The Great Qin: Starting with marrying Jingni, I began my quest for immortality.

"My cousin's mother was the only female marquis in Korean history. Legend has it that her eyes could make the stars lose their color, and countless souls perished under her twin swords. No one has ever seen her old age; she is forever young and beautiful."

"However, a beautiful face needs to be maintained by blood, especially the blood of a pure young girl."

"And the key to absorbing fresh blood and maintaining one's youthful appearance is... Gu!"

Chapter Seventy-Six Blood Feast

"The deadly Gu transforms into a withered poison, its blood congeals and stains the white robes."

"Do you think that my cousin's name, Blood-Clad Marquis, is merely a title?"

"The world is foolish, unaware that this is the manifestation of his true ability."

"My cousin is older than you think, but thanks to the blood of a young girl, his appearance has been preserved forever..."

Even though they've fallen to such a state.

Madam Mingzhu still held her cousin Bai Yifei in high esteem.

"But even so, in the end, we'll all die."

Jiang Chuan, however, had a different opinion. With just one sentence, he silenced Madam Mingzhu: "Drinking the blood of young girls only grants an unchanging appearance. But an unchanging appearance does not mean immortality. Didn't your cousin's mother die in the end?"

Lady Mingzhu remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a sigh, "Who in this world can escape death?"

"It's already quite difficult to maintain a youthful appearance forever."

Jiang Chuan said, "It is naturally very difficult to maintain one's youthful appearance through normal means, but in my opinion, maintaining one's appearance by consuming blood is nothing but an evil practice."

"I don't believe that such methods come without consequences."

"Furthermore, you seem to have said that he doesn't possess your physique, a physique that only women in your clan can possess..."

"His mother could cultivate Gu techniques and maintain her youthful appearance with such a constitution, so what makes him so special?"

"With the Gu you concocted from blood? Or with the blood of countless young girls he consumed?"

"If it's the former, what do you mean to him?"

“I once learned about your past from you. Your mother died a long time ago. Because of your beautiful appearance, you attracted the covetousness of others. It was Bai Yifei who found you, adopted you, raised you, and taught you the art of making Gu poison. In order to repay Bai Yifei, you were willing to become his helper, and you did not hesitate to hide your true relationship with him and join the Nightfall.”

"Later, under Bai Yifei's arrangement, she gradually became the Tide Demoness, one of the Four Fiends of the Night."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Madam Mingzhu raised an eyebrow, staring intently at Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan said softly, "Although I have never met Bai Yifei or had any dealings with him, I know that he is a person who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Is it really out of so-called kinship that such a person would adopt you?"

"There's definitely something else going on."

"When I heard you say that only women in your clan can have a physique like yours, the answer gradually came to me."

"Bai Yifei's mother's achievements are clearly related to her physical condition."

"After her death, even though Bai Yifei was her son, he was unable to cultivate her martial arts and Gu techniques to their fullest potential because he did not possess that kind of constitution. Therefore, he spent a lot of effort to find you among his mother's clan, intending to use your help to climb to a higher level."

"Are you saying that I am just a tool to my cousin?" Madam Mingzhu thought she understood Jiang Chuan's words. "My cousin gave me everything I have now. I am willing to be a tool for my cousin."

"So, you're willing to die for him?" Jiang Chuan asked Madam Mingzhu in return.

Madam Mingzhu paused in speech immediately.

Jiang Chuan noticed this slight change in expression and said with a slight upturn of his lips, "It seems you are unwilling to die for him."

When Jiang Chuan directly pointed out what she was thinking, Madam Mingzhu's first thought was to deny it, but she quickly gave up and frankly admitted, "Although my cousin has raised and taught me, he is ultimately no one who can save my life. It is naturally impossible for me to give my life for him."

"You really are realistic." Jiang Chuan was becoming more and more interested in Madam Mingzhu.

Madam Mingzhu remained silent once again.

Jiang Chuan suddenly asked Madam Mingzhu another question, "Over the years, Bai Yifei has consumed the blood of so many young girls in order to practice his skills, but has he never consumed your blood?"

Madam Mingzhu was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "Of course not."

Jiang Chuan's words seemed to contain a kind of demonic power: "I have the same physique as you. I know very well what kind of temptation this blood has. A single drop of blood is enough to attract hundreds of insects to fight over it. Even ordinary people can't help but feel desire when they smell the fragrance of the blood."

"Bai Yifei uses blood to cultivate his skills, so his thirst for blood must have reached a point that can be described as insane. Yet, when facing you, he was able to suppress his desires. It's truly unbelievable."

"Is it because of family ties? Or is it because you were used to refine Gu for him, and are still of use? Or is it that he's keeping you around temporarily, waiting for you to feed on him one day, so that he can break through to a higher realm?"

Madam Mingzhu's gaze was fixed.

He had never thought about these things before.

Now that Jiang Chuan has spoken, even though she knows that he is trying to sow discord between her and her cousin, Madam Mingzhu still can't help but think about it carefully.

Looking back now, something definitely didn't seem right.

As Jiang Chuan said, his cousin had indeed become addicted to blood because of practicing that bloodthirsty technique. Every once in a while, he needed to drink the blood of a pure young girl to relieve his addiction.

And before each episode of his blood addiction, the way he looked at himself was filled with...desire.

In the past, Madam Mingzhu had never thought of this detail.

Now, thanks to Jiang Chuan's (clear and concise) reminder, I suddenly realized this.

My cousin has been eyeing me for a long time, eager to suck my blood.

But in the end, he managed to restrain Shen.

We've managed to restrain ourselves for now, but what about the future?

Although her cousin did not pass on that bloodthirsty martial art to her, she had assisted Bai Yifei for many years and often secretly sent beauties from the palace to her cousin Bai Yifei. She knew that in recent years, her cousin's demand for beauties had been increasing.

This means that my cousin's blood addiction is getting worse.

Or rather, the blood of an ordinary girl was no longer enough to satisfy the cousin.

If this continues, sooner or later, my cousin will set his sights on me.

Thinking of this, Madam Mingzhu's mood suddenly became heavy.

As mentioned before, she could help her cousin with many things, but not of sacrificing her own life for him.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Blood-Clad Return, Advancing to the Innate Realm!

Jiang Chuan's words gave Madam Mingzhu a new idea.

Admittedly, she knew that Jiang Chuan was trying to sow discord between her and her cousin.

However, perhaps because of the familiar aura emanating from Jiang Chuan, she couldn't help but think of those words, and thus, suspicion arose.

Jiang Chuan ultimately did not stay overnight at Madam Mingzhu's place.

After all, it was in the royal palace.

He came under the cover of night, and he left under the cover of night.

In the days that followed, aside from spending his time at the manor accompanying Ru Shuang and teaching Yan'er, and occasionally tending to Yan Ling Ji, he spent most of his time in the palace exchanging ideas with Lady Mingzhu and exploring more about Bai Yifei.

Liu Yi's case thus became a complete unsolved mystery.

Not long after Liu Yi's case became a cold case, another thing happened that night.

That is, the Blood-Clad Marquis Bai Yifei, renowned for his military exploits and infamous reputation, has returned to the capital in triumph.

Ten years ago, at the very end of the war between Korea and Baiyue, Bai Yifei defeated Tianze, the former crown prince of Baiyue, bringing the war to a complete close. It was because of this battle that his white clothes were stained with blood, earning him the title of Blood-Clad Marquis.

After that, Bai Yifei lived in Xinzheng for several years. Later, because the Qin state posed a great threat, he would go to the border every now and then to guard the border and protect the territory.

Now, he has returned.

It is obvious that his return will bring new changes to the already chaotic situation in Xinzheng.

Inside the mansion, Jiang Chuan also heard about Bai Yifei's return, but Ji Wuye had no intention of gathering the Four Fiends of the Night. Therefore, even though Bai Yifei had returned, he had no chance to see her.

"It was just as expected."

Jiang Chuan spoke softly.

Although he was wary of Bai Yifei's return, he never thought of stopping it.

In the end, Bai Yifei will eventually return; it's just a matter of time.

"The Blood-Clad Marquis has returned. What did my husband do to the Tide Demoness?" Ru Shuang frowned slightly and asked Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan and she once infiltrated the palace and used illusion magic on Lady Mingzhu. Afterwards, they even left a way to control her life inside her body.

Madam Mingzhu harbored resentment in her heart.

She trusted Bai Yifei so much.

Now that Bai Yifei has returned, will Madam Mingzhu tell him these things?

"Therefore, we must also be prepared for a fight to the death!"

Jiang Chuan said something to Ru Shuang.

Even though he frequently visited Madam Mingzhu during this time, leaving some impression on her, a slight rift appeared in the relationship between Madam Mingzhu and Bai Yifei.

But no one knows whether Madam Mingzhu will tell Bai Yifei about what she experienced.

If Bai Yifei finds out, will he take revenge on me for the sake of Madam Mingzhu?

These are all things that Jiang Chuan needs to consider.