Having said that, with a flick of her slender jade fingers towards the space between her eyebrows, Gu Shi Yi saw a vague semblance of an eye appear between the previously fair brows of the woman, but it was blurry and vanished in the blink of an eye. The beautiful woman said,
"Although my cultivation level is still shallow, only reaching Qi Cultivation Level Seven, and my Third Eye Clairvoyance has not fully formed, being a hall master and discerning Spiritual Medicinal Herbs is already sufficient..."
She paused and continued,
"As soon as you came in, I could tell that your body is sealed with something extraordinary. Even though I can't see what it is, knowing it's something good is enough..."
As she spoke, she took two steps forward, smiling charmingly,
"You don't need to be afraid, just cooperate with me and let me remove the object. Afterwards, if you are still alive, I will surely compensate you!"
She had seen early on that the treasure had been in this woman's body for many years, already merging with her flesh and blood. To forcibly extract it, this woman's life would mostly be doomed. But the life of a mere mortal like her meant as much to these Great cultivators as killing a dog, nothing remarkable at all!
"If you're unlucky and die, I will pray for your soul, ensuring you are reborn into a good life next time!"
Without further ado, she reached out and grabbed Gu Shi Yi's shoulder. Gu Shi Yi, being quick-witted, would have run if she could, but from the moment that woman pointed to the space between her brows, Gu Shi Yi had unconsciously looked up at that eye. From the moment it had flashed past, she felt frozen, unable to move even a toe, and watched in horror as the beautiful woman reached out, grasped her shoulder, and with a light tug, she was pulled over entirely.
The beautiful woman said with a smile,
"To prevent Spiritual Energy from leaking out when the treasure is extracted, let's go to the backyard. The array there is stronger, and it will not attract any coveters!"
Having said that, without looking back, with a wave of her hand, the doors to the outer hall closed. With a flick of her sleeve, a scarf shot out, wrapping around Gu Shi Yi's body, taking her with a face full of despair towards the backyard.
After the beautiful woman led Gu Shi Yi through the small gate of the backyard, the scene before their eyes changed drastically, revealing a large garden with a pavilion inside it—likely the woman's boudoir. The beautiful woman laughed,
"It's fortunate that my two maids have been sent out on errands recently, saving me the trouble of silencing them!"
She brought Gu Shi Yi to the pavilion's main hall, placed her on the central table, and lightly patted her face,
"Stay put here, I will prepare something and be back shortly!"
Without looking at Gu Shi Yi's frightened eyes, she walked away with a giggle.
"Shiyi..."
As soon as she left, Li Yaner struggled out from within Gu Shi Yi's chest, and Gu Shi Yi looked at her in a panic. She couldn't speak and could only signal frantically with her eyes,
"Yanyan, run! Run fast!"
Having been close sisters for many years, how could Li Yaner not understand what she was trying to say? She shook her head at Gu Shi Yi, untied the rope around her neck, held the Jade Token, and said to Gu Shi Yi,
"Shiyi, I won't run. I'll take this Jade Token and hide, looking for an opportunity to save you..."
"You're crazy!"
Gu Shi Yi's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets,
"You are but a mere ghost, even less than an ant in front of a Great cultivator. How would you save me? Take the Jade Token and run away now!"
Fortunately, the Jade Token had the power to conceal one's presence, so even that old woman had not noticed Yanyan hiding on her body,
"You should take the chance to escape!"
Li Yaner gave her an unwavering shake of the head, didn't speak, jumped off the table with the Jade Token. Gu Shi Yi was so anxious she started crying; right now, she was like a vegetative person, with no other option but to wait for her death!
At that moment, Gu Shi Yi's heart was stuffed full of despair, and she silently called out to her late master,
"Master! Master! Show your spirit, please. If you don't show up soon, your disciple will be coming to see you. If you ignore me in my time of need, once I'm gone, don't expect to sleep in peace ever again!"
Gu Shi Yi cried; tears streamed down her cheeks nonstop. The beautiful woman returned after a short while, and seeing the tears, she couldn't help but laugh and said,
"Oh dear, why are you crying! Don't cry... Everyone dies eventually. Better to die early and be reborn sooner. In your next life, being born as the daughter of a wealthy family isn't so bad, right..."
After saying that, she pointed at Gu Shi Yi's throat, and suddenly Gu Shi Yi's throat loosened, allowing her to speak. The beautiful woman asked her,