NOVEL WEB chapter 145
Chapter 70, The Girl’s Resolution
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been back.”
Lower District.
In a certain secret room.
Anna looked at the dusty instruments in the dimly lit room and sighed softly.
“I hope they can still be used.”
With a wave of her hand, a faint magical energy surged.
A breeze blew in from outside, lifting the thick dust and expelling it through the now functioning exhaust fan.
Soon, the instruments that had not been used for a long time became spotless once more.
Without much sentimentality, Anna directly began to busy herself.
She took out various strange materials, including that peculiar black branch she had bought while shopping with Mu En during the day.
She activated those precise instruments and began to operate them skillfully.
Decomposition, melting, extraction, blending.
As if she had practiced countless times, every action of Anna’s was precise, without a hint of excess. It didn’t take long for a brand new potion to appear in her hands.
Finally, she took out a small container the size of a knuckle and dripped the crystalline liquid inside into the potion.
Ripples spread across the surface of the potion, the icy blue liquid swaying slowly in the transparent container.
Anna stared at the potion, as if confirming something.
“There’s still no change in the potion as it should have, it feels more like something unrelated has been added.”
Anna let out a gentle sigh, yet there was no overwhelming sense of disappointment.
She had long anticipated this outcome, or rather, she had experienced it many times before.
In fact, the potion crafted through complex procedures was not important; it was merely to maximize a certain effect.
What truly mattered was that drop of crystalline liquid.
“But I have to give it a try.”
Harboring that faint glimmer of hope, Anna downed the potion in one gulp.
Then she rolled up her sleeves and quietly watched the black scales that had re-emerged on her arm at some unknown time.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Half an hour.
Two hours.
Anna seemed to turn into a statue, silently waiting for dawn.
But when the midnight bell tolled, all she saw was the ever-deepening night.
“Sure enough, it still doesn’t work?”
Her fingertips brushed against the cold scales, and a hint of a sardonic smile curled at the corners of Anna’s mouth.
“What am I even hoping for? Didn’t I already know? The so-called true love is merely a falsehood that deceives innocent children.”
“Perhaps I should place my hopes on tangible things instead.”
Casually, she tossed the container with a bit of crystalline liquid remaining into the trash can, as if severing all her thoughts.
She turned to leave, later arriving at an exceedingly old-looking shop.
The shop sold all sorts of peculiar items; in the most prominent position were lifelike sculptures of beautiful girls, life-sized models of mature women, and “Saintess Photo Collection 3.0.”
There were no other customers in the store, and an old man slept in a rocking chair behind the counter.
The old man was very aged; through a sliver of starlight from outside, one could faintly see the age spots on his skin.
He was like the shop itself, exuding an air of decay.
Anna glanced at the old man, pulled out a thick stack of bills, placed them on the counter, and after a long silence, finally said:
“It’s the same old routine. Please help me pass this money to the orphanage.”
No response.
The old man seemed to have fallen asleep.
Anna said nothing more, placing the money down and preparing to leave.
“Didn’t you sneak off to see them yesterday? Why not give it to them yourself?” Just as she was about to step out the door, the aged voice suddenly spoke up.
Anna paused, not turning back.
“For someone like me, it’s better not to get involved with them any further.”
“Is that so?”
The old man opened his murky eyes, gazing at the figure that appeared especially lonely under the moonlight.
Such pity.
“Anna, shutting your heart away will never lead to redemption.”
“Redemption?”
Anna let out a self-deprecating smile, then took another step, walking into the deep, dark night.
“Who would bring redemption to a monster?”
……
……
Noon.
Mu En was jolted awake by the blinding sunlight streaming through the curtain’s gap.
“Is it already this time?”
Mu En instinctively glanced at the clock, the heavy sleepiness dissipating in an instant.
In fact, after a night of intense struggle, he had only managed to fall asleep in the morning, and it had only been a few hours since then.
To say he was well-rested would be far from the truth; after all, the fatigue from last night far exceeded that of battling an enemy for a hundred rounds.
But, since there were things to do today, a real man could not remain forever lost in the comforts of a gentle embrace.
Mu En gently shifted his body, realizing that the entire left side of him felt oddly numb. Looking down, he saw that An, even in deep sleep, was clinging to him tightly like an octopus.
“Really clingy, huh?”
Mu En smiled wryly, gently pushing aside An’s delicate form.
Yet, as he moved, the exquisite sensation on his skin, combined with the endless warmth leaking from the covers, nearly stirred him awake.
Fortunately, Mu En quickly recited a calming mantra several times, successfully suppressing that surge of desire.
What a joke; if it happened again like this, he really wouldn’t be able to get out of bed for three days and nights.
Luckily, An seemed to be sleeping exceptionally soundly, indicating that last night had truly exhausted her, this juice girl.
After all, in terms of physical strength, An couldn’t compare to Mu En, who had been cultivating for over two months and had even tempered himself in the mercury well.
“The need to grow stronger is truly urgent; otherwise, before I get killed by the evil god, I’ll be drained dry by this little demon.”
Mu En sighed, quickly getting up to dress.
Once An’s sickly condition was cured, he had no more reservations. After all, the duke’s mansion was always there to return to; why cling to this temporary warmth?
With that thought, Mu En couldn’t help but take a closer look at An’s delicate face, which remained dignified even in sleep.
When the morbid desire faded away, this face, so pure and beautiful, was truly captivating.
“Be good, okay? I’ll come back to see you often.”
He gently caressed An’s lovely face, smiled tenderly, and then tiptoed out of the room.
……
An suddenly opened her eyes, looking at the door that had just closed.
“Young Master.”
A happy smile lingered on her lips as she stroked her cheek, as if savoring the lingering scent of Mu En, so reluctant to let go.
But such beautiful reminiscence was always fleeting; she had some matters to face.
She got up and walked to the mirror.
In the reflection, her delicate body still bore the marks of their intimacy, like some kind of imprint, filling her with a deep sense of satisfaction.
But then, her lovely face turned cold.
Like ice gradually forming.
She recalled yesterday.
At that time, the reason she hadn’t acted wasn’t because she didn’t want to.
It was because she sensed a hint of danger; although she didn’t know the source, she couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t harm the Young Master in that situation.
So, she chose to leave for the time being.
But that didn’t mean she was indifferent to other women appearing around the Young Master.
“It seems I need to grow stronger as well.”
An looked at her hands.
The power of the divine favored was strong, but it was not invincible.
For instance, she couldn’t control the Young Master’s white knife from last night.
However, as the Young Master became more outstanding, there would undoubtedly be some seductive and shameless women drawn to him, like moths to a flame.
That was unacceptable.
The second rule for the Campbell family maid was to always ensure the cleanliness and tidiness of her master’s environment!
So—
“Just wait, young master.”
A sickly fervor and desire once again surfaced on An’s delicate face.
The metal in the entire room began to hum together, as if sensing her resolute will.
“I will definitely eliminate all those pests around you who flaunt themselves!”