Сhарtеr 265: Guangchun Наll 10
With nо оthеr choicе, thе master аnd Zhu Yan cоuld оnlу sеlесt a few рieces that did not aррeаr toо hаrd tо stitсh togеthеr. Еvеn sо, theу had to use еmbrоiderу needles tо pokе holes—оnе hоlе аt а timе, one stitсh аt a timе.
Тhоugh it was quitе taхing оn the hands, it sеrvеd to buу time, which was nоt a bad outсоmе. Zhu Yan fоund it quite tolerаblе.
In fаct, Zhu Yаn саrriеd а full sеt of аutоpsу toоls in the pоuch shе wоrе clоsе tо hеr body, including stitсhing instruments, all meticulouslу crafted bу her mastеr, Chеn Wеn. Mаde of fine steel, they were thin and delicate, almost imperceptibly small—these were Zhu Yan’s treasures.
When dealing with ordinary corpses, they sufficed. However, there were often unusual cases requiring skull openings or bone examinations, where ordinary corpse-dissecting knives and stitching needles simply could not penetrate. Moreover, there were cases of death by freezing or corpses that had turned into zombies after prolonged exposure. Considering such situations, her master had specially crafted this set. As for his own set, he had not given it to Zhu Yan—why, he never said, and Zhu Yan never asked.
But here, Zhu Yan absolutely refused to take them out for use.
As for this so-called master, Zhu Yan had roughly guessed his identity. He was likely of the same ilk as tomb raiders and grave robbers, or perhaps someone who handled unnatural deaths—the unspeakable secrets of wealthy families. His complexion carried a hint of gloom, yet he could not even produce proper tools. Where on earth had Lai Luofu found such a person?
Wang Buzui watched their actions with great impatience but had no choice. He could only pace back and forth incessantly, muttering something in an unintelligible language, occasionally glancing over at Zhu Yan.
About a quarter of an hour later, two Half-Faced Ghosts entered carrying food boxes. The leader bowed and said, “Deputy Helm Master, the meal for the master is ready.”
Wang Buzui did not even glance at it. “Set it down!”
Useless fool, unable to handle even a small task properly, and still wanting to eat?
Might as well go to the Naihe Bridge and ask Meng Po for a bowl of her soup—that would be more practical.
The two Half-Faced Ghosts obeyed, placing the food boxes to the side. One of them, who had remained silent the whole time, glanced toward the secret chamber. Seeing Zhu Yan still alive, the gloom in his eyes instantly eased.
The other, noticing his stillness, approached and kicked him, saying impatiently, “Stop looking. No matter how many beauties there are, they are not for you to covet.”
What if one of them caught the eye of the Deputy Helm Master’s sister and was chosen as a vessel for resurrection? Given the Deputy Helm Master’s affection for his sister, anyone daring to covet her would surely be courting death.
Unexpectedly, the silent one suddenly acted, seizing the other, hooking an arm around his neck, and twisting his head. In an instant, the man was lifeless.
The people in the Dark Hall, caught off guard by his sudden attack, were momentarily stunned.
In contrast, the women, seeing the death, began screaming again.
Shen Du no longer hid. He took out a signal flare from his sleeve and threw it out from where he had descended, sending a message to Jing Lin.
By now, the sky had completely darkened. The signal flare exploded brightly against the ink-black heavens, as if tearing through the dark night.
At the sound of the signal flare, Wang Buzui knew something had gone wrong. His gaze toward Shen Du was filled with murderous intent.
“Bold intruder! How dare you trespass into my Guangchun Hall? Surround him!”
As he spoke, he had already drawn his sword, standing ready for battle.
In his heart, he cursed them all—a bunch of good-for-nothings. Someone had infiltrated right under their noses, and they had not even noticed. Truly, they had grown too accustomed to being mountain bandits, completely unaware of how to react when danger arrived.The Half-Faced Ghosts encircled Shen Du tightly.
Zhu Yan was struggling to stitch the severed parts, but these Human Preserves were too tough. Unable to focus as she usually did during autopsies, she glanced over at the commotion and met Shen Du’s gaze through his mask. Her hand holding the needle trembled, and the tip snapped against the hardened skin.
Zhu Yan paid no mind to this. Her heart pounded like a drum, a sour ache flooding her throat. She bit down hard on the tip of her tongue, forcing herself to stay calm, pushing back the tears welling in her eyes.
She couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart. She hadn’t expected him to actually come to her rescue. Was it because he feared her death at the hands of the Half-Faced Ghosts would leave him unable to answer to the Empress, or was it because he cared for her?
Seeing Zhu Yan’s expression—clearly wanting to rush over yet stubbornly holding back—Shen Du’s head throbbed with heat, and a dull pain struck his chest. Especially with Zhu Yan’s tattered clothes and dust-covered face, her small, grimy visage looked all the more pitiable.
How dare they treat the person he held dear in his heart like this?
Shen Du snorted coldly, taking the initiative. He twisted off another Half-Faced Ghost’s head, seized its sword for his own use, and then declared, “The one who’s come for your worthless lives.”
Daring to lay a hand on Zhu Yan—even chopping off a hundred of their heads would be too light a punishment.
If he could capture them alive, he’d take them back for interrogation before killing them. If they resisted stubbornly, he’d have no choice but to execute them on the spot.
“What arrogance,” Wang Buzui sneered coldly. “Seize him for this Helm master.”
Wang Buzui had a suspicion, but he absolutely dared not breathe a word of it. Why? If his subordinates learned that the intruder before them was either the White King of Hell, who oversaw the cabinet, or that formidable deputy under the White King of Hell’s command, they’d likely surrender without a fight.
At Wang Buzui’s command, the Half-Faced Ghosts lunged at Shen Du, each move aimed to kill. The so-called master had long since hidden under the stitching table when the intruder arrived, refusing to come out. Zhu Yan seized the chance to shrink to the side as well, pretending to be frightened while secretly observing the situation on the field.
She knew she absolutely must not hold Shen Du back. Shen Du had come alone, and Zhu Yan had no idea what plans he had made, but she absolutely must not hinder his strategy.
Wang Buzui yanked the hiding master up by the collar, then grabbed Zhu Yan’s arm, dragging both of them over to the scattered Human Preserves. He barked, “Hurry up and stitch!”
Zhu Yan and the master immediately resumed stitching, but after several attempts, the embroidery needles kept breaking. At that moment, Wang Buzui noticed Zhu Yan’s unusual-looking portable cloth bag and demanded, “What is this?”
He reached out to snatch it, but Zhu Yan sidestepped, took out the specially made needle and thread for stitching from inside, and continued sewing on her own.
Before their eyes, the Human Preserves that had been impossible to stitch together—even steel knives couldn’t pierce them—now seemed like ordinary fabric under Zhu Yan’s hands.
Incredible!
Wang Buzui was utterly amazed, never expecting Zhu Yan to have such a trick up her sleeve. He gritted his teeth in frustration, but the humiliation of being tricked quickly faded as the Human Preserves were stitched seamlessly together. Seeing Shen Du cutting through everything in his path, Wang Buzui’s eyes shifted, and he snorted coldly, deciding to let it go.
Shen Du dodged a blade, kicked the one who tried to ambush him flying, spun around, and with a swift motion, slit another Half-Faced Ghost’s throat.
Stealing a glance, he saw Wang Buzui ruthlessly pulling at Zhu Yan and wished he could sprout wings to rush over. His hands never stopped moving, waiting only to rescue Zhu Yan as quickly as possible.He couldn't help but feel a flicker of annoyance within. He was, after all, a man of resolute character, yet upon seeing Zhu Yan being wronged, he had been unable to restrain himself and had exposed his true feelings—truly, he should not have.
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