Jiang Shuyin watched the soaring flames dye half the night sky red. Her vision went dark, and a metallic sweetness welled up in her throat.
Soon, she passed out.
When she woke up again, she was already back in Ye City.
Opening her heavy eyelids, she looked at her surroundings.
She seemed to be in a hospital.
Suddenly, she felt an unreal sensation, as if a lifetime had passed.
"Ayin, you're awake?" Wen Yan, wearing a white lab coat, walked into the ward.
Jiang Shuyin sat up in the hospital bed and asked in a hoarse voice, "Is Lu Yan still alive?"
Wen Yan pursed her lips before replying, "After the crime syndicate's secret base was blown up, the IBI immediately sent people over. They are still conducting search and rescue operations."
Jiang Shuyin lowered her long eyelashes, hiding the emotions in her eyes.
"Ayin, if Lu Yan is still alive, I will let you know immediately." Perhaps he still had a chance of survival, because she hadn't seen any news of Lu Yan's death in the system yet.
Jiang Shuyin's beautiful, cold face showed no emotional fluctuations. "Actually, his life or death has nothing to do with me anymore. Even though he was an undercover agent, the harm he caused me over the past four years was very real. He lived up to his duties and mission, but I won't feel any reluctance to let him go because of that."
Jiang Shuyin rolled up her sleeve. On her fair, slender arm were several cigarette burn marks and scars from being whipped.
"These are the injuries he inflicted on me whenever I disobeyed him."
She would never be able to forget those injuries for the rest of her life.
Perhaps he was a great man in the eyes of others, but in her heart, he was akin to a devil.
Seeing the scars on Jiang Shuyin's arm, Wen Yan's eyes revealed her heartache.
"I have some scar removal cream. I'll get you a box later."
Jiang Shuyin shook her head. "Even if the physical marks are removed, I can never forget the humiliation and pain."
...
When Jiang Shuyinn saw the international news, she was completely dumbfounded.
The crime syndicate that had existed in the Black Desert for decades actually exploded just a month after Si Moyan infiltrated it?
Did Si Moyan do it?
Then where is he? Is he still alive?
Jiang Shuyinn immediately drove to the Si Group.
When she saw Si Moyan walking into the Si Group in a sharp suit and leather shoes, her jaw almost dropped.
She hadn't completed her mission. If Si Moyan was still alive, she wouldn't be able to live!
Just as she was at a loss for what to do, her phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, a deep sense of fear instantly welled up inside Jiang Shuyinn.
After answering the call, Jiang Shuyinn drove away with a pale face.
"President Si, Jiang Shuyinn has driven out of Ye City."
Si Moyan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, receiving a call from his hidden guard.
"Follow her quietly. Don't let her discover your whereabouts."
"Understood."
In the afternoon, Wen Yan went to the company to find Si Moyan.
"There should be a mastermind behind Jiang Shuyinn, and that person wants your life," Wen Yan analyzed.
Si Moyan nodded. He stepped forward and pulled Wen Yan into his arms. "She has left Ye City. Exactly who wants to harm me will be revealed very soon."
Wen Yan nodded. "You are not allowed to act secretly this time. You have to take me with you."
...
The next afternoon.
Si Moyan received a call from his guard. Jiang Shuyinn had arrived at Ghost Valley Mountain.
Ghost Valley Mountain was located in the easternmost part of China. It was said that a great battle took place there over a hundred years ago, and it had been an ominous place ever since.
Anyone who stepped into Ghost Valley Mountain would be enveloped by a sinister, ghostly aura.
Because of this, it was a forbidden mountain, and few people dared to set foot there anymore.
Wen Yan and Si Moyan led a team of men to Ghost Valley Mountain.
"President Si, this mountain is very bizarre. We can't go inside. As soon as we enter, we feel dizzy, nauseous, and want to vomit!" the guard who was tracking Jiang Shuyinn reported with a pale face.
Si Moyan and Wen Yan both felt the thick, chilling aura within the mountain.
"Hubby, let's go in just the two of us. Let the others stay at the foot of the mountain so they don't lose their lives."
Si Moyan nodded.
The two walked into the mountain, one after the other.
After walking for a distance, Wen Yan saw a stone tablet.
Engraved on the stone tablet were the large characters for 'Qingyun Sect'. Although it bore the marks of time, one could still see the former majesty of this tablet.
"Qingyun Sect?" Wen Yan frowned deeply. "Hubby, why does this sect sound a bit familiar to me?"
Not only the name Qingyun Sect, but also this place gave her a sense of familiarity.
Si Moyan felt the same way.
Walking a little further ahead, they saw a garden filled with all kinds of exotic flowers and rare herbs.
Behind the garden was an ancient courtyard house.
Si Moyan and Wen Yan exchanged a glance. His voice was low and hoarse as he said, "I'll go in and take a look first."
Just as he was about to step forward, a melodious flute sound suddenly echoed.
Hiss, hiss~
Following the sound of the flute, countless venomous snakes slithered toward them from the jungle.
Si Moyan immediately took out some realgar powder and poured it in a circle around his and Wen Yan's feet.
The snakes stopped, surrounding the outside of the circle, not daring to advance any further.
Each one opened its bloody mouth and flicked its tongue, looking as if they wanted to swallow the two of them whole.
Wen Yan took out a yellow talisman from her bag. After chanting an incantation, she tossed it into the air.
The surrounding snakes immediately scattered.
The flute sound also came to an abrupt halt.
Si Moyan's dark eyes glared sharply at the tightly closed doors of the courtyard house. "What, the people inside don't dare to come out and meet us? You only dare to hide in the dark and use despicable means?"
As Si Moyan's voice faded, the door creaked open.
A man wearing a Taoist robe walked out.
Upon seeing the man's face clearly, both Wen Yan and Si Moyan were stunned.
It was actually Master Zhang, whom they had been searching for.
"Why do you want to take my husband's life?" Wen Yan asked coldly.
Si Moyan narrowed his profound dark eyes. His intuition told him that the person who truly wanted his life was someone else.
And that person was right inside the courtyard house.
"Because you deserve to die!" Master Zhang said. He then took out a talisman and summoned a vengeful spirit.
Wen Yan currently possessed a Plunder System. Since Master Zhang summoned a vengeful spirit to take her life, she could directly snatch away his ghost-controlling technique.
After the two exchanged blows, Wen Yan took control of the ghost-controlling technique. The vengeful spirit that Master Zhang had summoned turned against him instead.
Pfft—
Master Zhang was entangled by the vengeful spirit's long black hair. Unable to breathe, his face turned pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Immortal, save me!"
Just as Master Zhang was about to be strangled to death by the vengeful spirit's hair, a few weak coughs came from inside the house.
It was unknown when the person inside the house had made their move, but the vengeful spirit instantly turned into a puff of green smoke.
Before Wen Yan could react to what had happened, a fierce murderous aura suddenly tore through the air toward her.
Just as that murderous aura was about to hit her chest, a figure with the air of a transcendent immortal blocked her path. "Yan'er, watch out!"
That figure forcefully took the brunt of that fierce murderous aura for her.
When Wen Yan saw clearly the figure standing in front of her, her pupils involuntarily widened.
"Master!"
She never expected that she would be able to see her master's soul again!
Wen Yan's eyes turned completely red, and she asked with a trembling voice, "Master, why are you here?"
