Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Elderly Lady Zhou knew that Ye Jiuge was on her way, so she stood outside the house, waiting. When she saw Ye Jiuge, she asked excitedly, “Eldest Miss Ye, it's so late. Did you finish producing the Antidote Pill?”

“Indeed!” Ye Jiuge took out the small jade bottle and shook it.

“Thank goodness!” Elderly Lady Zhou exclaimed. Her eyes s.h.i.+fted upwards. With her palms devoutly pressed together, she bowed to the sky. Then, she bent her knees to kneel and thank Ye Jiuge.

“Elderly Lady, what are you doing? Please get up.” Ye Jiuge quickly lifted up the old servant.

“Eldest Miss Ye, you saved the Imperial Consort's life. I have nothing to repay you with, so allow me to give you three prostrations!”

Though Elderly Lady Zhou was extremely grateful to Ye Jiuge, she could not express her emotions clearly without actions.

“Elderly Lady Zhou, at your age, you could be my grandmother. You will be torturing me if you kneel before me. Please don't mention such words again, or I will never come back,” said Ye Jiuge, pretending to be angry.

Elderly Lady Zhou had the same kind of character as Qing Mama. They loved their masters dearly and treated them like their own daughters. They would always take their master's point of view, no matter what they did, and endured hards.h.i.+p gladly. Ye Jiuge respected them.

“Alright. Please pretend that I did not say anything.”

Elderly Lady Zhou could tell that Ye Jiuge was speaking from her heart, and she felt an ease that was hard to articulate. Elderly Lady Zhou had been a slave for her entire life. Although people treated her with courtesy out of respect for Imperial Consort Xi, n.o.body had ever compared her to their grandmother before. She felt warmth in her heart, as though she had drunk a cup of hot tea in the winter.

No wonder everyone likes Ye Jiuge. She is truly a fine lady. Elderly Lady Zhou placed her gratefulness at the bottom of her heart and hurriedly brought Ye Jiuge into the house.

Imperial Consort Xi was pacing up and down. Her palms were sweaty from nervousness. At first, she had thought that it would require considerable effort for her to recover from her illness. She had not expected Ye Jiuge to begin the final stage of detoxification so soon. The sudden arrival of the pleasant surprise had left her at a loss.

When Imperial Consort Xi heard the door open, she quickly sat back down and put on a calm and relaxed expression. Ye Jiuge was very impressed to see Imperial Consort Xi's calm appearance. She bowed to her and said, “Greetings to you, Imperial Consort.”

“Jiuge, please have a seat!” Imperial Consort Xi called out with a faint smile.

She had been taking the detoxification medicine that Ye Jiuge had given her. The rotten flesh on the right side of her face had formed scabs, which were turning into a large, dark red scar. It was as though she wore a mask. Although her face was still terrifying, it was much better compared to the festering boil of rotten flesh that it had been.

Ye Jiuge sat in front of Imperial Consort Xi and asked, “Imperial Consort, are you ready?”

Although she had already made countless preparations for situations that could possibly arise during the detoxification process, she could not rule out all unforeseen circ.u.mstances.

“Yes!” Imperial Consort Xi said, nodding slowly.

Even when Ye Jiuge had said that the detoxification process would be as painful as the experience of Lingering Death, she had not been afraid. Now that Ye Jiuge had found a way to reduce her pain, she was even less scared.

“Ok, then let's begin!” Ye Jiuge said straightforwardly.

“Eldest Miss, is the detoxification going to take place here, or should we find somewhere else?” Elderly Lady Zhou asked in a low voice. If they needed to go someplace else, she had to make preparations first.

“Later on, when the Imperial Consort consumes my Antidote Pill, I will use my needle for the detoxification. The Imperial Consort may discharge a lot of black toxins, so it would be best to conduct the procedure in the bathroom.” It would also make it easier to clean up.

“There is a stand-alone bathroom behind the courtyard. Imperial Consort, Eldest Miss, please wait here for a while. Allow me to make preparations,” Elderly Lady Zhou responded immediately.

Imperial Consort Xi nodded. “Alright.”

Elderly Lady Zhou quickly prepared clean towels, clothes, soap, and other things before she called for Ye Jiuge and Imperial Consort Xi.

In the bathroom, hot steam rose in spirals. As they stood in front of the soft couch to the side of the bath, Ye Jiuge said to Imperial Consort Xi, “Imperial Consort, please lie here after you have undressed.”

Ye Jiuge was going to have to apply her needle later, and it wouldn't be convenient if Imperial Consort Xi were clothed.

“Ok!”

Imperial Consort Xi began to undress. Elderly Lady Zhou took out a moon-white silk bathrobe and draped it on her mistress. Then, she let down Imperial Consort Xi's hair and tied it back loosely. When the Imperial Consort was ready, Ye Jiuge took out a large jade bottle.

“What's that?” Imperial Consort Xi asked curiously.

“It's the Indigo Jade Water Plant I found in the Demonic Beasts Forest. Please, eat this first.”

Ye Jiuge opened the large jade bottle and poured out a lump of water plants emitting an indigo light. The lump of Indigo Jade Water Plants weighed about twenty-five grams. The dose had been configured based on Imperial Consort Xi's weight. Consuming it before the Antidote Pill would create an anesthetic effect.

Without any hesitation, Imperial Consort Xi swallowed the Indigo Jade Water Plants. After eating them, she felt a cooling sensation in her Elixir Field. The blood in her limbs felt as though it had stopped circulating, so she laid weakly down on the soft couch.

When Ye Jiuge observed that the Indigo Jade Water Plant had taken effect, she handed the Antidote Pill to Imperial Consort Xi. As Imperial Consort Xi received the Antidote Pill, a complicated expression flitted past her face. Once she consumed the pill, the toxins in her body would be expelled, and her original looks restored.

The thing that she had wished non-stop for was finally right in front of her eyes. Instead of rejoicing, she began to worry about personal gains and losses. She feared that the detoxification effects would not be satisfactory. If that happened, her entire life would be destroyed, and the pain unendurable.

“Imperial Consort, please don't worry and consume it. I will be here,” Ye Jiuge softened her tone and said.

Ye Jiuge did not make any guarantees or offer a genuine expression of rea.s.surance. Nevertheless, Imperial Consort Xi felt inexplicably at ease and placed the dark green pill in her mouth. Due to the candlelight—or something else—a dark green light flitted past Imperial Consort Xi's brilliant red nails then disappeared. Ye Jiuge was startled; she seemed to recall something. However, when she tried carefully to remember, she could not think of anything. All she could do was carefully observe Imperial Consort Xi, watching her every movement.

After Imperial Consort Xi swallowed the pill, she felt it dissolve immediately. It turned into a sweet, warm current that entered her stomach, where it began to expel the remnants of the Fantasy Beauty in her body. The detoxification process was like using a small shovel to root out rubbish that had stuck to her spiritual channels. Although it was excruciating, the experience was still tolerable thanks to the cooling anesthetic effect of the Indigo Jade Water Plant.

Imperial Consort Xi could clearly feel that small shovel following the path of her spiritual channels toward her fingers. When the Antidote Pill's effect reached her fingertips, it suddenly exploded with a bang. It was as though a spark had been thrown into a barrel of oil. The surging wave of heat spread out frantically from her fingertips. She let out a blood-curdling screech.

At that moment, Imperial Consort Xi understood Ye Jiuge's warning about the pain of Lingering Death.