On the tranquil lakeside, the stench of blood grew stronger. Murong Wei keenly sensed that the blood was emanating from the water. Forget about fleeing, she switched on her flashlight and looked closely, immediately horrified. In the middle of the lake, something dark was rising from the bottom, spreading rapidly in all directions.
It was blood!
She finally lost her composure, but her equipment wasn't properly fastened. A sharp voice rang out, "If you move again, I'll have you riddled with arrows!"
Murong Wei frowned, forced to stop and face the lake.
The footsteps were hurried and chaotic, stopping not far behind her. Having caught the scent of blood, Consort De's guards surrounded her. Yinling and Abao, who had remained calm, exchanged bewildered glances upon seeing only Murong Wei on the lakeside. Where was their mistress?
"Who goes there? Turn around!" Consort De said coldly. She hadn't yet vented her anger from the evening, and these past two days, being suppressed by Prince Qi, she had nowhere to vent her temper. She hadn't even recognized Murong Wei.
Murong Wei turned around helplessly. With so many eyes watching, and archers gathered in the palace, even if she had extraordinary skills, she couldn't use them, and she certainly wouldn't easily expose herself. A direct confrontation wouldn't gain her any advantage; she could only devise a plan to rescue Bai Wushang as quickly as possible.
At this hour, that guy still hadn't come out; he must be in the water, and something must have happened to him.
"Murong Wei!" Consort De exclaimed upon seeing her face.
"Oh dear, what a stroke of bad luck! In the middle of the night, with disheveled hair and soaking wet, you'd be more than responsible if you frightened Consort De." The old nanny waved menacingly in front of Consort De, as if driving away bad luck.
"Your Highness, the King has fallen into the lake! Quickly, save him!" Murong Wei suddenly cried out, even louder than the Consort De, rushing towards her. "Help! Quickly, jump into the water to save him! The King has fallen in! Quickly, jump into the water to save him!" Only a dragon's roar could command such courage and willingness to plunge into the water.
Shouting so loudly, the palace guards, eunuchs, and maids all swarmed in, figures leaping into the water, creating a chaotic scene that left the Consort De and her entourage completely exposed.
Murong Wei seemed to be doing it on purpose, approaching step by step. She was soaking wet, her hair disheveled, and her face pale. The edge of her equally soaked veil faintly revealed her ugly right cheek, resembling the most feared feature of someone who had done something wrong, like the Consort De.
She rushed closer, her voice trembling with urgency, "Your Highness, the King has fallen into the water! Please save him! Please save him!"
"Get out of the way! Guards, stop her!" The Consort De, terrified, had already temporarily forgotten her grudges and hastily turned to leave.
But the old nanny grabbed her, whispering, "Your Highness, this is Murong Wei. We must find out exactly how the King fell into the water. Only then will you have a chance to speak with Prince Qi!"
Hearing the name Prince Qi, the Consort De, who was about to leave, abruptly stopped, still not daring to look at Murong Wei. For some reason, she felt that Murong Wei's current appearance was strikingly similar to her fourth sister from her nightmares.
After a long silence, she coldly said, "Have her get ready and bring her to the Ziwei Pavilion. I will interrogate her personally. Someone has fallen into the water; this matter must be thoroughly investigated!"
Murong Wei inwardly cried out in alarm, turning back to look for Yinling and Abao, but the two sisters were nowhere to be seen.
"Yes!" The old nanny gave a signal, and the guards on both sides seized Murong Wei. Each of them hid silver needles in their hands and instantly pierced Murong Wei's shoulders. Caught off guard, she screamed in pain. However, the surroundings were in chaos, and no one had the mind to pay attention to her.
The silver needles seemed poisonous; she felt her legs go numb, and suddenly lost all strength, her arms hanging limply. Already exhausted, escape was now even more difficult. Yet, looking at Consort De's retreating figure, her eyes remained calm and resolute. She said, "Consort De… you detained me without even asking questions. This is inappropriate. Even if you suspect me, as a subject of Han, I should have the Han court of justice interrogate me."
Consort De stopped, coldly replying, "Long Xiao said before that as long as I live in this palace, I am its master. Whatever happens in the palace, and whoever lives there, I will have my say! If I want you dead, you die; if I want you alive, you live!"
"Consort De, if you're going to take charge, why are you keeping me locked up in the Ziwei Pavilion? Are you afraid of gossip? This is where the incident occurred; you should clarify things here first," Murong Wei said, her voice still resolute despite her apparent weakness.
"You think I..." Consort De began, turning to look at Murong Wei, but upon meeting her resolute and fearless gaze, she herself became intimidated, taking a step back and saying, "You think I wouldn't dare?"
"Then, Your Highness, please ask," Murong Wei said calmly.
"I'll lock you up in the Ziwei Pavilion. If anyone dares to utter a word, I'll cut out their tongue!" Consort De said, avoiding Murong Wei's eyes, looking at the guards, and said sharply, "Take them away now!"
After saying that, she and the old nanny quickly walked forward, whispering to each other, discussing some conspiracy. Soon they arrived at the Ziwei Pavilion.
Murong Wei was thrown heavily into the center of the hall, her arms weak, her legs slamming hard against the marble floor, the pain making her veins bulge, but she no longer cried out in pain.
She didn't sit, nor did she kneel, stubbornly standing up, staring at Murong Wei, who was lazily leaning against the warm couch.
"Did you push Long Xiao into the water?" Consort De again avoided her eyes, loudly questioning, masking her nervousness.
"No, His Majesty accidentally fell into the water," Murong Wei protested. "
Liar! How could His Majesty have accidentally fallen into the water? You clearly pushed him! Guards! Use torture! Let's see if she confesses!" Consort De, impatient and restless, interrogated her briefly before forcing a confession.
Her nature was such that the more she hated someone, the more she wanted to torture them slowly. Murong Wei had not only stolen her thunder at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet but also humiliated her in public, causing her to lose face and miss a golden opportunity to curry favor with Prince Qi. She had even seduced Prince Qi to humiliate her, shaking her position in the hearts of the Han royal family and ministers. No one knew better than herself how devastating the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet had been for her, and no one knew how deep her hatred for this woman ran—so deep that even her fourth sister, whom she had resented since childhood, was willing to abdicate!
"You are not my master, not my sovereign. You have no right to use torture!" Murong Wei said coldly, turning to leave.
Immediately! Two tall slaves approached her from the side. Murong Wei frowned and stepped back, wondering how to use her feet to push off. Just then, a basin of boiling water was unexpectedly splashed from behind her, instantly soaking her back.
"Ah..." A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the empty hall. Her entire back felt like it was on fire. Instinctively, she tried to rush outside for cool water, but two burly men at the door forcibly dragged her back, forcing her to stand before the coldly watching Consort De.
In her pain and struggle, she saw something familiar in the old nanny's hand—
a large brush covered in iron spikes!
Hot water was used to wash her back, then an iron brush was used to scrub it until the white bones were visible—this was the so-called
"washing," something Murong Wei was familiar with, one of the cruelest forms of torture. The burning sensation on her back didn't lessen with time; instead, it grew increasingly intense. However, she remained calm, her brows furrowed, her eyes gleaming, a defiant arrogance in them.
Five years of having retired from crime, only robbing the rich to help the poor, meant she hadn't harbored murderous intent for a very long time, especially not in front of Ye Bao.
Yet, this woman before her had completely crossed her line.
Consort De repeatedly avoided her clear eyes, using her loud voice to mask her nervousness, and snapped at the old nanny, "What are you all standing there for? Scrub her! Let her taste it first!"
"Yes!" The old nanny immediately stepped forward, gripping the iron brush tightly in both hands, and slashed down Murong Wei's back. Instantly, long streaks of blood appeared on her soaked clothes, leaving her a bloody mess, as if scratched by a wild beast's claws, a gruesome sight.
However, Murong Wei did not cry out, letting the cold snort run down her cheeks and nose. She would no longer show weakness in front of this woman. She continued to stare intently at Consort De, her eyes cold and resolute, her pride unyielding.
Facing Murong Wei's gaze, Consort De panicked even more, not even knowing why she was panicking. She stammered, "Turn...turn around...turn around so I...I can see you!"
The old nanny was an expert in torture, and seeing this, she knew that Murong Wei had no power to resist. She personally pulled Murong Wei around, holding her arm in one hand and holding an iron brush in the other, with two slaves standing by.
Murong Wei stood tall and proud, her back to Consort De, completely ignoring the nanny. While keeping an eye on the movements of the slaves beside her, she coldly spoke, "Murong Lan, I thought you could be so ruthless, but it turns out you can be nervous too. Impersonating Murong Zi and sitting in the position of Consort Qi, when facing Prince Qi, are you nervous too?" As soon as
these words were spoken, the iron brush in the old nanny's hand fell to the ground with a thud. Everyone around was stunned. Murong Lan froze, her face turning deathly pale.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Murong Wei lightly touched the ground with her toes. Her hands were weak, but her legs still held power. Using her toes as leverage, she soared into the air.
"Ah..." Consort De cried out in alarm, finally regaining her senses.
"Seize her! She lied and framed Consort De! Kill her! Execute her on the spot!"
"Quick! Find the guards!"
"Don't let her escape!"
The old nanny's orders, the shouts of the servants, the thrashing of the slaves—chaos erupted in the hall. Murong Wei, however, was gone in an instant, her figure vanishing into thin air.
As soon as she disappeared, the room fell silent. Consort De, her face deathly pale, gripped the old nanny's hand tightly. Five years had passed; the five-year nightmare had returned. Murong Zi was indeed alive. She had returned for revenge. What would she say to Prince Qi? Or had she already told him, allowing him to humiliate her so openly in front of the King of Han and his entire court at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet?
"Does the Prince know?" she suddenly asked frantically, clutching the old nanny's sleeve.
"Your Highness, don't panic, don't panic! Catch that vile woman first, then there will be no evidence against her!" The old nanny herself was panicked, but she had to put on a brave face and persuade her.
"Yes, yes! Nanny, we must find her! We must find her! Otherwise, Prince Qi will kill me... The Empress and the Left Consort will kick me while I'm down and laugh at me!" Murong Lan's lips trembled, but she still wouldn't let go of the nanny.
The guards arrived and surrounded Consort De. None of the servants in the room dared to speak, all lowering their heads, trembling with fear. The secret they had just heard was too terrible for them!
It wasn't just a catastrophe for Consort De, but a disaster for the entire Han Kingdom—a forced marriage, deceiving the Xuanyuan royal family!
"Murong Wei murdered the King and slandered Consort De. Her crimes are unforgivable! Immediately seal off the palace and the royal city! Even if you have to search the entire royal city, you must bring her to justice!" the old nanny shouted.
"Granny, the King's whereabouts are unknown. The palace and city are sealed off; we need His Majesty's decree," the guard captain replied.
"The King has fallen into the water! Now it's my decision! Go search! If he escapes, I'll hold you accountable!" Consort De suddenly shouted—no, screamed—like a madwoman, hysterically. She stared wide-eyed at the guard captain, her heart pounding so hard you could see it heaving. Her hand gripping the old nanny was so tight it felt like veins were about to burst. How terrified and tense she must have been!
The guard captain, startled by her outburst, dared not utter a sound and quickly obeyed. Only then
did Murong Lan dare to breathe deeply, looking at the old nanny, her eyes brimming with tears. All the servants in the room knelt down, wishing they hadn't heard a thing.
Silence, utter stillness… utter silence.
The old nanny was equally terrified, her chest heaving. How could she have imagined things would escalate to this point? Murong Wei's single sentence had triggered such a catastrophe.
"Granny!" Suddenly, Murong Lan raised her head.
"Your Highness, it's alright, it's alright, we'll definitely catch them," the old nanny reassured her.
"Granny, do you think... do you think Prince Qi knows?" Murong Lan was extremely anxious.
The old nanny frowned, glanced at the kneeling maids, and winked at the slaves beside her, saying, "You don't need to serve me anymore, all of you can leave."
"Your Highness, spare us, we didn't hear anything."
"Your Highness, spare us! We didn't know anything, we didn't hear anything!"
...
The maids and servants weren't stupid; they begged for mercy in unison. However, the Consort De was completely immersed in panic and fear and ignored them completely. Several burly slaves stepped forward and drove them all out.
Soon, the hall was empty, the doors and windows tightly closed, with only the old nanny, the Consort De, and the iron brush lying quietly to the side, still stained with blood.
"Granny, does Prince Qi know? Does he know but deliberately keep quiet? Will he never love me again? Granny, tell me, tell me!" Murong Lan was terrified and desperate, her face ashen and her lips purple.
"Don't be afraid, Your Highness, calm down. They must not know, otherwise Prince Qi wouldn't have reacted like that..." The nanny hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Your Highness, even if Prince Qi knows, he hasn't done anything. This matter concerns Han Kingdom and Xuanyuan. Once it reaches the Emperor, Prince Qi won't be able to protect Han Kingdom. Besides, you've given birth to a prince for Prince Qi. Prince Qi doesn't have many offspring; he won't forget the bond between husband and wife, or the bond between blood!"
"Prince...Prince...Jin'er, has he arrived in Xuanyuan yet?" Murong Lan asked hurriedly. Her son had originally accompanied them, but had returned halfway through the journey.
"Go, go quickly, ask if the prince has arrived in Xuanyuan?" Murong Lan urged, but the old nanny remained silent.
"Granny!" Murong Lan nudged her. The old nanny's face was filled with terror as she pointed to the ground ahead, around the iron brush, and muttered, "Your Highness, why are there blood and water dripping down?"
The doors and windows of the main hall were tightly shut, and the room was silent.
Beside the blood-soaked iron brush on the floor, blood and water had been dripping incessantly.
Consort De and the old nanny looked up simultaneously, but saw no one on the roof beams. The dripping water and blood continued, as if falling from mid-air.
"Is it her?" the old nanny whispered. Murong Wei's back was completely soaked and covered in wounds; it could only be her. She was still in the room, hadn't left!
"How could this be! She's a ghost!" Consort De desperately lowered her voice, pressing herself against the old nanny, terrified and disoriented.
The old nanny trembled, seeing the blood and water slowly moving towards them, closer and closer, as if something was approaching.
Finally, the blood and water stopped at their feet.
"A ghost! A ghost!" The old nanny screamed, violently shoving Consort De aside and rushing towards the door. "Help! There's a ghost! A ghost! Help! It's haunted!"
"Bang..."
The door opened and slammed shut again. The old nanny's screams faded into the distance, replaced by a commotion and chatter, but no one dared to enter.
Prime Minister Ning and the ministers were all at Han Hai Lake; these were merely guards and commanders, who had never witnessed such a scene before, and none dared to venture in.
Inside, Consort De, thrown onto the couch by the old nanny, had no time to escape. Her pupils dilated, her eyes bloodshot as she stared at the person before her, her heart and soul frozen.
Murong Wei, her clothes soaked and dripping with blood, her hair disheveled, stood coldly before her, like a vengeful ghost. She looked at Consort De without a word and began to retreat step by step.
She had changed her mind.
Killing someone is the most straightforward method, a gentle approach that minimizes pain.
Torturing someone's body and mind is the most ruthless and cruel act.
For Murong Lan, it should be an eye for an eye, without mercy, without principles, without morality!
If her hands weren't still numb and powerless, the thing she most wanted to do was grab her hair and drag her to the ground; she would never forget the scene of being humiliated and verbally abused by Murong Lan while she was about to give birth.
She retreated to the iron brush, hooking the handle with her foot. She still wasn't used to such a serious revenge scene. Holding the brush, perhaps having followed Bai Wushang for too long and picked up his habits, she smiled innocently at Murong Lan, saying, "You won't get a chance to be washed, but you'll get to taste being brushed."
With that, she lifted her foot sharply, sending the iron brush hurtling towards Murong Lan amidst her piercing screams. Its speed and power were absolutely swift and ruthless. Only her smile, her expression, remained—innocent, yet tinged with helplessness.
"Ah...ah...ah..." Screams and screams completely failed to describe Murong Lan's voice. The sound nearly shattered the roof and windows. The iron brush landed precisely and silently on her face, completely obscuring her features; it seemed to have pierced too deeply to fall off.
Amidst the horrifying screams, Murong Wei shook her head helplessly, sighing, "When will this cycle of repaying kindness end?"
With that, she turned and vanished into thin air after only a few steps, leaving behind the words, "Murong Lan, from now on, I will never give you another chance for revenge."
It was almost dawn when Murong Wei reappeared, seemingly in a forest. Behind and in front of her, the area was brightly lit and bustling. Ahead lay Han Hai Lake, where Ning Ran was directing guards to search for Long Xiao. Behind her was Ziwei Palace; she didn't know if Consort De had been rescued.
She had just realized that Bai Wushang was likely underwater, but hadn't had a chance to go down and rescue him. Having escaped death, she couldn't care less about the burning pain in her back. The numbness in her arms had subsided considerably, and her strength had returned, replaced by the lingering pain that effectively limited the strength of her entire upper body.
She glanced at Ning Ran, who was still empty-handed, and couldn't help but feel angry. Was this all the Wang family guards were capable of?!
She made a snap decision and headed towards Jingxuan Palace. Now, only Xiao Dezi, who was still watching over Long Xiao, was someone she could rely on.
She ran as fast as she could, her soaked clothes gradually drying, clinging tightly to the long scars on her back. Some areas were even sweating, which was like rubbing salt into the wounds.
But she didn't care. She rushed to the backyard, shouting, "Xiao Dezi, carry Long Xiao out and put him in the place furthest from Hanhai Lake..."
Suddenly, she stopped abruptly.
In the courtyard, Long Xiao was still fast asleep. Xiao Dezi had his hand in front of him, repeatedly gesturing for her to leave. Beside him, Yinling and Bao'er both looked disheveled and filled with hatred.
Murong Wei, disregarding all explanations, forced her battered body forward and said urgently, "Take Long Xiao away, lure all the people from Hanhai Lake there to buy me time. I'll go down again and get to the bottom of this!"
"The man is dead, what do you need to get to the bottom of this!" A Bao said coldly, drawing his longsword and pointing it directly at Murong Wei.
"What?" Murong Wei was shocked.
"Don't waste your breath on her. Our master is dead, and everyone must be buried with him!" Yin Ling said coldly, her voice chilling. With that, she drew her longsword and swung it at Xiao Dezi. Xiao Dezi, terrified, scrambled to the ground, narrowly escaping death. He crawled to Murong Wei's side and cried out, "My lady, these two sisters are crazy! I can hold them off for a while, but you must leave!"
"Where's the body! Without seeing the body, how can you say he's dead!" Murong Wei snapped, her still-painful hand shielding Xiao Dezi behind her. Not wanting to delay, she whispered, "Go. Go tell Ning Ran that the King is here. Make sure they evacuate Han Hai Lake. That's an order. Leave immediately!"
"Yes!" Xiao Dezi was quick this time, turning and running away immediately.
"Bai Wushang's subordinates must all be buried with him!" Yin Ling's voice was icy cold as she hurled her longsword like an arrow at Xiao Dezi.
Murong Wei kicked up and successfully intercepted the attack. For some reason, she felt that Abao and Yinling at this moment did not seem like servants at all, but rather people of high status.
However, she didn't have time to think further and said coldly, "First: with so much blood on the lake surface, unless Bai Wushang bled out all his blood in an instant, it means some enormous creature underwater was injured. Second, it's certain that your master is underwater and most likely encountered that thing. Third, not seeing a body means there's still hope; we can't give up. I can go into the water to search, and whether it's a living person or a corpse, I will bring it to you!"
She had already analyzed the situation in her mind along the way. She had swept across the lake wall three times in the water; if Bai Wushang had gone in after her, she would have seen him, unless his head was... The water tank was damaged, and playing hide-and-seek with her underwater was exhausting.
The most likely explanation is that he entered the water around the same time as her, but dived faster, staying below her rather than above her. She grew up by the sea, and her ability to hold her breath and dive without any equipment was almost unmatched. The old man once said that unless it was ancient breath-holding techniques, no one could surpass her limits.
If the guess is correct, the man surnamed Bai is definitely still underwater, and Ning Ran's search is likely to increase his danger!
Seeing that A Bao and Yin Ling remained silent, Murong Wei's voice deepened, "Fourth, even if you give up, I will not give up!" As she spoke, she drew a gun from her sleeve, assumed a fighting stance, her gaze calm and resolute.
Faced with Murong Wei's unwavering resolve, A Bao wavered before Yin Ling. She spoke up, saying, "Yin Ling, you escort Long Xiao out, I'll protect her."
"You believe her?" Yin Ling asked coldly.
"It's not me, it's Lord Wu Shang who believes her. She's right, if we haven't seen the body, it must still be underwater. We didn't dive deep enough!" A Bao said.
Yin Ling glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and said coldly, "Murong Wei, if Lord Wu Shang loses even a single hair, I won't let you off!" With that, she picked up Long Pangzi and strode away.
Considering the identities of the two sisters and the poison that had lain dormant in Bai Wu Shang's body for years, Murong Wei suddenly had many thoughts. However, she couldn't worry about them for the time being. This was the first time she had been warned so bluntly, and she felt helpless. The fault clearly wasn't hers; it was Bai Wu Shang's failure to follow the plan!
Time was of the essence, so without much hesitation, she hurriedly followed A Bao back to Han Hai Lake.
"Did Consort De use the washing torture on you?" Abao finally saw her back and gasped.
Murong Wei pretended not to hear and walked even faster. The noise and chaos along the way grew louder, and she could hear many people cheering, "The King is alright! The King is in the Houhai Palace!"
"Murong Wei is lying! The King didn't fall into the water!"
"Seal off Jingxuan Palace! Capture Murong Wei!"
...
No matter how the situation changed, Murong Wei was always the most unlucky one. She was truly helpless. Under Abao's cover, she finally reached the edge of Hanhai Lake. At this time, Hanhai Lake was already empty, the water surface had returned to calm, and the smell of blood had faded considerably.
Ignoring A Bao's questioning gaze, she pulled out her equipment from her sleeve and deftly prepared. The wound on her back began to ulcerate, and the pain in her arms receded to the places where the silver needles had pierced her shoulders. Only she knew the pain. This time, it seemed she was about to challenge her limits again. It had been a very long time since she had done this. Despite the situation, Murong Wei wasn't nervous; instead, her blood was boiling. The old man had said she was like a long spring—a light press caused no pain, a little more force would cause some movement, but once pressed to the limit, she would have infinite elasticity.
This time, just like five years ago, she had reached the limit again.
She deftly prepared everything, smiled at A Bao, and turned to go into the water.
"Wait! Here's a pill for you. You can keep it in your mouth to keep warm while you're in the water," A Bao quickly stopped her, offering her a pill.
"You were hurt by me before, so you probably resent me even more than Yin Ling," Murong Wei said with a smile.
"As long as you can save him, I'll give you any elixir," A Bao said calmly, taking a step back. Murong Wei swallowed the pill, smiled, and plunged into the water with a splash.
The flashlight and laser emitter strapped to her arm spun out, and her swift figure darted into the deep, dark water, like a mermaid constantly glowing, breathtakingly beautiful in the endless darkness.
Soon, the flashlight emitted a blue warning light. She glanced at it, her lips pressed tightly together, and she accelerated downwards. She noticed the increasingly strong smell of blood in the water, a nauseating stench. Amidst the pain of her wounds, she felt as if a bomb was exploding inside her chest, burning intensely, as if her lungs were about to burst. Her pale face was now completely flushed. She
was nearing her limit. She forced herself to ignore the pain, to ignore her limits. When the flashlight emitted its third blue warning light, she reached her destination: 150 meters underwater.
She desperately wanted to breathe a sigh of relief; she was just a hair's breadth away. She pressed one hand tightly against her chest, gripping it tightly, warning herself not to give up.
There was no need to search anymore, because the stench of blood and the sudden putrid smell were incredibly close. Under the white light, she could even clearly see blood mixed in the water, slowly drifting towards her.
The source of the blood was right ahead!
She released her grip on her chest, her eyes narrowed, and with a perfect knee bend and tuck, she flipped forward 360 degrees, standing upright. She grabbed her focused flashlight and laser emitter, drew her pistol, and with fluid, flawless movements, without interruption, she executed the movements with focused concentration.
The flashlight beam shone directly forward, accompanied by a red laser signal. In the dim light, she saw a massive, boundless dark shadow in the water ahead!
Around the shadow, bright red blood flowed continuously, spreading and scattering into various flowing, elegant streaks in the lake under the white light.
Murong Wei gripped the pistol tighter, not out of nervousness, but because she was about to burst. No matter how she swept the flashlight, she couldn't make out what that large, dark shadow was. The red laser signal kept flashing; if Bai Wushang were there, he should be able to see it. In
this critical moment where every second counted, she couldn't hesitate. Gritting her teeth, she decisively swam towards it. Just as she was about to see what it was, the shadow suddenly moved. The current immediately became turbulent, gradually forming a small whirlpool. What kind of thing could cause such a whirlpool with just a movement!
Just then, she finally saw it clearly. The barely visible dark shadow instantly tumbled into a triangular trail of water, hurtling towards her. Startled, she recoiled abruptly. The laser signal shone directly at her, but the shadow didn't stop; its speed increased. She defensively raised her gun, intending to dart away to escape, but it was too late. The thing slammed into her head, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. Fortunately, in the chaos, she bravely grabbed onto it; otherwise, she would have been swept dozens of meters away, perhaps even choking on water at a depth of 150 meters.
The thing she was holding seemed to have stopped moving. The turbulent currents around her hadn't ceased. The flashlight hanging from her neck illuminated the thing before her. The rough texture startled her. She realized something and abruptly let go. In her panic, she couldn't control herself; bubbles came out of her nose. She didn't have much time left.
Shining her flashlight carefully, she realized it wasn't the large fish she expected from the bottom of the lake, but a massive saltwater crocodile—a man-eating crocodile. Its head was facing her, upside down, and it was enormous. It was already dead; blood was flowing from its body. There was a gunshot wound in its abdomen, presumably from her earlier shot.
Regardless of why a man-eating crocodile, which usually lives in wetlands, would be in a lake, her shot alone shouldn't have been fatal to such a large crocodile!
It was clearly dead; how had it been moving just now? There were no undercurrents in the water to propel it!
Suddenly, the current changed. Murong Wei shone her flashlight quickly, no longer daring to be careless. She saw a golden butterfly dart, its trajectory hindered by the water's resistance, slowly hurtling towards her.
Bai Wushang!
She almost blurted it out. The golden dart—it must be him!
Forgetting she was exhaling, she swam rapidly to him. There she saw Bai Wushang clinging to a dagger embedded in the tail of a man-eating crocodile, gazing at her tenderly. Even while holding his breath, he could still manage a faint smile.
But why was his hand so horribly swollen and red? Could this saltwater also be the source of the poison in his body?!
In the boundless darkness, only her flashlight illuminated a small area. In the light, he smiled, looking at her, his long, black hair flowing with the water, his golden robes shimmering. His
pale face was submerged in the water, and the beauty mark a centimeter below his eye appeared even more poignant. Murong Wei had never understood why such a carefree and playboy could always have such a sorrowful side. Sometimes, this sorrowful feeling was so unbearable that she dared not look at him for long.
She was only distracted for a moment before quickly regaining her senses and rushing closer. She hadn't guessed wrong; Bai Wushang knew how to hold his breath.
Unable to speak underwater, she exhaled and gestured towards Bai Wushang, pointing to the surface and asking him why he didn't come up.
Upon closer inspection, she saw that Bai Wushang's smile was weak, his arms and the backs of his hands were all red and swollen—a severe case of poisoning. He pointed to the water and asked if she could go down.
Murong Wei immediately shook her head, grabbing him to pull herself up, but the moment she touched his arm, she was caught off guard and let go—it was so cold!
Bai Wushang, however, pulled her back and plunged deeper into the water. Murong Wei struggled, her bubbling breaths telling her she was about to choke.
Bai Wushang stopped, watching her with amusement, motionless.
Murong Wei felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze, and with her breath catching in her throat, seeing he was still alive, she struggled violently, trying to use the man-eating crocodile for leverage to get up. But before she could even step on it, Bai Wushang pulled her down sharply.
"Ah…"
Instantly, she couldn't hold her breath any longer; her lungs would burst if she didn't let go. But her voice was completely swallowed by Bai Wushang.
His thin lips pressed against hers, breathing into her mouth. She stiffened, her first thought being that she hadn't put a protective film on her mouth!
This cute thought was quickly overshadowed by a second, terrifying thought!
She found his lips incredibly cold, even colder than his body!
She suddenly remembered that dark and windy night in the kitchen of the Murong mansion, the fleeting, almost imperceptible kisses that had traversed her face—a kiss so cold it made her shiver uncontrollably.
He was simply holding his breath, not breathing, and the oxygen he could give her was limited; he couldn't hold on for long.
But while she remained stiff and bewildered, he didn't immediately pull away from her lips, still pressing against hers, gently embracing her, and slowly guiding her downwards to the right.
The light hanging around her neck shone up from below, and in the cold darkness, they were like lovers seeking warmth, slowly sinking. His eyes were filled with tenderness, but she remained frozen in place.
Soon, their feet touched the rocks. He still held her firmly, his warm smile deepening, and he carefully patted her cheek.
Only then did she come to her senses, instinctively trying to push him away.
He pressed her down from behind with one hand, pointing to their lips, which were pressed together intimately. Although there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, it was definitely a well-intentioned reminder. This reminder snapped her out of her daze, and she immediately felt the warmth beneath the coolness of his lips, along with his uniquely domineering aura. She shuddered again, feeling a current surge through her heart and head—a strange sensation, a strange heart-pounding fear, and difficulty breathing.
How could someone as skilled at seduction as her bear this?
Her pale face flushed crimson; even he could feel her heart pounding. She was stunned once more.
Seeing her reaction, the mischievousness in his dark eyes reached an almost unbearable level, enough to make anyone's heart race with dread.
He pointed again to their intertwined lips, then to the ground below, and affectionately patted her head with his other hand, reminding her once more. If he could speak now, he would have said, "Weiwei, let's go down first, and I'll be intimate with you later."
Murong Wei finally understood his meaning, her embarrassment palpable. She immediately held up three fingers and counted down with him. Three! Two! One!
Instantly, they both held their breath and separated. Bai Wushang grabbed her hand and led her further down.
Murong Wei then discovered that below was an underwater structure resembling a tomb. Bai Wushang must also be here for the first time, as it took him a while to find the entrance.
After entering, they swam rapidly to the end of the passageway, finding no more doors or windows. Having both experience in tomb raiding, they were now perfectly in sync, simultaneously searching the stone walls for mechanisms. There must be a watertight space within this tomb for them to replenish their oxygen!
After searching for a long time, Murong Wei couldn't help but grit her teeth again. The oxygen Bai Wushang was giving her wouldn't last long, and with her physical exertion, her oxygen consumption would increase.
Seeing her expression, Bai Wushang immediately signaled for her to wait aside while he quickly searched around. Murong Wei was obedient; she needed to conserve her strength so that if something happened to Bai Wushang, she could hold on.
She quietly watched Bai Wushang darting around in the water. This guy had clearly been poisoned for a long time and had been soaking in the icy water for a long time, so how could he still have so much strength?
What exactly was the Vast Ocean Key that made him so reckless and eager to obtain it?
As she pondered this, Bai Wushang suddenly beckoned to her. She immediately swam over, but before she could figure out what was happening, Bai Wushang abruptly pulled her into his arms, holding her very tightly, almost completely shielding her from head to toe.
She tried to struggle, but Bai Wushang suddenly kicked aside a brick. She immediately closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, feeling a tremendous force of water rushing towards her, pulling them into a rapidly spinning vortex.
Bai Wushang held her tightly the entire time, and even in the chaos, she could clearly feel the coldness of his body… However, she soon fainted. She
didn't know how much time had passed before she groggily regained consciousness, feeling as if her whole body was about to fall apart. When she looked around, she was surprised to find herself in a stone chamber, with a safety flashlight already on.
"Bai Wushang!" she cried out in alarm, jumping to her feet. Turning around, she saw him lying slumped to the side, his eyes slightly open, blood trickling from his lips, his body trembling. He was clenching his teeth, seemingly enduring something, and the arm he was using as a pillow was swollen and red.
He had protected her, while he himself had been battered by the rushing water, feeling as if his internal organs were about to shatter.
She then realized he was more seriously injured than she had anticipated.
"You idiot! You clearly couldn't hold on, yet you still insisted on being brave! Even if you had a valid reason to come down now, you could have let me do it!" Murong Wei shouted angrily, damn it, she realized her eyes were wet—it must be lake water!
"Protecting Weiwei, my lord, is my pleasure." He could even laugh, laughing until he finally couldn't hold on any longer and completely fainted, his body trembling violently from the moment of relaxation.
"Bai Wushang!" Murong Wei immediately stepped forward, touched his forehead, took his pulse, her expression changed drastically, and without hesitation, she loosened her own belt!
Yes, without hesitation, she loosened her belt, gritting her teeth and enduring the pain, forcefully removing the clothes that were almost glued to her flesh, leaving only her undergarments. In ancient times, the exposure of these undergarments was equivalent to that of a modern fashionable woman's tank top and shorts, which she found perfectly acceptable and didn't need to hesitate at all.
Then, she adjusted the flashlight to her desired brightness, instantly plunging the room into darkness.
Looking at the completely unconscious Bai Wushang, she similarly removed his clothes without hesitation, leaving him only in his undergarments. He was already weak from the poison, and after being soaked in the lake for so long, his body temperature was frighteningly low.
But, it shouldn't be this low!
Weiwei felt something was wrong; her own body temperature was higher. Could it be that the pill A Bao gave her was enough to keep her warm?
She couldn't worry about that now. She had nothing on her to start a fire, and even if she could, the limited oxygen in this sealed room wouldn't allow it. The only way was to use her own body to warm him.
Without a second thought, she generously picked him up and hugged him tightly. However, she quickly had to admit that her method wouldn't work.
Both of their undergarments were soaked, as if the water prevented any heat transfer.
Her trembling body finally faltered.
What to do?
She sat motionless beside him, watching him shiver. Just then, Bai Wushang suddenly rolled over, curling up in a ball, his lips trembling as he cried out in cold. Her
brow furrowed, her gaze slowly shifting from his pale, handsome face to the electric heater beside him.
Quickly, she stepped forward and deftly pulled open his shirt. In that instant, she froze, inappropriately marveling at his physique!
It seemed worse than the first time; his broad, strong chest, his well-defined hips, his ribs, and his back were covered in red, swollen welts and bumps—almost entirely covered in sores, a sight that would make anyone nauseous.
Her brow furrowed even more deeply as she turned the flashlight up to its maximum beam, shining it directly at him. The heat generated by this spotlight was no less effective than the heat conducted by the human body.
However, the heat could only be concentrated in one spot, and if she wasn't careful, it could burn the skin in that area.
She could only keep moving the flashlight around while observing his movements. As the flashlight moved, the heat would inevitably decrease, and he couldn't warm up at all. He remained curled up, trembling, and seemed to be murmuring something between his trembling lips.
Seeing no improvement in his condition, and even with signs of worsening, she grew increasingly irritated. She leaned closer, trying to hear what he was saying, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Finally, she scooped him up in her arms and said, "Bai Wushang, I'll take you out now. Remember to hold your breath for a while. Whether you can hold on or not, don't ask the heavens, don't ask me, just be yourself!"
As she spoke, she took out a bomb, preparing to blast open the stone wall. However, just as she was about to throw the bomb, she stopped. She heard him whisper in her ear, "Weiwei, don't rush... wait until I'm better... wait until I'm better, I'll guarantee you get out."
Murong Wei froze, then smiled helplessly. Did this guy even know his own condition? He was clearly failing, yet he was still trying to be strong. But this stubbornness suddenly made her find him endearing; it seemed that Lord Wushang wasn't as hateful as before.
"Do you know that in less than an hour, you'll die from low body temperature and stagnant blood?" Murong Wei asked calmly.
“Wait a little longer, it’s okay.” Bai Wushang said, and with a sudden burst of strength, he opened Murong Wei’s eyes and collapsed to the ground.
Murong Wei didn’t move, standing high above him, looking down at him. She saw him curled up in a disheveled state, shivering from the cold, his body covered in red welts, yet he gritted his teeth and refused to scratch. So stubborn! She watched him for a long, long time, finally slowly dimming the flashlight to its lowest setting
, until only a silhouette could be seen. In the darkness, she gradually removed her wet undergarments. Even though the pain in her back was intensifying, she remained silent, kneeling beside him, gently straightening his curled-up body, and silently removing his underpants.
In the darkness, all that could be seen was the gentle, undulating curve of her figure, and the strong, slender lines of his body. Their naked bodies slowly pressed together, seemingly becoming one, and nothing more.
The feeling was theirs alone.
He was unconscious, his mind hazy, only feeling warmth drawing near, closer and warmer, softer and softer, and hearing her gentle breath. He desperately wanted to open his eyes to see her, but his eyelids were too heavy to open.
"Relax, it's me, everything will be alright," Murong Wei whispered. Her wounded back dared not touch the ground; she lay on her side, her arms gently embracing him, her long legs wrapped around his. Aside from Ye Bao, this was the first time she had ever embraced someone so proactively. Such a large person—she didn't know how to hug him properly, but the cool touch made her hold him even tighter.
Silently, completely naked, completely intimately pressed together, she didn't know how long it would take to warm him, or how long it would take for his poison to subside. Gradually, he stopped trembling, and her heart finally settled. Suddenly, she realized she had been worried.
Suddenly!
He abruptly broke free of her arms, and before she could even understand what he was doing, his strong arms wrapped around her. She let out a muffled groan as his hand pressed against the wound on her back, the pain almost making her faint! But then, her legs were also freed, and his long, powerful legs wrapped around her waist.
Now the situation was completely reversed; they were still lying on their sides, and she was held tightly in his arms.
At that moment, she had no time to think, no time to care about the pain. She felt as if she had been electrocuted, frozen in place. She clearly felt a strange touch beneath her. As skilled in seductive techniques, she immediately understood what it was. It would normally be normal for her, but why did she feel a sense of dread, a strange racing heart? Was it because she hadn't practiced seductive techniques for over five years, or because the person beside her was him?
Bai Wushang, you're supposed to be a dashing and charming man who moves freely among women. Surely your self-control wouldn't be so weak, especially since you're still unconscious!
She dared not think too much, only feeling a mixture of admiration and contempt for this guy!
However, after the commotion, he seemed to fall completely silent, simply holding her tightly, his breathing growing heavier.
Gradually, she felt the touch was no longer so cold; she just wanted to warm him up a little, and she had to get dressed before he woke up!
Coincidentally, just as she had this thought, Bai Wushang suddenly rolled over and threw her off.
"Ah..." Murong Wei finally couldn't help but let out a pig-like scream. It hurt so much! The wounds on her back, running from her neck to her waist, were already festering from being soaked in water. This heavy pressure on her was practically murder!
Murong Wei's scream seemed like a spell, instantly snapping Bai Wushang to his senses. He immediately opened his eyes and instinctively pulled her closer, blurting out, "What's wrong, Weiwei!"
He only heard her scream of pain; he knew nothing else, nothing of the numerous wounds on her back, nothing of the warmth she was offering him with her own body.
He regained consciousness, but Murong Wei, in pain, had fainted, collapsing into his arms.
"Weiwei, what's wrong?" He hurriedly sat up, holding her, but before he could speak again, he suddenly froze, his hand moving downwards inch by inch, then stopping abruptly, and he immediately released her.
"Thump!" Murong Wei's voice echoed.
In the dim light, his starry eyes, like water, looked at her unconscious body on the ground, then at his own naked body, his handsome brows furrowing deeply.
His body temperature had returned to normal, but the swelling and redness hadn't subsided. The itching was within his tolerance; the poison's effects should have subsided.
He was completely devoid of his usual playful and roguish demeanor. His sharp eyes swept over the disheveled and damp clothes beside him. He was about to take them when he stopped. The woman's veil had long since fallen off, and she was actually using her naked body to warm him, without any regard for his redness and bumps.
From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever dared to touch him when he was ill. Even his childhood friends hadn't dared to approach him.
"She actually dares to hug me?" he murmured to himself, as if asking her, or perhaps speaking to himself.
He glanced again at the flashlight that had been dimly lit beside him, a complex expression flashing across his eyes. He cautiously approached Murong Wei. If this woman woke up and knew that he had regained consciousness before her, she would probably be so embarrassed that she would immediately disappear. Thinking of this, a doting smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
He leaned closer, completely unconcerned about the scar on her right cheek.
He must have heard correctly; the secret room was still safe. Why was she screaming so horribly? It seemed she had just fainted.
What happened?
He grabbed his flashlight, hesitated for a moment, then shone it on her. The boundless allure in the dim light made his eyes darken instantly. He instinctively opened his eyes to examine her. He was never one to take advantage of someone in distress, but in this situation, he had no choice but to take advantage. He had to check carefully to make sure she wasn't seriously hurt. That pitiful scream from earlier still haunted him.
He looked over, his deep, dark eyes slowly sweeping over her body, from her feet to her face, not missing a single detail. Even with his intense gaze, he remained focused, carefully lifting her up and gently turning her over.
Suddenly…
he was shocked. Even in the dim light, he could see clearly that her back, once as smooth as snow, was now a bloody mess. Large patches of skin were covered in swollen, red blisters; some had burst, revealing large, ulcerated wounds with exposed, raw flesh. And that wasn't all. Amidst the brutal excavation, countless deep, thin cuts ran from below her neck down to her waist, as if slashed by a sharp weapon.
“Wash it off…” he murmured, his face ashen, his cold eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty light. He gripped the hard casing of his flashlight so tightly it warped. He
slowly pressed the flashlight down, remaining there for a long, long time before finally leaving, muttering in a low voice. He was earnest, as if making a promise, but his voice was so soft that it was impossible to hear what he said.
He put the flashlight back in its place, carefully pulling her into his arms. He laid her facing him, her chin resting on her forehead, her watery eyes gazing silently into the darkness, revealing little emotion…
Time slipped away silently in the dim light. He was clearly tired, yet he couldn't close his eyes, his face cold and serious, staring ahead, lost in thought.
Suddenly, she moved, lazily struggling, her hand instinctively reaching up to touch his face, which was now filled with surprise, as if searching for something.
Suddenly, her hand paused. At that moment, he immediately closed his eyes, afraid to move.
She remained still for a long time before carefully touching his forehead, then his body, and finally checking his pulse to make sure he had returned to normal. Only then did she slowly, very slowly, place her hands on his broad chest, gently pushing him away, her heart pounding with fear of waking him.
He cooperated, letting her push him, appearing to remain fast asleep.
Finally managing to push him away, she removed his hand from her waist and gently placed it on the ground. His other hand was still pinned under her. She instinctively tried to roll away, but immediately stopped, startled.
Rolling like that would probably send her to meet the King of Hell in pain.
She waited a long time, blinking her big eyes, carefully observing him. Seeing that he hadn't moved at all, she finally relaxed and cautiously sat up.
"Cough...cough cough..."
He suddenly coughed. She panicked, her back stiffening, afraid to move.
However, he only coughed lightly in his sleep and didn't wake up.
She patted her chest. She hadn't felt this nervous even when she broke into the heavily guarded mansion to assassinate her target. Looking at him, she suddenly felt a surge of shame... It seemed she only now realized their current situation: both of them were naked and completely exposed. She felt like she was secretly...something...trying to escape.
"Smack!" She slapped herself on the head. How could she still be daydreaming so much in such a tense moment!
Seeing that he didn't move, she decisively stood up and grabbed a garment that was no longer so damp. However, no matter how hard she tried, the garment could no longer be patched up. The back was already badly burned, then scratched by an iron brush, and further torn in her haste, making it a terrible sight.
She didn't mind wearing a backless dress in such a critical moment, but the silk material was simply too fragile to tear.
What to do?
She glanced at his large gold robe beside her, which seemed to be drying faster than hers. If it were before, she would have definitely put on that garment and left, but now...
her first thought wasn't to run away.
"Ye Bao is still in his hands!" she muttered to herself, taking his gleaming golden coat and casually wrapping it around her, turning it into a low-cut mini-dress. It seemed a bit restrictive for movement, so she hesitated for a moment, then carefully wrapped the two sleeves that had fallen behind her back around her chest and tied them into a tight bow.
She turned left and right, bent over, and squatted down without the clothes falling off.
She habitually snapped her fingers, and Bai Wushang, who was lying on his side with his back to her, had already opened his eyes. Hearing the noise, he immediately coughed lightly. She then realized her carelessness and quickly took his undergarment, hiding in the darkness behind him.
After a long while, seeing that he hadn't moved again, she slowly approached, still holding the clothes…
The most terrifying thing was that he would suddenly wake up and find himself naked, while she was wearing his clothes.
The most horrifying thing was that he would suddenly wake up and find himself naked, while she was gone.
The most horrifying thing was that he would suddenly wake up and find himself naked, while both of their clothes were gone.
The least desirable thing was that, as she slowly approached him, naked, while wearing his clothes, he would suddenly wake up and turn around.
Murong Wei's heart leaped into her throat, seemingly taking a thousand years to stop behind Bai Wushang. He couldn't be asleep; he must still be unconscious. Her fingertips gently touched his arm, and seeing that he didn't move, she carefully straightened his side-lying body.
Even in the dim light, when she couldn't see anything clearly, she still looked away, carefully putting his underpants on before daring to look him in the eye. She paused for a long time, calming her breathing, finally regaining the composure and professionalism befitting her dual identities as a doctor and an assassin.
She fetched a flashlight and carefully examined his upper body, noting several lingering rednesses and large patches of small red bumps. Frowning slightly, she took his pulse, pondering for a moment. His demeanor was completely different from his earlier timidity. She grabbed his chin, pinched it hard, and forced him to speak.
Bai Wushang seemed lost in the moment, unwilling to wake up, and lazily turned away from her small hand.
Murong Wei hesitated silently. She had originally intended to check his tongue, but suddenly remembered something: his lips. When he had given her breath in the water, his lips had been so cold. And now?
His body temperature had returned to normal; had his lips warmed up too?
She pondered, then carefully crept up behind him, one hand on the ground, the other slowly reaching for his lips.
Yes, just as she was about to touch his lips, Bai Wushang suddenly opened his eyes, looking at her warily, and blurted out, "Murong Wei, what are you going to do?"
Although Murong Wei had prepared herself mentally, she was still stunned.
Bai Wushang stood up, stood far away from her, looked her up and down, then looked at himself, and said with exaggerated panic, "Murong Wei, what did you do to me, sir?"
"Nothing. My clothes were wet, and yours dried quickly, so I borrowed them for a while. You had another attack of the poison, so I took off your shirt to check. The redness and swelling on your body were worse than last time. Luckily, you managed to hold on, otherwise, if you started scratching, you would have scratched yourself until you had skin ulcers all over." Murong Wei was so calm. She had thought of this excuse after she helped him put on his underpants. Luckily, she hadn't helped him put on his shirt. The shirt was troublesome, and if he had woken up while she was helping him put it on, it wouldn't have been as easy to explain as it was now.
Bai Wushang looked on suspiciously, still skeptical, as he scrutinized her from head to toe in her glittering, low-cut, gold-trimmed dress with a bow. He hadn't expected her to wear a men's robe with such allure, though the level of exposure was beyond his comprehension. However, he was quite pleased that she wore it in front of him.
"Don't believe me? Fine. You're a man, I'm a woman. What advantage could I possibly have over you? Don't try to act innocent after getting what you want, and stop staring at me like that!" Murong Wei said coldly, one hand covering her chest, her face unfazed.
"This outfit seems to suit you better. How about I sell it to you for a thousand ingots of gold?" Bai Wushang asked with a smile.
"I don't care. I'll wash it clean and return it to you once we're ashore. The diagnosis and emergency care fees will be three thousand ingots of gold, calculated at fifty percent daily interest. Remember to pay me back when we're ashore," Murong Wei replied coldly, showing absolutely no guilt.
“You promised to brew medicine to detoxify me, but you failed in your duty this time. Heh, your hands are empty. How did you manage to give me first aid?” Bai Wushang asked.
“Come here, let me see your tongue. In this lake, you only came into contact with the saltwater and the blood of that man-eating crocodile. The source of infection is most likely the saltwater,” Murong Wei said.
Bai Wushang walked over, and Murong Wei said again, “Lower your head.” As she spoke, she reached out to touch his lips.
However, Bai Wushang was uncooperative. He straightened up and said calmly, “You can’t touch here.”
“Why?” Murong Wei asked, puzzled and vaguely uneasy.
“Touching here is a kiss. A kiss is reserved for my beloved girl,” Bai Wushang said earnestly and affectionately.
“I don’t have time to joke with you. Come here!” Murong Wei frowned.
“Let’s go. Let’s find an exit first. We must get ashore as soon as possible.” Bai Wushang changed the subject and began to feel around on the stone wall. There's plenty of
time in the future, and Murong Wei didn't want to be too deliberate. She said casually, "Why do you want to come ashore now? You've been hiding underwater for so long. You killed that man-eating crocodile, didn't you?"
"I almost died at your hands. Your weapon is incredibly powerful. If that beast hadn't suddenly jumped out, you wouldn't be seeing me now," Bai Wushang joked, downplaying the previous danger. Having survived countless
battles and fought among the beast tamers, Murong Wei knew the dangers involved. She suddenly asked sharply, "We agreed to wait for the signal before going into the water. Why did you go in early, and even beat me to it? Also, you clearly know how to hold your breath, why didn't you tell me?"
"Who knew you had such a ferocious weapon? And who knew such a large man-eating crocodile would be kept here silently?" Bai Wushang shrugged helplessly.
"These are all excuses," Murong Wei said, still sharp.
Bai Wushang chuckled, still with his usual carefree attitude, and said, "Actually... I was just worried about your safety, so I cleared the way for you, wanting to give you a surprise."
Murong Wei glared at him fiercely, no longer wanting to continue this topic. She said, "There's a water tomb at the bottom of this lake. Long Xiao's words should be true. I just saw an iron gate on the lake wall, probably a passage left when the tomb was built. This lake is just an inland saltwater lake, not part of the Han Kingdom. This tomb was probably built when the lake dried up, deliberately named Hanhai Lake to cover its tracks, and even created various rumors. What you're looking for is most likely in here. Now that you're here, why don't you look for it? Coming ashore and then back down, the water's depth won't give you much of an advantage. This isn't like you."
"My injuries... can't hold on," Bai Wushang said calmly, glancing casually at her back.
Murong Wei gave him a disdainful look and said, "I checked your pulse, everything's normal. Are you really going to lose to a woman like me?" She then picked up a flashlight and, before Bai Wushang could speak, exclaimed in surprise, "Someone's tampered with this! It was fine before, but it's clearly been deformed!"
Bai Wushang looked up at the sky, and in a daze, he actually saw a flock of crows cawing overhead.
"That's unlikely. If someone came in, why would they only touch your treasure, while we're both unharmed?" Bai Wushang asked seriously.
"But...it really is different. I just fainted..." Murong Wei almost let slip that she had just fainted from pain, and he didn't know.
"Weren't you here the whole time? How could you not know someone came? Don't talk nonsense in this tomb of the dead." Bai Wushang actually rolled his eyes at her.
Surprisingly, Murong Wei didn't dare to argue any further and nodded. "I was indeed here the whole time. It must have been damaged by the water... Luckily, it still works."
As she spoke, she turned on her flashlight and smiled at him.
Both of them, harboring their own secrets, didn't talk much and instead began groping along the wall for an exit.
After a while, Murong Wei spoke first, "Hey, I'm serious. We finally got down here, and we had to find something before going back up. Besides, things up there aren't... very peaceful."
"What happened? You've been ashore for so long, how come Ning Ran's men went into the water? Did he bully you?" Bai Wushang asked, his tone slightly urgent, but the sinister glint in his eyes was quite obvious.
Murong Wei tapped on the stone wall as she spoke calmly, "Unfortunately, I ran into Consort De. I thought something had happened to you, and in my panic, I assumed Long Xiao had fallen into the water. Ning Ran brought people here, and I obediently went with Consort De."
"She told you to leave, so you left?" Bai Wushang asked, somewhat fiercely.
"She said that since Long Xiao isn't here, she's the mistress of this palace. How could I, a mere palace attendant, disobey her?" Murong Wei retorted matter-of-factly.
"Long Xiao isn't here, so how can she be the mistress of this palace? This is Han Kingdom. Is she the Queen or the Empress Dowager of Han Kingdom?" Bai Wushang asked again, very angry.
Murong Wei didn't seem to care much. While touching the stone wall, she said, "They also said that the god of Han Kingdom is Xuanyuan, and her husband is Prince Qi. It was Prince Qi who repeatedly protected Han Kingdom before the Emperor. Her presence at Hanhai Lake is an honor for Han Kingdom."
Bai Wushang snorted coldly and said indifferently, "What did you go with her for?" "
To interrogate her, to interrogate her about whether I killed Long Xiao. I escaped, and had Yinling distract Ning Ran and the others. Abao escorted me to the lake to go into the water." Murong Wei asked, not daring to accuse them, "Abao and Yinling are so bold. They almost killed me because they thought she had harmed you."
"Did Consort De interrogate you?" Bai Wushang asked coldly.
"It's empty!" Murong Wei whispered, overjoyed, "It must be another stone chamber. If it were lake water, there would be a lot of water pressure, and it wouldn't sound like this."
Bai Wushang was secretly surprised. This woman knew just as much as she did.
"It's made of stone bricks. If there were a hard object, it would definitely break." "Murong Wei remained serious.
"Weiwei, Consort De bullied you. We'll remember that and get our revenge later, okay?" Bai Wushang's voice suddenly softened, a hint of guilt in his eyes.
"I'm not in the mood for jokes. Let's see if there's anything we can use to break this brick wall. Bombs are too powerful; they might destroy this tomb." Murong Wei frowned.
Bai Wushang couldn't help but smile, gesturing for her to step back. Murong Wei, suspicious, stepped aside, only to see him tap around the stone wall, point to the upper right corner, smile at her with narrowed eyes, and then strike down hard with his palm!
"Bang..." The stone bricks shattered, revealing a hole large enough for one person to pass through. Amidst the flying dust, Bai Wushang tightly gripped Murong Wei's hand and instantly retreated to the side. To their surprise, it wasn't another hidden chamber inside...
It was just a single palm strike, causing little disturbance.
The strike landed perfectly, creating a hole just large enough for one person to pass through. The point of impact was almost perfect; all the surrounding bricks that should have collapsed crumbled, while those that shouldn't have remained intact. Murong Wei couldn't help but admire Bai Wushang's skill. She shone her flashlight directly into the long, empty passage.
The two exchanged a glance, not rushing in.
Murong Wei was only familiar with ordinary tombs and knew nothing about water burial tombs. She whispered, "There's nothing here. Perhaps we're wrong; this isn't a tomb."
Bai Wushang, however, picked up a broken brick, pointed to the wave pattern beside it, and smiled, "These are stone bricks used in the tombs of the Han Kingdom's royal family. This must be a tomb, but whose it is, I'm afraid, is impossible to verify."
"Long Xiao probably doesn't know, otherwise he wouldn't have kept quiet," Murong Wei said, frowning. She was confident in her hypnosis skills and even more confident in Long Xiao's suggestibility.
“Five hundred years ago, a rebellion occurred in the Han Kingdom. The king at that time destroyed all the historical records. The current history of the Han Kingdom is equivalent to only five hundred years. There is no record of such a lake-bottom tomb in the historical records. The legend of the Han Sea Key should only be passed down among members of the royal family. This tomb must be very old. This path is very likely the escape route left by the tomb builders. Judging from the size and brickwork of this secret room we are in, it must be a side room, but the contents have long been emptied out.” Bai Wushang said seriously.
“So, this secret passage is more likely a tomb robber’s hole, not left by the tomb builders, but left by tomb robbers who stole the contents?” Murong Wei asked.
“Clever, look, my lord, wasn’t my strike perfect?” Bai Wushang leaned against the wall, turned his head to look at her, and asked with a smile.
“Just found a good point of leverage.” Murong Wei was particularly stingy with him and never praised him.
“Wrong. This hole was patched up later. Look at this mud, it's clearly different. The bricks used to patch it up are the same bricks. Unless there's something inside that the tomb raiders can't take away immediately, they definitely wouldn't have bothered patching up this hole.” Bai Wushang still smiled.
“The tomb builders themselves stole it!” Murong Wei was immediately shocked!
“You're getting smarter and smarter!” Bai Wushang smiled brightly, even reaching out to pinch Murong Wei's small nose, showing extreme affection.
“Slap!” Murong Wei slapped his hand away hard, coldly saying, “Stop touching me like that, men and women shouldn't touch each other!”
Bai Wushang still smiled, a mysterious smile, staring straight at her without saying a word.
Murong Wei felt guilty about what she had just said, rolled her eyes at him, and said, "Since this is a side chamber, the main chamber of this tomb should be nearby. The tomb builders didn't even leave the side chambers empty, so they must have emptied the main chamber as well. There must be many exits in this secret passage connecting to the main chamber."
"I just hope that thing hasn't been stolen, otherwise there'll be no way to investigate," Bai Wushang said calmly, but now he was serious.
"What exactly is that Vast Ocean Key?" Murong Wei asked, frowning.
"The legendary key to open a treasure vault," Bai Wushang no longer hid.
"What's in the treasure vault?" Murong Wei asked suspiciously.
"Something that even emperors of the world, even the Yellow Emperor, dreamed of obtaining," Bai Wushang said mysteriously.
"An elixir of immortality?" Murong Wei asked suspiciously, finding it laughable.
"No, let's go. There's a lot of filth here; it's not a place to stay for long," Bai Wushang suddenly lowered his voice, giving a quiet reminder.
"I'm not that timid." Murong Wei rolled her eyes at him, not forgetting to stomp hard on his foot. She was originally a materialist, but after transmigrating, she personally overturned some things. However, she knew that even if there were truly evil things in this world, they couldn't escape the guns and ammunition in her hands!
With that, she gripped a flashlight in one hand and a revolver in the other, taking the lead into the secret passage.
However, the next second, Bai Wushang pulled her out. He spun her around, snatched her flashlight, and shielded her behind him, smiling as he said, "My hidden weapons are still the best, sir. Let me lead the way."
"I'll go first. No matter what happens, my weapons are much more useful than your hidden weapons," Murong Wei said calmly, still intending to step forward.
Bai Wushang didn't give her a chance. He stepped in, and the secret passage was only wide enough for one person at a time; turning around wasn't easy. Just a moment ago he was smiling, but now his eyes were cold and serious as he whispered, "You stay behind. Be careful not to get your escape route cut off."
Murong Wei was startled, her heart skipping a beat. The previously relaxed atmosphere suddenly tightened because of his presence and his warning.
She stopped arguing with him and followed him step by step, carefully struggling to break free from his hand, but he only tightened his grip without making a sound.
Bai Wushang didn't speak, his flashlight illuminating the path ahead as he led her cautiously with each step. His seriousness made the already tense Murong Wei even more nervous.
Encountering many inexplicable things in ancient tombs was already possible, let alone a tomb at the bottom of a lake.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, cold and damp, with only the rustling of their footsteps. Though they were clearly beneath their feet, it felt as if they were coming from the deep darkness ahead.
Bai Wushang led the way attentively, while Murong Wei focused entirely on what lay behind her. The path was flat, and she almost constantly turned her head to look back.
She didn't know how far this narrow passage was, or if there was even an exit. If their escape route was blocked, not only would they be vulnerable to attack, but they could also be trapped and die.
The silence was palpable, making every movement around them distinct. Suddenly, Bai Wushang stopped.
Murong Wei bumped into him, her cheek stinging. "What's going on?"
she said, turning her head. In the dim light ahead, a tall, imposing, and wooden figure stood staring blankly at them. At the same time she saw it, Bai Wushang spoke, "Weiwei, there's someone ahead."
Murong Wei felt a chill run down her spine and clung tightly to Bai Wushang's back. Encountering someone in such a narrow, ancient tomb passage wasn't scary in itself, but encountering something motionless and human-like, silently staring at you. With Bai Wushang's flashlight pointed towards the ground, the figure became even more mysterious and terrifying.
"Can you handle this?" Murong Wei whispered, her voice trembling with tension. She had raided tombs before, using high-tech equipment and understanding the age and structure of the tombs. She had never been in a completely unfamiliar tomb with her bare hands before.
"Don't offend him. Hold on tight, I'll take you in," Bai Wushang whispered.
"Inside? What do you mean?" Murong Wei asked, puzzled.
"We've encountered the tomb guardian. The main burial chamber should be to his left," Bai Wushang said, pointing his flashlight to the right. Sure enough, there was a recessed area where no light could be seen, indicating there was no wall there.
Murong Wei shuddered instantly, goosebumps rising all over her body. How could the guardian of such an ancient, deep lake tomb be a living person?
She decisively switched to her submachine gun, and even more decisively hugged Bai Wushang tightly from behind, whispering, "Lord Wushang, I'm leaving you here."
With that, she immediately buried her face in his back, closing her eyes without a trace of courage. It proved that courage had to be appropriate for the situation.
It seemed only Lord Bai Wushang, who had never shown any fear, was unafraid of any situation!
At this moment, a warm, satisfied smile played on his lips as he lowered his voice, "Weiwei, are you holding on tight?"
"Mmm," Murong Wei obediently replied.
Bai Wushang's smile deepened. His figure flashed, even with Murong Wei in his arms, he remained as light as a swallow, disappearing into the darkness in an instant with the white light of his flashlight.
The narrow, secret passage returned to its ancient, deathly silence, save for a faint ray of light shining from the left, illuminating the tall, humanoid figure. It had turned to face the light from the right, clad in ancient robes, arms crossed, standing ramrod straight, a large earring bearing the mark of a slave dangling from its left ear. It remained motionless, its expression fierce and menacing.
The light gradually brightened in front of it.
Bai Wushang and Murong Wei stood side-by-side, Bai Wushang's flashlight slowly sweeping across the room. In this intermittent light and shadow, everything in the main burial chamber was revealed.
Both were astonished; Murong Wei had even forgotten the tomb keeper behind them, whose identity remained unknown.
Why was Bai Wushang, who had seen countless treasures, so incredulous?
Because… the main burial chamber, comparable to the Imperial Palace, was empty, utterly deserted, even the essential coffin was nowhere to be seen.
There was only one possibility: this place had been looted. Tombs were usually built and used to store various items, and many things were carved inside, such as murals. But here, there was nothing.
The flashlight's white beam stopped on the wall, and Murong Wei exclaimed, "Even the murals have been scraped away!"
"Hehe, interesting, Weiwei. We've finally met someone even greedier than Ye Bao. He didn't leave anything behind." Bai Wushang couldn't help but laugh.
"Ye Bao isn't that greedy!" Murong Wei rolled her eyes at him, snatched the flashlight, stepped down the stone steps, and carefully walked towards the large stone platform in the center of the tomb where the coffin was placed. Bai Wushang followed closely behind and quickly noticed something unusual.
The center of the large stone platform was recessed, as if something was hidden inside.
Murong Wei quickened her pace, but Bai Wushang hurriedly grabbed her, pulling her behind him protectively in a somewhat domineering manner. He whispered, "Be careful of traps."
With that, he raised his hand and swept it across, instantly striking several butterfly darts in different places on the stone platform. After confirming that no contact had triggered any traps, Bai Wushang remained cautious, whispering, "You wait here, I'll go first." He
then carefully approached the large stone platform, where he saw a treasure box resembling a collapsing coffin hidden in the recessed center—something he had never seen before.
He glanced back at Murong Wei, then turned away, his back to her, and slowly reached for the treasure box…
Bai Wushang almost completely blocked Murong Wei's view. She was terrified, yet couldn't see anything.
She wanted to call out to him to move aside, but fearing to disturb him, she could only wait quietly.
A moment later, Bai Wushang suddenly flew up, landing in front of her with something in his arms. Without pausing, he pulled her hastily back up the stone steps.
The two remained vigilant for a long time, but still saw no hidden weapons or mechanisms. Their eyes met, both filled with suspicion, but they couldn't care less.
"This is all we have. So this is the coffin," Bai Wushang said, holding up the treasure box with a relaxed smile.
Murong Wei, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the treasure box without saying a word.
"What are you staring at? Let's go. We'll open it after we get out. This is probably the only thing in this tomb," Bai Wushang said, still worried about the injury on her back. Besides, if they didn't get ashore soon, they would either suffocate or starve.
"There shouldn't be anything like this here," Murong Wei said suspiciously. What appeared to be a sandalwood reliquary was actually eight boxes, one inside the other, arranged from largest to smallest. These were Buddhist sacred objects, called the Eightfold Reliquary. Their value depended on the material of the inner boxes; if they were all sandalwood, it would be the most common type, while if they were all pure gold, it would be the most precious.
How could Buddhist items appear in the royal tomb at the bottom of the lake in the Han Hai Kingdom's palace? The Han Kingdom worshipped the sea god.
"What is this?" Bai Wushang asked curiously, having never seen anything like it before.
"The Eightfold Reliquary, including the outer one, makes eight boxes in total, one inside the other. The contents are placed in one layer. Judging from these boxes, the smallest one can probably only hold a key. This is a Buddhist item used to store Buddha relics," Murong Wei explained.
"Buddhism?" Bai Wushang was also surprised. This was the state religion of the Western Regions' Liusha Kingdom, a very mysterious place.
“Exactly, let’s open it and take a look.” Murong Wei said, and was about to make a move. However, before Bai Wushang could stop her, a huge tentacle appeared out of nowhere and blocked her, instantly snatching the treasure box away. Then, another tentacle, as if falling from the sky, lashed out at her.
Bai Wushang quickly pushed her away with a palm strike. In the chaos, countless hidden darts struck the huge tentacle, which then retracted upwards.
Murong Wei crashed heavily against the wall and fell to the ground. Before she could even stand up, Bai Wushang was already in front of her, hurriedly helping her up. “Did you hurt yourself?” he asked.
“I’ll test if it hurts with you!” Murong Wei shouted angrily. She was genuinely in pain; her back, which had been throbbing, was now throbbing so badly that she almost fainted.
Just then, eight huge tentacles descended from the sky. They were all thick and long, and each tentacle was densely covered with countless huge suckers. The White Eightfold Treasure Box was inside one of these tentacles.
Forgetting their argument, the two were both stunned. They looked up in unison and saw a monster almost as large as the dome of the main tomb chamber perched atop its high ceiling. Its two jet-black eyes, each the size of a palm, were dark and indistinct, their pupils hidden, making it impossible to tell if it was staring at them.
Besides its eight drooping tentacles, several longer, thinner tentacles danced wildly in the air, exuding arrogance.
"We didn't see any sea monsters on the shores of the vast desert, but we've found one here," Bai Wushang said with a smile, showing no sign of panic.
"What sea monster? This is called a giant squid, the fastest creature in the ocean with the biggest eyes." Murong Wei was even calmer than Bai Wushang, shielding him behind her with one hand and coldly saying, "I'll handle this. This guy isn't difficult to deal with."
As she spoke, suddenly, all the giant squid's tentacles rushed towards them with bared teeth and claws. Murong Wei calmly protected Bai Wushang and retreated step by step. Bai Wushang shouted sharply, "Weiwei, don't be silly, don't be careless! The suckers on these tentacles are not simple!"
"Those suckers have sharp teeth, used to suck up flesh." Murong Wei began her first science lesson for anyone other than Ye Bao.
"You've seen this thing before?" Bai Wushang asked hurriedly.
"Its most powerful feature is also its most fatal feature. Unlike ordinary fish that swim with fins, it uses a funnel-shaped nozzle in its belly to spray water to form its hind legs." Murong Wei spoke quickly and clearly, explaining as she retreated.
Bai Wushang, astonished and half-believing, followed Murong Wei's steps, retreating to the doorway. The disgusting, terrifying tentacles were already before them. Murong Wei's flashlight was always pointed forward, yet the light still revealed that the tentacles' suckers were covered in moss!
Murong Wei hurriedly handed the flashlight to Bai Wushang, shoving her aside, and said, "Snap its eyes!"
At the same time, she vanished into thin air. Bai Wushang, completely bewildered and at a loss for what to do, could only obey. The flashlight's beam shone directly into the eyes of the giant squid on the dome.
Instantly, the giant squid went berserk, its tentacles flailing wildly, seemingly disoriented, frantically sweeping and slashing. Bai Wushang had to leap into the air, dodging and weaving incessantly.
But, in just a moment, a loud "bang" ended it all.
"Boom..." A deafening roar followed as the giant squid crashed to the ground, shaking the entire main tomb chamber.
The echo lingered. The giant squid lay limp and motionless on the ground, all its tentacles limp and stiff. Blood slowly flowed from its enormous belly, the stench of which grew increasingly nauseating. The eight-layered treasure box lay quietly within its tentacles.
Bai Wushang landed, not fully understanding what was happening, and immediately shouted, "Murong Wei, where are you? Come out!"
"Here! Hehe." A familiar voice came from behind him.
Bai Wushang turned around hastily and saw Murong Wei standing in the doorway, one hand on her hip, the other holding a gun, blowing the white smoke from the muzzle. She glanced at him sideways, a smile playing on her lips. Her disfigured half was hidden in the shadows, appearing delicate and affected, handsome yet not overly forceful, instead adding a touch of playfulness.
Bai Wushang stared blankly. He had never known what kind of woman he liked, only what kind of woman he disliked. For example, he disliked pretentious, weak, and incompetent women, and even more so, he disliked self-righteous, domineering, and narcissistic women. Now, he seemed to understand a little.
"What happened?" He smiled, a cheerful smile, his earlier tension gone.
"Let me see Ye Bao once we're ashore, and I'll tell you," Murong Wei said with a smile.
"Ye Bao..." Bai Wushang frowned slightly, his eyes deep in thought, his fingertips gently stroking the beauty mark at the corner of his eye, lost in thought. "
Just one meeting, regardless of whether there's anything in that eight-layered treasure box, just one meeting, and I'll tell you what just happened, especially why you shone it into its eyes," Murong Wei tempted.
"How about... this?" Bai Wushang said, slowly raising his head, still in that thoughtful expression, and slowly said, "Weiwei, tell me what just happened, and I'll tell you the identity of the tomb keeper standing behind you watching you, how about that?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Murong Wei's lips, which had just lifted, froze. She realized that she was standing at the doorway, and the tomb keeper must be behind her, not far away.
Bai Wushang still wore that playful smile, ignoring her completely, and turned to pick up the Eight-Layered Treasure Box...