Chapter 31 The Enchantress

Chapter 31: The Temptress

A Wu endured relentless torment. Her mouth was gagged with cloth, muffling her screams, and her thrashing was useless. Eventually, she exhausted her strength and lay there numbly, her eyes wide open.

She felt herself being placed onto an oxcart. The cart traveled along a mountain path, bouncing roughly and making her queasy to the point of retching.

Yet she had no choice but to hold it in—vomiting would only soil herself, just adding to her misery!

She lost track of how long the torment lasted, but finally, she was lifted and thrown somewhere. The surroundings grew quiet, and A Wu faintly caught the smell of incense—not the rich ambergris she knew, but the plainer temple kind.

Her thoughts spun with frantic speculation. Had the people of Yanxiang Temple found her and brought her here?

What would happen to the maids and servants who couldn’t find her? Would they alert Nanqiongzi’s steward, or could they bypass the usual channels and inform the Jingxi Emperor directly?

At this point, A Wu didn’t even know what outcome to hope for.

If the matter reached the Jingxi Emperor directly, his pride would be wounded—he would never let these people go unpunished. But her true identity would be exposed, spelling her downfall.

If no report was made, then she’d likely not make it out alive...

Despairing, A Wu realized that her only hope for survival now lay with the Crown Prince. She had to find a way to reach him.

The Crown Prince still harbored lingering affection and guilt toward her. If she manipulated his guilt just right, she might persuade him to save her and help her escape.

But for that to happen, she needed to see him—and somehow slip past Lu Yunjian, the Crown Princess, and the Empress. That was next to impossible.

The Crown Prince was still a boy of sixteen. Though his status was exalted, he couldn’t act freely under their watchful eyes, let alone protect her.

Lost in these thoughts, she suddenly heard footsteps. Without warning, someone grabbed her and dragged her forward.

Already frail and weakened by suffering, she could barely withstand the rough handling. Staggering and disheveled, she felt utterly humiliated, wishing she could die.

Finally, she was shoved violently, crumpling like a rag doll.

Then, someone removed the blindfold from her eyes and pulled the handkerchief from her mouth.

After so long in darkness, the light stabbed her eyes, and she couldn’t see clearly.

Before she could react, a stinging slap cracked across her cheek—brutal and forceful, carrying the oily stench of burnt incense.

The pain flared instantly, searing her cheek.

Cupping her stinging cheek, she looked up in disarray. As her vision cleared, she saw several figures: young Taoist nuns, an old Taoist nun—the one who had just struck her—and at the center, Lingguan Song.

Lingguan Song had an elongated face, her chin sharp as an awl as she glared down at her.

“I don’t care who you were or what favor you once enjoyed,” she said slowly, her voice icy. “Now that you’ve entered Yanxiang Temple and joined the Taoist order, you must abide by our rules. Yet what have you done?”

Her tone dripped with disdain. “You’ve dared to flout every rule, whoring yourself out and defiling our sacred tradition, shaming Yanxiang Temple!”

A Wu struggled to her feet, trembling but defiant. “Lingguan Song, as a state-sanctioned Lingguan of Great Hui, you cannot slander me without proof. Where is your evidence that I’ve committed such acts?”

Lingguan Song’s expression remained cold. “Proof? If you want proof, wait. When you stand before the noble one, it will be presented.”

A Wu frowned. “The noble one?”

Lingguan Song smirked. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

A Wu’s heart raced with panic but feigned composure: "I don’t know what rumors you’ve heard, claiming I ran off with some man—I refuse to accept this accusation! No matter what, I was once the Crown Prince’s concubine. Even now as a Taoist nun, you can’t just smear my name. If I die unjustly, the Crown Prince will make you pay!"

Then, she turned to the old Taoist nun beside her and said coldly, "Do you think because I’m down on my luck, you can bully me as you please? Go ahead, hit me again, and when the Crown Prince finds out, see what he does to you!"

Lingguan Song snorted with amusement: "Miao Zhen, the charges against you now are not mine to decide. A woman like you isn’t my problem. Just wait—a noble will come to judge you soon enough!"

With a wave of her hand, she ordered, "Toss her in the woodshed!"

As soon as she spoke, two hulking nuns stepped forward, grabbed A Wu without hesitation, and bound her.

Worn down from abuse, A Wu could hardly resist. She was dragged away roughly and thrown into a dilapidated woodshed.

Looking around, she saw the floor strewn with dry grass and scraps, along with some broken tables and chairs piled in a corner.

Just as she took this in, she heard rustling in the hay nearby. Focusing her gaze, she saw—a rat!

She had always been terrified of such creatures and scrambled away in panic, hugging her arms and trembling.

But the rat seemed to taunt her deliberately, unafraid of humans, even sniffing at her boldly.

Eyes wide, she held her breath, afraid it might lunge at her.

Truly, even a tiger can be bitten by dogs when it’s down—now she was reduced to being tormented by a rat!

If she ever got the upper hand, she’d kill it first!

Get the upper hand... At this thought, A Wu’s nose stung, and she wanted to cry.

What hope did she have left? Thinking back on all the men she’d known—Nie San was no good, and neither was Lu Yunjian.

As for the Jingxi Emperor, he was utterly out of reach. Now that she reflected on it, he’d once been obsessed with her, but then suddenly rolled off her and walked out without a second look—so heartless.

Such was the way of emperors: when they fancied someone, they spoiled you rotten, but once disinterested, they couldn’t even be bothered to lift an eyelid.

After leaving, there had been no word from him—clearly, he had forgotten her entirely.

She curled into a ball, face hidden, thinking that only the Crown Prince had truly never wronged her.

By now, her pride had crumbled to dust. She even thought—so what if the Crown Prince had a consort? She could never be a proper wife anyway; she was fated to be a concubine.

Weak with hunger, she drifted into a fitful sleep, haunted by nightmares.

She dreamed of a stormy sea, a capsized ship, her father and brothers lost to the waves. She dreamed of her mother, gone, leaving her terrified and helpless, fleeing for her life—at first, a neighbor’s brother protected her, but later they were separated.

She also dreamed of how Lu Yunjian had taken her by force, and how her body had trembled helplessly in his arms.

Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted her awake.

Opening her eyes, she saw Miao Xin standing over her, holding a horsetail whisk and looking at her with disdain.

Dazed for a moment, A Wu forced a flattering smile: "Miao Xin, it’s you—"

But before she could finish, Miao Xin spat, "You disgraceful slut! You entered our Taoist order but couldn’t stay virtuous—stealing from our temple’s funds and eloping with a man! Have you no shame?"

A Wu’s eyes brimmed with tears as she asked in disbelief, "I stole from the temple?"

At this moment, an old Taoist nun beside her snapped, "Let's go. Lingguan is waiting."

So A Wu was yanked to her feet and dragged away, while other Taoist nuns along the way stared curiously.

Miao Xin, however, strutted around smugly as if she had pulled off some great triumph.

Soon, the group arrived at the main hall, where Lingguan Song was already seated behind a desk, stone-faced, flanked by over a dozen old Taoist nuns, all stony-faced.

Lingguan Song looked A Wu up and down before barking, "Miao Zhen, you have violated our Taoist precepts—sleeping with a man, stealing silver, and fleeing in disgrace. Do you admit your guilt?"

A Wu was furious. Running off with a man was bad enough, but why accuse her of theft?

She had her own money—plenty of it. Why would she steal from their temple?

Yet she dared not say so. Instead, she mumbled, "I... I didn’t..."

Lingguan Song raised a hand, and guards escorted someone in.

A Wu turned to look and was shocked—it was Nie San!

At this moment, Nie San was tightly bound, gaunt, with sunken eyes.

As if sensing something, he also lifted his gaze.

When their eyes met, A Wu saw nothing but icy detachment in his expression.

Looking between Nie San and the smug-faced Miao Xin, A Wu understood everything.

The whole thing was indeed a trap—from the moment the Crown Princess's orders sent Nie San to escort her, it had been a setup. They had deliberately lured her into fleeing with Nie San.

As for Miao Xin, she had been spying on her.

The realization nearly made her laugh. If they wanted her dead, why not just kill her outright?

From the Empress to the Crown Princess, from the Jingxi Emperor to Nie San, from Lingguan Song to Miao Xin—who among them couldn’t squash her like a bug?

Did they have to go through all this trouble, dragging her name through the mud, just to feel satisfied?

Thinking of her ruined reputation, she suddenly realized—the Crown Prince had been kind to her, so they wanted to erase her from his heart.

They wouldn’t hand her over to the Crown Prince for interrogation. No, they wanted to make her guilt airtight before presenting her and Nie San together to him.

The Crown Prince was young, likely already manipulated and sent away by them!

They were framing her, piling dirt on her.

A dead mistress might haunt the Crown Prince’s memory forever, but a thieving, adulterous one would make him sick to even think of her.

Perhaps even the Jingxi Emperor was involved—maybe he had instructed the Crown Princess to do this!

None of them were good people!

She even wondered—did the Jingxi Emperor know her true identity? Was he playing dumb?

First having his way with her thoroughly, playing with her body inside and out, then branding her with the crime of adultery?

Now, Nie San had confessed everything. Lingguan Song pressed on with the interrogation, even demanding to examine her physically. A Wu knew—they were backing her into a corner. There was no escape left.

Finally, she spoke: "I confess. I fled with this man. I gave him all my silver. He promised to take me far away, but then abandoned me there."

At this point, she suddenly gnashed her teeth and said, "Nie Qianpei, you heartless, short-lived bastard! Do you think I fancied you? I held my nose while following you, that's all!"

She spat bitterly, "I may be a whore, I may be disreputable, so what? As a woman, even if I've fallen into prostitution, every coin I earned came from my own skin. Even if a thousand fingers point at me, my conscience is clear—I've never wronged anyone! But you—"

She sneered, "You're a man, seven feet tall, skilled in martial arts, and serving in the Crown Prince's retinue. You could have pursued great ambitions, achieved merit with your own abilities. But you? You used sweet words to trick me for your own gain!"

Nie San listened, his rigid face tense, staring straight ahead, his eyes dark and unreadable.

A Wu wished she could tear him apart. "Even if we were using each other, for me, it was a choice made in desperation—but for you, it was a path to glory! How could you bear to trample over a weak woman like me to burnish your loyalty and honor?"

By now, her voice trembled with tears.

Tears fell as she sobbed, "Nie Qianpei, I took you for an honorable man, but you deceived and ruined me. You're nothing but a faithless cur! I curse you—may you never regain human form in ten thousand lifetimes!"

Nie San turned his head stiffly and slowly, looking at A Wu.

His lips twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

A Wu suddenly felt drained. She collapsed to the ground. "Enough. What's the use of cursing you now? Do whatever you want with me."

The last shred of affection the Crown Prince might have had for her was surely gone. She had no hope left.

Nie San suddenly rasped, "You—"

His voice was tight, trembling.

A Wu heard him but couldn't be bothered to respond. What use talking to a dog?

She lifted her face to the crowd and admitted bluntly, "Yes, I eloped with a man. I broke the rules. I'm rotten to the core. Just punish me already—kill me!"

Nie San's fists clenched until they creaked, his powerful frame hunched in torment. His bloodshot eyes fixed on A Wu beside him.

He was a seven-foot-tall man, yet now he was being tongue-lashed by some slip of a girl without being able to utter a single word in return.

Deep down, A Wu sensed Nie San might have his own hardships—but so what? He had wronged her!

Even in front of the King of Hell, she would accuse him! A snake who rose by crushing a helpless woman!

What followed was a haze of numbness for A Wu—Lingguan Song's interrogation, the old Taoist nun's disdain, the ring of nuns staring. To her, it all felt distant and indistinct. Voices buzzed in her ears, but she refused to listen.

An old Taoist nun seized her finger and pressed it onto a sheet of paper.

The crimson seal stood out, brutal as a wound.

Finally, it was all over. Lingguan Song ordered A Wu to be taken away.

[Nie San suddenly stood up.]

At that moment, A Wu was restrained by two Taoist nuns, disheveled, broken, yet radiant in her ruin.

She turned her head slowly to look at Nie San.

Some terrible emotion warred in Nie San's dark eyes—he was struggling.

A Wu lifted her delicate chin and let slip a smile, all poisoned honey. "I always knew you were beneath me. Now I see—you truly are."

From a distance, she spat lightly. "A gutless worm like you dares to hunger for my beauty?"

Nie San stood thunderstruck, his gaze locked onto A Wu.

A Wu refused to even look at Nie San again.

They dragged her back to that same woodshed and locked her in. She had no idea what they planned—were they going to bring the Crown Prince?

The very idea made A Wu recoil; she didn’t want to face him.

When the Crown Prince found out, he would surely be furious and demand answers from her. She didn’t know what she could possibly say to him.

The Crown Prince had truly cared for her once. How could she bear to break his heart?

A Wu even entertained the thought that, had she been born into nobility, she might have stayed by his side as his concubine.

She couldn’t imagine how blissful life would be if she were the daughter of a marquis or duke.

At this moment, she thought of Princess De Ning—a natural-born princess, a golden branch and jade leaves.

Because her birthday was approaching, the peonies of Nanqiongzi were no longer for sale—common folks couldn’t get their hands on even one.

She was the daughter of the Jingxi Emperor.

When she closed her eyes, she saw him again.

Those light tea-colored eyes, cold and aloof, always gazing down at others with an imperious air—the majestic dominance befitting an emperor.

When they'd been tangled up in bed together, she had foolishly believed she could ensnare him, that she could manipulate a man’s heart. But once off the bed, the gulf between them was insurmountable.

What a complete fool she'd been!

Drowning in these wild thoughts, she suddenly felt her mind grow hazy, her consciousness slipping.

They must have drugged her. She struggled weakly, helpless.

Just then, she saw a man enter.

Though he was hunched over, his towering height still cast a shadow that engulfed her entirely.

Blinking, she looked up, and in the dim woodshed, she saw that coldly beautiful yet sinister face.

He knelt down in front of her, his ink-black eyes reflecting the helplessness in hers.

He raised a hand, gently tilting her chin. "A Wu, when it comes down to it, I'm all you've got."

In the darkness, his smile was cold and sly, yet breathtaking.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she bit her lip, glaring at him with hatred.

He kissed her hair gently. "Don't cry, silly girl. The Crown Prince will be here soon. Do you want to stay and be executed as an adulteress?"

He murmured, voice dripping with false sweetness.

But A Wu's tears kept falling.

Yet another coward!

She never asked for his help—she'd rather take her chances with the Crown Prince.