" if you go alone and someone came looking for trouble what could you do you can't use your token. you are too weak anyone could just knock you out with a few people on their side but if some trouble came she can use her ident.i.ty token that's how you can hide". said, ji Julian.

" This " yi ying thought about it and realized that she is right. ' if I go out without backing it would be too dangerous I might not even find him at all.' thought yi ying. This was an advantage of asking for help from an expert.

" Thank you " replied yi ying. it was a flaw in her judgment it's different outside the ji household.

" No need It's under the favor I will make arrangements to best of my ability. I have done this many times so I know," said ji Julian. she would pair up with Argeena to go outside whenever she felt to board.

" But I still warn you even if you find them there is a chance that my father won't let you punish them," said ji Julian. She knew her father that he wouldn't let her use the strength of the Ji household to fight some bandits.

" But I can't trust her she might run away when there is trouble," said yi ying. Even though it will be beneficial to take Alice with her but she is, after all, a maid of Ji household. She may rat them out when she came back other best possibility was to silence her which yi ying didn't like. ' If it was him he might have done it without a second thought '. yi ying thought. While smiling self-deprecating smile. Even she didn't know Alice much but she was still an innocent lady.

" You think that. " Ji Julian suddenly got up from her seat. ' Is she thinking that Alice might have run away using minion as a meat s.h.i.+eld. It's quite possible. If it's true then her subordinate died because of me '. this sent great turmoil in her heart. She had lived with Argeena her whole life even she was a subordinate in the name she trusted her judgment more than the others.

" I understand your concerns. Come in both of you " Ji Julian shouted. There was anger in her eyes. while yi ying stood their confused.

Both of them came in. Alice was looking at Argeena with hateful eyes. she wanted to convince yi ying to let her listen but she didn't let her have any chance.

While Argeena was confused she felt that young miss is angry. ' what could she have asked of her ' thought came into her mind.

while both of them bowed to Ji Julian.

" Argeena put a slave seal on Alice from now on her life belongs to head maid," said Ji Julian.

Both yi ying and Alice felt it must be a joke. A slave seal is different from the spirit mark.

A spirit only binds you to their owner but a slave seal meant if the owner died you will die with her.

" Young miss isn't it too ruthless for Alice while she is just a mortal," said Argeena. even she had a little respect for her doesn't mean that she will hand over Alice like this she was after all under her for a long time.

" Yes I don't need a slave. " said yi ying. it was really hard for her to believe that this little girl would put slave seal on her own subordinate.

Slave seal was used when there is a complete distrust between master and subordinate which was blasphemy in the cultivation world.

" just do what I tell you. " Ji Julian said to argeena.

"yes" argeena nodded. she released her cultivation and moved before anyone could say anything. A yellow paper like talisman appeared in her hands. she made a small cut on yi ying finger and a drop of blood came in contact with paper which began to s.h.i.+ne.

" Nooooooo " while Alice shouted. She completely knew what was happening. but it was all for nothing.

Argeena smashed the s.h.i.+ning talisman on Alice's heart and the talisman disappeared into her. Alice coughed a mouth full of bright red blood her cultivation also went into disarray.

While yi ying felt a certain resonance with Alice. This was the first time she had a slave and it was the one that was stronger than her. Most cultivators kept mortal slaves some used them for entertainment while others for the experiments. ' But why ' this thought came into her mind.

" cough cough " Alice tried to speak ' is this what you wanted to ask of her ' Alice was raging inside but didn't show it on her face.

" Head maid meet me the day appointed time for the rest of the deal," said Ji Julian nonchalantly.

Both yi ying and Alice nodded and left they were still comprehending what happened a few moments ago.

" Julian I think you went a little too far," said argeena now no one was present she called her by her first name.

" Sister I think she deliberately got the minion killed but I don't know why. " Ji Julian replied suddenly which stunned Argeena.

" Why are you making such an a.s.sumption," asked Argeena. she felt it was audacious to think like that from those wounds on her body she was attacked ruthlessly.

Ji Julian told her about the demand she made and her suggestion of using Alice as a s.h.i.+eld to stay hidden.

" so what about it I don't think there was a need to go this far," said Argeena there was a frown on her face.

" If she was attacked she would have revealed her ident.i.ty as a maid of Ji household but from everything I heard she didn't even use her ident.i.ty token at all," said Ji Julian while looking at the Argeena. " and she didn't reveal that they were under Ji household that minion girl she didn't have a token so Alice was the only one who had the token but she just ran isn't it too suspicious. "

Argeena realized that there was really something fishy here. " you think she let her die but I don't see the reason for her being killed like that."

" isn't very similar to how people disappear around her. Even though it's little different this time but there is no dead body no trace of any fights she just disappeared," said Ji Julian.

" You mean all those people," said Argeena with an incredulous expression. there were many disappearances of people in the staff of Ji household everyone believes that it was yi ying behind the scene.

" but Julian why would someone do this," said Argeena.

" I don't know the reason for it. But someone wants to create the illusion of her being killed by the bandits we got the news spread around so quickly which means it was intentional," said Ji Julian.

" You think Alice is killing others but why, " asked argeena again.

" what do we even know about the Alice she just came one day because of the father's recommendation. we don't actually know anything about her background or anything. That's why I have to bind her under slave seal. " said Ji Julian.

" But how could " Argeena still want to refute it was too big of the net that Ji Julian was trying to grasp but her next words were even sent s.h.i.+vers down her back.

" I want you to investigate few more maids secretly they also came the same way as Alice if I am thinking right there is only one person who has such influence in Ji household," said Ji Julian.

" "Argeena's facial expressions were twitching. she knew what man she was talking about. This was her own father the village chief lord Ji lan. he was the only overlord of this village.

" I hope I am wrong about this. " Ji Julian mumbled.

***************

" young master we have reached the destination," said the shadow.

" hmm investigate this place for me it was here that Dong s.h.i.+n said he had sensed powerful cultivation. this place has such a weak s.p.a.ce here check every corner here and there we have found out if an elder really came here," said Ji Jian. there was an entrance to the cave here it was the same cave where bai jie and yi ying were taken captives.

" yes young master " said the shadow.

" Is this month's supply is ready right?" asked Ji Jian.

" yes young master lord has a.s.signed higher quota this time just because you personally came " said the shadow.

" You are the leader but your voice feels very young. you must have know-how did my father create this red crystal even spirit stones couldn't compare to them. if you tell me I will make you my subordinate in the sect you can have resources, cultivation techniques, even seat of an inner disciple is not a problem " said Ji Jian. he was really impressed with how his father had created the shadows and this leader which seemed the same age as he was even such strong cultivation in these desolate lands where the spirit energy is so thin.

" Young master I only obey the command of the lord I can't tell you without his permission. " said the shadow leader.

" peh it's always like this let's go in this dirty place," said Ji Jian. he went in and the shadow followed. He had asked his father many times but he never tells him how he makes these crystals. it was a great supplement not only to spirit energy but life force too.

**************

Authors note.

Thank you dear readers for your support. It's really going bad these days for me so much work to do but I will try my best to release a new chapter whenever I can. Thank you again for reviews it really lifts the spirits.