Although seeing such a fabled potion in real life was thrilling, she didn’t take it immediately. Instead, she raised a doubt. “If this thing is so effective, why hasn’t anyone used it before?”

Despite Di Jiang’s madness, cruelty, and unpredictable temper, he still had countless admirers. Otherwise, Wuyou Palace wouldn’t be constantly buzzing with gossip about someone trying to seduce him. According to Yaoyao, this potion not only granted pleasure but also ensured unwavering devotion. So why had no one ever managed to use it on him?

Yaoyao was briefly stunned before rolling her eyes. “It’s banned, so it’s not easy to obtain without the right connections. But Wuyou Palace is full of capable people. You think no one has tried? They just never made it close enough before getting killed on the spot. How would they have the chance to actually use it on His Lordship?”

Le Gui found that explanation convincing, but another concern arose. “This stuff… must be expensive, right?”

“Don’t worry, I already paid for it,” Yaoyao huffed, completely exasperated. She shoved the potion into Le Gui’s hand. “You don’t need to pay me back.”

“Yaoyao… why are you so good to me?” Le Gui looked deeply moved.

“If you weren’t so clueless, I wouldn’t bother. Besides, if you can maintain His Lordship’s favor, I have a better chance of becoming his trusted aide and climbing the ranks. Helping you is just helping myself,” Yaoyao said bluntly. “Just remember, when you use the potion, don’t be stupid and smear it directly on him. If you get caught, I won’t be able to save you.”

“Then how should I do it?” Le Gui asked humbly.

Yaoyao thought for a moment. “You can apply it in places he touches regularly. But make sure he comes into contact with it for three consecutive days—the potion takes time to take effect.”

Le Gui paused, then turned to Juzi… and stared at the left side of its face with motherly affection.

Juzi gave her a puzzled look—then spat out a wad of grass at her.

“One last question.” Ignoring the small beast, Le Gui looked at Yaoyao with an innocent smile. “I just realized—His Lordship’s divine sense covers all of Diyun Peak. We were just loudly plotting here. What if he already knows everything?”

“Do you think everyone is as dumb as you?” Yaoyao sighed and pulled out a jade token. “Ever heard of a Seclusion Token? It blocks all divine senses from spying or eavesdropping. If His Lordship tried to check, all he would have seen was us sitting here in silence. He wouldn’t have heard a thing or noticed what we were doing.”

“…Where do you get all these amazing things?” Le Gui curiously poked at the jade token.

“Sure, I deliver fruit, but my connections are top-tier,” Yaoyao said smugly, tucking the token away. “Anyway, I’ve done all I can to help. The rest is up to you.”

Le Gui was deeply grateful. After Yaoyao left, she carefully studied the ribbon on the box before hiding it away.

Night fell as expected.

And as expected, so did her erratic boss.

Thinking of her conversation with Yaoyao earlier, Le Gui felt guilty as she greeted him. “Greetings, Your Lordship.”

“Little beast, come here.”

Di Jiang, as usual, ignored her completely.

Juzi reluctantly spat out its grass and trudged over, stretching its left cheek toward him.

Slap!

With today’s routine complete, Juzi happily trotted back to continue eating.

[This level of familiarity is honestly heartbreaking…]

Le Gui was still speechless when Di Jiang suddenly looked at her.

Le Gui: “…”

[Panic mode: activated.]

“Do you have nothing to say?” Di Jiang asked slowly.

Le Gui blinked. “…Say what?”

Before she finished speaking, the clear night sky grew faintly overcast.

“I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”

Having long since noticed the mysterious link between Diyun Peak’s weather and Di Jiang’s mood, Le Gui immediately raised her hand in surrender.

Di Jiang leisurely sat beside Juzi, absentmindedly adjusting his overly long sleeves. “Go on.”

Le Gui licked her dry lips nervously. “Uh… Your Lordship, is your injury any better?”

Di Jiang paused, then slowly looked up.

“…Has it healed?” Le Gui asked again when he didn’t answer.

His expression was unreadable. “No.”

“Oh…”

Feeling like she had just played a safe card, Le Gui’s voice unconsciously softened. After a long moment, she awkwardly added, “Don’t worry, it’ll heal eventually.”

Di Jiang let out a cool, unreadable laugh.

Le Gui sneaked a glance at the sky.

[Clear skies. No storms incoming. I should be safe.]

Rubbing her tired eyes, she cautiously approached him.

Di Jiang lowered his gaze once more, still focused on folding his sleeves. The fabric was wide and loose, unfolding just as easily as it was folded. Yet, he wasn’t the least bit frustrated—just calmly folding them over and over again.

Le Gui crouched in front of his knees but quickly found the position uncomfortable. Mimicking him, she sat cross-legged on the ground and reached out to tug at his sleeve. Di Jiang paused, looking at her in confusion as if unsure what she was trying to do.

“Your Lordship, who was your opponent this time? They actually managed to injure you.” As she spoke, she neatly folded his sleeve, smoothing it out with practiced ease.

Di Jiang lifted his wrist, examined her handiwork for a moment, then extended his other hand to her. “Not a person.”

Le Gui froze. “Not a person?”

“Hmm.” Di Jiang leaned lazily against Juzi. “It was the Soul-Extinguishing Formation, woven together by the three thousand immortal sects.”

“Soul-Extinguishing Formation?” Le Gui sucked in a sharp breath.

Di Jiang lifted his gaze. “You know of it?”

“…No, but it sounds terrifying,” Le Gui admitted with surprising honesty.

A low chuckle escaped Di Jiang’s throat. “Fool.”

[Not knowing formations makes me a fool? Then what does that make you, getting tricked into one and coming out injured?]

“I did it on purpose.” Di Jiang suddenly spoke.

Le Gui was taken aback. It took her a moment to process his words. “You mean… you knew they were deceiving you? You knew there was no hidden supreme cultivator, yet you still went?”

“You don’t believe me?” Di Jiang countered.

[I do. Because you’re exactly the kind of person who would do something so pointless.]

Di Jiang laughed again.

Le Gui, looking perfectly obedient, tilted her head. “So, is the Soul-Extinguishing Formation really powerful?”

“Very.” Di Jiang’s lips curved into a smirk. “Each formation eye requires the life of a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage or above to activate. A single Soul-Extinguishing Formation has at least two thousand formation eyes.”

“Sounds like they made quite the sacrifice to take down you—the great villain… I mean, the unparalleled hero,” Le Gui swiftly corrected herself.

“Sacrifice?” Di Jiang repeated the word, his eyes flashing with sarcasm. “Only those who willingly offer themselves to fuel the formation deserve that term. But out of those two thousand formation eyes, not all were willing participants.”

Le Gui shuddered. [Not willing? Then how is this any different from sacrificial stakes? The so-called righteous ones are even more monstrous than Di Jiang!]

Di Jiang’s lips curled in amusement.

Le Gui sneaked a glance at him, utterly clueless as to why he was in such a good mood tonight.

The next morning, Cangqiong Palace was once again filled with the sounds of music and celebration. The person who had spent the night sleeping on the grass had vanished. Le Gui stretched lazily before suddenly having an idea. She turned to Juzi. “Can you carry me for a run around Diyun Peak?”

Juzi: “…”

In the end, Le Gui didn’t get her wish—because Yaoyao arrived.

“Did you use the potion?” Yaoyao asked as soon as she came.

Le Gui smiled vaguely.

“You’re quite something. So many have tried and failed, yet you succeeded. As expected, His Lordship treats you differently.” Yaoyao patted her shoulder approvingly. “Just hang in there for two more nights, and you’ll be the mistress of Wuyou Palace!”

Le Gui nodded along. “Alright, alright.”

On the second night, Di Jiang returned. The routine remained unchanged—he gave Juzi a slap, startled Le Gui for fun, and continued living his dull, uneventful life. The only difference was…

“Your Lordship, you don’t look well. Are you sick?” Le Gui asked curiously.

Di Jiang cast her a glance. “Hmm, my injuries have worsened.”

“How did your injuries get worse all of a sudden?” Le Gui was puzzled.

Di Jiang stared at her for a long moment before asking, “Yes, why did they worsen?”

[Big Brother, I was asking you.]

Di Jiang lazily closed his eyes, seemingly unwilling to continue the conversation.

Le Gui decided not to press further.

The second night passed smoothly. Before she knew it, the third night had arrived.

“Your Lordship… are you sure you don’t need a physician?” Le Gui asked, somewhat alarmed at his appearance.

Di Jiang lazily looked at her. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Maybe you should take a look in the mirror,” Le Gui suggested earnestly.

His skin, already pale, was now completely devoid of color. His lips, however, remained unnaturally red. His breathing was weak, and his eyes had lost their usual brilliance. Under the moonlight, he looked strikingly like a beautiful… ghost.

The ghost himself remained unfazed. “I am perfectly fine.”

Before his words had even fully left his mouth, a trickle of blood slid down from the corner of his lips.

Le Gui: “…”

Di Jiang wiped it away, frowning slightly at the sight of blood on his fingers. Clicking his tongue in displeasure, he suddenly faltered, dropping to one knee as a violent coughing fit overtook him.

Le Gui was stunned. After hesitating for three seconds, she quickly stepped forward to support him. “You… what’s wrong with you?”

“I’m fine…” Di Jiang muttered, lowering his head to rest against her shoulder before coughing up another mouthful of blood.

“You really don’t look fine,” Le Gui said nervously. “Maybe… try meditating to recover?”

Di Jiang let out a faint laugh, just as Juzi suddenly sprang alert, leaping behind the bushes.

Seeing Juzi’s reaction, Le Gui’s heart skipped a beat. A moment later, dozens of figures appeared on the grass. Leading them was her second-best friend in Wuyou Palace—Yaoyao.

She was dressed in the robes of an immortal sect disciple. The braids she usually wore were undone, tied instead into a high ponytail. Even her face carried a subtle, unfamiliar edge.

“Demon, didn’t expect you to end up like this, did you?” she sneered.

Di Jiang remained silent, leaning against Le Gui without a word. Le Gui, on the other hand, blurted out in confusion, “Yaoyao, what happened to you?”

Yaoyao paused but ignored her question. Instead, she glared at Di Jiang, hatred burning in her eyes.

“Years ago, you shattered my father’s Dao heart, stripping him of his cultivation. He took his own life in despair. I have been hiding in Wuyou Palace all these years, waiting for the day I could take my revenge with my own hands.”

Di Jiang finally lifted his head.

Le Gui, still in shock, met his gaze. She instinctively tried to help him up, only for him to shift positions—from kneeling to sitting—leaning against her entirely.

Le Gui was speechless. […Did he just use me as a replacement for Juzi?]

“Who was your father?” Under the moonlight, Di Jiang’s pale face remained as composed as ever.

Yaoyao’s expression twisted with hatred. “Yu Pingsheng, an elder of Wangtian Sect!”

Di Jiang leaned against Le Gui, speaking as if making casual conversation. “Oh, I remember now. Wasn’t he killed by Zhao Wuyou? What does that have to do with me?”

“You’re lying!” Yaoyao’s anger flared. “The sect master and my father were as close as brothers. After my father’s death, he treated me as his own daughter. Stop trying to sow discord!”

“Treated you as his own daughter?” Di Jiang repeated, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “But he already has a daughter, doesn’t he? If he truly saw you as the same, why didn’t he send her to Wuyou Palace as an undercover agent instead of you?”

Yaoyao flicked her sleeve, revealing a gleaming sword. “I came of my own will! I’ve waited all these years for this moment—to personally end your life!”

“Self-righteous fool.” Di Jiang’s tone was sharp and disdainful.

Le Gui, who had been serving as his human cushion, couldn’t take it anymore. She quietly tugged at his sleeve. Di Jiang lazily lifted his gaze, silently asking what she wanted.

“Your Lordship, considering our current situation, maybe… you shouldn’t provoke her anymore?” Le Gui subtly pointed at the bloodstains on their bodies, trying to be tactful, though inwardly, she was exasperated.

[Does this guy even understand the phrase ‘know when to retreat’? Or that ‘a wise man adapts to circumstances’? He might want to die, but I don’t! Could he at least think about my feelings for once?!]

Di Jiang raised an eyebrow as if about to say something when Yaoyao suddenly let out a laugh. The two of them turned toward her at the same time.

“Di Jiang, you call others fools, but how much better are you?” Her eyes gleamed with malice. “The Soul-Extinguishing Formation is powerful, but it alone shouldn’t have left you in such a dire state. Haven’t you wondered why your injuries have worsened so quickly over just three days?”

Di Jiang, ever composed, asked with genuine curiosity, “Why?”

Yaoyao’s smirk deepened. “Because you were too blind to notice that the one by your side has poisoned you with Bone-Eroding Poison!”

Di Jiang froze. Then he slowly turned his head to look at Le Gui.

Le Gui was dumbfounded. “What? Me? When?!”

For the first time, Yaoyao finally spared her a glance, her gaze filled with pity. “Don’t you understand yet? The aphrodisiac I gave you was never that at all.”

Di Jiang let out a weak chuckle, then coughed a few times before he slowly accused, “I never thought… you were that kind of person.”

“Stop framing me!” Le Gui was horrified. “I never even opened that potion!”

“What?” Yaoyao’s expression darkened.

“Never used it.” Di Jiang suddenly wiped the blood from the corner of his lips and, with a lazy air, draped his arm over Le Gui’s shoulder. “No wonder I’ve been feeling so refreshed, completely unlike someone who’s been poisoned.”

Yaoyao: “…”

Le Gui: “…”