Mu Xi shifted her toes along the narrow windowsill, sweat soaking her palms.
With a misstep, her foot slipped, and she pitched forward.
Little An reacted swiftly, grabbing Mu Xi’s arm and pulling her into her embrace.
The two of them tumbled together into the storage room.
Mu Xi’s face pressed against Little An’s chest, and she could clearly hear her rapid heartbeat.
“Are you all right?” Little An didn’t let go.
Instead, she held Mu Xi even tighter.
“I’m fine.” Mu Xi quickly broke free from Little An’s embrace, her cheeks flushed from both nerves and that fleeting intimacy.
“We need to hurry to the dungeon.”
Passing through the storage room, Mu Xi led Little An along a hidden path toward the depths of the forest with practiced ease.
The night offered them the best cover, while the Manor’s search was still focused on the main building.
“Little Master, are you sure you want to go to the dungeon?” Little An followed behind Mu Xi, her voice tinged with doubt.
“The smell there will make you uncomfortable.”
Mu Xi didn’t answer, only quickened her pace.
The winding path deep in the forest sloped down, leading to a secret entrance hidden below.
She had walked this road countless times, each time with a complicated feeling.
The iron gate at the dungeon’s entrance gave a harsh creak.
Mu Xi pushed open the door.
The familiar stench of rot and blood assaulted her, mingling with the damp smell of earth.
Little An frowned but said nothing.
A dim oil lamp barely illuminated the slick stone floor, the drip-drip of water echoing against their taut nerves.
Mu Xi went straight to the innermost cell, where a skinny male prisoner curled in a corner, his eyes vacant.
“Wake up.” Mu Xi commanded coldly, not a trace of pity in her voice.
“Drink this.”
Little An stood by, hand on her blade, eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
The prisoner blinked his cloudy eyes, mechanically took the crystal vial, and downed its contents in one gulp.
Mu Xi and Little An stepped back, waiting for signs of the poison’s effect.
One second, two seconds, three seconds… ten seconds passed, and the prisoner showed no abnormal reaction.
“This isn’t right.” Mu Xi’s brow furrowed, her heart beating faster.
“Tears of Oblivion should have an immediate effect. At the very least, it should cause him unbearable pain.”
Little An approached the cell, carefully observing the prisoner’s state.
“Little Master, he really seems fine. Was the poison fake?”
Mu Xi’s face changed instantly, her pupils widening in shock.
A sudden chill crept down her spine, that familiar feeling like icy fingertips slowly tracing her vertebrae.
It wasn’t a physical touch, but an instinctive alertnessāa prey’s intuition when stalked by a predator.
In that moment, her breath nearly stopped.
“Little Master, what’s wrong?” Little An noticed Mu Xi’s sudden stiffness, her hand already gripping her blade.
Mu Xi didn’t answer.
She slowly turned around.
The figure that should have been dead stood right there in the dungeon’s dim light, his outline stark and real to the point of suffocation.
‘Ye Lan.’
He Yi had sworn to her that Ye Lan was dead, his head hung on display above Wu City’s gate.
But now, that familiar figure stood before her, wearing the smile that made her shiver to her very bones.
“Long time no see, my little pet.”
Ye Lan’s voice slid through the air like velvet, but left Mu Xi gasping for breath.
“What are you doing with Tears of Oblivion? Did I give you permission to kill him?”
Behind Ye Lan stood several Imperial Guard members, their gazes as sharp as blades, locked on Mu Xi and Little An.
Little An’s hand wrapped fully around her blade’s hilt, but Mu Xi shook her head slightly, stopping any rash action.
Mu Xi’s mind raced.
There was no trace of collusion with He Yi in Ye Lan’s expression or tone.
This wasn’t a staged performance.
He Yi had been deceived too.
The Tears of Oblivion she gave was fake, and Ye Lanā
Ye Lan had never died.
A terrifying thought flashed through Mu Xi’s mind: ‘Ye Lan was searching for He Yi’s whereabouts. If she didn’t speak, she might end up in even greater danger.’
“Master,” Mu Xi lowered her head, her voice trembling just enough, “there’s an assassin named He Yi who’s been impersonating Wuhen.”
Her fingers clutched the crystal vial tightly, “She gave me this, told me to help her assassinate your steward. She said if the steward dies, the whole Manor will fall into chaos.”
Ye Lan’s eyes narrowed, like a cat evaluating its prey.
“Then what did you mean by poisoning the prisoner?” She stepped forward, her boots ringing crisply on the damp stone.
Mu Xi felt a wave of dizziness, but forced herself to remain calm.
“I didn’t want to kill your steward, Master.”
She raised her head, meeting Ye Lan’s gaze, making her lie sound utterly sincere, “But the liquid in this vial was too dangerous. I didn’t dare pour it out at random. I wanted to use it up on these useless prisoners, then fill it with something new. When He Yi asked, I’d just say the poison failedātrick her.”
The air in the dungeon seemed to freeze.
Drops of water slid down the stone walls, their sharp sound cutting through the silence.
Mu Xi could feel her heart about to burst from her chest, but her expression stayed perfectly composed.
Ye Lan’s gaze lingered on Mu Xi’s face for a long time, as if peering into her soul.
“Being clever isn’t always a good thingāespecially for you, my little pet.”
She reached out, her fingertips gently brushing Mu Xi’s cheek, a touch Mu Xi wanted to escape yet couldn’t resist.
“Do you know? Sometimes, the price of lying is more painful than death.”
Mu Xi’s throat tightened, but she didn’t flinch.
“I didn’t lie, Master. I only wanted to protect you.”
Ye Lan suddenly smiled, that smile like a winter sunbeamāwarm, but without any true warmth.
“Give me the vial.” She held out her hand, palm up.
Mu Xi hesitated for a moment, then placed the crystal vial into Ye Lan’s hand.
Ye Lan’s fingers closed lightly around the bottle, holding it in her palm.
“Do you know why I’m here tonight?”
Ye Lan’s voice suddenly softened, becoming intimate, “Because I knew you’d come. I know your every habit, every thought.”
Her fingertips stroked the vial’s smooth surface,”Just like how I deliberately arranged for you to get the fake Tears of Oblivion.”
Mu Xi’s pupils dilated slightly, but she quickly controlled her expression.
“Master always knows everything.”
“No, not everything.” Ye Lan shook her head.
“For example, I don’t know why you’d help He Yi. Is it because you hate me? Or do you truly believe she can help you escape this place?”
Mu Xi’s heart clenched.
This was a trap, a carefully set question.
She had to answer with caution.
“I never thought of leaving you, Master.” Mu Xi lowered her head, her voice soft as a whisper, “I just wanted to discover He Yi’s real identity, so I pretended to cooperate with her.”
Ye Lan’s smile widened, but it never reached her eyes.
“Such a good child.” She stuffed the crystal vial back into Mu Xi’s hand.
“Since that’s the case, continue your plan. Let He Yi think you’re on her side, and thenā”
She leaned in and whispered at Mu Xi’s ear, “Bring her to me.”
A chill ran down Mu Xi’s spine, but she nodded, “As you command, Master.”
Ye Lan straightened, satisfied, and turned to the Imperial Guard members.
“Take them back.” She ordered, then looked at Mu Xi again and said, “Remember, my little pet, no one who betrays me ever meets a good end.”
As the Imperial Guard members stepped forward to take Mu Xi and Little An away, Mu Xi suddenly spoke up, “Master, may I ask a question?”
Ye Lan raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue.
“How were you so sure that He Yi would end up with the fake poison?” Mu Xi asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.
Ye Lan’s lips curved into a mysterious smile as she said, “Because the real Tears of Oblivion never leaves my side.”
She pulled out another identical crystal vial from her pocket.
The liquid inside shimmered an eerie blue in the dim light.
“This time, I was just playing with you.”
She suddenly dripped some of the liquid onto the prisoner’s lips.
The prisoner’s body convulsed violently at once, a painful hiss tearing from his throat, eyes bulging from their sockets.
“There won’t be a next time. I won’t let you off so easily again.” Ye Lan said softly, turning to leave, leaving Mu Xi and Little An standing there, watching the prisoner writhe in agonyāuntil the very last moment of his life.