How come I'm the one being conquered?

Bai Jun's eyes went dark after seeing that message. While he marveled at Ye Linna's terrifying efficiency, he was also secretly relieved that his previous answer had been correct.

Just as Bai Jun agreed to Ye Linna's request, another message popped up on the Jade Omen.

—Cold Crow?

The sender's name made Bai Jun blink. He recalled that very few people working at the Ten Lords Bureau communicated with the outside world, and even then, their exchanges were limited to nighttime work necessities. Most importantly, whenever Bai Jun thought of Cold Crow, he was reminded of the terrifying memory from last night when her sister and she had forcibly pulled open his clothes.

Bai Jun swallowed. Although he wanted to ignore the message, he eventually clicked on the chat window.

[Cold Crow: Hey, hey, hey, are you free right now? I need your help, it's very urgent. Please reply quickly if you receive this.]

Cold Crow's cryptic opening put Bai Jun on edge. He hesitated, but since she said it was urgent, he decided to reply.

[Nan Liujing: I am.]

[Cold Crow: That's great, it's good that you're here. It wouldn't really matter if you weren't, but it's better if you are. Cough, cough, I'm getting off track. What I wanted to say is that my sister made an agreement with the Ten Lords Bureau: for every captured criminal, she gets half a day of reprieve. Thanks to you last night, my sister gets half a day of reprieve tomorrow. Normally, I should be the one taking her out to relax, but unfortunately, I have important matters to attend to tomorrow, so...]

[Nan Liujing: Can I refuse?]

[Cold Crow: No, you wouldn't want to see my sister all alone out there, would you? Besides, my sister is usually clumsy, a bit slow, and so cute. I'm worried she might get snatched away!]

[Nan Liujing: Analysis of the punchline: "get snatched away." I think you should first confront your sister's combat power. Instead of worrying about her getting snatched away, you should consider whether I'll even be free to agree to your request tomorrow.]

[Cold Crow: I don't care, you should be free. If you dare refuse me, I'll bring my sister to find you tonight!]

[Nan Liujing: Oh, dear sister, please spare me. Do we have some kind of grudge?]

[Cold Crow: Wait a moment, I'll offer you an irresistible condition.]

[Nan Liujing: ...What is it?]

[Cold Crow: Think about it, tomorrow it will just be you and my sister alone. Isn't that practically a date? To go on a date with a cold beauty like my sister... for you men, isn't that a huge blessing?]

[Nan Liujing: The only thing in your statement that I can acknowledge is that Xue Yi is a cold beauty. Do you have anything else to say? It was nice chatting with you, goodbye.]

[Cold Crow: Too late. Do you know why I said it didn't matter if you were here or not? Turn around and look to your side.]

Immediately after, a "knock knock" sound came from the window closest to Bai Jun's seat. Bai Jun stiffened, his head jerking towards the window as if it were wound up.

Standing there was a tall, white-haired beauty. She smiled and waved the Jade Omen in her hand. Although he couldn't hear her words, by observing the subtle movements of her lips and the slyness in her eyes, he could vaguely guess what she meant:

"You can't escape."

Chapter 39: The Pressure is On (3/3)

Along the road in Changle Heaven, a tea house employee was brewing tea with a large teapot.

The scalding hot water released a rich aroma, offering a welcome resting spot for passing pedestrians.

The light inside the establishment was soft, filtering through the window lattices and falling onto the smooth tabletop, polished by years of use. Patrons sat in small groups, either whispering softly or concentrating on their tea, creating a scene of tranquil harmony.

In an unvisited corner of the tea house, Bai Jun faced the woman leisurely sipping her tea opposite him, his expression as if facing a great enemy. He spoke cautiously, "So, Miss Cold Crow, what exactly did you want to call me out for?"

Today, Cold Crow was not wearing her usual monotonous black uniform. Instead, she wore an off-the-shoulder chiffon dress that accentuated her excellent figure. Her fair, slender legs were paired with black high-heeled boots, and her silver-white hair cascaded down casually, giving her a somewhat languid and aloof appearance.

Hearing Bai Jun's question, she calmly set down her teacup, gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and retorted, "What for? Didn't I already explain it on the Jade Omen?"

"Please don't say such domineering things, and didn't I already refuse?" Bai Jun sighed, rejecting Cold Crow's request.

"Your refusal is invalid," Cold Crow countered, dismissing Bai Jun's rejection and posing a soul-searching question.

"Do you dislike my sister? Come to think of it... after all, everyone in our line of work is a strange person who bids farewell to the underworld. It's normal to be disliked and hated."

"Stop, stop, stop! I accept, I accept, alright."

"That's wonderful, I knew you were different from others."

Bai Jun knew full well that this was a trap set by Cold Crow, but he quickly interrupted her quiet complaint. The moment he uttered his acceptance, Cold Crow, sitting opposite him, instantly dropped her disappointed facade, a triumphant smile gracing her lips.

"In that case, if there's nothing else, I'll be going back now. You can inform me of the specific time and details on the Jade Omen."

He tilted his head back and downed the tea in his cup in one go. Bai Jun thought he could leave after agreeing, but as he stood up, Cold Crow called him back.

"Wait, don't go yet, I still have something to ask you."

"W-what?"

Seeing Cold Crow's serious expression, Bai Jun's heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a few steps back.

"Although it might not be appropriate for me to ask this, I still want to know, where will you be taking my sister tomorrow?"

Cold Crow's slender, soft fingers tapped rhythmically on the rim of the white jade teacup. After a moment's hesitation, she asked.

Where to?

Straight to a hotel room!

Of course, Bai Jun only dared to mutter such things in his heart. Setting aside whether Xue Yi's puppet body even had such functions, he suspected he'd be executed on the spot by Cold Crow if he said it out loud.

So, after some thought, he tentatively asked, "Ask Xue Yi? I'll accompany her wherever she wants to go."

"Are you an idiot! When you're together, you, as the man, should definitely take the lead!" Cold Crow rested her finger on her chin, tilting her head up slightly as she pondered. Her gaze swept past a couple affectionately holding hands as they walked past the tea house entrance, and she suddenly thought of something.

"Never mind, there's no point in saying more. Let's just go scout out some potential date locations today. Consider it a pre-date planning session."

"Huh?"

Bai Jun dazedly touched his forehead, then Cold Crow's forehead, and even suspected she might have a fever to come up with such a nonsensical idea.

Cold Crow's gaze turned slightly resentful as she gently pushed his hand away. Bai Jun finally realized his words hadn't been meant as a joke and immediately shook his head, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"No eggs, no oysters!"

"Stop being so naggy!"

Cold Crow slammed the table, the loud noise instantly drawing the attention of the surrounding tea house patrons. Under their curious stares, she slowly stood up and said with utmost seriousness, "Now, imagine me as your sister!"

This declaration immediately stirred up a buzz of gossip in the tea house.

"Oh, oh, is this what they call a 'substitute'?"

"No, isn't it spring? Why has it turned white outside?"

"Youth is truly wonderful..."

Every bit of this gossip reached Bai Jun's ears. However, the person in question didn't seem to have any intention of refuting it. Instead, on the verge of exploding from embarrassment, he grabbed Cold Crow and fled the tea house.

As they left, he even finished Cold Crow's unfinished tea. After all, it shouldn't be wasted since he'd paid for it.

Because Bai Jun worked at Shence Mansion, he inevitably had to cooperate with the Ten Lords Bureau when dealing with tricky issues. Even so, Cold Crow rarely worked with Bai Jun. After all, one was a civilian handling interrogations behind the lines, while the other was a skilled warrior responsible for pursuing and apprehending criminals. They were indeed worlds apart.

Her sister, on the other hand, had many experiences handling matters together with Bai Jun. Every time she returned, she would praise Bai Jun's reliability and strength. Cold Crow knew this very well because her sister, when apprehending criminals, would always return with her intricate body suffering from various severe injuries.

However, whenever she went on missions with Bai Jun, her sister never sustained any injuries. Therefore, Cold Crow had always placed immense trust in Bai Jun's character and abilities.

Her sister would occasionally mention that Bai Jun was a bit clumsy and slow-witted. Cold Crow always held a doubtful attitude towards this, as it conflicted with the reliability previously mentioned. How could a reliable and powerful person be associated with being slow-witted?

And today, this doubt in Cold Crow's heart was finally resolved.

"The bok choy is very fresh today, the shepherd's purse looks good too, oh? New potatoes are on sale!"

Cold Crow, inexplicably brought to the vegetable market, watched Bai Jun enthusiastically weaving through the various stalls. Thinking about handing her sister over to this man tomorrow, she felt like the sky was falling.

Could there really be men in the world who would bring a girl to a vegetable market on a date?

"Stop joking! You plan to bring my sister to a vegetable market!?" Cold Crow immediately interrupted Bai Jun, who was selecting celery, and stared at him with a very somber expression. "Besides, there are so many fun places in Luofu, why specifically a vegetable market?"

"What's wrong with a vegetable market? There's a lot of knowledge to be gained here. For example, when buying tomatoes, choose the deep red ones; they have a richer flavor and are easier to stir-fry to release juice. For taro, pick the heavier ones; they have more water and starch, making them soft and glutinous when eaten. Shiitake mushrooms are divided into dried and fresh... Would you like to try?"

Sensing the increasingly disbelieving and icy gaze from the other party, Bai Jun's eyes began to shift uneasily to the side, his voice growing weaker.

"Don't bring your personal taste into this! Don't let my sister's usual cold demeanor fool you; she's like most girls and enjoys browsing markets, reading novels, and watching plays, not coming to a vegetable market. Besides, my sister's intricate body can't even eat!"

Before Bai Jun could explain, Cold Crow suddenly grabbed his cheeks and pulled them forcefully to the sides. She only let go after venting her frustration.

"You're not qualified at all like this!"

"Then what should I do?" Bai Jun rubbed his reddened face and said helplessly. "Oh, right, didn't you just say Xue Yi likes reading and watching plays? How about I take her to Sanyu Bookstore to read for a while, and then we can go listen to a play afterward."

"Take this first."

Cold Crow rolled her eyes, took out a small diary from her pocket, and unceremoniously stuffed it into Bai Jun's hand. Under his confused gaze, she began to explain.

"I sometimes record my daily experiences in this notebook... That way, when I meet my sister, I can tell her about them. I'm lending it to you temporarily; if you don't know what to say tomorrow, just take it out and look."

"Oh..."

"As for tomorrow's arrangements... Follow me. I'll take you to scout the location, consider it a practice run for tomorrow's date. Tomorrow, just follow the plan I give you." After much thought, Cold Crow still felt this was the most reliable method. She gave Bai Jun a look and walked towards the commercial street on her own.

"So much pressure..."

Bai Jun scratched his head and followed her helplessly.

"This is your plan? Let me tell you beforehand, I haven't received my salary this month yet, so I won't have money to buy expensive clothes for Xue Yi..."

After following Cold Crow around the streets for a few turns, their footsteps finally stopped in front of a well-decorated clothing store. Looking at the dazzling array of exquisite clothes inside, Bai Jun touched his wallet, which was as bare as a frog's, and tugged at Cold Crow's sleeve with a somewhat strange expression.

"Don't worry about it. You just need to follow my arrangements."

Cold Crow couldn't be bothered to explain further to the unromantic Bai Jun and simply pushed him inside.

The front desk attendant was a Foxkin with a very large, fluffy tail. Seeing customers arrive, she enthusiastically stepped forward, bowed with a smile, and said, "Hello, welcome. Is there anything I can help you with?"

The combination of a man and a woman easily brought to mind a boyfriend buying clothes for his girlfriend. Thus, the Foxkin woman looked at Cold Crow, marveling at her good figure in her mind, and enthusiastically introduced the store's latest and hottest items to her.

Cold Crow shook her head, declining her enthusiasm, and pointed to Bai Jun beside her. "Buy him some clothes. Do you have any recommendations?"

"Ah?"

A question mark suddenly popped up above Bai Jun's head. He had briefly glanced at the clothes in the store earlier, and almost all of them were priced beyond his current means. Besides, wasn't this about buying clothes for Xue Yi tomorrow? Why was it suddenly about him?

"Don't you think you're a bit too unkempt?"

Cold Crow scanned Bai Jun again. He was still wearing a casual white shirt and black trousers, and his shoulder-length hair was as messy as a bird's nest. Apart from his face, everything about him was a disaster.

However, it had to be said that this guy was simply too good-looking. He was only a fifty-point prospect based on his overall appearance, but his face alone pulled his score up to over ninety, making one sigh at how generous heaven's blessings were.

Cold Crow picked out a few handsome-looking outfits and stuffed them into Bai Jun's arms, urging the front desk attendant to quickly take him to the fitting room to change. She hoped to leave her sister with a properly "trained" Bai Jun the next day.

Bai Jun was led to the fitting room by the Foxkin woman. Before entering, he suddenly gathered the hair from his forehead and asked the Foxkin woman, "Could you give me a hair tie? I want to tidy up my hair."

"Eh? A hair tie..." The Foxkin woman rummaged through her pocket and found a hair tie, handing it to Bai Jun.

"Thank you." Bai Jun took the hair tie and walked into the fitting room.

Not long after, Cold Crow, who was by the shelves selecting suitable clothes for Bai Jun, heard a sharp yet shy female voice.

Cold Crow immediately realized there might be a problem with Bai Jun and, without a second thought, ran towards the fitting room clutching the clothes in her arms.

Upon seeing the completely transformed Bai Jun in front of the mirror, Cold Crow seemed to understand the source of the earlier scream.

Thump...

The clothes in her arms slipped to the floor, and Cold Crow covered her mouth.

ps: I was in the hospital for two days, and my hand felt like it was about to be poked to death from the IV drips. Not only is typing on my phone slow, but I also get extremely dizzy after typing for a while, so the updates will be a bit slower these few days. I apologize again!

Chapter 40: Who could resist humming softly?

Gazing at himself in the mirror, Bai Jun nodded with satisfaction.

After tying his messy silver hair into a short ponytail, his usually gentle, fair face now revealed sharp, defined features. Beneath his slanted, handsome brows were deep, clear blue eyes. The brand-new clothes accentuated his tall, well-proportioned figure, exuding an air of nobility and elegance.

The saying "clothes make the man, a saddle makes the horse" was not without reason. Perhaps it was because he usually didn't pay much attention to his appearance, but Bai Jun felt a strange sense of astonishment at his current self—he hadn't expected to be this handsome? That was probably the feeling.

Moreover, just by changing his clothes, Bai Jun discovered that in the system's panel, the ability bar for "Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire" was constantly flashing with crimson light, giving off a sense of pressure as if it were about to explode... No, it was more like the urgency of a dog seeing its owner?

Although Bai Jun had no idea how this worked, he had somehow stumbled upon the correct way to use "Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire." Regardless, this was definitely an unexpected surprise.

He suppressed the strong urge to summon "Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire" on the spot, constantly telling himself to stay calm, as causing a commotion in a shop's fitting room wouldn't look good.

After careful consideration, Bai Jun decided to try it out tonight after returning home.

"I'm very satisfied. Could you please get me a packaging bag? I'd like to put my old clothes in it."

"...Huh? Oh, okay."