Chapter 092
Chapter 92: Murder and Arson
Knowing Shi Zi Chu valued beauty, Jiang Wan Sheng spoke from personal experience: “The gu marks on your face aren’t worth worrying about. With your talent and cultivation, they’ll vanish within three days at most.”
Simply put, once the inheritance was fully absorbed, the gu patterns would naturally fade.
From beneath the white veil, a voice tinged with laughter and teasing floated up, “Are you already disliking me?”
Jiang Wan Sheng reached out, lifted the white veil, and gently bent down, pressing a soft kiss upon the face marked by gu, clearly showing his stance through action alone.
His warm lips merely brushed lightly against her cheek, precious and gentle with affection.
Shi Zi Chu’s gaze shifted slightly. Seeing the sincerity and reverence in his eyes, her lips curled subtly into a gentle smile.
“In my heart, Qing Qing is always the most beautiful,” Jiang Wan Sheng said, lowering the veil and straightening it. “When you arrive at the sect, inform me.”
Shi Zi Chu murmured an agreement, then turned and departed.
As she stepped beyond the Jiang Clan’s territory, Shi Zi Chu immediately saw the man standing calmly with hands clasped behind his back.
Shi Zi Chu quickened her pace, approaching swiftly.
“Master.”
Xing Lan gave a low acknowledgment and took out a jade slip, handing it over.
Shi Zi Chu accepted the jade slip. She was about to speak, but Xing Lan quickly tore open the fabric of space and brought her directly back.
At the main peak of Rising Succession Peak, near the back mountain—
“Most information regarding the Ten Thousand Visions Realm was gathered at the Bodhi Gate. After returning from there, I found the paper slip you left behind,” Xing Lan explained his presence in Upper Waters City.
Shi Zi Chu raised the jade slip in her hand, joyfully praising, “Master is the best!”
Noticing Shi Zi Chu still hadn’t removed her veil, Xing Lan asked, “What happened to your face?”
Seeing the little young lady stiffen slightly, Xing Lan reached out, lifting a corner of her veil.
The blood-colored gu patterns crawling over her face were shockingly striking.
Xing Lan lowered his hand, swiftly grasping Shi Zi Chu’s wrist to examine her condition.
“Your body is unharmed.” Xing Lan released her wrist, and after a moment of consideration, he asked quietly, “Will these marks fade away?”
Shi Zi Chu lifted her veil slightly, revealing a pair of clear, luminous peach-blossom eyes.
Before she could speak, Xing Lan, already guessing her mischief, cut her off first, gently scolding, “Jiu Jiu, don’t turn the blame back onto me.”
He wasn’t disgusted; he only worried if her health might suffer.
Shi Zi Chu pouted slightly.
“They’ll disappear in a few days.” After finishing her words, she cheerfully waved the jade slip.
Xing Lan needed to go to the artifact refining room to modify the lotus. Seeing her excitement, he waved his hand, signaling her to study the jade slip.
…
In the days leading to the opening of the Ten Thousand Visions Realm, Xing Lan was busy—extremely busy.
Sect Master Meng had arrived with Meng Xi Yu to seek help. Somehow, this news leaked, leading Sect Master Yao to bring along Yao Ruo Ruo and Yan Zhou Bai soon afterward…
Within three short days, numerous venerables had again gathered at Rising Succession Peak.
Modifying a simple white lotus magic artifact was easy for Xing Lan. Considering many factors, he did not refuse their requests.
Shi Zi Chu obediently stayed in the back mountain, refining her body and diligently studying the information about the Ten Thousand Visions Realm.
Seven days passed.
Shi Zi Chu glanced at the double-petaled white lotus on her wrist, now faintly glowing, and turned her eyes to Xing Lan.
Seeing concern in those narrowed eyes, she curved her eyes in reassurance, “Master, even if you don’t trust me, you should trust your own abilities, shouldn’t you?”
Shi Zi Chu playfully shook her wrist, jingling the small silver bracelet.
The double-petaled white lotus had been modified by Xing Lan into a delicate silver bracelet. The palm-sized lotus now shrank to the size of a fingernail—simple yet exquisite.
Once the soul-contract sealed with blood was made, it could never be removed.
“Be cautious and safe, and return unharmed.”
Even as the cautioning words lingered in the air, a bright white light pulled Shi Zi Chu into the three thousand worlds within the Ten Thousand Visions Realm.
At that very moment, countless destined individuals simultaneously fell into the three thousand worlds.
—
When Shi Zi Chu regained consciousness, she felt weak, her shoulders and elbows sore, and her stomach burned painfully.
“Fifteen taels of silver! Is that little hussy worth so much?!”
“Of course she is! It’s the county magistrate’s son we’re talking about! Quit babbling and check on her already. Don’t starve her to death before tomorrow’s wedding procession arrives.”
“Alright!”
As the conversation ended, footsteps approached closer.
Shi Zi Chu immediately closed her eyes, feigning unconsciousness.
The burly woman slapped Shi Zi Chu’s arm twice, waking her painfully. The woman harshly snarled, “Behave yourself, little hussy! Tomorrow you’ll be the concubine of the magistrate’s son. Then you’ll eat and drink like royalty, enjoying endless comforts!”
The fierce, broad-shouldered woman grumbled irritably. Seeing Shi Zi Chu still dazed, she forcibly fed her muscle-softening powder before releasing her bindings.
Watching the delicate young girl collapse limply onto a pile of firewood, the woman tossed a hard bun onto the ground and left.
After some time, Shi Zi Chu, fully understanding her situation, slowly ate the cold bun bite by bite.
The woodshed, drafty and cold at night, echoed faintly with conversations from the main house.
She listened carefully, realizing they were discussing using the money from selling their daughter to find wives for their sons.
Eventually, night deepened, and the candlelight inside the house extinguished.
Hearing a faint rustle, Shi Zi Chu lowered her eyes to the golden hook phoenix butterfly landing on her hand. Her brows softly arched, a gentle smile dancing at their edges.
This world resembled a mortal realm, but even mortal realms had witchcraft, didn’t they?
Then it was perfectly justified for her to nurture gu insects, wasn’t it?
“Go,” her voice was soft and sweet as honey.
The golden hook phoenix butterfly, having absorbed all the muscle-softening powder from Shi Zi Chu’s body, fluttered its delicate golden wings towards the main house.
Feeling somewhat better, Shi Zi Chu rose unsteadily, leaning on the woodpile for support, and walked step by step toward the kitchen.
?Issuing Mission!?
?Mission One: Live until your natural death!?
The indifferent voice wasn’t dull; rather, it carried a hint of a child pretending to sound mature.
Live until natural death?
Was it really that simple?
Shi Zi Chu glanced thoughtfully at the lotus bracelet on her wrist. After a brief pause, she whispered softly, “Can we communicate?”
?No!?
Shi Zi Chu reached the kitchen with a slight sigh of regret, took the chopping knife from the cutting board, and turned towards the main room.
Pushing open the door didn’t disturb the sleeping couple inside. The butterfly hovered gracefully in the air, its glittering powder drifting in the moonlight.
Shi Zi Chu lit the oil lamp, holding the knife firmly as she moved towards the sleeping figures.
With a swift stab, blood splashed gently under the faint glow of the lamp.
After dealing with her parents, Shi Zi Chu left the room with the knife and lamp, proceeding to her two elder brothers’ rooms.
With clean, swift strikes, she removed all four family members and then returned to the main room.
She found fifteen taels of silver wrapped in red cloth and some scattered silver pieces totaling over twenty taels, cautiously placing them into her spatial storage ring.
Xue Gu stared silently at the silver pieces.
These were her master’s survival funds in desperate times; she mustn’t despise them!
The White Lotus Artifact Spirit also fell silent.
How could she possess a divine artifact’s storage space?!
With such a tool, wasn’t this mission easily within reach?!
Shi Zi Chu hadn’t expected success when she tried, and her eyes brightened. Tossing aside the knife, she hurried into the kitchen, sweeping flour and coarse rice into her spatial ring before finally setting the house ablaze.
“Fire! Fire!”
By the time neighbors shouted frantically, Shi Zi Chu’s house had turned into a raging inferno.
Hidden quietly in the shadows, Shi Zi Chu calmly nibbled her cold bun.
Not tasty, but it filled her stomach.
When the flames died at dawn, whispers filled with pity and condemnation reached her ears faintly.
Without another glance, Shi Zi Chu turned and disappeared into darkness.
Watching her small, lonely figure vanish, the stunned White Lotus Artifact Spirit fell silent.
She had killed her family and set fire to the house???
Had she really just sidestepped her tragic fate so effortlessly?!
Was this truly acceptable?!