Ye Jingyu awoke seven days later. With the highly skilled apothecary Gongsun Xiangyi present, and the heaven-defying divine beast Ni Bo, naturally sensitive to spiritual herbs, his internal injuries had healed considerably thanks to countless healing elixirs. Of course, the most crucial factor was his own resilience; anyone else facing such a violent surge of the Bayuan Power might have already exploded, never to survive.

At this moment, Ye Jingyu lay upon a great bed entirely woven from vines, his complexion still somewhat pale, appearing far from comfortable...

Hei Ming Shixuan had disappeared somewhere with Ni Bo again. Little Tao Tao was still fast asleep nearby, but the area beside his neck had developed a bulge ending in a pair of tiger claws. As a result, he now possessed three sets of claws, with the lower four being much thicker. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Ye Jingyu felt the greatest threat came from this newly sprouted pair of claws...

Was Little Tao Tao about to evolve?

Every time this creature awoke from a deep slumber, its strength would advance significantly. Having absorbed so much soul power this time, Ye Jingyu wondered just how far its evolution would progress...

Gongsun Xiangyi was also nowhere to be seen. He presumed she had gone out to gather herbs for dressing wounds. Chi Yixiu and Hu Yanqi were both staying outside as well. Inside the entire tent, only Hu Yanmeng remained, clad in a one-piece leather skirt that exposed a pair of smooth, long thighs...

Naturally, seated in a corner, was a cold man; who else but Hei Ming?

"Meng, I need a bath..." Ye Jingyu spoke without glancing at Hei Ming, his gaze sweeping over Hu Yanmeng's thighs before he spoke directly...

Having just woken, he felt sticky all over, accompanied by waves of foul odor—utterly unpleasant...

Hu Yanmeng’s face remained impassive upon seeing Ye Jingyu awake, though a flicker of delight crossed her eyes, swiftly concealed. Hearing Ye Jingyu’s request, she moved to leave without a word, clearly preparing to fetch supplies.

Seeing Hu Yanmeng depart, Ye Jingyu closed his eyes again, seemingly oblivious to Hei Ming's presence.

Hei Ming had not expected Ye Jingyu to remain silent toward him, causing a degree of awkwardness. However, recalling the agreement they had made that day, he could only initiate the conversation: "How do you intend to dispose of me?"

The eyes Ye Jingyu had closed opened once more, his face showing satisfaction. He hadn't misjudged the man; this indeed was someone who kept his word... It was not in vain that he had employed the Bayuan Power...

"I want you to become my shadow..." Ye Jingyu murmured softly.

"A shadow?" Hei Ming paused, then nodded in assent...

He understood. Ye Jingyu did not wish him to appear before others, yet required him to remain close, ready to protect him at any moment...

Though he couldn't fathom why someone so powerful needed protection, if Ye Jingyu commanded it, he would comply...

Silence returned to the tent. A faint smile touched the corner of Ye Jingyu’s mouth. This trip to the Hundred Tombs Valley, though resulting in heavy losses with so many fatalities, had yielded substantial gains. With the addition of two Grandmaster experts, one poison master, and so many weapons and secret manuals, it was enough to forge an overwhelmingly powerful force...

Qin Yan, when I return to Yunjing, that will be your death day...

Up until now, Ye Jingyu had been entirely defensive, his weakness stemming from his own insufficient strength and that of his entourage. But things were different now. With Hei Ming’s addition, and Gongsun Xiangyi’s as well, his own power had increased by a large margin. How could he still fear Qin Yan?

While he might not be able to kill Qin Yan openly, assassination was certainly an option—Qin Yan himself had done the same thing, hadn't he?

The thought of vengeance brought him considerable delight...

At this moment, a tall figure entered from outside, carrying a huge wooden basin in one hand, wisps of steam rising from within the basin...

Anyone capable of carrying a large bathing tub full of water with one hand while appearing so effortless—besides Ye Jingyu—could only be Chi Yixiu. Normally, such a task would not fall to him, but upon hearing Ye Jingyu had woken, he had rushed over immediately.

Indeed, noticing the basin was still brand new, its edges somewhat uneven, Ye Jingyu knew it had been made very recently. And the fact that the water was so hot indicated that Hu Yanmeng, anticipating his needs, already knew bathing would be his first priority upon waking...

"A'Yu, are you feeling better?" Seeing Ye Jingyu’s still somewhat ashen face, a look of worry creased Chi Yixiu’s rugged features...

"Don't worry, these minor injuries count for nothing..." Ye Jingyu shook his head gently, though his heart was filled with warmth...

Hearing Ye Jingyu’s voice was less weak, Chi Yixiu smiled, set the huge tub on the floor, and turned to walk outside...

Hu Yanmeng, however, entered carrying a pile of freshly washed clothes, approaching Ye Jingyu’s bedside as if to help him up...

"Hey, what are you still doing here?" Ye Jingyu glared at Hei Ming with annoyance. He certainly had no desire to be spied upon by a grown man while bathing...

"Didn't you ask me to be your shadow?" Hei Ming looked at Ye Jingyu with confusion...

"Even a shadow needs to leave sometimes..." Ye Jingyu snapped back...

Hei Ming shook his head but stood and moved toward the exit, quickly vanishing from Ye Jingyu’s sight.

Only then did Ye Jingyu, satisfied, allow Hu Yanmeng to help him rise. He walked step by step to the massive wooden tub and sank into it, still wearing his undergarment, of course.

Seeing Ye Jingyu settled, Hu Yanmeng turned to leave, but Ye Jingyu called her back sharply.

"I can barely walk right now, let alone bathe myself. Do you expect your handsome and dashing master to simply soak in the tub, immobile?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Yanmeng actually shot Ye Jingyu a sharp look before lifting the tent flap and stepping out.

Enraged, Ye Jingyu trembled slightly. This woman, clearly his female servant, always gave him attitude. He truly felt like a failure as a master...

But just as Ye Jingyu was about to lose his temper, the tent flap was lifted again. Then, Gongsun Xiangyi entered, clad in a cyan gauze dress and carrying a large stack of medicinal herbs in her arms.

"Young Master, allow Xiangyi to assist you with your bath..." Her voice was sweet and utterly captivating...

Gazing at her slightly flushed cheeks and her flawless, graceful figure, Ye Jingyu felt his mouth go dry and nodded in agreement...

(Chapter Four concluded. Support greatly appreciated!)