When Xie Zhi awoke again, she found herself inside a dilapidated thatched hut.
The place looked as though it had stood for decades. Rain leaked through the roof above one corner of the bed, and the air was thick with the stench of rot and decay.
The foul smell rushed into her nose, making her sneeze instinctively. The movement tugged at her wounds, sending a sharp wave of pain through her body until her teeth chattered.
Looking down, she realized she was tightly bound to a wooden chair.
The sleeves over her right arm and the fabric covering her right leg had been cut away. Each limb bore a deep knife wound, blood slowly seeping from both.
But the most horrifying sight was—
The blood dripping from her wounds was steadily flowing into a wooden basin placed beneath her.
The wooden door creaked open.
A thin, frail-looking man walked in.
Seeing that she was awake, he smiled gently.
“So, you’ve awakened.”
Xie Zhi stared at him warily.
“What do you want?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. The moment I saw you tonight, I decided you would become my fifth Holy Maiden.”
As he spoke, he picked up a slender, exquisitely crafted knife from the table and slowly carved a third cut into her right arm.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Xie Zhi watched helplessly as fresh blood trickled down into the basin.
Her voice trembled.
“So… you deliberately exposed a weakness just to lure me over?”
“That’s right. Your companion was enthusiastic enough, but she wasn’t nearly beautiful enough.”
The man seemed to be in an excellent mood. He casually traced the blade across the thin fabric of her clothing as he murmured,
“Don’t be afraid. You won’t die so quickly. We have a long time ahead of us…”
“We’ll begin with your limbs… then your abdomen… then your chest… and finally…”
“…your neck.”
The knife wandered slowly across her body, making her tremble uncontrollably.
Noticing her fear, the man sighed sympathetically.
“You’re frightened? Don’t be. Once all that filthy blood drains from your body, you’ll become the most beautiful Holy Maiden. Only then will your lovely appearance truly be worthy.”
Xie Zhi looked at the dark circles beneath his eyes and his skeletal frame, thinned by extreme emaciation.
Her face filled with despair.
“You’re insane.”
Two streams of tears slid silently down her cheeks as she slowly closed her eyes.
“Won’t you beg me?” he asked. “Tell me your family will bring ten thousand taels of gold to ransom you. Or threaten me by saying they’ll slice me into a thousand pieces if I don’t let you go.”
After a long silence, Xie Zhi finally answered,
“No one is coming to save me.”
“Oh? Then you’re truly pitiful.”
Laughing freely, he began cutting into her left arm.
By now, Xie Zhi had already realized he must have drugged her with something unusual.
Aside from being able to speak, her limbs were completely powerless. There was virtually no chance of escaping.
If she were fortunate, someone would discover her body the next day, report it layer by layer to the Ministry of Justice…
Perhaps Pei Du would at least see that she received a proper burial.
At this point, there was no use regretting her foolishness or carelessness.
She was only grateful…
…that he had not chosen Qingyi.
At least now, she was utterly alone.
There was no family left for her to worry about.
Fresh waves of agony battered her consciousness as the man’s sinister voice drifted into her ears once more.
“In truth, this is better. No one will ever find this place. Anyone searching for you is only wasting their efforts… adding to their own suffering.”
Drop after drop, her blood continued to fall.
Her body grew weaker and weaker.
Her fingertips trembled as she struggled to keep her gaze fixed on the only source of light in the room.
It was an old candleholder with peeling paint.
The white candle atop it burned brightly—
But before long, it too would burn out.
Xie Zhi asked weakly,
“Why?”
With surprising patience, he explained,
“This place is actually inside the government offices—a warehouse abandoned many years ago. Tell me… would anyone ever suspect that the murderer is hiding here?”
He stretched out his bony hands and gently closed Xie Zhi’s eyes.
“Sleep now…
…my Holy Maiden.”
Just as she was about to sink into the endless darkness—
A deafening explosion suddenly shattered the silence of the night.
Xie Zhi’s eyes flew open.
Through her blurred vision, she saw the rickety door split cleanly in two before crashing to the ground.
Dozens of hurried footsteps thundered inside.
At the front of them stood Pei Du, sword in hand.
His face was filled with murderous intent, rainwater streaming down his features, making him look terrifying.
If she had seen him wearing such an expression back at the manor…
She would certainly have been afraid.
But now—
Though every inch of her body still throbbed with pain—
Hope surged once more within her heart.
And along with it…
The overwhelming relief of surviving.
She heard the frantic murderer screaming beside her.
“H-How did you find this place?! Don’t come any closer! Stay back!”
Xie Zhi watched as he charged toward her with his knife raised.
Before he could reach her, a sleeve arrow shot from Pei Du’s wrist, piercing the man’s calf.
He cried out and collapsed to the floor.
Pei Du immediately removed his cloak and draped it around Xie Zhi, carefully covering every inch of her exposed skin.
Perhaps because the tension holding her together had finally broken…
Her head grew heavy almost at once.
She lost consciousness again.
One autumn rain after another had brought the cold.
Without anyone noticing, late autumn had arrived.
Only a few fallen leaves remained scattered across the courtyard. Bare branches stretched into the sky, stripped of nearly all signs of life.
Soft whispers from passing maids drifted in from outside.
On the bed, the young woman slowly struggled to open her eyes.
Xie Zhi gradually regained consciousness.
The moment she looked up, she realized she had already returned to Yangshan Terrace.
Daylight had broken.
The warm scent of freshly aired quilts gently washed away the terror of that dreadful night.
She tried to sit up, but her movement startled the girl who had fallen asleep beside the bed.
Qingyi woke with a start and immediately grabbed her hand.
“Lichun! You’re finally awake!”
Xie Zhi coughed twice, and Qingyi quickly handed her a cup of water.
“Thank goodness you’re alright. I heard that when the Heir brought you back the night before last, you were covered in blood. I was terrified.”
After taking a few sips, Xie Zhi finally felt a little better.
“I’m alright now. Don’t worry.”
Then she suddenly remembered.
“You were drugged too, weren’t you? How are you feeling?”
“Don’t worry about me. The physician said it was just an ordinary sleeping drug. After one night’s rest, I was fine.”
She smiled reassuringly.
“I came to see you yesterday. Aside from questioning me about the murderer, the Heir even gave me permission to stay here and look after you until you woke up.”
Hearing that, Xie Zhi finally relaxed.
“As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.”
The first genuine smile since awakening appeared on her face.
Though Xie Zhi’s complexion remained deathly pale, her dark eyes looked brighter than ever. Every glance carried a natural allure that could steal one’s breath away.
She resembled a frail beauty straight from a painting.
Qingyi’s voice softened unconsciously.
“That murderer was simply too cunning. Who could have guessed he’d disguise himself as an old woman and openly hunt for victims in the streets? I heard he was suffering from a terminal illness and fell under the influence of some twisted cult. He believed the blood of twenty young maidens could serve as the catalyst for his medicine…”
As she spoke, Qingyi patted her chest, still shaken by the thought.
Just then, Lixing entered carrying a bowl of medicinal soup.
Qingyi stopped talking and urged Xie Zhi to drink her medicine.
As she gently blew on the steaming bowl to cool it, Lixing, who was tidying the medicine box nearby, suddenly called out toward the doorway,
“My respects, Heir.”
“Mm.”
“Leave us.”