Grab You Right on the Crotch

Qin Muye was getting a headache.

He'd seen the old woman's fate earlier. She was destined to die in Gan's purge of the Nanzhao Remnants, and her fate was only seventh-grade.

But the moment that old hag brought Bai Yuji into the room, Qin Yanying's fate changed.

Needless to say, the old hag had to be behind it.

So this old hag had a grudge against my aunt?

Though Qin Muye hadn't fully settled into his new identity, he knew it was only a matter of time. After all, according to Marxist philosophy, man was the product of his social relations.

He had the memories and identity of the Heir to the Marquis of Southern Suppression. Even if his personality had changed, he was still, in every sense, the Heir to the Marquis of Southern Suppression.

Betraying that identity meant betraying himself.

Besides, after spending the last two days together, he felt Qin Yanying genuinely cared about him. There was no reason to let some random person harm her.

But with his current strength, he didn't have the ability to do anything about it.

Still...

Qin Yanying's fate changed back and forth more than ten times, then finally settled into a superimposed state of two fates. That alone had earned him an extra 23.63 free attribute points.

Each change added 1.39 points. Qin Yanying's fate was seventh-grade, 69/80. Add up the values for the grades below it, and the total came to 139. In other words, the attribute points gained from indirectly affecting someone's fate amounted to one percent of the fluctuation in its value.

It wasn't much, but he could keep tugging it back and forth. It seemed like he could exploit a bug!

Inside the room.

Watching the old woman weep and sob, Bai Yuji felt incredibly conflicted.

If the elders hadn't supported her back then, she could never have preserved a spark of hope for the Nanzhao Remnants.

In other words.

Every one of them carried a deep-seated hatred.

She had also promised to give each of them peace of mind.

Over the years, she had helped the Nanzhao Remnants establish themselves. But now that their plan had reached the stage of revenge, she realized she wasn't yet steadfast enough to be an outstanding leader.

When it came to their cause,

good and evil had always been insignificant.

As a princess of a fallen kingdom, she would take revenge, for herself, for Nanzhao, and for all the Nanzhao Remnants who had supported her.

But resolving to take revenge didn't mean she wouldn't be tormented by it.

Just as she couldn't kill Qin Muye without a qualm, after spending these two days with Qin Yanying, she also felt that this woman from the Qin Family wasn't evil.

She took a deep breath and helped the old woman to her feet. "Great Elder! The chief culprit behind Nanzhao's destruction is still Qin Kaijiang. Everything we do should put killing Qin Kaijiang first.

"Now that Qin Muye has just escaped death, every move the Qin Family makes will be under scrutiny. The court even sent several highly skilled guards just a little while ago.

"If your attempt to poison Qin Yanying exposes our identities, it won't be worth the loss!

"The most important thing now is to get the Qin Family bloodline as soon as possible. Once it's done, I'll do everything I can to avenge you!"

"I failed to consider things properly!"

The old woman looked ashamed. She wiped her tears and stood up. Nanzhao had already fallen, and there was practically no chance of restoring it.

They had no grand ambitions. They only wanted to kill Qin Kaijiang, or the Nanzhao Remnants would never rest in peace.

If they could throw Great Gan into chaos, all the better.

Someone as insignificant as Qin Yanying was merely a personal grudge.

She took a deep breath. "Princess! That wretch outplayed us this time, but we've also lost our best chance to drive a wedge between the officials and generals of the Gan Kingdom. The person above is very displeased. You must heal Qin Muye as soon as possible and bear the Qin Family's child. If possible... a Qin Muye who obeys you would be far more useful than a mere breeding tool!"

Bai Yuji replied solemnly, "I'll do my best."

The old woman felt for her. "You've sacrificed so much!"

Bai Yuji sighed. "If everyone hadn't saved me, I would have died beneath the rubble long ago. It's only right. Once you've written the prescription, leave at once. Don't spend too much time around Chen Sui."

"Yes!"

The old woman nodded, then took out a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone and wrote out the prescription.

Then she set down the brush. Mist flickered around her, and her body turned into a swarm of strange insects that crawled out through the window.

Creak!

Bai Yuji opened the door. "Auntie, my master wrote this prescription. Sorry for the trouble, but could you get the medicine? Qin-lang, come in. I'll treat you."

Qin Yanying took the prescription and leaned into the room for a look. "Huh? Yuji, where's your master?"

Bai Yuji looked a little sad. "My master said she doesn't like the mundane world. After teaching me the secret technique, she left right away and told me not to look for her."

"Ah!"

Qin Yanying quickly consoled her. "She didn't mean it. She was just speaking in anger. Don't take it to heart."

Chen Sui looked surprised. "How did she disappear from the room? I didn't notice a thing."

Qin Yanying pursed her lips. "Of course she's a master. How else could she treat Muye? Muye, hurry inside and let Yuji treat you."

"Okay!"

Qin Muye went into the room. As soon as he closed the door, he grinned and asked, "That old lady's a pretty good actress. Where'd you find her?"

Bai Yuji shot him a look. "That's none of your concern. Just come here for your treatment."

Qin Muye sat down beside her and leaned in with a grin. "So how are you going to treat me?"

Seeing that he was about to get frisky,

Bai Yuji swiftly took out a pill about the size of her pinkie fingertip. With a gentle pinch, she crushed it into little springy white worms that squirmed in her pale palm.

"Eat them!"

"..."

Qin Muye's face went pale. "Can't you squeeze them back into pill form before I eat them?"

Bai Yuji sneered. "Beg me!"

"Please!"

"Where's your backbone?"

"We share a life. You're the person closest to me. Home isn't a place for talking about backbone. Home is a place for love."

"If you keep saying things like that, all your medicine from now on will be worms."

"..."

Qin Muye behaved himself.

Only then did Bai Yuji murmur a few words. The worms in her palm gathered into a smooth pill. They were still worms, but at least they no longer looked disgusting.

Qin Muye tossed it into his mouth, took a gulp of water, tipped back his head, and swallowed. Then he asked curiously, "What's the principle behind this pill?"

"It lodges between your marrow and helps preserve your vital blood," Bai Yuji said calmly. "But in human blood, it can survive for less than five days. We can only use that five-day window to preserve enough vital blood to nourish your marrow. There's no guarantee it'll work, but it's at least more effective than your previous method."

Qin Muye curled his lip. "Damn, you really are a genius!"

Bai Yuji studied him thoughtfully. "You should understand that I'm treating you to get the Qin Family bloodline. I need that bloodline to refine a Gu and kill your father. You don't object at all?"

Qin Muye replied matter-of-factly, "Even if I object, I'd do it in secret. What, should I object to your face?"

Bai Yuji: "..."

That made a lot of sense.

She had no answer.

But she would keep a close eye on Qin Muye throughout his treatment. She didn't believe he could pull any tricks.

Qin Muye suddenly leaned a little closer. "Hey!"

"What?"

"My birthday's in a few days. Aren't you going to give me anything?"

"Why should I give you anything?"

"Because I'm so pitiful. After you use me, I don't even know what you'll do with me. Until then, could you at least pretend to be my good friend?"

"..."

Watching him grin, Bai Yuji couldn't tell whether he was joking or using a joke to confess what he truly felt.

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm poor. You wouldn't like anything I gave you."

Qin Muye shook his head. "I'm not a gold-digger! Don't the Nanzhao people like singing folk songs? Just sing me one for my birthday."

Bai Yuji's expression stiffened at once.

She'd never learned any folk songs. She'd only heard the Mountain Folk singing them when she sneaked out of the palace as a child.

She couldn't manage anything complicated, but she could hum a few simple lines. But what would she sing? "I'll grab you right on the crotch"?

She couldn't help glaring at him. "I don't know any!"

"What a coincidence! I do!"

"???"

"Prepare a proper birthday present for me, and when your birthday comes, I'll sing you a folk song. How about that?"

"..."

Bai Yuji jumped in alarm and instinctively scooted backward, afraid he'd grab her right on the crotch.