"Aren't you afraid of us, miss?"
The two masked kidnappers were completely dumbfounded, their eyes full of disbelief.
In the past, anyone they cornered in this alley would have been so scared their legs gave out, sobbing and wailing. Who would have been as calm and composed as this woman, smiling with such amusement?
"Scared to tears? Are you joking?"
Ye Yunxi smiled softly, her peach-blossom eyes curving, amusement filling her gaze. Looking at the two men's smug, foolish faces, she couldn't help but find them ridiculous.
"Big talk! I hope you won't be crying and begging for mercy in a moment!"
"Get her! Grab her!"
The kidnapper in front barked. They lunged at her together, one swinging a hemp rope while the other produced a syringe. Pale cyan liquid sloshed inside as he aimed it at Ye Yunxi's shoulder.
"Too slow."
Ye Yunxi's red lips parted. Lingbo Microsteps sprang into action, and her figure became a faint wisp of shadow. She narrowly evaded their pincer attack; her afterimage remained where she had stood, while her real body had already darted to their side.
The next second, a pale pink glow burst forth. Nine fluffy, gleaming-white fox tails erupted from her body, lashing around the men's limbs and torsos as fast as lightning. They tightened, squeezing until their bones creaked.
"Thud!"
The hemp rope and syringe fell from their hands.
The fox tails' grip was so powerful that the two men struggled with all their might, veins bulging as Soul Power surged through their bodies, yet they couldn't even begin to break free.
They were Soul Ancestors, men of some standing in Heaven Dou City, yet now they couldn't move, bound by this woman's tails!
Terror swept over them like a rising tide.
Ye Yunxi bent down, picked up the syringe with her jade-like fingers, and sent a thread of Soul Power inside to examine its contents.
A moment later, Ye Yunxi had a rough idea of what it contained. She looked up at the two men, bound tightly, and spoke in a cool voice.
"So this is what you use to kidnap young girls. This Cyan Drug Liquid contains hallucinogens, doesn't it? A little touch of it and they pass out. You're vicious."
The men's pupils contracted, and their faces turned deathly pale. She'd seen through the potion at a glance!
"Y-you... who are you?"
"The strength of a Soul Ancestor is no different from an ant in my eyes."
Ye Yunxi spoke indifferently, the syringe pinched between her fingers as she walked toward them.
Before they could beg for mercy again, she raised her hand and swiftly, precisely jabbed half the liquid from the syringe into each man's neck.
The liquid entered their bodies, and its effects took hold instantly. Their heads grew heavy, and their Soul Power scattered. Their eyelids weighed a thousand pounds. Before they could even scream, their eyes rolled back, and they fainted, slumping limply within the fox tails.
Ye Yunxi sprang straight up onto the roof.
The wind whistled.
Her tousled hair gradually lifted in the breeze.
Ye Yunxi's gaze was cool and clear. Without the slightest hesitation, she drew the Nine-Tailed Sky Fox Martial Soul back into her body, leaving the two men suspended above the ground.
She raised a hand and stripped them of every last stitch of clothing, leaving only strips of fabric to cover their shame.
Then she grabbed the hemp rope they had prepared to bind their victims, tied their hands and feet behind their backs, and fastened one end of the rope to the eaves. She hung them upside down.
Their naked bodies swayed back and forth, especially ridiculous in the night.
When she was done, Ye Yunxi brushed the dust from her palms and glanced at the two unconscious men. A cool smile curled her lips.
"If you use such despicable means to hurt people, you deserve a taste of your own medicine."
Ye Yunxi said no more. With a light touch of her jade feet, she vanished into the night.
The two men alone remained suspended in the darkness.
During the day, Heaven Dou City's patrol guards would spot them and haul them off to prison.
A moment later, Ye Yunxi landed soundlessly in the courtyard of Dugu Manor in the south of the city.
Inside the house, Dugu Bo was guiding Dugu Yan in her cultivation. He instantly sensed the strange yet familiar Soul Power in the courtyard and dashed outside.
His eyes met those of the breathtaking woman who had removed her veil, and Dugu Bo's breath caught.
Moonlight fell upon Ye Yunxi, setting off her snow-white skin. Her peach-blossom eyes brimmed with Natural Allure, and a faint smile played on her lips. She was peerlessly elegant, her beauty dazzling.
Only when Ye Yunxi smiled at him did Dugu Bo's old face flush crimson. He hastily turned away and coughed several times, forcing down the stirring emotions and shock in his heart.
With such looks and bearing, no wonder the Crown Prince insisted on taking her as his consort. A woman like her was hard to find in this world.
"Cough, cough!"
"Imperial Concubine, what brings you here so late at night? Do you have an order for me?"
Dugu Bo straightened his robe, composed himself, and looked at Ye Yunxi again. He bowed, his manner utterly respectful.
Ye Yunxi didn't beat around the bush. Her peach-blossom eyes fixed on him as she got straight to the point.
"I'll be blunt, Senior Dugu. Are you willing to stand with the Crown Prince?"
As soon as she spoke, Dugu Bo understood the purpose of her visit. Without a hint of hesitation, he replied solemnly:
"If it is the Imperial Concubine's request, I will do so without hesitation. You cured the Jade Phosphor Snake poison afflicting my granddaughter and me, and rebuilt the foundation of our Martial Souls. You are the savior of the Dugu Family."
"Whether it is an order from the Crown Prince or a request from the Imperial Concubine, I would never refuse."
Dugu Bo was no ingrate. He had already repaid his debt to Prince Xue Xing by working for him all these years. Now, all he felt was gratitude toward Ye Yunxi.
"Very good." Ye Yunxi nodded slightly. "The Crown Prince intends to remove Xue Beng as a threat soon. You understand the limits we must observe."
Remove Xue Beng?
Dugu Bo's heart gave a slight jolt. The Crown Prince was in such a hurry to clear his path. He must be worried that something might change once he inherited the throne.
"Rest assured, Imperial Concubine. I understand," he replied gravely, without the slightest hesitation.
After a pause, Dugu Bo looked up at her, his gaze sincere. Every word rang true. "But, Imperial Concubine, I must make this clear: the person I, Dugu Bo, serve is you, not the Crown Prince."
At his words, Ye Yunxi's smile deepened. Her features were soft and alluring, yet her expression held a cool, knowing edge.
"Of course I understand. When the Crown Prince truly takes the throne, you'll receive everything you want, including a boost to your strength. By then, there will be Soul Bones and money, too."
Soul Bones!
Dugu Bo's body stiffened. A storm of emotion rose in his eyes. Then he bowed, his voice choking with earnestness.
"Imperial Concubine, if that day truly comes, please give the Soul Bone to Yan. She needs it more than I do. You helped my granddaughter and me evolve our Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Souls into the Jade Scale Dragon Emperor. Yan's Martial Soul has completely shifted from the poison system to the Power Attack System. This opportunity is all thanks to you."
"Martial Soul Evolution is a wonderful thing in itself." Ye Yunxi smiled.
"The Dugu Family will never forget this great kindness."
As they spoke, a dainty figure emerged from the room. Dugu Yan had just withdrawn her Martial Soul and was slightly short of breath. When she looked up and saw the breathtaking Ye Yunxi in the courtyard, her fair face instantly flushed red. Her gaze darted away, and she called timidly:
"Imperial Concubine?"
"Have you finished cultivating, Miss Yan?" Ye Yunxi smiled at Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan's heart immediately sped up, and she pressed a hand to her chest.
"Y-yes!"
Thanks to Nuomi Tuanzi Haochi for the previous tip.
And thanks to everyone who sent me monthly tickets.