
"Xie-Jie," He called out, voice even and reasonable. "Please don't torment the young lord. Didn't you say something about this one 'doing nicely'? Would Xie-Jie explain what she means?"
This quest was Medium Level and not Hard, after all. Despite her beauty and demonic cultivation prowess, this NPC surely didn't have a genius IQ. Anyone who has ever played a video game knows that a villain NPC who isn't written with a genius IQ is happily distracted when asked about their evil plans!