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Pulling aside the bedroom curtain, Chen Yi once again saw Yin Tingxue.
She lay on the bed, her gaze scattered and distracted, aimlessly lost in thought.
Upon seeing Chen Yi, she mustered a faint sense of energy.
"Master..."
Her voice carried no emotion.
"What are you thinking about?"
Chen Yi asked softly.
"Nothing…"
After a long pause, Yin Tingxue finally spoke.
Chen Yi removed his outer garments, took off his boots, and sat on the edge of the bed.
Seeing Yin Tingxue's frail and sickly appearance, in the end, his left hand temporarily defeated his right hand, and the big head triumphed over the small one.
Chen Yi lowered his head and planted a light kiss on her forehead.
Yin Tingxue weakly flushed at her ears and glared at him with resentment.
Chen Yi smiled—she had taken the kiss as an insult.
Yin Tingxue turned away, facing the wall, silent and unwilling to engage further with Chen Yi.
Since the Demon Sect had been annihilated, perhaps she leaned into her injuries, or maybe it was a futile struggle in despair. She had become much more defiant than before.
But what did it matter...
Chen Yi tolerated it because she truly had no way out.
Her nature was inherently soft. Given enough time, no matter how many times she resisted, as long as he was harsher with her, no matter how resolute she acted, ultimately, she would reluctantly submit.
"Go to sleep. Get up later to eat."
Chen Yi rose and said.
There were no maids in the residence. Meals were either ordered from nearby establishments or cooked by himself.
"I can't sleep."
Just as Chen Yi stepped halfway out of the room, she spoke suddenly.
"What's wrong?"
Chen Yi turned back.
Yin Tingxue hesitated in silence, lowering her eyes. Half-propped up, she sat upright; when she moved to rise, her shoulders throbbed with pain.
"It's boring. These past few days… there hasn't been much to do."
Yin Tingxue spoke abruptly.
Chen Yi walked over and sat by the bedside, teasing:
"Want me to keep you company?"
Yin Tingxue looked at him coldly and said:
"No."
Chen Yi remained silent for a moment.
"It's fine. You'll have me with you for a lifetime, anyway."
Seeing her cold demeanor, Chen Yi spoke sinisterly.
Yin Tingxue trembled with dread, swaying slightly, her frail posture nearly collapsing back.
Chen Yi wrapped an arm around her waist; she trembled in his embrace, ultimately too fearful to push him away.
She turned her face aside, deliberating for a moment, and timidly suggested:
"Buy me some books… Buy me some books to read…"
Chen Yi held her tightly for a while, savoring the moment.
Not hearing a response, Yin Tingxue's thoughts spiraled out of control.
Is he deliberately trying to make me bored? Could this be his method of tormenting me? Thinking of this, Yin Tingxue's pain-ridden fear deepened further. Trying hard to suppress her grievance, she whispered a fragile plea:
"Please… please buy some books for me to read."
Hearing her faint words, Chen Yi spoke gently:
"Alright. You've been so obedient; I'll buy you some essays and novels tomorrow—those are interesting."
"If you want to read scholarly texts, I can manage that too, but they don't really relieve boredom."
Yin Tingxue raised her face and said:
"Then… essays and novels, please."
"I won't have dinner; I feel sleepy now."
Seeing her show a sliver of compliance, Chen Yi nodded, slowly putting her down, even tucking her quilt in. Then he stood up and walked out of the bedroom.
............
Over the Capital City, twilight hung in a dusky haze, sinking more deeply beyond the Donghua Gate. In the distant shadows, faint lights flickered at Qian Deng Temple, as the Praying Place drew nearer, devout men and faithful women streamed continuously.
Qian Deng Temple housed the Blessings Venerate deity, also known as the Blessings of Infinite Heavenly Venerable. Great Yu had long been dominated by Daoist practices; successive emperors loved constructing Daoist temples and shrines. The deities of Ten Directions Venerable, The Three Pure Ones, and Four Emperors each had large temples dedicated to tributes. Yet the current Empress Dowager An seemed more devoted to Buddhist orthodoxy, ordering the construction of Buddhist pagodas and monasteries more than Daoist temples.
Standing in the courtyard, Chen Yi stretched and began calculating the approaching Praying Place event.
As the first major arena in the Capital City, the rewards from the Praying Place were exceedingly rich. To rise to prominence in this world, secure a top-10 martial ranking, and bask in a life of splendor, the Praying Place was an opportunity not to be missed.
Perfectly clearing the Praying Place required improving his strength.
Lost in thought, Chen Yi paused slightly, narrowing his eyes.
In the distance, a figure approached with graceful steps, wrapped in a vivid red ruqun beneath her cloak.
"Min Ming."
Chen Yi spoke.
The courtesan furrowed her brows slightly; her hint of forlorn disquiet made her all the more captivating.
"Commander…"
Min Ming stopped outside the courtyard.
She raised her eyes, casting a conflicted look, then spoke softly:
"Wuyong Building has agreed."
Chen Yi nodded slightly—Wuyong Building cooperating with him was no surprise.
With Wuyong Building's aid, he could gather more intelligence in the Capital City, leverage it in the Praying Place, and even search for the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures needed as antidotes for his strange poison.
At that moment, Min Ming lifted her face with a seductive smile, stepping across the threshold and approaching Chen Yi.
Chen Yi looked at her suspiciously.
"Is the Commander intending… for me to serve as a concubine?"
Within moments, Min Ming shed her melancholy, her expression transforming like winter's end into radiant charm.
This sudden shift startled Chen Yi.
But soon, Chen Yi understood; he'd encountered such situations before.
She spoke softly:
"As long as… you spare Min Ning."
Chen Yi immediately grasped her intent, finding it amusing.
A sister sacrificing herself for her sibling—a sibling sacrificing herself for her sister… Such a scenario, it was hard not to stir dark desires.
Chen Yi hooked her shoulder, feeling her slightly tremble.
"If Miss Min can endure humiliation, perhaps I'll consider it."
Chen Yi casually teased.
Min Ming bit her lip lightly and spoke softly:
"I need a promise… If I can satisfy the Commander, I hope the Commander spares her. She worked hard to become Unit Chief and aspires to uphold justice… Please, Commander, don't destroy her."
Chen Yi squinted at her, speaking meaningfully:
"That depends on your effort."
Min Ming's eyes flickered with struggle but ultimately she lowered her head in submission, stepping hesitantly into the house.
Chen Yi followed behind, his mind considering.
The Resentment Yin-Yang Technique hadn't matured yet, so he couldn't break his cultivation. Besides, she carried poison within her. Though breaking cultivation wasn't an option, however...
Chen Yi thought of the courtesan's crimson lips embodying Jiangnan allure.
Upon entering the inner chamber, Min Ming faintly heard soft snores. As she glanced at Yin Tingxue asleep on the bed, she jumped in fright.
"She… she is?"
Min Ming asked. Min Ning hadn't told her this was the Demon Sect Saintess.
"My wife."
Chen Yi looked briefly at the sleeping Yin Tingxue.
"Here?"
Min Ming asked incredulously.
"Shall we go… to the guest room?"
Even though she came to offer herself, finding a third party in the bedroom left her mortified; how could she face anyone afterward?
Chen Yi teased:
"Here."
Her face flushed deeply as bitterness suffused her heart hearing those words.
Forget it… As long as poisoning him succeeds… It was a way to protect Min Ning.
Min Ming forced herself to calm down. When she imagined the shock and terror Chen Yi would feel upon discovering her poisonous trap, she couldn't suppress a smile.
The concealed poison burned hotter within.
Chen Yi gazed at her with a faint smile.
Feeling his stare, Min Ming immediately felt goosebumps rise.
The courtesan accustomed to servitude quickly steadied herself; she turned away, shedding her cloak with ease, followed by her outer garments. From one shoulder to the other, her eyes shimmered, exuding unparalleled allure...
"The Wuyong Building's culprits are here!"
Suddenly, shouts rang out from outside Donghua Gate.