“Your schemes and viciousness far exceed my imagination.” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs spoke in Ye Kong’s mind.

“It was just a small test.” Ye Kong smiled and asked, “If it were someone from Cangnan Continent, they’d probably be much more vicious than me, right?”

“But after spending this time with you, I felt you weren’t the type to set traps for people… You should be like the Shadow Clan people…”

“What are Shadow Clan people like?”

“Straightforward, value relationships, good friends, strong sense of justice.”

Ye Kong laughed. “I’m not that great. You’re overestimating me. Actually, I’m just a hooligan. You don’t understand? Just a street thug…”

“No wonder you’re always flirting with that Little Qin girl. Turns out you’re both local riffraff.” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs muttered.

Ye Kong didn’t bother responding to him. He continued, “I’m not a cop. I don’t care what’s justice and what’s injustice. [Read on Jormuntl]I only know… if I like someone, I’ll help them. If I don’t like someone, I’ll beat them. And anyone who tries to harm me, betray me, or deceive me, I won’t show mercy either!”

“So you’re not one to show tenderness to women.” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs sighed. “Then we can only pray that Xiaohong won’t betray you.”

At this moment, Ye Kong had already activated an Invisibility Talisman and was standing in Second Wife’s room.

Beside an antique table, Second Wife was holding a small bowl, chewing slowly and carefully. You could tell she’d been trained since childhood. Even when eating, she was elegant, without a single smacking sound.

“Ah, this second mother of yours is also a beauty. A noblewoman beauty at that. I love noblewomen the most. The more arrogant they are in public, the more wanton they are in bed…” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs truly wasn’t your average beast, getting excited at the sight of any woman.

Ye Kong didn’t react. Old Ancestor Yellow Springs felt bored and asked again, “If Xiaohong reports to this noblewoman that you’re an immortal cultivator, will you… really kill them both?”

“That’s right. I’ve already given them an extra chance. I’ve been very merciful.”

“Well then, when the time comes, before you kill them,” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs said with a lecherous laugh, “can you let me out to touch their good parts? Actually, you can let me touch them after killing them too.”

Ye Kong smiled bitterly. “You should change your name stolen content to Perverted Old Ancestor, or BT Old Ancestor.”

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs roared angrily, “Do you know how long it’s been since I touched a woman? A hundred thousand years! If it were you, I bet even a female rock would end up with a hole drilled through it!”

“Shh, quiet!” Ye Kong said to Old Ancestor Yellow Springs, then focused his gaze on the two women.

“Xiaohong! Today’s the day that boy came out of seclusion, right?” Second Wife suddenly asked, setting down her porcelain bowl.

“Yes.” Xiaohong stood beside her respectfully, head lowered, speaking very quietly.

“So what did you discover?” Second Wife asked again.

Xiaohong replied, “Nothing. He’s very clever and still guarding against me…”

“You go every day, yet every day you come back with the same line! You can’t find out anything? You’ve truly disappointed me!” Second Wife suddenly exploded.

“He stays in his room and doesn’t come out. There’s nothing I can do.” Xiaohong lowered her head even further, as if wanting to bury her face in the cleavage between her breasts.

“Still talking back!” Second Wife slammed the table and roared, “Do you want to become a mistress or not? How many times have I told you! Whether or not you can become the Ye Manor Third Young Master’s favored concubine, become someone above others, and eventually establish your own household as mistress, all depends on this one chance! As long as you do this well, you’ll immediately fly up the branch and become a phoenix! But you’re not putting in any effort at all!”

After scolding her, Second Wife waved her hand dismissively. “If you really don’t want to, then don’t go anymore! The way things are now, people think I’m trying to curry favor with that mother and son. It’s infuriating!”

Ye Kong stood in the corner of the room, coldly watching these two people. He knew the time had come for Xiaohong to make her choice.

You could say Second Wife’s offered conditions were quite attractive, especially for a maid like Xiaohong. “Become a mistress, become someone above others” held an unimaginably powerful attraction for them.

Good food, good drink, having others serve you, living in glory… How many maids schemed against each other, engaged in open and secret struggles, all for this ultimate goal?

Yet Ye Kong hadn’t promised Xiaohong anything, not even a vague promise about the future. Now it was up to Xiaohong to choose which was better.

Xiaohong kept her head lowered, her fingers circling around and around on her handkerchief, not speaking for a long time. This made Ye Kong feel that giving her such a choice was somewhat cruel. What she wanted wasn’t much, just what any ordinary maid would want.

But if she really made that choice, her unauthorized copyonly outcome would be death. Ye Kong absolutely could not put himself in danger.

“What’s wrong? Say something!” Second Wife roared.

“Second Wife, actually… actually, today… I did discover something.” Xiaohong finally spoke up, breaking her words into fragments.

“Speak!”

Ye Kong’s heart had already grown completely cold. His fingers retreated into his sleeve. A Spirit-Calming Talisman was already held between his middle and index fingers, ready to be released at any moment.

“I discovered today that Eighth Young Master can also cure illnesses. Lu Qin caught a chill and fell sick, and Eighth Young Master cured her…”

“Who asked you to talk about that! Get to the point! The martial arts techniques! That dog-beating thing! The eighteen palms! And the white bone claw!” This Second Wife only remembered the last three words.

“He won’t let me near such important things.”

“Then find out who he learned his martial arts from, what fortuitous encounters he had, and ​unauthorized copy​also, have you encountered anything strange at his place?”

“This servant hasn’t discovered that yet. This servant will definitely work harder. Please give this servant more time, Second Wife!” Xiaohong suddenly knelt before Second Wife, crying and pleading.

“Screw off!” Second Wife, having learned nothing, flew into a rage and kicked Xiaohong over. “You useless piece of trash! Can’t do anything right! Get out!”

“Thank you, Second Wife.” Only then did Xiaohong wipe her tears, get up, collect the dishes, and walk out.

Although Xiaohong hadn’t revealed Ye Kong’s secret, Ye Kong’s heart still felt very uncomfortable. This Xiaohong clearly had her heart set on climbing higher. Though she didn’t say anything today, who could guarantee she wouldn’t speak up in the future?

Her refusal was too weak. As soon as Second Wife said she couldn’t become a mistress, she couldn’t help but reveal a small part of the secret.

Today she could talk about the healing, tomorrow she could talk about the immortal cultivator business. She didn’t say anything today, but who knew when she might in the future? He couldn’t follow her around every day, could he?

“What’s wrong? In a difficult position?” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs’ cackling laughter rang out again. “To kill or not to kill? If you kill her, she didn’t actually betray you. If you don’t kill her, she might very well betray you immediately.”

Ye Kong was also conflicted. “Actually, ​noodles​I really don’t want to kill her. But since she’s tempted by Second Wife’s conditions, that means she can’t keep a secret.”

“I saw you following Xiaohong out, so I knew you had killing intent.” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs snorted lightly, then said, “Forget it. This old ancestor will help you out. How about I use the Soul-Searching Great Method to delete her memories from today?”

“There’s a method like that? That’s perfect.” Ye Kong’s mood also relaxed. Suddenly he thought of something. “Old Ancestor, can you just delete the memory of me being an immortal cultivator, and leave the rest? She said today was her happiest day.”

“Damn, you’re really hypocritical. You were about to kill her, this old ancestor shows kindness and saves her life, and you’re still asking me to leave her happiest day? You think the Soul-Searching Great Method is that precise?”

“Alright, alright, let’s do it your way.” Ye Kong had no choice but to agree, preparing to simply delete Xiaohong’s memories from the entire day.

But when he arrived at Xiaohong’s room, one sentence she muttered to herself made Ye Kong change his mind again.

“Eighth Young Master, Xiaohong talked a tiny bit about you curing illness… Please don’t blame me… Xiaohong isn’t greedy for climbing higher… Xiaohong just couldn’t bear not being able to see you anymore. Even though we only just met today, my heart still wants to be with you. It was truly so happy…”

Facing the food before her, Xiaohong had no appetite. She muttered and mumbled, and though it was unintentional, the invisible Ye Kong heard most of it.

“So when she leaked that bit of secret, it wasn’t because she was thinking about climbing higher, but because she unauthorized copy was afraid that woman wouldn’t let her come find you anymore… The girl’s not bad. Kid, you feeling better now?” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs said with a laugh.

“Yes, not bad. She passed the test.” Ye Kong nodded, glanced once more at Xiaohong, then quietly walked out the door.

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs cackled again. “Since she passed the test, don’t waste time. Just drag her onto the bed and strip off that maid’s skirt…”

“Stop right there!” Ye Kong said irritably. “Can you not be so crude and vulgar? I’m only fourteen and a half years old. Please stop trying so persistently to corrupt a minor, alright?”

“Well, you said she passed the test. You should at least give her some reward.”

“Mm, there will be a reward. Since she passed the test… I can let her observe my Beggars’ Sect dog-beating staff.”

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs roared, “Damn! You little punk are even cruder and more vulgar than me! And more perverted!”

“Alright, alright, enough of that. It’s still midday, so I’ll leave the manor to buy millet seeds. Tonight I can refine Inedia Pills.” Ye Kong sensed the Invisibility Talisman’s time was almost up, so he hurried away from Second Wife’s courtyard.

“Hmph, you think this old ancestor is free labor?”

Ye Kong knew what he was thinking and laughed. “Don’t worry. You just want to learn my paper talisman creation method, right? Later on, I’ll teach you.”

“That’s more like it.” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs went off satisfied to catch up on sleep.

When he reached a secluded spot by the entrance with no one around, Ye Kong removed the Invisibility Talisman, revealed his form, left the Ye Manor, and headed toward the market district.

This Cangnan Continent had developed in a different direction from Earth. Despite hundreds of thousands of years of civilization, it remained in an agricultural society. Farm tools, seeds, shops selling these production materials could be found everywhere, especially along the streets near the city gates. Seven or eight out of ten shops sold these things.

“Boss, I’d like to buy five jin of millet seeds.” Ye Kong handed over one tael of silver.

Unexpectedly, these seeds were shockingly cheap, only two copper coins per jin. The boss would need to give back ninety copper coins in change, and he wasn’t happy about it. “Friend, you’re not here to get me to break your silver, are you?”

Ye Kong felt depressed. Could it be that Cangnan Continent also had a coin shortage?

“But I don’t have any copper coins on me.” Ye Kong replied helplessly.

“Then buy more. You need seeds to farm anyway. How much land can you plant with five jin?” The boss seized the opportunity to make a sales pitch.

Great, the guy took him for a farmer. Ye Kong smiled bitterly. “Boss, what kind of eyes do you have? Do I look like someone who farms?”

Unexpectedly, the boss’s answer made him even more depressed. “You really don’t look like someone who farms. You’re definitely some unlucky kid who snuck out with his family’s money!”