“Miss Xinlian, please give me more details about He Wanyi’s current situation.”
Shen Qingci composed himself, his tone shifting to strictly business as he questioned Mu Xinlian.
Mu Xinlian briefly described He Shu’s present condition and circumstances. The deeper Shen Qingci listened, the tighter his brows drew together.
When Mu Xinlian mentioned that Hua Yanyun had forced He Shu into a “cooperation,” Shen Qingci interrupted her.
“Cooperation? What kind of cooperation? Explain in detail.”
His expression grew grave, his sharp eyes fixed on Mu Xinlian and making her skin crawl.
“Her Majesty forced Young Miss into the deal. The conditions were that Young Miss would be allowed to eat properly and move freely inside her room. The price… was that Her Majesty would be permitted to study Young Miss’s body.”
Shen Qingci’s frown deepened. He had not known about He Shu’s special physique.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to send a message back to Southwind Immortal Kingdom to inquire about the matter.
He gestured for Mu Xinlian to continue. Meanwhile, he analyzed He Shu’s current predicament and considered how best to help her.
He Shu’s situation was better than Shen Qingci had originally feared. The surveillance was not overly strict. Although her cultivation had been crippled, her spiritual meridians remained intact and her body was undamaged.
The only thing that truly worried him was the revelation of her special physique. Since Hua Yanyun wanted to study it, there was a real possibility she might extract He Shu’s spiritual meridians directly.
He Shu had formed her Nascent Soul in her twenties—an astonishing display of talent. As long as her meridians were undamaged, she could re-cultivate back to Nascent Soul within a century at most.
Shen Qingci had always wondered why such a genius had volunteered to come to Jade Water Immortal Kingdom as a spy.
Now, he had a few guesses.
After another brief silence, Shen Qingci spoke. “Miss, do you know why He Wanyi was sent here to act as a spy?”
Mu Xinlian shook her head.
“If you don’t know, then it’s better left unknown. Some things are safer that way.”
“Go back and tell He Wanyi that the Southwind Immortal Kingdom delegation is already on its way. Tell her to hold on and not give up. No matter what, she must not anger Hua Yanyun.”
Mu Xinlian stood up and thanked Shen Qingci.
“If I need to meet with Young Master again in the future, how should I contact you? Should I still come here?”
Shen Qingci remained seated on the sofa, gazing out the window. He shook his head at her question.
“You won’t need to take such a risk by coming here next time. If you wish to contact me again, go to the Rejuvenation Medical Hall in the western district and say you are looking for a girl named He Qingyuan.”
With that, Shen Qingci tossed something to Mu Xinlian.
She caught it reflexively and saw it was a safety pendant carved from cold jade.
“What is this?”
“It is a token. Wear it when you go to the Rejuvenation Medical Hall to find He Qingyuan.”
After speaking, Shen Qingci stood up, walked to the window with his back to Mu Xinlian, and dispelled the isolation spell that had sealed the room.
His voice returned to its usual gentle tone. “You should head back now, miss. Have a safe journey.”
Mu Xinlian glanced once at his back, then pushed open the door and left. The moment she stepped out of the private room, the door closed automatically behind her.
She stored the jade pendant in her storage artifact and headed downstairs to leave.
Inside the private room, Shen Qingci waited until he sensed Mu Xinlian had walked far enough away, then let out a long sigh and returned to the sofa. He picked up the wine cup on the table, stared at the clear liquid inside for a moment, and drained it in one gulp.
……
Mu Xinlian was still hurrying back without rest, but inside Wanyi Tower, He Shu had already woken up. She sat on a chair, staring blankly out the window at the scenery.
She had changed into a fresh set of clothes—similar to the one she had worn yesterday, but not identical.
The sun was about to set. The sky was filled with spectacular burning clouds, yet He Shu had no interest in appreciating the view.
At that moment, a pair of fair, jade-like hands suddenly wrapped around her waist, pinching the soft flesh at her side through the fabric.
He Shu was extremely ticklish. The unexpected pinch sent a powerful jolt through her entire body. She flinched sharply, but the hands at her waist pressed her firmly back down into the chair.
She did not need to think to know who it was. No one but Hua Yanyun would dare do such a thing.
“Hehe, what a delicious little thing you are.”
Hua Yanyun kept one hand on He Shu’s shoulder to hold her in place while the other gently stroked her smooth, ink-black hair.
“There’s just one small problem. My little thing is far too disobedient.”
Hua Yanyun continued muttering to herself, completely unconcerned with what He Shu might be thinking.
“Perhaps after I grow tired of playing with you, it might be rather nice to turn you into a dish and eat you up…”
He Shu’s heart crawled with unease. She had definitely heard something alarming just now.
This old witch! Stop saying such terrifying things every day!
Hua Yanyun had spoken those words purely to scare He Shu. She had no such bizarre interest. She simply wanted to see the frightened little expression on the girl’s face.
“Never mind, I won’t tease you anymore,” Hua Yanyun said, waving her hand and covering her mouth as she laughed softly. “Here. That outfit you’re wearing is hideous. Change into this instead.”
She tossed a garment onto He Shu’s head and ordered her to put it on.
He Shu pulled the clothing off her head and saw it was a layered, floor-length evening gown in deep night-blue. She ran her fingers over the fabric and felt the material she hated most—gauze.
“You want me to wear this?”
He Shu looked up at Hua Yanyun, her eyes full of confusion and a trace of humiliated anger.
Hua Yanyun raised an eyebrow, pretending not to understand the meaning behind He Shu’s words.
“What? Don’t tell me you want me to help you change?”
Pressed by Hua Yanyun’s imposing aura, He Shu shrank back. She understood perfectly: Hua Yanyun was doing this on purpose. She knew how sensitive He Shu’s body was and wanted her to make a fool of herself at tonight’s private banquet.
A deep sense of helplessness washed over He Shu. Did she have any choice but to obey and put on the dress?
The gown was undeniably beautiful. Its color was as deep as the night sky, and the shimmering flakes woven into the fabric caught the light like countless stars. The layered gauze train flowed to the floor; when she moved, the sheer fabric would drift and shimmer with flowing light.
“It suits you quite well. As expected of my excellent taste. It’s just a shame it looks so flat on a little bean sprout like you who hasn’t even finished developing yet.”
Hua Yanyun offered the light, casual critique of how the gown looked on He Shu, her tone clearly mocking.
She reached out and touched He Shu’s body through the fabric. He Shu’s entire frame trembled, and her legs nearly gave out beneath her.
The sensation was extremely uncomfortable. She possessed the Mystic Soul Pure Sound Physique, which made her body extraordinarily sensitive. The light gauze clung to her skin, producing an endless, maddening tingle of itch and numbness that refused to fade. Even her breathing had to be careful and shallow.
At this moment, He Shu felt a small surge of relief that she had asked Mu Xinlian to prepare undergarments for her in advance. It was also fortunate that Hua Yanyun had not gone so far as to order her to remove those as well. Otherwise, she would have had nowhere to hide her humiliation.