Since normal methods weren’t working on this woman, then Ling Qi had no choice but to go off script.
He had interrogated people before, and he figured it wouldn’t hurt to try and see just how tough this Demon Queen really was.
As he held her tightly in his arms, a wave of cold killing intent surged from Ye Youluo’s blood-red eyes.
No man had ever dared to touch her.
But this man not only touched her—he directly embraced her. His intentions were obvious.
Of course she was furious.
With a sharp flick of her sleeve, red mist instantly filled the space behind the curtain—poison gas!
The poison was useless against Ling Qi, but Xiao Chan had no cultivation to protect herself.
Ling Qi immediately let go of Ye Youluo and rushed to Xiao Chan’s side, releasing a surge of spiritual Qi to form a protective barrier around her.
“Heh, looks like you care quite a bit about that cat,” Ye Youluo sneered coldly, her blood-red aura surging as she attacked Ling Qi again.
She knew she couldn’t defeat him, but her real target wasn’t him—it was Xiao Chan.
So far, the only weakness she had seen in Ling Qi… was that little black cat.
But Ling Qi didn’t let her get close. He instantly moved to intercept her, and with a few quick strikes to her body under the red dress, he sealed several of her acupoints.
Ye Youluo immediately froze in place, unable to move.
“You really are an impulsive woman. No wonder they call you the Demon Queen,” Ling Qi said with a calm smile.
This woman acted entirely on emotion, without any concern for consequences.
Even after knowing he was in the Supreme Limit Realm, she still tried to attack?
If it were Empress Jiang Ling, she wouldn’t have been this reckless.
The Empress and the Demon Queen—definitely very different types of women.
“As long as you agree to my conditions and give me what I want, I won’t do anything to you. In fact, I’ll help you defend against the Great Yan Empire’s assault,” Ling Qi said as he raised a hand and gently lifted her delicate, snow-white chin. “Otherwise… I’m a man. I have plenty of ways to deal with a fragile little thing like you.”
“Fragile?” Ye Youluo let out a cold laugh.
It was the first time anyone had used that word on her.
She immediately began to forcefully circulate her spiritual Qi, trying to break through the sealed acupoints.
“It’s useless. Since you know I’m Supreme Limit Realm, how could I leave a loophole?” Ling Qi smiled faintly.
But Ye Youluo didn’t care. She continued attacking her meridians from within.
On the surface, she stood motionless, but inside, her spiritual Qi was a raging storm.
“If you keep going like this, you’ll only explode from the inside out,” Ling Qi warned.
It was like forcing water through a blocked pipe—eventually, it would burst.
Yet Ye Youluo still refused to stop.
Ling Qi frowned. Was this woman insane?
He had already told her the consequences, and she still refused to give up?
Her spiritual Qi surged more and more violently. Soon, her skin was visibly veined with glowing lines.
Ling Qi’s frown deepened. Was she really so unafraid of death?
Would she rather die than let herself be controlled?
She really had backbone.
Just as she was on the verge of imploding, Ling Qi released the seal on her acupoints.
If she died, he’d die too!
BOOM!
With a dull explosion, Ye Youluo’s spiritual Qi burst out of her body.
Luckily, Ling Qi had released the seal in time—if not, the force would’ve detonated inside her.
“Do you not care about your own life at all?” Ling Qi asked sternly.
“Heh… hehehe…” Ye Youluo chuckled, a cold and triumphant smile on her face.
She elegantly swept her long dress and sat down on the bed.
Her blood-red eyes locked onto Ling Qi, and she said slowly, “It seems that medical tome… is far more important to you than I expected.”
She raised her hand and gently stroked the still-sleeping Xiao Chan.
Her smug expression made it clear—she had figured it out.
The medical tome was vital to Ling Qi—so vital that he couldn’t afford to let her die.
Now she had a card to play.
That card… could control everything about Ling Qi.
“You have no choice. You don’t even have the leverage to negotiate,” she said calmly. “Because from the beginning… you had no choice but to stand on my side.”
Ling Qi couldn’t let her die.
Which meant he had no choice but to help her fight against Jiang Ling and Chu Xinyue.
Negotiate?
That wasn’t happening. His attempt to stop her from self-detonating had proven everything.
Ling Qi looked at her and shook his head helplessly.
She’d dared to stake her life just to test him. What else could he do?
This Demon Queen really wasn’t afraid of death.
Would you dare to gamble that she wouldn’t self-destruct?
If she did, they’d both be doomed.
“You’ve got two weaknesses in my hands right now,” Ye Youluo said as she stroked the black cat. “But I… don’t have any weaknesses you can use against me.”
“Someone who doesn’t value their own life—and certainly not others’—naturally has no weaknesses,” Ling Qi chuckled. “Ye Youluo, you’re actually quite likable.”
“Thank you for the compliment,” she replied with a smile. “Now then… what else can you do? What tricks do you have? Use them all!”
She believed she had him completely in her grasp.
She might not be his match in combat, but she could still control the situation.
Having a Supreme Limit Realm cultivator come to her doorstep and be forced to obey?
She felt a rare sense of power and satisfaction.
Ling Qi saw the look on her face and instantly knew what she was thinking.
So he played along, smiling and shaking his head. “Alright, Your Majesty, you win.”
“Heh, but I actually preferred you when you were all confident and arrogant,” Ye Youluo said with a satisfied smirk.
Though she said that, she clearly enjoyed watching him give in even more.
So what if he was in the Supreme Limit Realm?
Everyone had weaknesses—and his were now in her hands.
Ling Qi walked over and sat on the bed beside her, only separated by the cat between them.
This time, Ye Youluo didn’t get up or move away.
She wasn’t afraid of him anymore.
“Name your price. Give me the medical tome, and I’ll give you whatever you want,” Ling Qi said.
No matter how stubborn she was, she had to have desires.
She had to be willing to negotiate.
“Hmm… a one-for-one trade? You really think that’s fair?” Ye Youluo smiled cunningly.
She had already made up her mind—she would use this advantage to make Ling Qi work for her as long as possible.
She wanted a long-term asset, not a one-time deal.
“Then what do you want?” Ling Qi asked.
“Simple. From now on… whatever I say, you do,” Ye Youluo said as she stroked the black cat. “Behave, and I’ll give you the tome… little by little.”
“You’ve got some imagination,” Ling Qi replied, eyes fixed on her.
Obey her? That word sounded utterly ridiculous when applied to him. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
No one had ever been able to control him.
True, his life was now tied to hers.
But that didn’t mean she could order him around at will.
“I’m not forcing you. Obey if you want. Don’t if you don’t,” Ye Youluo said calmly.
“I do need that medical tome, but it’s not the only way,” Ling Qi said slowly. “If I ever stop needing it, you’d better think carefully about the consequences. I won’t care if you live or die by then.”
“Then we’ll talk when that time comes. Right now… you need it,” Ye Youluo said with a smirk.
Ling Qi shook his head again.
Suddenly, he leaned in close—very close—until they were less than half a foot apart, eye to eye.
“I know you’re not afraid of death. But you’re not the type to commit suicide for no reason,” he said.
Ye Youluo frowned slightly.
What did he mean by that?
“Tell me… if I stuck to you from now on, followed you everywhere—eating, sleeping, bathing—how long could you last?” Ling Qi smirked.
Hearing that, Ye Youluo abruptly stood up.
Was he serious?
Who even came up with that kind of shameless idea?
“Tch…” she scoffed. “I think I overestimated you. This is your big plan?”
“I don’t care what method it is. I only care about the result,” Ling Qi said as he lay back on her bed with his hands behind his head. “Either you give me the tome, or I stick to you like glue.”
Right now, he looked exactly like a shameless rogue.
He wanted to be elegant. He wanted to be dominant.
But this Demon Queen was immune to both.
So shameless it was.
“Childish!” Ye Youluo shot him a fierce glare and turned to leave.
But after taking one step, she looked back at the sleeping Xiao Chan and said, “This cat… I want her.”
“No,” Ling Qi refused flatly.
“You don’t have the right to say no. You do what I say,” Ye Youluo said coldly.
She was testing him—would he obey?
But Ling Qi didn’t budge. “No.”
“You…” Ye Youluo’s expression darkened.
So he really was just going to act like a rascal now?
“I know you’re not afraid of death, but surely you wouldn’t go that far over a cat,” Ling Qi said with a grin. “If you think that’s a meaningful way to die, go ahead.”
If he were trying to control or force her, she might retaliate.
But for trivial matters like this, she couldn’t really justify making a fuss.
Ye Youluo clenched her teeth.
Of course she wasn’t going to commit suicide over a cat.
This threat was meaningless.
“Utterly childish,” she snapped, glaring at him before turning and storming out of the hall.
Leaving Ling Qi and Xiao Chan still lying on the bed.
There was nothing she could do about him for now. So all she could do was avoid him.
Outside the hall, the entire Demon Sect’s higher-ups were still gathered.
Armies surrounded the building in multiple layers.
“Sect Master?”
As soon as Ye Youluo appeared, everyone stood at the ready, gripping their weapons.
Prepared to strike at any moment.
But Ye Youluo casually waved her hand. “Disperse.”
“Uh…”
Everyone was confused.
Had she killed the intruder?
“Sect Master, that man…” someone began cautiously.
Even if he was probably dead, they had to be sure.
“Ignore him,” Ye Youluo said.
Ye Youluo glanced back at the main hall and said coldly, “From now on, none of you are to speak to him. Just treat him as if he doesn’t exist.”
Ling Qi couldn’t kill her, nor would he ever lay a hand on her.
But likewise, she couldn’t do anything to him either.
Even if she gathered the entire Demon Sect, they still wouldn’t be his match.
So the only thing she could do now was… ignore him.
She wanted to see if this man really had the patience to keep up this nonsense with her.
“Y-Yes!” everyone replied, completely baffled.
So… he wasn’t dead?
Sect Master didn’t kill him?
That’s strange. An outsider broke into the island without permission, and Sect Master didn’t take his life?
This wasn’t normal.
Everyone was confused but didn’t dare ask too much.
Ye Youluo leapt away, leaving them all exchanging puzzled glances.
Eventually, they all scattered, figuring they’d just follow her orders.
…
Ye Youluo returned to her residence.
The serene little courtyard was filled with fragrant blossoms, beautiful and dreamlike.
Her bare feet stepped softly on the scattered petals as she entered her room.
As soon as she stepped inside, she saw someone lying on her soft, fragrant bed.
It was Ling Qi!
“You…” Ye Youluo’s brows furrowed. This guy was fast.
But he was in the Supreme Limit Realm, so of course, he was faster than her.
“No wonder it’s the Queen’s bed—so soft and comfy,” Ling Qi said with a smile. “I’m sleeping here tonight.”
“Why don’t you just die already?” Ye Youluo glared at him, but she had no way to get rid of him.
Looking at the bed he had touched, she silently decided she would never sleep on it again.
“I told you—wherever you are, I’ll be there too. Whether it’s sleeping or eating, I won’t leave your side,” Ling Qi said, grinning. “From now on, we’re inseparable!”
Ye Youluo, fuming, slammed the door shut with a bang, locking Ling Qi and the little black cat inside.
Then, she went to the large stone slab beside the outdoor hot spring, sat cross-legged, and began meditating.
Inside the room, Ling Qi chuckled and got up, walking out again.
He sat down directly in front of Ye Youluo as she meditated and stared at her.
How was she supposed to cultivate with someone glaring at her like that?
She furrowed her brows tightly, opened her eyes, and coldly snorted at Ling Qi’s smug face.
Then she stood up, returned to her room, and slammed the door shut, locking it.
Inside, she refused to sleep on the bed touched by that man and instead sat at her desk.
Outside, Ling Qi walked up to the door and raised his hand.
Boom!
With a ripple of spiritual Qi, the entire door exploded into dust.
He leaned casually against the empty doorframe, arms crossed. “Trying to hide from me? Not happening.”
Ye Youluo turned and glared at him, then at the missing door.
Yes… there really was no door now.
“Don’t you think this is childish?” she said coldly.
“Not at all. I think it’s funny watching you get this annoyed,” Ling Qi said with a smirk. “See? You do have weaknesses.”
“You have a bad temper. You’re easy to irritate. And you like peace and quiet.”
Since she hated noise, he’d give her noise.
Since she liked peace, he’d take it away.
Let’s see how long she could endure.
“Say… what if one day you suddenly had to pee, and I insisted on watching you the whole time? What then?” Ling Qi teased, his grin widening.
Ye Youluo instantly slapped her hand on the table and stood up.
Her blood-red eyes locked onto Ling Qi with deadly fury.
Bastard! Absolutely shameless!
“You don’t… happen to need to pee right now, do you?” Ling Qi’s smile deepened.
“You!!!” Ye Youluo took a deep breath. She wanted nothing more than to leap forward and bite this man to death.
But she wasn’t his match.
And he wouldn’t attack her, because he knew if he did, she’d resist with everything she had.
So instead, he used these childish and shameless tactics to wear her down.
He couldn’t really keep doing this forever, right?
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just then, two black shadows streaked into the courtyard and landed with a swish.
They were two masked women dressed in black.
They immediately knelt. “Sect Master, the Snow Sect…”
They began to report but froze as soon as they looked up and saw Ling Qi casually leaning in the doorway.
What the hell?
Wasn’t it forbidden for any man to enter the Sect Master’s personal courtyard?
Why was there a man here now?
Could it be… Sect Master had finally caved to loneliness and brought someone to keep her company?
Crap. They had definitely seen something they shouldn’t have.
“What about the Snow Sect?” Ye Youluo stepped out, brushing past Ling Qi with a sharp glare.
“The Snow Sect has agreed to cooperate with Sect Master against the Great Yan Empire, but they have one condition,” the two women said in low voices.
“The Tianshan Snow Sect?” Ling Qi’s eyes narrowed.
He remembered clearly—six years ago, he had deceived a so-called Saintess from the Snow Sect.
What was her name again?
Ah, right. Xu Qingxue!
She was a naive and innocent girl. He had tricked her, taken everything from her… and then just left.
Now that he thought about it, he really had been scum.
He’d coaxed an innocent girl to fall for him, given herself completely to him, and then he left her behind.
She must’ve been devastated.
Her first love, and the man just abandoned her…
Ling Qi shook his head. He’d truly been a bastard.
If he had a chance, he would go find Xu Qingxue.
If she still hadn’t let go, he would bring her back and take care of her, make up for what he did.
“What’s the condition?” Ye Youluo asked.
“The Saintess’s sacrificial ceremony is imminent, but the sacrificial formation was damaged. The Snow Sect hopes Sect Master can help repair it,” the women replied.
They had only learned this after going to the Snow Sect themselves. Years ago, someone had barged in, stolen their Saintess, and damaged their ancient sacrificial array.
And since Ye Youluo was skilled in formations, the Snow Sect hoped she could fix it in exchange for the alliance.
When the Demon Sect learned of the Great Yan Empire’s plans, they had already begun implementing countermeasures.
One of which was to unite with nearby powers and pressure the empire.
Upon hearing this, Ling Qi narrowed his eyes.
So Xu Qingxue… had returned to the Snow Sect?
That wouldn’t do.
That sacrificial ceremony involved fusing the Saintess’s blood and bones into the formation in a plea to their so-called deity.
Ling Qi had been disgusted by that archaic ritual, which was why he had destroyed the array back then.
If they had brought Xu Qingxue back now, what awaited her could only be death!
No. He had to go to the Snow Sect. He had to save the girl he had once wronged.
“Very well,” Ye Youluo nodded. “Send word. I will head to the Snow Sect tomorrow and help them repair the array.”
“Yes!” the two masked women nodded and, after giving Ling Qi one last side glance, vanished into the night.
“Do you even understand what the Snow Sect’s sacrificial ceremony is?” Ling Qi said coldly. “It’s just killing a so-called chosen one for a pointless prayer. A sham ritual soaked in innocent blood.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” Ye Youluo replied flatly.
She didn’t care about others. All she cared about was defeating the Great Yan Empire—and she needed allies.
“I’m coming with you,” Ling Qi said.
“Are you really going to cling to me?” Ye Youluo glared at him.
“I haven’t gotten what I want yet. Of course I won’t let you out of my sight,” Ling Qi said with a grin. “Besides… I have an old friend to visit. It’s been years.”
“An old friend?” Ye Youluo’s eyes narrowed.
So this guy knew someone in the Snow Sect?
Fine. It wasn’t a bad idea to let him come along.
It might even help her figure out where this Supreme Limit Realm monster came from.
“Fine. You’ll come with me tomorrow,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Now… can you scram?”
She really wanted to pee.
She hadn’t wanted to before. But the moment Ling Qi brought it up earlier, the urge had come.
It was like an uncontrollable biological response.
Like breathing—normally automatic, but once you focus on it, you start having to do it manually.
Urges worked the same way.
If you didn’t think about it, you were fine. But the moment someone mentioned it…
Now she really needed to pee!