Chapter 22: Succubi
Duan Ke clutched his phone, observing the building in front of him very uneasily.
Just now, he explained his request over the phone. Xu Jue sent a location, asking Duan Ke to come here to find him.
“My King, you must come alone,” Xu Jue instructed repeatedly.
“Our previous gathering points were infiltrated by Bureau people several times; undercover agents brought in carelessly. Now the screening is more careful. Without passing a charm magic check, humans cannot be brought in.”
“Sorry, Lord Duan Ke. I know the keeper you found definitely won’t be from the Bureau.” Xu Jue laughed apologetically on the other end. “It’s also to give everyone peace of mind. Bringing your keeper over after you’ve tamed him isn’t too late, right right.”
Duan Ke obediently agreed. He hadn’t planned to bring Qin Huai anyway.
Hanging up, he bid farewell to Heracles and took a taxi alone to this exquisite villa in the suburbs.
Duan Ke stood in front of the ornate European-style arch, looking up.
Before even entering, he could smell the fragrance emitted by the humans inside, as well as many magics of the same origin.
Of course, all these scents combined couldn’t compare to Qin Huai’s scent for Duan Ke. Smelling these scents, Duan Ke’s lower abdomen rumbled dissatisfiedly twice, a faint pain coming from the demonic markings, as if allergic to these fragrances.
Duan Ke lowered his head, patting his stomach soothingly.
…I feel my physical compatibility with Qin Huai is a bit excessive.
Clearly just kissed for one night, yet his markings began to throb faintly restless. The magic inside his body rampaged, clamoring to combine closely with the keeper, making Duan Ke’s head dizzy and swollen, very uncomfortable, desperately needing the keeper’s comfort.
Whether for his body or his friendship with Qin Huai, Duan Ke wanted his relationship with Qin Huai to return to normal quickly.
He thought of Qin Huai’s various abnormal behaviors recently and sighed lightly.
What exactly is wrong? Everything was fine two days ago.
“Lord Duan Ke, over here!”
A clear youthful voice came from afar, followed by hurried footsteps. Duan Ke turned around; the boy had run up to him, smiling at Duan Ke and revealing small fangs.
“Lord Duan Ke, I am Xu Jue. You can call me whatever you like.”
Although Xu Jue used honorifics, he familiarly pulled Duan Ke’s wrist to lead him inside.
“Everyone wants to meet you very much. Just knowing you don’t like crowded places, no one actively disturbed you…”
Xu Jue was very cheerful, looking no more than eighteen or nineteen. But Duan Ke could tell at a glance he was older than himself.
Entering the villa, Duan Ke felt a swarm of gazes looking toward him.
He looked up. The viewing platforms on the first and second floors were full of his kind.
Perhaps trusting this place was absolutely hidden, no one concealed their horns and tails, relaxing while chatting or having afternoon tea.
There were also some unformed Small Black Ball succubi floating in mid-air like black balloons, not too far or too close, looking at Duan Ke with beady eyes both curious and somewhat fearful.
If a human stumbled in here by mistake, they might think they traveled to another world. Even as a succubus, Duan Ke rarely saw so many monsters gathered in one place. He felt very amazed, looking around carefully and curiously.
The succubi meeting Duan Ke’s eyes were excited and thrilled, greeting him with shining eyes.
Duan Ke had never been liked by so many people. Although very unaccustomed, his heart still hopped excitedly like a little rabbit in his chest. He waved back with small movements, his face and ears flushing pink.
However, he still couldn’t adapt immediately to such a crowded environment.
Entering this environment, Duan Ke automatically turned into a mushroom, unsure even how to walk.
Xu Jue was shrewd; he knew what was wrong with Duan Ke at a glance. After everyone greeted Duan Ke, Xu Jue timely led Duan Ke toward his own room.
“Just wait for me here. I’ll go get you some food over there; I’ll be back soon.”
Xu Jue asked about Duan Ke’s dietary restrictions and turned to leave. Duan Ke looked around the exquisitely decorated room. Large and empty, the most conspicuous items were a king-size bed that could fit four people side by side and an equally large sofa.
Although Duan Ke felt the bed was huge and comfortable, likely nice to sit on, sitting on someone else’s bed without permission seemed impolite.
So Duan Ke walked quietly toward the sofa.
Approaching it, Duan Ke was startled by the figure on the sofa. The person was blocked completely by the sofa back and didn’t speak; Duan Ke hadn’t noticed him at first.
That person froze upon seeing Duan Ke too.
He had a cigarette in his mouth. Seeing Duan Ke, he casually stubbed it out in the ashtray nearby.
“Hello.” The person greeted in a flat tone, neither deliberately distant nor close.
“Oh… hello.”
Duan Ke answered softly, sitting at the spot furthest from the man. Placing his hands on his knees, he curled his fingers a bit uneasily, waiting for Xu Jue to return.
Ji Qing didn’t feel awkward either. Saying nothing, he glanced sideways at this small boy.
Uneasy appearance, zero aggression. Instead, looks like an easily manipulated sticky rice ball, the kind that leaks filling with a slight squeeze. Very soft temper.
He recalled the file he casually glanced at in the database last week. The face in the file, exquisite enough to be unforgettable, matched perfectly with the person before him.
…I remember Qin Huai is managing this monster? He could lose him?
Although unrelated to his mission, Ji Qing thought about it, swirled the cigarette in the ashtray twice, and still took out his phone to message Qin Huai.
[Need you for something.]
Qin Huai didn’t reply for half a minute. Ji Qing raised an eyebrow; he sent this using his work account.
Workaholic Inquisitor neglecting duty? Weird.
He sent another “1.” This time the other side replied.
[Speak.]
Oho, Ji Qing chuckled internally. He shared a dorm with Qin Huai at the military academy and knew Qin Huai’s temper fairly well. Even across the screen, he could tell how foul Qin Huai’s mood was right now.
Who provoked him again?
But he couldn’t be bothered to figure it out. Ji Qing turned to glance at the Progenitor Succubus and messaged the other side.
[Your mission target, you didn’t watch him?]
He was prepared for no reply, but Qin Huai replied instantly this time.
[Meaning.]
[He’s in the suburbs now. Did you bring him out?]
Ji Qing laughed angrily. Saw a location and blamed me without understanding anything?
If not for Qin Huai being as devoid of desires as a monk, I’d suspect he got involved with the Progenitor Succubus.
But for a bot like Qin Huai, the probability is small.
[What do you mean I brought him out? You make it sound like I stole your man. Since when is the Grand Inquisitor so eager to claim credit?]
[He came to ‘The Banquet’ himself. He’s with me now.]
[Coming to catch him?]
[Author’s Note]
Little Cutie stumbled into the Spider’s Cave [Rainbow Fart]
Succubi: Wow! Lord Duan Ke looked at me! Lord Duan Ke is so cute! Lord Duan Ke, I will follow you forever [Pity] [Pity]
Chapter 23: Is It Hard
Qin Huai didn’t respond for quite a while.
Ji Qing waited impatiently, thinking he went busy with other things, intending to close the phone and ignore it.
A second before closing the phone, Qin Huai replied. Although there seemed to be no major issue with the tone, Ji Qing just felt this person’s mood was terribly bad, like he ate a dynamite pack.
Qin Huai: [Who is he with.]
Ji Qing: […With me, obviously. Otherwise, how could I see him and message you?]
Ji Qing: [Oh right, and my surveillance target. He should have been brought in by Xu Jue—that A+ level succubus I’ve been watching for three months.]
After listening to Ji Qing’s description of “The Banquet” building, Qin Huai was rarely verbose.
Only after confirming via text with Ji Qing that the three individuals—Chen XX, Gu XX, and Lu X—were indeed not in the villa, and that succubi could not feed on each other, did Qin Huai seem to finally relax a bit.
[Ignore him. Just watch your own mission.]
Oho, not letting me interfere?
Ji Qing found it miraculous. He looked curiously at Duan Ke, and not long after, his phone vibrated again.
[Don’t look at him, and don’t talk to him.]
Ji Qing: … You manage a wide range 🙂
Anyway, Qin Huai wasn’t here and couldn’t get evidence or find a reason to revoke his ID. Ji Qing decisively snapped his phone shut, too lazy to heed his warning.
Light footsteps sounded from afar outside the door. Ji Qing and Duan Ke glanced at the room door simultaneously, knowing Xu Jue was coming back.
Ji Qing didn’t linger. Standing up and patting his thigh, he greeted Duan Ke casually, “I’m leaving first then.”
Duan Ke gave a puzzled “Eh” and turned to look at Ji Qing.
“Aren’t you waiting for Xu Jue too? Why leave? He’s coming soon.”
Duan Ke’s voice was small, his eyes dodging a bit, afraid to look straight at the stranger. Ji Qing was amused by Duan Ke’s tone and demeanor.
So well-behaved.
Assigning such an easy task to Qin Huai, isn’t that wasting Bureau human resources? I have to grab this handle and complain to Lin Jiangli.
“Since he’s coming, that’s exactly why I’m leaving.” Ji Qing smiled. “See you if there’s a chance.”
A question mark slowly emerged from Duan Ke’s forehead. This human is really vague, seemingly not intending for me to understand in the first place.
“Bye bye.” Although feeling this person was weird, Duan Ke responded.
Ji Qing was amused again. If not for the tight time, he would have liked to chat with this very obedient succubus boss, and roast Qin Huai together. But there was no time now; Xu Jue was almost at the door.
Duan Ke watched dumbfounded as Ji Qing walked to the window and started moving.
He’s climbing the window, but this is the second floor!
Contrary to his dangerous action, Ji Qing’s expression looked very calm, his movements agile. Duan Ke felt he probably wasn’t suicidal, so he sat obediently without stopping him, watching the man’s movements quietly and curiously.
Ji Qing skillfully found the latch on the window, opened it, and went down holding the pipes and eaves from the side of the building. In less than a minute, he briskly returned to the ground.
When the door was opened by Xu Jue, Duan Ke saw Ji Qing just returning to his car parked outside the villa.
“Lord Duan Ke, have something to eat.” Xu Jue was completely unaware of the scene just now, smiling as he put down the tray.
“I thought you should like sweets, so I took a little of every kind.”
Duan Ke indeed liked sweets.
Actually, human food was completely dispensable to him, but eating sweets made Duan Ke’s mood very good. During the period he just transformed, Duan Ke especially liked collecting small cakes and snacks in school, even vaguely addicted, scratching his heart and lungs if he couldn’t eat them.
Succubi were nocturnal animals. After transforming, they needed a long time to adjust to the human schedule. When Duan Ke hadn’t fully adjusted, he often woke up hungry from dreaming about cakes, then couldn’t sleep again, opening his eyes until dawn with sweet distress.
“Thank you.” Duan Ke took the strawberry cake Xu Jue cut for him and ate it in small bites.
The cake was indeed delicious. Duan Ke narrowed his eyes, licking his lips contentedly.
Then he hissed twice from the stimulation.
If my lips didn’t hurt, it would be even better QAQ
After enjoying afternoon tea, Xu Jue began to help his liege solve the problem.
“Lord Duan Ke, why would you have a conflict with your keeper? Is there a problem with your magic? But I see your magic is clearly unusually abundant…”
“Does it have to do with magic?” Duan Ke was puzzled. “My keeper won’t be affected by my magic either.”
Xu Jue clicked his tongue: “Why?”
But his mind was quick; he figured it out instantly, widening his eyes in uncontrolled surprise.
“Are you saying, since awakening, you have never used charm magic on your keeper…?”
Duan Ke nodded: “Yes. Doesn’t the Bureau have new regulations?”
Xu Jue momentarily didn’t know what to say.
Although he knew their new leader had a soft temper, seeing it with his own eyes, he was still shocked by Duan Ke’s good temper.
Xu Jue had lived for hundreds of years as a succubus, followed many leaders, and seen many Progenitor-level monsters. They either used power to amass wealth or practiced violence, being extremely unfriendly to lower-level monsters around them.
He had never seen one like Duan Ke, saying thank you for a strawberry cake and obediently obeying Bureau regulations in private.
Xu Jue stared at Duan Ke’s sparkling, hopeful almond eyes for two seconds, sucked in a breath imperceptibly, and held his soft hands.
Too! Cute! Right!
Just which blind human was favored by their King without knowing gratitude, daring to lose his temper at their King?!
Xu Jue gritted his teeth in hatred. Better not let me catch this person. But since Duan Ke insisted on resolving their conflict, Xu Jue couldn’t say much and could only offer ideas.
“Lord Duan Ke, actually the Bureau’s supervision isn’t as strict as you think. Look, a room full of us use charm magic, and no one has come knocking, right?”
“Uh, those who drained people to death did get caught… The keeper Lord Duan Ke chose shouldn’t be that incompetent, right? Right?”
“Really, it won’t be discovered! I use it fiercely every day and haven’t been caught, right? Would I lie to you?”
“Come come come, let me teach you how to use charm magic to make him obedient. First…”
Monster Administration Bureau.
Ji Qing, cigarette in mouth, lazily holding a file bag, went to Lin Jiangli’s office to clock out the mission.
Arriving at the office, he found Lin Jiangli absent. probably either drunk or out on field duty. Ji Qing was too lazy to find him, planning to just swipe and be done with it.
Just walking into the door, Ji Qing’s back suddenly felt cold. Reflexively drawing his gun and turning around, he cursed “Fuck” hard after seeing who it was.
“Fuck, are you playing ghost here?!”
This wasn’t baseless. Qin Huai, wearing an all-black uniform, leaned against the wall with his long legs propped up, looking at people coldly with black eyes. Really fucking ghostly.
Qin Huai said calmly: “Where is he?”
Ji Qing knew he was asking about Duan Ke. Walking to the clock-in machine, he replied, “Still at The Banquet. Didn’t you treasure him to death and forbid me from bringing him back?”
Qin Huai frowned immediately: “I didn’t.”
After speaking, Qin Huai added as if deliberately emphasizing: “Watch your wording.”
“…Fine fine fine, okay okay okay.”
Sick. Ji Qing really couldn’t be bothered with him. Cigarette in mouth, he shoved the documents in his hand onto the scanner.
Xu Jue’s photo was matched by the machine. The electronic screen on the machine lit up, displaying a line of text.
[A+ Class Monster Xu Jue, Person in Charge: Ji Qing. Confirm this monster has no potential threat?]
This was the Bureau’s special way of handling monsters above A-Class. Lin Jiangli assigned senior officers to monitor them one-on-one. If these monsters didn’t intentionally attack humans for a long period, the surveillance could be lifted.
Ji Qing thought, Succubi using a little charm on humans to feed—if not excessive, it doesn’t count as a violation, right? Can’t let them starve to death. Just catch the ones who go too far.
He didn’t hesitate much and clicked Yes. After the machine finished recording the information, Xu Jue’s file was automatically destroyed.
“I’m wrapping up, going on vacation,” Ji Qing said casually.
He looked down at the documents Qin Huai was pinching, adding, “Oh, you’re here to clear the mission too? Confirmed safe, right.”
Qin Huai’s eyes moved slightly. He gave a “Mn” as a response.
Clearing the mission means no need to run after the target all day anymore. Ji Qing felt the burden of three months finally lifted, incredibly relaxed.
He left Lin Jiangli’s office, humming a tune and thinking about how to reward himself tonight. Not far away, his steps suddenly paused. Looking back as if sensing something, he raised an eyebrow at Qin Huai.
Is clearing a mission that hard??
Ji Qing found it strange. This person had been particularly weird since two days ago, moody and unpredictable.
But Ji Qing was carefree and didn’t want to ask more, turning away quickly.
[Author’s Note]
Little Ke: Absorbing new knowledge O.O
Qin Dog will get it soon!
Translator’s corner:
Little will eventually have his day HAHAHAH (evil laugh) anyways, have a great holidays!
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