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"Ah... as expected of my good senior brother, nothing can escape your keen eyes."
Ming Lie's gaze was filled with a chilling intensity, his sinister eyes darkening as strands of black hair began to appear more sharply. It was as if there were spiders weaving webs within his eyes, ultimately forming a complete web. Meanwhile, Shen Muhan, who should have been accompanying Xia Muxin at Mei Tower to listen to music, approached like a ghost, silently entering without anyone noticing. Regardless of the situation, this man always remained calm and composed, resembling an otherworldly being.
Gulp...
As dozens of phantoms appeared behind Shen Muhan, the Zhao Family Brothers swallowed hard for no reason. Behind the phantoms were wings that cast shadows without any physical form. At that moment, even Ming Lie's expression changed; a fleeting look of fear flashed in his eyes, which did not go unnoticed by Shen Muhan.
"If you don't want to die a miserable death, stand still and don't move."
His attention remained fixed on the woman, his gaze icy and penetrating. The woman's legs, which had been moving just moments ago, felt as heavy as lead and could not budge.
She still couldn't comprehend why they had been discovered when they were supposed to be in the secret passage.
"Senior brother, you're being serious now; this joke isn't funny."
Ming Lie stepped forward, gripping the woman's neck tightly with a sinister smile.
His cold eyes kept darting toward the subtly fluttering wings—this was Shen Muhan's ultimate weapon: the mutated pigeon.
People only knew that this pigeon fed on human flesh, but it was actually a Mutated Pigeon nurtured with over a hundred types of poison by Shen Muhan. They were not only interested in dead flesh but were even more drawn to the living. Moreover, they were invisible. Ming Lie had tried various ways to uncover the secrets behind this creature, but Shen Muhan had been particularly wary of him, revealing not even a hint of information. This was also his first time encountering such a thing.
The woman looked at Ming Lie in terror and disbelief. How could this man go back on his word? They had clearly agreed that he would protect her until Xia Muxin and Shen Muhan were dead.
But what is the situation now?
Moreover, her breathing grew weaker, her toes gradually leaving the ground, and her face became as pale as paper, with her body starting to tremble violently, tears streaming down continuously.
Shen Muhan merely watched coldly, as if he were an outsider. However, his fists clenched tightly under his sleeves, and his heart raced. If it weren't for the fear that Ming Lie might actually take action, he would have struck him directly.
"Brother, hold her for a burial; I will definitely profit from this. I’ve heard that you and your little lady are in love every day, envied by others. Tell me, if I get in a bad mood and decide to take us all down together, wouldn’t you be grateful? You could still marry again."
Ming Lie was still Ming Lie; his nature had not changed in the slightest, and he never regarded his opponents seriously. Did he really think he was formidable?
"You have already fallen into madness; the demonic energy is consuming you. Even if I do not kill you today, how long do you think you can survive? Ten days? Half a month? Or maybe a month?"
However, Ming Lie had one weakness: he was afraid of death, more than anyone else in this world. The dark strands in his eyes indicated that his life was waning; at most, he would not last more than a month, yet he himself did not believe it.
Ming Lie understood Shen Muhan; he would not lie, no matter the circumstances.
And Shen Muhan understood Ming Lie as well, which is why he always spoke frankly without any need for concealment.
Moreover, everything that had led them to this point was caused by Ming Lie himself. If he hadn’t killed their master and mistress along with their fellow disciples, out of respect for their brotherhood, he might have spared him. But having done all that was not enough; in the end, he set his sights on Shen Muhan's precious one. Therefore, today, he must ensure that Ming Lie would be left with nothing but bones.
Listening to Shen Muhan's words, Ming Lie's hand tightened around the woman's neck and trembled slightly; his steps back became unsteady as memories of his life flooded back to him. Suddenly, he threw back his head and laughed loudly.
Now he was neither human nor ghost; wherever he went, people would disdain him and ignore him. Yet such people often met a tragic end. Over these past few months, he had killed many people—so many that even he could not count them—ranging from royal family members to ordinary citizens, even children no older than a few years. At the same time, during these months he had been unable to show his face in public; even when he did go out, it was under a hooded cloak. He only collected fresh blood when it was necessary for his training.
But in the end, what had he achieved?
Having cultivated a state of obsession, the demonic energy surged within him, and it could be said that his death was inevitable.
Suddenly, his furious eyes widened, and his dark hair writhed like blood vessels struggling within those eyes. His voice carried a hint of mockery:
"Have my every move been under your watch these past few months?"
Shen Muhan's lips curled slightly, shaking his head in denial.
"No, I only received the news last night."
During this time, he had also lived in constant fear, but he knew that Ming Lie would reap what he sowed, so he merely deployed his subordinates and waited for them to walk into the trap...
Ming Lie, however, laughed to himself, tightening his grip:
"Very well, if you are unkind, then I shall be unprincipled."
The woman in his palm had long turned ashen, even forgetting to be afraid. Her lifeless eyes gazed at Shen Muhan, faintly carrying a hint of sarcastic amusement.
Shen Muhan remained calm and unhurried. Suddenly, a silver needle pierced through his fingertip, drawing out several drops of blood. As those drops flew away, the invisible wings gradually took shape and headed toward where the blood had flown.
Ming Lie was momentarily distracted and attempted to attack the blood droplets with his internal energy, but in the end, he could only let out cries of agony.
The first thing to go was one of his eyeballs, leaving two large holes on his face from which blood flowed incessantly. He grimaced in pain and unleashed his internal energy to attack around him while screaming:
"Shen Muhan, you truly hate me; you will die a terrible death."
Meanwhile, the woman in his grasp had already fainted amidst the terrifying scene. With Ming Lie losing his sight, Shen Muhan moved swiftly; in the blink of an eye, the woman had fallen into his hands.
He completely ignored Ming Lie behind him from beginning to end.
Perhaps Ming Lie never expected that during these three months of protecting Xia Muxin and buying time, he was also waiting for them to finish testing the last batch of poison. He had thought that if Mother Gu's master did not appear, he would let them take a break for a while. However, it just so happened that Ming Lie showed up.
The father and son of the Ouyang Family looked at the scene, already terrified to the point of being ashen, completely slumped in place as if all their strength had been drained.
The Zhao Family brothers were even more shaken, their teeth chattering as they dragged their injured bodies, unable to escape.
"Young Master, we know we were wrong. We won't dare again. We know we were wrong. Please spare us."
At the same time, they were bowing and begging for mercy, tears streaming down their faces.
They truly did not want to die. If they could return alive, they would persuade their father not to oppose Shen Muhan anymore. He was a devil, a devil that devoured people without leaving a bone behind.
Ming Lie was so powerful, yet in front of him, they didn't even have a chance to struggle.
And weren't they worse than ants?
"Wear shoes that fit your feet. If you seek your own demise, I won't hesitate to fulfill your wish."
Shen Muhan did not look at the Zhao Family brothers but spoke to the Ouyang Family father and son.
He had already investigated their backgrounds thoroughly. Xia Muxin was not someone who held grudges or enjoyed bloodshed, so he would eliminate all future troubles and let her happily focus on her business.
The woman in Ming Lie's hands was taken away, seemingly driving him even more insane. He exerted all his internal strength with every move, each strike aimed at fatality. The sounds of walls collapsing echoed through the room, filling it with dust and making it impossible to open one's eyes.
Shen Muhan smirked slightly, leading the woman away from everyone's sight.
The ghosts exchanged glances, filled with countless emotions. It had been a long time since their master had been so cold and ruthless. Ultimately, only Xia Muxin could provoke such explosive power in him, and it was devastating.
Seeing that the situation was not right, Ouyang Xuan hurriedly half-dragged, half-carried his father outside. The commotion here not only startled the nearby citizens but also attracted the county office's personnel to come and investigate.
"Shen Muhan, come out! You come out!"
Ming Lie's face was completely frantic this time. His half-black, half-white hair whipped wildly with his erratic movements, his face marked with scars. The greenish blood continued to drip down, and his ferocious expression was obscured by thick dust as he crazily unleashed attacks, screaming.
The Zhao Family Brothers had crawled under the table, their teeth chattering, their faces pale as paper, yet they dared not breathe loudly.
The Yamen officials arrived trembling. Before they could assess the situation, a gust of wind swept away their weapons. In an instant, it seemed as if the weapons had eyes and turned towards them; before they could even scream in shock, they lost their lives with wide-open eyes.
Zhao Yaowei was the unfortunate one; just as he was about to crawl out from under the table, a flying dagger struck him in the backside. He let out a yelp and fainted on the spot. Zhao Yangwu covered his mouth, breathing so cautiously it seemed he might break at any moment.
All of this was clearly visible to the citizens outside and other Yard Officers. The timid ones fainted from fright, while the braver ones fled in panic. Thus, the other Yard Officers and Ming Lie were locked in a standoff for over two hours. Ultimately, when Ming Lie was exhausted, they captured him with nets. Feng Liulang was terrified to the point of feeling his insides crumble; he immediately used the strongest iron shackles from the county office to bind Ming Lie's limbs and locked him in the dungeon.
At the same time, seeing the miserable state of the Zhao Family Brothers made them tremble uncontrollably; they couldn't even speak but knew deep down that their lives were over...
When Shen Muhan arrived at Mei Tower, Xia Muxin was still in a deep sleep, surrounded by Ming Qi and others who guarded her. Upon seeing him arrive, they all revealed expressions of surprise.
However, Shen Muhan simply threw the woman in his arms towards them and coldly uttered:
"Extract her heart for Mother Gu."
Ming Qi and others gasped in shock; their leader was...
But as she looked at the sleeping mistress, a green object between her brows began to wriggle slowly. With her gaze lowered, she picked up the woman on the ground and left.
When Xia Muxin woke up, it was already dark outside. However, the soft sensation beneath her made her realize that this was not her bed, nor her room, and she immediately sat up.
"What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Shen Muhan asked softly, opening his weary eyes at the sound. He pulled her closer into his embrace.
Smelling his familiar scent, Xia Muxin's heart gradually calmed down, and she said, "Husband, I had a dream. In it, a woman who looked exactly like me kept begging for mercy, asking me to spare her life. She didn’t want to die."
Shen Muhan sighed lightly and pressed a kiss on her smooth forehead, speaking truthfully, "This is not a dream; it’s real. For so long, she has been afraid to appear in your dreams because of her fear. And Mother Child Gu is connected to her; you can feel her fear and anxiety." He paused for a moment, his star-like eyes locking onto Xia Muxin's increasingly charming face. He held her tightly and asked, "Muxin, if I killed her, would you blame me?"
Xia Muxin was taken aback. First, she thought that this Mother Child Gu was indeed a rare thing with such an effective response. However, Shen Muhan's last question made her frown slightly. After a long while, she asked, "Is she Zhao Qiushui?"
In truth, she wasn’t foolish. During this time, she had become increasingly dependent on him. Many things were done in the moment but forgotten afterward; her memories were fading continuously, and even her courage was shrinking. He took care of her more than ever and stayed close by her side. In reality, he was scared. Yet every night he would often suddenly disappear; still, there would always be shadows appearing somewhere in the house. She knew that day would eventually come; she just didn’t know what would happen.
She even thought that as time passed, she would slowly forget him and everyone here—perhaps even become foolish. So during this time, she cherished every opportunity to act spoiled with him, every moment spent with family, and every playful time with friends.
Even if that day truly came, at least she would have no regrets—only concern for him.
Because she knew that there was nothing he couldn't do. But if even he couldn't do it, then she could only accept her fate.
Hearing him say this today still brought her a sense of surprise, prompting her to ask aloud.
She was aware that her thoughts were somewhat selfish, but she truly wanted to live, to accompany him, to be with him until the end of time.
"Yes."
Shen Muhan did not attempt to fathom Xia Muxin's conflicted feelings at that moment; he simply responded lightly.
"Husband, I don't care whether you killed them or not. In fact, I feel fortunate that I can continue living. Would you still like this version of Xia Muxin?"
No matter what, Zhao Qiushui wouldn't die, and everything should be left to the laws of Tianli Kingdom. Yet Shen Muhan was disregarding the law and would surely be reprimanded harshly by Su Rong when he arrived there.
Xia Muxin's words made Shen Muhan chuckle softly.
"Having such thoughts is correct; it shows you're not foolish enough yet."
Xia Muxin nuzzled closer to him and after a long while said, "Is Ming Lie dead too? Does that mean our future days will be too peaceful, without any more worries?"
What she really wanted to ask was what he had been doing these past few months and what he had hidden from her. Also, the fatigue etched on his brow seemed to grow day by day—was it related to this matter?
"Almost. He has been locked up by the county magistrate. Given his current situation, he won't survive for more than a month. He killed many Yard Officers and destroyed the Ouyang Family's shops. Even Zhao Yaowei has been crippled by him; it's likely he'll never move his lower body again for the rest of his life."
"Why not uproot the Zhao Family completely?"
"That's a matter for the Retired Emperor; it has nothing to do with me anymore."
"Did you make some sort of deal with that Old Fox, the Retired Emperor?"
"You could guess that?"
"What kind of deal? Come on, tell me..."
"To marry you."
"......"
The next day, before dawn, Ming Qi and the others brought Mother Gu to see Shen Muhan. Shen Muhan did not take Xia Muxin back but went to Jun Yuan Villa instead. At that moment, Xia Muxin was submerged in a large medicinal vat, her long hair wrapped in a cloth on top of her head, her entire body engulfed in dark medicinal liquid, leaving only her small head above the surface.
Her eyes darted around until Qingyue approached with a pale face, at which point she stopped looking around.
"Xia Muxin, even in death, you still owe me, Qingyue, a favor."
Qingyue stood before the vat, coldly gazing down at Xia Muxin. Then, without warning, she swiftly cut open her own wrist. As Xia Muxin gasped in shock, blood flowed into the vat.
For no reason at all, Xia Muxin trembled in fear. Watching the blood mix into the dark liquid of the vat made her struggle to rise, but her body felt as if it were frozen in place; she couldn't move at all. She tried to part her lips but couldn't make a sound. Tears were about to spill from her eyes in desperation.
What does this mean? Where is Shen Muhan?
Wasn't it said that she would be soaked in this vat for half an hour before Mother Gu would draw out Child Gu?
What awaited her was Qingyue's wrist-slashing suicide.
Qingyue's face grew increasingly pale, yet her eyes held a cold and triumphant smile.
By the time her body collapsed beneath the fish tank, Xia Muxin had already been unable to rise.
After a while, Xia Muxin suddenly felt her body could move again. She moved her lips, opened her eyes wide, and began to shout at the top of her lungs:
"Help! Someone, help Qingyue!"
In truth, Qingyue and she were not particularly close; even after spending so much time together, they could only be considered nodding acquaintances. Qingyue disliked her because of Shen Muhan, which was well-known, and Xia Muxin also harbored no fondness for Qingyue, not for any particular reason, but simply because she didn't like her.
However, today’s events left her feeling fearful. This woman was far too underestimated; she actually went so far as to slash her wrists and bleed out, and with such finality. The sudden overwhelming stench of blood from the medicine vat made her want to vomit.
At the same time, her cries attracted Shen Muhan and others. When Shen Muhan saw Qingyue lying on the ground, silent and unresponsive, he staggered in shock. His ethereal handsome face made Xia Muxin's heart tighten. Yet he immediately picked up Qingyue, not even sparing a glance at Xia Muxin.
As the scorching medicinal liquid turned ice-cold, Xia Muxin felt numb all over; her entire body was pale as if it were shedding skin.
She looked at herself—neither human nor ghost—and laughed at the absurdity.
Numbly stepping out of the medicine vat, numbly putting on her clothes, and numbly walking out of the bathhouse.
The moon had risen without her noticing, stars twinkling in the night sky, reminding her of many such nights spent with Shen Muhan, warm and sweet.
She wished she could force back the tears streaming down her face; she wanted to tell herself it didn’t matter. More than anything, she wanted to mock herself for being so fragile. Wasn’t this just a little scheme from a third party? Why should she stoop to such a person’s level?
This Jun Yuan Villa seemed ill-suited for her; every visit brought heartache and despair.
Before marriage, it was like this; after marriage, it remained the same.
However, she did not go back. Instead, she jumped directly into the only pond in the villa to wash away the smell of blood.
It wasn't until she felt as cold as an ice stick that she struggled to climb out of the pond, a desolate smile tugging at her lips as she wandered through the lush bamboo forest like a ghost.
At this moment, she truly realized that she was nothing more than a wraith. If she were to lose these attachments, she would rather return to the modern world and continue being her own coach. Even if she had to find a partner, she would choose someone she didn't love. That way, even without passion, they could still live together respectfully.
Rather than feeling as if her heart were being cut like it was now.
The entire villa was silent, except for one area that was brightly lit. The cold wind pierced through her bones, making her shiver uncontrollably.
Shen Muhan, what kind of past do you have with Qingyue?
And why are you so good to me, to the point of being willing to sacrifice your own life?
- End of Chapter -
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