The next morning.
The first thing Bai Yuji did after waking was check her clothes for anything out of place. Once she was sure no one had touched her, she hurried to inspect the crack beneath the door. The hair she had wedged there was still in place, and only then did she let out a small sigh of relief.
With her cultivation, even a third-rank grandmaster sneaking up on her while she slept would have been easy to detect. There was no need to be so nervous.
It was just that Qin Muye had left her with a deep-seated fear of being groped.
She figured he had done it on purpose to stop her from keeping him under close surveillance.
But she couldn't rule out the possibility that he'd truly been overcome by lust.
She knew all too well that even when a man's body failed him, his lust didn't vanish. It might even grow more twisted because of it.
The eunuchs in the palace were just as fond of women, and often tortured them until they were covered in wounds.
Qin Muye might have the same potential.
Until she cured him, it would be best to avoid too much physical contact.
Bai Yuji breathed out softly, washed up, and went outside.
The moment she stepped out, she saw Qin Muye standing in a stance in the courtyard.
His crane-shaped posture and tiger claws faced the rising sun. His crane beak and tiger claws were aligned with the Shaoyang Triple Burner Meridian and the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, drawing the rising sun's spiritual energy into his body.
Bai Yuji had never seen this kind of stance training, but she could tell at a glance that it was meant to replenish yang.
The stance was rather profound, and likely not easy to master.
Qin Muye was suffering terribly, too. His whole body trembled as sweat streamed down him.
Qin Yanying stood beside him, holding a bowl of medicine. Her eyes were red as she saw that Qin Muye was about to give out, and she called, "Muye, hang in there! Men of the Qin Family can endure any hardship!"
Qin Muye looked as if he were about to cry, but he could only grit his teeth and keep going.
When Qin Yanying saw Bai Yuji approaching, she hurriedly wiped the corner of her eye and forced a smile. "Yuji! Are you settling in all right?"
Bai Yuji nodded obediently. "Thank you, Aunt. I'm settling in just fine!"
Qin Yanying affectionately drew her over to sit, then lowered her voice. "Don't blame Muye. His body really is badly damaged. Every day, he has to rely on precious medicines and stance training just to keep himself alive. But don't worry. That child has a strong will. Sooner or later, he'll..."
Bai Yuji became even more convinced that Qin Muye was psychologically twisted.
But she also felt a touch of admiration. There weren't many young people in the world who could endure this much, and it was no wonder every member of the Yi-Expelling Army looked up to him as their young general.
It was a shame...
She smiled and nodded. "Aunt, I believe in him! Besides, my master said his condition might not be incurable."
Qin Yanying's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course!"
"Th-That's wonderful! Yuji, you really are a lucky star for our Qin Family!"
Qin Yanying was so excited she hardly knew what to do with herself. She wasn't just flattering Bai Yuji. Qin Muye had been close to giving up before, and he couldn't have held a stance for this long.
Now he had a busty, shapely young sweetheart to spur him on, and he could hold the stance longer.
Not only that, she had brought along a miracle doctor.
If that wasn't a lucky star, what was?
She clasped Bai Yuji's hand tightly. "Yuji, when will your master be here?"
Bai Yuji thought for a moment. "Once she catches the criminal—or loses track of him—she should come find me!"
Qin Yanying slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "That's right! If your master can catch the criminal, won't she be able to expose the mastermind behind all this?"
Bai Yuji: "..."
She was stunned.
She hadn't expected anyone in the world to be so slow on the uptake.
It had taken her this long to realize?
Had she been so caught up in finding her eldest nephew yesterday that she hadn't thought of it?
"Thump!"
A dull sound came from the distance.
They looked toward it and saw Qin Muye lying on the ground, panting like a dead dog.
Qin Yanying stopped asking questions and hurried over with the bowl of soup. "Muye!"
Bai Yuji was a young woman just falling in love, so she couldn't lag behind. She hurried after them.
But Qin Muye didn't take the bowl of medicine first. Instead, he seized her delicate hand and kissed the back of it.
Then, full of emotion, he promised, "Yuji, trust me. I'll get better!"
Bai Yuji: "..."
So whenever you found an opportunity, you just kissed her, huh?
Qin Yanying chided him with a laugh. "You brat, drink your medicine first. Yuji just said her master has a way to treat you, and she'll make sure you can live happily ever after with Yuji!"
"Right!"
Only then did Qin Muye pick up the bowl and gulp it down, pinching his nose.
He couldn't stand feeling weak and overweight, either. At the very least, he needed to slim down first and look a little more handsome if he wanted to win Bai Yuji over.
This little villain was such a weirdo, fixated on his bloodline.
It meant he couldn't even use his cheat.
If he could just add points to restore his physique, losing weight would be at least ten times easier.
The medicine was so bitter that his eyes rolled back. He lay on the ground retching for a long time, but fortunately, he didn't throw it up.
Just then,
Chen Sui hurried over, beaming. "Nephew's wife, when will your master arrive? She fought the criminal who abducted Muye. She might be able to figure out what kind of fighter he is."
Qin Yanying frowned. "Who's your nephew's wife? Chen Sui, show some respect."
Hearing Chen Sui call her nephew's wife, too, Bai Yuji quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Once her "master" came to the capital and helped her shore up her lie, she would be clear of suspicion for the time being. Qin Muye had done her a great favor. That cunning little rascal had played his part so naturally that fooling someone as sharp as Chen Sui would otherwise have been no easy feat.
She smiled. "Uncle, my master has always doted on me. She should be in the capital before long."
"Excellent! Excellent!"
Chen Sui beamed like a chrysanthemum in full bloom, clearly delighted by the title "Uncle."
Qin Yanying put on a stern face. "Why are you here so early? Is the case solved? Have you caught the culprit?"
Chen Sui gave an awkward smile. "There's no need to rush! We've questioned everyone involved, and so far, nothing seems amiss. They're under house arrest and can't run off.
"Last night, we checked every post that might have been compromised, and we really did find a few suspicious ones. We've already started questioning the men involved. Even if we can't expose the mastermind, we can at least cut off one of his arms."
Qin Yanying sounded dissatisfied. "He wanted to take Muye's life and destroy the entire Qin Family. What good is cutting off one of his arms?"
Chen Sui hurriedly said, "I'm always cautious with my words. Once your niece-in-law's master gets here and we gather a little more information, I'll make sure that man wishes he were dead!"
Qin Muye smiled and backed him up. "Aunt, Uncle isn't one to boast. You should trust him!"
"See? The eldest nephew knows what he's talking about!"
Chen Sui was delighted. His eldest nephew had never gone out of his way to back him up like this before.
Qin Muye took the opportunity to say, "By the way, Uncle, I slept well last night. When I woke up this morning, I think I remembered something about that bastard Shen Jin, but I might not be able to piece it together until I see him. Are you free? If you are, bring some men and let's head over to the Prime Minister's Mansion together."
Chen Sui was in high spirits and didn't suspect a thing. He nodded repeatedly. "All right! All right! We'll set off in a bit. But wait a moment first. I have something to discuss with your aunt."
As he spoke, he reached to pull Qin Yanying away.
Qin Yanying looked reluctant, but she let herself be led away.
Qin Muye sighed. "Ah, the love between middle-aged men and women..."
"You..."
Bai Yuji looked at him with some confusion.
"What is it?" Qin Muye asked.
A hint of scrutiny entered Bai Yuji's gaze. "I thought you'd drag out your treatment and force me to stay by your side. I didn't expect you to be so cooperative about refining the Gu."
She had been wondering about this ever since earlier.
Though she had succeeded in coercing Qin Muye, she had remained wary of him.
He had agreed far more readily than she'd expected. Today, he had even trained until he nearly passed out.
The more cooperative he was, the faster Qin Kaijiang would die.
It was hard not to suspect that he had some means of turning the tables.
She stared at Qin Muye's face, trying to spot any sign that something was off.
But Qin Muye suddenly grabbed her wrist. The muscles in his face twisted, and his voice was filled with restrained grief and indignation. "Why does everyone think it's only natural that I should be the one to sacrifice myself? You don't need to concern yourself with my business. You just focus on treating me, and I'll cooperate. Once it's done, take my child and get out of my life!"
Bai Yuji: "!!!"
She'd thought Qin Muye's twisted personality was just a rumor.
Now it seemed...
He really was twisted!
Before you continue