Xiyin felt absolutely terrible at that moment.
Her light blue hair was somewhat disheveled, and the outfit she had painstakingly put together was now smudged with dust.
What she found most unbearable, however, were the special handcuffs on her wrists, constantly emitting inhibitory waves.
They rendered her magical circuit to the soul gem incredibly weak and sluggish, making it extraordinarily difficult to even stir a trace of power.
Even more humiliating was her current posture; Li Yan, the ‘Wrath’ Executive from the Dawn Star Palace, was unceremoniously leading her forward with a rope, half-shoving, half-coercing her, as if she were a character in some sort of game.
His strength was considerable, and his pace was swift, forcing Xiyin to focus all her energy just to keep up, lest she be dragged even more awkwardly.
“Let go of me, you brute!”
Xiyin attempted to struggle, but without the support of her magic, her physical strength seemed utterly insignificant before a Demonkin. Twisting only made the edges of the handcuffs dig deeper into her skin, bringing a sharp sting.
“Save your strength, Miss Star.”
Li Yan did not turn his head, his voice carrying his usual bluntness, laced with a hint of mockery, which invariably infuriated Xiyin.
“You are currently my most valuable captive. If you run off and get hurt, I’ll have a hard time explaining it.”
“Captive?”
Xiyin was so incensed, she almost laughed.
“Is this all the esteemed Executive of the Dawn Star Palace can do—resort to such underhanded sneak attacks? If you have the guts, unfasten these things, and let’s fight a fair and square battle!”
She forcefully shook her cuffed hands.
Li Yan finally halted, turning his head, his slightly punchable face broke into an utterly arrogant grin.
“Oh, come now, saying that. Is it really admirable for you all to launch a surprise attack and cause a huge scene at someone else’s wedding? Besides, all’s fair in war, Miss Star. You are my spoils of war now, so naturally, I set the rules.”
“I am not your spoils of war!”
Xiyin gritted her teeth.
“And don’t call me Miss Star anymore!”
“Then what should I call you? ‘Lady Xiyin’? Or… ‘Xixi’?”
Li Yan feigned contemplation, and the second, more intimate address made her scalp prickle.
“Alright, no more fooling around, Xixi~ We need to hurry.”
Her face visibly flushed, yet she was unceremoniously pulled forward once more.
The passage lacked the high-tech aesthetic typical of the main Dawn Star Palace; instead, it appeared somewhat rustic, with rough rock walls. Only the glowing moss embedded in the ceiling provided faint illumination, and the air was thick with a damp, earthy smell, reminiscent of a subterranean tunnel.
“Where are you taking me, traitor!”
Xiyin lowered her voice, attempting to glean more information. She noticed that this passage seemed rarely used; in some places, scattered construction marks and unactivated magic runes were still visible.
“Traitor?”
Li Yan chuckled, raising an eyebrow.
“My loyalty has always been solely to the Boss and the Dawn Star Palace. Are you suggesting… you wish for my loyalty? Oh my, it’s quite normal for someone like me to be admired by you.”
He primped his hair with a flourish, a self-satisfied gesture, and was quite pleased to receive a look of disdain in return.
“You… stop saying unnecessary things. Where exactly are you taking me?”
“Where? Why, away from this battleground, soon to be engulfed in total war, of course.”
“Away?”
Xiyin was momentarily stunned.
“Precisely, literally.”
Li Yan’s tone grew slightly more serious.
“Qi Yue’an… no, Her Royal Highness the Demon Queen’s previous order was that if the wedding encountered an accident and the situation spiraled out of control, my mission would be to ensure your safe departure from the Dawn Star Palace’s territory.”
Qi Yue’an’s order? Xiyin’s heart jolted. Even in such circumstances, Qi Yue’an was still thinking of protecting her? A complex swirl of emotions rose within her—a comforting warmth mingled with a profound sense of powerlessness and fury at her current plight.
“I don’t need protection!”
Xiyin declared stubbornly, attempting to struggle free, only to be bound even tighter by the adaptive rope.
“My companions are still inside! Bai Zhi, Bai Jin—I don’t know where they’ve gone, I must find them!”
“Find them? What can you do in your current state?”
Li Yan interrupted her unceremoniously, gesturing at her appearance. The rope had automatically tightened, coiling around her like a python, making her figure, usually concealed beneath her clothes, clearly outlined.
“Moreover, the outside has devolved into utter chaos. GERO’s hounds and my companions are fighting tooth and nail at every exit and in every passage. And… in a war where there is no clear right or wrong, your involvement would only complicate matters for her. Binding you now is the best option.”
“The Dawn Star Palace certainly has such leeway.”
Xiyin said sarcastically.
“To honor a single word, they’re willing to deploy an Executive to personally escort an ordinary magical girl away.”
“Tsk, don’t be so caustic, Miss Star.”
Li Yan seemed unfazed by her sarcasm.
“Actually, you’re quite strong, aren’t you? Am I not currently pitted against a formidable opponent? Besides, it would be a shame for a beautiful girl like you to get caught in such turmoil.”
“Who said we have any rapport!”
Her face flushed faintly, though thankfully, the dim passage obscured it from clear view. She forced herself to calm down, analyzing the situation.
Direct confrontation was clearly out of the question; Li Yan’s strength was formidable even when she was at her peak, let alone now. Perhaps… she could humor him for now and bide her time.
The two walked in silence for a stretch. The passage began to slope downwards, and the ambient temperature seemed to drop slightly, with only their footsteps echoing in the confined space.
Perhaps finding the atmosphere too heavy, Li Yan spoke again, his tone casual, as if chatting about daily life.
“Sigh… speaking of which… your stubbornness reminds me of someone I know.”
Xiyin’s heart stirred, but she remained silent, listening intently. Li Yan didn’t seem to expect a response, continuing to speak to himself.
“That guy, he was stubbornly single-minded from childhood; once he set his sights on something, not even ten oxen could pull him away.”
His voice carried a rare, almost nostalgic quality.
“Despite his family’s excellent circumstances, and his old man expecting him to inherit the family business, he insisted on running off to… uh, pursue his ideals? Saying he wanted to protect something more important.”
A Demonkin Executive talking about protection? How ironic, she thought, still believing this was just Li Yan making small talk, but she didn’t interrupt him, out of a desire to gather information.
“Later, he had a huge fight with his family and then ran away from home.”
Li Yan continued, his voice calm, but Xiyin acutely caught a hint of helplessness, like a sense of release.
“Quite the scoundrel, wasn’t he? Dumping a mountain of trouble onto me, his adopted younger brother.”
Adopted? Xiyin glanced slightly sideways. This was information she hadn’t known. She had only heard from Qi Yue’an in the past that his family seemed very wealthy, but she still felt it was irrelevant to her; she couldn’t have cared less about it.
“But even though that guy was a scoundrel, he didn’t completely disappear. Occasionally, he’d send back some bizarre things or make a phone call, asking trivial questions.”
Li Yan paused.
“He always thought his decisions were right, never considering other people’s worries…”
His voice gradually trailed off, only to resume after a moment, carrying a hint of subtle melancholy.
“Until one day, all news of him ceased. Word came from outside that he had died, cause unknown, location unknown… as if he had vanished into thin air.”
The passage fell silent, save for Li Yan’s slightly heavy breathing.
“…Oh.”
Xiyin offered a dry, noncommittal reply. She didn’t know how to react. Comfort him? What a joke, he was an enemy.
Besides, she already had enough troubles of her own; the backstory of a Demonkin Executive who was now thriving didn’t seem like particularly important information.
“Well… my condolences.”
She eventually offered a word of comfort, and Li Yan seemed to recover from his brief moment of sentimentality, letting out a scoff, as if mocking his own garrulousness.
“Heh, why am I telling you all this? It’s ancient history, anyway. That guy, he worried people when he was alive, and he didn’t give anyone peace even after he died.”
He tugged Xiyin forcefully, rounding a bend. Ahead, a somewhat expansive platform appeared, at the far end of which stood an ancient-looking stone door, intricately carved with complex teleportation runes.
Beside the stone door was a small control panel, flickering with a faint standby glow.
“We’re here. We just need to pass through this point, and then it’s a very short journey above ground to the Exit 207 network access point.”
Li Yan stopped, releasing Xiyin’s hand, and walked to the control panel to begin operating it.
“This is an old emergency passage; not many people know about it, so it should allow us to bypass the main combat zones.”
Xiyin vigilantly scanned her surroundings. Some discarded construction materials and equipment boxes were piled around the platform, making it look like a temporary supply transfer point.
She tried to sense her magic again, but the handcuffs stubbornly suppressed her power.
“Are you so certain I can get through GERO’s defenses?”
Xiyin asked.
“The Dawn Star Palace, after so many years, always had some hidden reserves.”
Li Yan didn’t even look up, his fingers rapidly pressing buttons on the control panel.
“As for the defense lines… I’ll have my methods when the time comes—perhaps a change of identity for you, or creating a diversion. In any case, my mission will be complete once I safely get you out.”
Just then, faint explosions, loud enough to make one cry, rumbled from the rock ceiling above them, and fine dust sifted down. Clearly, the battle above ground was exceptionally fierce, for even in these depths, they could feel the tremors.
Li Yan’s movements on the control panel paused, and his brow furrowed.
“Tsk, the commotion is getting louder. We need to hurry.”
Xiyin watched his retreating back, her thoughts racing.
She absolutely could not be taken away like this! Once she left the Dawn Star Palace, returning to find her companions and uncover the truth would be an insurmountable task.
Moreover, what was the situation with Qi Yue’an and Lin Xiao right now? What transpired within the Crown of Reason? She had to know!
She took a deep breath, deciding to make one last attempt. She softened her tone, with a hint of placation that even she found awkward.
“Executive Li Yan… I know this might be An An’s instruction, but please understand, I have reasons why I cannot leave. My companions’ fates are unknown, and Qi Yue’an and Lin Xiao’s situations are also unclear.”
Li Yan stopped his operation, turned, and watched her with his arms crossed, his face devoid of expression.
“Finished?”
Xiyin’s heart sank.
“Miss Star, I understand your feelings.”
Li Yan’s voice returned to his usual businesslike tone.
“However, it’s not possible. Her orders are the highest priority. Besides, in the current state of the Dawn Star Palace, returning would be a death sentence. I won’t allow someone as stubborn as you to risk their life again.”
“That’s not for you to worry about!”
Xiyin’s temper flared again.
“But… I insist on worrying.”
Li Yan stepped forward, closing the distance to Xiyin. His sharp eyes met hers. She had been bound so tightly by her struggles that her figure, usually concealed beneath her clothes, was now clearly outlined. He lifted her chin, and the sheer humiliation of their close gaze made her cheeks flush.
“I promised to protect you safely, and I will. They have their own destinies; you cannot interfere, nor should you recklessly endanger yourself by trying to participate.”
His proximity brought a sense of oppression. Xiyin instinctively recoiled half a step, but her bound feet meant she could only be pressed against the cold rock wall.
“By what right do you decide my destiny?!”
She lifted her head, glaring back defiantly.
“Simply because… you are now my captive.”
Li Yan stated matter-of-factly, a grin of mischievous amusement playing on his lips.
“Just be obedient, and it’ll be better for everyone. Once we reach a safe place, perhaps I’ll consider undoing these things.”
He briefly led her