Сhарter 78: Illusion оf thе Sеа оf Flowers
Thеrе was still somе distancе bеtwееn Shеn Du аnd Zhu Yan, but Zhu Yan hаd already enterеd thе allеy.
If shе tооk а few mоrе stерs, Zhu Yаn would disаppeаr frоm his sight.
Pаnic surged in his heаrt, but no mattеr how manу timеs hе саllеd оut, Zhu Yan showеd nо reасtiоn at аll.
Zhu Yan did nоt hеar the shоuts bеhind her аt all; she was сompletеlу сaрtivated by this ресuliar frаgrаnсе.
Nоw, it wаs as if shе hаd entеred аn illusion. Ovеrwhelming реtаls emittеd wаvеs оf strange fragrаnce, immersing her cоmpletelу, making her unwilling tо leаvе.
"Cоuld there really be such a beautiful place in the world?" Zhu Yan marveled, stepping forward.
What she did not know was that at the other end of the alley, what awaited her was not a beautiful sea of flowers, but a figure cloaked in black.
In this person's hand was a special incense burner, from which faint smoke wafted out. It was precisely this scent that had drawn Zhu Yan here.
Seeing that Zhu Yan had taken the bait, a strange smile curled beneath the cloak.
Closer, even closer...
Zhu Yan had already reached the side of the black-clad figure. The figure raised a hand to gently stroke Zhu Yan's cheek, nodding in satisfaction.
"Stop!"
Just as the black-clad figure was about to make his next move, a cold shout stopped him.
The black-clad figure turned around. Beneath the black cloak, a veil covered his face, revealing only a pair of eyes, making it impossible to discern his true appearance.
"Release her, and I will leave your corpse intact."
Shen Du commanded coldly, his gaze lingering more on Zhu Yan than on the black-clad figure.
Had she been harmed? This was Shen Du's greatest concern.
The black-clad figure did not speak, his eyes narrowing slightly as if with a hint of smugness.
"Lord Shen."
The Deputy Commander of the Bad Officials, Xu Xiangren, quickly arrived at Shen Du's side, casting a dark, murderous gaze toward the black-clad figure.
Outnumbered, the black-clad figure's eyes deepened like a starry sea.
"You cannot escape. Do not harm the hostage, and I can make your end swift," Xu Xiangren said.
Unmoved, the black-clad figure snorted disdainfully. In a swift motion, he wrapped Zhu Yan in his black cloak, followed by a "bang," and the entire alley filled with smoke.
"Not good!" Shen Du cursed inwardly and rushed into the smoke, but by then, there was no trace of the two.
Xu Xiangren looked up toward the end of the alley, where traces of recent footsteps were visible on the wall ledge, which was over a person's height.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Such petty tricks, thinking you can escape the law." He then gave chase.
Shen Du was too concerned to think clearly, but he also understood the urgency of the situation. Without hesitation, he followed.
By the time Zhu Yan regained her senses, she was already inside a dilapidated temple.
The place was dark, damp, and covered in dust, forgotten for who knows how long. Even the statue of Buddha in the center had lost its head.
"Where is this?" Zhu Yan felt uncomfortable, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly how.
"You don't need to know," a low, hollow voice slowly responded, sending a shiver down Zhu Yan's spine.
Looking up, she saw a black figure not far from her, holding a dagger that gleamed coldly, observing it.
To say he was observing it was more like he was admiring it.
The black-clad figure's eyes held an unusual glint, and the dagger in his hand was no ordinary one—it resembled a weapon from a foreign land.
Similar to a scimitar, yet thinner than one.What was even more astonishing was that this dagger was extremely small, and the black-clad figure toyed with it in their hand as if handling an exceptionally precious treasure.
This person was the murderer who killed and dug out hearts!
Zhu Yan confirmed the identity of the person before her, and she wasn't as afraid anymore.
Shen Du would surely come to rescue her; all she needed to do was buy time.
"Why did you kill so many people?"
Zhu Yan asked, her tone unusually serious.
"You don't need to know so much."
The black-clad figure spoke, their tone also lacking urgency, as if waiting for something.
This puzzled Zhu Yan greatly. She tried to sit up but found that the lower half of her body could no longer move.
"What's going on?" Zhu Yan exclaimed in shock, casting an accusatory glare at the black-clad figure, who only now stirred slightly.
"Why do you women talk so much nonsense?"
The black-clad figure walked toward Zhu Yan. Though their voice was hollow and indistinguishable as male or female, Zhu Yan had already noticed that the figure's feet were very petite, undoubtedly belonging to a woman.
"Playing tricks," Zhu Yan glared fiercely at the black-clad figure. "It seems I won't escape your grasp today. Why not remove your veil and let me see your true face?"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" The black-clad figure crouched down in front of Zhu Yan. "Everyone knows how clever you, Zhu Liuniang, are. If you saw my face and, after you die, your ghost appears in your husband's dreams, what would I do then?"
"A murderer like you is afraid of ghosts?" Zhu Yan retorted without hesitation. "You've killed so many people; all that resentment has long turned into vengeful spirits surrounding you. They accompany you day and night—haven't you seen them?"
"What are they worth?" The black-clad figure's tone suddenly turned sharp and fierce, as if carrying some deep-seated resentment. "Each one of them deserved to die. Even if they turned into ghosts, they still wouldn't dare appear before me. Otherwise, I'd make them die all over again."
Hearing this, Zhu Yan was utterly shocked.
She gulped audibly. For now, preserving her life was paramount; she couldn't afford to anger this person.
"Then... am I also someone who deserves to die?" Zhu Yan countered. "The people you mentioned all shared common traits, and you believed they deserved to die. In your eyes, do I deserve to die too?"
"Whether you deserve to die or not is your own doing." The black-clad figure lightly tapped Zhu Yan's cheek with the dagger, sending a chill down her spine. "Isn't this exactly what you intended? Using yourself as bait to lure me out. Since you dared to do it, you should bear the consequences."
"I..." Zhu Yan was momentarily speechless. Hearing the black-clad figure's words, something seemed off, but she couldn't quite figure it out at the moment.
"Then I suppose I am someone who deserves to die."
The black-clad figure reached out to feel Zhu Yan's carotid artery, then withdrew their hand, adding, "We still need to wait a little longer."
Zhu Yan didn't understand. "What are you waiting for?"
The black-clad figure toyed with the dagger in their hand with some interest. "I'm waiting for the blood in your body to coagulate. When the time comes, digging out your heart won't cause any bleeding, so as not to dirty my hands."
The black-clad figure's words sent a shiver down Zhu Yan's spine, and it was only then that she realized the upper half of her body could no longer move either—even clenching her fists was now difficult."You!" Zhu Yan widened her eyes, glaring at the black-clad figure with intense resentment. "I am the Hall Leader's Wife. If you dare kill me, when Shen Du catches you someday, he will surely skin you alive and pull out your tendons."
"Heh..." The black-clad figure chuckled softly, paying no heed to Zhu Yan's words. "Madam Shen, you are mistaken. Even if I don't kill you, Shen Du won't spare me if he catches me. Since death awaits me either way, why not take Madam Shen along as my cushion?"
"You... don't get agitated." Zhu Yan seemed to think of something. "I can plead with him, ask him to leave your body intact. Our marital relationship is well-known throughout Chang'an—he will listen to me. You... don't kill me."
Zhu Yan had thought these words might sway the black-clad figure, but instead, upon hearing them, the figure's gaze instantly turned vicious and ruthless.
It was as if Zhu Yan had lit the final fuse, or perhaps her words had touched the black-clad figure's bottom line.
"Shut up!" Enraged and humiliated, the black-clad figure shoved a cloth gag into Zhu Yan's mouth.
Unable to speak, Zhu Yan's entire body stiffened.
She could only watch helplessly as the black-clad figure brought the dagger in hand toward her chest.
It's over!
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