"Hmph..." As Ye Jingyu helped the fallen Eunuch Li up, a mouthful of blood sprayed out from the old man's lips...

"Eunuch Li... Are you alright?" Seeing that Eunuch Li was not dead, Ye Jingyu felt a small measure of relief, yet he worried the eunuch might hold a grudge. A surge of Zhenqi flowed directly from Ye Jingyu's palm, directed into the eunuch to help regulate the chaotic internal energy.

"N-Nothing... I'm fine..." A look of sheer horror spread across Eunuch Li's face. Although he was only a Supervising Eunuch, nowhere near the caliber of Grand Eunuch Yun, holding his position meant his own strength had already reached the Xiantian realm. Yet now, this mere little girl had sent him flying with a casual glance. Just what level of power did this girl possess?

Suddenly, Eunuch Li felt the exceptionally pure Xiantian Zhenqi within Ye Jingyu, and the shock in his eyes deepened. He was the Supervising Eunuch who announced the results between Ye Jingyu and Huangfu Buyue on the martial arts field that day. Back then, Ye Jingyu's power, especially that world-shaking finger strike, was undeniably strong, but his Zhenqi was merely at the Wushi realm. How long had it been for him to break through Wushi and reach the Xiantian realm already? And such profound and robust energy! It was far stronger than his own...

"Eunuch Li, my little sister here was a bit impulsive, she..." Ye Jingyu said, supporting the eunuch while trying to smooth things over regarding Hei Ming Shixuan...

"No trouble, no trouble at all. General, please, enter the palace with me," he had already concluded—these eunuchs were beings even pettier than the smallest villain. If Eunuch Li had felt insulted, and possessed the means to retaliate, he would have exhausted every trick to wash away the shame. But sensing the pure Xiantian Zhenqi emanating from Ye Jingyu and the terrifying aura from little Shixuan, Eunuch Li understood that revenge was simply impossible. Since that was the case, why not try to cultivate a good relationship with them?

Especially noticing the complete absence of mockery in Ye Jingyu’s eyes, Eunuch Li secretly resolved to become exceedingly close to Ye Jingyu from this day forward. Someone possessing such formidable combat power would surely bring considerable benefits later on...

What did petty men care about most? Benefits.

Eunuch Li understood this deeply in his heart.

Being swatted away by a glance from a little girl—what was that compared to future gains?

"But my little sister..." Ye Jingyu showed a conflicted expression. Never mind that Eunuch Li was somewhat apprehensive of Hei Ming Shixuan; even Ye Jingyu himself couldn't truly control her...

"His Majesty adores children. General, please bring the young lady with me to see the Emperor," Eunuch Li dared not utter a single refusal, especially after feeling the killing intent radiating from Hei Ming Shixuan’s gaze. He certainly wasn't going to dwell on where Ye Jingyu found such a strange sister.

"Heh heh... Eunuch is the best! This is Shixuan’s favorite Blood Essence Pill (Xue Yuan Dan). It can help restore the Eunuch’s vitality. Please try one, Eunuch!" Hearing Eunuch Li’s words, Hei Ming Shixuan’s previously fierce expression instantly calmed, and she approached the eunuch with a bright smile. She pulled a blood-red pill from her pouch and offered it to him. Looking at the bright red pellet, and then at Ye Jingyu’s earnest face, Eunuch Li didn't say another word. He snatched it and popped it into his mouth. Immediately, he felt a surge of pure energy dissolve, diligently regulating his recent injuries. In just a few breaths, the internal damage inflicted by Hei Ming Shixuan was completely healed. He even sensed that his own Zhenqi felt significantly denser.

Such a miraculous spirit medicine existed in this world?

If he had a few more? Wouldn't breaking through to the Grandmaster realm become effortless?

Eunuch Li’s eyes immediately lit up.

His face broke into a beaming smile, forgetting completely about the injury Hei Ming Shixuan had inflicted moments ago.

"Heh heh, does Eunuch like the taste? Shixuan has five more here. I’ll give them all to you, Eunuch," as if reading Eunuch Li’s thoughts, Hei Ming Shixuan pulled out five more scarlet Blood Essence Pills from her pouch and handed them over.

Gazing at the five crimson pills, Eunuch Li felt his hands tremble slightly. These were top-grade elixirs that could directly enhance one's cultivation! She was gifting them to him so freely...

"Thank you, Young Lady, for the medicine," Eunuch Li’s tone was now laced with profound respect as his trembling hands reached out to accept the spirit medicine offered by Hei Ming Shixuan.

Watching the gratitude and awe filling Eunuch Li’s face, a strange smile touched the corner of Ye Jingyu’s mouth. Before his eyes, a real-life demonstration of the carrot and stick was unfolding—except here, the little rabbit named Hei Ming Shixuan was wielding both the carrot and the stick, while the willing recipient of the carrot was Eunuch Li, the old wolf stripped of his ability to breed.

They boarded Ye Jingyu’s private carriage, following the sedan chair of Eunuch Li toward the direction of the Royal Palace.

Looking at the utterly innocent expression on Hei Ming Shixuan’s face, Ye Jingyu knew he could no longer judge this girl by the standards of a mere child. Someone capable of completely subjugating an aged eunuch who had served within the palace for years was no simple girl.

"Little Shixuan, do you have any more of those Blood Essence Pills?" Thinking of the pills that could enhance cultivation, Ye Jingyu immediately thought of Lin Xiaoyi, who was desperately struggling to advance his power.

Hei Ming Shixuan shook her head. Before Ye Jingyu could show disappointment, she spoke again, "But I still have three Essence Pearls (Yuan Zhu) that my sister left me." As she spoke, she somehow produced three pale-white beads, though they were much smaller than the one Ye Jingyu had consumed previously—only the size of a little finger.

"Oh? How many years old are these?" Ye Jingyu knew the effects of these pearls intimately.

"Only about a hundred years," Hei Ming Shixuan replied with a slight hint of difficulty.

"That's enough," Ye Jingyu snatched the three pearls, preparing to give them to Lin Xiaoyi and Chen Qi to quickly boost their strength.

However, once he held them, a slight feeling of shame washed over him for essentially tricking a girl of barely ten years old out of her possessions.

"Little Shixuan..."

"Brother, don't worry about it. They’re just a few hundred-year-old Essence Pearls. We have loads and loads of them back home! Next time Sister visits, I’ll ask her to bring more along," Hei Ming Shixuan’s purple eyes twinkled, as if they could see through everything in the world.

Ugh...

Who said girls were simple? Who said girls were childish? Who said girls were naive?

This was clearly an empathetic, good child...

Ugh, well, sometimes she was also good at unwrapping clothes...

Nodding in contentment, the sliver of guilt in his heart vanished without a trace.