So Urgent

At the entrance of Qin Gou’s cave, Yi Chengying paced back and forth, holding an incense stick that had yet to burn out. Her delicate hands fidgeted nervously as she glanced at the door.

The door creaked open, but it wasn’t Qin Gou who emerged—it was the chubby Chen Keshua.

“Ahem, greetings, Lone Shadow Saintess. Brother Qin is waiting for you inside. I’ll take my leave now,” Chen Keshua said, his face twitching with barely suppressed laughter. His round face had turned an alarming shade of red, resembling a liver.

Yi Chengying froze for a moment, her clear eyes flashing with panic. “You heard that? What I said earlier was just a joke. Don’t take it seriously. If you dare spread it around, don’t blame me for being harsh.”

Chen Keshua patted his chest and replied earnestly, “Don’t worry, Saintess. I didn’t hear anything, and I didn’t see anything.”

“Then why are you still standing here? What are you looking at? Keep staring, and I’ll gouge your eyes out!” Yi Chengying snapped, her tone turning sharp as her cheeks puffed out indignantly.

Chen Keshua nearly burst into tears. First the Palace Master, and now the Saintess—why were all the important figures in the Mystic Maiden Palace so terrifying? What had he done to deserve this?

—

Inside the cave, Yi Chengying stepped in cautiously, her nerves on edge. She saw Qin Gou sitting leisurely at the table, pouring himself a cup of tea with a relaxed expression.

She placed the incense stick down, picked up the cup he had poured, and respectfully said, “Thank you, my lord.”

Qin Gou smiled slyly. “Little Chair, you’ve always prided yourself on being the smartest and most obedient, haven’t you? Then take a guess—why did I summon you so urgently?”

“My lord, Little Chair is innocent!” Yi Chengying immediately cried out, her face scrunched up in mock despair.

Qin Gou chuckled. “You’re quite good at playing the victim, aren’t you? I haven’t even said what this is about, and you’re already pleading your case?”

“Little Chair knows what this is about…” Yi Chengying said, her voice trembling. “Even though I didn’t personally expose your true identity, I did bring Sister Cuiyan, who has an eye-type spiritual tool, to the Palace Master. That must have upset you. But the order to summon Sister Cuiyan was given by the Palace Master long ago—I couldn’t stop it!”

“So instead, you fanned the flames, hoping my identity would be exposed sooner?” Qin Gou raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mockery.

Yi Chengying blinked her large, watery eyes, her expression pitiful. “Little Chair made a mistake and won’t do it again. Please punish me, my lord. Use the same method as last time—press my toes a hundred times. I promise I won’t complain.”

“Dream on!” Qin Gou rolled his eyes. This girl was clearly enjoying herself too much.

“When you realized Ling Cuiyan’s eye-type spiritual tool couldn’t see through me, you must’ve been scared out of your wits, right?” Qin Gou asked, his tone amused.

Yi Chengying nodded furiously, then shook her head just as quickly. She held her breath, not daring to make a sound, and hurriedly said, “The great Qin Lord’s power is beyond Little Chair’s comprehension, of course.”

“Flatterer,” Qin Gou said, suddenly reaching out to pinch Yi Chengying’s soft, pale chin. With a mischievous grin, he asked, “Aren’t you curious how I managed it? Normally, no disguise can escape an eye-type spiritual tool. It’s like a natural predator—inescapable.”

“Very curious,” Yi Chengying stammered, her mind spinning. Is the ancestor planning to play with the top half this time instead of the bottom?

“Then don’t move,” Qin Gou ordered.

He stared directly at Yi Chengying’s delicate, snow-white face. As her breathing quickened, a flash of demonic patterns crossed his eyes. In an instant, he stored her physical features, overwriting the previous appearance of Wu Qi.

Releasing her chin, Qin Gou said, “Now, I’ll show you something interesting. But you must promise not to make a sound.”

Yi Chengying nodded quickly, her lips pressed tightly together.

With a quick shift, Qin Gou transformed into Yi Chengying’s exact likeness. From her facial features to her signature pleated floral skirt, there wasn’t a single flaw.

“Ah!” Yi Chengying couldn’t help but scream.

Qin Gou glared at her and clamped a hand over her mouth. “Didn’t I tell you not to scream?”

“Mmph! Little Chair… was just startled,” Yi Chengying said, her wide eyes filled with shock. “No wonder Sister Cuiyan couldn’t see through it. You didn’t just disguise yourself—you completely transformed. Your entire body structure changed. But… I’ve heard this ability is nearly impossible for humans to achieve.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Qin Gou said, pulling a rope-like spiritual tool from his spatial ring and handing it to her. “You know what to do, don’t you?”

Yi Chengying’s eyes widened in horror. “Ancestor, this is too much! Little Chair has no experience with such things. Can’t you punish me some other way?”

“Enough nonsense. You know what I mean,” Qin Gou said through gritted teeth. What on earth is going through this girl’s head?

Reluctantly, Yi Chengying tied herself up with the rope, her technique surprisingly skilled. The bindings accentuated certain areas, giving her an unexpectedly alluring appearance. Clearly, this wasn’t her first time tying someone up.

“Not exactly what I had in mind, but this will do,” Qin Gou said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “I know this spirit-binding rope can’t actually hold you, but it’s just a precaution. If I return and find you gone or the rope loosened, you won’t want to know the consequences.”

Yi Chengying froze, her curiosity getting the better of her. “My lord, where are you going?”

Standing before her, Qin Gou adjusted his clothes, giving her the unsettling feeling of looking into a mirror. “To meet my dear disciple, of course.”

“What?!” Yi Chengying exclaimed, her voice rising in panic.

Qin Gou sighed. “Almost forgot about this.” He pulled a silk cloth from his spatial ring and stuffed it into her slightly open mouth.

“Mmph!” Yi Chengying whimpered, her delicate shoulders trembling as she struggled in vain. Qin Gou ignored her, waving casually as he left. “Be good and wait for me to return.”

Left alone, Yi Chengying slumped in defeat, her bound figure trembling with frustration. What she truly wanted to say was: What kind of tea did the Heavenly Master give me earlier? Can’t I at least go relieve myself first? Little Chair has been holding it for so long… it’s so urgent!