By evening, Elder Brother Qin An reluctantly bade farewell to his brothers, taking his wife and children by carriage toward the southern part of the city.


    Night fell.


    Qin Yun, dressed in black, arrived outside his brother Qin An’s residence and stood in a shadowed corner.


    "Judging by the mark I left on my elder brother, this must be the place," Qin Yun thought as he observed the estate. "This is my first time visiting my brother''s home, and it’s because of a demon."


    With a single step, he silently leaped over ten zhang (about 33 meters) and landed on the rooftop of a pavilion within the residence. He crouched low, scanning the entire estate.


    The residence covered several acres, patrolled by a few servants and guarded by hidden experts in the shadows.


    “Eye of Truth, activate!”


    The pupils of Qin Yun’s eyes lit up with intricate patterns as he reopened the Eye of Truth.


    Through this vision, the hidden guards, the six patrolling servants, and every life essence in the estate became visible. He could even see the life forces of his elder brother Qin An, his wife, and children, who were all likely asleep by now. Within his Eye of Truth’s range, not even walls could obscure the presence of life forces.


    “Found it.” Qin Yun soon detected a dense green demonic aura emanating from a maidservant’s quarters.


    With a soft whoosh, his figure blurred, moving soundlessly over ten zhang to the door of the room. A light push of the door caused the latch to open effortlessly.


    Inside the Room


    A young woman dressed in fitted undergarments sat cross-legged on the bed, frowning.


    “Hmph, it will still take three months for my demonic energy to fully merge into his three souls and seven spirits. Only then will my task be complete,” she thought, her eyes gleaming with a menacing light. “I’ve already spent six months here for this mere merchant. Becoming a maid for nine months? Once the leader’s grand plan is achieved, everyone in this estate who insulted or bullied me will be eaten alive!”


    Being a vicious demon forced to endure menial servitude for half a year, how could she not harbor resentment?


    But for now, she suppressed it.


    “When the night deepens and Qin An is sound asleep, I can absorb a bit more of his vitality.” She closed her eyes, patiently waiting.


    Suddenly—


    The door silently creaked open without a sound.


    Yet, the girl’s sharp instincts caused her to open her eyes. She immediately spotted a black-clad young man entering the room nonchalantly. As he stepped inside, an invisible force rippled out from him, spreading across the space.


    “Seal!”


    The moment Qin Yun entered, he cast a spell. A luminous barrier expanded around them, enveloping both him and the girl. To the naked eye, this barrier was invisible.


    The sealing spell could isolate sound, trap enemies, and suppress their powers—a formidable technique indeed.


    Qin Yun casually shut the door behind him.


    “A spell?” The girl trembled inwardly.


    Spells were powerful techniques derived from Daoist and Buddhist insights into the natural world. They were extremely secretive and challenging to master, requiring great skill to execute. The fact that this black-clad youth could use one spoke volumes about his capabilities.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    “So, you’re a cat demon,” Qin Yun said softly, his eyes piercing through her.


    The girl, still in her fitted undergarments, timidly stepped off the bed. Barefooted, she stood there, looking weak and pitiful. “Please, master, spare me! I may live here in the Qin family estate, but I have done no harm.”


    “No harm?” Qin Yun’s tone turned icy. “Then why is your demonic energy so deeply entrenched in Qin An’s body, permeating his muscles and organs? If this continues, he’ll soon become gravely ill, beyond the help of any medicine, and eventually die.”


    “What?” The girl’s face turned pale, tears welling in her eyes. “I didn’t! I never intended to harm Qin Lang!”


    “Didn’t?” Qin Yun glared at her. “But that’s exactly what you’re doing.”


    “I… I didn’t know…” the girl stammered in self-reproach. “To be honest, Qin Lang and I truly love each other. How could I bear to harm him? But as a demon, I never dared to reveal my true nature. Could it be that… our intimacy caused my demonic energy to seep into his body?”


    “Intimacy?” Qin Yun sneered. “His vitality is so weak, and it’s not just from that. You’ve been deliberately draining his essence. Why take only small amounts each time instead of draining it all at once? What are you plotting?”


    The girl’s heart sank. “This youth seems young, but his knowledge is extraordinary. I thought I could deceive him and find a chance to escape, but even my energy-draining tactics didn’t escape his notice.”


    “I didn’t mean any harm, truly,” the girl pleaded.


    “Humans and demons have fallen in love and even had children before. Mere intimacy wouldn’t weaken his vitality to such an extent,” Qin Yun said coldly. “You’d better stop lying and tell the truth.”


    “I… I don’t know…” the girl said, tears streaming down her face.


    Suddenly, without warning, she darted toward the window with lightning speed. Her right hand transformed mid-air, sprouting fur and razor-sharp claws as she struck at the sealing barrier.


    Her speed was astonishing!


    But Qin Yun was faster. In an instant, he was beside her, reaching out with his left hand.


    The girl tried to dodge, but the seemingly simple hand was inescapable. Qin Yun’s fingers closed around her neck effortlessly.


    The girl’s appearance changed drastically. Fur covered her entire body, her ears turned into feline shapes, and her eyes glowed green with vertical pupils. Even her teeth became sharp fangs. She struggled fiercely, but Qin Yun channeled true energy into her, casting another sealing spell inside her body. The girl was immediately immobilized.


    With a thud, Qin Yun threw her onto the ground.


    “Speak. There’s no point in lying to me. If you don’t give me a convincing reason, you’ll die,” Qin Yun said coldly. He needed to uncover why his brother had been targeted.


    Demons absorbing human vitality was common. Most demons cultivated yin energy from the moon, but yin alone wasn’t enough. Human vitality provided the perfect balance. However, for a demon to spend over a year absorbing tiny amounts and posing as a maid? That was inefficient and suspicious.


    “Talk,” Qin Yun demanded, his aura exuding deadly pressure.


    The cat demon trembled, realizing he was no ordinary cultivator. Facing death, she calculated, “If I stay silent, I’ll die. But even if I talk, I might still die. My only hope is to gamble for survival.”


    “You’re wise, master,” the cat demon said. “My efforts here weren’t for mere essence. Over time, I’ve been letting my demonic energy seep into his soul. In a few months, it will fully penetrate his three souls and seven spirits.”


    Qin Yun’s eyes narrowed.


    “When that happens, even the most skilled cultivators won’t be able to save him. He’ll either die of illness or live only under my control,” she explained. “From then on, he’ll rely on me to survive.”


    “A demon servant?” Qin Yun’s voice turned frosty.


    “Yes, but if I wish, I can withdraw the energy and restore him to normal,” the demon hastily added.


    “Withdraw it? Once it’s in his soul, it’d take you years to extract it. Qin An is just a small merchant—why go to such lengths? Is it because of his father?” Qin Yun pressed.


    “His father, Qin Lietu, is one of the three Silver Badge Captains and a powerful figure in Guangling County,” she admitted.


    “I was acting under my leader’s orders,” the cat demon said, “but I don’t know the full reasons.”


    “Where is your leader?” Qin Yun asked.


    “He’s in Guangling County,” she replied, desperate to survive.


    “Take me to him,” Qin Yun demanded.


    “I’ll lead the way if you spare my life. I’m just a lowly demon, forced into this,” she pleaded.


    “Enough talk. Lead the way,” Qin Yun said, grabbing her shoulder.


    “If you won’t promise my safety, I might as well die now,” the cat demon muttered, gritting her teeth.


    Qin Yun remained silent.


    The demon closed her eyes, bracing herself.


    “Fine,” Qin Yun relented. “If you take me to your leader and I confirm he’s the one behind this, I’ll spare your life.”


    Overjoyed, the cat demon nodded. “Thank you, master! I’ll take you there right away.”


    With that, Qin Yun silently left his brother’s residence, the unconscious cat demon in tow. The estate’s servants continued their patrols, unaware that a demon lurking among them for half a year had been captured.