A three-hundred-year lingzhi could not be obtained in an instant. Ye Chu still needed to help Bai Bao temporarily suppress the baleful qi, otherwise he truly would not survive the night!
He asked Bai Xuan to hold Yao Yao and stand further away. His hand reached towards Bai Bao’s body once more. With practised movements, as Ye Chu’s fingers tapped in sequence, the black spots on Bai Bao’s body began to fade slowly. At the same time, strands of baleful qi shot out from him, surging fiercely towards Ye Chu.
So much baleful qi rushing towards Ye Chu made Bai Xuan’s heart pound with fear. Yet to her astonishment, as Ye Chu’s arms moved, he drew circular arcs in the air. The baleful qi became trapped around him. The grey mist continuously seeped into Ye Chu’s body, causing his forehead to gradually darken.
Unlike Bai Xuan’s panic, Pang Shao’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. This was the first time he had observed Ye Chu confronting baleful qi so clearly. Ye Chu could actually allow baleful qi to enter his body without fear. What method did he rely on? Or had Ye Chu’s strength already grown so formidable that he no longer feared such baleful qi?
But Pang Shao quickly dismissed the latter idea. No matter how powerful Ye Chu was, it was impossible for him to reach a realm capable of withstanding the baleful qi from the great general’s tomb within just one short year!
“Could Ye Chu be one of those freakish professions?” Pang Shao’s heart skipped a beat. He could not help thinking of that tiny group of heaven-defying figures in the world. They did indeed possess special methods against baleful qi, but he had never heard of anyone who could absorb it directly into their body without refining it first!
Moreover, Pang Shao did not believe Ye Chu could become one of those people! Everyone knew how difficult it was to enter that exclusive circle. Although Ye Chu was strong, he was not strong enough to join them!
After spending quite some time, Ye Chu finally withdrew his tapping fingers. By now sweat trickled from his forehead, and his face had grown noticeably paler. However, once the baleful qi stopped flowing into his body, the darkness on his forehead also vanished. This left Pang Shao marvelling inwardly. This fellow truly was extraordinary, able to transfer baleful qi into himself without suffering any harm.
“All right! For the next few days, your father will be fine!” Ye Chu wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled at Bai Xuan. He reached out to pick up Yao Yao, who had run over to cling to him affectionately. With his finger he gently scraped her tiny nose, making her giggle happily.
The little girl had rosy lips and white teeth, full of sunshine and vitality. Most importantly, she could recognise his handsomeness and charm, so Ye Chu liked her very much!
Seeing that the black spots on her father’s body had mostly disappeared, his breathing had steadied, and a trace of colour had returned to his face, Bai Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Only now did she truly believe that Ye Chu really had a way to save her father.
Even though the facts were right in front of her, Bai Xuan still found it somewhat unbelievable. Baleful qi invasion that even imperial alchemists could not resolve, yet Ye Chu could handle it. Was this still the same person known in Yao City as a scum and a scoundrel? Bai Xuan felt she could no longer see through Ye Chu!
But one thing was crystal clear: Ye Chu was absolutely not the useless waste that everyone cursed him to be.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Ye Chu laughed. He patted Yao Yao’s hand as she tugged at his hair, then suddenly realised something. “Oh! I remember now! You are about to fulfil your promise, right?”
At this thought, Ye Chu could not resist sizing Bai Xuan up. Beneath her clothes, her voluptuous and exquisite figure resembled a ripe peach, exuding a faint seductive aura. Her black hair cascaded down from her fragrant shoulders, outlining mesmerising curves. Even with her clothing covering her, she still appeared extremely enticing. This was the kind of body that could drive men mad.
Ye Chu’s words instantly wiped away the joy Bai Xuan had just felt from her father’s improvement. She bit her lip and stood there in silence.
“I know I am very charming, and plenty of women would gladly throw themselves at me. But I am not even in a hurry, so why are you so eager to fulfil the promise!” Ye Chu laughed.
Pang Shao could no longer listen. He felt Ye Chu was being far too despicable, taking advantage and then acting smug about it! Even someone like Pang Shao, who had never shown much pity for women, could not help feeling sorry for Bai Xuan. To run into such a shameless scoundrel really was rotten luck!
Bai Xuan stood there with a pale face, ashen as death. Being stared at by Ye Chu felt like being watched by a vicious wolf. It was as uncomfortable as a knife scraping against her skin. Her delicate body instinctively shrank back, wanting to avoid his gaze.
Seeing Bai Xuan like this, Ye Chu smiled to himself. His reputation as a scoundrel really was frightening enough. A casual remark could make someone lose all colour from their face.
“Fine! For this sort of thing, I still prefer it when both sides are willing! The condition can be changed. I have nowhere to stay in Yao City. Your residence looks quite spacious. If you do not charge me rent and also provide food and drink, perhaps I can consider dropping that other matter!” Ye Chu finally revealed his true intention. Although Bai Xuan was tempting, Ye Chu was not such an upright person, but he had truly never forced a woman to sleep with him.
In his previous life, drifting through various nightclubs, he had always emphasised mutual consent. He had never learned from those scoundrels who drugged women or harmed them! Ye Chu deeply despised such behaviour. What level of incompetence did a man have to reach to resort to such dirty methods just to get a woman?!
Ye Chu had deliberately frightened Bai Xuan simply because he wanted a place to stay. He could not keep living in that flower boat inn forever. Ye Chu was penniless. If he had not robbed some money from Pang Shao, he would not even have been able to eat. Now that an opportunity had arisen to solve both food and lodging, how could he let it pass? Most importantly, the hostess was so beautiful. You could search with a lantern and still not find such a perfect arrangement!
“Ah!” Bai Xuan was caught off guard. Ye Chu, notorious for bullying men and dominating women, was really willing to let her go? She knew exactly how much temptation she held for men!
“If you do not agree, then we go back to the original condition!” Ye Chu laughed.
“I agree!” Bai Xuan said quickly, without the slightest hesitation.
Bai Xuan’s swift agreement was within Ye Chu’s expectations. After all, when choosing between the two options, Bai Xuan would definitely pick the latter. That was precisely why Ye Chu had frightened her first. If he had proposed this condition from the beginning, she might still have been unwilling!
Ye Chu set Yao Yao down, patted her little head, and told her to go back to Bai Xuan’s side. Then, with lazy steps, he left the residence together with Pang Shao.
“You really are willing to let such a stunning beauty go?” As soon as they stepped out of the gate, Pang Shao could not help glancing at Ye Chu, sighing inwardly. To think Ye Chu was truly willing to pass up such a beauty.
“I told you long ago, I pursue a higher realm. Who is like you, so incompetent that you can only resort to coercion and temptation to get women?” Ye Chu looked at Pang Shao with disdain.
Pang Shao gave a wry chuckle and did not argue with Ye Chu. “When you searched him earlier, did you find anything?”
“There was nothing on him. It is possible he obtained nothing from the general’s tomb, or perhaps he hid it before falling unconscious.” Ye Chu shook his head.
“Is it possible he gave it to Bai Xuan?” Pang Shao asked.
Ye Chu rolled his eyes. “How would I know?”
“Fine! I am not bothering with it anymore. You wake him up and ask him yourself!” Pang Shao did not want to get involved either. It was best to leave it to Ye Chu. “But what exactly is your method for dealing with baleful qi? You are not even afraid of it invading your body!”
“Condensing baleful qi into a pill!” Ye Chu laughed.
“What kind of nonsense is that!” Pang Shao frowned, not understanding what condensing baleful qi into a pill meant. Since he could not comprehend it, he stopped asking. He shrugged and said, “Since you have found a place to eat and stay, this young master will not bother with you anymore. Damn it, these past few days you have been spending my money. Remember to pay me back later!”
Pang Shao grumbled a few more complaints, then turned and left, heading off to who knew which pleasure house to find women!
After Pang Shao departed, Ye Chu smiled. With a flip of his palm, a round, grey medicinal pill appeared in his hand. If Pang Shao had seen this pill, he would surely have been shocked beyond words, because the aura emanating from it was extremely similar to the baleful qi from the general’s tomb, except it lacked the violent, life-corroding ferocity.