Yunxi City, the Third Prince’s Manor.
Bright red lanterns hung high, and red silk cloth covered the ground. Today was the joyous day of the Third Prince’s wedding, yet the atmosphere was strangely eerie.
Chu Youqi, the Third Prince, stared with wide, angry eyes at the woman before him dressed in wedding robes. Her face was mottled, covered in shocking and abrupt marks that crawled across her skin, making her face difficult to even look at.
Chu Youqi knitted his brows in disgust.
“This Prince only allowed you to marry into this house for Yan’er’s sake. To be able to become Yan’er’s Medicinal Catalyst is your good fortune! How dare you try to use your status to avoid saving Yan’er? You overrate yourself!”
Chu Youqi held a delicate, fragile woman who was weeping piteously, wishing he could tear the ugly woman on the ground into a thousand pieces.
If Yan’er didn’t need this wench’s blood, he wouldn’t have married her even if it meant his death.
Just looking at her turned his stomach.
Jiang Yunxu, who had been beaten until she rolled across the floor, looked as pale as death. Half of her face was red and swollen, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. Her fingers curled inward as she let out a self-mocking laugh.
“Chu Youqi, how could you treat me like this?”
She looked up, her former heart full of love now replaced by hatred. “Do you have any idea that back then…”
“Your Highness!”
A voice interrupted her. It was Jiang Yan’er, clutching her chest and crying out in pain. She said weakly, “If sister is unwilling, this humble one will not force it.”
Hearing this, Chu Youqi’s gaze instantly turned dark. Raising his hand, he took a long whip handed to him by a servant and lashed out ruthlessly at Jiang Yunxu.
Crack!
Immediately, a long bloody welt appeared on Jiang Yunxu’s back. She fell completely flat on the ground, cold sweat breaking out from the pain as her vision began to blur.
“Vile woman! It was bad enough that you snatched the position of Third Princess Consort that originally belonged to Yan’er, but you even dare to stand by and watch her die? Men, drag this wench down. I want to see blood within the time it takes an incense stick to burn!”
Chu Youqi gave Jiang Yunxu a look of utter loathing, then picked Jiang Yan’er up in his arms and turned to leave.
Right away, servants hauled up the dying Jiang Yunxu.
At the same time, an old nanny walked to Jiang Yunxu’s side, pinched her arm, and whispered in her ear, “Princess Consort, I hope you won’t speak out of turn. Otherwise, that crazy mother of yours won’t have a good end!”
Jiang Yunxu watched the receding figures, the light in her eyes completely dimming.
Five years ago, she had tested medicines with her own body, nearly losing her life several times before finally refining the antidote. But in the end, Chu Youqi didn’t even recognize her.
She closed her eyes in despair.
Hiss!
Pain. A bone-eroding, heart-piercing pain.
Jiang Yunxu opened her eyes to see several women with sinister expressions pinning down her hands, their fingertips almost stabbing into her flesh.
What was going on? Wasn’t she in the laboratory researching a new Gudu?
Just as Jiang Yunxu was looking confused, a cold gleam appeared—it was a dagger pressed against her chest.
“Princess Consort, oh Princess Consort, what great fortune it is for you to serve as medicine for Side Consort Yan’er. Though for an ugly creature like you, I’m afraid even the ghosts in the eighteenth level of hell wouldn’t want to take you! Hahaha…”
As the dagger was about to plunge into her chest, the old woman’s eyes looked as if they were dipped in poison.
In that instant, Jiang Yunxu suddenly looked up, her gaze turning fiercely cold. With a swift movement of her leg, she kicked the old woman squarely in the chest.
“Aieee!”
The other three were stunned. Taking advantage of the gap, Jiang Yunxu reversed her grip on their wrists and pressed down on their acupoints. As they cried out in pain, Jiang Yunxu broke free from her restraints, flipped over, and snatched the dagger.
Before anyone could react, she plunged the blade right between the old woman’s eyebrows.
“The eighteenth level of hell—I’ll send you there first.”
Her voice was raspy yet ethereal. Blood splattered across the half of her face covered by poison, making her look like a malevolent spirit.
“Ah!!”
“Murder! There’s been a murder!”
The old woman fell straight back, her eyes still wide with shock.
The maid beside her screamed in terror—she was the one who had just been grabbing Jiang Yunxu’s hand. Jiang Yunxu turned and slapped her, narrowing her eyes as she said coldly, “Shut up if you don’t want to die.”
At this moment, Jiang Yunxu’s aura was so sharp it made one shiver. The remaining three people in the room actually fell silent.
After all, no one expected the Third Princess Consort, who had been so weak just moments ago, to suddenly become like this.
Jiang Yunxu scanned them. She saw the porcelain bowl held by one of the maids—it was meant to be filled with her Xinjianxue to be presented to that Jiang Yan’er, wasn’t it?
To think that she, a 23rd-century modern woman peerless in both medicine and poison, had undergone Soul Transmigration to this fictional dynasty only to marry a scumbag and have her heart’s blood used for medicine?
Ridiculous!
At that moment, a gaunt figure suddenly appeared in her mind, her bloodshot eyes filled with hatred.
“Don’t let them go! Don’t let them go!”
This was the remaining consciousness of the original host, along with all of her memories.
The original host and Chu Youqi had a betrothal granted by the late Emperor. Five years ago, Chu Youqi was involved in a murder case and was accidentally struck by a potent toxin that left him unconscious. All the doctors were helpless.
Chu Youqi had lain on his bed like the living dead for five whole years.
It was the original host who went through immense trouble, testing medicines for five years, before finally finding the antidote and neutralizing Chu Youqi’s poison.
The scars on her face were the result of a backlash from one of those medicine tests.
What was even more infuriating was that her older cousin from the first branch, Jiang Yan’er, had shamelessly claimed the credit as her own.
Because the marriage was granted by the late Emperor, Chu Youqi and the Prime Minister’s manor didn’t dare to blatantly break the engagement. Furthermore, since Jiang Yan’er needed the original host’s blood to sustain her, Jiang Yunxu could only be the official consort, while Jiang Yan’er married in at the same time as a side consort.
The two sisters entered the manor together, but their treatment was worlds apart—one was the precious side consort, the other was a forsaken consort used as a Medicinal Catalyst.
Beaten to death on her wedding night?
Jiang Yunxu took a deep breath. She absolutely could not tolerate this!
She whispered a few words to comfort the original host: “Don’t worry. I will take revenge for you. You can go and reincarnate in peace.”
A cloud of white mist in her consciousness gradually dissipated, and her entire being suddenly felt much lighter.
Meanwhile.
“Has that vile woman’s blood not been taken yet?”
Chu Youqi was full of rage.
A servant hurried forward. “Your Highness, people have already been sent to hurry them along!”
“Your Highness, actually, if sister is unwilling, there is no need to force her. This humble one was physically weak to begin with; it would be my own fault if I died.”
At this moment, Jiang Yan’er leaned in Chu Youqi’s arms with tears in her eyes. These words, paired with that fair little face, truly made one feel pity.
“Yan’er, you saved my life. How could I let you die? Do not speak such foolishness.”
Thinking of Jiang Yunxu’s ugly face, Chu Youqi’s tender expression turned sinister again. “If she remains unwilling, I will dig her heart out myself!”
Just as his words fell, a maid entered tremblingly, carrying a steaming porcelain bowl.
“The blood… the blood… is here.”
She stumbled over her words. The Prince’s attendant took the bowl, giving her a look of utter disdain. “It’s just a bowl of medicine with some blood in it. What are you so afraid of?”
The maid didn’t dare respond. She retreated to the side, her eyes instinctively darting toward the door.
But no one noticed.
Chu Youqi helped Jiang Yan’er up and held the bowl of medicine, his voice gentle. “Yan’er, come. You’ll be better after drinking this.”
Jiang Yan’er looked at the bowl of medicine glowing with a reddish tint, a subtle smile touching the corners of her lips.
She opened her mouth and took a sip. The maid watched in terror and was about to speak.
“Wait—”
Unexpectedly, in the next second, a cold flash flickered as a silver needle flew through the air. The maid collapsed, and Jiang Yan’er swallowed that mouthful of medicine.
It was then that a mocking question rang out: “Is it enough, Sister?”
Jiang Yunxu pushed the door open and entered. Dressed in red, she walked with a graceful gait, though that face of hers was truly difficult to look at.
Seeing her appear unharmed, Jiang Yan’er’s eyes widened.
“How could you…?”
Logically, even if she didn’t die after having her Xinjianxue taken, she should be at death’s door. How could she be standing there perfectly fine?
Jiang Yunxu shrugged and asked with a smile, “Is the blood delicious?”
Jiang Yan’er’s heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition suddenly rising within her.
Jiang Yunxu’s eyes were full of mirth as she pulled a bloody dead chicken from behind her and waved it at Jiang Yan’er. The chicken’s body swung back and forth.
“How does the taste of this Xinjianxue suit you?”
The dead chicken was tossed in front of Jiang Yunxu, and a foul stench mixed with the smell of blood immediately wafted through the air.
It was a diseased chicken!
Thinking of the mouthful she had just swallowed, Jiang Yan’er’s face turned ashen. She immediately doubled over and began retching, looking as if she were about to throw up her very bile.
She couldn’t even handle this?
Thinking of everything she had done to the original host, a ghostly light flickered in Jiang Yunxu’s eyes.
There was more excitement to come.
But by now, hearing what she said, Chu Youqi was already beyond furious. He didn’t even have time to comfort Jiang Yan’er before he rushed over and grabbed Jiang Yunxu by the throat.
He glared at her, the veins on his forehead throbbing. “Wretch! You actually dared to play tricks on Yan’er?”
Jiang Yunxu just looked at her, her almond eyes, which seemed soaked in autumn waters, full of contempt. Her voice was even more arrogant as she spoke: “So what if I did? Are you going to kill me?”
A shadow of malice filled Chu Youqi’s eyes. “You think I don’t dare?”
Looking at that ugly face, the strength in Chu Youqi’s hand gradually increased, and the air around them seemed to be sucked away.
Jiang Yunxu, however, kept a smile in her eyes and did not struggle. She simply asked him calmly, “Your Highness, you don’t really think that was just a normal bowl of chicken blood, do you?”
Chu Youqi paused, not understanding.
It was at this moment that Jiang Yan’er’s retching suddenly intensified. After several violent coughs, her face turned purple, and she began to spit out a pool of black blood!
“Yan’er!”
Chu Youqi panicked instantly. He threw Jiang Yunxu aside and ran to Yan’er’s side, roaring at Jiang Yunxu, “What did you do to Yan’er!”
Jiang Yunxu lay partially on the ground. When she looked up, her eyes were curved into crescents, and she made no attempt to hide the truth.
“I added something to the medicine.”
A bright smile blossomed on her face, the corners of her red lips curling upward as she spoke in an ethereal tone: “And it’s highly toxic.”