Chapter 1

Huang Rang became a hot potato.

Several powerful figures from the Immortal Sect spared no expense to discover her whereabouts. They infiltrated the Yuhu Immortal Sect and went through countless hardships and dangers to steal her away.

They originally believed that she must know about the conspiracy of Xie Lingbi, that old scoundrel. However, they didn’t expect her to end up like this.

There were two golden needles inserted in her head. These were the extremely cruel instruments of punishment of the Yuhu Immortal Sect – the Soul-Binding Bone-Fixing Needles.

Anyone subjected to this punishment, no matter how profound their cultivation, would only become a living corpse. They would be motionless and speechless, resembling an inanimate object.

The three elders of the Immortal Sect were at a loss when they saw this.

Because of Huang Rang’s identity, she was the wife of Xie Hongchen, the master of the Yuhu Immortal Sect.

No one could afford to take the blame for stealing the master’s wife from the Yuhu Immortal Sect.

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He Xijin, due to an injured tongue, would stutter when he spoke too much. So he immediately shouted, “Yes!”

Zhang Shuju almost jumped up and confirmed, “That’s settled then. Mrs. Xie will be temporarily entrusted to the care of Lord Di; you don’t have to worry. We will definitely search for doctors throughout the world to help Mrs. Xie recover as soon as possible.”

The other two nodded repeatedly, and Wu Zichou said, “Second Brother is right! Xie Lingbi, that old scoundrel, is on his deathbed!”

He Xijin quickly added, “Absolutely… right!”

As they spoke, the three of them walked away in the distance, as if Di Yiqiu had already agreed to it all.

It was only when the three of them left that Di Yiqiu finally took action.

He walked slowly to Huang Rang, removed his mask, and silently observed her. Huang Rang was also looking at him. Under this protruding rock, countless emotions in her heart condensed into a coarse remark.

—This Di Yiqiu had once admired her a hundred years ago.

At that time, in order to maintain her reputation as a gentle and polite lady, Huang Rang had always treated him with kindness. So Di Yiqiu chose to propose. However, at that time, Huang Rang had already climbed up the high branch of Xie Hongchen and had set her heart on marrying into the Immortal Sect. How could she allow him to ruin her good reputation?

So Huang Rang… firmly rejected him!

Sigh, she was too young back then. How could she have known that a hundred years later, at her age, she would end up in his hands?

Huang Rang regretted her past decisions.

Di Yiqiu carried Huang Rang horizontally, and her gaze shifted to the bloodstains on his shoulder.

Ah, he was injured.

It was not surprising. The Yuhu Immortal Sect was known as the number one sect, and both the Patriarch Xie Lingbi and the Sect Master Xie Hongchen were extremely difficult characters.

These four individuals fought tooth and nail, facing immense difficulties and dangers.

Ah, Xie Hongchen… at the thought of this name, Huang Rang’s thoughts sank into silence.

The cold mountain air enveloped them as Di Yiqiu carried Huang Rang down the mountain.

Huang Rang could only see the fabric on his chest, and her ears were filled with his heartbeat. Perhaps due to his injury, his heartbeat was fast, beating heavily like a drum.

He descended along the mountain path and soon reached a flat road.

Di Yiqiu made a hand gesture with his right hand, seemingly without much movement, and suddenly a carriage appeared on the ground. There was even a coachman sitting on the carriage.

Huang Rang felt as though Di Yiqiu had long been prepared to take her in.

Otherwise, with his cultivation, he probably wouldn’t need a carriage to travel. But unfortunately, she couldn’t ask.

Di Yiqiu lifted her onto the carriage, placed her on a brocade cushion, lowered the carriage curtain, and the carriage began to move forward.

Inside the carriage, it was dim and quiet, and Huang Rang felt awkward. After all, she had nothing to say to this person.

Fortunately, she was like a puppet now and didn’t need to say anything.

Di Yiqiu pulled open the curtain beside the window and poured himself a cup of wine.

Sipping the wine in his cup, he stared out the window the whole way, never once turning his gaze towards Huang Rang.

Huang Rang sat across from him, only able to observe him. A century had passed by in a flash, and she had even forgotten what Di Yiqiu looked like back then. Now that she saw him again, he felt like a stranger.

—Could it be that this man wants to seek revenge on me?

Anxiety filled her heart.

The journey was long and distant, and the carriage continued without stopping.

Huang Rang sensed that the daylight in the carriage gradually dimmed, knowing that night had fallen. However, the coachman remained silent, and the two horses continued their quiet journey. She could only hear the sound of horse hooves and the turning of the wheels, indicating that no one had any intention of resting.

Inside Di Yiqiu’s wine gourd, it seemed like there was an endless amount of wine. The carriage was filled with the fragrance of alcohol.

Huang Rang knew that this was a magical treasure, and spells like the Endless Wine were not uncommon in the Immortal Sect.

But she vaguely remembered that a hundred years ago, Di Yiqiu did not drink.

After ten years of imprisonment, her memories had faded to almost nothing. Her recollection of this person was reduced to a mere shadow.

For example, she remembered fiercely rejecting Di Yiqiu’s proposal back then. But she had forgotten how exactly she had been “fierce.”

She didn’t actually want Di Yiqiu to continue drinking like this. After all, alcohol could easily cloud one’s judgment.

But as she thought about it, she let go of her concerns—now, in this carriage, they were a man and a woman alone. If he wanted to act improperly, what did it have to do with the wine?

Forget it… Forget it.

When the carriage was enveloped in darkness, Di Yiqiu lit a candle.

The cold wind blew in, but the flame of the candle remained steady. It seemed that this celestial court had many magical treasures.

Huang Rang felt a bit cold. Although she remained motionless due to the shackling of the soul-binding bone-setting needle, she could still feel the coldness and pain.

And at that moment, Di Yiqiu suddenly sat up straight, holding her hand. Huang Rang’s heart skipped a beat—here it comes, as expected. But in her current state, did she still need to preserve her purity for Xie Hongchen?

It didn’t matter anymore.

She convinced herself to stay calm, and as Di Yiqiu held her hand for a moment, he turned around and took out a cloak from a compartment, firmly wrapping it around her.

Ah… cough.

Wrapped in the heavy cloak, Huang Rang finally felt the chill slowly dissipate.

Di Yiqiu made a slight hand gesture, and the carriage evidently accelerated its speed. The wind whistled in her ears, as if they were soaring through the clouds. Di Yiqiu lowered the curtain. By the time the latter half of the night arrived, they had finally arrived at a certain location.

The two horses snorted simultaneously. It was the first time Huang Rang heard a sound from them other than the sound of their hooves.

Di Yiqiu got off the carriage first, then proceeded to carry Huang Rang out from inside.

As her gaze rose and fell, Huang Rang saw the plaque of this mansion—the Black Tortoise Bureau.

After all, she had been the wife of the sect master for a hundred years, so she had an impression of the Black Tortoise Bureau. A hundred years ago, the influence of the Immortal Sect was vast, and its followers were growing.

Numerous commoners refused to be governed by the imperial court and instead paid taxes to the Immortal Sect.

The current Emperor Shiwenyu was furious and wanted to placate the Immortal Sect.

But the Immortal Sect was powerful, while the Imperial Court was weak. These immortal sects did not pay any attention to the court at all.

In his helplessness, Shiwenyu had no choice but to establish the Celestial Court to counter the Immortal Sect.

Given the strength of the court, the Celestial Court should have been a laughingstock. Those who truly wanted to cultivate and seek enlightenment would never sell themselves to the imperial family and become the court’s lapdogs.

However, Di Yiqiu made rapid progress in his cultivation. He divided the Celestial Court into four bureaus: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

The Azure Dragon Bureau is responsible for handling official documents and financial matters, often dealing with officials.

The White Tiger Bureau has a prison, and its disciples mostly travel outside, exterminating demons, carrying out righteous acts, and resolving various difficult and miscellaneous matters for the people.

The Vermilion Bird Bureau is engaged in alchemy and crafting, as well as leasing land for cultivating spiritual herbs and breeding fine species. The Black Tortoise Bureau is where disciples of the Celestial Court enroll and spend their days immersed in the study of books.

Over the course of a hundred years, the Celestial Court has established a place for itself among the Immortal Sect. Although its reputation is not as great as that of orthodox sects like the Yuhu Immortal Sect, it has garnered support from many commoners.

Di Yiqiu clenched his five fingers together, and the carriage and the coachman in front of the gate instantly burned like paper, turning into light smoke in an instant.

He carried Huang Rang and walked inside, where two guards at the entrance recognized him and immediately saluted. They couldn’t help but take a few more glances at what he held in his arms, which appeared dark.

When they saw a strand of long hair hanging down from within the black cloak, their eyes widened in astonishment.

However, Di Yiqiu paid no attention to them as he carried Huang Rang into the mansion.

In Huang Rang’s line of sight, all she could see was a dark sky. Occasionally, shadowy figures brushed past her vision, but due to the blurry light and shadows, she couldn’t see clearly.

With a creaking sound in her ears, Di Yiqiu pushed open a door and carried her inside.

The room had no lights; it was completely pitch black. However, he effortlessly placed Huang Rang on the bed.

As he let go of her, Huang Rang lost her support and felt as if she was sinking into darkness.

Ferocious, ghostly figures surged around her.

Her head started to throb, and she felt difficulty breathing.

But she couldn’t move; she wasn’t even able to cry out.

Fortunately, at that moment, a candle slowly lit up, piercing a large hole in the darkness.

Huang Rang let out a sigh of relief, and the struggling ghostly figures around her gradually receded while the intense pain in her head gradually subsided.

After ten years without seeing daylight, she had developed a fear of the dark.

Di Yiqiu paid no further attention to her, entering a separate room himself. After a while, he came out again, having changed out of his black attire and now wearing only a snow-white undergarment. He walked to the bed, gazing at Huang Rang, his eyebrows furrowed.

At this moment, Huang Rang observed him closely and realized that he was actually quite handsome. His eyebrows extended to his temples, and his nose was high and straight, but his eyes were too sharp and his lips too thin.

Such a person, with an appearance that was not easy to approach, easily evoked fear in people.

Huang Rang lay on the bed, looking up, allowing him to scrutinize her.

After staring at her for a while, Di Yiqiu suddenly picked her up and entered a separate room. It was then that Huang Rang noticed there was a bathtub inside. It turned out to be a bathing area.

—The bathing area!

So, why did he bring me here? Huang Rang was secretly alarmed.

Di Yiqiu quickly answered her question. He placed Huang Rang in the bathtub, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out to untie her clothes.

Well, alright.

Huang Rang didn’t even blink.

In fact, there was nothing to fear because the truly terrifying thing was happening to her. Compared to her current lifeless situation, what did it matter if a man got close and behaved inappropriately?

Di Yiqiu was a man facing a woman who had openly rejected him a hundred years ago. Whatever he did wouldn’t be surprising.

And Huang Rang had no choice.

So, Di Yiqiu undressed her, revealing her bare skin. Her vision was limited; she was unable to see Di Yiqiu’s expression, so she could only silently endure it. Thus, Di Yiqiu began to bathe her.

This bathtub was probably a magic treasure. With a simple gesture from Di Yiqiu, hot water immediately welled up from below, submerging her shoulders. The temperature was just right.

Ah, if only there were flower petals scattered and fragrant lotion mixed in. That would be nice.

She used to often prepare such a pool of fragrant bath, then drape herself in a light veil and dip the tips of her toes in the water, enticing Xie Hongchen.

Xie Hongchen, haha, Xie Hongchen.

Huang Rang didn’t want to think of that name again, but it would still occasionally come up.

In these ten years, she called out that name countless times in her heart. Every time she sought help, she was disappointed.

There were no flower petals or fragrant dew in Di Yiqiu’s bathtub.

But the water was warm. For the sake of this tiny bit of warmth, Huang Rang felt she could give everything.

Di Yiqiu’s hand brushed against her fragrant shoulder, and the pads of his fingers were unexpectedly rough, causing a stinging sensation on her skin.

Huang Rang’s gaze dropped into the water.

After a while, she saw the water slowly… turning black.

Yes, the originally clear and bright bathwater had become dark and filthy.

No, it’s not the water that’s dirty!

A buzzing sound echoed in Huang Rang’s mind, and she felt extremely disoriented. She had been imprisoned in the depths of the secret chamber of the Yuhu Immortal Sect for a full ten years. She hadn’t taken a bath in ten years.

I, this…

The first basin of water was quickly poured away.

The second basin of water also began to turn murky. Di Yiqiu rubbed layer after layer of dirt off her body…

Huang Rang didn’t want to look anymore, really.

From being a humble little earth fairy, she had climbed her way up to become the wife of the sect master of the number one sect in the Immortal Sect, enjoying glory for a hundred years.

After a hundred years, she had fallen into the hands of an admirer she had once ruthlessly rejected, and now he was scrubbing her with blackened water for the fifth time.

In these ten years, Huang Rang’s heart was filled with nothing but hatred. Only at this moment did she feel ashamed and indignant to the point of wanting to die.