Chapter 2

Before leaving, Zhao Huaizhong cast a glance at the disheveled bed.

Recalling the intense 'struggle' between the substitute and the young girl on the bed, he and the elder had watched everything clearly from the side.

The scene was simply indescribable.

Zhao Huaizhong withdrew his gaze from the wooden bed: "The girl said her name is Xia Si. If you have the chance, investigate her true identity. This girl is quite peculiar and is clearly not an ordinary dancer.

However, the name she gave might be fake."

The elder respectfully agreed, and the two left the room, disappearing into the night.

...

Two long streets away from the residence where Zhao Huaizhong was held captive, there was another mansion.

This mansion was vast, with lanterns hanging high, illuminating the night.

Inside one of the halls, a young man of moderate build, dressed in a white robe with a jade belt, sat behind a mat at the upper seat. His eyes, which occasionally carried a hint of femininity, moved restlessly.

His gaze frequently fell on the lower seat, where a fox-like woman in a light yellow robe with a delicate collar was reclining on a mat, her exquisite collarbone slightly exposed.

Upon closer inspection, this woman bore a striking resemblance to the young girl Xia Si who had just left Zhao Huaizhong's room, but her aura was even more alluring and seductive.

"How did it go?" the young man at the upper seat asked in a deep voice.

The woman extended her tongue to lick her red lips: "Young Master's judgment was very accurate. My released yin soul told me that the deposed crown prince, who is being held as a hostage, indeed plans to escape."

The young man sneered: "Over the past few years, we have undermined his foundation, and his health has been deteriorating day by day. Even if he manages to escape, he will be a waste. Besides, I have made preparations; his attempt to escape is just a delusion."

The young man asked the woman: "Did you succeed in what I asked you to do?"

"Following Young Master's instructions, I released my yin soul to seduce him and stole part of his essence during our intimate moments.

He has fallen victim to my technique, and his essence is now depleted, making it impossible for him to achieve anything in cultivation."

The yin soul the woman spoke of was the young girl who had been intimate with Zhao Huaizhong's substitute, while she herself was the real Xia Si.

At this moment, the woman laughed licentiously: "That poor crown prince has thin essence and poor skills in bed; the experience was not very satisfying.

It's a pity that my yin soul was defiled by such a low-quality person."

These words were not particularly harmful but were extremely insulting, which suited the young man's thoughts perfectly.

His lips curled into a smile, and his gaze roamed over Xia Si: "Indeed, he was fortunate to enjoy a woman like you before being completely ruined.

I've heard that any man who has been with you is like being poisoned by a slow-acting poison and needs to be close to you regularly to avoid death, otherwise, his blood will boil and he will die.

Is that true?"

Xia Si leaned back, her body trembling slightly as she smiled: "If Young Master wants to know, why not try it yourself?"

The young man's face showed a mix of desire and hesitation, his Adam's apple bobbing.

But he soon swallowed and said cautiously: "No, I'll pass. Your ability to control yin souls can turn the negative into the positive and the fake into the real. Many people who have been intimate with you think they were with your true self, but in fact, it was just your yin soul.

During the process, you plunder their essence, and afterward, they are under your control. I won't take the risk."

Xia Si changed her position, stretching out her long legs, her white ankles peeking out from her cloud-patterned shoes. She pursed her lips: "If Young Master asks, Xia Si can personally serve you and will not deceive you."

The young man waved his hands: "No need."

He then shouted: "Bring in the people I arranged to capture the Qin hostage who is trying to escape."

Someone outside the hall went to relay the order.

About half an hour later, a soldier in armor rushed in and reported to the young man:

"Young Master, there was a problem with the operation. The people who came to assist Zhao Huaizhong in his escape were well-prepared. With their help, Zhao Huaizhong successfully escaped into the city and hid his tracks.

My subordinates are intensifying the search, but we haven't found any further clues yet."

The young man was furious, waving his arm and throwing the three-legged wine vessel he was holding, which had a beast's head on the handle: "Worthless! You were prepared, yet you let him escape?"

Smack!

The wine vessel hit the soldier's chest with great force.

The soldier extended his hands, thumbs touching, and bowed his head: "Young Master, please forgive me. The forces they mobilized were unexpected. There were no fewer than a hundred elite enemies infiltrating the city, half of whom were strong cultivators from various cultivation systems."

The young man sneered: "They mobilized such a large force. Even if they manage to save Zhao Huaizhong, what will the king think when he sees his son has become a waste?"

"Pass my order to intensify the search and do not let him escape easily."

The soldier accepted the order and left.

Soon after, Xia Si also left the room, walking gracefully through the brightly lit mansion, eventually arriving at another room in the back courtyard.

This was a study, where a middle-aged man with a robust and tall figure and calm, composed eyes sat behind a long table.

Seeing Xia Si enter without knocking, he frowned slightly and asked directly: "How did it go?"

Xia Si smiled: "The Qin crown prince seems to be planning a secret escape back to his country. My yin soul just discovered the issue and is trying to track him."

The middle-aged man said calmly: "Since Qin is eager to save their crown prince, let him go."

Xia Si was somewhat surprised, glancing at the middle-aged man and thinking: "Let the Qin crown prince return to his country? That doesn't seem like your style.

Could it be... you have other plans and are intentionally letting him go?"

The middle-aged man said: "That's not your concern. Just remember, Qin is our common enemy.

Also, do not seduce Shao Yan anymore, or I won't be lenient with you."

Xia Si's figure suddenly disappeared from the room, leaving a trail of giggles: "Since I'm not welcome, I'll leave. I hope Lord Pingyuan remembers the agreement with our Yin Nü Sect and does not break it."

Wilderness.

In a grove, Zhao Huaizhong and the elder looked back at the city they had just escaped from.

"Are the people who helped me in the city safe?" Zhao Huaizhong asked.

"We made detailed plans and considered various scenarios. They will disperse within the city and return to the country in small groups, so the casualties should not be too heavy, but some losses are inevitable," the elder said solemnly.

"The substitute who will stay in the city to replace the crown prince will try to delay time and occasionally show up to make the enemy think the crown prince has not escaped from Handan."

Zhao Huaizhong asked: "How confident are we that we can return to the capital safely?"

The elder said confidently: "Since we have escaped from Handan, the other obstacles on the way back are not to be feared. The king has arranged for people to assist us along the way to ensure the safe return of the crown prince."

"Since we have such confidence, send a message to the team staying in the city to protect us. Tell them to hide carefully and not show themselves anymore, prioritizing their own safety."

The elder hesitated for a moment and then agreed: "The crown prince is generous. I will pass on the order."

Zhao Huaizhong nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Not far away, a group of people, dressed in black armor and riding strange, strong horses with a single horn on their heads, blended into the night.

This was the team responsible for escorting Zhao Huaizhong back to the country.

They had infiltrated the Zhao territory in batches over several months, hiding their tracks in the wilderness, waiting for the moment Zhao Huaizhong would escape from the hostage residence.

The nearly forty elite members of the team moved in perfect unison.

When Zhao Huaizhong and the elder who was protecting him boarded a carriage in the center of the escort, the leading general immediately gave a signal, and the group moved swiftly through the night like a sharp blade cutting through the darkness.

Buzz!

Suddenly, the leading rider swiftly drew a crossbow from his back.

The bowstring vibrated, and an arrow shot like a meteor into the nearby grove.

A glow of magic appeared in the grove, as if someone was defending against the arrow.

"Bind!" the leading general shouted.

With his voice, a faintly glowing dark yellow chain appeared out of nowhere in the grove, binding the figure that was defending against the arrow.

Zhao Huaizhong turned his head from the carriage and saw this, his eyes brightening.

The elder, noticing his curiosity, explained: "The leader of the team escorting the crown prince back to the country uses the纵横家's (Zonghengjia) technique of 'Fa Yan Shu,' which was founded by the great master Wang Chan of the Guigu School."

"The Fa Yan Shu technique founded by the Guigu School?" Zhao Huaizhong thought.

"Crown Prince, someone tried to approach and spy on us. I have captured them. What should we do?" the leading rider asked.

At this moment, Zhao Huaizhong felt 'it' quietly leave his body, transforming into an invisible aura that quickly drifted toward the captured figure.

"It's that girl, Xia Si."

When the figure revealed itself, Zhao Huaizhong recognized her.

"Hmm, it's a yin soul. Why did it die so suddenly?" a soldier wondered.

In the distance, the captured girl Xia Si suddenly had a dark mark appear on her forehead, and her body rapidly withered, turning into a strange, empty skin that fell to the ground.

At the same time, 'it' returned to Zhao Huaizhong's body.

Zhao Huaizhong was not surprised, as 'it' had left his body for short periods before. However, after its return, its aura seemed slightly stronger, and combined with the strange transformation of the yin soul girl Xia Si into a skin, Zhao Huaizhong fell into deep thought.

The team then set off again.

"How many days will it take to return?" Zhao Huaizhong asked.

"Riding the night beasts, we can return to the capital in less than ten days," the elder replied.

Shortly after they left, Xia Si, who had left Lord Pingyuan's residence, appeared nearby and found the remaining skin.

Her face was very pale as she stared at the skin, which was turning to ashes, and muttered: "What kind of technique is this? It's so powerful, not only absorbing my yin soul but also trying to extract my power from a distance."

Time passed quickly, and over ten days flew by.

Zhao Huaizhong and his group traveled day and night, finally arriving at the center of power of the Qin Empire—the ancient capital of Xianyang.