Qian Sichen’s face was filled with shock.
“Are you saying someone drugged the food?”
His expression darkened with fury.
“If I find out who did it, I will never let them off!”
“My elder sister has always preferred peace and quiet,” Xiao Yuge “kindly” reminded him. “Other than the servants responsible for cleaning, An Ling is usually the only one attending to her in the courtyard.”
“You mean… An Ling?” Qian Sichen immediately shook his head. “She’s only a maid. I doubt she would have the courage to scheme against me. But if…” Something suddenly occurred to him, and his face changed dramatically. “Impossible! Furong would never do something like that!”
At that moment, Qingluo spoke up.
“When I went to the pharmacy yesterday to get medicine for Miss, I happened to run into Sister An Ling. She accidentally dropped this handkerchief, so I picked it up. I completely forgot to return it just now.” She waved the embroidered handkerchief in her hand. “Miss, I’ll go return it to Sister An Ling now.”
It was the perfect assist.
One seemingly casual remark from an outsider was worth more than a thousand explanations. No matter how much Qian Sichen trusted Xiao Yufu, a seed of doubt had now been planted in his heart.
Watching his dejected figure disappear into the distance, the smile on Xiao Yuge’s face slowly froze.
Qian Sichen… this is only the beginning.
Don’t disappoint me.
After what had happened that night, Xiao Yuge made thorough preparations before quietly leaving the residence again.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened along the way.
Relying on memories from her previous life, she quickly found the hidden headquarters of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.
With the advantage of her past life’s memories, she smoothly secured a meeting with its Pavilion Master—
Ye Wuhuan.
“Who exactly are you?” he demanded. “How do you know?”
Just as in her previous life, the moment he brought her into the secret chamber, he viciously wrapped a hand around her throat.
This secret of his was known to no outsider.
And anyone who did learn it had long since met the King of Hell.
So how had this underdeveloped-looking little girl discovered it?
Who would have imagined that the dreaded Pavilion Master of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion—whose name struck fear throughout the martial world—was… sexually impotent?
Xiao Yuge made no attempt to struggle despite being choked.
“How I know isn’t important.”
“What matters is that I can cure you.”
Ye Wuhuan snorted coldly before tearing away the veil covering her face. Narrowing his icy eyes, he examined her carefully.
“You’re just a little girl who still reeks of milk. You’ve probably never even seen what a grown man’s body looks like, yet you dare boast that you can cure me?”
“What a joke.”
“Speak!”
“What are you really here for?”
His fingers tightened slightly around her neck, and he watched with satisfaction as her small face gradually flushed red.
“I know the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion possesses a secret technique that can force open a person’s meridians in a short period of time, allowing their internal energy to increase rapidly.”
“I’ll cure your condition.”
“In exchange, I want that secret technique… and half of your internal energy.”
“Do we have a deal?”
Being strangled truly felt awful.
This was already the second time.
She silently swore that she would never again allow anyone to hold her life by the throat.
Ye Wuhuan let out a sinister laugh.
“You’ve got quite the nerve.”
“You open your mouth and ask for half of my internal energy.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you right here?”
“Internal energy can always be cultivated again.”
“But exchanging half your cultivation for a lifetime of happiness is a bargain well worth making.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can kill me now.”
“But I’m certain…”
“I’m the only person in this world who can cure your illness.”
She knew he had no other choice.
Ye Wuhuan stared at her in silence for a long while before asking,
“You’re only a girl in your teens.”
“Why are you so desperate to obtain martial arts?”
Xiao Yuge lifted her eyes to meet his before glancing at the large hand still gripping her neck.
“Do you see?”
“I don’t want to be powerless…”
“…when someone grabs me by the throat.”
His heart trembled.
Slowly, he loosened his grip.
His cold eyes studied her for a long time before he pursed his lips and walked to one side.
After a while, he finally spoke.
“The secret technique is unimaginably painful.”
“Ordinary people can’t endure it.”
“Even if I agree, you may very well die from the pain.”
“I can endure it.”
She had already died once.
Compared to the suffering she had experienced in her previous life, what was this little bit of pain?
Once again, Ye Wuhuan was stunned.
What kind of experiences had a girl barely fifteen or sixteen years old gone through to possess such terrifying composure?
In the end, just as in her previous life, Xiao Yuge successfully persuaded him.
Armed with memories from her past life, she was completely confident.
After completing a round of acupuncture, Ye Wuhuan’s complexion visibly improved.
“This is only the first course of treatment.”
“There will be a second…”
“…and a third.”
She calmly packed away her silver needles.
“You dare toy with me?”
Ye Wuhuan’s face instantly darkened, murderous intent flashing across his eyes.
“You’ve been poisoned for many years,” Xiao Yuge replied without the slightest panic.
“It will take several courses of treatment to eliminate the poison completely.”
“I’ll return at this same time tomorrow.”
“If there’s still no improvement after three days…”
“…you can kill me then.”
She reached the doorway before stopping.
“My name is Xiao Yuge.”
“I’m the Second Miss of Chancellor Xiao’s household.”
The corner of Ye Wuhuan’s lips curled upward.
“Little girl, you’ve told me your entire identity.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll come knocking at your door?”
“The Thousand Mechanism Pavilion deals in killing people.”
“So what if your father is Xiao Zhan—that old fox?”
“I’m not afraid of high-ranking officials.”
“I know you’ll investigate me even if I don’t tell you,” Xiao Yuge replied calmly.
“Since we both seek something from each other, why not be honest?”
“I only hope this remains a secret between us.”
With that, she turned and left without another glance.
She knew better than anyone that Ye Wuhuan was far more desperate than she was to keep this matter hidden.
Naturally, he would never expose her identity.
“Pavilion Master.”
A shadow silently appeared.
“Should this subordinate follow her?”
It was Mingye.
Ye Wuhuan casually waved a hand.
“No need.”
For some inexplicable reason…
He believed her.
The Next Day
When Xiao Yuge woke, the sun was already high in the sky.
She had returned rather late the previous night, and unexpectedly overslept, even missing the time to pay her morning respects to her parents.
“Qingluo! Qingluo!”
She called twice toward the outside.
“Miss.”
Qingluo pushed open the door and entered.
Noticing something was off about her expression, Xiao Yuge asked,
“What’s wrong?”
Qingluo pouted unhappily.
“Master and Madam have lifted the Eldest Miss’s confinement.”
“I thought it was something serious.”
“So it’s just that.”
“Mother already told me during dinner yesterday.”
Xiao Yuge wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
Her parents had always doted on the beautiful and talented Xiao Yufu.
The fact that they had confined her for even a few days was already the limit.
Besides, Xiao Yufu had always been skilled at pretending to be weak, obedient, and pitiful.
Naturally, she could easily win them over again.
“But it’s only been a few days!” Qingluo complained indignantly.
“Whenever you made a mistake, Master and Madam would lock you up for more than half a month.”
“You’re their biological daughter!”
Xiao Yuge merely smiled.
Then she casually asked,
“Has Eldest Sister gone out?”