Chapter 86: The Hardest to Capture Is the Soul

Chu Bing was at a loss for words, unable to understand what Li Yuxi truly meant by his remark. She now found it difficult to meet his gaze, sensing that the man before her was far too inscrutable for her to hazard any guess at his intentions.

Li Yuxi noticed the fear flickering on Chu Bing’s face, yet offered no explanation. Instead, he calmly instructed the men at his side, “Escort Miss Chu back. If she escapes again, you’ll answer for it yourselves.”

The black-clad men in the courtyard bowed their heads in assent, and two immediately rose to escort Chu Bing toward the house.

Chu Bing shrugged off their hands. “I can walk on my own!”

A faintly wicked smile touched Li Yuxi’s lips. “Let her go by herself. Miss Chu is clever enough to know the consequences if I catch her trying to run again.”

Chu Bing froze for a moment, then clenched her teeth and strode into the room.

“That bastard Li Yuxi… System, isn’t there some way I can deal with him?”

Once the door was shut and she was alone, Chu Bing paced the room like a caged beast, her expression restless and agitated.

The system’s cold voice rang in her mind: “Host, you have only yourself to blame this time. Who told you not to focus on improving your skills…”

“Isn’t that obvious now?” Chu Bing grumbled, raking a hand through her hair. Ever since she’d arrived in this world, trouble had dogged her steps. Where had she found the time to train any skills? If she hadn’t fought so hard to survive, she’d have died at Li Yuxi’s hands long ago.

She felt as though she’d already shed more than one skin just to stay alive!

Throwing herself onto the bed, Chu Bing bit the blanket, nearly bursting into tears.

Life was too hard!

“For the last time, Host, you must find Li Haoran and cultivate him into a martial arts master as quickly as possible. So much time has passed, yet you haven’t found a single trace of him. If I weren’t so kind, I’d have executed you on the spot by now.”

Chu Bing buried her head in the pillow and roared, her voice muffled, “If you want me to find Li Haoran, then get me out of here first!”

She wanted to finish her mission quickly too!

Seeing how agitated Chu Bing was, the system relented and consoled her, “Never mind. Li Yuxi will have to sleep eventually. Tonight, when night falls and all is quiet, we’ll use teleportation to escape!”

After all, Li Yuxi would never imagine that Chu Bing could slip through walls with a teleportation technique!

Chu Bing’s eyes lit up, a brilliant smile spreading across her face. “You’re right! Tonight, I’ll finally leave this wretched place!”

She lifted her head from the pillow, counting on her fingers, yearning for nightfall. Eventually, longing turned to slumber.

As the sun set, its golden rays slanted through the study window.

Li Yuxi was engrossed in the second volume on formations, growing ever more convinced of its depth with each page.

But… who could have written such a masterpiece?

A knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

A black-clad subordinate entered.

Li Yuxi looked up, his expression quietly commanding. “How is she?”

“Miss Chu has made no move at all—she’s perfectly quiet, as if she’s given up any thought of escape.” The man knelt respectfully on one knee.

Li Yuxi’s brow arched slightly. His jade-like features, set off by the dim study, only made him more striking, almost too captivating to look at directly. “She’s no docile rabbit—she’s a cunning little fox. Keep a close eye on her…”

His gaze drifted to the formation manual on his desk, and suddenly, interest sparkled in his eyes. “Never mind. I’ll check on her myself. This is a good chance to test whether the methods in this book are as effective as they claim.”

The subordinate glanced at the book in his master’s hand, curiosity plain on his face. “Master, that book…”

Li Yuxi’s sharp glance silenced him immediately; the man lowered his head, not daring to speak further.

Li Yuxi tucked the book away, speaking with deliberate calm. “Don’t meddle in what doesn’t concern you.”

He clasped his hands behind his back and strolled toward the room where Chu Bing was held. Along the way, every subordinate he passed bowed their heads, none daring to meet his gaze.

Entering the courtyard, Li Yuxi found the house dead quiet, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. He approached the window and heard only the steady rhythm of Chu Bing’s breathing inside.

That little wildcat had actually fallen asleep?

Here, of all places, she could sleep so soundly?

With an unreadable look, Li Yuxi pushed open the door, confirming that Chu Bing was indeed fast asleep on the bed, her lips pursed in a pitiful little pout, lost in some dream.

He stepped closer, quietly studying her. Though she still wore a mask, her features were unfamiliar to him, yet beneath it all was an air that felt strangely familiar.

You can paint a face, but you cannot paint the bones. Even with a false mask, her innate pride shone through—unmistakable, even in a sea of people.

Her brows and eyes bespoke a pride no one else could match.

Unable to resist, Li Yuxi reached out, intending to remove her mask and finally see her true face.

But as his hand brushed against her—

Slap.

Chu Bing’s arm struck his wrist squarely.

For several seconds, the air was still. Li Yuxi regarded the girl on the bed; her eyes remained closed, her sleep undisturbed—she had no idea what she’d just done.

A low, clear, magnetic laugh slipped from Li Yuxi’s lips, echoing in the empty room, warming the ears.

“What a pity.”

Such an interesting little creature, and yet she was in love with his dull elder brother.

Still… he relished a challenge. If someone was too easily won, he lost all interest.

He withdrew his hand and turned to leave.

Standing outside Chu Bing’s door, Li Yuxi instructed his subordinate, “Prepare a few things for me.”

“Jade, pearls, cinnamon twigs, cinnabar…”

With each item he named, his subordinate’s surprise grew, but he dared not question the order and soon gathered everything.

Li Yuxi recalled the formation in the book, arranging the items exactly as prescribed, then formed a series of seals with his fingers.

The first attempt yielded nothing.

His subordinate watched, puzzled.

The second attempt was even stranger.

Li Yuxi, undeterred, meticulously reread every word in the book, then tried a third time.

This time, his internal energy seemed to be guided by some hidden rule, circulating along invisible paths in the air, finally enveloping the entire house.

Li Yuxi lowered his hands, joy flickering in his eyes—it worked!

This proved that the formations in the manual could truly be activated! With this book, he had gained a powerful new weapon.

His subordinate, though unaware of what had happened, quickly noticed the house was now surrounded by some invisible force; each step closer pressed down with immense pressure.

Li Yuxi’s features glowed with satisfaction, his fine-boned face more striking than ever. “Spread the word—no outsiders are to approach this place from now on.”

His subordinate, suppressing his astonishment, bowed in assent.