Qin Wanru was astounded. She had never expected it to be this person.

The other party seized this chance to whip out a bamboo pipe. He blew out a blast of pink mist into her face.

Even though Qin Wanru instantly held her breath, it was still too late. She smelled a sweet scent, and instantly became dizzy. She backed away from him in a few quick steps. “What sort of drug did you use?!”

That person wasn’t in a hurry to leave either. Instead, he slowly walked over to her from the window, his face lit by the moonlight and the soft glow of the candles.

The two dark circles ringing his eyes were especially clear. He was the head of the Chu clan’s second branch, Chu Tiesheng!

“The name of the drug is Bull’s Cream. It gets its name from the fact that only the milk of a bull can neutralize its effects.” Chu Tiesheng’s breathing grew ragged. He hadn’t expected to reveal all of his cards at once, and he couldn’t contain his anxiety as well.

“What rubbish is that? How can you obtain milk from a bull?!” Qin Wanru deliberately raised her voice. She began to wonder why no guards had appeared, despite all the noise.

Chu Tiesheng laughed. “Indeed, bulls cannot be milked. As such, there is no antidote for this drug. Only the joining of a man and woman can eliminate its effects.”

“An aphrodisiac!” Qin Wanru’s face immediately paled. “Chu Tiesheng, I never knew you harbored such shameless thoughts towards me!”

“Shameless?” Chu Tiesheng’s expression became cold. “How can this be shameless? A beautiful woman belongs to a noble man, after all. I refuse to believe that you’ve never sensed my intentions after all these years!”

Qin Wanru roared in fury. “Absolutely disgraceful! I am your sister-in-law! It’s normal for feelings to develop between men and women, but you should know when to show restraint!”

“Sister-in-law?” Chu Tiesheng sneered. “There’s a common saying—nothing is tastier than dumplings, and nothing is more fun than a sister-in-law.”

Qin Wanru stared at him in horror.

“Have you gone mad? The Chu clan is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. We cannot afford an internal conflict right now! I can pretend that nothing happened if you apologize and admit your wrongdoing immediately!” Qin Wanru was so angry that her entire body was shaking. However, her rational mind told her that it would be unwise for her to make a move right then.

Chu Tiesheng laughed. “Isn’t the Chu clan in its current predicament precisely because of Chu Zhongtian’s stubbornness? If the Chu clan continues under his leadership, it’ll only be a matter of time before the Chu clan meets its end! Everything I am doing is for the sake of rescuing the Chu clan!”

Qin Wanru’s heart sank. It dawned on her that things were definitely not as simple as she thought. “Are you planning to rebel?”

“The seat of clan master of the Chu clan should obviously belong to the most competent person. Since Chu Zhongtian is leading the clan towards a collapse, why shouldn’t I take his place?” Chu Tiesheng was in no rush. The longer he stalled, the more the poison would spread through her body.

Qin Wanru was at the sixth rank, after all. If they fought on even terms, he might not be able to win.

“Just how many people are in on this? Did you incite the third branch to rebel as well?” Qin Wanru demanded. She wanted to find out just how bad this rebellion was right now. She wanted to know if this was a rebellion by a single party, or if the second and third branches were conspiring together.

Chu Tiesheng snickered. “At least you have some self-awareness. You know that you’ve let down the other branches, which is why you have such a guilty conscience.”

Qin Wanru felt her body heating up. She couldn’t help but loosen her collar. She knew that remaining here wasn’t a sensible choice, but she needed to know more. “Hmph! The two of you have always harbored uncontrollable ambitions. Anyone could see that!”

“How can a human being not have ambition?” Chu Tiesheng walked towards her slowly, one step at a time. “Wanru, could it be that you still want to save Chu Zhongtian? There is no harm in telling you this. He won’t be coming back.”

Qin Wanru was stunned. She wasn’t stupid—she picked up on his meaning immediately. “You colluded with Sang Hong?”

Chu Tiesheng brought his palms together. “Lord Sang is working for the emperor. I am merely going along with the flow by cooperating with him. How can this be called collusion?”

“Not even the slickest tongue can hide your despicable nature.” Qin Wanru rubbed her forehead. Her temperature was climbing, and she was starting to feel dizzy. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold out for.

“The winner is the one who is right. I won’t argue pointlessly with you anymore.” Chu Tiesheng fished out a bottle from an inner pocket. His expression grew more and more malicious. “Sister-in-law, do you know how much I’ve thought about you, every day and night? Yet, I could never obtain you. I had no choice but to seek out other methods.

“This is something I found a while back. It’s called ‘Worries-Be-Gone’. Take this, and you’ll forget everything that has happened within several hours. When I first got this, I planned to find a chance to overpower you, knowing that everything would be back to normal the day after. You wouldn’t remember a thing… The next time I wanted you, I’d make you use it again. This way, you’ll be all mine, and we’d even be able to keep it quiet.”

Qin Wanru’s countenance changed drastically when she heard his deranged murmurings. How could such a vile drug exist in this world? There was no way she would be able to die in peace if she was given such a drug.

“In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It wouldn’t have been any fun if I was the only one who remembered what happened. I didn’t want you to continue being so proud and arrogant, looking at me with those eyes filled with scorn. I want you to remember every single detail about what happens between us!” Chu Tiesheng’s eyes grew slightly bloodshot. His breathing hastened. “That’s why I continued searching, and I eventually found this ‘Bull’s Cream’. This is a miraculous drug, on par with the ‘Eighteen Spring Winds’! It can turn even a virgin into an absolute slut, and only the milk of a bull can neutralize its effects. But where would you get milk from a bull? You know what other white substance is needed.”

“Shameless!” Qin Wanru didn’t dare remain any longer. His words were becoming more and more despicable, and her condition was deteriorat. She yelled out a curse and charged towards the exit. However, Chu Tiesheng was already prepared for this. He moved to block her path.

Qin Wanru seemed to have become weaker after being exposed to the drug. Her speed had decreased dramatically, and she couldn’t get past him at all.

Her only option was to retreat further into the room. She was worried that he would force her to the ground.

“You were the one who was trying to prevent my escape just now. Who would’ve thought that the tides would turn so quickly?” Chu Tiesheng had a smug smile on his face. “What’s the rush? I still have so many good things to show you.”

He began to remove his clothes.

Qin Wanru was appalled. What disgusting thing was he taking out this time?

She felt a strong urge to turn her face away and shield her eyes. However, she was also worried that, if she did so, he would seize the chance to restrain her. She was at a loss as to what to do.

Chu Tiesheng finally removed an item from inside his pants. It was black and round. “This is a recording stone that I obtained with great difficulty. It will be able to record everything that happens here. I can replay the recording at any time in the future.

“Say, if Chu Zhongtian saw me toying with his wife in his own room, in his own bed, do you think he might drop dead from anger right then?”

“You’re disgusting!” Qin Wanru’s entire body was trembling. Rage was building up inside her, and she was about to explode.

She lost her patience. She charged at him, hoping to kill the disgusting brute in front of her before the drug could spread through her body fully.

Chu Tiesheng was hoping that her anger would overcome her. It merely served to speed up the effects of the drug. He easily dodged her attacks. “Sister-in-law, don’t be in such a rush! There are actually two paths you can choose from. The first is exactly what I described. If you oppose me, I’ll use force to acquire you. Then, I’ll show Chu Zhongtian everything.

“The second path is this: serve me and accompany me, and I won’t tell anyone what happened. I will even agree to help you safeguard Chu Zhongtian’s life. You can continue to be a duchess, but only on the condition that you accompany me wherever I go. This is quite a favorable deal for you, don’t you think?

“You don’t have to be in such a hurry to reject me either. Outsiders might not know about the issues within the Chu clan, but how could I not know? The two of you have always desperately wanted a son, and yet you’ve only managed to give birth to daughters after all these years. In the last ten years, the two of you haven’t even been able to give birth to another daughter. I’ve struggled so hard to understand why this would be. A beautiful wife like you shouldn’t be cast aside until you’ve had a whole litter of children!

“After many years of observation, I now know that Chu Zhongtian’s body has long since lost its virility. You’re in the prime of your life, yet you’ve been neglected for so many years. Surely you have your own needs and desires as well?”