"Did you finally decide to use the front door this time?" Nan Zhe asked, half-joking.
"I heard from miles away that Lord Nan Zhe was throwing a lavish wedding feast, sparing no expense. I thought I'd join the fun, but it seems I'm too late," Li Luoning replied. Unlike their previous encounters, Nan Zhe seemed intentionally friendly towards Li Luoning this time.
"What do you plan to steal from my residence this time, Brother Piaocheng?" Nan Zhe asked with a light laugh, ignoring Li Luoning's words.
"The previous times were my rashness. I heard that Lord Nan Zhe is exceptionally skilled, so I came to seek guidance. If there were any misunderstandings, I hope you'll be magnanimous. I also heard that your new bride unfortunately passed away yesterday. Coincidentally, I have a treasure that might bring her back for three days," Li Luoning said, taking out an artifact from his robe and waving it. His intention was to see Hua Ruoying's body and probe her last memories to find out what happened.
"Ah, it's just a woman. Why bother with such efforts to revive her? The women of The Flatland come and go at my command," Nan Zhe said nonchalantly, waving his hand dismissively.
As they were talking, a ghost guard came to Nan Zhe and whispered something in his ear.
Hearing the report, Nan Zhe raised an eyebrow slightly. "Quite fast," he said, smiling at Li Luoning. "Brother Piaocheng, we have come to know each other through our clashes. If you don't mind, you can stay at my residence for a few days," Nan Zhe said in a gentle, elegant voice.
"Of course, it's not in vain that I traveled miles to meet you. Besides, I still need to taste some of the mourning wine from Lord Nan Zhe's funeral," Li Luoning said, laughing loudly and strangely. Knowing that the people of The Flatland were eccentric, Li Luoning exaggerated his own behavior to avoid suspicion.
Hearing this, Nan Zhe also laughed heartily. "Life is as fragile as grass. I like your character. It's just a woman, why hold a funeral? If Brother Piaocheng wants to drink, I'll accompany you to the end. But I have to meet someone now. How about we drink together when I return?" Nan Zhe's voice held no trace of sadness.
"I will be waiting in the residence then," Li Luoning said, bowing with a strange smile.
As he passed Nan Zhe, Li Luoning noticed a strange look in his eyes but maintained his façade and walked deeper into the residence with a ghost servant.
Since he was posing as Piaocheng, he had to disguise himself to blend in with the people of The Flatland.
In a side hall, Hua Qiuyuan stood with clenched fists, unable to believe the news that Hua Ruoying was dead. He had come to Nan Zhe to confirm it.
"Commander Hua," Nan Zhe greeted him.
"Lord Nan Zhe! Is my sister in your residence?" Hua Qiuyuan asked urgently.
Nan Zhe sighed sadly. "Your sister came to The Flatland seeking the antidote for Crystal Orchid poison and stayed in my residence. She found the antidote and was supposed to return to Wuming Demon Mountain today to reunite with you. But yesterday, Mi Xingzhe suddenly appeared, claiming to seek revenge for some demon curse. He fought with your sister. Despite having the Floating Light Golden Seal to protect him, your sister held back. But he caught her off guard... Alas, it was my negligence that allowed Mi Xingzhe to take advantage. If you want to blame someone, blame me," Nan Zhe said, his tone filled with regret and self-blame, starkly different from his earlier conversation with Li Luoning.
"Mi Xingzhe!" Hua Qiuyuan gritted his teeth, his eyes red with anger. "Does Lord Nan Zhe know where Mi Xingzhe is now?"
"I don't know where he ran off to, but he seemed to head towards the peach blossom forest. There was a wooden hut there where your sister used to stay. Perhaps Mi Xingzhe went there. Do you want me to send a team to assist you?" Nan Zhe asked with concern.
"No need. Thank you, Lord Nan Zhe, for previously sheltering my sister and helping her find the antidote for the Crystal Orchid poison." Hua Qiuyuan bowed and prepared to leave.
"Commander Hua, wait!"
Nan Zhe called out, handing something from his sleeve to Hua Qiuyuan. "I sent your sister's body to Wuming Demon Mountain this morning, but I kept these." He handed over Hua Ruoying's silver bell and what he claimed was the antidote for Crystal Orchid poison.
Hua Qiuyuan's hand trembled slightly as he took the silver bell, memories of his time with Hua Ruoying flooding back.
"Brother, I'm hungry." Young Hua Ruoying tugged on young Hua Qiuyuan's arm.
Young Hua Qiuyuan looked around, sneaking up to a steamed bun stall and motioning for Hua Ruoying to hide. While the vendor was distracted, he stole two buns and ran. The siblings fled to a dirty alley, checking their surroundings before devouring the buns. As Hua Ruoying ate, she felt something by her feet.
"Jingle jingle~" She lifted a sack, revealing a baby's purple hand wearing a silver bell. Frightened, she dropped her bun and ran. Hua Qiuyuan, also scared, stood frozen for a moment before running. But he stopped, turned back, and took the bell from the baby's wrist, then ran out of the alley with the buns.
In the dungeon, Mi Xingzhe, tormented by the realistic nightmares, was losing his sanity. Curled on the ground, he muttered, "No, no, stop, it wasn't me, it wasn't me..."
——
Perhaps sensing Mi Xingzhe's weakening life force, the Floating Light Golden Seal within him began to react. A golden light slowly emanated from Mi Xingzhe's chest, gradually enveloping him.
As the golden light surrounded Mi Xingzhe, his wounds visibly began to heal, and the Soul Fixing Nails in his shoulders were slowly twisted out.
"Even in such a weak state, it still protects its master. This Floating Light Golden Seal is truly a rare treasure," Nan Zhe remarked as he entered the dungeon, witnessing the scene.
"Even if it heals his wounds, it's useless. The poison I put in him isn't something your shield can counter. You're merely restoring him so I can continue my fun," Nan Zhe scoffed at the Floating Light Golden Seal, then took a whip from a nearby ghost servant. With a slight motion, he infused it with a spell and broke through the seal's protection with a single lash.
"Guarding such a worthless master, what a waste of your power. Why not come to me? Here, you'll find true purpose," Nan Zhe taunted, lightly poking Mi Xingzhe's chest, as if speaking to the golden core inside him.
Mi Xingzhe, unconscious on the ground, felt Nan Zhe's touch and suddenly opened his eyes. He instinctively knocked Nan Zhe's hand away, his gaze wary as he slowly moved towards the corner of the dungeon.
At that moment, Mi Xingzhe's eyes were filled with fear. After experiencing those nightmares, every movement around him made him as tense as a frightened deer.
"Awake? Did you enjoy the dream I sent you?" Nan Zhe asked, seemingly unsurprised by Mi Xingzhe's sudden wakefulness, twirling the black snake-tail whip in his hand.
"What... what did you do to me?" Mi Xingzhe's heart was still pounding from the horrors of his dream. He looked at Nan Zhe, wondering what new torment he would come up with. As he examined himself, he realized his wounds had miraculously healed, incredulous at his own recovery.
"No need to check. Your little golden core used its last bit of energy to heal you. Now, it will probably sleep in your body for a while, unable to save you. So now, let me have some fun with you," Nan Zhe said, raising the snake-tail whip, his eyes filled with pleasure. The whip crackled with red and white lightning as it lashed down.
Instinctively, Mi Xingzhe raised his arm to block it, but felt a burning sting followed by the excruciating pain of torn flesh.
Nan Zhe's whip showed no mercy, the dungeon echoing with the sound of its strikes and the pungent smell of blood.
Trapped in the corner, Mi Xingzhe could only turn his back to Nan Zhe, trying to shrink further into the wall.
"Ugh~" Another lash struck Mi Xingzhe's exposed flesh, and he couldn't suppress a cry of pain.
"What's wrong? Can't take it? The pain in my heart is ten thousand times worse than the wounds on your back," Nan Zhe said, coming up behind Mi Xingzhe. He grabbed Mi Xingzhe by the neck and pressed him against the wall, jamming the whip into his open wounds.
"Ugh~ Ah~" Mi Xingzhe, already weak, struggled as Nan Zhe's grip tightened. He could only gasp for breath to alleviate the searing pain in his back, his fingers clawing at the wall in agony.
"I forgot to tell you, the Heart-Burrowing Flower I gave you ensures that you'll return to that dream whenever you sleep. Such beautiful butterfly bones. These lovely back flowers should keep you awake. Little golden core, we'll meet again," Nan Zhe whispered in Mi Xingzhe's ear, his voice dripping with menace, like a predator savoring its prey's final moments.
At Nan Zhe's residence,
Li Luoning, escorted to a guest room by ghost servants, evaded their watchful eyes as he searched the residence in vain.
"I must confirm if the new bride is Hua Ruoying before making any plans," he thought.
Deciding to find where the coffin was placed, Li Luoning crept to a corner, hearing footsteps approaching and quickly hiding.
"That person is... Hua Qiuyuan!" Li Luoning recognized Hua Qiuyuan's departing figure.
"Judging by his expression, he's full of anger. If Hua Qiuyuan knew Nan Zhe was marrying Hua Ruoying, he wouldn't have waited until today to come. Unless Nan Zhe never intended to inform Hua Qiuyuan about the marriage, but now that Hua Ruoying is dead, he called him over. How did Nan Zhe manage to cleanly remove himself from the situation? If Hua Ruoying indeed died in Nan Zhe's residence, why is Hua Qiuyuan leaving now?" Li Luoning pondered, confused but unwilling to confront Hua Qiuyuan directly.
While he was thinking, he saw several ghost servants carrying a moonlight silk brocade towards a specific direction.
"If it's a funeral, that moonlight silk brocade is likely going to the place where the coffin is," Li Luoning thought, following them.
The ghost servants arrived at Quanxia Pavilion,
Inside, white lanterns inscribed with gold foil characters for mourning were hung, and the courtyard was filled with white flowers. Through the half-open door, Li Luoning saw a translucent light blue coffin made of millennium ice, inside which lay a striking figure in red.
"This must be the place," Li Luoning murmured, hiding in the crevice of a nearby rock until the ghost servants left before sneaking into the room.
In the mourning hall, moonlight silk curtains swayed gently. Under the flickering candles, three incense sticks burned before a memorial tablet. Li Luoning approached and read the inscription: "Hua Ruoying, wife of Nan Zhe."
Li Luoning glanced at the tablet, then turned to the millennium ice coffin. It was filled with precious treasures and rare spiritual herbs, and Hua Ruoying lay inside, still in her wedding attire, her skin as rosy as if she were merely asleep. Li Luoning bowed in respect to the deceased,
"Miss Ruoying, forgive me," he said, raising his hand to investigate the cause of her death. Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside and quickly hid behind a screen.
The door to the mourning hall creaked open as Nan Zhe entered,
He approached the millennium ice coffin, holding Hua Ruoying's hand, closing his eyes and placing it on his forehead, inhaling deeply,
"You've never been this obedient," he murmured, his other hand caressing her cheek tenderly.
"Mine can only stay by my side forever, even in death," Nan Zhe whispered, placing a jade bracelet on her wrist.
"Don't worry, your Yun Gongzi, I'll take good care of him. I'll make him experience hell on earth, feel pain in his very bones, and see him groveling at my feet," Nan Zhe's voice grew more violent and twisted.
[So Nian'er is indeed in his hands!] Hearing Nan Zhe's words, Li Luoning was shocked and accidentally bumped the screen, making a slight noise.
"Who's there!" Nan Zhe shot several poisoned needles towards the screen without hesitation.
Li Luoning dodged the projectiles, leaping out of the window on the other side of the room.
When Nan Zhe reached the screen, there was no one there.