Two door planks lay on the ground. Wen Kui and Xiao Hong each lay on one, the former barely alive, the latter unconscious. Two cultivators crouched beside them administering treatment.
Wen Kui’s body was covered with whip marks that had drawn blood. Several ribs were broken, several fingers were broken, and all his fingernails had been pulled out. The other injuries need not be mentioned. In short, it was a horrifying sight.
Fan Wuchou stood nearby with a taut face, saying nothing, his brows tightly furrowed.
Other Qinglian Mountain disciples nearby could not help muttering, “Elder, what is that woman doing? He is, after all, the Wen Estate steward. If she wants to detain and question him, then question him. Why resort to torture and injure him so badly?”
To be honest, none of them had expected Madam Wen Guo to dare treat Wen Kui this way. Normally, who would not behave obediently before Wen Kui?
Fan Wuchou gave a dry chuckle. “Heaven knows how that woman’s husband and daughter died.”
Previously, according to the theory that whoever benefited was the culprit, many had suspected the second branch. But seeing that people from the second branch had also died in such a manner, they had become doubtful.
Now, the manner in which Wen Kui and others had been attacked gave an impression of desperate haste.
But what could be done? Even if it was her doing, her goal had been achieved. She had already succeeded. The second branch was now the sole heir.
In such matters, without evidence, no one could “wrongly accuse” the second branch.
Even Fan Wuchou could only shake his head and sigh.
Normally, those stationed here from Qinglian Mountain were either gaining worldly experience or fulfilling guard duties, responsible for maintaining contact between Qinglian Mountain and the Wen Clan. They tried not to interfere in the Wen Clan’s internal affairs. Otherwise, what would be the point of having the Wen Clan? They even kept their distance from the Wen Clan in matters of romance.
There was no helping it. Power struggles within large families were normal. If you did not keep your distance, there would be no shortage of people who coveted your influence and would try every means to draw you in.
Who was human and who was demon was difficult to tell apart.
After treating him for quite a while, Wen Kui’s breathing finally stabilised. Medicine controlled the physical pain.
Only then did Fan Wuchou crouch down and ask, “Kui, where exactly is Wen Xin?”
Wen Kui turned his head slightly to the side and said nothing.
Fan Wuchou pulled out the letter sent by the sect leader from his sleeve, shook it open, and spread it before his eyes. “See for yourself.”
Wen Kui read it through and finally spoke. “Better wait until the sect leader arrives.”
Fan Wuchou: “Do you suspect this letter is fake, or do you suspect I have a problem?”
Wen Kui: “Apart from the dead at the banquet, everyone else who is alive might have a problem, including myself.”
Fan Wuchou rolled his eyes, understood, and stood up too, spitting out a curse. “If you had made things clear to me earlier, how much trouble would have been saved? You old fool, you deserved your suffering.”
No more words were needed. He knew further talk was useless. The man would not speak. Judging by his attitude, throughout the entire Wen Estate, they probably regarded this Qinglian Mountain elder as the most dangerous figure. Human hearts, there was no way to speak of them.
In a pavilion outside Jade Garden, Zou Yunting dismissed the guards and quietly stood behind a window, observing the movements within Jade Garden through a gap in the window.
Qinglian Mountain disciples had their own dining hall. In the dining hall, he discovered that his junior sister Song Pingping had asked the cook to make steamed buns, saying she wanted to eat buns.
The cook did as asked. The buns were steamed, but his junior sister did not eat them in the dining hall. She packed a basket of buns and went back, saying she would eat them in Jade Garden.
Others might not know, but how could he not know his own junior sister? Based on his understanding of her, he knew something was wrong the moment he heard this, so he came here to watch.
After waiting for some time, he suddenly saw his junior sister’s door open in Jade Garden, and she came out, swinging her sleeves as if taking a stroll. She wandered around Jade Garden twice, then reached a place where trees blocked the view, where she seemed to stop and rest. For quite a while, she did not reappear.
When Song Pingping appeared again, she returned to her room.
Only at dusk did Song Pingping show herself again. This time she left Jade Garden and headed towards the Qinglian Mountain disciples’ quarters.
Not long after she left, Zou Yunting entered Jade Garden. After observing all around, he went straight to the high pavilion to observe the blind spot of Jade Garden, the place where Song Pingping had previously disappeared.
He carefully examined that area but found nothing unusual. A rockery looked rather conspicuous, but he had checked every part of it. It was solid, with no movable sections. He found nothing unusual.
He felt slightly puzzled. Could he be overthinking?
But after careful consideration, based on his understanding of his junior sister, he still maintained suspicion about this area.
He did not linger. He quickly left Jade Garden and returned to the Qinglian Mountain disciples’ quarters to find out where Song Pingping was.
Song Pingping first went to see Wen Kui, but only from a distance. Afterwards, she sat in a pavilion, leaning on the table, chin in her hands, staring blankly, lost in thought about something.
“This bracelet is quite pretty. It looks somewhat familiar.”
Her senior brother’s voice suddenly came from beside her ear. Song Pingping turned to look and saw it was indeed her senior brother. She immediately stood up with a blooming smile, then looked at the amber-coloured bracelet on her wrist and subconsciously lowered her sleeve to cover it.
Wen Xin also had an almost identical bracelet on her wrist. The one on Song Pingping’s hand had been given to her by Wen Kui not long ago.
“When Wen Xin was here before, I borrowed hers to wear.”
Song Pingping found an excuse. This time she did not tell the truth even to her senior brother. She had sworn to Wen Kui that she would keep the secret until the sect leader arrived.
Of course, she did indeed like borrowing Wen Xin’s accessories or clothes to wear.
Zou Yunting made an “oh” sound and said, “Speaking of Wen Xin, I just heard that the second branch seems to have discovered some clues about her. I don’t know if they have found her yet.”
Song Pingping instantly widened her eyes looking at him.
“I still have some matters. Let’s talk later.” Zou Yunting dropped these words and left.
Song Pingping was no longer calm. She paced back and forth in the pavilion, anxious and restless.
After quite a while, she quickly went to the dining hall again. Without waiting for the cook to finish all the food, she hastily packed some and left.
She hurried back to Jade Garden, observed the situation there, then quickly slipped back into her room. She prepared the food, packed it, and stuffed it into her sleeves to hide it. Then she went out again and began wandering around Jade Garden.
Wandering and wandering, she reached the back of that rockery. She quickly crouched at the foot of the rockery, reached into a hole, and touched an iron ring deep inside. She pulled it, and a slight clicking sound rang out. The entire mass of rock on this side slid open like a drawer. When it reached the end and stopped, a gap appeared.
Song Pingping darted inside in a flash. The drawn-out mass of rock slowly returned to its original position automatically.
In the rows of trees opposite the mechanism, on a branch of a large tree, Zou Yunting, hiding behind it, half-exposed his face. Despite having guessed, he was still somewhat surprised. He had not expected there to be such a mechanism entrance in Jade Garden.
He suddenly flashed out and landed beside the rockery. Observing the surroundings again, only because he now knew the mechanism entrance location did he realise that from whatever angle one observed Jade Garden from the outside, the area behind the rockery happened to be a blind spot. One could call it great skill appearing as no skill.
He also crouched down, reached into the gap in the rocks to feel around, found the iron ring and pulled out a click, and slowly pulled open that mass of rock.
A solitary lamp burned dimly, placed on the steps.
A lonely figure also sat on the steps, hugging her knees, head tilted resting on her knees, looking at the dim yellow lamp. It was Wen Xin, heartbroken.
Her eyes, swollen red from crying, stared blankly. Her mind was full of her grandfather’s voice and smiling face. She had cried alone in the darkness for a long time.
The lamp flame flickered slightly, which also slowly roused her. She slowly turned to look towards the darkness above the steps.
In the darkness, apart from the flame, she did not know what else to stare at. Staring at the darkness itself, she was afraid.
Being left alone in this pitch-black underground place, she was truly afraid. Sometimes strange sounds seemed to come from deep within the tunnel.
Staring at the flame all this time, she had gained experience. Every time the flame flickered, she knew someone had entered.
Sure enough, before long footsteps sounded, and soon Song Pingping’s figure appeared.
As soon as Song Pingping arrived, she tried hard to squeeze out a smile for her, standing on the steps below her, and pulled out packed food from her sleeve. “Xin, quick guess what tasty food I have brought you.”
Wen Xin shook her head slightly. She still did not want to eat.
Song Pingping looked at the food on the steps. There was the morning meat broth, the noon steamed buns, still placed there untouched. She could not help sighing. “Xin, don’t be sad. Just eat a little. Eat at least a little. Going a whole day without food, your body won’t be able to bear it.”
Wen Xin: “Sister Pingping, I am not hungry.”
“Sigh.” Song Pingping sighed and placed the packed food on the steps again. But at this moment, she suddenly gripped the sword hilt at her waist, stared at the way they had come, and shouted, “Who?”
Wen Xin immediately stood up nervously and looked towards the entrance direction.
Whoosh. After a gust of blowing wind, a point of fire lit up, turning into a small flame, illuminating a face. It was Zou Yunting holding a fire starter.
Both women froze at the same time.
“Senior brother?” Song Pingping was also somewhat at a loss, but the sword hilt in her hand relaxed. She quickly reacted too, realising how her senior brother had found this place, and said somewhat angrily, “Senior brother, you tricked me?”
Zou Yunting walked down step by step, reaching the two of them. He looked at the simple things arranged on the steps, then raised his eyes to stare at Wen Xin, discovering that even in her haggard state, this woman was still the one he liked. He asked, “From last night until now, you have been crouching here alone?”
Wen Xin said nothing, looking slightly nervous.
In her mind, she still remembered the scenes of many family members dying, and her grandfather’s final instructions, which made her realise that someone might intend harm towards her.
“You need not be afraid. I will not harm you.” Zou Yunting offered a word of comfort, then accused Song Pingping, “Junior sister, why did you hide this matter from me? Why did you not tell me? Is there anything I cannot help you with?”
Song Pingping pouted and muttered, “I didn’t want to either. It was arranged by Steward Wen. I promised not to tell anyone, not even Master. Steward Wen said we must wait until the sect leader arrives before letting Xin out. I thought, handing Xin over to the sect leader naturally couldn’t be wrong.”
She had her reasons. Zou Yunting dropped the subject. He looked at Wen Xin again, thought of Madam Wen Guo’s words about taking Wen Xin far away, and his heart could not help but surge. His gaze suddenly fixed on Wen Xin’s finger. An antique-looking ring was worn on her thumb like an archer’s ring.
He recognised this ring. It was the one the Wen Clan head had always worn on his hand.
After a moment of silence, Zou Yunting asked, “Xin, what do you plan to do next?”
Song Pingping did not like his gentle tone when speaking to Wen Xin, because he would not be so gentle with her. She immediately answered for Wen Xin, “Of course wait for the sect leader to arrive.”
Zou Yunting ignored her and continued to Wen Xin, “Xin, have you not had enough of the dangers within this noble household? Come with me. I will take you away, take you to a safe place.”
Song Pingping frowned. “Senior brother, what are you saying?”
Shing! Zou Yunting suddenly drew his sword and turned to look towards where they had come.
Soon, Song Pingping also heard the footsteps of a group of people, and she too drew her sword and stood guard.
“Your senior brother’s meaning is that he wants to become a pair with Xin, to elope far away with Xin.”
From above on the dark steps, Madam Wen Guo’s laughing voice suddenly came in reply.