The dungeon of Jing An Marquis Estate was built in the most remote northwest corner of the estate, perpetually shrouded from sunlight.
Xiao Che walked ahead while Lin Shu followed behind, cursing both him and that damned system with every step she took.
After saving someone, there was an eighty percent chance she’d be regarded as a demonic entity—all that effort for no reward. What was the point? Just so Xiao Che would avoid her in the future?
Had she owed the Jing An Marquis Estate money in her past life? Dying from overwork as a 996 office worker was bad enough, but now she had to cross over and save people with unpaid overtime.
If this job didn’t come with at least thirty to fifty thousand taels of silver in compensation for emotional distress, she’d consider it a total loss.
The further down they went, the colder and damper the air became. A pungent odor of rust, blood, and mildew aggressively invaded their nostrils.
Water droplets seeped down the walls, and dim torches flickered in the wind, distorting their shadows into eerie, ghostly shapes.
As a modern person, Lin Shu had never witnessed such a scene. Her stomach churned violently, and her face grew even paler.
Xiao Che stopped in front of a cell and finally turned around. The dim torchlight cast heavy shadows in his deep-set eyes, lending his handsome face a somewhat sinister aura.
“He’s inside,” he said, watching Lin Shu as if searching for any trace of hesitation or fear. “This is no place for you. It’s not too late to back out now.”
Lin Shu looked up and met his gaze, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.
“Young Master, since we’re already here, don’t you think it’s a bit late to say that?” she replied flatly. “Instead of wasting time, why not open the door? Time waits for no one.”
Xiao Che was momentarily speechless, the frustration in his chest surging once more.
Without another word, he signaled the jailer to unlock the heavy iron lock.
Screech—
The jarring sound shattered the dungeon’s deathly silence.
Inside the cell, a disheveled man was chained to the wall, his body covered in bloodstains—clear evidence of torture.
It was Wang Daifu from Huichun Pharmacy.
Hearing the noise, he abruptly lifted his head. His bloodshot eyes, peering through his tangled hair, looked particularly terrifying as he emitted strange, guttural noises. His mind remained deranged.
Lin Shu’s heart sank.
“Young Master, and you, sir,” she turned to the jailer with a flawless, polite smile. “My method is somewhat… unique. No one else can be present. Would you both mind waiting outside for a moment? Just the time it takes for one incense stick to burn.”
The jailer looked to Xiao Che for instructions.
Xiao Che’s brows furrowed into a tight knot.
Leave her alone here? With a madman?
“If you don’t trust me, we can leave right now and prepare for the Old Madam’s funeral,” Lin Shu added lightly, as if reading his thoughts. “If you trust me this one last time, wait for me outside.”
It was a blatant threat.
Xiao Che stared at her. Her clear eyes held no trace of jest—only an unshakable calm that was impossible to ignore.
Finally, he gritted out through clenched teeth, “One incense stick.”
With that, he turned and strode out of the cell, waving the jailer away.
The heavy cell door closed once more, the sound of the iron lock falling into place echoing through the empty dungeon.
Xiao Che hadn’t gone far. He retreated into a shadow untouched by torchlight, his tall frame perfectly merging with the darkness as his gaze pierced through the small viewing window on the cell door, firmly fixed on that slender figure.
He wanted to see exactly what tricks she was going to pull.
Inside the cell, Lin Shu let out a long sigh.
She approached Wang Daifu by the wall. The mad old man struggled more violently upon seeing someone approach, his chains clanking noisily.
Ignoring his frenzy, Lin Shu stood quietly, trying to calm the dull ache in her head caused by side effects.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated all her mental energy. The entire world seemed to fall silent, leaving only herself and this pitiful man controlled by the system before her.
When she opened her eyes again, her gaze was as clear as water, her voice soft yet carrying a strange penetrating quality.
“Wang Daifu, where did you hide the antidote formula?”
The moment the words fell, Wang Daifu’s frantic struggles abruptly halted. The madness on his face gradually faded, replaced by vacant confusion, like a puppet whose soul had been drained.
He lifted his head, his mouth moving mechanically as he spat out words one by one in a flat, emotionless tone.
“Under the counter at Huichun Pharmacy.”
“The third floor tile from the left.”
“Secret compartment.”
“Antidote and formula are both inside.”
After uttering the final sentence, he seemed drained of all strength, his head lolling to the side as he fell completely still.
Success!
Overwhelming joy surged through her, but it was immediately followed by tidal waves of dizziness and nausea.
Lin Shu’s vision darkened, her brain feeling as if pierced repeatedly by countless red-hot steel needles. She groaned softly, her legs giving way, and she quickly braced herself against the cold, damp wall to avoid collapsing on the spot.
In the shadows of the dungeon.
Xiao Che’s breath caught.
He had witnessed the unbelievable scene with his own eyes.
The madman who had been screaming wildly moments ago fell completely silent after Lin Shu’s soft inquiry, spitting out the secret they couldn’t extract even through torture word by word like a marionette.
Then, the woman who had been so composed moments before turned deathly pale upon obtaining the answer, leaning against the wall with her body swaying precariously.
This wasn’t acting.
This wasn’t coincidence.
This was a power he couldn’t comprehend, yet undeniably real.
A power… that could save his grandmother’s life.
Xiao Che felt his proud rationality and understanding being completely shattered and reshaped in that moment.
His knuckles stood out white as he gripped his sword hilt, yet his palm was cold with sweat.
His gaze toward the frail figure in the cell grew indescribably complex.
Exactly the time it takes for one incense stick to burn.
“Creak—”
The cell door was pushed open as Xiao Che walked in expressionlessly, as if he had merely returned on schedule to inspect the results.
In the dim torchlight, he couldn’t clearly see Lin Shu’s face, only that she leaned against the wall, her figure so thin it seemed a breeze could knock her over.
“Did you find out anything?” His voice remained as cold and hard as ever, betraying no emotion.
Lin Shu slowly turned around, cold sweat tracing paths down her pale cheeks, her lips completely devoid of color.
“Huichun Pharmacy, the counter, the third floor tile from the left, there’s a hidden compartment underneath.” She lifted her eyes, those usually overly clear pupils now seemed veiled in a mist, appearing somewhat unfocused. Her voice was also faint and drifting, weak and hoarse, each word seemingly spoken with immense effort.
Xiao Che’s heart skipped a beat. Seeing her in this nearly shattered state, coupled with the bizarre scene he had just witnessed, his throat felt strangely dry.
“Understood.” He averted his gaze, his tone flat, as if she had merely mentioned some trivial matter.