Chapter 29 Sinister Dark Chamber

Chapter 29: The Sinister Secret Chamber

"Slap!"

"Knock, knock, knock—"

The sound of the white jade plate hitting the floor coincided with the knock on the door.

Crimson hawthorns scattered across the ground, some split open, their skin torn like pale flesh, blood seeping out.

A panicked voice came from outside the door: "Miss Xun Xi, Yun Niang invites you to the backyard."

Xun Xi's nails dug deep into her palms. After a moment of silence, she pushed open the door and followed the young maid downstairs.

They reached the first floor and entered the backyard, stopping before a stone table on which a Go board was set.

The maid stepped aside, and Xun Xi reached out to move a few pieces on the board. The next moment, the flat ground of the backyard suddenly sank, revealing a pitch-black passage before them.

The maid had already prepared a lantern. Xun Xi took it and walked alone into the passage, while the maid stood by with her head bowed, not following.

The dark passage was actually a descending staircase. Xun Xi hadn't gone far before she reached a brightly lit area.

This was an underground chamber, with a massive tree at its center. The original leaves, deprived of sunlight for years, had withered and fallen, so Xun Xi had the maids tie green silk fabric onto the branches to mimic leaves.

The dense green silk shimmered under the soft glow of the luminous pearls, making the tree look almost real if not examined closely.

The tree was adorned with many prayer ribbons, their inscriptions illuminated by the faint light of the pearls.

"Zuo Mengmeng"

"Wu Tian'er"

"Li Xiaohu"

...

Without exception, all the ribbons bore women's names.

Xun Xi, dressed in red, slowly approached the tree. After a moment, she took out a new prayer ribbon from her bosom and tied it to a branch.

"Daughter, come quickly. That Bodhi tree isn't real—why do you always stare at it every time you come?" Yun Niang, noticing Xun Xi's arrival, called out anxiously.

Xun Xi cast a blank look at Yun Niang before walking toward her.

As she left, a faint breeze stirred the red prayer ribbons, and the light of the pearls revealed the name on the new ribbon—Xu Rujin.

---

Red candles wept, and the long night grew cold.

Qin Jiao remained behind the screen, watching the drama unfold. Just moments ago, Master Wu had demanded "Charming Spring," and despite Yun Niang's repeated refusals, he grew angry, insisting on seeing the madam of Zhaoxiu Tower. Yun Niang had no choice but to send a maid to fetch Xun Xi.

Qin Jiao looked up just as Xun Xi entered the room. Unlike before, her face was cold and stern, devoid of any smile.

As Xun Xi stepped inside, her gaze swept toward Qin Jiao's direction. Their eyes met, and Qin Jiao thought he saw a flicker of... pity in her eyes.

"Daughter, Master Wu insists on using 'Charming Spring.' How can we allow it at such a dangerous time? Please, talk some sense into him."

Yun Niang believed that with Xun Xi's beauty, her persuasion might work. But to her surprise, Xun Xi didn't dissuade him. Instead, she pulled out a small brocade box from her sleeve. "This is Charming Spring."

"Daughter, what are you doing?"

Yun Niang was stunned. Hadn't Xun Xi herself forbidden the use of Charming Spring? Why was she breaking the rule now?

Xun Xi didn't answer, still holding the box. Master Wu, his face dark, took the box from her hand. Then he pulled out a small blue-and-white porcelain bottle from his own pocket, uncorking it. "I've brought my own good stuff too. Let's see whose is better."

"Master, you..."

Yun Niang choked, barely holding back a curse of "Are you messing with me?"

Even from a distance, Qin Jiao could see the suppressed anger on Yun Niang's face. Xun Xi must have noticed too, but she remained impassive.

Today's Xun Xi was unlike her usual charming and diplomatic self. Qin Jiao sensed something was off but couldn't pinpoint it.

Master Wu opened the box containing Charming Spring. Xun Xi watched him, a hint of mockery flickering in her eyes.

Since the guest had gotten what he wanted, Yun Niang decided not to linger. She bowed to Master Wu. "It's late, so we'll take our leave. Enjoy yourself, Master. Call if you need anything."

Master Wu closed the box without a word.

Yun Niang, feeling awkward, tried to pull Xun Xi away, but found her standing as if rooted to the spot.

Qin Jiao noticed the tension. As he wondered what was wrong, he caught a scent—a watery smell mixed with floral notes.

This scent...

Qin Jiao instantly recognized it: the smell of Puzhi grass mixed with Datura flower powder!

It was the same scent from Xue Lin's death scene!

Qin Jiao's head snapped toward the source—the blue-and-white porcelain bottle Master Wu had brought.

So the murderer of Xue Lin and Zhu Qi was this Master Wu?

Qin Jiao's nose was sharp, but Xun Xi and Yun Niang seemed oblivious to the danger. Qin Jiao wanted to create a disturbance to warn them, but the lingering effects of the earlier drug, combined with the toxicity of the Puzhi grass and Datura powder, drained his strength. He felt as if he were freezing one moment and burning the next.

Hot and cold alternated, and hallucinations swarmed his mind.

Qin Jiao struggled desperately until—"Bang!"—the screen toppled, and he tumbled out with it.

"Who's there!"

Yun Niang rushed over to Qin Jiao, pulling the cloth from his mouth. His face was deathly pale, his black hair disheveled, and his wrists chafed red from the ropes. She barely recognized him. After a moment, she exclaimed, "Isn't this the young gentleman from yesterday! What are you doing here!"

Qin Jiao felt as if a giant python were constricting his chest and throat. He wanted to speak but lacked even the strength to open his mouth.

"I invited the young gentleman here. I wanted to use the hairpin to summon someone, but the person I sought didn't come, so I had to keep him," Xun Xi explained softly, answering Yun Niang's shock.

Yun Niang suddenly remembered that Xun Xi had said the visitor to Zhaoxiu Tower yesterday was the Prince of Lingnan. So...

"You wanted to summon the Prince of Lingnan... You're betraying your master!" Yun Niang's eyes turned vicious, her bright red nails nearly poking Xun Xi's face.

"No wonder you insisted on receiving guests at such a critical time—you wanted to inform on us! After all these years, the tower raised you, gave you endless luxury, and this is how you repay us?"

Xun Xi brushed aside Yun Niang's hand. "Repay? Yes, from the ninth time I was dragged back here, I've been planning how to repay you."

Xun Xi's face was sorrowful, but her eyes were cold and ruthless. "Blood for blood, a fate worse than death, bones ground to dust, and an eternity in the deepest hell... That is how I repay you."

Yun Niang thought Xun Xi had long lost her edge and been blinded by wealth, but she never expected that Xun Xi had been enduring and biding her time, even willing to stain her hands with blood.

Because she remembered all the hatred, the blood, and the pain from beginning to end.

"You bitch! I should never have spared you back then!"

Yun Niang lunged forward to slap Xun Xi, but Xun Xi kicked her away with full force, sending Yun Niang crashing to the ground, unable to get up.

Having dealt with Yun Niang, Xun Xi gave a chilly look at Master Wu over there. "And you, you'll die here today along with her!"

With that, Xun Xi turned and walked out, hesitating for a moment as she passed by Qin Jiao, but ultimately didn't linger.

After recovering from the stomach pain and burning with rage, Yun Niang scrambled to her feet to chase Xun Xi, but as soon as she moved, she fell hard to the ground. Ahead, Xun Xi too felt her whole body go weak as she walked, and the next moment, she too collapsed while holding onto the doorframe.

"What a fine dog-eat-dog show!"

Master Wu's cold voice sounded from behind.

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