"Let's go," Ye Jiuge said. 

She carried Ye Ruyi on her back and climbed out first. Pulling Bai Songling along with him, Wan Ziyang followed her and scaled the wall. All of them managed to escape from West Main Street and return to the residence.

Immediately after he entered the house, Wan Ziyang asked Bai Songling, "How did the guards die?"

"They were poisoned," Bai Songling said, his handsome face dignified. 

This Su Junqing had a malicious mind and had given the guards a poison called Collective Punishment. Usually, this poison had no effect, but once an additional ingredient was added, anyone who had been poisoned would die.

"Be careful, Su Junqing is very skilled at poisoning. His Drunken Cloud Pavilion has both September Fragrance and November Cream," Ye Jiuge said.

Regardless of his possession of Mental Manipulation, the variety of strange poisons proved that Su Junqing had an unusual relations.h.i.+p with black magic pract.i.tioners. There had to be a more extensive network behind him. 

"Both September Fragrance and November Cream are forbidden; where could he have gotten them?" Bai Songling's frown deepened.

"Who knows! You will have to investigate this yourself." Ye Jiuge was happy to create all kinds of havoc for the Su Clan.

"Let's discuss this later. It's not early anymore. Eldest Miss Ye, aren't you worried that they will realize something if you are not back soon?" Wan Ziyang said, glancing at Ye Jiuge, who had dirt all over her face, and Ye Ruyi behind her.

Ye Jiuge observed the color of the sky and saw that the east side had begun to turn ash gray. Indeed, she could not stay any longer. However, before she left, she needed to request Wan Ziyang and Bai Songling's help for something.

"Feel free to request anything from us," Bai Songling said.

After experiencing a life-and-death situation together, their relations.h.i.+p had grown closer.

"I would like to ask the two of you to help me investigate someone," Ye Jiuge said solemnly.

"Who?" Bai Songling asked curiously.

"He is a beginner spiritual pract.i.tioner called Qiu Desheng. His mother, Qiu Mama, is a manager in our Ye Residence." Now that she had saved Ye Ruyi, Ye Jiuge wanted to teach Su Yufeng a lesson.

However, to deal with Su Yufeng, she needed Qiu Mama's help; Qiu Desheng was Qiu Mama's Achilles' heel. 

"Alright," Bai Songling nodded. At the Justice Department, they had a book containing records of spiritual pract.i.tioners and their addresses.

"Thanks a lot." Ye Jiuge nodded in grat.i.tude, then secretly took Ye Ruyi back to the Ye Residence.

It was peaceful and quiet at the Ye Residence. Most people were still sleeping. Ever since Ye Ruyi had been kidnapped, security had become much tighter, especially at the main residence and the Shuimo Garden. At Ye Jiuge's Qiushui Residence, however, security was still lax.

The younger servants, whom Qing Mama had previously brought back, were allocated to the side house; they were not allowed to enter the courtyard without any instructions. The courtyard itself had already been locked, and only Qing Mama was keeping watch in Ye Jiuge's residence. When she saw Ye Jiuge covered with dirt enter with Ye Ruyi on her back, she hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with Fourth Miss?"

"Nothing. Fourth Sister is just under the influence of the Heavy Sleeping Fragrance. Mama, I must trouble you to take her to bathe and change her clothes. I shall go and check on Ye Yu," Ye Jiuge said. 

Then, she took off her night clothes and changed. After was.h.i.+ng her head, face, and both her hands, she went to see Ye Yu. He was still sound asleep. His attractive face was pale, and the red mole on his forehead had become dimmer. The white cloth used to wrap the injury on his abdomen adhered to the wound.

Ye Jiuge boiled some water and placed some salt in it before she gingerly wet the white cloth and removed it slowly. The lesion revealed on Ye Yu's abdomen was hideous and required st.i.tches to heal completely. St.i.tching was Ye Jiuge's expertise, and although there was no catgut suture available, she could still use a regular st.i.tch. A spiritual pract.i.tioner's body was st.u.r.dy, so there was no worry of infection. 

Ye Jiuge used suture thread that had been immersed in strong alcohol and nimbly st.i.tched up Ye Yu. His abdominal wound was a trivial matter; the tricky part was the strange Yin Qi within Ye Yu's body.

Although the Nine Transformations Resurrection Elixir had healed his internal injury, the strange Yin Qi left behind by the black magic pract.i.tioner was still wreaking havoc in his body. Unfortunately, she had used the Lightning Fire Needle to destroy the Flame Stone and could not use it again for a while. For now, she was unable to help him remove the Yin Qi.

"You don't have to help him remove it. When he refines the Yin Qi, he will be able to bring his Invisibility up a level," Zi Shang said.

The reason Ye Yu had been detected by the black magic pract.i.tioner was that his spiritual pract.i.tioner Qi was too obvious. If he could refine the Yin Qi for his own use, then even a black magic pract.i.tioner would not be able to discover him.

"You say it as though it's so easy. The Yin Qi is still in his body, and he cannot recover from his injury. If he can't even live, how is he supposed to cultivate?" Ye Jiuge could not help but roll her eyes.

"I have a cultivation technique here that can help him refine the Yin Qi, do you want it?" Zi Shang's tone was full of temptation.

"If you wish to gain something, go and ask Ye Yu yourself." Ye Jiuge would not sacrifice herself just to help Ye Yu.

"You can use this cultivation technique to make him sign a slave contract with you," Zi Shang said. The thin sliver of the slave deed in Ye Jiuge's hands was currently useless against Ye Yu.

"Aren't you exploiting his difficult situation?" As expected, demons took the fullest advantage of someone once they found their weaknesses.

"Tell me whether you want it or not!" Zi Shang did not believe that Ye Jiuge was more moral than him.

"Of course, I want it." Ye Jiuge was not operating a charity. Ye Yu would have to pay the price in exchange for the cultivation technique.

"Smart." Zi Shang appeared and took Ye Jiuge in his arms. He laughed and said softly, "You owe me too much. Pay your first few debts, and we will talk later."

Two drops of blood, two kisses, and one chance to kiss or touch her anywhere he wanted. He had kept track of it in his mind.

"Come!" Ye Jiuge was like a hoodlum. At the moment, she stank; if Zi Shang were willing to touch her, she would let him.

She did not expect Zi Shang to suddenly turn his head and shout in her voice, "Qing Mama, please help me prepare hot water for a bath."

"Alright!" Qing Mama responded quickly.

"What are you trying to do?" Ye Jiuge said, vigilantly watching Zi Shang.

"Naturally, I am going to enjoy my gourmet food." Zi Shang squinted his purple eyes. His expression was sinister; it contrasted with his handsome and perfect face, making him look even more seductive.

"Our deal does not have any clause about taking a bath," Ye Jiuge refused.

"Now, it does. The bath is in exchange for the cultivation technique. Do you want it or not?" Zi Shang was not worried that Ye Jiuge would refuse.

Ye Jiuge really wanted to say no. However, with her understanding of Zi Shang, she knew that if she rejected him, she would have to pay a much larger price if she asked for his help in the future.

"Fine, I will take a bath. But you are not allowed to touch me anywhere you want." The only thing Ye Jiuge could do was to defend her last bit of chast.i.ty.

"Alright." Zi Shang's red lips curled into a smile. The good stuff always tasted best when saved for last.