Immortalis

Corpse Demon Twelve

"The job's done."

In the dead of night, outside the private room atop Full Spring Tower, Ling She twirled a blood-stained golden ring between her fingers and gave a coy smile to the Thousand Cliffs Fortress disciples guarding the door.

"Surely you don't distrust even me?"

Ling She had a delicate appearance and considerable reputation. After exchanging glances, the disciples eventually stepped aside and let her into the room.

This chamber, once Zhu'er's boudoir, had long since changed owners.

The candlelight in the room was dim. Two burly Thousand Cliffs Fortress guardians stood by the silk curtains, while the person on the main seat reclined lazily on a fur-covered couch. "All cleaned up?" he asked indolently.

With a clang, Ling She tossed down a blood-soaked cloth bundle from which two swords and several golden rings fell out.

She smiled. "Congratulations, young master. The Seventy-two Golds and the precious sword White Rainbow are now yours."

The person on the couch asked, "Why didn't you bring back the heads as well?"

Ling She chuckled. "What? Could it be that young master doubts me?"

The man on the couch snorted coldly. "If we had burned the corpses six years ago, we wouldn't have these complications now... These things are useless to me. The bounty will be paid only after I see the bodies."

With that, he waved to dismiss her, but unexpectedly the woman didn't move, merely standing outside the silk curtains and smiling at him.

Just as those in the room began to grow suspicious, the woman's laughter transformed from a delicate feminine tone to the dry, cold voice of an old Daoist.

"Young master, you didn't really think Ling She would risk her life for your petty bounty, did you?"

In that instant, the old Daoist lightly moved his fingers, and the two burly men by the couch collapsed without a sound. Immediately, chaos erupted throughout the top floor of Full Spring Tower. The strange laughter of the White-faced Old Daoist mixed with screams, startling all the guests sleeping in their lovers' embrace throughout the establishment.

"If you hadn't meddled with those you shouldn't have, our transaction might have continued."

Soon after, as the last person in the room was cut in half like vegetables, the White-faced Guest, having returned to his original form, walked to the blood-soaked silk curtains. Just as he was about to draw them aside, the man on the couch, seemingly feigning composure, asked even at death's door: "Do you know the consequences of killing me?"

"Privately purchasing official courtesans and causing the death of a second-rank official's son - even if I didn't kill you today, your wealth has already run its course... The Zhaoming Division will come knocking soon."

The White-faced Guest smiled and turned to look out the window.

In an instant, the presence that had been there moments before had vanished.

"What's caused such sudden chaos?"

Just as Handkerchief Street descended into turmoil, Yang Wujian and his two companions finally managed to return to Yongyi City.

Ling She had asked them for some tokens to complete her mission, mentioning that some disturbance would likely occur later that night. When it did, they could take advantage of the chaos to return to Handkerchief Street and investigate thoroughly what they needed to uncover.

At the time, Yang Wujian never imagined that the "disturbance" she referred to would involve the entire street in screams, with disheveled men and women - seemingly terrified by something - running amok on Handkerchief Street in the middle of the night.

Zhou Huai exclaimed in shock, "Could there be a fire on Handkerchief Street?"

"No signs of flames, and these guests are all running from the direction of Full Spring Tower."Shen Qingshi furrowed her brows. Before the three of them could figure out the current situation, they heard the sound of galloping horses approaching from afar—a group of government officials rushing toward Full Spring Tower.

Yang Wujian exclaimed in shock, "Why are the authorities involved? Could it be that someone has died?"

Thinking of the White-faced Guest's involvement, the three exchanged glances, simultaneously struck by a sense of foreboding. They immediately headed toward the Hidden Fragrance Tower.

Young Master Guanhuo, unwilling to let the truth about Hu Rui's incident from six years ago come to light, had hired people from the Ghost Market to kill them. The White-faced Guest had clearly learned of this as well. He warned the Ghost Market crowd not to interfere and, naturally, would not spare Young Master Guanhuo or Zui Xiang, who had framed him for the White-faced Fox incident six years earlier.

Did "the end of business dealings" mean he had come to take their lives? Little Rose.

Yang Wujian recalled the Old Palace Master's pale face, and a chill ran down his spine.

Even though Young Master Guanhuo wielded immense power and had the backing of Thousand Cliffs Fortress, if Guanri wished to kill him, it would be as easy as lifting a finger.

Six years ago, Guanri had struck a deal with Young Master Guanhuo, perhaps drawn to his influence. However, the one who truly became entangled with Guanri was not Guanhuo.

The three arrived in front of the Hidden Fragrance Tower.

Due to the commotion at Full Spring Tower, many overnight guests in the building had been awakened. Amid the bustling crowd at the entrance watching the spectacle, Yang Wujian unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure slipping hurriedly into a dark alley nearby.

"It's Zui Xiang."

Yang Wujian immediately called the other two and rushed toward the alley. Fortunately, although Zui Xiang had inner strength, she was not skilled in martial arts. The three easily kept up with her and soon arrived at the entrance of a pitch-black residence in the city.

Yang Wujian took out the medicine bottle belonging to Zui Xiang from his pocket. The contents still emitted a faint, fishy odor—unlike something an ordinary courtesan could obtain.

Indeed, the White-faced Guest had not only made a deal with Young Master Guanhuo but also with Zui Xiang.

Stealthily, the three leaped onto the roof and watched as Zui Xiang, familiar with the place, pushed open the gate of the dark courtyard. She opened a large vat in the corner, and instantly, Shen Qingshi frowned.

She was all too familiar with it—the same stench of rot mixed with a fishy smell, just like in Zhaoming Prison.

"Corpse."

Shen Qingshi silently wrote these two words on Yang Wujian and Zhou Huai's palms.

That vat must contain a corpse. However, although Yongyi had its troubled areas like Handkerchief Street, it was not entirely unmonitored. Killing someone and hiding the body in a civilian residence seemed highly unusual.

Unless...

Just as Shen Qingshi began to form a hypothesis, she saw Zui Xiang, under the dim moonlight, pick up a large ladle and scoop out the contents of the vat.

Could that... still be considered a corpse?

Seeing what was in the ladle, Zhou Huai grabbed Yang Wujian's wrist, clearly disgusted. Unlike Young Master Zhou, who dared not even look, Zui Xiang did not even flinch at the sight of the ladle full of red and white flesh chunks, pouring it all into a small pot she carried with her.

Judging by the smell, the contents of the vat did not seem to have been rotting for long.

But if it was a fresh corpse, why was it unrecognizable as human?

In an instant, Shen Qingshi finally confirmed what was in the vat. While Zui Xiang was still tidying up, she quickly crouched down, pried open the roof tiles, and peered into the dark room below.Inside, the room contained only a filthy bed, its bedding so long unwashed that most of it had turned black. In one corner stood a large bathtub, three or four feet long, similarly stained beyond recognition of its original color.

This was the residence of a midwife on Handkerchief Street.

Shen Qingshi quickly wrote on their palms again: "Pregnant courtesans often seek abortions. The vat contains fetal flesh that hasn't fully formed... I'm afraid what the White-faced Fox left in Zui Xiang's room back then was the same thing."

At this, Zhou Huai's face turned green, but Yang Wujian wasn't particularly surprised.

Earlier, Chu Qiao had mentioned that Zui Xiang was born on this street. Though her beauty was peerless, her lowly origin meant that even when Zhu'er was still around, Zui Xiang could never become the top courtesan.

It stood to reason that those who frequented Handkerchief Street were likely either prostitutes, hired guards, or midwives assisting the women with abortions.

As a woman, Zui Xiang showed no fear toward the contents of the vat—most likely because she had grown accustomed to such sights since childhood.

While Yang Wujian was pondering this, Zui Xiang had already gathered her tools in the courtyard and hurried out again.

The three followed closely, realizing Zui Xiang was heading somewhere even more remote—a desolate area in the city where only beggars lingered. She ducked into one of the abandoned houses, and as the three prepared to follow, Yang Wujian caught a glimpse of a figure darting across the rooftops from the corner of his eye. He immediately pulled the other two down into a crouch.

It was the White-faced Guest.

Cold sweat drenched Yang Wujian's back.

Although he had suspected some connection between Zui Xiang and the White-faced Guest, encountering him directly here...

The more Yang Wujian thought about it, the more alarmed he became.

Guanri didn't want to kill them, but that didn't mean he had lost interest in Shen Qingshi. If he were to see Shen Qingshi here directly...

Just as Yang Wujian was at a loss, Shen Qingshi didn't hesitate. He half-crouched and crept forward, seemingly intent on eavesdropping on Zui Xiang and the White-faced Guest's conversation. Unable to stop him in time, Yang Wujian had no choice but to follow with Zhou Huai. They crouched by the base of the wall, straining to hear the dialogue inside.

"You killed Young Master Guanhuo?"

"Aren't you staying on this street precisely waiting for this day? Now that it's finally come, shouldn't you be pleased?"

"I thought it would be the Zhaoming Division causing him trouble in the end. After all, didn't you say you deliberately left Hu Rui's corpse behind so they would find it?"

"Blame Young Master Guanhuo for involving the innocent."

"You mean those three children? They took my medicine. Otherwise, I wouldn't have contacted you so soon."

In an instant, fine sweat broke out on Yang Wujian's palms. He realized that the fetal flesh Zui Xiang had obtained from the midwife was another form of Flesh Conduit.

And Zui Xiang's medicine...

Remembering the countless souls who had died in the Alchemy Room that year, Yang Wujian felt as if ants were crawling over the hand that had held the medicine bottle. His stomach churned violently.

Meanwhile, the conversation in the courtyard continued.

"That boy should be able to guess what the medicine is. He's seen it before."

"You killed Young Master Guanhuo. What happens after..."

"Even without him, there will be others. There will always be women on Handkerchief Street needing abortions. I told you, as long as you keep bringing me the Flesh Conduit, I can preserve your youthful appearance."

Outside the courtyard, the three of them couldn't help but pale drastically.The White-faced Guest's alchemy has actually reached such a level... Or perhaps, refining humans into elixirs can truly grant immortality?

Yang Wujian's mind was in chaos.

Over the years, he had always believed that the Old Palace Master's massacre back then was merely due to qi deviation... That Cicada Molt did not exist in this world, nor did immortality.

But then, why had Guanri not aged at all these years, and Zui Xiang showed no signs of nearing thirty?

Could this medicine, forged with human lives, truly be effective?

Recalling the tragedy of that day, Yang Wujian felt dizzy and disoriented. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Shen Qingshi and Zhou Huai's faces were also pale.

The three of them forced themselves to continue listening.

"Since Hu Rui has been found, Zhu'er's matter can no longer be concealed... I have achieved my wish, so this is the last time I will give you anything. Consider it repayment for killing Young Master Guanhuo to avenge Zhu'er."

"You no longer wish to continue our transactions?"

"You can kill me to silence me. After all, I have lived only to witness today's cause and effect... It's time for me to join her in the afterlife."

By the end, Zui Xiang actually laughed, her words devoid of any will to live. Just as the three outside the wall tensed up, ready to rush in and save her at any moment, they heard a crisp sound, as if a blade had been thrown to the ground.

The White-faced Guest said, "It seems you are far more devoted than that profligate... Over these six years, you have been very obedient. If not for you, I would not have found such a fine Flesh Conduit... I will not kill you. If you happen to meet them in the future, return these things to them. Consider it my apology for this incident."

With that, a white shadow flashed across the roof once more, and the White-faced Guest departed just like that. At the same time, Zui Xiang's voice echoed from the courtyard.

"Guests who have come, since you are here, please enter."

She said calmly, "He already told me you were here... It's just as well. I feel like talking to someone now. This is the end, and whatever you wish to know, I will tell you."