What does this mean? Shu Yao wondered as she was being tormented. The current situation clearly meant that begging for mercy was acceptable, but crying out for justice was not? Apologizing was acceptable, but pretending to be stupid was not. Good heavens... Looking at his face, which was closed and enjoying himself, Shu Yao really hated her lack of martial arts skills. Otherwise, could she have knocked him out with one punch?

Waaaaah... This night was so long, yet Huo Jingsha's gentle and affectionate "interrogation" caused her to moan intermittently and passionately until dawn...

Two days later, the emperor's chief eunuch came to bestow rewards.

The Emperor and Empress were quite pleased with his loyalty. They allocated a portion of the gold and silver treasures he presented as a reward and distributed them back to the emperor. This was no longer a bribe; through the emperor's hands, it was transformed into a legitimate reward.

Huo Jingsha not only enriched the treasury but also demonstrated his loyalty, earning the trust of both the highest leaders of the court and the harem.

Besides gold, he allocated a large portion of the jewelry and antiques that could not be directly converted into cash to reward his confidants and subordinates who benefited from the deal, making everyone overjoyed.

Seeing this, You Shuyao thought to herself that it was truly remarkable for someone to be like Huo Jingsha.

First of all, he is broad-minded, not greedy, not arrogant, not self-important, and understands the principle of "giving" and "receiving". In fact, given his current position, he could easily disregard the feelings of anyone, but he does not. Instead, he is very considerate of his subordinates, sharing what he has with them and generously spending money on his subordinates.

With a leader like that, it's no wonder people would be fiercely loyal to him. Simply put, they'd follow him for money, power, and beautiful women!

This cunning old fox's methods of winning people's hearts are truly admirable.

*** ***

On this day, a carriage stopped in front of the Huo family mansion gate, and the two guards guarding the gate immediately stepped forward to question him.

Who goes there?

The carriage curtain was lifted, and the guard saw the other person's face clearly. He immediately bowed respectfully.

"Good day, my lord."

Huo Jingsha, inside the carriage, gave orders to the guards with an air of authority.

"Have someone inside call Aunt Yao over."

"yes."

The guards hurriedly entered the mansion to inform someone.

Not long after, You Shuyao was carried to the door in a sedan chair, accompanied by two maids, Qiuyue and Dongxue.

"Come up." Huo Jingsha held out a hand to her.

You Shuyao placed her hand on his large palm, used his strength to step onto the low stool, and then stepped into the carriage.

After helping Shu Yao into the car, Huo Jingsha ordered the two maids in a deep voice, "No need to follow us anymore, go back and wait."

"Yes." Qiuyue and Dongxue bowed respectfully.

"Let's go," Huo Jingsha said, lowering the carriage curtain and ordering the driver.

Upon hearing this, the coachman immediately cracked his whip and drove the carriage forward.

You Shuyao sat in the carriage, looking at him curiously and asked, "Why are you back so early today? Aren't you busy with official duties at the office?"

Huo Jingsha placed his large hand on her back and slowly stroked up her neck along her spine.

"I came back... to take you somewhere."

"Where?" Shu Yao's back stiffened as he touched her, and a bad feeling rose within her.

"Where there is a Demon Lord Saint."

You Shuyao's forced smile suddenly changed color. She tried to turn around, but a dull pain shot through her back, and her whole body went limp. She could no longer muster any strength!

"Who are you?" she asked, staring at him.

The man in front of her was not Huo Jingsha, but someone disguised as Huo Jingsha.

The man narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Do you know what the consequences are for an assassin who betrays the organization?"

Shu Yao was immediately stunned, then quickly understood.

"You are Qi." The Huo Jingsha in front of me is Qi in disguise.

The man didn't answer, he just stared at her, neither admitting nor denying, but in her eyes... it was another form of tacit agreement.

You Shuyao stared at him, and after realizing who he was, she calmed down.

"I should have guessed it sooner, and I've witnessed your skills firsthand. Only you could disguise yourself so perfectly, mimicking both mannerisms and voice flawlessly."

Qi remained silent, simply gazing at her quietly.

I hadn't seen her for over a month, and she was even more beautiful than before. She possessed a mature charm that she hadn't had before, like a delicate flower just beginning to bloom, exuding a richer fragrance than when it was still in bud, captivating everyone and irresistibly alluring with her beauty.

"Speak! Why haven't you killed him yet?" he asked.

"I haven't found a suitable opportunity," she replied readily.

"Is it that you haven't found an opportunity, or that you haven't had the heart to make the move?"

You Shuyao bit her lip, lowered her head guiltily, and remained silent.

Qi reached out and forcefully turned her chin, making her look up and face his gaze.

"You haven't fallen in love with him, have you?"

"No!" she immediately denied, but then realized that she had denied it too quickly, which only made it seem like she was trying to cover it up.

Sure enough... he narrowed his eyes and scrutinized her, his gaze sharp and intense.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. If you don't kill him, you'll be the one who dies. The organization will not let any traitor go unpunished, and their end will never be good."

You Shuyao's face was pale, and fear was evident in her eyes. As an assassin herself, she knew the organization's rules all too well. Once the leader deemed her a traitor, he would issue a kill order, and the assassins would be like sharks smelling blood, determined to kill her at all costs.

"I...I understand."

Yes, she understood, she had always understood, that either Huo Jingsha would die, or she would die.

"I hope you truly understand," Qi said in a neutral tone.

“Ever since I escaped last time, he has increased the number of people in the manor, countless guards, both overt and covert, even four of them are by my side, so… it’s not that I don’t want to kill him, it’s just that I haven’t found a suitable opportunity.” She tried to explain, attempting to cover it up, but this time, Qi Geng remained silent, still expressionless.

He stared at her for a long time, as if trying to see through her, which made Shu Yao break out in a cold sweat.

Finally, just as she was about to lose her composure, Qi slowly spoke.

"Since you put it that way, I'll give you one more chance. I hope this time, you won't disappoint the organization." With that, he stood up, opened the door, and ordered the people outside, "Tie her up."

The two female assassins received the order, boarded the carriage, and tied Shu Yao's hands behind her back.

She thought that Qi had tied her up to take her back to the organization's headquarters so that the leader could deal with her, but as soon as she got off the carriage, she was immediately taken to a room guarded by the two female assassins from before, and there were also two guards outside the room.

You Shuyao didn't resist, beg for mercy, or utter a single word, because she knew that nothing she said now could hide it from Qi. His appearance and his capture of her meant he no longer trusted her and was convinced she wouldn't kill Huo Jingsha.