Squeeze Him Dry

Of course.

The Thread-Pulling Puppet wasn't without its drawbacks.

After all, it was a "fate skill." Once a puppet was complete, it essentially became part of him. The connection between their five senses couldn't be severed unless the puppet was destroyed.

Though the puppet supplied its own energy and didn't drain Qin Muye much,

too much garbage information flooding in could still leave his mind a mess.

That was indeed a bit frustrating, so he still had to limit the number of puppets and only assign them to key users.

But...

Qin Muye had also discovered a very useful way to put them to work.

He watched as one paper puppet immediately made another, then went straight out. He opened the window to Bai Yuji's room and, after confirming no one was inside, put away the two paper puppets and sauntered over to the training room.

This had been Qin Kaijiang's training room. Now, only Qin Muye could enter.

Once inside, Qin Muye glanced at the materials on the table. The paper puppets had bought them over the past few days, cloaked and out of sight. There was a large quantity of Wood Tendon Silk, which, combined with metal skeletons, could reproduce the human body's structure as faithfully as possible.

He released the paper puppets, then lay down on a chaise lounge to rest.

About half an hour later, two puppets with their sinews and bones exposed were complete. They glanced at each other, each took up a sword, and charged into battle without the slightest hesitation.

They were using the Qin Family's saber techniques and swordsmanship.

Qin Muye watched the fight while sipping tea. Though his cultivation hadn't fallen after he offered up his marrow, he could still unleash the strength of an eighth-grade expert for a short time. But his endurance was abysmal, making sustained training impossible.

With puppets, however, things were different. They shared his five senses, and his own thought patterns had been incorporated into them, so their senses were linked as well. By watching a life-or-death battle between evenly matched opponents and participating through three different perspectives, he could improve his combat instincts at an absurd pace.

Of course, this method didn't improve his real body's cultivation.

But as long as he raised his physical stats, he'd only need a brief retreat to bring his combat condition to its peak as quickly as possible.

This approach would help him make the most of the time he spent dealing with Bai Yuji, instead of letting it go to waste.

"I'm tired!"

Qin Muye watched for a while, then stretched and left the training room, leaving the two auxiliary training puppets to keep fighting inside.

The capital's outskirts.

The Ghost Market.

The tavern was dimly lit.

A woman wearing a bamboo hat silently walked up to the counter.

"Proprietor, I'd like a catty of your finest Thousand-Foot Brew."

"I don't have a catty. Only seven taels."

"Seven taels isn't enough. I want half a catty."

"Then I'll have to water it down."

"That's fine. Just make sure nobody can tell."

"Then follow me to collect your wine, guest!"

They exchanged a glance, then headed toward the back courtyard, one after the other.

Once they entered the rear hall, the proprietor turned the incense burner. A mysterious formation immediately appeared on the back of the Buddha statue.

The woman didn't hesitate. She stepped straight into the formation's light.

The next moment, light and shadow twisted. When everything returned to normal, she was standing inside a temple.

At the sight of the woman,

everyone in the temple dropped to their knees and bowed. "Greetings, Princess!"

Bai Yuji removed her bamboo hat and quickly helped the Great Elder to her feet. "There's no need for such formalities. I'm short on time, so I'll say a few words and be on my way!"

Only then did everyone stand.

The Great Elder, He Xifeng, asked curiously, "Princess, why did you urgently summon us here today?"

Bai Yuji flipped her hand, and a chest appeared out of nowhere. "There are spirit stones and silver inside. It comes to about eleven thousand taels."

"Princess, where did you get so much money?"

He Xifeng was startled. She exchanged glances with the other elders, and they all saw delight in one another's eyes.

Though there were many experts among the Nanzhao Remnants, they didn't dare establish any businesses openly for fear of exposing themselves. Otherwise, it would be easy for their enemies to follow the trail and wipe them out completely.

So they'd lived in poverty, plain and simple.

Only after they used their connections to get Li Runyue, their wealthy patron, on board had their situation become less dire.

Without Li Runyue's financial backing, He Xifeng couldn't have held such a high position in the organization. Bai Yuji would have had no choice but to swallow her anger after being cheated.

But after getting cheated once, they realized they couldn't afford to be under anyone's thumb again.

So they'd spent the past few days looking for new sources of income, hoping to build up enough capital to fall out with Li Runyue.

But... how easy was it to make money?

Then the princess suddenly came back with this much.

Bai Yuji said calmly, "Qin Muye auctioned off all the birthday gifts he received. I took ten thousand taels."

"I see!"

He Xifeng understood. She'd heard a little about the birthday celebration, and she knew Bai Yuji had planned to use it as an opportunity to ask for money.

But selling off the birthday gifts carried risks. There were sure to be plenty of people keeping an eye on Qin Muye.

She hadn't expected him to go through with it anyway, let alone give Bai Yuji such a large share.

She couldn't help admiring her. "The princess truly is exceptionally clever. You've got that useless heir wrapped around your finger!"

"Hmm?"

Bai Yuji looked puzzled. "Wrapped around my finger?"

He Xifeng nodded. "Your subordinate was worried that the useless heir's personality had changed so much that he'd use your lives being linked to make trouble for you at every turn. Who would've thought he'd be so cooperative and hand over so much money? How did you manage it?"

Bai Yuji fell silent for a moment. "I asked him for it, and he gave it to me. I didn't use any particular trick."

"What?"

He Xifeng froze, and the elders exchanged glances.

Bai Yuji thought about it. It did seem a little strange. Ten thousand taels wasn't a small sum. If Qin Muye didn't want to hand it over, he could easily have refused on the grounds that selling his birthday gifts would damage his reputation.

But he'd given her the money without the slightest hesitation.

Why?

As she pondered this,

the clever Second Elder had already reached a conclusion. "Perhaps that useless heir has fallen for the princess?"

Bai Yuji's expression tightened. "That's absolutely impossible."

The Second Elder smiled and asked, "Why not? The princess is kindhearted, stunningly beautiful, and graceful in figure. What man wouldn't be moved by her?"

Bai Yuji rubbed her temple. "In his eyes, I'm a kidnapper. How could he possibly think I'm kindhearted? Qin Muye has had a hard life and was never one to trust people easily. We mustn't let our guard down, or we'll be the ones to suffer."

He Xifeng nodded. "The princess is right. We shouldn't underestimate anyone."

Bai Yuji gave a slight nod. "Anything else?"

He Xifeng hurriedly said, "Princess, the Ten Thousand Races Imperial Examination in the Gan Kingdom is at the end of this year. You need to prepare well."

"The Ten Thousand Races Imperial Examination?"

Bai Yuji furrowed her brow slightly. Ever since the Ten Thousand Demons Came to Court, the imperial examinations had also become a major event for foreign demons.

They were held once every three years, and each time, a number of official posts were set aside for the demon races that had sworn allegiance.

She didn't understand. "What does that have to do with us?"

He Xifeng said meaningfully, "The fighting has been fierce these past few years, and the neighboring countries are all struggling to endure it. Your subordinate has heard rumors that they're all thinking of making peace. The demons allied with the Gan Kingdom have also come to demand tribute. This year's Ten Thousand Races Imperial Examination should be quite lively."

Bai Yuji's eyes lit up. "You mean this is a good chance to form an alliance?"

He Xifeng nodded, agreeing with her completely.

The Gan Kingdom had risen again by following a policy of winning over some and fighting others. Now the neighboring small nations could no longer bear the burden, but few were truly willing to submit. Even if they came to the capital under the pretext of peace talks, it would still amount to diplomatic negotiations.

Before, the Nanzhao Remnants had struggled just to survive. They had no money, and their country was gone. They didn't even have the standing to reach out in friendship. But now things were different.

He Xifeng said gravely, "Princess! If we can distinguish ourselves this time, we may truly avenge the fall of our nation. We might even be able to restore it. Your subordinate has some thoughts, but isn't sure whether they should be said!"

"Great Elder, speak freely!"

He Xifeng took a deep breath. "Your subordinate believes that to succeed this time, we should make full use of Qin Muye—and even the entire Qin Family."

Bai Yuji: "..."

On the way back to the Southern Pacification Mansion, Bai Yuji's thoughts were in disarray.

Why had Qin Muye been so quick to give her money?

Was it because his father had destroyed Nanzhao, and he felt guilty toward her?

Or... had he really fallen for her?

For no reason at all,

she thought of what had happened that afternoon.

Qin Muye had looked utterly helpless as he asked her, "Bai Yuji, can I hug you?"

This...

The more someone bared their claws and teeth, the more fragile they were.

So was she really supposed to wring every last bit of value out of him and the Qin Mansion, just as the Great Elder had suggested?

Thinking this over, Bai Yuji quietly returned to her bedroom. But as soon as she dropped down from the back window, she saw someone sitting at the table.

"You're still awake?"

"I was waiting for you!"

"..."