Chapter 515: Newspapers and the Plague Mage

The next day.

Luo De stared at the newspapers spread across the table, his face darkening.

"Breaking News: Forest Warden Luo De Dead! His Wives: 'Finally Free to Remarry!'"

"City Hall Strongly Denies Luo De's Death! Suspected of Colluding with Bai Long?!"

"Luo De's Illegitimate Son Discovered in Bai Long's Nest! Wives' Collective Silence Sparks Suspicion!"

"99% of Shiying Town Residents Believe: Luo De's Many Girlfriends Are the Real Masterminds!"

"Public Outrage: Luo De Faked His Death to Claim Insurance, Used the Money to Buy a Dragon Scale Purse and Seduce Mr. Humbert's Wife!"

"Wait, is any of this even true?"

Luo De let out a bitter laugh.

He tossed the newspaper aside and sank into the luxurious sofa behind him.

This was 31 South Xinlan Street.

The home of the witch Dimiya, and also the temporary residence of the dog-kin Sharon.

After waking up that morning, Luo De, curious about the town's mood, disguised himself as a passerby and walked around.

At first, most people were filled with sorrow and concern.

After all, he had been kind to others, generous with his wealth, and had repeatedly protected Shiying Town's safety.

These were facts the townspeople had witnessed firsthand.

Some had even spontaneously erected a memorial for him, intending to place it in the town center for public veneration.

City Hall refused them outright, citing lack of verification.

Luo De had previously agreed on this strategy with the old gentleman Humbert and the witch Dimiya.

After all, Coral Bay had a half-deer.

The accuracy of prophecies was closely tied to the number of witnesses and those who were informed.

A public spectacle with many spectators was even more so.

Thus, Kalist's side had cast spells to obscure the prophecy.

But obscuring a prophecy about a death known to all was too strange—like hiding silver while shouting "I didn't steal it!"

Hence, City Hall's firm denial of his death was needed to complement it.

To foster a conspiracy theory: City Hall, in panic after losing its "Guardian God," had concealed the truth to maintain order.

Humbert had even bought numerous articles smearing and "exposing" City Hall.

He merely rode the wave—and took the chance to clean out some of its corrupt elements.

And because of this,

City Hall and the public had clashed during this period.

A minor conflict even erupted when they tried to block the memorial's placement.

In the end, the memorial's owner himself calmed things down.

He "regretfully" placed the monument outside his own tavern and put up a sign: "One Giant's Ale for One Memorial White Flower," drawing crowds and wiping out business at the Violet Tavern.

Luo De was still feeling reasonably good about this.

Then the newsboys began distributing the day's emergency newspapers.

They twisted the topic into complete chaos.

Furious, Luo De went to Dimiya's house to find out exactly which bards had performed yesterday—he urgently needed a list.

When he arrived, he found the witch was not home—only the lazy dog-kin Sharon was there.

"Why do you care about this?"

Sharon lifted her pale, bare foot and pushed the newspapers aside, placing a pale green ceramic teapot and a teacup patterned with running puppies on the table.

She said it, but her mocking grin never faded.

"'Luo De's Illegitimate Son Discovered in Bai Long's Nest'? I have no idea how they came up with that."

"Rumors aren't entirely baseless—after all, you're always wandering in and out of the forest with different girls."

"All I can say is, after this, I'll shut down a few newspapers."

"People like you, slightly famous, are exactly what bards crave—more dirt to dig up. They're all twisted like that."

As she spoke,

Sharon shoved a heated stone into the hollow at the bottom of the ceramic teapot.

"Pour your own tea, I'm not serving you."

The dog-kin spoke coldly, yawning.

She had just woken up and hadn't even changed her clothes.

She wore a soft, breathable shirt that rose and fell slightly with her movements, faintly outlining the shape of her chest.

Sharon's bust was not exaggerated—it perfectly matched her overall figure.

Luo De's large hand could fully enclose it.

It was not soft like water, but firm, fleshy, and elastic.

She wore short home pants, the hems ending midway up her thighs, just exposing the right leg, covered in fine, soft hair.

The hair was smooth and soft—not coarse, not overly thick—just right to outline the curve of her leg.

Her tail hung out from beneath her shirt, swaying lazily.

Luo De poured himself a cup of black tea—and was immediately drawn to it, reaching out to touch it.

"What are you doing? Pervert dog!"

Sharon glared at him.

Her tone was sharp.

But she stepped forward two paces.

She stuck her hips out, the waistband of her pants tightening slightly, perfectly accentuating her peach-shaped buttocks.

Luo De nearly thought she was going to shove it into his face—until she playfully shifted and plopped onto his lap.

"Hehe… you wish."

"Aren't you coming? I missed you."

"This is Dimiya's house. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't do it here. Can't you curb that lust for a few days?"

As she spoke,

She leaned back, pressing her body against his chest, rubbing her head and ears against his neck and chin like a kitten seeking affection.

Then, unsatisfied, she grabbed his strong arms and crossed them over her chest.

Like fastening a seatbelt.

Breathing in the dog-kin's unique scent,

Luo De kissed the top of her head and asked, "Any gains in Faye?"

"Not bad. The plague mages there use ether far more skillfully than I imagined—I learned a lot. But because of the appearance of the Divine Spark blood, they've become obsessed with gods and neglected plague research."

"Strange things? Like what?"

Sharon didn't answer.

She wiggled her hips, adjusting into a more comfortable position in his lap.

Then she took his hand and bit his ring finger with a soft "ah."

She chewed on it like a chew toy.

"The cycle of decay and regeneration makes plague mages in Faye rarely seek godhood—they've begun researching how to harness new divine power early. The most common method? Establishing cults, like the Cult of Life."

"... hat's weird. Plague mages forming a cult? Do they even believe?"

"To them, belief doesn't matter. The cult is just a tool—the goal is to harness divine power. Hey, what are you doing? Pervert dog."

The girl turned her head slowly.

Her ring finger half in her mouth, the pink tip of her tongue visible.

Luo De sighed. "You keep wriggling, and I naturally react—I can't help it."

"Too bad. I don't miss you at all, you pervert dog."

As she spoke,

She pulled off her home pants—and did the same to Luo De.

Then she wrapped her thighs around him.

The contrast of smooth, pale skin against soft, fine fur.

Unbearably intoxicating.

"... idn't you say you didn't miss me?"

Sharon's body temperature rose, her cheeks flushed crimson.

She pouted: "I didn't say I wanted to do anything serious. So I don't miss you."

As she spoke,

She began moving.

Luo De vaguely remembered this technique—it was called sùgǔ?

(End of Chapter)