Naturally, only a few disciples would directly discuss the demonic happenings with the master of the household, so Qiu Yunru and Fang Hai were led down the hall to a study while the other disciples wandered the entrance and gawked at the excessive wealth of this house. Yes, even disciples of the infamously wealthy Jade Clouds Sect were aghast at the sheer expense of the Li Mansion!
As they were led down the hall, Qiu Yunru couldn't help but feel giddy with both excitement and apprehensiveness.
This whole year, he had been pestered left and right by this Li household. Whether it was that first quest, or that memory shard, or the game menu, it had bombarded his sleeping and waking hours like a fan that would not turn off. No matter how many times he smacked it or threw that fan out the window, it always came back. So of course he felt this must be significant!
Also, who wouldn't be curious how a previously neglected and abused teenager was doing now as the master of the house? It was like a reality show where the camera crew returned ten years later to check up on a previous star and see where they were. Qiu Yunru would have gotten popcorn if it was possible.
The guard leading them stopped outside of a door.
"Please be mindful of the way you speak," He whispered apologetically, glancing nervously at that door. "Master Li is...sensitive. He can be rather harsh."
"Of course," Fang Hai said.
Qiu Yunru raised an eyebrow. Hmmm. What was this scene going to be? A capricious young master with sudden power and resources, abusing his staff and crushing everyone beneath his feet in revenge? Or some other surprise?
The door creaked as it opened. Stepping inside with Fang Hai, Qiu Yunru immediately spotted Li Chenyuan.
He was fifteen or sixteen when they had first met, and and was sixteen or seventeen now. It was a captivating sight, almost as though carefully staged cutscene:
Li Chenyuan, wearing silken purple and black robes with silver embroidery, stood looking out the window. His dark hair was partially pinned up with a silver-amethyst pin, and his hands were clasped behind his back within his sleeves. The sunlight glinted off his ghostly pale face, framing the scene perfectly.
Qiu Yunru, squinted, nearly blinded by the perfectness of it. If he had been playing on a computer, this certainly would be a high-res cutscene with perfect shading! Compared to how this kid had been last time they'd met--dirty, beaten to a pulp, and hunched over like a spurned dog--this was a completely different person! One could say this young man had the bearing of a cold and lofty scholar.
"Welcome," Li Chenyuan said. His voice was the same as Qiu Yunru remembered it: sharp, but more melodious now. He didn't turn around. "Please take a seat."
Obediently, Qiu Yunru went and sat on one of the cushions by the desk.
Meanwhile, Fang Hai was puzzled for a moment. This kid couldn't be older than seventeen--certainly he was a few years younger than himself! How was this kid the master of such a wealthy household? The briefing had mentioned a change in the master of the household recently, but he still hadn't expected someone so young. He went to sit by Qiu Yunru, feeling embarrassed. He was the oldest one here, and yet he was still the least remarkable!
Still, he was a good Head Disciple and still had his manners. He spoke up:
"Greetings, Lord Li. My fellow disciples and I have arrived as requested from the Jade Clouds Sect. Though we have been informed of the situation, it would be best to hear any details you find important from Lord Li himself. Rest assured; we will surely find the source of these strange occurrences."
Qiu Yunru nodded at this proudly. Truly, Fang Hai, despite his grumpy tendencies, was a model Head Disciple. He was a master of multitasking: organizing logistics, whipping his juniors into shape, and running practices, he truly could do it all!
Finally, Li Chenyuan turned around. Qiu Yunru had thought he had been blinded by the scene before, but no--this was true radiance! It was a moment before the glow of the sun behind Li Chenyuan died down and Qiu Yunru could stop squinting with watery eyes.
Qiu Yunru was startled.
This face...
It was truly the most pretty boy face of all pretty boy faces!
A sharp yet elegant nose, skin pale and smooth like jade, shining dark eyes and hair soft and dark like ink...If Qiu Yunru was a fujoshi, he would be falling over himself to write fanfiction about this guy!
Of course, Qiu Yunru realized that this must be what Li Chenyuan had always looked like. It was just that he'd never seen this kid without a face bruised and bloodied by his uncle's fists. Of course he was stunned!
Li Chenyuan's phoenix eyes flitted over Qiu Yunru momentarily. Though Qiu Yunru was internally gaping, he was quite good at maintaining a respectful and polite appearance, so not even the corner of his mouth was out of place. Li Chenyuan's lip twitched with irritation.
"What are your names?" He said casually.
Fang Hai made a courtesy and bowed his head, and Qiu Yunru was quick to do the same.
"This one is called Fang Hai," Fang Hai said. "And this is my junior, Qiu Yunru. I am the overseeing disciple of this mission."
Once again, Li Chenyuan's eyes flitted over Qiu Yunru, and then away. Qiu Yunru was bewildered. Did Li Chenyuan remember him, or not? It was more likely that this kid didn't remember him at all, he thought. After all, it had only been one brief encounter in a dark hallway. It was better this way in the end, wasn't it? Since Qiu Yunru had completed the "Saved the Abused Nephew" quest in secrecy, all this kid would have remembered him as would be the asshole who almost knocked him over!
Li Chenyuan, meanwhile, had sat across the table. "As you have heard, more demonic and monstrous attacks have been occurring than in normal in Jin He City. There have been so many that they occasionally even take place during the day, and the demons have been attacking people even in groups. The source of these attacks seems to originate somewhere near our Li residence."
Qiu Yunru nodded along respectfully to all of this. This kid--it had only been a year since he'd gained freedom, but he'd really grown up so well! Refined and well-spoken, he was truly respectable.
Li Chenyuan lowered his voice seriously then: "However, there is an important note that was omitted from the briefing documents." His face seemed to darken, and his fists tightened in his lap. "I have a suspicion that the one behind this situation is...
"My uncle."