As night fell, a shadowy figure appeared in the courtyard.

The figure leaned against the nearby wall, listening to the sounds outside. After standing still for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, he leaped away in a different direction.

This direction wasn't the same as the previous exit from the mansion, indicating that his small courtyard was already being watched.

Judging from the breathing he heard, there were two people. These two were definitely not patrolling guards, as guards wouldn't stay in one place without moving.

The fixed sentry here was undoubtedly meant for him.

Whether they were here to protect him or monitor him was still unclear.

For now, he ignored them. With their level of skill, they wouldn't notice his departure.

After bypassing the two, he didn't rush to leave. The rotation method within the mansion had certainly changed.

Qing'er was no longer suitable for gathering information, so he needed to explore some patterns himself to make his actions more convenient.

He spent a full two hours investigating, and the general pattern was clear to him.

Outside the mansion, the dense forest also had mobile sentries, with guards patrolling roughly every half hour.

After leaving the mansion, Huang Ye went straight to an inn, ate and drank his fill, and packed enough food for three people for three days before returning.

He tossed the food to the two women, who were indeed hungry, each grabbing a roast chicken to gnaw on.

Huang Ye left the small courtyard again, this time targeting his so-called Second Brother.

Although he wasn't sure of his own combat strength, based on his previous ability to kill a woman with one move, he felt he was at least on par with a Martial King.

That woman, being close to the City Lord, was at least at the peak of a Martial Master, and being a Martial King wouldn't be surprising.

Huang Ye believed she was more likely a Martial King. After all, he was a cultivator, and based on the sound of his previous breakthrough, he should be at the ninth level of some realm.

He should be able to match a Martial King. His first clash with the woman should have been evenly matched.

By this calculation, he should be able to handle the three Martial Kings in the City Lord's mansion.

However, he couldn't contend with the City Lord, who was a Martial Emperor. Fortunately, he was only going to investigate, so being cautious should suffice.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He cautiously made his way to the Second Young Master's courtyard. Luckily, the guy wasn't asleep, and the room was still brightly lit.

Listening closely, the sounds inside were familiar, with a rhythmic pattern.

This guy, with his frail body, was still tireless. Truly impressive.

Unable to hear anything useful in this situation, he was about to leave when he suddenly saw a figure darting over. Huang Ye quickly crouched down.

The figure didn't enter the Second Young Master's room but hid in the shadows, listening to the sounds inside.

Interesting, who was this person? Were they here to eavesdrop or to assassinate?

Huang Ye quietly observed the figure.

The newcomer listened for a full quarter of an hour before getting up to leave.

In the faint light, Huang Ye caught a glimpse of his appearance—it was an old man.

Judging by the sly smile on the old man's face as he left, he seemed to have achieved some devious goal.

Could it be that the Second Young Master's indulgence was orchestrated by someone? Just to deplete his body.

That seemed pointless. Such depletion might only shorten his life, and if he had enough supplements, he could recover in the future.

After the old man left, Huang Ye didn't follow. Judging by the old man's speed, his strength was definitely not weak.

He was much stronger than those guards, even stronger than that woman.

If it weren't for his ability to see behind him, the old man could have approached without being noticed.

Who would have thought that this small City Lord's mansion was filled with intrigue?

Thinking carefully, this old man must be a Martial King. He came to find out what the Second Young Master was doing.

Judging by his lecherous expression, he was likely an enemy rather than a friend of the Second Young Master. The saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend was nonsense.

This old man might very well be his enemy too. There were three Martial Kings in the mansion, and if this old man was one of them, he was likely aligned with the Third Madam.

Now that he was clear-headed, if he could see these three people, he could naturally sort out their relationships.

No, the old man was investigating the Second Young Master without taking any action. His purpose might just be to investigate. Would he come to investigate his place too?

At this thought, he couldn't help but worry. The old man was powerful, and he didn't know if the two women could keep up the act.

When he left, he instructed the two to lie down after eating, and Qing'er was to deliberately breathe heavily.

The guards certainly wouldn't notice, but this old man was much stronger than the guards.

He quickly flew back to the small courtyard, slowing down as he approached, observing and listening carefully with each step.

Damn it, the old man was crouched on a shadowy wall, eavesdropping.

You old bastard, how dare you eavesdrop on my courtyard.

No, he had to get rid of him. The two women were just actors; they could fool him for a short time, but not for long.

After surveying the area, he had an idea. He saw a bird's nest in a tree not far away. Having good eyesight was indeed useful.

With a gentle flick of his finger, a stream of spiritual energy shot from the Shaoshang acupoint at his fingertip. This was the Six Meridian Divine Sword he learned from the System.

However, it was slightly different from the technique recorded in the System. The System described using inner strength to unleash the Six Meridian Divine Sword, but he had no inner strength and could only rely on the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth.

Due to the different driving methods, its power was less than that driven by inner strength.

Fortunately, it still had some effect. The bird's nest was disturbed, and a pair of sleeping crows immediately flew up, the male crow cawing twice.

The old man, who was eavesdropping, became alert and quickly flew away from the courtyard wall.

Moments later, Huang Ye slipped into the room.

Two pairs of big eyes stared at Huang Ye, who gestured for silence and slipped into the bed.

Before long, the sound of clothes rustling outside was heard.

It took half an hour before it quieted down.

"Young Master, what happened outside?"

"An old man was eavesdropping outside just now, but I scared him away."

"Ah! Why would an old man have such a hobby?"

"This kind of hobby knows no age," Huang Ye replied ambiguously.

"Have you seen the three Martial Kings in the mansion?"

"We don't know who the Martial Kings are. Although they have residences, they don't have servants, so no one knows what they look like."

Huang Ye described the old man's appearance, but both women said they hadn't seen him.

After pondering for a moment, Huang Ye decided not to dwell on the issue.

Now that he was clear-headed, he could walk around the courtyard. If he encountered them, he would naturally recognize them.

Previously, the First Madam didn't allow him to leave the courtyard, but now there was no reason to restrict him.

"Qing'er, tomorrow morning, go ask the First Madam and say I want to stroll outside the courtyard. See how she reacts."

"Okay, I'll go first thing in the morning."

"Alright, let's continue our practice!"

The two women immediately helped Huang Ye undress.

After a night of intense practice, by dawn, the three of them were not at all fatigued from the sleepless night; instead, they were full of energy.

This reverse cultivation technique was truly miraculous. Now that the two women had only reached the third level, all three of them had greatly benefited.

The only discomfort was that the two women constantly suppressed their voices.