Yu Qiao'er

Chen Xian had lain awake half the night. Gently, he pulled his hand free from Yu Qiao'er's tightly clenched fingers and tucked the blanket around her.

Looking at her tear-streaked face, finally asleep, he let out a long, slow sigh.

It had taken all his persuasion to make the girl believe he wouldn't abandon her.

Through Yu Qiao'er's broken, sobbing account, Chen Xian finally grasped the true methods of the Qian Family.

Yu Qiao'er was exactly the kind of woman the Qian Family specially cultivated—a tool to be given as concubine or servant to the nobles of Ask-Dao City, a means to curry favor.

Chen Xian remembered reading about this in history books from his past life. Such women were often called "thin horses."

An old poem said: A thousand families raise daughters, first teaching them songs; for miles around, planting flowers counts as tending fields.

Not treating people as people, but raising them like crops—all for a good selling price.

Such absurd and cruel reality was now laid bare before him.

No wonder Yu Qiao'er was so terrified. If Chen Xian drove her away, a miserable fate awaited her.

All of this was the Qian Family's doing!

"Still, this girl has good aptitude. I could take her back to the sect..."

Chen Xian looked at the latest panel in his mind.

[Name: Yu Qiao'er] [Realm: Mortal] [Traits: Spirit-Connecting Jade Bone (Mystic), Talisman Affinity (Yellow), Musical Mastery (White), Shadow Tracing (White), Charm Body (White), Lark's Voice (Mortal), Gold Hidden in Calamity (Gray)] [Spirit-Connecting Jade Bone (Mystic): Increases comprehension speed for literary-type Great Daos by 500%. Extremely sensitive to evil aura; suppression effect doubled. Heart's blood can serve as a catalyst for Truth-Breaking Pills.] [Talisman Affinity (Yellow): Naturally resonates with the Talisman Dao. Writing flows as if guided by spirits. Speed of refining talismans and cultivating talisman-type techniques increased by 200%.]

He discovered that Yu Qiao'er's physique and talent traits were unexpectedly excellent.

In fact, her physique was a grade higher than Hong Yue's—a Mystic-grade physique, on par with his own refined Mystic Jade Sword Bone.

Moreover, her physique and talents complemented each other perfectly.

Spirit-Connecting Jade Bone boosted cultivation in literary-type Daos, and the Talisman Dao fell squarely under that category!

Yu Qiao'er was a born talisman cultivator.

As it happened, the Xuanyun Sword Sect had recently established six peaks—Sword, Pill, Artifact, Formation, Talisman, and Beast—each with its corresponding Six Paths teachings.

He could speak with Lei Qingyang and have Yu Qiao'er study under an elder of Talisman Peak.

"Timing and fate. This girl is quite lucky."

Chen Xian stroked his beard and smiled at Yu Qiao'er's sleeping face.

She had a gray trait, [Gold Hidden in Calamity]—prone to falling into disaster, but within disaster lay a thread of opportunity. If she seized it, she could turn danger into safety and gain unexpected rewards.

Looking at it now, fate had truly played its hand.

Li Youde had arranged for Yu Qiao'er to serve him, but he was an upright man, and instead brought her a new chance.

Chen Xian suddenly froze. "Does that mean I'm her benefactor?"

This was no gray trait!

This was clearly a golden trait! Too bad he couldn't copy it.

"Back to cultivating. I need to raise my realm quickly, or my 'second brother' will start complaining."

Chen Xian glanced down at his own crotch. All tears, all tears...

Yu Qiao'er had taken the bed, but the floor was carpeted, so he sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.

Qian Family, Patriarch's Study.

"How goes the matter?" Qian Yue flipped through the family accounts, not bothering to look up as he addressed Li Youde.

Li Youde stood below, his peripheral vision catching the six unfamiliar pageboys standing behind Qian Yue. Doubt stirred in his heart.

Lately, the patriarch's pageboys had been replaced with alarming frequency, and every single one was a child of six or seven. "Reporting to the patriarch, Yu Qiao'er entered that old man's room and hasn't come out since," Li Youde replied respectfully.

"Hmph. That old man put on a proper act at Ask-Heaven Pavilion, but when a woman's delivered to his room, he doesn't refuse."

Qian Yue sneered. He didn't believe anyone could resist the lure of money and women.

Li Youde let out a lecherous chuckle. "Heh heh. Wonder if that old ox can still pull the cart."

"Enough nonsense." Qian Yue's eyes sharpened. "The hundred sixteen-year-old virgins I ordered you to gather—what's the progress?"

He remembered he still needed to deliver a hundred virgins to the Envoy.

"Almost a hundred. The city's been cracking down lately, and the matchmakers don't have that much stock, so it's been slower."

Li Youde thought for a moment, then said, "Should we arrange to raise 'thin horses'? But starting at this age, the success rate won't be high. A lot of them will die."

"No. I have other uses for these people. You may withdraw."

"Yes."

Li Youde bowed and withdrew. As he pulled the door shut, that flicker of doubt surged through him again.

He did not go far. Holding his breath, he found himself inexplicably drawn to a crack in the window, peering inside.

Inside the study, Qian Yue set down the account books, pulled a pouch of rainbow-colored sugar cubes from his bosom, and beckoned to the six child attendants with a kindly smile.

"Come. This is a reward for you."

Young, childish voices chimed: "Thank you, Family Head~"

The children scrambled to take the sugar cubes and stuff them into their mouths, their eyes squinting with delight at the sweet taste.

But within ten breaths, aside from one little boy, the other five had crumpled to the floor, utterly still.

"Why haven't you eaten?" Qian Yue stared at the last boy.

"I... I wanted to save it. To share with my mother when I find her."

The boy clutched the sugar in his hand, his childish voice trembling.

"A filial heart. Pity you won't obey."

Qian Yue sighed softly, yet his aura pressed down like a dark cloud.

The boy stumbled back in terror until he hit the bookcase with nowhere left to retreat, crying out that he would return the sugar.

"The sugar... I'll give it back. I don't want it anymore."

The boy looked at Qian Yue in fear, holding out his hand to offer the cube back.

"Hmph." Qian Yue sneered, reaching out a large hand to press down on the boy's head.

The next moment, a sickening crack rang out.

"Hiss..." Li Youde's pupils shook violently. Cold sweat poured down his back—the Family Head had actually snapped the child attendant's neck!

But before he could recover, he saw Qian Yue arrange the six corpses in a row and produce a black wine vessel from somewhere.

The vessel was tossed into the air, hovering as it emitted an eerie red light that enveloped the six bodies.

Then, the corpses on the floor began to dissolve rapidly, as if the red light had the power to refine and devour.

After about thirty breaths, only the children's clothes remained on the ground. No trace of the bodies.

Qian Yue, meanwhile, cradled the wine vessel and tipped his head back, drinking deeply.

Blood spilled from the corners of his mouth, trickling down. A faint red glow emanated from his entire body, his frame growing more robust, his complexion rudder than before.

"Dark arts... This is the Blood Prohibition Technique... No wonder the Family Head's vitality has surged and his cultivation advanced recently..."

Li Youde collapsed to the floor, his back soaked through with cold sweat.

Though he had committed many evils himself, he knew that any technique related to the Blood Demon was a bottom line.

If this came to light, neither the Mortal Elder Pavilion nor the Xuanyun Sword Sect would spare the Qian Family. The entire clan would be uprooted!

"Youde?"

Qian Yue's voice came from inside the study, tinged with suspicion.

Hearing footsteps drawing closer, Li Youde quickly held his breath and scrambled away, stumbling as he fled.

He had to find the Ancestor...

The Family Head had gone mad—he was going to drag the whole clan down with him!