Hao Wenhou had captured her with the same intention, but who knew what twists of fate had led him to inexplicably take a liking to this girl? Not only did he fail to extract the whereabouts of the secret manual, but he also lost his life in the process. Wen Yao was young and had never met Hao Wenhou or Liu Yan. This girl was of lowly status—capturing her and subjecting her to torture would surely reveal whether the Wangsheng Pu had been leaked!
Even if she chose death over surrender, handing her over to their master would still be a great merit.
While A Shui remained silent, Wen Yao sealed several of her acupoints, tied her up along with the child in her arms, and leaped away. His newly made "friends," whom he had known for only half a day, were shocked and rushed forward to ask what had happened. He struck each of them with a heavy palm, severely injuring them—even the street vendor did not escape unscathed. Then, Wen Yao soared into the air, grabbing A Shui and Fengfeng, and headed east.
The street descended into chaos. The commoners, witnessing a fight and a kidnapping in broad daylight, scattered in panic.
Only the "little thief" who had fled earlier watched from the eaves of a distant street corner before silently retreating into the shadows.
Wen Yao circled through the capital’s streets a few times with his captives before suddenly vanishing.
The "little thief" kept watch from afar. Soon after, a carrier pigeon flew south, disappearing into the evening glow.
That night, Tianqing Temple was brightly lit.
By the time Hong Guniang learned of A Shui’s abduction, Tang Lichen had already left for Jiang Family Garden. He had departed too quickly, missing the carrier pigeon’s message.
Jiang Youyu’s men had reported the kidnapping of A Shui and Fengfeng, but Hong Guniang had doubts about the situation.
Her first doubt: Had Tang Lichen truly allowed A Shui to leave? If he had indeed let her go, believing a mere maidservant like her was insignificant, why were Jiang Youyu’s men still surveilling her?
Her second doubt: Though A Shui had no martial skills and was of humble status, she was far from powerless.
Hong Guniang had spent much time with A Shui in Fengliudian—a place far from warm and gentle, where deaths were frequent. When Liu Yan fell into his dark, manic moods, even she struggled to approach him, yet A Shui could remain composed. This girl had an innate ability to calm turmoil; even Tang Lichen grew quieter in her presence. Could she really have been taken so easily?
Wan Yu Yuedan sat beside her. Bi Lianyi finished reading the carrier pigeon’s message to him, and he curved his eyes slightly, smiling. "A Li has used Miss A Shui as bait."
Hong Guniang was startled, suddenly enlightened.
Indeed, Tang Lichen had let her go, seemingly settling their grievances, but in truth, he had used A Shui as bait to lure out the snake… He was fishing.
Did he love A Shui? Hong Guniang couldn’t tell.
Perhaps he had once cared for her inadvertently, only to grow weary after obtaining her?
Whether he loved her or not, he was openly using the life of a woman he had once valued as bait—this man was ruthless, venomous as a serpent.
This was true whether it concerned others or himself.
Hong Guniang sighed softly. "But he’s gone to Jiang Family Garden, leaving too quickly. Since he’s no longer in the capital, who will reel in the enormous fish he’s hooked?"
Frowning slightly, she murmured, "Piaoling Meiyuan has been silent for three days since Yu Konghou lost power. I suspect something major has happened there. Palace Master Wan Yu, do you think we should continue waiting, or—"
Wan Yu Yuedan also furrowed his brow slightly.In recent days, Cheng Yunpao, despite his injuries, infiltrated the outskirts of Drifting Eyebrow Manor and overheard that internal turmoil had erupted within. Bai Suche had imprisoned Yu Konghou and seized control of the manor.
But after that, Drifting Eyebrow Manor fell into complete silence.
Even Bai Suche had vanished without a trace.
This shouldn’t be the case.
Cheng Yunpao hadn’t forgotten how Bai Suche had once held her blade aloft and declared, “Who is the killer? None other than Bai. To kill one is to sin against the world, but to kill ten thousand… is to become a general.”
In the end, she didn’t just become “a general”—she became the Revered Master Bai.
What exactly was she planning?
Whatever her intentions, it was impossible for her to remain idle. With Yu Konghou imprisoned, how could the Ghost Peony remain indifferent? What exactly was happening in the depths of the silent Drifting Eyebrow Manor?
Just as Yu Guniang and Wan Yu Yuedan were deep in thought, Meng Qinglei suddenly arrived with urgent news.
“That Liu… that demon and Yu Guniang have appeared at the back of Soul Prayer Mountain with over a dozen disciples and are currently engaged in battle with a ragtag group.”
Yu Guniang was startled. “Battling whom?”
Meng Qinglei sighed. “The Qingfeng Gang and the Duan Dao Sect. Both have lost disciples to the poison of the Nine Hearts Pill.” He couldn’t help but add, “That villain deserves death a thousand times over. The Nine Hearts Pill’s poison has spread endlessly, harming countless lives. He truly ought to be torn limb from limb…”
Wan Yu Yuedan’s eyes curved slightly. “That villain has colluded with Tang Lizhi, but he holds the antidote to the Nine Hearts Pill. We should capture him first, force him to reveal the antidote, and then execute him to appease the spirits of the righteous.”
Meng Qinglei suddenly understood. “Brother Cheng and I will ensure that demon is captured alive!” He immediately leapt into action. Though it was unclear why Liu Yan had suddenly appeared here, since he was present, they couldn’t let him escape!
“Only an honest man like Meng Daxia would fail to grasp the hidden meaning in your words,” Yu Guniang murmured with a sigh. “I’ve heard Liu Yan possesses unique medical skills. I wonder if he can cure the ‘Queen Bee Congealed Frost.’”
Bi Lianyi, afflicted by severe poisoning and further tormented by Wang Lingqiu, still hadn’t recovered enough to rise from bed. Yu Guniang frowned in worry, while Wan Yu Yuedan’s fingers lightly traced the armrest of his chair as he whispered, “Wang… Ling… qiu…”
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