Innocence: Incurring A Curse by Blood

"Fifth Concubine, no!" 

At once, Ye Jiuge tried to yank her back, but Fifth Concubine had used her dying will to charge the wall.

Pang! Blood splattered. 

When Ye Jiuge pulled Fifth Concubine back, there was a gaping gash in her forehead. Blood gushed from the wound; she was close to death.

"Fifth Concubine, you are so silly. Things could have been talked over; you did not have to risk your life!" Qing Mama covered the bleeding wound anxiously with her hands.

Ye Jiuge took out her Lightning Fire Needle and sealed Fifth Concubine's major acupuncture points. Then, she lifted her head and spoke hurriedly to Ye Yuxuan, "Father, Fifth Concubine will die soon, don't you have a bottle of Nine Transformations Resurrection Elixir? Please, save her with it."

Ye Yuxuan's expression darkened, and he remained quiet. One bottle of Nine Transformations Resurrection Elixir cost thousands of gold pieces. It was not worth the cost to save a concubine.

"Hmph, dream on!" Ye Shanshan's face filled with contempt. Secretly, she was gloating. Fifth Concubine had always used this method, and this time, she would finally die!

"That's enough. Speak less!" Although Su Yufeng felt that Fifth Concubine deserved death, it wasn't nice to hear her daughter say such things.

"I was speaking the truth!" Ye Shanshan pouted.

"Second Sister's mouth must be very itchy. Should I give you two slaps to help alleviate your itch?" Ye Jiuge glared at her. If she hadn't needed to muster her spiritual power to save Fifth Concubine's life, she would have slapped both Su Yufeng and her daughter.

Ye Shanshan reflexively covered her mouth and retreated. She was still scared from the ordeal when Ye Jiuge had slapped her.

"Old Master, you see that Jiuge has gone crazy because of Fifth Concubine. Someone who did not know better would think that they were mother and daughter, related by blood. Let's hope that Jiuge does not learn from Fifth Concubine how to take her own life to cover up a scandal." Su Yufeng hated Ye Jiuge for being so disrespectful, so she took this opportunity to throw mud at her.

"Fifth Concubine raised a child for Father. She has worked hard and deserves credit. Is it so wrong for me to be concerned about her?" Ye Jiuge harrumphed coldly then said, "At least I'm not like a certain someone with a black heart and rotten liver who, because of her selfish desire, ganged up on a mother and daughter with her nephew. Does she think everyone is blind?"

"Ye Jiuge, what nonsense are you sprouting?" Su Yufeng was startled. Her deal with Su Junqing was a secret. How had Ye Jiuge heard about it?

"If you don't want anyone to know what you do, don't do it. Paper cannot hold fire." Ye Jiuge had only intended to probe a little. She was surprised to learn that Ye Ruyi's disappearance was indeed related to Su Junqing. Su Yufeng and her daughter really were brazen.

"Old Master, look at Jiuge. She is becoming more and more outrageous," Su Yufeng pleaded pitifully with Ye Yuxuan.

"That's enough. Shut up, all of you!" Ye Yuxuan snapped impatiently. "Put Fifth Concubine back in her old residence. Gan Mama, bring someone with you and guard the place personally. Do not allow anyone to enter or exit without my instruction." Not leaving Fifth Concubine to die in the dungeon was the greatest mercy he was willing to give.

Although Su Yufeng and Ye Shanshan were unwilling, they did not dare defy Ye Yuxuan's orders. After all, Fifth Concubine did not seem as though she would be able to survive much longer: Their goal was achieved. 

"I understand." Gan Mama repeatedly nodded her head before asking carefully, "How should the thief's body be handled?"

Ye Yuxuan stared coldly at Chen Fuhan's corpse, ground his teeth, then said, "Throw it into the Mass Grave to feed the wild dogs."

After he spoke, he turned and left without a backward glance at Fifth Concubine. Su Yufeng and Ye Shanshan hurriedly followed behind, but not before they flashed victory grins at Ye Jiuge. However, Ye Jiuge was expending all her effort to save Fifth Concubine's life and did not take heed of them. 

"Eldest Miss, do you think that we should send Fifth Concubine over now or delay?" Gan Mama walked over and worriedly looked at Fifth Concubine, whose body was covered in blood. She feared that Fifth Concubine would not survive the trip back to her old, worn-out residence.

"Bring her back now, in case Madame and Second Sister make a fuss about it." If Fifth Concubine remained in the Qiu Shui Residence, Su Yufeng would not make things easy for her.

"Then I will go and fetch a sedan chair." 

After receiving her orders, Gan Mama quickly brought over the sedan chair. Together, Qing Mama, Zhen Zhu, Qing Hu, and Qing Liu lifted Fifth Concubine into the litter and sent her back to her original, dilapidated residence.

Before she left, Fifth Concubine had kept the residence neat and clean. The mattress and other necessities were still there.

Ye Jiuge instructed Qing Mama and Gan Mama to place Fifth Concubine on the bed then commanded Qing Hu and Qing Liu to stay and take care of her. The two maids were kind-hearted, and, although Fifth Concubine had been instigated by Qiu Mama to chase them out of the Qiu Shui Residence, they still remembered Fifth Concubine and Fourth Miss' kindness, so they were willing to stay and tend to their former mistress. 

"Eldest Miss, seeing Fifth Concubine's condition, should I invite a physician over to examine her?" Qing Mama asked softly. Feeling the stickiness of the blood in her palm, Qing Mama was scared.

"Father will never agree." Ye Yuxuan had already shown great mercy by not throwing Fifth Concubine into the dungeon. It would be impossible to summon a physician to examine her. 

"How long do you think Fifth Concubine can last in this state?" Qing Mama did not mean to curse Fifth Concubine; she was in terrible shape. Her hair was messy, and her face was stained with blood. Her clothes were also dirty, but Eldest Miss refused to let anyone clean her up. 

"How long she lasts depends on her!" Ye Jiuge told a small lie.

Although Fifth Concubine's condition appeared grave, Ye Jiuge had used her Lightning Fire Needle to seal the concubine's channels and her spiritual power to nourish her. For the time being, Fifth Concubine would survive. Ye Jiuge's words were meant to hide the truth from Ye Yuxuan, Su Yufeng, and her daughter. If Fifth Concubine were healthy, she would be imprisoned in the dungeon.

"Truly, Fifth Concubine has suffered a cruel fate. I wonder how Fourth Miss is faring," sighed Qing Mama.

Fourth Miss has experienced a terrible calamity, and she is only seven years old. Poor thing!

Although spiritual power was revered in Mainland China, a woman's chastity was also vital. Even if Fourth Miss were returned unharmed, it would be difficult for her to marry in the future.

"Heaven helps the worthy; Fourth Sister will be all right." Ye Jiuge believed that Ye Yu must have chased after them. It was a pity that she could not contact Ye Yu and had to wait for him to return.

Before leaving, Ye Jiuge informed Gan Mama to be wary of Madame's servant in case they killed Fifth Concubine.

Gan Mama expressed her understanding. She preferred Eldest Miss, who was righteous and willing to assist her servants during a crisis to Madame, who was cruel and mistreated her attendants.

After returning to the Zhilin Residence, Ye Jiuge took out the cloth dipped in Chen Fuhan's infected blood and analyzed it carefully.

Chen Fuhan was an unprincipled man. He must have been threatened or egged on by someone to risk his life to frame Fifth Concubine.

Su Yufeng and her daughter were too conceited because of their noble background; they would never do such a thing. Ye Jiuge wanted to find out who had served as their intermediary.