The third young lady had contracted a strange illness called Mandrake, which required her to constantly change male attendants in her bed to alleviate the symptoms.

The day finally came when it was his turn to serve her in bed.

On this day, he followed behind the old woman, who led him to a secluded courtyard. The courtyard was filled with many pink flowers, their fragrance wafting everywhere.

The old woman suddenly stopped and asked leisurely, “Do you have a name?”

2213 was startled, feeling a sense of loss, and replied, “William Carter”

“William Carter, watch my steps. If you take even one wrong step, the formation in this courtyard will kill you.” The old woman glanced at William Carter with her dim eyes and walked forward.

Staring at the old woman’s back, William Carter remained silent. He followed her steps into the main hall of the courtyard. After bringing William Carter inside, the old woman disappeared.

The main hall was not large. Aside from some furnishings, a large bed in the center was particularly eye-catching. On the bed lay a woman with a black veil over her face. The woman was graceful and elegant, her expression cold as she gazed at William Carter.

Chapter Two: Delaying for Two Years

As soon as he entered the main hall, a strong stench of rotting corpses hit him in the face. William Carter was startled; the smell felt strangely familiar. He immediately took a few steps back, staring at the woman on the bed, carefully examining her neck, hands, and feet.

Purplish-red circular spots were symmetrically distributed on the woman’s body.

The moment he saw these purplish-red spots, an image involuntarily flashed through William Carter’s mind—a land of corpses, each body marked with purplish-red spots. A man in black squatted on the ground, rummaging through the corpses, sometimes deep in thought, sometimes taking out herbs to concoct something!

The image vanished, and a sharp pain surged through William Carter’s mind. His expression changed, cold sweat breaking out all over him, as some information surfaced in his mind.

Corpse Flower Poison! This must be Corpse Flower Poison, and it had already progressed to the second stage.

The woman noticed William Carter’s expression and sneered, “Scared?”

The memories of Corpse Flower Poison in his mind made him acutely aware that the second stage was the most contagious period. William Carter looked at the woman, hesitating, then suddenly smiled.

The woman’s eyes grew colder. She said, “You’re quite bold. The other servants are scared to death when they see me like this. You’re the first one who can still smile. But it doesn’t matter; your fate will be the same as theirs.”

William Carter chuckled, pulled over a chair, and sat down.

The woman was stunned, clearly not expecting William Carter to dare sit in front of her. She said coldly, “It seems you’re not only bold, but also…”

“You seek men to share your bed—do you think infecting others with your illness will cure you?” William Carter interrupted her, his gaze sharp.

A murderous glint flashed in the woman’s eyes. She sat up and snapped, “Who told you that?”

William Carter remained calm and said, “Doing this won’t cure you. In fact, it will only make things worse.”

The woman stared at William Carter and said menacingly, “No matter who told you, since you know, it doesn’t matter. This Mandrake disease—let me give you a taste of it.”

William Carter didn’t speak, just looked at her calmly, noticing that she frowned slightly when she got up.

As his memories of Corpse Flower Poison became clearer, he said, “You have circular red spots on your hands and feet. If I’m not mistaken, your whole body is already numb. Every movement brings unbearable pain. Even your hair has started to fall out, your mouth has sores, your bones ache, and your vision is already a bit blurry. Am I right?”

The woman’s expression shifted from gloomy to shocked, her breathing quickening. Much of what William Carter had just said was already happening. She had never told anyone about the pain in her body, so there was no way the servants could know.

Mandrake disease was extremely rare on the Empress Continent; few knew its specific symptoms.

“How… how do you know?” the woman’s voice trembled.

“Mandrake disease has three stages. If it reaches the third stage, there’s only death.” William Carter looked at her calmly and said, “You’re lucky to have met me in the second stage. I can cure this Mandrake disease.”

The woman took a deep breath, forced herself to sit up straight, and said, “Mandrake disease is a fatal illness. What makes you so sure you can cure it?”

“If you don’t treat it, you’ll be dead within a year.” William Carter looked at her calmly.

The woman fell silent. After a long while, she bit her red lips and said, “Fine, I’ll let you treat me. But if you’re lying, I will…”

“Curing an illness comes at a price.” William Carter chuckled, interrupting her again.

“What do you want? Wealth? Proof of freedom? Top-level cultivation techniques? Name it.” The woman’s eyes showed a look of disdain.

“Proof of freedom, an absolutely quiet and undisturbed residence, cultivation techniques… fine, give me a set of top-level cultivation techniques, and after you recover, guarantee my safety.” William Carter knew he couldn’t leave this place for the time being. The most important thing now was to survive and become stronger.