The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

Right before everyone's eyes, the burly gatekeeper, at the behest of the brocade-clad guard, set up a simple little stove in the center of the hall. There was water and white rice in the clay pot, and a small tinderstone was placed on the shelf.

Jin Yi looked at Yi Bicheng with a smile, but in her heart she thought, "If you really cook this golden porridge for me, what's wrong with me marrying you?" What woman adrift in the world doesn't hope to find a noble family to settle down in, and live a peaceful and tranquil life?

Yi Bicheng tucked the fan into his waistband, held the tinderstone on the shelf in his hand, opened the box and slowly blew on it, and the flame gradually rose. He glanced back and saw someone squeeze out of the crowd and hand him a folded stack of silver notes.

The moment the silver notes were presented, everyone was astonished. The smallest denomination was one thousand taels of silver. How could such a wealthy young man appear in this small, watery city?! Could it be that he truly admired the name of the lady in brocade and had traveled all this way to reach her?!

Jin Yi was also taken aback; she never expected Yi Bicheng to treat her so honestly.

Yi Bicheng placed a thousand-tael silver note on the flame, lit it, and calmly placed it on the shelf under the casserole. Then, one after another, each a thousand-tael silver note. Everyone felt a pang of heartache, and the chatter shifted from the Spirit Gathering Grass to Yi Bicheng and Jin Yi.

Yi Bicheng's expression remained unchanged as he burned the banknotes one by one. The servants behind him, handing him the silver notes, also remained calm, as if it were commonplace. In contrast, Jin Yi, who was originally a composed woman, initially smiled charmingly, but her complexion gradually worsened. Yi Bicheng was determined to have her, and in this way, what was being burned was her own money. Thinking of this, Jin Yi naturally felt extremely distressed.

But she is a girl after all, so it's not good to stop her. If she really does that, her reputation as a court lady will be ruined.

Amidst the stench of money and the aroma of porridge, Ying Li looked at Jin Yi's increasingly sallow and excited face and couldn't help but sigh, "I thought the Ying family was a prominent family in Ye Ling City, but after leaving the city and seeing such a scene, I realized what it means to be out of reach and have someone more capable."

The alluring man snorted coldly, seemingly looking down on him. "Follow me from now on, these are just a piece of cake. Learn well, you still have a long way to go."

Ying Li clenched her right hand tightly and nodded heavily. In the past, she had been sheltered by her grandfather and third uncle and had no idea what human suffering was. Although her life was in danger, she was still in a small circle. Now, in this Spirit Realm Continent, the small Ying family was not worth mentioning. Only by becoming stronger could she have the right to speak!

Thinking this, the porridge in the clay pot below started to boil, steaming continuously, and the aroma mixed with the stench spreading everywhere.

The pawnshop owner appeared in the lobby at some point, looking at Yi Bicheng and Jin Yi with an awkward expression on his face, as if he was heartbroken about losing the money, but more so as to feel regret that Jin Yi had run away.

"Miss in brocade, the porridge is ready. I also present two hundred thousand taels of gold. May the Spirit Gathering Grass and you yourself belong to me?" Yi Bicheng asked with a cupped hand, his face clear and bright.

He was completely different from before. Ying Li stood up, looked at the man standing in front of Jin Yi, and her expression changed slightly.

"Jinyi, you can't leave! Our business still needs to continue. If you leave like this, how am I supposed to find someone else in such a short time?!" The pawnshop owner was extremely anxious. Jinyi was his cash cow. If the other party left, the pawnshop would not be able to recover its current glory in a short time, which would be a huge loss.

Jin Yi ignored him, a shy smile on her face. She bowed slightly to Yi Bicheng and said bashfully, "Young Master Yi is very moved by your kindness. Therefore, Jin Yi is your person and will be at your disposal."

"Really?" Yi Bicheng reached out and helped Jin Yi up.

Jin Yi nodded, raised her head, and stared intently at Yi Bicheng with her captivating eyes.

However, the next second, Jin Yi's smile crumbled on his face. Yi Bicheng's face suddenly turned cold, and the fan at his waist flashed sharply towards Jin Yi's left cheek, and the hall fell into a deathly silence.

The sound of water droplets falling on the shoe made Jin Yi subconsciously lower her head. On the white shoe was a blood-red plum blossom. Her eyes widened in panic. When she looked at Yi Bicheng again, she saw a row of sharp serrations on the fan in his right hand, with warm blood dripping from the cold gears.

"Ah!" Jin Yi's expression changed drastically, and she screamed in anguish. Her body suddenly surged with fiery red spiritual power, and she gripped Yi Bicheng's collar tightly with both hands, saying angrily, "I'm going to kill you! We have no grudge against each other, why are you doing this to me?!"

"Hiss!" A sound of bones clashing with a blunt weapon rang out. Jin Yi's mouth was filled with blood as she stared in disbelief at the cold dagger at her waist. Yi Bicheng calmly gripped it, and with a single strike, he completely pierced through the spiritual energy barrier of the opponent's seventh-stage Divine Cultivator, delivering an overwhelming sword of death.

"Cough!" A burning pain shot through his abdomen, and Jin Yi coughed violently, blood bubbling from his mouth. "Why...why did you kill me?!"

People held their breath, no one dared to make a sound. Jin Yi's skills were not bad. In this Linshui City, there were no more than ten people who could kill her. But this young master killed a master cultivator in an instant. This was the first time they had ever seen such a thing.

Yi Bicheng brushed aside the hands gripping his collar with his left hand, his face expressionless. "Do you remember Wei Lingyun? I'm here to kill you in her place." With that, he thrust out his right hand, and Ying Li saw a burst of brilliant light erupt from his right hand, a red-on-red collision, before vanishing without a trace.

The brocade robe fell heavily to the ground, its eyes never closed again, and its body was no longer warm.