Volume One, Chapter 42: Sister, Save Me...

The dimly lit room was filled with fresh flowers, and amid them stood a large round bed.

Su Tang sat up, covering herself with the quilt, and kicked the man beside her off the bed.

Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing stared in shock, nearly screaming, but hurriedly covered their mouths and looked at Su Tang in terror.

The man who had been kicked off the bed was shriveled like a dried corpse, clearly beyond saving.

Su Tang put on a bathrobe, a smile in her eyes as she looked at Chi Xingwan and the other two. “It really is irritating when uninvited guests barge in.”

“Sexual sorcery, huh? I haven’t seen such evil arts in a long time.” With just one glance, Chi Xingwan saw through Su Tang.

Su Tang’s expression changed slightly. “So, you’re one of us. That makes it all the more impossible for me to let you leave.”

Chi Xingwan glanced at the men lined up beside the bed. Their faces were vacant, and among them were Xiao Rui and Huang Yusen. By coincidence, Xiao Rui stood first in line; barring accidents, he would be the next one to be drained.

She looked around and finally spotted Yu Dongli, who lay among the flowers, her fate uncertain.

“Mingyue, Wen Jing, go bring Yu Dongli over here,” Chi Xingwan said.

Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing exchanged a glance. Though fear gripped their hearts, they did not hesitate to follow Chi Xingwan’s command. They ran toward Yu Dongli.

Su Tang erupted in rage. “How dare you ignore me!” She raised her hand, sending a red silk ribbon flying toward Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing.

Chi Xingwan smiled. “Showing off your skills before a master.”

As soon as her words fell, the red silk ribbon suddenly turned back, and before Su Tang could react, it wrapped her tightly.

“Why is this happening? This is my magical tool!” Su Tang struggled desperately, but the harder she fought, the tighter the ribbon bound her.

Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing had reached Yu Dongli. Xu Mingyue reached out trembling and checked for a pulse, then exclaimed with joy, “She’s alive!”

Chi Xingwan then said, “There are companions of mine outside. Take Yu Dongli downstairs and meet up with them. Be careful.”

“Alright. Xingwan, you take care too.”

After the three left, Chi Xingwan stepped before Su Tang, leaning in from above, her gaze full of intrigue.

“So that’s it. You bear the inheritance of the Sect of Joy, but the Sect of Joy was wiped out three thousand years ago. You can’t possibly be a legitimate disciple. You must have acquired this inheritance by chance.”

Su Tang gritted her teeth. “This belongs to me!”

“You must have stumbled into a remnant site left by the Sect of Joy, obtained its legacy, and though you knew it was forbidden, you couldn’t resist temptation. When the Spiritualist Association discovered you, you simply went on the run. Tell me, how many people have you harmed so far?”

Su Tang’s face twisted in terror. She had hidden herself well—how could this person know so much?

“Chi Xingwan, what are you talking about?” Xiao Rui’s mind was foggy, but he happened to hear Chi Xingwan’s strange words.

Chi Xingwan looked over. Among the men lined up, only Xiao Rui had come to his senses. With Su Tang suppressed and unable to cast spells, the men under her control would gradually wake up.

Xiao Rui, just like Xiao Jin, had a strong destiny, which made him the first to awaken. Indeed, being born into the Xiao family meant his fate would never be poor.

“Why is Tang Tang tied up? What are you doing? Where is this place? Why am I here? Chi Xingwan, did Xiao Yu and Xiao Ming send you?”

“Why don’t you look for yourself? You’ve fallen for a pig-butchering scam—not only cheated out of your money, but your life as well. If I’d been a little later, you’d have ended up like the man on the floor.”

Only then did Xiao Rui notice the others around him, and the shriveled corpse lying on the ground. In panic, he scrambled behind Chi Xingwan.

Chi Xingwan raised an eyebrow. “You’re really something.”

Xiao Rui looked at her pleadingly. “Sis, help me...”

Chi Xingwan nearly laughed in exasperation. “Tell me, what happened to you?”

Xiao Rui was timid by nature. Before, he had refused to utter a word in front of Xiao Yu and Xiao Ming, but now, realizing he’d been duped, he poured out everything without hesitation.

He had met Su Tang in an online game. With Su Tang’s persistent pursuit, they quickly developed an online romance. Xiao Rui spent a lot of money on her, inadvertently revealing his age and that she was his first love.

An eighteen-year-old virgin was the perfect target for energy draining. Su Tang had set her sights on him and refused to let go.

So, after Xiao Rui was confined to the hospital by Xiao Yu and Xiao Ming, Su Tang went to great lengths to use her powers and take him out.

“So, after you were taken away, what happened?”

Xiao Rui clutched his head, trying to remember. “Nothing really. After leaving the hospital, I was brought here. Once inside, I have no memory.”

“Then you’re quite lucky,” Chi Xingwan remarked.

Xiao Rui nodded repeatedly. After nearly a day, he was rescued, unharmed.

“Hey! Don’t bully me!” Su Tang finally erupted in fury. Tied up, she could only watch as the two chatted as if she didn’t exist.

Chi Xingwan sighed. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone so eager to die. Well, I’ll oblige you then.”

The red silk grew tighter and tighter, veins bulging on Su Tang’s face and neck.

“Why...my magical tool...why does it obey your command...?”

Chi Xingwan leaned in close to her ear. “I told you—the Sect of Joy was wiped out three thousand years ago. Who do you think destroyed it?”

She stepped back, gently touching the red silk with her fingers, a slight smile on her lips, but her eyes cold and chilling.

“This artifact is called the Passion Veil. I didn’t fancy it back then, so I threw it away.”

“No...impossible...” Su Tang’s eyes were bloodshot. She spat out a mouthful of blood and her body went limp.

The door opened once more. Dai Luming walked in.

She glanced around and said, “Looks like the matter is settled.”

Chi Xingwan pointed at Su Tang. “She’s still alive. Take her back for interrogation.”

Dai Luming smiled, a rare expression. “That’s wonderful. We want to uncover the secrets behind Su Tang as well.”

Chi Xingwan became a hands-off supervisor. “Then I’ll be going.”

She signaled Xiao Rui with her eyes, walked to the door, glanced at Huang Yusen, and said to Xiao Rui, “Bring him along.”

Xiao Rui hurried forward, pulling the still-confused Huang Yusen, and the three went downstairs together.

Outside the unfinished building, everyone was waiting anxiously.

Cheng Fan looked at those beside him; they were all young girls or children. He comforted them, “No need to worry. Not only is Advisor Chi powerful, but my superior just went in as well. Nothing will happen.”

Xu Mingyue stared intently at the door and asked, “So what kind of organization are you, exactly?”

“We are the Taoist Research Association of Huaguo,” Cheng Fan replied.