Compared to the heavy, lingering suspicions that had gathered over Yunjing City for days, Pei Du's nightmare was hardly a matter of great importance.
Lin Que, having lived a long life, was as shrewd and seasoned as an old fox. Seeing Pei Du and Xie Jingci's hesitant, evasive manner, he could vaguely guess there was some unspeakable secret between them.
With a teasing intent, he slowly turned his gaze and asked, "Young Master Pei, why is your face so flushed? Are you perhaps feeling unwell?"
The young swordsman, who had buried the lower half of his face in the quilt, froze for a moment.
Pei Du put on an act, coughing rather theatrically a few times. "It must be due to the residual evil energy. I'll be fine after some rest. No need for you to trouble yourself, Senior."
"Oh—that's good then."
Lin Que smiled with profound meaning, his narrow eyes squinting as he lightly tapped the edge of the bed, getting straight to the point. "Miss Xie says you recognize the evildoer?"
At these words, the flush that had colored Pei Du's face rapidly receded by more than half.
"...Indeed."
This matter was of grave importance and must not be hindered by personal affairs. Invaded by the evil energy, his body was currently weak all over. Frowning, he mustered a burst of strength to barely sit up from the bed. "He once studied with me at the academy."
Xie Jingci suddenly understood.
No wonder she had found that person familiar. He was a former classmate.
"Once?"
Lin Que keenly picked up on the peculiar wording. "Did something happen later?"
Pei Du gave a light cough, a dark shadow gradually gathering in his eyes. "His name is Yin Su. He studied under the Qingcheng Mountain sect in Cangzhou. Orphaned since childhood, he possessed outstanding talent and was considered one of the top young elites in his sect."
"Qingcheng Mountain? Yin Su?"
Xie Shu, standing to the side, was momentarily stunned. After pondering the name for a moment, his back suddenly jolted. "I remember now! Could it be that one!"
From the moment she heard the name, Yun Zhaoyan's expression had been very poor. Hearing this, her brows knitted slightly as she said in a low voice, "Yes, it's him."
Meng Xiaoting also widened her eyes. "So it's him! He vanished without a trace these past few years, and it turns out he went to cultivate evil arts!"
Their conversation flowed back and forth smoothly, leaving only Xie Jingci and Mo Xiaoyang, who knew nothing about this person, utterly bewildered.
She listened, completely lost, and asked curiously, "This person... who is he?"
The response was four pairs of incredulous gazes fixed upon her.
"You don't remember him?"
Meng Xiaoting's voice was crisp and clear. "It's Yin Su! The one who set a trap to harm you back at the academy!"
Xie Jingci: ?
Not only did she not remember this person's name or face, she had no memory whatsoever of ever being schemed against and endangered.
"Although it wasn't an especially major incident, it did endanger your life... You really don't remember?"
Meng Xiaoting scratched her head in frustration. "Back then, we entered the secret realm of the Profound Moon Underground Palace for an expedition. That scoundrel not only lured you to the most dangerous desolate tomb but also sealed the exit and ran off alone—if Young Master Pei hadn't happened to pass by and helped you repel the evil demons, you probably would have lost your life right then and there."
...Did such a thing really happen at the academy?
Xie Jingci combed through all the memories in her head, every single one from inside out. After careful thought, she finally vaguely recalled a few traces.
Right, Pei Du had once saved her.
Back when she had just finished traversing the minor world, one major reason she decided to go to the Ghost Tomb to find Pei Du immediately was because this thought had surfaced in her mind.
But that was the extent of her memory.
What exactly happened that day, why she was in danger, and how she and Pei Du escaped—all related clues seemed to have been completely wiped clean, leaving an empty void with not a single detail she could recall.
Xie Shu, being experienced and knowledgeable, stroked his chin. "Both you and Xiao Du were severely injured back then. The Profound Moon Underground Palace is teeming with evil energy. If you don't remember the events of that day, perhaps your consciousness was invaded by the evil energy, clouding your mind."
Meng Xiaoting nodded blankly. "That's right. Logically, since Young Master Pei saved your life, he did you a great favor. But later, when you saw him, Cici, you were still cold towards him."
Poor guy.
Xie Shu sighed inwardly, deciding to help restore some of the lost dignity for his chosen son-in-law. "That cursed place was crawling with demons, and the desolate tomb was a convergence point of evil energy. Even a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage would face almost certain death venturing in—Xiao Du practically fought with his life on the line back then to secure a slim chance of survival for the two of you."
He hadn't forgotten the scene he witnessed that day.
Upon hearing his daughter was in trouble, he and his wife rushed to the Profound Moon Underground Palace immediately. The entire desolate tomb was a blinding expanse of crimson; blood seeped along the cracks in the earth, as if converging into eerie, sinister, slender rivers.
The surroundings were dark and gloomy, evil energy condensed into cluster after cluster of mist, tinted a frightening scarlet by the bloody glow.
In the boundless darkness, only Zhan Yuan Sword emitted dense, swirling beams of white light. That light wasn't particularly heavy or profound, yet it resembled a solitary lamp in the dark night, held tightly in the hands of the young man covered in blood.
He sat silently in a corner, letting the medical cultivators treat his wounds. Though his features were elegant and gentle, his entire being was shrouded in a murderous, fierce aura, like a blood-stained sharp blade or a fierce beast about to swing its claws and tear someone to shreds.
It was from that day onward that Xie Shu learned the name "Pei Du."
Yet, Xie Jingci still wore a completely blank expression.
Could it be that she really had her head knocked by evil energy that day, which was why she couldn't remember anything?
"I heard the reason Yin Su attempted to harm you was out of jealousy."
Meng Xiaoting sighed, a rare look of disgust appearing between her brows when mentioning Yin Su. "He was also a blade cultivator. He climbed step by step from an outer sect disciple of Qingcheng Mountain to become a direct disciple, finally entering the academy, only to be defeated by you repeatedly in the grand competitions."
Xie Jingci said, "That's his own incompetence. I'd highly recommend he just kill himself."
"Yin Su was somewhat famous at Qingcheng Mountain. After losing to you so many times, he gradually grew resentful."
Meng Xiaoting continued, "Later, he was punished by the academy, expelled from Qingcheng Mountain, and still had the shamelessness to spout nonsense like 'Heaven is unjust' and 'the great clans bully others too much.' It's utterly disgusting."
So, this was a self-important little rebel.
Born with no backing, he relied solely on his own efforts to climb step by step, eventually becoming a rising star among the new generation in his sect. Only upon entering the academy did he discover that all his hard work ultimately couldn't compare to the lineage passed down through generations of great clans.
That's why he was filled with resentment, thinking, "Why?"
Xie Jingci sneered inwardly.
Why?
Because while other children were playing and fooling around, she shut herself in a dark room practicing her blade techniques over and over. Because she spent all her free time in the Trial Tower, having personally slain more evil demons than he had ever even seen.
There are always those who attribute their failures to bad luck or poor background, resenting others while blind to their opponents drawing their blades again and again, repeatedly and relentlessly.
"So, this person wanted to kill Miss Xie, but Pei Du stumbled upon it and thwarted him. After the plot was exposed, he was expelled by both the academy and Qingcheng Mountain."
Mo Xiaoyang couldn't hide the confusion in his expression. "Did he later take up the evil path? But what use is putting the people of Yunjing City into a deep sleep to him?"
"The truth likely isn't that simple."
Pei Du shook his head: "Yin Su's cultivation was inferior to mine and Miss Xie's, but from what we saw today, he has already reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. Moreover..."
As he spoke, his brow furrowed slightly. He brought a fist to his lips and lowered his head with a light cough.
Xie Jingci continued in a somber tone: "Moreover, when the second person appeared, that sinister energy at the Nascent Soul stage instantly left Yin Su's body and transferred to that other person."
This was the main reason for their setback.
With the strength of the two of them, if they were to fight openly, they might still have a chance to contend with a peak Nascent Soul cultivator. But the transfer of that sinister energy was bizarre and unpredictable, striking suddenly from behind, leaving them utterly defenseless.
"Perhaps neither of the people in those two alleyways was the mastermind. What we should really focus on is that strange sinister energy."
After a brief pause, she looked up at the three elders beside her: "Among forbidden arts, are there any possession techniques?"
"For demonic cultivators, there are plenty of such methods,"
Lin Que replied with a faint smile. "If there is indeed someone else behind this, then it adds quite a bit more intrigue."
Yin Su was most likely an insignificant pawn. Combined with the fact that no one present knew him well, continuing to fixate on him tonight seemed unlikely to yield any results.
The night was deep now, and everyone had been rushing about tirelessly for a whole day. After a brief discussion, they each retired to their rooms to rest.
Xie Jingci was the most unsettled among them.
What was Yin Su's true purpose for coming to the capital? How could she have completely forgotten what happened in the underground palace that day? How did Pei Du recognize her childhood appearance at a single glance?
And then there was Meng Xiaoting.
According to the information the system revealed, there wasn't much time left... before her death date.
She woke up the next day.
Though it wasn't a restful sleep.
In her hazy dreams last night, Xie Jingci saw the blade hanging over Meng Xiaoting's head one moment, and the next, heard Pei Du sternly questioning her: "Miss Xie, why did you humiliate me so in your dream?"
Even in the dream, Xie Jingci could feel with utter clarity the sensation of a chill, like a snake, slithering down her spine.
Her dreams were chaotic, so naturally, when she woke the next day, she was listless. As soon as she stepped out, she learned that Xie Shu, Yun Zhaoyan, and Lin Que were about to leave the capital.
"The Seeking Immortals Assembly at Qiong Sea is being held today. We need to make an appearance,"
Xie Shu said, somewhat uneasy, and advised gently: "That group's target likely isn't you, but since you've crossed paths with Yin Su, it's best to be cautious. Stay within the Xie residence these next few days, and don't leave. Once we return tomorrow, we'll deal with this matter immediately."
Yun Zhaoyan's expression was grim.
It was well-known that this ill-tempered female demon lord was extremely indulgent and doting towards her daughter. Yin Su daring to target Xie Jingci and injuring Pei Du was practically dancing all over her fury trigger points, on the verge of setting it off.
"I have already informed the Supervisory Office of the relevant details and instructed them to intensify their investigation,"
Yun Zhaoyan offered comfort. "Xiao Du, rest well. We will definitely find the mastermind behind this and give you justice."
Good heavens.
Mo Xiaoyang was frozen in place by the overwhelming pressure. Truly worthy of the renowned Lady Yun. When she said those words, it seemed as if she could have Yin Su sliced into a thousand pieces the very next moment, appearing more like the villain than the actual mastermind.
Xie Jingci waved goodbye to the three of them.
Xie Shu and Yun Zhaoyan, as major figures in the cultivation world, were often entangled in countless commissions, secret realms, and cultivation gatherings. Coupled with their love for traveling and sightseeing, ever since she could remember, they had been constantly on the move, often spending long periods away from home.
The domineering CEOs and princes in novels who spent all day falling in love were mere paper characters. The reality was being perpetually busy, risking premature baldness until only a barren patch of land remained as company.
"Since Yin Su and his group failed, they won't come back for revenge, will they?"
Meng Xiaoting was still apprehensive about last night's events: "A perfectly fine grown man resorting to schemes and tricks to harm people is bad enough, but to then linger like a vengeful ghost, trying to use others to continue his mischief—ahhh, it's so vile! How can we catch him?"
That person even wanted to target Cici. Utterly despicable.
Regarding the strange events in the capital recently, while she had been interested, she had always maintained the detached stance of an outsider enjoying the spectacle. Now, however, an endless stream of anger welled up inside her, making her want to dig those people out from the deepest pits of the earth.
"The Supervisory Office can't be relied upon,"
Xie Jingci said with a faint smile, her tone light. "We might as well go ask the other victims first—Senior Lin has already dispelled the sinister energy from all of them. We might get some useful clues."
Since this matter was directly connected to her, Xie Jingci preferred to find the culprit herself rather than letting her parents handle it.
She paused slightly mid-sentence, her gaze shifting to the eager Meng Xiaoting and Mo Xiaoyang beside her. "Where's Pei Du?"
Meng Xiaoting chuckled and pointed behind her: "Over there."
Pei Du was handsome and amiable. In just a few days, he had become familiar with the steward and servants of the Xie residence.
When Xie Jingci turned around, she saw him chatting with the steward and a couple of servants.
The steward's very first sentence left her utterly flabbergasted: "Young Master Pei, you are the first man our young lady has ever brought home."
—It's here! The butler's classic line from domineering CEO novels, "Young lady, you are the first woman the young master has ever brought home"!
When it came to CEOs and princes, three types of people were absolutely indispensable.
First, a doctor always on call in the middle of the night, ready at a moment's notice, constantly under the fatal threat of "If you can't cure her, I'll scatter your ashes." Classic line: "Remember to be more restrained next time. Her constitution is weak, she can't take it."
Second, a diligent butler who tirelessly worries about the male and female leads behind the scenes, seeing everything with shrewd eyes.
Third, a group of loyal friends or servants, with their gossip skills maxed out, mainly responsible for stirring things up and playing matchmaker.
These people aren't people; they are pure tools.
"That's right!"
A servant chimed in: "It's been a long time since we've seen the young lady smile so happily."
—Pah! You shut up! She smiles every day, she's super happy every day! Why is it that when she gets cast in the CEO role, even everyone else in the house gets contaminated!
Pei Du responded gently: "Does Miss Xie not usually smile much?"
"It's not that she doesn't smile... it's just that she's always shut in her room practicing her blade techniques."
Another person added: "Before this, the young lady was mostly fierce and intimidating, even pondering newly learned blade techniques while walking. But since Young Master Pei came to the Xie residence—Wah! Miss Xie!"
Xie Jingci flashed them a perfectly standard, wide smile.
Xie Jingci: "Pei Du, come with me."
The old steward trembled: "Young lady, no matter what you do, please remember to be restrained. Young Master Pei, his health isn't good..."
Xie Jingci: "..."
Deeply questioning her life choices, Xie Jingci pulled Pei Du away.
Before this, she had always thought her image in the eyes of others was that of a positive, upward-striving, well-behaved youth. Little did she expect that when others looked at her, with a clang, she became a domineering butcher obsessed with slaying monsters and leveling up.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but true beauty is only seen in one's own eyes.
There were quite a few people in the city afflicted by dark sorcery, their statuses varying from high to low. Dealing with the higher-ups was truly troublesome. After a brief discussion, the group made a final decision and sought out the recently awakened accountant at the Línláng Workshop.
"Ah, I've told the Surveillance Division many times, I really don't know what exactly happened back then."
The accountant, surnamed Liao, was plagued by nightmares for several consecutive days, his eyes shadowed with a lifeless, ashen gray. He spoke weakly, pausing for breath every three words: "It was late at night, I was walking home alone. I had just caught a glimpse of a shadow, and then I knew nothing."
Xie Jingci listened quietly, her fingertips lightly brushing the tabletop.
Meng Xiaoting beside her curiously pressed on: "Perhaps, sir, you have made some enemies in the past?"
The accountant waved his hands repeatedly: "How could that be? I've lived a steady, uneventful life. Forget making enemies, I've hardly ever even argued or fought with anyone."
"It doesn't necessarily have to be an enemy."
Xie Jingci said with a smile: "It might be someone who simply couldn't stand the sight of you, or someone whose life was going poorly and, by extension, viewed you with displeasure. The most important point is that it's highly likely this person disappeared one day and never appeared before you again."
Her tone was unhurried, carrying a calm, slow, and quiet kind of intimidation. Upon hearing this, the accountant was taken aback. Instead of immediately refuting as before, he frowned slightly, showing a somewhat hesitant expression.
"Now that you mention it... there does seem to have been someone like that."
He drew in a sharp breath, as if suddenly feeling a chill all over: "That was already five years ago. That person and I were from the same hometown, both born in a mountain village. Our village was poor; whether it was cultivation or studying, it was a hardship for most families."
Meng Xiaoting exchanged a surprised glance with Xie Jingci.
"According to the village rules, the one who placed first in the academy's final exam would have the funds for further study covered and be sent to a larger city."
The accountant let out a low sigh: "The two of us were usually evenly matched, each with our own strengths. In the final exam, I beat him by a margin of three points and won the chance to leave the village. As for him... right around that time, his father fell gravely ill and passed away, leaving the family with a pile of debts. You can probably imagine the situation."
Mo Xiaoyang, who had thought he was about to hear some melodramatic tale of grudges, was stunned upon hearing this: "That's it?"
"That's it! Later, when I returned to my hometown, I learned he had vanished without a trace five years ago and hasn't appeared since."
The accountant frowned: "Although, now that you mention it, the scenes I saw in my dreams were indeed of family ruin and repeated failure in exams... But I never intended to harm him. Even if he harbored resentment, surely he wouldn't resort to such a sinister method, would he?"
Whether he would or not was probably for that person to decide.
Xie Jingci's gaze sharpened slightly.
Just as expected.
Back then, she and Pei Du had simultaneously encountered Yin Su, and when the person behind them suddenly appeared, Pei Du happened to be standing not far behind her.
Logically speaking, Pei Du would have been the easier target for the dark energy, yet the newcomer deliberately avoided him and aimed at Xie Jingci instead.
From the very beginning, they had a clear target.
She had a grudge with Yin Su. Considering the diverse range of people who had fallen unconscious in Yunjing City, with no apparent connection between them, one could roughly deduce that those people had come this time precisely for revenge.
Precisely because the avengers were not the same person, the unconscious victims appeared completely unrelated.
As for that mass of dark energy, it was likely the organizer of the entire operation.
Only... the so-called "reason" for this "revenge" was truly foolish and laughable.
The same desperation, the same jealousy and resentment. Unable to continue living themselves, they pinned all the blame on others. They were nothing but a bunch of cowardly, responsibility-shirking weaklings. Even for revenge, they had to borrow the power of that dark energy.
It seemed nothing more could be learned from the accountant.
Xie Jingci thanked him gently. Just after leaving the Línláng Workshop, she heard Mo Xiaoyang muttering to himself: "So, those people can't stand seeing others do well because their own lives are miserable?"
"Can't put it quite like that."
Meng Xiaoting smiled mysteriously: "While you two were questioning the accountant just now, I was listening and observing all around. I overheard some very interesting news from two female customers."
Xie Jingci and Mo Xiaoyang both widened their eyes and looked at her.
"Among those rescued and awakened, there's the famously well-known Boss Xu of Yunjing City—the one I told you about, Aunt Lin's business partner who suddenly fell into a coma."
The young girl lifted her head triumphantly: "I heard that as soon as he woke up, he started raving like a madman, saying things like 'I shouldn't have been greedy and framed you back then.' Clearly, he had done something he was guilty of."
"So, this group has their own individual reasons and goals. Perhaps for revenge, they gathered together under the guidance of the dark energy."
Xie Jingci still couldn't figure it out: "But the accountant's fellow villager disappeared five years ago, and Yin Su has also been missing for a long time. If they wanted revenge, why wait all these years without a word? And what happened to them during the time they were missing?"
Completely baffling.
"The secret technique used by that dark energy is also unheard of, unseen before."
Meng Xiaoting shivered: "If I dreamed of some crimson mansion or someone biting my neck, I'd be scared to death."
That dream could be considered a stain on her life. Xie Jingci responded vaguely: "Mhm, yeah, uh-huh—"
Wait.
Someone biting a neck.
She had said... someone biting a neck?
She revealed her identity to Pei Du, which should have been in the latter half of the dream. At most, a daughter who looked exactly like her would have appeared by then. If she let it slip and mentioned the incident of biting the gland—
Didn't that mean her cover was blown?
Xie Jingci's mind exploded in chaos.
Xie Jingci's entire body felt hot, then cold, then chilled.
Xie Jingci heard Pei Du's hesitant voice: "Miss Xie...?"
She decided to go home and take a hot bath.
Only then, when she closed her eyes and died, would her corpse not rot and stink too quickly.
The air fell into a subtle stillness in that instant. Just as Xie Jingci was wondering how to explain, she was caught off guard by a sudden, steadily approaching murderous intent.
When God closes a door, He surely opens a window.
She had never thought murderous intent could feel so wonderful.
The surroundings abruptly darkened.
They were still walking in the seemingly endless alleyways of Yunjing City, but the warm, gentle sun at the horizon instantly vanished without a trace. In its place, a pale crescent moon gradually emerged from dark clouds.
Sunlight and lamplight completely faded from sight. Ink-black clouds surged like tides. In the boundless silence, a sinister, cold laugh rang out.
Full of mockery and sarcasm, the laugh sliced through the moonlight the moment it sounded, like an icy skeletal hand rising in the dark night, gripping the eardrums with a ghastly chill.
Xie Jingci could tell this was an elaborately set illusion. Annoyed and unsettled by the sound, she was about to draw her blade when she froze in place.
From all directions, over a dozen figures of varying heights suddenly darted out.
Beside each person hovered a mass of sinister energy. Though not as dense as the night before, it was still enough to place them at the Nascent Soul stage. It was as if the original energy mass had been divided evenly into many portions, each attaching itself to a different individual.
And on their faces... they were all, without exception, wearing masks.
Plain white masks, devoid of any patterns or decoration.
The night Meng Xiaoting's mother went missing... it was people wearing pure white masks who had broken into their home.
Xie Jingci's pupils constricted sharply.
The masks, Cloud Capital City, the long-delayed revenge, the woman forcibly taken away, the news of Meng Xiaoting's death.
All the seemingly unrelated clues, at this very moment, secretly and eerily converged.
Before she could continue her thoughts, the man at the forefront moved.
He was tall in stature, yet seemed as if he hadn't exercised in a long time, his body frail like kindling. In the blink of an eye, he drew the long blade at his side.
This was Yin Su.
The dozen-plus Nascent Soul stage mask-wearers swarmed forward. Pei Du's expression remained calm as he unsheathed his sword.
Although the masked individuals possessed Nascent Soul cultivation, they clearly lacked proper training themselves and couldn't wield it proficiently. The moment Pei Du's sword light flashed, it coalesced into sharp, peerless ice blades in the air. In the confrontation, his aura firmly suppressed theirs.
However, fighting one against many was inherently disadvantageous, especially when outmatched in strength.
Mo Xiaoyang and Meng Xiaoting stepped forward together to meet the enemy. Xie Jingci's brow twitched.
Yin Su's blade techniques were unpredictable. Combined with the assaults from the other two, their attacks came from all sides. With a flick of his blade tip, it just grazed Pei Du's left arm, drawing a spurt of crimson blood.
The young man was long accustomed to pain and paid it little mind. His long sword swept down, trailing waves of icy light, blocking the onslaught of attacks head-on.
That blade had touched him.
And last night, it was precisely because of them that Pei Du had been injured by the sinister energy.
The Ghost Crying Blade hummed and trembled. Xie Jingci's heart raced for no apparent reason, and a familiar ding-dong sound reached her ears.
[Corresponding scene triggered. Character persona activated.]
[Please wait, loading dialogue...]
Although the surroundings were rows upon rows of houses, she caught an extremely subtle scent of wood.
The scent of Pei Du's pheromones.
That fragrance absolutely must not be tainted by any scent other than hers, especially... by another's blade.
—He was her possession.
If his skin was to be pierced, it could only be by her Ghost Crying Blade.
These individuals would certainly not escape.
The tall, gaunt man swiftly retreated several steps. Beneath the pure white mask, his lips twisted into a ferocious grin.
This place was a meticulously crafted illusion. Even if they exerted every ounce of their strength, they would never find a way to escape. The only possible outcome was to be mercilessly slaughtered by the swarming Nascent Soul cultivators.
So what if they were heaven's favored ones?
He had dreamed countless times of these two's downfall, had countless times personally crushed them beneath his feet. Now, watching the fantasy become reality before his very eyes, he couldn't help but laugh until his shoulders shook.
This couldn't be blamed on him.
If one had to blame someone, it could only be Xie Jingci and Pei Du for being involved in too much—his identity, Meng Xiaoting's background... they knew too many things. It was only natural they would face retribution.
The amusement in Yin Su's eyes hadn't yet faded when it suddenly froze.
Within the profound illusion, without any warning, the mournful wail of a long blade abruptly rang out.
A dark red blade light, the color of blood, instantly tore the night sky to shreds.
Too fast.
As that crimson streak drew near, accompanied by wildly dancing gales and wisps of a coagulating bloody aura, the waning moon cast a faint, gauzy light. Through the shifting interplay of light and shadow, Yin Su saw the figure rapidly closing in.
Xie Jingci was clad in white, but it was stained scarlet by flying blood. Wherever she passed, her blade sang with a clear, ringing sound, like an unstoppable gust of wind, slashing the throats of everyone in her path.
Blood sprayed wildly under the moonlight, like flowers that suddenly bloomed only to wither and fall in decay. In the span of mere moments, even the air was tinged with a murderous, eerie strangeness.
Amidst the layers of parting wind, the blade light was already within reach.
Within his line of sight was a face of breathtaking, captivating beauty.
Her looks were heaven-sent, the very essence of allure. At this moment, a pair of willow-leaf eyes were illuminated by the blade light, dark shadows swirling within their pitch-black pupils. Beyond their delicate charm, there was more of a beast-like, frenzied coldness.
In those eyes clearly brimmed a bloodlust that chilled one to the bone.
"Hey."
Shrouded in an aura of blood, Xie Jingci's voice was slightly hoarse. With just the first word uttered, it sent a chill through Yin Su's entire body. "Who allowed you... to touch him?"
