Chapter 9

Chapter 9: A Sly Little One

Ye Xiyao mimicked the role of a fool ingeniously, but her guard never wavered. Upon hearing her, the man in white indeed swept his starry gaze across her, discreetly inspecting her from head to toe.

"Oh? Then pray tell, who was so bold as to lay hands on Miss?"

"Who... Who... It was Sister Shen, Sister Shen from the Shen family... She hit me... Waaaah... Sister Shen hit me..."

Dazedly repeating the man's words, Ye Xiyao suddenly burst into loud sobs. Seeing this, the man furrowed his brow once more, causing Ye Xiyao, who was pretending to cry, to tense up even more. Suddenly, Cuizhu's voice echoed from the bamboo grove behind them.

A surge of joy filled Ye Xiyao's heart, and she instantly wiped away her tears with a smile.

"Cuizhu, I'm over here~!"

With that, Ye Xiyao didn't dare linger any longer and promptly turned to run.

**

Ye Xiyao ran wildly and swiftly; in the blink of an eye, she vanished from sight.

As soon as Ye Xiyao left, a shadow as swift as a phantom instantly appeared before the man in white—Luo Jiutian—and knelt down, saying,

"Master, everything is taken care of."

"Very well. Bring it here."

"As you command!"

Obediently acknowledging, the black-clad figure promptly rose and leaped to where Ye Xiyao had been standing. However, upon landing, their expression drastically changed:

"Master, the Profound Heaven Treasure Box is gone!"

The Profound Heaven Treasure Box was an extraordinary artifact from the three realms. Master had invested much effort into obtaining it back then. He distinctly remembered placing it right here, so how could it have vanished in such a short time?

Moreover, Master was right beside them. Could someone have stolen the box under his very nose?

No, that was impossible!

The black-robed figure immediately dismissed this possibility, but their suspicion grew. Luo Jiutian, on the other hand, was slightly startled before striding over.

"Absolutely certain it was placed here?"

"The truth is, Your Excellency, I just put the treasure box right here."

The black-robed figure's face had turned deathly pale. After all, if the Profound Heaven Treasure Box truly went missing, any reason would be deemed their fault. At this thought, the black-robed person knelt before Luo Jiutian with a thud.

"I've failed in my duties, please punish me, Your Excellency!"

Luo Jiutian didn't respond, only narrowing his starry eyes slightly. After a moment, he suddenly whispered:

"It's too soon to say it's lost... Investigate someone for me."

"Yes! May I ask which individual, Your Excellency wishes to inquire about?" the black-robed figure asked.

"A fool," Luo Jiutian replied.

What?

A fool, a... fool?!

The black-clad figure was immediately taken aback. Observing the astonishment on the figure's face, Luo Jiutian chuckled softly. His incomparably handsome visage blossomed with a captivating smile as he spoke,

"Yes, just a fool. Also, investigate the Shen family. Report back to me once you've finished."

"Understood!"

Despite being swarmed with questions, the black-clad figure dared not inquire further. Instead, they respectfully acknowledged the order before swiftly vanishing into thin air.

"Haha~ Such a cunning little creature... Fascinating, truly fascinating~!"

Luo Jiutian chuckled softly to himself. The image of that swollen, pig-like face, still idiotically grinning, surfaced in his mind. Slowly, he extended his enticing tongue to lick his perfect lips, a hint of indescribable amusement and danger flickering in his eyes.