Feeling the approach of a powerful presence, Ye Qingyan quickly hid in a corner, completely concealing her aura.
At that moment, a person clad in a black robe, with a hood pulled low, their entire face hidden in shadow, landed in the courtyard.
"You've arrived!"
Xu Shuya seemed very familiar with the newcomer. Upon seeing him appear, she immediately put down the embroidered handkerchief and handed it to him. "This is the handkerchief I embroidered for you. Do you like it?"
"Thank you."
The black-robed figure accepted the handkerchief and pulled down his hood, revealing a handsome, sun-kissed face.
"How come someone from Hongchen Pavilion is here?"
Ye Qingyan's pupils contracted slightly as she saw the black-robed figure, a storm of shock surging within her.
Ye Qingyan had seen the black-robed figure before. His name was Zhang Qi, formerly a Celestial Master of the Zhengyi Sect, who later betrayed the sect and joined Hongchen Pavilion.
When Ye Qingyan was still serving Hongchen Pavilion, she had worked with Zhang Qi for a period, carrying out several missions.
At that time, Zhang Qi was only at the seventh rank. She never expected that after a few years, he would have reached the eighth rank, and even the peak of the eighth rank!
'What kind of miraculous elixir did he consume?'
Ye Qingyan was puzzled. She had received help from Ye Ling, obtaining a nearly perfect body, which allowed her to break through to the eighth rank.
Without some heaven-defying fortuitous encounter, it would have taken Zhang Qi at least thirty more years to advance from the seventh to the eighth rank!
"Brother Zhang, why do you have time to come here today?" Xu Shuya looked at Zhang Qi, her eyes filled with excitement.
"I had some business in Jiangdong Province and happened to pass by, so I came to see you."
Zhang Qi smiled at Xu Shuya. "By the way, how have you been lately?"
"How else could I be? My father keeps me locked in the royal mansion all day, unable to leave the estate. The only person I can see is that blockhead Tianyi. I have no one to talk to, and I'm practically dying of boredom."
"Brother Zhang, didn't you say you would take me out? When will you take me away? I've lived here for almost a hundred years, and I'm going to suffocate!"
Xu Shuya looked at Zhang Qi with eyes full of hope.
She yearned to venture out.
However, she was a bound spirit here. Without outside help, she would never be able to leave.
Furthermore, her father, the Heavenly Net Ghost King, had always restricted her movements. No one in the Heavenly Net Ghost City dared to disobey the Heavenly Net Ghost King's orders and take her out.
Although it was already the twenty-first century outside, Xu Shuya's memories were still from the twentieth century.
Zhang Qi smiled and said, "If I told you I wanted to take you out right now, would you come with me?"
"Really?"
Upon hearing Zhang Qi's words, Xu Shuya was overjoyed and nodded without hesitation. "Of course, I will! I'll go with you right now!"
She was going mad with the desire to leave!
Having not been to the outside world for a hundred years, even if she were to die upon leaving, she would still go without hesitation!
'He actually wants to take a bound spirit out into the world. What is he planning?'
Ye Qingyan frowned slightly, seeing Zhang Qi deceive Xu Shuya with just a few words.
Although Xu Shuya had been here for a hundred years, her mentality was no different from that of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl.
Despite Zhang Qi's gentle smile, which seemed to indicate immense affection for Xu Shuya, Ye Qingyan could tell at a glance that he had ill intentions towards her.
It was likely that Xu Shuya's fate would be exceptionally tragic after being taken out by Zhang Qi.
"Who dares to trespass into my Heavenly Net Royal Mansion?"
At this moment, Tianyi's icy voice echoed from outside the courtyard.
A sword light flashed, and a flying sword attacked.
Zhang Qi's smile froze, his eyes turned cold. He flicked his sleeve, directly swatting away Tianyi's flying sword, which then plunged into the ground.
The flying sword vibrated, its body emitting a long hum!
Xu Shuya's expression changed slightly. "Oh no! It's that blockhead Tianyi! Brother Zhang, you should escape first. If my father is alerted, you won't be able to leave!"
"Don't worry, Shuya. Today, I said I would take you away, and no one can stop me," Zhang Qi said calmly, standing in front of Xu Shuya and looking at Tianyi, who was walking into the courtyard, with a composed expression.
At this moment, Tianyi was dressed in black, wearing a black and white mask, his long hair flowing as if in a breeze.
"If you want to take the young lady away, you'll have to get past me first."
Tianyi said coldly, beckoning with one hand. The flying sword stuck in the ground shook rapidly and then flew out of the ground, returning to his hand.
"Young lady, stay away from this fellow. He has ill intentions."
Xu Shuya quickly said, "Tianyi, you've misunderstood! Brother Zhang is a good person. He's going to take me away from here!"
"Please stop quickly. I don't want you two to fight."
"Shuya, step back. This fellow seems rather stubborn and has no intention of letting us go."
Zhang Qi said to Xu Shuya without looking back, but his gaze towards Tianyi was filled with amusement.
A mere seventh rank.
He didn't take Tianyi seriously at all.
"Tianyi, please don't make things difficult for Brother Zhang. I just want to see the outside world, and Brother Zhang can fulfill my dream."
Xu Shuya retreated to the rear and again advised Tianyi.
"My master has instructed me to escort the young lady safely to the banquet hall. This is my responsibility."
Tianyi's tone was firm, showing no intention of backing down. "As a bound spirit, the young lady is not tolerated by the Heavenly Dao. Only here can she find a place to reside. Anyone who tries to take the young lady away has ill intentions."
"Tianyi, I just want to go out and see! Don't force me!"
Seeing that Tianyi still had no intention of backing down, Xu Shuya became somewhat annoyed and shouted at him.
'This silly girl, she doesn't even know who is truly treating her well. If she's really taken away by that guy, she'll probably be devoured without even a bone left.'
Ye Qingyan grumbled silently from her hiding place.
'Though, she's a spirit body, so she probably doesn't have bones.'
"What's all the commotion about?"
Just then, Ye Ling's voice sounded in Ye Qingyan's mind.
Ye Qingyan looked back and saw the space behind her distorting slightly. Ye Ling emerged from it silently.
Seeing Ye Ling appear in such a manner, Ye Qingyan was somewhat speechless, only able to silently label him a "monster" in her heart.
"Are you done with your business over there?"
Ye Qingyan composed herself and transmitted her thoughts to Ye Ling.
Ye Ling replied, "Yes. There was a Duke from Western Europe who is the deputy city lord of this Heavenly Net Ghost City. I learned from him that the pure Yin Yuan Corpse, Xu Shuya, is the daughter of the Heavenly Net Ghost King and a Celestial Master from the Zhengyi Sect."
"A romance between a ghost and a human? How scandalous!"
Ye Qingyan was shocked, looking at Ye Ling with disbelief.
Ye Ling nodded. "The Heavenly Net Ghost King had a daughter with a human woman. This matter is indeed incredible, but it is the truth. No matter how illusory it may seem, it is still a fact."
"Xu Shuya was rescued by Hongchen Pavilion, and then the Heavenly Net Ghost King refined her into an evil spirit, keeping her trapped here for a hundred years."
Ye Qingyan exclaimed in surprise, "So it was the Heavenly Net Ghost King who refined her into an evil spirit... He didn't let his own daughter reincarnate but instead locked her here for a hundred years. I suspect the Heavenly Net Ghost King didn't even consider her his daughter."
Ye Ling nodded. "The Heavenly Net Ghost King is a thoroughbred fiend. I'm not surprised by anything he does."
"This Xu Shuya, it's likely that from the moment she was born, she became a tool to be exploited by the Heavenly Net Ghost King."
He looked at Xu Shuya in the courtyard, his eyes becoming deep. "She is a pitiable person."