Ye Chu did not rush to expel the baleful qi from Bai Bao’s body. Every day he helped suppress the baleful qi in Bai Bao, while instructing Bai Xuan to brew the lingzhi into a soup and slowly feed it to Bai Bao to gradually replenish his vital essence.
Several days passed in this manner. Pang Shao, who had been scarce during this time, finally made a rare appearance. In his own words: seeing Bai Xuan would ignite his wicked fires, yet he could not touch her, so he refused to come and suffer needlessly!
During these days Ye Chu had not shown his face anywhere else in Yao City. The furious curses aimed at him gradually began to die down! Of course, part of the reason was that word had spread of a group of newcomers arriving in Yao City, said to be outstanding talents from a hostile kingdom. This sparked endless discussion among the people of Yao City, and their attention naturally shifted to these newcomers.
Ye Chu paid no mind to such matters. What surprised him was that Pang Shao, who had rarely appeared, now showed up before him with a face bruised black and blue, swollen like a pig’s head.
“Haha! Which woman beat you into this state this time? I’ve told you over and over, women are like fierce tigers! You’ve got your retribution again!” Ye Chu mocked Pang Shao. Seeing him in such a pitiful state suddenly filled Ye Chu with an inexplicable sense of happiness.
“Get lost!” Pang Shao grabbed a nearby stool and hurled it viciously at Ye Chu. “This young master gets beaten up, and you’re still here cracking jokes!”
“Yo! Apart from women, who in Yao City would dare lay a hand on you?” Ye Chu laughed, completely ignoring Pang Shao’s words. With this fellow’s status, one could say he walked sideways through Yao City without anyone daring to stop him!
“Women dare hit me? This young master would slap her to death with one palm! Do you think I would show pity for flowers and cherish jade!” Pang Shao spat arrogantly, but then something seemed to occur to him. His face instantly filled with grief and indignation. “This time I really capsized in the gutter! Got beaten up by some unknown youth!”
“Hm?” Ye Chu was genuinely surprised. Although Pang Shao was not the strongest, among the youths of Yao City, those who could defeat him could be counted on fewer than five fingers. For someone of his calibre to be beaten so badly and still swallow his anger, it meant the other party’s strength far surpassed his by more than just a small margin!
“Ye Chu! How about you help me get revenge?” Pang Shao’s eyes gleamed as he stared straight at Ye Chu. This was the real reason he had come.
“No interest!” Ye Chu refused without a second thought. He had no intention of acting as brainlessly as Pang Shao.
“Are you really going to stand by and watch this young master get beaten into a pig’s head like this?” Pang Shao glared furiously at Ye Chu. “Do you have no sense of brotherhood?”
“When it comes to brotherhood, please remember the last time I asked you to help fetch that three-hundred-year lingzhi.” Ye Chu remained utterly unmoved by his words.
Pang Shao gave a wry chuckle. “Something that trivial could have been handled easily by either of us. Why did it have to be me?”
“Then what does your beating have to do with me!” Ye Chu rolled his eyes. “If you can’t swallow this insult, then go back to the imperial capital and find some helpers!”
“This young master is not going back to the imperial capital!” Pang Shao had no desire to return. Once back, his grandfather would force him to cultivate again. Where would he find time to chase women?
“Ye Chu! Do me this one favour! At worst, let you pick whatever you want from my private treasury!” Pang Shao could not swallow the humiliation. All he had wanted was one of the other party’s maidservants, yet the man had dared to beat him into this state!
Ye Chu ignored Pang Shao. Turning to Bai Xuan, who had just walked in, he asked, “Has the lingzhi been used up?”
Bai Xuan glanced at Pang Shao’s swollen, bruised face. Though curious, she did not ask. She simply nodded. “I just fed the last of the soup to my father!”
“Mm. Then today we’ll expel the baleful qi from your father!” Ye Chu nodded. He led Bai Xuan out of the room together, leaving Pang Shao alone grinding his teeth in fury.
Ye Chu was really going to ignore whether he lived or died!
Pang Shao refused to give up. He had to reclaim his dignity. To be bullied like this in a mere kingdom and have word spread would make all his fair-weather friends laugh at him.
“What’s wrong with him?” Bai Xuan walked side by side with Ye Chu, staying quite close. Ye Chu could even catch waves of her faint, alluring fragrance.
“Him? Probably went to flirt with some woman again and got beaten for it! It’s not the first time. No need to worry about him!” Ye Chu smiled at Bai Xuan. Glancing sideways at her, he could see the smooth, rounded curve of her jawline. One button on her collar had come undone, leaving a small opening that revealed a glimpse of soft, creamy skin. The sight made it difficult for Ye Chu to look away!
“What are you looking at?” Bai Xuan noticed Ye Chu’s gaze. Only then did she realise her collar had loosened. She hurriedly covered it with her hand and shot him a fierce glare, her face tinged with a faint blush. “You’re just as much a scoundrel as he is!”
Over these past few days, Bai Xuan had come to see that Ye Chu was perhaps not as utterly wicked as the rumours claimed. But his lecherous nature was undeniable. His eyes were far too restless.
“I didn’t see anything! Why so nervous?” Ye Chu shook his head innocently. “Besides, I was only reminding you that your button came undone. You’re not thinking I deliberately took advantage of you, are you?”
Did that even need to be questioned? Bai Xuan inwardly cursed him: of course you did it on purpose!
Unable to deal with Ye Chu, Bai Xuan quickened her pace and walked ahead, refusing to stay beside him. Her rounded, full hips swayed with enticing curves as she moved. She had no idea just how alluring she looked from behind, nor did she realise that Ye Chu much preferred following her like this so he could admire the view!
“Thank you for your trouble!” Bai Xuan said to Ye Chu while looking at her father on the bed.
Gazing at Bai Xuan’s soft, plump, snow-white profile, Ye Chu smiled warmly at her. “Don’t worry. Your father will be fine!”
Though his voice was not loud, it carried unshakable confidence. These past few days Bai Xuan had been constantly worried about her father. Hearing such assurance from Ye Chu suddenly lifted the heavy burden from her shoulders. Mist involuntarily gathered in her beautiful eyes.
Ye Chu did not know what Bai Xuan was thinking at that moment. His gaze shifted to Bai Bao. Thanks to the lingzhi, Bai Bao’s complexion had regained some healthy colour. Though still far from fully recovered, he looked much better than before. Ye Chu estimated that with the support of a three-hundred-year lingzhi, it should be enough to replenish the vital essence drained by the baleful qi.
His fingers moved in quick succession. Bai Xuan clearly saw strands of qi shooting from between Ye Chu’s fingers. These strands actually took on visible form as they penetrated Bai Bao’s body.
The moment the qi entered Bai Bao’s body, the baleful qi reacted as though provoked. It surged madly towards Ye Chu.
Terrifying baleful qi spread outward, instantly turning that side of the room grey and hazy. Ye Chu’s arms danced continuously, confining all the baleful qi around him.
Dense waves of baleful qi began pouring frantically into Ye Chu’s body. His fingers moved faster and faster.
Pang Shao walked in just in time to witness this scene. Watching the baleful qi flood into Ye Chu’s body, he could not help clicking his tongue in amazement. He could not imagine how Ye Chu could endure it.
The principle behind Ye Chu helping Bai Bao was simple: he drew all the baleful qi from Bai Bao’s body into his own! This was something no ordinary cultivator would ever dare attempt, yet Ye Chu showed not the slightest fear.
The transfer took a full hour and more. Both Bai Bao’s and Ye Chu’s complexions grew increasingly pale. Bai Bao had the replenishment of the three-hundred-year lingzhi to help him, but Ye Chu’s face turned as white as paper. Dark spots began appearing on his forehead.
Only after two full hours did the transfer finally stop. Ye Chu let out a long breath. Glancing behind him, he saw Bai Xuan standing to his left. The moment he closed his eyes, his body swayed and toppled straight towards her.
“Ye Chu!” Bai Xuan cried out in alarm. She hurriedly stepped forward and caught him. Ye Chu’s head landed squarely against the soft, full swell of her chest!
“So soft!” That was Ye Chu’s final thought before he lost consciousness completely and fainted dead away!
Pang Shao stared at the scene, dumbfounded. In his heart he could not help cursing: shameless! Utterly shameless! This fellow really knows how to take advantage!
Pang Shao had personally witnessed Ye Chu stand in front of the baleful qi erupting from the general’s tomb. That had been countless times more terrifying than this. Ye Chu had not fainted back then. Faint now? Who was he trying to fool!
Only at this moment did Pang Shao truly realise just how vastly inferior he was compared to Ye Chu!