The Aloof and Pure-Hearted Killer: She Has Been Targeted
Yuyi Yue was in trouble.
The moment Fang Xun’gui realized this, his mind went blank. Without thinking about the cause or effect, he froze in place, unable to move.
A second later, a flood of chaotic thoughts rushed in.
Why was she in trouble? Was she safe? Was it because of him that she had been implicated? Who was it—Blood-Severing Pavilion, Netherworld Hall, or any of the enemies he had made over the past decade? How did they find this place?
Where was she now?
Fang Xun’gui forced himself to calm down.
In such situations, the most important thing was not to panic. Analyze the situation, analyze the details… How could he lose his composure over a bloodstained piece of clothing?
A faint sound reached his ears.
It came from the room he had once stayed in.
Without hesitation, Fang Xun’gui rushed over and pulled the door open.
The lingering steam in the room was dispersed by the sudden cold wind.
Yuyi Yue was startled and immediately grabbed the silver needles she kept for self-defense nearby.
Seeing that it was Fang Xun’gui, she froze for a moment, staring at him in confusion.
Fang Xun’gui was even more startled by his own actions.
The familiar scent of medicinal herbs lingered in the air, and Fang Xun’gui’s nerves, which had been stretched taut with tension, finally relaxed.
What greeted him was another overwhelming situation.
He stood frozen in place, his entire body rigid and unresponsive.
Yuyi Yue tentatively asked:
“Are you alright?”
After what felt like an eternity, Fang Xun’gui’s mind finally started working again.
He staggered backward a few steps and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
“Sorry! I didn’t see anything!”
Fang Xun’gui stood panting outside the door, wishing he could go back in time and give himself a good beating.
Yuyi Yue blinked and couldn’t help but laugh.
Hearing her laughter, Fang Xun’gui’s face outside the door flushed completely red.
All sorts of complicated emotions finally returned, a mix of embarrassment and nervousness making it impossible for Fang Xun’gui to regain his normal breathing rhythm.
She was fine. She was alive.
Thank goodness.
A wave of belated fear washed over him, and Fang Xun’gui’s expression shifted repeatedly before he finally regained some ability to think.
Earlier, when she was… in the tub.
There was a strong scent of medicinal herbs, and bloodstained gauze lay beside the tub.
Was she injured on her left shoulder?
As Fang Xun’gui was lost in distracting thoughts, faint rustling sounds came from inside the room, followed by the door being pushed open again from within.
Fang Xun’gui instinctively averted his gaze, but a corner of pure white clothing appeared in his line of sight.
Only then did he shift his gaze to Yuyi Yue.
Yuyi Yue was looking at him with a faint, teasing smile:
“You certainly know how to make an entrance, as always.”
Fang Xun’gui pursed his lips tightly and lowered his head:
“Sorry, I was rude.”
“Why were you rude?”
Yuyi Yue asked calmly.
Just a simple question once again threw Fang Xun’gui’s mind into disarray.
He took a deep breath and said hoarsely:
“I saw a bloodstained piece of clothing outside the courtyard. I thought something had happened to you.”
After saying this, Fang Xun’gui’s gaze fell on Yuyi Yue’s shoulder.
She had only loosely draped a piece of clothing over herself, and the faint trace of blood seeping through her shoulder was barely visible.
Fang Xun’gui frowned deeply. “What happened?”
Yuyi Yue simply shook her head slightly. “It’s nothing serious. Come in and we’ll talk.”
The door closed once again, and Yuyi Yue walked around the wooden tub to sit at the table.Fang Xun’gui deliberately averted his gaze from the wooden bucket and followed Yuyi Yue to the table.
His heart stirred, unable to articulate what had crossed his mind in that fleeting moment, and then he sat down beside Yuyi Yue.
Yuyi Yue retrieved a pulse pillow from the side and said:
“Place your hand here.”
Fang Xun’gui complied.
Yuyi Yue’s fingertips, still carrying a hint of moisture, warm and soft, rested on Fang Xun’gui’s wrist.
Fang Xun’gui instinctively held his breath.
Yuyi Yue glanced up at Fang Xun’gui and gave a helpless smile:
“It’s just a pulse reading, don’t be so tense. Your pulse is all over the place.”
Fang Xun’gui made a conscious effort to take a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent emotions that had plagued him all day.
After a moment, Yuyi Yue asked with confusion:
“Why are you so burdened with worries?”
This was not a question that could be explained in a few words.
Fang Xun’gui let out a bitter laugh and withdrew his hand:
“My matters are of no concern. What happened to you? What’s with the clothes in the courtyard?”
Now that he had regained his composure, Fang Xun’gui inwardly scolded himself for panicking earlier. He hadn’t even confirmed whether the clothes belonged to Yuyi Yue before losing his composure.
He truly acted like a reckless youth.
Yuyi Yue calmly explained:
“A bad person broke into my home today intending to kill me. I accidentally got slashed by him.”
Fang Xun’gui’s eyes widened in shock.
Yuyi Yue continued:
“But it’s fine. I only sustained this one injury, and I’ve already dealt with him.”
At this point, a hint of pride flickered in Yuyi Yue’s eyes:
“He thought I was just a defenseless woman and dared to expose his vital point right in front of me. With one needle, he lost all strength to resist.”
Only then did Fang Xun’gui let out a sigh of relief.
Then, he asked again:
“Wait, did you kill him outright? Didn’t you interrogate him about his origins?”
Yuyi Yue raised an eyebrow, her smile growing even more triumphant:
“Of course I did. I fed him a Truth-Telling Gu before he died.”
After saying this, Yuyi Yue’s expression turned somewhat troubled:
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get much useful information. I couldn’t understand what he was saying.”
Fang Xun’gui keenly sensed that what this “bad person” had said must be important.
“What did he say?”
“I asked him who he was and why he wanted to kill me. He said his name was You Huo, and he didn’t want to kill me—he just wanted to use me to threaten someone.”
The moment he heard the name “You Huo,” Fang Xun’gui’s expression changed.
Netherworld Hall, it really was them.
Who did they want to capture Yuyi Yue to threaten? To threaten “Zhan Kong”?
Fang Xun’gui quickly considered various possibilities in his mind.
He admitted to himself that he had developed feelings for Yuyi Yue that he shouldn’t have.
But that was impossible. How could Netherworld Hall have noticed in just a few days?
Moreover, Fang Xun’gui was certain he hadn’t blatantly displayed his thoughts on his face, and he had swiftly suppressed all inappropriate feelings.
Even if Netherworld Hall had noticed, none of this made sense.
Using a woman who had suddenly appeared to threaten Zhan Kong? That was absolutely not Netherworld Hall’s style.
Yuyi Yue waved her hand in front of Fang Xun’gui’s eyes:
“Are you listening?”
Fang Xun’gui snapped back to attention and nodded:
“I’m listening. So, what did You Huo say? Who did he want to use you to threaten?”
He belatedly realized that if You Huo intended to threaten him—whether as “Zhan Kong” or “Fang Xun’gui”—Yuyi Yue wouldn’t have been so confused.
Who could it be? Fang Xun’gui stared intently into Yuyi Yue’s eyes.Yuyi Yue said:
“You Huo said he wants to use me to threaten Xue Ningshuo.”
Fang Xun’gui felt his blood run cold in that instant.
Xue Ningshuo.
Among all the notable figures in the entire martial world, only one person bore that name.
—The Master of the Blood Severing Pavilion.
How could it be him?