The Ye Family.

Deep within the forbidden grounds.

Ye Ningxue, completely naked, carried the equally naked Luo Xiu toward the pool.

Four Ye Family Elders sat cross-legged on the four stone platforms protruding from the water's surface, their faces filled with heartache as they watched Ye Ningxue.

"Xiao Xue, have you truly decided?" one of the Elders asked.

Ye Ningxue's gaze was resolute. "For my master, I'm willing to do anything."

...

「At the same time.」

In the forest, a considerable distance from the pool, Elder Ye sat in a wooden chair, staring toward the pool with eyes full of melancholy. Elder Ye stood by his side, sighing continuously.

When the three women had brought Luo Xiu to the Ye Family, Elder Ye had examined him and found his condition to be extremely dangerous. In the ensuing silence, Elder Ye slowly said, "If it were an ordinary person whose organs and meridians were corroded to that extent, they would have long since perished."

"The fact that Luo Xiu is still alive is a miracle in itself. He endures pain that even I can't imagine, all while acting as if nothing is wrong every day. The fact that he can still display such formidable strength is a miracle among miracles."

Su Shenyun lightly pursed her lips, her gaze fixed on the pool, unwilling to look away for even a moment.

"Will this really save him?" she asked. "And what price will Xiao Xue have to pay?"

"This is Xiao Xue's own decision," Elder Ye said. "However, even with the help of the four Elders, using the Blood Essence Sacrifice Technique to forcibly transfer her Blood Essence Vitality into Luo Xiu's body will only be enough to keep him barely breathing."

"Whether or not Luo Xiu can regain consciousness... we can only hope for a miracle."

With that, the old man stood and walked to the side.

"I'll go to the Archive Pavilion to check the ancient texts. Perhaps I can find some clues."

...

A long time passed.

It wasn't until dawn the next day that Ye Ningxue carried Luo Xiu out of the pool.

In a spacious and comfortable room, Elder Ye looked at Luo Xiu on the bed. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "I consulted the ancient texts all night, but I found very little."

"At present, I have a theory... Luo Xiu's condition seems to be the legendary Nine Yang Constitution."

"Nine Yang Constitution?" Su Shenyun frowned slightly.

She had heard of this constitution before, but only in passing. Now, recalling Luo Xiu's exceptionally potent Yang Energy, she felt Elder Ye's theory was most likely correct. It was precisely because of that Yang Energy that she had been unable to stop herself from trying to seduce him when they first met. For her, with her Su Family bloodline and cultivation of the Mesmerizing Flame Technique, a young man like Luo Xiu, who possessed unusually strong Yang Energy, was fatally attractive.

"According to the ancient texts, the Nine Yang Constitution is also known as the Emperor's Physique," Elder Ye explained. "Those with this physique possess such overpowering Yang Energy that, as it accumulates in their meridians over time, it produces a terrifying poison."

"This poison gradually corrodes the meridians and organs... It is a form of suffering unimaginable to ordinary people."

"Moreover, if a person with a Nine Yang Constitution cannot find someone with a Nine Yin Constitution, they will not live past the age of thirty. This is the side effect."

Sun Li's brow furrowed. "Then why is such a terrible constitution called the Emperor's Physique?"

Elder Ye hesitated for a moment before replying, "Because ancient emperors, with their harems of thousands, would begin engaging with women in their teens to harmonize their Yin and Yang. Because of this, emperors with such a physique not only avoided the side effects but were also able to fully utilize its advantages, cultivating unique and peerless divine techniques."

"This constitution, with its coexisting benefits and drawbacks, can only truly be handled by men fated to be emperors. Hence the name."

"So you're saying Luo Xiu needs women now?" Su Shenyun asked.

Elder Ye paused, stroking his beard and looking away. "You could put it that way. But the corrosion has progressed so far that even constant harmonization of Yin and Yang with women would be like a drop in the ocean—the effect would be negligible."

Su Shenyun asked again, "Where can we find someone with the Nine Yin Constitution?"

Elder Ye gave a wry smile. "I do not know. This is all from the ancient texts. If it weren't for this incident, I would have remained ignorant of it myself."

"However, the texts also mention that Yin and Yang are drawn to each other, entwined for a lifetime. So, wherever there is Nine Yang, there must also be Nine Yin."

...

...

「An unknown amount of time passed.」

Luo Xiu slowly opened his eyes. A cool breeze was blowing, and the sun was shining brightly. He found himself standing on a bustling street.

The opulent, bustling street was crowded with pedestrians, but there were no vehicles. The people were dressed in exotic styles. The tall, majestic buildings on either side were of a design Luo Xiu had never seen before. This was an entirely unfamiliar place. He stood on the street, feeling completely out of place in this world.

So this is a dream, he realized. And a strange one at that—not his own, but someone else's.

"You little slut! If you don't finish your work today, don't even think about eating!"

Vicious curses suddenly erupted from nearby. Luo Xiu looked toward the sound and saw a little girl in tattered clothes with disheveled hair, sitting on the ground trembling and crying. She rubbed her eyes with small, filthy hands that were scraped and bleeding, looking utterly pitiable. A corpulent, heavily made-up middle-aged woman was pointing at her, screaming abuse. All manner of nasty and malicious obscenities poured from her lips incessantly.

As she cursed, the woman suddenly grabbed the little girl's ear and lifted her clear off the ground by it. Blood began to seep from the girl's ear, but she clenched her teeth, tears streaming silently down her face, not making a sound. Her frail, tiny body trembled nonstop. Blood trickled from behind her ear and dripped down her cheek. The vicious woman then slapped her fiercely across the face.

"Get back to work!"

The little girl, her small feet bare and injured, staggered to one side. She struggled to lift a wooden bucket wider than her own body and began to shove it arduously along. Every movement seemed to take every last ounce of her strength. It was a bucket of slops. It reeked of a foul, acidic stench.

Luo Xiu rushed forward, wanting to help and then teach the middle-aged woman a lesson, but he discovered he couldn't touch anything or even make a sound.

...

On the crowded street, the little girl dragged the slop bucket back and forth, trip after trip.

Luo Xiu followed her, trip after trip.

In the blink of an eye, night fell.

There was a small dog kennel outside a tavern. The little girl curled up there, her arms wrapped around a large yellow dog's neck, dozing off. After a long wait, the middle-aged woman finally came out and tossed a steamed bun in front of her.

"This is your pay for today!"

The little girl carefully wiped the dust off the bun before tearing it in half. She glanced around warily, then tucked the larger half into her clothes. She broke the smaller half into two again, eating one piece herself and giving the other to the yellow dog.

After eating the small piece of bread, she seemed to regain some strength. She stood up and ran into the depths of a narrow alley. She ran for a long time through the muddy alley, stumbling several times, before finally running into a dilapidated shack. The shack was filled with a damp, musty smell, and a layer of dry hay was spread in one corner.

Another girl, who looked even smaller, lay weakly on the hay.

"Xiao Yu, I'm back!"

A few insects crawling on Xiao Yu scattered as she feebly opened her eyes. Luo Xiu could see at a glance that the girl named Xiao Yu was sick—gravely sick. She was also injured, and her wounds were inflamed.

The little girl took out the other half of the bun. "Eat up. This is what I earned today."

"Too bad I saw a chicken leg with lots of meat on it today, but Dahuang snatched it and I couldn't catch him."

However, Xiao Yu just looked at her weakly, unable to even open her mouth.

"Xiao Yu, what's wrong?!"

"I'll go find the madam and ask her to get a doctor for you!"

The little girl put down the bun, turned, and ran out of the shack. Suddenly, the sky flashed with lightning and rumbled with thunder. Raindrops the size of beans, mixed with hail, began to fall mercilessly.

The little girl covered her head and ran to pound on a tightly shut door.

"Madam, open the door!"

"Please, I'm begging you, open the door!"

"Xiao Yu is getting worse! Please help me get a doctor for her! I promise I'll work hard and pay you back for the medical fees!"

"Xiao Yu is my best friend! Madam, please, won't you save her?"

...

The little girl pleaded for a long time, but her only answer was the tightly shut, crimson door and the tantalizing aroma of wine and meat drifting from within. She knelt on the ground, soaked to the bone, her tiny, filthy hands beating weakly against the door.

Luo Xiu watched it all unfold, completely helpless.

Suddenly, an icy voice reached his ears. "How detestable. Why are you witnessing these memories?"

Startled, Luo Xiu turned to see a tall, curvaceous woman in an exquisite white dress. A light veil hid her face, but her voice was familiar.

"Chi Sha?"

The woman in white snorted coldly, grabbing Luo Xiu's shoulder and flinging him away.

"Get out of my memories!"

...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.