External Soul Bone

"You cannot do this to me!"

As Emperor Xue Ye finished speaking, the Imperial Guard escorted Prince Xue Xing away, yet Prince Xue Xing retorted with indignant resentment.

He had clearly done nothing wrong; he had merely been forced to do things he shouldn't have.

Emperor Xue Ye looked at Prince Xue Xing and sighed helplessly.

How could a nephew and an uncle both be capable of such foolish actions?

Could they not just live their lives properly?

The moment Prince Xue Xing was dragged away, a playful system notification suddenly rang in Ye Yunxi's mind.

[Ding! Hidden task triggered: Pitiful and Fragile, Elicit the Sovereign's Pity]

[Task Requirements: Within the main hall, use pure acting skills to make Emperor Xue Ye and at least two other officials feel a desire to protect you. The use of soul power for charm is strictly prohibited throughout.]

[Task Reward: Nine-Tailed Fox External Soul Bone · Fox Tail Spike (Attached to the coccyx, capable of releasing sharp fox tail spikes, carrying paralyzing toxins; anyone below the level of Soul Saint will collapse upon contact.)]

An External Soul Bone—this reward was far better than the previous ones.

For someone like her who was already accustomed to acting, this task was a piece of cake.

The next moment, a flash of cunning crossed Ye Yunxi's eyes. She instantly switched expressions; her eye sockets turned red in a flash, and crystalline tears welled up on her eyelashes, making her look pitiful and forlorn.

Ye Yunxi stood beside Qian Renxue, her voice soft and glutinous, thick with a nasal tone:

"Father Emperor, just now in the dungeon, Yunxi was truly so afraid... Prince Xue Xing was so fierce, and he even said he would cut out my tongue..."

As she spoke, she trembled slightly, appearing completely traumatized. Yet, her face was breathtakingly beautiful, and the sight of her weeping like rain made one unable to help but feel a pang of heartache.

Emperor Xue Ye had always been fond of this bright and moving Imperial Concubine. Seeing her like this now, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pity and quickly comforted her:

"Good child, do not be afraid. With me here, no one dares to bully you again."

The Minister of War and the Vice Minister of Revenue standing nearby also spoke up one after another:

"Imperial Concubine, you have been frightened. Prince Xue Xing's actions are truly a breach of decorum!"

"Your Highness, rest assured, we will jointly submit a memorial to severely punish Prince Xue Xing!"

As the words of comfort fell, Ye Yunxi secretly raised her eyes to meet Qian Renxue's amused gaze, then quickly lowered her head again, crying even more "fiercely."

[Ding! Task successfully completed! Reward has been issued!]

A warm current surged into her coccyx, and the External Soul Bone quietly took shape. Ye Yunxi was secretly delighted, though her face remained tear-stained as she obediently replied:

"Thank you, Father Emperor. Thank you, my lords."

Qian Renxue watched her act like a drama queen and shook her head helplessly, though a hint of a smile rose in her heart.

This little enchantress—her acting skills were getting better and better.

Leaving the palace and returning to the Crown Prince's Mansion, the moment she stepped through the gate, the tear tracks on Ye Yunxi's face vanished without a trace. There was no longer any sign of her being frightened.

Ye Yunxi put her hands on her hips, raised an eyebrow at Qian Renxue, and spoke with a tone full of mockery:

"Tsk tsk, Your Highness the Crown Prince, that solemn and upright look you had in the main hall earlier almost fooled me."

"What? Not pretending anymore?"

Qian Renxue leaned against the door frame, watching her with leisure. "Weren't you crying like rain, saying you were scared to death?"

Ye Yunxi rolled her eyes, walked to the stone table to sit down, poured herself a cup of tea, and took a slow, deliberate sip:

"It's just acting. If I didn't pretend to be convincing, how could I have fooled Emperor Xue Ye and that group of old fossils?"

She paused, shook her shoulders triumphantly, felt the power of the soul bone at her coccyx, and thought to herself:

"This trip to the dungeon wasn't in vain. I even earned an External Soul Bone—a huge profit!"

Qian Renxue watched her triumphant, troublemaker-like demeanor and couldn't be bothered to argue with her about such nonsense.

She knew Ye Yunxi's temperament too well; she was immune to both soft and hard tactics and loved to be unreasonable. Rather than arguing with her, it was better to save some energy.

Qian Renxue turned and walked toward the study, leaving behind only a light, airy sentence:

"Dinner is in the side hall. Go eat it yourself; don't come crying to me when you're hungry again."

Ye Yunxi looked at her back, curled her lips, and muttered:

"Pfft, not a shred of liveliness. You deserve to be manipulated by me."

Despite saying that, a faint, imperceptible smile flashed in Ye Yunxi's eyes as she picked up her teacup and drank happily.

At this moment, Qian Renxue, sitting before the vanity, had already begun to consider how to make a move in the dungeon.

She wasn't worried about the defensive line of Dugu Bo; the trump card Prince Xue Xing relied on had actually long been taken down by Ye Yunxi.

"Porcupinefish Douluo!"

As the words fell, the figure of Porcupinefish Douluo appeared in the room, bowing to offer a salute:

"Young Master, shall we take action?"

"Do not act yet. You only need to ensure that on the night Xue Beng walks out of the dungeon, you quietly finish him off. It must look like an accident."

"Understood!" Porcupinefish Douluo nodded.

He had done this sort of thing many times before.

He rose and walked to the window, watching Ye Yunxi sip tea and nibble on pastries, her cheeks puffed out. A helpless smile tugged at his lips:

"Such a glutton, yet you're always thinking of running away. Where would you find the money to eat like this every day if you left me?"

He had realized that he simply could not keep this woman under his control.

Her personality was flighty; she dared to say anything and do anything.

Qian Renxue pondered for a moment, then turned and stepped into the courtyard, her voice carrying an indisputable air of dominance:

"Ye Yunxi, you are to stay put in the Crown Prince's Mansion for the time being. You are not allowed to step a single foot outside the main gate."

Ye Yunxi's action of gnawing on a pastry came to an abrupt halt. She looked up, her peach-blossom eyes wide, a half-eaten pastry still stuffed in her mouth as she shouted indistinctly:

"On what grounds? I haven't done anything wrong!"

"On the grounds that you were just kidnapped by Xue Xing, and there are plenty of people out there watching you."

Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow, walked slowly over to her, and reached out to pinch her puffed-up cheeks.

"I certainly don't want to find you locked in a cell, weeping, the next time I come to rescue you."

"Who was weeping! That was acting! Do you even understand what acting is!"

Ye Yunxi instantly bristled, shoved the rest of the pastry into her mouth, and stood up while slamming the table, nearly knocking over the teacup on the stone surface.

Qian Renxue couldn't be bothered to argue with her and turned to instruct the maids waiting to the side:

"Keep a close watch on the Imperial Concubine. If she dares to climb the walls or pull any other tricks, report it to me immediately."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The two maids responded respectfully, standing on either side of Ye Yunxi, making it clear they were there to monitor her every move.

Seeing this display, Ye Yunxi knew she couldn't escape. She deflated instantly, slumping onto the stone bench with her arms crossed, and huffed:

"Xue Qinghe, you're shameless! You just want to lock me up so you can go watch the Soul Master Tournament yourself!"

Qian Renxue didn't deny it when her intentions were guessed, a hint of playfulness flashing in her eyes:

"You're quite sharp."

"I want to go too!"

Ye Yunxi immediately crowded forward, blocking Qian Renxue's path. She blinked her peach-blossom eyes, instantly switching to a pitiful, heart-wrenching expression.

"I promise to be obedient and act like a sensible concubine. I won't cause any trouble, okay?"