Chapter 1036: Achieving Great Merit

Chapter 1036: Chapter 1036: Achieving Great Merit

In reality, it’s always been a struggle to suppress this Demonic Qi, and its power and strangeness make it extremely difficult.

However, to prevent Ye Qingchen from worrying, she could only choose to hide the truth.

Ye Qingchen quietly watched Xiao Xiao, his eyebrows still slightly furrowed. He wasn’t someone easily deceived, especially after the recent bizarre event; he seemed somewhat skeptical of Xiao Xiao’s words.

He felt Xiao Xiao’s explanation was somewhat perfunctory, seemingly hiding something. But seeing her complexion pale yet not showing obvious pain, Ye Qingchen didn’t want to press her too much.

"Are you really okay?" Ye Qingchen’s voice remained low, carrying a bit of concern.

Xiao Xiao firmly nodded, her smile bearing a hint of reluctance, but she tried hard to maintain her composure: "Really, sir. Don’t worry, I can handle it."

Seeing her insistence, although Ye Qingchen still had doubts in his heart, he could only temporarily suppress his concerns. He sighed softly, gently held Xiao Xiao’s hand, and said in a low voice: "Alright, Xiao Xiao. If there’s any issue, be sure to tell me, don’t force yourself."

Xiao Xiao felt the warmth from Ye Qingchen’s palm, her heart touched and guilty, but she still nodded and replied softly: "I understand, sir."

The two exchanged glances for a moment, and Ye Qingchen’s anxiety eased slightly. He knew that questioning now would be futile and could only choose to trust Xiao Xiao.

However, he secretly decided that he would never let her face this issue alone; he must constantly monitor her situation, ready to help at any time.

Moments later, Ye Qingchen’s expression turned serious, and he said in a low voice: "Xiao Xiao, the situation is urgent, Chen Rui plans to capture the two of us. For now, I need to deal with his matters over there. You should hide here, make sure no one discovers you, and I’ll come to get you after everything is sorted."

He paused for a moment, then continued: "I’ll first knock unconscious Da Hei and Old Liu, and disguise them as if we’ve been captured with sacks, and take them to Chen Rui. This will temporarily mislead and buy us more time. You must be careful."

Xiao Xiao heard and nodded, her gaze holding a tinge of reluctance and worry, but more of trust in Ye Qingchen. She softly replied: "Be careful, sir, I’ll wait for you here."

Ye Qingchen saw that she understood his plan and said no more. He knew the time was tight and needed quick action. Thus, he gently patted Xiao Xiao’s shoulder, gave a reassuring smile, and turned to walk towards the pigsty.

His steps were swift yet extraordinarily light, making no unnecessary sounds.

The surrounding air still faintly lingered with remnants of Demonic Qi, but Ye Qingchen had no time to attend to these, his heart solely focused on one goal: to swiftly complete everything and ensure Xiao Xiao’s safety.

Soon, Ye Qingchen returned to the pigsty. He carefully pushed open the broken fence and walked to the side of the two tied-up individuals.

At this moment, they remained unconscious, tightly bound with rough hemp ropes, their hands and feet hanging powerlessly.

Ye Qingchen crouched down, checked the status of the two, ensuring they were still unconscious.

His gaze calm, he quickly picked up two large burlap sacks nearby, placing the two individuals inside one by one.

He moved swiftly and deftly, making as little noise as possible to avoid alerting others, although there was no one else around here.

Once he placed the two into the sacks, Ye Qingchen firmly tied the sack mouths, ensuring there was no looseness.

Then, he grasped one sack in each hand, feeling their heavy weight, and quickened his pace towards Chen Rui’s quarters.

Ye Qingchen moved swiftly along the way, but every step was extremely cautious, trying to avoid any palace city guards and servants he might encounter.

His expression focused, eyes constantly vigilant of his surroundings, wary of any unexpected events.

The two individuals within the sacks slightly swayed with his steps, appearing exceptionally heavy.

Finally, after several turns, Ye Qingchen arrived at the door of Chen Rui’s room.

He paused, took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing and emotions, then raised his hand and lightly knocked on the door, preparing to continue his plan.

Ye Qingchen carrying two heavy sacks walked into Chen Rui’s room. The dim lighting inside still clearly illuminated everything before him.

Ye Qingchen gently placed the sacks on the ground and raised his head to say to Chen Rui: "Sir, here are the two."

Upon hearing this, Chen Rui’s spirit immediately perked up, his gaze quickly shifting to the two sacks on the ground.

An excitement and thrill flashed in his eyes, as if foreseeing the benefits to come. He walked forward, his eyes fixed on the sacks, filled with pride and self-satisfaction.

"Hahaha!" Chen Rui couldn’t help but laugh loudly, as if he had already seen the scene of himself achieving great success and receiving lavish rewards. His eyes were filled with greed and ambition, a smile of triumph tugging at the corners of his mouth. "This time, I’ve truly accomplished a great feat! Jiang Qi will certainly reward me heavily, treasures and status, they’re all mine!"

The more he thought, the more excited he became, almost unable to contain the excitement within. He had already started scheming how he would enjoy future glory and power. He was completely unaware that the two individuals before him had been secretly switched by Ye Qingchen.

Chen Rui’s eyes shone like stars, as if he could already see himself being favored by Jiang Qi, even beginning to fantasize about future riches.

He paced in the room with pride, as if already a prominent figure in the palace city.

"Da Hei." Chen Rui suddenly turned, excitedly patted Ye Qingchen’s shoulder, "This time you’re also getting a share, I won’t forget your contribution!"

Ye Qingchen smiled slightly, his face displaying a respectful but calm expression, "Thank you for your promotion, sir. It’s my honor to serve you."

Upon listening, Chen Rui felt even more proud, as if already in a high position.

He was completely absorbed in his own fantasy, unaware of the deep meaning hidden beneath Ye Qingchen’s calm expression.

The room filled with Chen Rui’s triumphant laughter, his gaze still lingering on the two sacks, as if they were his keys to a glorious future.

Amidst Chen Rui’s laughter, Ye Qingchen’s brow slightly furrowed, secretly calculating.

He knew that this plan must be flawless, any hint must not be revealed to Chen Rui.

So, he feigned relaxation and said: "Sir, these two, do you want to check inside? What if the two are already dead? Sending them over like this, wouldn’t it be inappropriate?"