Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Chen Yuan's consciousness fell into darkness, and he returned to that strange space.

The mesmerizing, multicolored mist rose to his waist, and the golden light barrier shrank considerably faster, now only about three feet away from his body.

Chen Yuan shook his head, his mind returning to his body. He opened his eyes and found himself back in the left wing. Standing by the door, he raised his right hand, about to conjure a golden blade to cleave the iron lock.

He sighed, slowly lowered his right hand, and sat back down at the table.

He had just escaped from the Liu residence when he encountered a low-level demon general who, with just his aura, rendered him immobile and devoured him whole.

If it weren't for the demon general wanting to eat him, he could have taken his life with just a glance.

Having experienced the previous two deaths, Chen Yuan knew that this was no coincidence, but rather that his actions had deviated from the script, which had brought about this third death.

How could there be such a coincidence that a low-ranking demon general would appear in a mortal city and take an interest in a mere ant-like cultivator?

This illusion was warning him not to escape the Liu residence, but to go and see the "noble person" mentioned by Steward Chai.

Chen Yuan dared not try a second time. The seven-colored mist had already risen to his chest, and the golden light shield was being gradually eroded. He could no longer take the risk.

Although he didn't know what the illusion's purpose was, it shouldn't be to take his life, otherwise the Crimson Heaven True Fire in the Flame Gate would have burned him to death.

Alternatively, let the demon general kill him several more times, and after the golden light barrier shatters, the seven-colored mist can completely strip him of his memories.

Before he stepped out of Liu's residence, the demon general had not shown himself, which showed that there was an invisible boundary in the illusion. As long as his actions did not cross this boundary, the illusion would not take action on its own.

After all, logically speaking, it is impossible for a beggar to know the cultivation techniques, let alone the Nascent Soul cultivation technique "Mysterious Armor Melting Gold Body" and embark on the path of cultivation.

However, the illusionary realm simply watched him meditate and cultivate every day, improving his cultivation level, without ever interfering.

Chen Yuan guessed that as long as he didn't leave the Liu residence and didn't harm Young Master Liu, thus preventing him from handing him over to that "noble person," he could do whatever he wanted.

Of course, he didn't know the exact location of this invisible boundary, so he couldn't really act recklessly.

But he could easily do something quietly without affecting the direction of the script.

Chen Yuan made up his mind, stood up, went to the door, and circulated his magic power.

In the palm of his hand, a golden needle as thin as a hair materialized and silently flew out of the door crack, inserted into the iron lock, and gently turned to open it.

This step seems simple, but it requires extremely precise control of magical power, which is difficult even for Core Formation cultivators; at the very least, it requires Nascent Soul cultivation.

The two guards outside the gate were on duty late at night and couldn't sleep. Bored, they could only chat and laugh in hushed tones to dispel their fatigue and weariness, and they didn't hear the soft rattling of the iron lock behind them.

This was all thanks to the Liu family's wealth and power; even the iron lock was exquisitely crafted, opening almost silently and being masked by the two men's laughter.

The iron chains separated and fell downwards, but Chen Yuan released a wisp of magic power, which transformed into a gentle breeze to support them.

He pushed open the door, walked out, and used his magic to cast a bewitching spell on the two guards.

With his current cultivation level, which is not even at the first level of Qi Refining, it is quite difficult for him to use the Bewitching Technique.

However, Chen Yuan's control over his magical power was too precise. He could use every bit of his magical power to its fullest extent, equivalent to seven or eight tenths of an ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivator.

After consuming most of his mana, he finally managed to cast the spell.

The two guards stiffened, a hint of confusion in their eyes, and their laughter subsided.

One of them slowly turned around and followed Chen Yuan into the room, while the other remained outside to stand guard.

Chen Yuan asked the guard Liu about the layout of the mansion in a low voice. The guard answered all his questions without hesitation, though his voice was somewhat stiff.

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Yuan got the answer he wanted. He and the guards walked out of the room, hung the iron lock on the door, and released the two guards from the bewitching spell.

The two of them shuddered, blinked, and continued to chat and laugh in hushed tones, completely unaware of what had just happened.

Chen Yuan walked away from the wall, his short figure completely disappearing into the night, avoiding the sight of the two guards.

For the past month, he had been well-behaved and had not left his room except for the one time he was summoned by Young Master Liu.

The guards watching him had long since become lax and wouldn't bother to check on him. Even if he didn't return all night, the two of them wouldn't notice anything amiss.

Following the guard's description, Chen Yuan avoided other patrolling guards along the way, passing through several side gates and finally arriving at a courtyard with walls three zhang high.

The Liu family was wealthy and powerful, and their residence consisted of four courtyards divided into three sections. The residence of young master Liu was located in the third courtyard of the eastern section.

The central courtyard housed the main hall, reception room, and Mr. Liu's residence, while the western courtyard contained flower gardens and other gardens.

The courtyard Chen Yuan arrived at was located in the third courtyard of the west wing. It was heavily guarded, with guards patrolling all around, and it was the location of the Liu family's storeroom.

It houses many of the Liu family's gold, silver, antiques, and rare treasures. There are as many as thirty guards, all of whom are Refining Skin Realm martial artists, wielding knives, spears, and torches. There are also five Bone Forging Realm martial artists stationed there. Even a hundred or more bandits and thugs would not be able to get close to it.

However, Chen Yuan easily evaded the guards' eyes and ears, circulated his magic power, and a few wisps of breeze arose beneath his feet. He then used his lightness technique to lightly step on the wall and silently flipped over inside.

The warehouse was heavily guarded on the outside but loosely guarded on the inside, with only three guards on duty. They seemed not to see Chen Yuan, allowing him to condense three golden needles and pierce his brain without even letting out a scream.

This is a stealth technique that only cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining can master. It can deflect light and conceal one's figure.

Chen Yuan only maintained his power for a moment before it was rapidly depleted, but it was enough for him to kill three guards, including one of the Bone Forging Realm warriors.

The storerooms in the courtyard were divided into four sections. Even the guards Chen Yuan had interrogated were unaware of the details inside. So, he simply conjured a golden blade and broke open all the copper locks on the four storerooms, then went inside to explore.

The guards patrolling outside the courtyard were unaware of the commotion inside. Chen Yuan calmly inspected the situation, took away all the hundreds of kilograms of demon beast meat stored by the Liu family, and also took away hundreds of gold beads.

More than 90 jin of it was meat from a first-level low-grade demon beast, the kind that Chen Yuan had been eating these days.

There were also several kilograms of first-level mid-grade demon beast meat, which contained even more blood energy and demonic power, placed in an exquisite jade box.

In a heavy iron box deep inside the main warehouse, he found seven low-grade spirit stones and half a bottle of Qi Refining early-stage cultivation pills, which he also took.

If it were any other martial artist in the Marrow Refining Realm carrying so much demon beast flesh over the high wall, they would inevitably make some noise.

However, with the aid of magic, Chen Yuan slipped out silently and, relying on his keen senses, avoided all the guards and servants.

Along the way, he casually buried the gold beads in the garden, leaving no trace.

After returning to the courtyard where Young Master Liu was staying, Chen Yuan once again used his bewitching spell to make the two guards unlock the iron locks on their own, before leisurely walking into the side room with the monster meat in his arms.

The two guards stiffly closed the door, turned around, blinked, and started talking about the girls in the Shuyu Pavilion, their hearts itching with desire, completely unaware of what they had done.

Chen Yuan returned to his bed, lowered the beaded curtain, sat cross-legged, took out a low-grade spirit stone, and quickly restored his true essence.

He then channeled his magic power, condensed true fire, cooked several pounds of demon beast meat, and swallowed it in large gulps.

He took another pill, assumed the posture of facing the sky with his five hearts facing the heavens, grasped a spirit stone in each hand, and began to circulate the "Mysterious Armor Melting Gold Body".

For an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, it would take at least seven or eight days to refine a pill for the early stage of Qi Refining.

However, Chen Yuan cultivates the Nascent Soul technique, and the meridians of this body are much more resilient than those of ordinary cultivators, and his talent is also exceptional.

He doesn't need to worry about an unstable foundation. He can refine blood energy and spiritual energy at an extremely fast speed, and it only takes an hour to refine them.

Overnight, Chen Yuan consumed over thirty catties of demon beast meat, refined two pills, and absorbed all three spirit stones. His cultivation finally reached the first level of the Qi Refining stage, and his physical body also strengthened considerably.

Even Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised that this body could easily withstand such a massive amount of spiritual energy and blood energy without suffering any damage.

Then, considering that this body could completely absorb blood energy and demonic power without removing impurities, a guess came to Chen Yuan's mind.

A few days ago, the handsome page stopped giving him lessons. Just as Chen Yuan was about to continue his cultivation, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

While Chen Yuan was cultivating, he never forgot to spare a sliver of his consciousness to keep an eye on the movements outside the door.

He immediately stopped cultivating, got out of bed, put the monster meat, spirit stones, and pills under the bed, lay down fully clothed, and pretended to fall asleep.

After a while, the iron lock was opened, the door was pushed open roughly, and Steward Chai walked into the room. He saw Chen Yuan sleeping on the bed and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It was just dawn, not yet time for dinner.

Steward Chai had no food box in his hand, nor did he wake Chen Yuan. He quietly slipped out and closed the door.

Chen Yuan opened his eyes and smiled slightly. It seemed that the Liu family already knew about the theft of the storeroom, but did not suspect him.

No one would have imagined that a beggar who was powerless just a month ago could deceive all the guards in the Liu family mansion, kill three martial artists, and loot the storeroom.

In order to mislead the Liu family, he also took over a hundred gold beads, worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, further reducing his suspicion.

For the next two days, Chen Yuan spent all his time meditating and cultivating, except for his three meals a day.

As his cultivation level improved, he was able to refine pills and devour monster meat at an increasingly faster pace.

The day before Young Master Liu gave him to the nobleman, Chen Yuan finally refined the half bottle of pills and the monster meat.

His cultivation level had reached the second stage of Qi Refining, and his physical body was comparable to that of a mid-level first-grade demon beast.

In just one month, he went from an ordinary person to a cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining. How astonishing!

However, this is not surprising when applied to a cultivator who possesses a heavenly spiritual root, a divine soul of the Nascent Soul stage, and an extremely special physique.

The Liu residence has become extremely tense these past two days due to the theft of the storeroom, and two more guards have been added to watch over Chen Yuan's gate.

However, they were only standing guard outside and did not affect Chen Yuan's cultivation.

Of course, a Qi Refining Level 2 cultivation is only slightly better than nothing, and to think that one can deal with the illusion of the True Dragon Cave with such a level is wishful thinking.

However, in any case, the second level of Qi Refining is far superior to an ordinary person who is powerless to even kill a chicken.

Chen Yuan didn't know how long the illusion would last or what dangers he would encounter next, so his cultivation level was undoubtedly the higher the better.

Whether or not one can ultimately escape the illusion depends on that slight difference in cultivation level.

……

The following evening, Young Master Liu and Chen Yuan boarded a carriage, accompanied by Steward Chai and several guards, and paraded through the city towards the east.

In the past few days, besides cultivating, Chen Yuan has also used his bewitching technique several times to inquire about the situation in Qingyang City from the handsome pageboy and Steward Chai, and has gained some understanding of the situation in the city.

The Liu family mansion was located in the north of the city and was the residence of wealthy and gentry people. It was full of mansions and courtyards and covered a vast area.

But the most prosperous area in the city is the east side.

The government offices and military camps were all located here, and there were many brothels and taverns nearby. Even at night, the area was brightly lit and bustling with noise.

Chen Yuan also used a mind-control technique to get the origins of this important person from Steward Chai.

This man is named Yin Ziming. He is the only son of Yin Baiying, the general of Qingyang City. He has practiced martial arts since childhood and has been nourished by the flesh of demon beasts for many years. At just over twenty years old, he has already developed the Gang Jin (罡劲).

In terms of cultivation level alone, a martial artist with the "罡劲" (Gang Jin) skill is equivalent to a cultivator at the second level of the "炼气" (Refining Qi) stage.

However, Chen Yuan was no ordinary Qi Refining Level 2 cultivator; killing Yin Ziming would be a piece of cake for him.

His father, Yin Baiying, was a Xiantian martial artist, comparable to a Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator, but he was not difficult to deal with.

When Chen Yuan first entered the Liu family, he was not strong enough and could not do anything if he was humiliated by Young Master Liu. But now he will not allow himself to be humiliated.

If Yin Ziming wanted to harm him, he would rather die again than let Yin Ziming succeed.

The only concern is the immortal cultivator enshrined in the general's mansion.

In Qingyang City, cultivators are no secret.

Qingyang City is the seat of Qingyang Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of Ningzhou in the Southern Frontier Circuit. It is one of the southernmost important border towns in the entire Daqian Dynasty.

Further south lies a vast, dense forest known as the Southern Wilderness, inhabited only by monsters and barbarians.

It was thanks to the protection of cultivators that Qingyang City was able to withstand the invasion of demonic beasts from the Southern Wilderness.

The Great Qian Dynasty enshrines the Immortal Sect Tai Su Palace, and cultivators are stationed in all the prosperous cities across the land, especially in the border cities, to prevent them from being attacked by demonic beasts.

Within the Liu residence, there is a jade statue of the founder of the Taisu Palace, which is worshipped daily.

Qingyang City faces the Southern Wilderness directly, and a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Liu Zhenren is stationed in the city.

This matter is common knowledge. Every few years, the Tai Su Palace tests the spiritual roots of thirteen-year-old boys in the city, and this Master Liu presides over the test.

In addition, Liu Zhenren had several Qi Refining stage cultivators stationed in the residences of civil and military officials such as prefects, generals, and county magistrates to prevent them from being harmed by demonic beasts.

These cultivators all possessed late-stage Qi Refining cultivation, and with Chen Yuan's current cultivation level, he was still unable to contend with them.

However, according to Steward Chai, these cultivators spend their days in seclusion and rarely show themselves in public.

They would not guard these civil and military officials day and night, much less look after their offspring.

As long as the timing is right and the action is taken discreetly, the cultivators in the general's mansion will not be alerted.

Chen Yuan also knew that if this body was violated by Yin Ziming, it was the script set by the illusion, and no matter how many times he died, he could not change this outcome.

But since he has the power to resist, he must at least try once before he is satisfied.

……

The general's mansion is grand and imposing, with two majestic stone lions at the entrance and several hitching posts lined up in a row, which pedestrians keep at a distance.

The Liu family carriage passed by the main gate without stopping, instead circling around to the west gate of the General's Mansion before finally stopping. The main gate was only opened to welcome guests when Yin Baiying was receiving guests.

As the eldest son of the general's family, Yin Ziming had his own residence, and guests could not enter through the main gate.

Compared to the main gate, the west gate was much simpler, with only two hitching posts and no stone lions on either side to guard the house.

Chen Yuan followed behind Young Master Liu as he stepped down from the carriage. The coachman led the horse toward the hitching post, and Steward Chai stepped forward to ask the gatekeeper to announce their arrival.

Before leaving the Liu residence, Young Master Liu had Chen Yuan put on a mask to cover his face.

After a month of cultivation, and in just two days, he refined the blood essence of over a hundred catties of demon beast meat, and Chen Yuan grew several inches taller, becoming comparable to a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy.

At this moment, he was plump and fair-skinned. His already handsome and flawless face was further enhanced by a heroic air, which would have attracted too much attention if revealed.

The group didn't have to wait long before the west gate of the general's mansion opened, and Yin Ziming led several servants out to personally greet them.

This man was tall and slender, dressed in a wide robe with flowing sleeves. He had a handsome face, an elegant demeanor, and a smile on his lips. He did not look like a martial artist, but rather like a well-read nobleman.

He glanced at Chen Yuan, who was wearing a mask, and then invited Young Master Liu inside with a smile. Chen Yuan and Steward Chai accompanied him.

The guards who came along were led away to rest elsewhere by the general's servants.

The group arrived at the main hall, exchanged greetings, and then took their seats as hosts and guests.

Chen Yuan stood beside Young Master Liu with his hands clasped behind his back, while Steward Chai stood behind him with a humble expression.

Yin Ziming exchanged a few pleasantries with Young Master Liu, but his eyes kept lingering on Chen Yuan. After a while, he got straight to the point: "Is this the Li Xuan that Brother Liu mentioned? Why don't you take off your mask and let me see him?"

Young Master Liu personally removed Chen Yuan's mask and said with a smile, "Brother Yin, please look, it would be hard to find another page so handsome in Qingyang City..."

Yin Ziming didn't hear the second half of his sentence; he was stunned the moment he saw Chen Yuan's face.

After a long pause, he clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Truly, she possesses a beauty that could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, a face that could shame the moon and put flowers to shame!"

"Brother Liu is absolutely right. Such a wonderful person is truly a rare find, a rarity in the world. Name your price, and I will not haggle!"

Young Master Liu's smile deepened, and he said to Chen Yuan, "Hurry up and greet Brother Yin."

Chen Yuan bowed respectfully, his face showing fear: "This humble one is Li Xuan, greetings to Young Master Yin."

In this illusion, he is still a beggar, and must adopt the demeanor befitting a beggar.

Yin Ziming's eyes shone brightly, his gaze seemingly fixed on Chen Yuan, unable to look away.

Seeing his appearance, Young Master Liu was secretly pleased and said, "Brother Yin and I are close friends, how could I dare to talk about money?"

"Since Brother Yin likes it, then I will give it to Brother Yin."

Upon hearing this, Yin Ziming did not refuse: "Then I will accept it without being impolite. Thank you, Brother Liu!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to remember something, turned to look at Young Master Liu, and frowned, saying, "Brother Liu, you're so straightforward, could it be that you've already..."

Young Master Liu laughed and said, "Brother Yin, you are overthinking it. This Li Xuan is still a tender seedling that has not yet been weathered by the storms of life."

Yin Ziming's expression softened: "Brother Liu has presented such a generous gift today, so naturally I must return the favor."

"Leave that trade route to me. I'll have my mother talk to her about it. I can't say it's a sure thing, but I'm at least 70 or 80 percent sure."

Young Master Liu was overjoyed and immediately clasped his hands in a bow: "Then I will have to trouble you, Brother Yin. I have another small gift to offer, and I will repay you handsomely after the matter is settled!"

"Please tell the general that if this trade route can be handed over to my family, my father is willing to give the general 20% of the shares."

As soon as he finished speaking, Steward Chai stepped forward, took out a silver note from his pocket, bowed slightly, and placed both hands on the table.

When Yin Ziming saw it, he saw it was a silver note for two thousand taels of silver, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

This amount of silver wasn't much to him, but before the matter was even settled, Young Master Liu presented him with a handsome and flawless pageboy and then took out two thousand taels of silver.

How much silver will he offer as a reward after the deed is done?

Yin Ziming then invited Young Master Liu to stay for dinner, and Young Master Liu naturally accepted.

Yin Ziming sent a maid to the kitchen to have the cook prepare a fine banquet. Then he chatted with Young Master Liu about matters of love and romance. The host and guests enjoyed themselves immensely, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

As he got excited, Yin Ziming's eyes lit up, and he beckoned Chen Yuan over, extending his hand.

A cold glint flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes as he secretly channeled his magic power to cast a bewitching spell.

Yin Ziming paused for a moment, then abandoned the idea, simply having Chen Yuan stand aside while he continued chatting and laughing with Young Master Liu.

Upon seeing this, Young Master Liu was secretly amazed. Yin Ziming appeared to be a refined and cultured man, but in reality, because he was extremely favored by Madam Yin, he had developed a spoiled and dissolute nature, and had even indulged in public pleasures before.

He thought Li Xuan would also be killed today, but he didn't expect Yin Ziming to suppress his lust, which was quite rare.

About half an hour later, servants brought in plates of dishes, which filled the table. Yin Ziming, Young Master Liu, and Steward Chai took their seats one after another.

Although Steward Chai was a servant of the Liu family, he was also a trusted confidant of Young Master Liu, offering him advice and strategies. He was a figure of integrity, capable of handling matters of public concern.

However, it was somewhat inappropriate for Yin Ziming to also invite Chen Yuan to the table.

However, since he was the local landlord and Young Master Liu needed his help, he naturally had no objections.

But this made Young Master Liu even more puzzled. Yin Ziming's eyes were practically overflowing with affection for Li Xuan, yet he managed to refrain from touching him. It was truly a strange thing.

After the three men had drunk several rounds of wine, Yin Ziming ordered Chen Yuan to drink. Chen Yuan pretended not to know how, but after drinking two cups, his face turned red. Only then did Yin Ziming stop.

This time he did not use the mind-controlling technique. Although Yin Ziming was not a cultivator, his soul was different from that of ordinary people and was very solid.

Clearly, his martial arts skills were not unfounded, and he often ate the flesh of demonic beasts, whose blood and energy had a certain effect on strengthening the soul.

Chen Yuan's cultivation level was not high, and using the Bewitching Technique on Yin Ziming consumed too much of his magic power.

Just getting him to give up the idea of ​​doing something beastly consumed a lot of his magical power, and it couldn't continue indefinitely.

Yin Ziming, Young Master Liu, and Steward Chai were drinking and chatting when a maid suddenly entered.

She bowed to Yin Ziming and said respectfully, "Madam misses you, young master. Please come and have a meal."

Yin Ziming frowned: "Tell Mother that I am entertaining guests and cannot leave. I will talk to her later."

The maid took her leave, and the three continued drinking, while Chen Yuan ate quietly beside them.

Suddenly, a deep voice came from outside the door: "You little brat, your mother told you to go eat, and you dare to refuse!"

"All you do all day is eat, drink, and have fun. You've neglected your martial arts skills. What kind of guests are you entertaining? Where did you find these scoundrels?"

A figure walked in, his imposing body almost blocking half of the door.

Yin Ziming's expression changed, and he hurriedly put down his wine cup, stood up and went to greet him: "Father, what brings you here..."

Young Master Liu and Steward Chai also quickly stood up and bowed respectfully.

Chen Yuan stood up and turned to look over.

This man had a leopard-like head and bulging eyes, a broad back and a thick waist, and was seven feet tall. Standing in the restaurant, he seemed somewhat cramped.

Yin Baiying was slightly taken aback when he saw Young Master Liu: "You are... Liu Chi's son?"

Young Master Liu replied respectfully, "Junior Liu Zheng'ang greets General Yin."

Yin Ziming stepped forward and explained, "Father, Brother Liu and I are discussing serious matters. As you know, it involves the trade route with the Shawu barbarians..."

Yin Baiying's expression softened: "Since you are Liu Chi's son, then call me uncle."

"Ziming has made bad friends and has befriended a bunch of scoundrels. I am very angry and have wronged you. Please don't take it to heart."

Young Master Liu quickly replied, "Uncle, you flatter me. How could I possibly blame you? If my father found out, he would surely break my legs."

"You can continue eating..."

Yin Baiying stopped abruptly when his gaze fell on Chen Yuan halfway through his sentence.

He looked Chen Yuan up and down, his eyes shining, and asked, "Who is this little boy?"

Young Master Liu was overjoyed. Could it be that Yin Baiying also had a taste for this?
Winning over Yin Baiying directly would be far more effective than befriending Yin Ziming.

But Yin Ziming understood Yin Baiying and knew that he deeply loved his mother and had never taken a concubine, let alone a man.

He was quite puzzled and explained, "His name is Li Xuan, he is... he's the pageboy Brother Liu gave me..."

Yin Baiying glared at him, and Yin Ziming lowered his head guiltily, waiting for his father's scolding.

But Yin Baiying did not scold him. Instead, he said to Young Master Liu, "Go back. The Shawu Man trade route will be handed over to the Liu family."

Young Master Liu was overjoyed, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Thank you, Uncle. My Liu family is willing to offer 20% of the shares. Please accept this offer, General."

Although he didn't know why Yin Baiying was so straightforward, this general was always true to his word and would never go back on his word once he made it.

Yin Baiying nodded: "Liu Chi is very kind. I will accept these two percent of the shares."

Having achieved his goal, Young Master Liu did not linger and immediately took his leave.

Yin Baiying had his servants see him off, leaving only himself, Chen Yuan, and Yin Ziming in the hall.

Like Young Master Liu, Yin Ziming was puzzled by Yin Baiying's actions.

But it's a good thing that things were done without having to ask the mother to influence the matter.

He said, "Father, I'll go have dinner with Mother now."

Yin Baiying waved his hand: "No rush."

He scrutinized Chen Yuan carefully, and after a long while, nodded in satisfaction. He then summoned a servant and ordered, "Go and fetch Yin Tie."

The servant took the order and left. Less than a quarter of an hour later, a strong and muscular man walked in, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Yin Baiying: "What are your orders, sir?"

Yin Baiying pointed at Chen Yuan: "This little kid has impressive martial arts skills. Take him to the wooden dummy courtyard and settle him in."

"You must personally oversee him, ensuring he has enough to eat and drink, but you also cannot let him leave your side for even a moment."

Chen Yuan's heart stirred. This Yin Baiying had excellent eyesight, and he could tell at a glance that he had a strong physical body.

This was something he deliberately revealed. After all, having eaten demon beast meat for a month, even if he was just passively absorbing its blood essence, his physical body was at least comparable to that of a Bone Forging Realm martial artist.

If nothing changes, it will only arouse suspicion from Young Master Liu.

The burly man glanced at Chen Yuan and said, "What if this kid runs away?"

Yin Baiying thought for a moment and said, "Stop him, but remember not to hurt him, or I'll hold you responsible!"

"Yes!"

The burly man clasped his hands in a bow, then turned to look at Chen Yuan and said coldly, "Boy, come with me!"

This scene seemed familiar, and a sense of absurdity welled up in Chen Yuan's heart.

He maintained a seemingly calm demeanor, but his eyes were filled with panic as he followed the burly man out of the room.

When Yin Ziming saw Chen Yuan being taken away by the burly man, he became very anxious: "Father, this is the pageboy that Brother Liu gave me. Why are you taking him away?"

Yin Baiying glared at him, said nothing, sat down at the table, poured himself a glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

After the burly man led Chen Yuan out of the courtyard, he coldly said, "Sit down! Do you think I don't know who those pageboys you keep are?"

"I have a great use for Li Xuan, so you don't need to worry about him anymore!"

Yin Ziming was stunned, staring blankly at Yin Baiying, his face full of astonishment: "Father, could it be that you also... How can you do this to my mother!"

Yin Baiying was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage, grabbed a wine glass, and smashed it over Yin Ziming's head: "You bastard! How dare you talk nonsense about me!"

"Do you think everyone is like you? I need Li Xuan for a much bigger purpose!"

He casually tossed the wine glass, but it made a whistling sound as it struck Yin Ziming on the head, leaving a wound from which blood gushed out.

Yin Ziming felt a sharp pain in his head, but he breathed a sigh of relief and quickly apologized to his father.

But he was still somewhat unwilling and cautiously asked, "Father, now that you've used Li Xuan, can you give him back to me?"

Yin Baiying roared, "What do you mean 'used up'? I don't even like that kind of stuff!"

Yin Ziming quickly corrected himself: "I misspoke. What use do you have for Li Xuan, sir? When will you return him to me?"

Yin Baiying snorted: "Don't bother asking about this matter. Just pretend this person doesn't exist."

After saying that, he got up and walked out of the hall.

Yin Ziming was extremely anxious and wanted to ask more, but Yin Baiying suddenly turned around and gave him a stern look, forcing him to swallow the words that were about to come out. (End of this chapter)