The fickle June weather had shifted from clear skies to a tumultuous swirl of dark clouds in mere moments, unleashing a sudden downpour.

The young clerk at the Hanmo Studio leaned against the doorway. Business was slow in this dreary weather, so he idly watched the rain, occasionally spotting some unfortunate soul caught in the deluge. He clicked his tongue. "What rotten luck. Happily walking along, and who'd have thought it would rain?" He was still muttering to himself when he saw a figure hurrying towards the studio. Assuming it was someone seeking shelter, he watched as the figure drew closer, revealing a slender young woman beneath a turquoise oil-paper umbrella.

The clerk was taken aback. As the young woman approached, before he could even offer a greeting, she spoke in a cool voice, "I need to see your manager. Tell him an old friend from Green Abyss Valley has come."

The young woman was Yao Ji. The rules of the Boundless Sea Tower forbade unscheduled visits to their contact points. So, when the studio manager saw her, he was visibly startled. "Why have you come?"

Yao Ji had no choice. She had no way to contact Ye Chonglou directly, so her only recourse was through the Hanmo Studio.

"I want to see the Tower Lord."

The manager frowned. Hearing her address Ye Chonglou as "Tower Lord" instead of the customary "Young Master," he sensed her rebellious intent. His voice was flat. "The Young Master isn't someone you can see simply because you wish it."

Yao Ji smiled. "What if I have something the Young Master wants? A piece of the Wen Du Jing?"

The manager's face paled. Under his intense gaze, Yao Ji's smile softened. After a long pause, the manager sighed. "Very well. I will send word to the Valley. Whether the Young Master agrees to see you, I cannot guarantee."

Yao Ji nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave. Back at the Pei residence, as expected, Pei An immediately sent for her. Upon entering the room, Yao Ji spoke directly. "Rest assured, Steward Pei, Ye Chonglou will come to see me."

Pei An snorted, knowing Yao Ji had anticipated being followed. Her blatant visit to the Boundless Sea Tower's contact was a clear sign she was relying on the Young Master's favor to protect her. His voice was cold. "You're quite bold. Aren't you afraid the Pei family will follow the trail, find the Boundless Sea Tower's lair, and capture those villains?"

Yao Ji sighed. "Ye Chonglou isn't a fool. He wouldn't just stay there waiting." That was precisely why she'd used the Wen Du Jing fragment as bait. It all depended on whether Ye Chonglou was willing to trade the antidote for it.

Pei An understood this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed Yao Ji to leave the residence. The poison afflicting Pei Yan, called Jade Dewfrost, was incredibly strange. Even the renowned physicians retained by the Heaven Capital Prefecture were baffled. The Pei family's influence was vast, and if the physicians of the capital couldn't cure the poison, then likely only the poisoner could.

Not long after Ye Chonglou had left that day, Pei Yan had succumbed to the poison, his mind drifting in and out of consciousness. The toxin was spreading rapidly; only medication was keeping him alive. Without a swift antidote, his life was in grave danger.

The method of poisoning was both bizarre and viciously cunning. Pei Yan was always cautious, meticulous about anything he consumed or allowed near him. He could guard against outsiders, but not against someone in his own bed, someone who had been unknowingly used as a pawn.

Only after learning the truth did Yao Ji understand the cryptic command Ye Chonglou had given her. Raised in Green Abyss Valley, her body had been conditioned by various secret medicines, making her incredibly sensitive and imbuing her very core with Jade Dewfrost.

The poison remained dormant unless activated by a specific drug. Once activated, it wouldn't harm the carrier but would be transmitted through intimacy.

That day, Yao Ji had taken the activating drug before making love with Pei Yan to cure his aphr0disiac poison. In doing so, she had unwittingly poisoned him with the Jade Dewfrost, which had remained latent until recently.

Such a devious method would be impossible to predict. Even Yao Ji, wary of Ye Chonglou's intentions, hadn't foreseen that in saving Pei Yan, she would also condemn him.

After Pei Yan collapsed, his first command to Pei An was to protect Yao Ji. He suspected the cause of his poisoning lay with her, yet he refused to blame her. Even in his delirium, he worried for her safety.

His unwavering affection, fervent and gentle, filled Yao Ji with guilt and regret. She wished she could take his place, but it was futile. She confessed her true identity to Pei An, offering herself to his judgment. But Pei An, fiercely loyal, couldn't harm her despite his hatred, bound by his master's command. He had imprisoned Qinglan, hoping to extract useful information through torture, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Yao Ji refused to remain passive. Pei Yan had shown her such kindness; if she couldn't save him, she might as well die. Beneath her seemingly naive exterior lay a proud, unyielding spirit. Years of subjugation in Green Abyss Valley had only fueled her desire for freedom from Ye Chonglou's control.

Though outwardly compliant due to the threat against her life, Yao Ji had been secretly searching for leverage against Ye Chonglou.