The night rain was approaching, and a fierce wind howled through the Purple Bamboo Forest.
The tangled shadows of trees resembled monstrous creatures baring their fangs and brandishing their claws. The darkness of the forest seemed to conceal ghouls that could devour people, yet none of these terrified Qin Guan as much as the footsteps behind her.
Qin Guan ran breathlessly, glancing back repeatedly as she fled.
He was catching up! That man was catching up!
Her dark, glistening eyes brimmed with tears. Holding up her skirt, Qin Guan mustered all her strength to sprint toward the forest’s exit. Drenched in cold sweat, her steps flew across the ground—until an unexpected dry branch appeared beneath her feet.
With a sudden slip, Qin Guan couldn’t stop herself from tumbling forward!
The dull pain in her knees sent tears streaming down her face, but she dared not delay. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to rise. Just as she was about to stand, a shadow loomed over her from behind, and in the same instant, a pair of hands seized her ankle.
Qin Guan’s eyes widened in horror as she let out a piercing scream, "No—help—!"
They were a man’s large hands.
He gripped Qin Guan’s delicate, lotus-root-like ankle with brutal force and dragged her relentlessly deeper into the bamboo forest.
Trembling with fear, Qin Guan sensed the killer’s intent behind her. She kicked desperately and flailed her arms, trying to grasp anything, but the ground offered only scattered dry branches and dead leaves.
She sobbed in despair as the exit grew farther and farther away.
The wind howled around her as she was swiftly pulled into the heart of the forest.
Qin Guan’s screams were swallowed by the gale. When her ankle was finally released, the man seized her hair instead. With another violent tug, he flipped her onto her back. Qin Guan shrieked with all her might, "Help! Hel—!"
Her cry was cut short as the man’s hand clamped around her throat.
He squeezed mercilessly, plunging Qin Guan into darkness. She clawed at him frantically, but all she saw was the murderous glint in his eyes.
Qin Guan knew escape was impossible. Gurgling sounds escaped her throat, her eyes pleading—she didn’t want to die.
Her breathing grew more labored, her consciousness fading. Though she couldn’t speak, her lips formed silent words. The man knew she was begging for mercy, yet he remained indifferent, tightening his grip relentlessly.
Qin Guan felt her neck about to snap—she was dying...
Just then, footsteps approached.
A flicker of hope lit Qin Guan’s eyes—until she heard the newcomer’s voice, and that hope was extinguished completely.
"You… you’re going to kill her?!"
The woman’s voice trembled as she drew closer. "She—she’s still the Qin family’s legitimate daughter!"
The man’s grip was ruthless, but his tone remained calm. "The Qin family sees her as worthless anyway. Besides, she saw us. She can’t be left alive."
The woman hesitated. "But… but she’s—"
"No ‘buts.’ Keeping her means our deaths."
The darkness before Qin Guan’s eyes grew heavier. Large teardrops rolled down her cheeks as her face twisted in agony, her skin flushing crimson, her eyes bulging. Her nails dug deep into the flesh of the man’s hand.
The man remained eerily composed, waiting quietly for Qin Guan to die.
A few moments later, the strength in Qin Guan’s hands slackened. The fury, despair, terror, and unwillingness in her eyes faded away. Her gaze grew vacant, fixed on the pitch-black night sky. Her legs, which had been kicking desperately at the muddy ground, jerked once, twice, thrice… then fell still.
"Is she… is she dead?" the woman asked fearfully. Before the man could answer, she choked back a sob. "What do we do with her? Someone might come here… If she’s found, will they know it was us…?"The man stood up, indifferently gazing at Qin Guan's lifeless, unclosed eyes.
"Just throw her into the lake."
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