I’ve got you!

Chang Wan and Elder Xia exchanged a glance, then rushed into the room almost simultaneously.

It turned out that what was found was not Chu Changqing.

But the situation wasn’t very good either. As soon as she entered, Chang Wan saw the vermilion wardrobe opened, the clothes she had hastily placed inside also taken out, and the inside of the wardrobe was stained with glaring, bright red blood.

It was likely that when Chu Changqing choked her, the wounds on his body tore and rubbed against the wood during her struggle.

At that time, Elder Xia was aggressive outside, and she had only had time to change her outer robe; she had no time to clean the filthied blood inside the wardrobe!

Chang Wan’s heart tensed, but a cold smile appeared on her face, “What? Just a pool of blood? Where is the criminal?”

The disciples who were searching had their looks of joy frozen on their faces.

Elder Xia, however, narrowed his eyes, “Although we didn’t find the person… but if I may be so bold, where did this blood come from?”

Elder Xia stepped forward to examine it closely, “And this blood is still fresh, clearly smeared on by someone. It looks like someone had a bit of a…”

Before the word “struggle” could be uttered, the well-built young woman in black robes’ expression turned cold. She said, “Strange, wasn’t Elder Xia here to search for someone in my place?”

She pressed aggressively, “Where did this pool of blood come from, and why should I explain it to you?”

Elder Xia’s expression also darkened, “This concerns a major fugitive. This pool of blood may very well be evidence of you harboring him!”

“Good, then take the evidence and go look for it!” Chang Wan crossed her arms and sneered, “I was indisposed today and killed a stray dog in the wardrobe, and I didn’t have time to clean it up. Does that become evidence?”

Anyone with clear eyes knew Chang Wan was making things up.

“Stop talking nonsense!” Elder Xia’s face turned even uglier, “The person is definitely here! Search!!”

However, no matter how the disciples searched, they couldn’t find any trace. Elder Xia then carefully inspected the inside of the wardrobe—

The hand Chang Wan held across her chest tightened slightly.

But seeing that Elder Xia couldn’t find any sign of the secret door, she slowly relaxed.

“Elder Xia,” Chang Wan stood aside lazily, arrogance sparkling in her almond-shaped eyes, “I don’t care about my reputation; you may search my private chambers as you wish.”

“You find a pool of dog blood and immediately try to pin the blame on me; isn’t that going a bit too far?”

Elder Xia was so angry his chest hurt, and he pointed at her, roaring, “You definitely moved the person away!”

“It’s only been a few hours since the person escaped,” Chang Wan said. “In between, I even met the Sect Leader. I must possess divine abilities to move him under the noses of so many disciples.”

A smile touched the corners of Chang Wan’s mouth, but her eyes were cold, “Elder Xia, don’t forget what you said.”

She beckoned to the disciple who had just gotten up, “Come here.”

Elder Xia’s face darkened.

The disciple was shaking so badly his legs trembled. He stumbled over, and just before reaching her, a foul smell of urine could be detected.

‘Damn, he actually wet himself from fear.’

Chang Wan inwardly complained, but her expression remained unchanged. She looked at Elder Xia and slowly articulated two words.

“Kowtow.”

The old man’s face changed several times, finally gnashing his back teeth, “Are you truly unconcerned about your little sister’s life or death…”

If she broke her persona, she would die immediately.

Having just returned from the gates of hell, she couldn’t even take care of herself; how could she worry about someone else’s life or death?

“Ew, strange,” Chang Wan gazed at the ceiling, “You were the one aggressively coming to my place to search for someone, you were the one who lost the bet with me, and you are the one who should honor the wager—”

“I didn’t lose, so why should I worry about my sister?”

“Oh… I understand now.”

A charming smile flickered at the corner of her eye, “Perhaps Elder Xia is actually a despicable, shameless hypocrite who says one thing in front of others and another behind their back?”

Xia Du was so angry his orifices seemed to smoke.

His disciples were all watching him below.

If he didn’t kowtow, he could save his face.

But this would become his inner demon.

He might never advance further in cultivation again!

He had initially thought that when Chang Wan came to him for the antidote, and he smelled that little beast’s demonic energy, he would surely capture the fugitive, letting this arrogant girl lose all face and settling his own anger. But now—

The muscles on his face contorted several times, and finally, under the cold gazes of Chang Wan and dozens of disciples, his knees slowly bent.

It could be said that the more people he brought to watch Chang Wan make a fool of herself, the more face he lost.

He gritted his teeth in his heart.

Chang Wan… Chang Wan!!

The young girl’s eyes were utterly indifferent.

The entire room was silent, holding its breath.

…

Afterward.

System: “Weren’t you afraid he wouldn’t kowtow?”

Chang Wan shrugged, “Let him kowtow or not; either way, he’s the one losing face.”

Not kowtowing is being faithless; kowtowing means losing face. She wouldn’t come out at a loss.

System: “…You really are a devil.”

Chang Wan touched her neck, feeling a lingering fear, “If I’m a devil, then the one inside is a terror even ghosts fear.”

She didn’t really want to be so ruthless, but she couldn’t give him an out either.

She took a small mechanism button out of her sleeve and pressed it lightly. The secret door inside the wardrobe suddenly opened.

The reason she dared to let Elder Xia search the wardrobe so thoroughly was firstly because the mechanism was a remote-control-like button that could be hidden on her person, and secondly, the workmanship of the secret door was very exquisite, vaguely possessing an illusionary spell.

Furthermore, this illusion could finely depict the state of blood staining the surface. With these prerequisites, Chang Wan dared to take the gamble.

But it was a breathtaking gamble.

Chang Wan put the mechanism button back into her sleeve. Because of the experience of being choked in complete darkness earlier, this time Chang Wan brought a candle down into the secret passage.

The door behind her slowly closed, plunging the secret passage into pitch blackness, with only the candlelight in her hand casting a faint glow.

The stairs in the secret passage were long and slippery, and with the possibility of being ambushed by the male lead, Chang Wan proceeded with extreme caution.

When the stairs reached the bottom, Chu Changqing, who should have been at the very bottom, was nowhere to be seen.

Chang Wan’s heart leaped into her throat, and horror surged through her.

Where was Chu Changqing?

He was so heavily injured and poisoned, and he had tumbled down such long stairs. Any person would surely be unconscious??

Before she could think further, a chilling gust of wind swept over her, and the candle in her hand was suddenly extinguished.

She had just arrived, her soul not fully integrated with her body, and in the pitch-black night, she lacked the original owner’s ability to see. In an instant, the entire world plunged into darkness.

“!!!”

A hand gently wrapped around her waist, and a devilish whisper followed, “Caught you.”

“Clang—”

The candlestick fell by her feet. Feeling fingers fumbling near her collar, goosebumps exploded all over Chang Wan’s body. A faint murmur reached her ear, “This time, I’ll let you choose how you die.”

Chang Wan endured the goosebumps erupting all over her body and said calmly, “If I die, you won’t live long either.”

“You are heavily poisoned.”

“The antidote… is with me.”

The fingers gently stroked her neck.

She finally couldn’t remain calm, and her voice began to tremble.

Different from Elder Xia.

This young man behind her—Chang Wan was genuinely afraid.

She was afraid because she understood.

“Antidote?”

The man behind her let out a low chuckle, slightly hoarse.

“Willingly seek death.”

“…Dying is no skill,” Chang Wan endured, deliberately provoking, “If you’re truly capable, then trick the antidote out of me and live on.”

Neither he nor she could die. She was still counting on him to complete the mission and get home!

“Antidote?”

The voice behind her was unhurried, tinged with mockery, “A filthy soul only brings potent poison.”

Chang Wan felt stifled but didn’t want to argue over superiority with him, “If you want to die, die however you please.”

The hand around her waist seemed hot and strong. Chang Wan looked up, “But…”

A second before Chang Wan finished speaking, she forcefully shoved her arm backward! Chu Changqing let out a muffled groan, and the wound on his waist instantly tore open.

He was already barely standing, and this sudden force caused a hemorrhage and weakness; the strength he was barely maintaining instantly collapsed!

The young man leaned against the wall, clutching his wound, his pair of dark eyes in the darkness like a deep abyss.

He could see her in the darkness: her fair, beautiful skin and her almond-shaped eyes. It was clearly a cute face, yet adorned with sharp red lips, as if she had just experienced a fierce battle.

In those eyes, there was an inextinguishable flame.

She said.

“But I want to live well.”

This was a person truly alive.

She was ruthless yet appeared completely pure in the eyes of the world.

She was incredibly greedy yet pretended to be detached from fame and fortune. Her soul was clearly so ugly, yet she lived in the light, using the brilliance in those eyes to conceal everything.

—She was still trying to approach him.

Chu Changqing licked his lips, his eyes showing wildness.

Chang Wan had gained the upper hand with one move. She appeared incredibly composed and formidable, but in truth, she was flustered. She couldn’t clearly see where he was and groped around trying to find his position. However, she tripped over the candlestick that had fallen to the bottom, cursing her bad luck inwardly, and tugged at her skirt corner somewhat awkwardly.

He saw all her discomposure but remained silent.

Chu Changqing hid his figure in the darkness, his dark pupils watching her kick away the candlestick and find her way to stand before him.

He didn’t move, just watched her, gradually becoming somewhat greedy.

Her brows, her lips, her eyes.

How could such a person exist in this world?

A single expression was so beautiful.

Her hand touched his face.

Delicate, fair fingers, a gentle and lingering scent.

Upon touching him, she seemed very happy, and light shone in her eyes.

—She was at the Spirit Solitude stage; why couldn’t she see him?

Was she acting?

Yes…

Chu Changqing thought that if this woman was an actress, she must be the most skilled one.

She could make the world bow down to her, and she could also make people tremble in fear for her sake.

…

But if she was an actress.

He liked the play she performed for him.

The slight tremble of the fingertips stroking his cheek, then slowly moving downwards, brushing over his wounded shoulders, moving lower and lower, then gently taking his hand.

The secret passage was too dark; Chang Wan couldn’t see his expression at all.

But his hand was very cold.

“…Why aren’t you speaking?” Chang Wan was a bit confused. Could it be that her guess was wrong? Perhaps he had fainted from the blow she dealt him, so he didn’t have the strength left to retaliate against her for his life?

“Did you faint?”

…It had to be that.

She slowly felt for his eyes again, her fingertips brushing against thick eyelashes.

He hadn’t opened his eyes.

Indeed…

Given the male lead’s vengeful personality, if she had hit him with that elbow strike and he retained any strength, he would have surely choked her to death, not remained so quiet.

Chang Wan touched her neck, feeling helpless. Although she found his current inaction understandable, it was unpleasant when directed at herself.

But no matter how unpleasant, she still needed him to complete the mission.

She would take things one step at a time.

System: [A hint for the Host: If you keep walking to the right, you will reach a secret room.]

The original owner’s secret room? Would there be a bed or something similar? He couldn’t be nurtured back to health like this.

Chang Wan: “Is there a bed?”

System: [There is.]

Struggling, she lifted him onto her back and walked forward. She accidentally kicked the candlestick again and almost fell backward.

“Fine then.”

Chang Wan grumbled angrily, kicking the candlestick away, “You all look down on me and bully me.”

Chu Changqing’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he moved his body, where the wounds from the whipping had torn open: “…”