Immortalis

The Haunted Mansion 16

This is truly unbearable.

Even when they met downstairs the next day, Zhou Huai still wore a cold expression and didn't speak a single word.

Yang Wujian inwardly groaned with distress.

This young master was already quite innocent and pure-hearted. Now that he had misunderstood the relationship between him and Shen Qingshi, he was undoubtedly deeply hurt. But that aside, when he eventually learned that Yang Wujian wasn't actually a woman and Shen Qingshi wasn't actually a man, would Zhou Huai simply find a rope and hang himself?

The more Yang Wujian thought about it, the more his head ached. He chewed on an oil cake in his mouth, barely tasting it, when suddenly Zhou Huai asked stiffly, "What were you two doing last night?"

"Huh?"

"Those people last night came to arrest you, didn't they? They said they were acting under orders from the Zhaoming Division. It could only be you two. After all, Cao Zhao had already caused trouble for us before because of the Cage Play. What exactly have you been hiding from me?"

It seemed that in his rage last night, Zhou Huai had taken one look at the scene in their room and stormed out, slamming the door so hard that even the officers coming to search were startled.

However, thanks to his outburst, the visitors naturally misunderstood the relationship between Yang Wujian and Shen Qingshi, assuming it was just some romantic entanglement between martial artists. They took a quick glance inside the room and left.

Yang Wujian forced a bitter smile. "Young Master, if only you had thought this way earlier! Young Master Shen and I are truly innocent, I swear to heaven—"

"What exactly happened?"

Zhou Huai was uncharacteristically serious. Yang Wujian realized he probably couldn't keep hiding the truth from him.

Fortunately, Cao Zhao hadn't posted any wanted notices, and the searching officers hadn't explained things clearly. Because of this, Zhou Huai wouldn't find out that the person who initially broke into the prison was actually a man.

He sighed and decided to tell the truth outright. "That One-Eyed Daoist is actually an old acquaintance of mine. He fell into the hands of the Zhaoming Division because of this matter, and I couldn't bear to leave him there. In a moment of impulsiveness, I went to rescue him. But because of the knockout drug, I lost all my internal strength. If Young Master Shen hadn't come to save me, I probably would have been captured there too."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Huai stewed for a long time before finally saying, "So, Miss Yang, you went to rescue someone yesterday... and didn't call me?"

Yang Wujian was taken aback, then found himself torn between laughter and tears. "Young Master, you're the sole heir of the White Rainbow Tower, and at that time, you couldn't use any martial arts either. Of course, I didn't want to drag you into it. That was the Zhaoming Division, after all."

"But... how did he know you were..."

The more Zhou Huai thought about it, the angrier he became. Shen Qingshi had left without saying a word because he was secretly going to rescue Yang Wujian.

How did he even know Yang Wujian was in danger?

Or was it like him—had he been paying close attention to Yang Wujian's every move from the start?

Seeing the young master's expression grow increasingly troubled, Yang Wujian knew things were taking a turn for the worse. Now he had completely dragged Shen Qingshi into this mess.

Speaking of which, Shen Qingshi had gotten up unusually late today. Was it because of that injury?

Yang Wujian couldn't help but feel concerned.

Shen Qingshi's body was unique. The reason those poisons hadn't killed her back then might simply be because they had reached some kind of equilibrium within her body.

However, after taking that Blood Cleansing Pill yesterday, that balance might have been disrupted.

Yang Wujian considered suggesting that he go upstairs to check on her, but seeing Young Master Zhou's fuming face, he knew he absolutely couldn't say that.

This is truly unbearable.

If he told Zhou Huai the truth now and let him know he had even mistaken their genders, wouldn't that just push the young master over the edge?Just as Yang Wujian was caught in a dilemma, hurried footsteps sounded from the staircase—Shen Qingshi had finally come downstairs.

Compared to last night, her complexion had improved considerably, indicating the poison had dissipated.

The Blood Cleansing Pill had ultimately taken effect.

Just as Yang Wujian breathed a sigh of relief, Shen Qingshi unexpectedly strode directly up to him and demanded aggressively, "What exactly did you give me to eat last night?"

"What..."

"You said it was to detoxify me—what was it really?"

Unlike before, Shen Qingshi was in a foul mood this morning, to the extent that even her usually calm voice carried unmistakable anger.

"What? He was poisoned while saving you?"

Zhou Huai, standing nearby, widened his eyes.

The thought of last night—how Shen Qingshi had gone to rescue someone behind his back, gotten injured, and ended up with Yang Wujian attending to her in the room late into the night—made him wish he could curse this vixen on the spot.

"It's not..."

Yang Wujian felt utterly overwhelmed.

Fearing that their argument might attract the patrolling constables, he spoke gently, "Young Master Shen, it really was just an ordinary detoxifying Blood Cleansing Pill. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"I..."

Even Shen Qingshi herself found it hard to describe her current state.

Whether it was due to her injury or not, she had woken up very late this morning. Though her wounds no longer hurt, her heart felt as if it were burning with an inexplicable restlessness.

She had never felt like this before.

Shocked and alarmed, Shen Qingshi recalled the Blood Cleansing Pill Yang Wujian had given her last night. Not only had it made her sweat profusely, but she had also vomited several mouthfuls of black blood late at night. After that, she fell into a heavy sleep, plagued by a series of nightmares from her childhood, so much so that upon waking this morning, she momentarily didn't even know where she was.

Why was she so agitated?

For years, Shen Qingshi's emotions had been like stagnant water—she didn't understand joy or sorrow, couldn't laugh or cry, and naturally, had never known that anxiety and unease could feel so unbearable.

Now, unsure how to answer Yang Wujian, she instinctively felt that all of this was his doing. In her irritation, she grabbed the front of Yang Wujian's robe. "Explain clearly—what kind of medicine was it, and how do I counteract it?"

"What do you mean, counteract it..."

Yang Wujian stared blankly at the unconcealed anger in Shen Qingshi's eyes, and in that instant, he finally understood where the sense of incongruity came from.

Could it be that the Blood Cleansing Pill had washed away some lingering toxins, opening her heart and mind?

Delighted at the thought, Yang Wujian concluded that Shen Qingshi might still be salvageable. However, Zhou Huai, who had been watching from the side, could no longer stand it. He seized Shen Qingshi's wrist and said coldly, "What kind of man lays hands on a young lady? Let go."

Under normal circumstances, Shen Qingshi wouldn't have exchanged a single word with Zhou Huai.

But today, as if she had taken the wrong medicine, she shot him a cold glare.

"What does my conversation with her have to do with you?"

That single remark ignited the anger Young Master Zhou had been suppressing all night.

He sneered, "What? Now that you've saved Miss Yang, you think you can swagger around? If you hadn't abandoned me last night, believe me, I would have risked my life to save her too."

What nonsense is this...

Yang Wujian rolled his eyes at their words, thinking to himself how impressive it was that these two could keep arguing while each was angry about entirely different things.He sighed helplessly, "Young Master Shen was injured last night, so it's normal for him to be irritable today. Speaking of which, how old are you two? Must you insist on quarreling here? If we attract the attention of the Zhaoming Division, all three of us will be finished."

At these words, the two reluctantly released each other and sat down.

"Let's take things one at a time."

Yang Wujian smiled wryly, "Let me say this again, Young Master: Young Master Shen and I have nothing between us. Last night, Young Master Shen was injured and poisoned while saving me. I was taking care of him to help him recover, and it was only because you startled me that I fell into his arms. You should just enjoy those romance stories for what they are—young ladies shouldn't only focus on matters of love. Don't let your imagination run wild just because a man and a woman are alone in a room."

"I don't care if you have anything between you. Even if he deceived you, I wouldn't care..."

When Zhou Huai threw a tantrum, he was no better than a three-year-old child. Stuffing his mouth full of pastries like a field mouse, he puffed out his cheeks, looking as if he intended to choke himself to death on the spot.

Yang Wujian didn't know whether to laugh or cry and turned to the other side, addressing Shen Qingshi, "Young Master Shen, I didn't lie to you either. That Blood Cleansing Pill is an extremely rare antidote. I used it to save you, with absolutely no intention of poisoning you."

"..."

Shen Qingshi had now calmed down.

Yang Wujian was from Longevity Palace, so it wasn't strange for him to have some unusual medicines. Moreover, he knew about her past. Using the Blood Cleansing Pill on her might genuinely have been to help her remove what he called the "accumulated toxins" from Longevity Palace.

But still...

Shen Qingshi stared at her palm; everything she felt now felt unfamiliar.

After taking a moment to fully compose herself, her face returned to its usual deathly calm. She said, "The Zhaoming Division might still be searching for us. We can't stay here any longer; we need to leave as soon as possible."

"Now that's more like it."

Yang Wujian said helplessly, "The Yin House Case has been resolved, but I think we should hold off on reporting it to Boundless Sword Manor for now... After all, not only do we need to lay low from the Zhaoming Division, but Chang Xiuyun has suffered such a great injustice. If the truth comes to light, Jade Pavilion will be in a difficult position. With Lei Shuang's explosive temper, she’s likely to blame us."

As he spoke, Shen Qingshi kept her eyes fixed on his face.

She hadn't had time to think it through last night, but now, as she carefully studied Yang Wujian's features, the fog in her vague memories slowly began to clear.

She remembered—it was indeed this person. Though not much older than her, he had struggled to lift her up, helping her climb into that winding crevice in the rock, allowing her to escape with her life.

So, aside from Cao Zhao, there really were others who had once helped her.

Shen Qingshi stared at him, momentarily lost in thought, while Zhou Huai naturally misunderstood her gaze and said irritably, "Then what should we do? This case has nothing to do with Longevity Palace either. Investigating it was a waste of time, and we’ve only ended up attracting trouble."

But was it really unrelated?

This time, Shen Qingshi remained silent for a long while, suddenly feeling somewhat strange.

Last night, Cao Zhao had told her that not long ago, when they visited the Jingyang Ghost Market, the proprietress, known in the martial world as Ling She, wasn't top-tier in martial arts, but she had immense influence in the industry and was extremely well-informed.Shortly after they left the Ghost Market, Cao Zhao spent silver again to investigate the background of this White-faced Guest. He learned that this person was elusive, possessed extraordinary martial arts skills, and regardless of the target's sect or status in the martial world, if he wanted to kill, he would kill.

Ten years ago, he went to great lengths to set up an elaborate scheme just to humiliate Chang Xiuyun. This matter was truly bizarre to the extreme.

Shen Qingshi said softly, "Whether the truth behind Chang Xiuyun's death is uncovered or not, the Jade Pavilion will be deeply embarrassed. From this perspective, although the White-faced Guest's actions are eccentric, it seems he also holds some grudges against these prominent sects."

"Don't go looking for the White-faced Guest."

Yang Wujian then recalled Baihe's final warning and also felt a vague unease.

He thought for a moment: "Let's finish investigating the case assigned to us by the Boundless Sword Manor first, then report this matter together. Regardless, the Boundless Sword Manor is presiding over the Four Seas Alliance this year. If we want to join the Four Seas Alliance, we still need to find a way to satisfy the Seven Swords."

"So, we're going to investigate that white dog case next, right?"

At this point, Zhou Huai suddenly chuckled, once again adopting that proud, peacock-like demeanor.

"When I was young, because I needed medical treatment, I often dealt with Medicine King Mountain. Miss Yang, if we go to Medicine King Mountain, he won't be of much help. You'd be better off following my investigation - I'm definitely faster than him."

Realizing what he was competing over, Yang Wujian immediately covered his face as if suffering from a toothache.

Why on earth was Young Master Zhou so fixated on him?

In all his life, had he never encountered a woman before?

Or were these wealthy people really like the rumors said - specifically fond of women who didn't like them?

Just as he was feeling utterly headache-ridden, Zhou Huai had already stood up, full of energy as he stretched his limbs.

"Then we shouldn't delay. Let's go quickly. I'm familiar with the road to Medicine King Mountain. But let me make this clear - if anyone gets injured because they didn't bring me along, that's their own fault."

Zhou Huai glanced meaningfully at Shen Qingshi.

"I don't want our progress affected by someone's limited mobility. So later, we'll still need to get a carriage. But this time, no one can say I'm being pampered."