Qin Xiang's vision was blurred with hazy light, yet that cold, slender hand remained motionless on her wrist for a long while.
Though she found it strange, an instinctive fear and revulsion still gripped her heart.
"Fifth Sister... Fifth Sister?"
Just as Qin Xiang was so terrified she could barely breathe, a soft voice suddenly called out. Qin Xiang froze, then felt her hand being grasped. She blinked hard, and the double vision in her eyes faded slightly. Staring blankly at the face before her, she almost felt as if she were dreaming.
But soon, she knew this was no dream.
If it were a dream, she would never have dreamed of Qin Guan...
Standing before her was Qin Guan, clad in a jade-colored pleated Ru skirt with a lotus-root-hued cape draped over it. She didn’t look disheveled, though a few strands of her hair were out of place. Her gaze was anxious as she looked at Qin Xiang, as if calling to her.
Qin Xiang frowned slightly—why was Qin Guan here?
The moment this thought arose, an immense surge of hope welled up in Qin Xiang’s heart. At this point, she would beg for help from anyone, even a servant. Summoning all her strength, she gasped, "Save... me..."
Qin Guan’s brow furrowed tightly as she swiftly pulled a pill from her sleeve and pressed it into Qin Xiang’s mouth. It was a detoxifying pill she always carried, effective against common aphrodisiacs. However, what Qin Xiang had been given was a paralytic—this pill couldn’t neutralize it entirely, and there was no time to wait for the poison to fully dissipate.
Once Qin Xiang swallowed the pill, Qin Guan quickly drew a silver needle from her sleeve. With a swift motion, she pricked Qin Xiang’s shoulder and neck. Instantly, Qin Xiang let out a pained whimper.
A sharp pain and a tingling numbness spread from her shoulder and neck. Though the agony brought tears to her eyes, her limbs and torso regained a faint sensation. Qin Xiang moved her lips—finally, she could speak.
"My... heart... Divine Doctor Sun... wants my heart..."
"Two hours... he’s coming in two hours..."
Then, her gaze flickering, she added, "Bai Feiyu... Bai Feiyu is Shang Lu... he’s Divine Doctor Sun’s subordinate... not the young master..."
Her words were disjointed, and she feared Qin Guan wouldn’t understand. Yet, to her surprise, Qin Guan showed no shock. She simply nodded and briskly helped Qin Xiang up. "Get up first—"
Qin Xiang was pulled upright. Her outer robe had been removed, leaving only her undergarments. Seeing this, Qin Guan untied her own cape and draped it over Qin Xiang’s shoulders. The warmth of Qin Guan’s body heat lingered in the fabric as Qin Guan deftly fastened the ties at her neck. Qin Xiang’s nose stung with emotion. "You... why are you here?"
As she spoke, her eyes reddened again. Qin Guan glanced at her, her expression devoid of the joy one might expect from a sisterly reunion. Instead, her face was stern. "This isn’t the time for explanations. We need to leave."
Qin Xiang nodded hurriedly. At this point, she would disregard anything to survive.
"Alright, let’s go now..."
Qin Xiang agreed in a rush, but Qin Guan’s frown deepened. Qin Xiang looked at her in confusion. "What’s wrong?"
Qin Guan had no choice but to explain. "Third Brother went after you. We split up halfway, and he’s lost contact. Sixth Sister, along with Fuling and Wan Qing, were also captured. They’re still unconscious outside."Qin Xiang's eyes widened in shock, but Qin Guan grabbed her arm firmly. "Let's go."
Dragged to her feet, Qin Xiang realized her shoes were missing—only her Cloud socks remained. Yet there was no time to dwell on that. Her entire body felt numb as she stumbled along with Qin Guan, who had to support her, letting her lean against her.
Just as they stepped out of the ice chamber, Qin Guan suddenly halted.
Qin Xiang looked at her in confusion, and Qin Guan immediately whispered, "Someone's coming—"
Before Qin Xiang could react, faint footsteps reached her ears. Her heart lurched with fear. Qin Guan's gaze swept around before she guided Qin Xiang toward the opposite side of the ice chamber.
They moved farther from the exit, heading deeper into the Hidden Residence.
After turning a corner, Qin Guan stopped again, listening intently. The footsteps seemed to be approaching the ice chamber. Her heart raced—if the person reached the chamber and discovered Qin Xiang missing, all their efforts would be for nothing.
Biting her lip, Qin Guan heard the footsteps pass the ice chamber without pause, continuing toward them. She seized Qin Xiang's hand and pulled her further inside.
The Hidden Residence, aged and eerie, exuded a chilling aura that seeped into Qin Guan's bones. They hurried down the passageway, passing numerous hidden doors along the way. Uncertain of what lay behind them, Qin Guan dared not enter recklessly. Yet the footsteps behind them persisted. With the path ahead straight and the sounds drawing nearer, Qin Guan had no choice but to push open one of the hidden doors and pull Qin Xiang inside.
As the door closed, the footsteps in the passage outside became unnervingly distinct.
The sound grew closer, and Qin Xiang dug her fingers into Qin Guan's arm.
In the darkness, Qin Guan frowned but didn't push her away. The footsteps neared, then finally passed by the door. Qin Guan exhaled silently in relief, while Qin Xiang collapsed onto the floor.
The movement caused a rustling sound. Qin Guan quickly pressed a hand on her, whispering a soft "Shh."
Qin Xiang froze in realization—the person had just walked past the door and would likely return. If they heard any noise from inside, they'd be discovered...
She couldn't afford to be careless. They hadn't even reached the exit yet—who knew what horrors lurked in this Hidden Residence? If she were caught escaping, Sun Haoyue and the others would find her in no time.
Qin Xiang stayed perfectly still beside Qin Guan when a strange odor assaulted her senses—a mix of rancid waste and something far more sinister, a putrid stench that made her skin crawl. She clutched Qin Guan's arm tightly, all past jealousy and resentment forgotten in the face of terror.
After what felt like half the time it takes to drink tea, the footsteps returned from the depths of the residence, passing their hiding spot once more.
Both Qin Guan and Qin Xiang held their breath until the footsteps faded completely before finally relaxing.
"What now? Do we leave?" Qin Xiang whispered.
Qin Guan instinctively felt the person hadn't gone far and shook her head.She stood up, fished out a fire striker in the pitch-black room, and with a "snap," the striker ignited instantly, illuminating most of the vast space before them...
"What... what is this?"
Qin Xiang dared not speak loudly, yet she couldn't help but whisper in shock. As far as the eye could see, this dimly lit room was lined with one white porcelain jar after another.
The jars varied in size, all neatly arranged in rows on long tables. From the outside, it was impossible to tell what they contained, but the nauseating and unsettling odor suggested that something sinister lay within.
Qin Guan narrowed her eyes and instinctively walked toward the jars, the fire striker in hand. The room was about ten zhang square, and Qin Guan counted at least thirty or forty jars. To her astonishment, she noticed the room extended further inward. Though the situation was perilous and wandering around seemed unwise, the sight of these jars sent a chill down her spine. Having examined countless corpses and saved numerous lives, Qin Guan felt an instinctive premonition—she was about to uncover Sun Haoyue's deeply hidden secret.
Holding the fire striker in one hand and gripping Qin Xiang with the other, she passed the long tables laden with jars and slowly advanced toward the inner chamber. Qin Xiang trembled with fear, instinctively drawing closer to Qin Guan's cape, her fingers clutching tightly, afraid to loosen her grip. They moved cautiously, careful not to make any unnecessary noise.
Soon, Qin Guan reached the inner chamber—
In an instant, every hair on her body stood on end. Behind her, Qin Xiang let out a muffled gasp before quickly releasing her hand and doubling over, retching.
The inner chamber was bitterly cold. As Qin Guan stepped inside, she immediately spotted ice basins placed in each corner. She wanted to take another step forward, but her feet froze at the sight of the relatively fresh corpse laid out on the central table. The body, preserved well, showed only slight signs of decay, indicating death no more than seven days prior.
The corpse hadn't swollen, but deep purple cadaveric spots covered its skin, which was unnaturally pale beneath the discoloration. What horrified Qin Guan and Qin Xiang the most was that while the limbs remained intact, from the neck down to the hips, the torso was nearly reduced to skeleton and flesh—all the internal organs had been meticulously removed.
The corpse lay silently on the long table. At its feet stood several large porcelain bowls filled with glistening ice, atop which rested irregularly shaped objects.
Qin Guan's gaze swept over them—the organs depicted in medical texts now lay vividly before her eyes.
In that moment, the contents of the countless jars behind her became all too clear.
An eerie chill seeped from all directions, creeping into every pore of Qin Guan's body.
She had once said there were no monsters that feasted on human hearts...
After standing frozen for what felt like an eternity, Qin Guan finally took a step forward—and spotted the array of surgical tools laid out on the table.Like the nine needles in the Suwen , these blades numbered seven or eight—long, short, curved, straight—each with a distinct shape, yet all were exquisitely thin and refined, even more so than the Cold Moon concealed in her sleeve. Qin Guan could almost envision how these delicate tools could cleanly and precisely extract a person's heart without the slightest resistance...
Her gaze shifted, and she noticed a long table in the distance. At the moment, its surface was spotless and empty, but beneath it lay a wooden frame holding something. Holding the fire starter, Qin Guan skirted the table where the corpse lay and took small, cautious steps toward the frame. Qin Xiang, who had been retching nearby, quickly grabbed Qin Guan's arm when she saw her move. As they approached the frame, they were met with the shocking sight of two cat corpses piled inside.
Qin Xiang let out another "wah" and doubled over, dry heaving.
Qin Guan's eyes darkened as she surveyed the barren room. Staring at the long table, she could almost picture Sun Haoyue standing there in white robes, meticulously removing the organs from a corpse. A frown flickered across her brow—who was this corpse?
With this thought, she took two steps closer to examine the face.
It was a face mottled with deep purple cadaveric spots. Though the body was mutilated, Qin Guan could discern it was female. She studied the features carefully, then the already withered hair, concluding the deceased might have been a young woman. Just as she pondered the victim's identity, her gaze fell upon the corpse's hand resting at its side.
The sight of that emaciated, pallid hand instantly conjured a scene in Qin Guan's mind—the funeral procession they had witnessed outside the Longfu Inn.
Her eyes narrowed slightly when suddenly, an icy draft swept through the corridor behind them.
"So you're here—"
The cold voice made Qin Xiang yelp in fright. Qin Guan spun around at once and saw a hidden door in the wall of the second courtyard. Standing there was "Bai Feiyu," clad in silver robes, his gaze shadowed and fixed on them...
In the past, Qin Xiang's eyes would have sparkled at the sight of Bai Feiyu. But now, she felt only resentment and shame. This Shang Lu was merely a servant—a servant impersonating Bai Feiyu—and yet she had fallen for him! The man she fancied was nothing but a deceitful underling who sought to harm her.
Clutching Qin Guan's arm tightly, Qin Xiang hid half her body behind her sister, torn between glancing at "Bai Feiyu" and averting her eyes. Meanwhile, "Bai Feiyu" stepped slowly into the room.
Qin Guan retreated immediately, her peripheral vision scanning for an escape route as she moved.
"Where is your master?"
Her voice was steady and commanding as she spoke, her gaze sharp. "Bai Feiyu" seemed momentarily taken aback, as if surprised that the delicate Qin Guan showed no fear and even exuded authority. He responded with an indifferent smile, his eyes devoid of emotion."You came to save her? I'm afraid you won't be able to save her and will only end up sacrificing yourself. You weren't supposed to know so many secrets—our master could have just given you some Forgetfulness Powder to erase everything. But since you barged in here and saw so much, you're just asking for death." As he spoke, "Bai Feiyu" shook his head.
"One wasn't enough, and now you've delivered so many more to us—all for her sake?"
Shang Lu glanced at Qin Xiang, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery. For a moment, Qin Xiang's fear of this room and its occupant lessened. Shang Lu's scornful tone almost made her want to grab a knife and kill him.
But Qin Guan noticed something amiss. "Delivered one? Who else is here besides us?"
Shang Lu smiled without answering, but Qin Guan's expression darkened. "Is Steward Zhou here too?"
Qin Guan suddenly understood. Zhou Huai had taken this main road—they should have encountered him on their way from Sanyuan Village. Yet they hadn't seen him at all. She had been puzzled about his whereabouts, but now it made sense. Zhou Huai must have found some truth in her words but didn't want them to take the risk together, so he had come here alone.
Shang Lu remained silent but didn't deny it either. He seemed to have lost patience with their argument and suddenly strode toward Qin Guan. Lean and agile, his movements were fluid—clearly a martial arts expert. Qin Xiang's legs went weak with fear, but as Shang Lu lunged forward, Qin Guan swiftly drew something from her sleeve.
A sharp whoosh sounded, and Shang Lu frowned as a spot of crimson bloomed on his silver robe.
Stunned, he looked at the Sleeve Arrow in Qin Guan's hand, then at the blood on his thigh. With a cold snort, he charged at her again. Qin Guan pulled Qin Xiang back toward the first room, firing the Sleeve Arrow repeatedly. But now that Shang Lu was on guard, the arrows only grazed him a few more times.
Soon, Qin Guan's Sleeve Arrow was empty. Yue Ning had given it to her for self-defense, and she usually kept it in her pack rather than carrying it. But since this trip to the Herb Garden was dangerous, she had brought it along. It could only hold ten small arrows at a time. This was Qin Guan's first time using the weapon, and its limited lethality was no match for Shang Lu's formidable martial arts skills and pain tolerance. In moments, he was upon her. Qin Guan retreated hastily, realizing the danger.
As a gust of wind signaled his attack, her gaze darted to a porcelain jar on the long table behind her. Seizing the opportunity, she grabbed it and hurled it at Shang Lu. To her surprise, Shang Lu hesitated—his first instinct was to catch the jar.
Qin Guan's eyes lit up. Tossing another jar, she shouted, "Run!"
Qin Xiang, still weak from the numbing drug, stumbled as she fled toward the door. Shang Lu's expression turned icy. When the next jar came flying, he no longer held back. With a crash , a white porcelain jar shattered on the ground, releasing a bitter, pungent odor. Amid the shards, Qin Guan spotted something round and crimson rolling out—Qin Guan's heart pounded with fear. If Shang Lu no longer had even this shred of restraint, she and Qin Xiang would be nothing more than fish on a chopping block, utterly at his mercy. With a flick of her sleeve, Cold Moon slipped into Qin Guan's grasp. Seeing her full-body vigilance, Shang Lu responded with a cold smirk before leaping in front of Qin Xiang, who had already reached the doorway. His icy gaze pinned her in place. "Where do you think you're running?"
Qin Xiang, on the verge of escape, found her path abruptly blocked. She halted, face drained of color, and instinctively tried to retreat. But Shang Lu flashed before her in an instant. A silver blur crossed Qin Xiang's vision—before she could react, a brutal grip clamped around her throat. A sharp pain lanced through her neck, triggering violent coughs.
"Cough—cough—!"
Standing aside with Cold Moon in hand, Qin Guan felt a chill seep from her feet straight to her heart.
With one hand effortlessly restraining Qin Xiang, Shang Lu drew a medicine vial from his belt and tossed it at Qin Guan's feet. "Swallow it."
When Qin Guan remained motionless, Shang Lu tightened his grip. The merciless squeeze sent Qin Xiang into helpless thrashing. Watching this, Qin Guan bent to retrieve the vial. She upended it, rolling a single brown pill into her palm. Her gaze lifted to meet Shang Lu's.
In response, Shang Lu demonstratively clenched harder. Qin Xiang's head jerked back, her legs kicking weakly as her airway constricted.
Qin Guan's eyes lowered briefly before she tipped her head back to take the pill—
CRASH! The door Qin Guan had earlier shut now burst open.
Qin Guan froze. Qin Xiang gasped. Shang Lu whirled around in shock—only to meet an overwhelmingly powerful palm strike square between his shoulder blades. The impact reverberated through his organs, metallic blood flooding his throat. His grip slackened before he could react. Another devastating blow landed on his back, sending him stumbling forward two steps. Darkness swallowed his vision as he collapsed.
Qin Xiang crumpled to the floor, coughing violently, while Qin Guan frowned at the expressionless Wan Xing.
She'd seen it clearly—from smashing through the door to delivering those palm strikes, Wan Xing's movements had been sharper and more ruthless than Shang Lu's. Qin Guan's gaze shifted to where Shang Lu lay motionless, threads of blood already seeping from his lips. The internal injuries were severe, she knew.
Yet Wan Xing stood there as ever—demure, silent, and unassuming. She dipped her head slightly. "Miss, this servant has located the exit. Allow me to escort you out—"
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