Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 216 Appealing to Both Men and Women!

Chen Ye felt no emotion upon hearing this; in fact, he almost laughed.

An expert?

What a load of rubbish about being an expert!
The secret edict issued by the Empress clearly stated that Li Chengfeng's crime was colluding with sorcerers.

In this world, who else could be called a demon by Her Majesty the Empress and the Great Chen Dynasty, besides the members of the Demon Sect in that boundless desert in the west?
Even the Nine Nether Sect originated from there, so this boundless sandy region is also a famous demon cave holy land in the world.

Therefore, the group of masters who could grant him immortality, as described by Li Chengfeng, were nothing more than a group of shady, demonic people.

It's ridiculous and pathetic that he spoke so mysteriously and with such longing on his face.

Chen Ye knew exactly what was going on, but his face remained stubbornly unmoved.

His duty was to guard, not to interrogate.

All he needs to do is sit here and make sure Li Chengfeng neither dies nor escapes.

As for getting him to talk, that's something Shen Lian or other important figures should worry about.

Li Chengfeng, however, was completely oblivious to anything amiss, as he was now completely absorbed in his own world.

"You can't even imagine their methods!" Li Chengfeng's eyes gleamed with fanaticism. "They can grant eternal youth, they can bring the dead back to life! They possess the most primal power in the world!"

"What do those pedantic scholars in the academy know? They just know how to cram into a few tattered books and spout some vague and unrealistic theories! They have no idea what the world is really like!"

"Only by following those great ones can one attain true immortality! Only then can one transcend the sea of ​​suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death!"

Li Chengfeng became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see himself living forever, as long as heaven and earth.

Looking at his demeanor, Chen Ye had only one thought in his mind.

That means this guy has completely gone mad.

He sacrificed his decades of hard-earned faith and even his life for a vague dream of immortality.

does it worth?
Perhaps Li Chengfeng thought it was worthwhile.

But in Chen Ye's view, this was utterly foolish.

You should take control of your own life.

Expecting others to give it to you? What's the difference between that and a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy?
"I helped them plant their own people, and I helped them gather intelligence on the movements of the imperial court and the academy... Everything I did was paving the way for my path to immortality!"

"I am not wrong!"

In the end, Li Chengfeng started roaring again, as if he was trying to persuade Chen Ye, but it seemed more like he was trying to persuade himself.

Chen Ye remained unmoved.

After speaking for a long time, Li Chengfeng became somewhat discouraged when he saw that Chen Ye had no reaction, and eventually fell silent.

The dungeon fell silent once more.

Li Chengfeng stopped talking and just curled up in the corner like an old dog waiting to die.

Chen Ye was happy to have some peace and quiet, so he adjusted his posture, closed his eyes, and began to conserve his energy.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, a steady sound of footsteps came from outside the passageway.

Chen Ye suddenly opened his eyes, and his hand instinctively went to the hilt of the knife at his waist.

The jailer had already brought the food by then; no one else should be coming.

But the footsteps were getting closer.

Soon, several figures appeared at the end of the passageway.

Leading the group was an old eunuch carrying a palace lantern, followed by a woman in a scarlet official robe. She was tall and straight, with a beautiful face and an air of heroism and majesty between her brows.

Behind them followed several composed palace guards.

Upon seeing the person who arrived, Chen Ye's tense body instantly relaxed.

The person who came was none other than his sister, Chen Wan'er, the most trusted secretary of the current empress.

Chen Wan'er's gaze fell on Chen Ye, noticing the bloodshot eyes and slightly tired expression on his face. A hint of heartache flashed in her cool eyes, but she quickly concealed it.

In the palace, she was a dignified secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, and the Empress's right-hand woman.

She is Chen Ye's older sister only when no one is around.

"Captain Chen, you've worked hard." Chen Wan'er's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

"This humble servant is here to guard the important prisoner on the orders of the Commander, and dares not complain of the hardship," Chen Ye replied respectfully.

The siblings' conversation was purely businesslike, as if they were just ordinary superiors and subordinates.

But Chen Ye knew that his sister was putting on a show for outsiders.

The old eunuch and guards behind her were all from the palace; with so many people around, she had to be careful.

At that moment, Li Chengfeng also heard the noise. When he looked up and saw Chen Wan'er in her familiar scarlet official robes, a glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in his previously lifeless eyes.

He knew Chen Wan'er.

Although this young secretary in the imperial court did not hold the highest official rank, everyone knew that her words often represented the Empress's will.

So he struggled to get up from the haystack, rushed to the cell door, and gripped the bars tightly with both hands.

"Chen Sheren! Have you come to save me?" His voice was hoarse, full of expectation.

"Minister Li, His Majesty has decreed that I come to ask you a few questions." Chen Wan'er's expression remained unchanged, her voice as cold as ice.

The hope on Li Chengfeng's face instantly froze.

They weren't there to rescue him, but to interrogate him.

"Chen Ye." Chen Wan'er ignored Li Chengfeng and looked at Chen Ye instead. "We don't need you here for now. You've worked hard all night, so go back and rest."

"Yes," Chen Ye replied with a bow. "This subordinate takes his leave."

After saying that, Chen Ye turned and left without any hesitation.

He knew that what was about to happen here was beyond the control of a mere Zhaowu Colonel like himself.

Stepping out of the cold, damp, and rotten prison and breathing in the fresh air, Chen Ye felt as if he had come back to life.

He stretched, feeling his bones cracking all over.

"Sir, are you alright?" Zhao Qi had been waiting outside. When he saw Chen Ye come out, he quickly came up to him with concern on his face.

"It's nothing." Chen Ye waved his hand. "Prepare the horses, let's go home."

"Alright!" Zhao Qi quickly ran to fetch the horse.

Chen Ye mounted his horse, glanced back at the inconspicuous entrance to the prison, but his mind was on his sister Chen Wan'er.

He knew that his sister's visit this time was not simply to interrogate Li Chengfeng.

Li Chengfeng's collusion with the Demonic Sect is too far-reaching a case to be handled independently by the Xuanjing Division alone.

The Empress sent her sister not only to show how seriously she took the case, but also as a way to put pressure on and check the Xuanjing Division and its commander, Shen Lian.

The art of rulership has always been this way.

However, these are not things he should be worrying about right now.

All he wants to do right now is go home and sleep.

Riding his snow-white steed, Chen Ye traversed the still relatively quiet streets in the early morning and quickly returned to the Chen residence in the north of the city.

The two stone lions in front of the mansion gate looked quite spirited in the morning light.

Chen Ye dismounted, tossed the reins to the servant at the door, and strode inside.

After a busy day and night, he was both hungry and exhausted.

As he walked, he was mentally deciding whether to eat first or take a shower first.

Just as Chen Ye's thoughts were wandering, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

In the open space in front of the door, a girl dressed in coarse cloth was standing there.

Beside her were a carrying pole and two wooden buckets, one of which was still steaming.

The girl was slender with delicate features and large, watery eyes. When she saw Chen Ye enter, a hint of surprise flashed across her face, followed by shyness and unease.

It was Yuan Xiao'e, the one who sold tofu at the market!
Chen Ye's pupils suddenly contracted.

What's this vixen doing here?

How did she find her way home?
And judging from her posture, it seems she has been waiting for quite some time.

Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Ye's mind in an instant, but his face showed no sign of anything unusual.

His biggest advantage right now is that the other party doesn't know he can hear their thoughts.

Therefore, he must remain calm and not lose his composure.

"Miss Yuan...?"

Chen Ye feigned surprise, his brows furrowing slightly as if wondering why she was there.

"Why are you here?"

"Sir...sir..."

Bai Yingluo, or rather, Yuan Xiao'e in her current state, flinched at his question, lowered her head even further, and spoke in a voice barely audible. "This humble woman...this humble woman has come to bring you tofu pudding."

"I felt bad that you didn't get to drink it yesterday, so I made it early this morning and thought I'd bring it to you."

"But I didn't know where you lived, so... so I asked around all the way here."

As she spoke, she raised her head and looked timidly at Chen Ye with her clear, innocent eyes, which were still a little watery.

They looked so pitiful, so endearing.

Anyone who sees her would think she is a simple, kind-hearted girl who goes to great lengths to repay kindness.

Chen Ye sneered inwardly.

Nobody would believe your nonsense!
This vixen can lie so easily, and she acts it out so convincingly.

If it weren't for my talent for hearing her heart, I probably would have been fooled by her pitiful appearance.

Chen Ye's mind raced, but his face remained impassive.

"Thank you for your kindness." Chen Ye's tone softened a bit, but he still maintained his distance. "It was just a small favor, you don't need to take it to heart."

As he spoke, he prepared to walk around her and go inside.

"grown ups!"

Seeing that he was about to leave, Bai Yingluo hurriedly called out, her voice trembling with tears, and then took two steps forward to block Chen Ye's path.

"My lord, are you... are you looking down on my things?"

As she spoke, her eyes instantly reddened, and large tears welled up in them, making her look extremely aggrieved.

“I know that I am of lowly status and that what I make is not presentable and would offend your eyes, sir.”

"This humble woman...this humble woman will leave now."

As she spoke, she pouted and turned to pick up her load. Her thin shoulders trembled, and her back looked desolate and pitiful.

Good guy!
Chen Ye was practically applauding her in his heart.

This acting is absolutely amazing!
First, she showed weakness, then she turned the tables. This combination of tactics would have made someone with a thinner skin feel guilty and quickly try to appease her with kind words.

Unfortunately, she met Chen Ye.

Chen Ye sneered inwardly, but on the surface he pretended to be reluctant and then quickly stepped forward to stop Bai Yingluo.

"Miss Yuan, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean that."

As he spoke, he silently opened his ears to her heart!
He wanted to hear what this vixen was thinking.

The moment her talent was activated, a voice that was completely opposite to her appearance, carrying a hint of laziness and playfulness, clearly appeared in Chen Ye's mind.

[Hehehe... What an interesting little guy, trying to run away already?]

How can you refuse me when I've personally come to your door?

[This pitiful look is really effective! See, he's softened, isn't he?]

Men, they really do fall for this.

Hearing these heartfelt words, Chen Ye's heart clenched.

This vixen was definitely after him!
Chen Ye's back teeth were almost ground to powder, but his facial expression remained perfectly composed.

He even managed a gentle smile, and with his LV2 silver tongue, his voice became much softer.

"Miss Yuan, you've really misunderstood."

"I just came back from the yamen and haven't slept all night. I'm quite tired, so I wanted you to go back early. I have no other intentions."

"How could I possibly refuse such a kind offer?"

"Alright, I'll take the tofu pudding. It's not easy for a young lady like you to carry such a heavy load. Go back and rest."

As Chen Ye spoke, he took out a small piece of silver from his pocket and handed it over.

"Take this, consider it payment for the tofu pudding."

However, Bai Yingluo seemed to be frightened when she saw the silver, and retreated repeatedly.

"Sir, what are you doing!"

She looked panicked and hurt. "I only wanted to repay your kindness, not to sell anything!"

"If you... if you do this, you're looking down on me!"

As she spoke, tears finally rolled down her cheeks, making her look pitiful.

In Chen Ye's mind, Bai Yingluo's thoughts echoed once again.

"Oh, you think you can just pay me off? Little brat, you underestimate me."

"I only have my eye on you as a person. You think you can make me leave with just a few taels of silver?"

But the more you try to push me away, the more excited I get... Conquering a man like you would be incredibly rewarding.

Chen Ye: "..."

That vixen is absolutely insane!

She's impervious to both soft and hard approaches, and stubborn as a rock, yet she still manages to cling to him.

It wouldn't look good if word got out that I would attack her for no reason.

They couldn't physically attack them, nor could they drive them away.

Chen Ye felt his head starting to ache.

Just when he was in a dilemma, not knowing what to do.

A crisp sound of carriage wheels approached from afar.

Chen Ye subconsciously turned around to look.

An elegantly decorated carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Chen residence. Then, the curtain was lifted from the inside, revealing a beautiful and charming face.

It's Xie Weining!

She has come back!

As soon as she lifted the carriage curtain, her gaze fell on the doorway.

Because she saw her husband standing with a young woman dressed in coarse cloth, yet whose beauty was undeniable.

The two were standing very close, and their posture appeared somewhat intimate.

The key point is that the girl was still crying with tears streaming down her face.

Xie Weining's eyes instantly turned cold.

She said nothing, but slowly stepped down from the carriage, supported by her maid.

Today she was dressed in a light blue outfit suitable for travel, with her long hair tied up high, making her look dashing and heroic. However, the coldness emanating from her could almost freeze the air in the entire alley.

Finished!

Chen Ye let out a silent wail.

Now even if I jump into the Yellow River, I won’t be able to clean myself.

One is my nominal wife whom I'm trying to win over, and the other is a vixen in human skin, ready to drain me dry at any moment.

When these two women meet, it's like a bolt from the blue.

Chen Ye's mind raced as he considered countermeasures.

We must stay calm!

If you panic at this point, you really won't be able to explain anything.

He subconsciously opened his ears to Xie Weining, wanting to hear what she was thinking.

Who is this woman? She looks like a tofu seller!

But he's already changed, so why...why is he still acting like this?!

Men, they really are all unreliable!

Xie Weining's heart was filled with disappointment and anger, as well as a hint of grievance and jealousy that she herself did not realize.

Chen Ye's heart sank upon hearing this. He was about to explain when he heard another chilling thought.

This sentiment came from Yuan Xiao'e, who was standing in front of him, also known as Bai Yingluo.

[Hmm? Who is this woman?]

Wow, what a gem...

That skin, that figure, and that aura—it's truly drool-worthy.

I want this woman!

Hearing these thoughts filled with greed and possessiveness, Chen Ye was completely dumbfounded.

He initially thought this enchantress was after him, but he never expected that she was bisexual!

(End of this chapter)