I trust you

The scent of calming incense lingered faintly.

People always covet what they cannot obtain, and those who lose their reason will pay a heavy price for it.

Chu Changqing’s eyes were deep and dark.

The seeds of greed in his heart grew wantonly, igniting a subtle flame, fueling his restlessness.

But he didn’t know how to release it.

He slowly reached out his hand, stroking the girl’s soft, slender eyelashes, and then down to her fair, tender cheek.

The touch was delicate and soft.

When she smiled…

His fingertips gently stroked the girl’s cheek.

Here, there would be a small dimple.

Further down were her red, tender lips, a delicately curved chin, and a snow-white, delicate neck, her beauty embraced within the soft undergarment.

—It was as if a beast roared within his heart.

To possess her.

No matter what, no matter what the cost.

To let her live in his cage, under his protection, to cry and laugh for him, or to live or die.

Outside the door and window opened by the assassin, a rain-soaked thrush had icy light in its eyes.

Chu Changqing’s hand ignited with green flames, and the half-torn paper in his hand instantly turned to ash.

He waved his hand, extinguishing the calming incense, and leaned down to remove the black-clothed man’s mask.

Upon seeing the face, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

The thrush outside the window was drenched by the rain, but it showed no complaints. Its eyes were blood-red. It seemed no longer a thrush, but a hawk-dog that fed on human flesh and blood.

The youth glanced sideways at the thrush, let out a muffled laugh, his voice light and gentle, “You must be hungry…”

Lightning flashed, dazzling the youth’s icy brows and eyes.

Chang Wan slept very deeply, having no nightmares. When she woke up, she found the incense had burned out, and the sky was slightly bright.

She always felt something was amiss.

There was a faint smell of blood in the air.

But looking around, nothing seemed amiss—the soft red carpet, the burned-out incense…

“…”

Chang Wan looked at the half-burned calming incense. The incense newly gifted by the Sect Leader didn’t seem to be of good quality.

With nothing unusual around, Chang Wan got up as usual and went to the secret room to check on Chu Changqing.

The candlelight flickered. The youth was still reading. Seeing her approach, his brows and eyes appeared serene.

Chang Wan asked, “Do you need a dressing change?”

Chu Changqing nodded obediently, intending to unfasten his clothes. However, due to his excessive movement, he let out a slight hiss, appearing to be in great pain.

Chang Wan immediately stopped his movement, showing a helpless expression, “I’ll do it.”

She unbound his clothes, her delicate fingertips brushing against the loose bandages, revealing increasingly severe wounds.

Chang Wan looked troubled: “…Why aren’t they getting better?”

It seemed Elder Xia’s poison was indeed potent.

Chu Changqing looked at her eyes, as if casually asking, “What happens when they heal?”

Chang Wan replied as a matter of course: “Of course, I’ll send you away.”

I’ll find a place to hide you to avoid trouble for a while, and when things settle down, I’ll teach you how to be a good person.

Chu Changqing, of course, didn’t know what Chang Wan was thinking. His gaze suddenly darkened.

Chang Wan went to retrieve his book, “Are there any other books you want to read? These need to be returned.”

She usually borrowed mortal books from the library to help him pass the time. Since they were borrowed, they naturally had to be returned.

However, Chang Wan’s movement was stopped.

The youth pulled out a book titled “Peach Blossom Fan” from the thick stack. His peach blossom eyes were calm and unruffled, “Can I keep this one?”

“…”

Chang Wan agreed.

It was just a book; Chang Wan wasn’t short on money. It was only a matter of a few spirit stones.

Passing by the small garden, she saw a pair of partridges flying by, playing boisterously, which made her smile knowingly. Afterward, she felt a bit melancholic. So many days had passed, yet the male lead’s Redemption Value remained stagnant, while his Blackening Value had skyrocketed. However, even with the rising Blackening Value, he hadn’t done anything strange; instead, he had become much more well-behaved…

After the young girl left, the youth slowly stroked the book. The blood-stained partial pages were tucked inside, a patch of scarlet.

He glanced sideways, then slowly closed his eyes.

The wind stirred in the back mountain, and a faint female voice reached his ears: “I’ll just assume you’re truly foolish…”

= =

Chang Wan had been diligently studying Heart Movement stage techniques these past few days. More disciples came to ask her questions, and gradually she became more proficient, truly grasping some of the subtleties of the Heart Movement stage. This made her lectures more effective and gave her some confidence.

However, those two disciples from the Fire Red Sect seemed to not favor her.

One young girl was infatuated, her heart full of the Sect Leader’s heroic and dashing demeanor, so it was only natural she disliked this old woman lecturing. But the youth beside her, who knew who he was meeting in secret, had said he would be an exchange disciple but never showed up.

And that girl no longer acted like an infatuated girl gazing at the wind and snow outside the window; instead, her eyes were red as if looking at an enemy, staring at her face.

Fortunately, Chang Wan had a good mentality. Even under those murderous gazes, she still gave a vibrant lecture.

Speaking of which, Chang Wan hadn’t seen that Fire Red Sect youth in a while, but she didn’t think much of it.

After the lecture, Chang Wan felt a strange gaze again.

She glanced sideways and saw those two partridges outside the window again.

They chirped twice, pecking each other’s wings, and after a while, flew away again.

There were many birds and beasts on the mountain, so Chang Wan didn’t think much of it. After finishing the lecture, she closed her lesson plan and left.

Meanwhile, Shen Lan, watching the departing silhouette of the young girl, clenched her hands fiercely, her eyes filled with hatred.

As soon as Chang Wan stepped out of the Sage Hall, she saw the mute youth standing at the door.

He was dressed in black clothes, looking up at the green-leafed jade orchid planted by the door. His crescent-shaped eyes were gentle and focused, as if the orchid had truly bloomed.

Chang Wan remembered the mission item in her sleeve and immediately stopped in her tracks.

These past few days hadn’t been wasted; she had roughly figured out some things—for example, there was an Elder named Qiu Fu who was a mute.

There were many mutes in this world, but a mute who could write a talisman that became a mission item was rare.

The youth saw her out of the corner of his eye and turned to smile at her.

The youth had red lips and white teeth; his smile was like a clear breeze under the moon, very pleasing to the eye.

The two partridges on the orchid tree fluttered their wings and flew away.

Chang Wan looked at him, momentarily unsure how to greet him. Fortunately, the mute youth pulled out a yellow paper from his embrace, promptly dispelling her awkwardness—

[Haven’t seen you in a few days, Elder Chang has become even more beautiful.]

Chang Wan: “…”

[Your face is like the cherry blossoms of August.] the youth wrote slowly, [Very beautiful.]

Are there cherry blossoms in August? Was her common knowledge wrong, or do cherry blossoms here bloom in August?

Chang Wan couldn’t ascertain the youth’s identity. Before she could speak, a slightly sarcastic voice came from behind her: “Elder Chang truly possesses unparalleled beauty.”

Chang Wan turned around and saw the girl in the red dress with a flamboyant presence and sharp, cold brows: “It is truly a pleasure to witness your unparalleled beauty.”

It was precisely that female disciple from the Fire Red Sect, Shen Lan.

The disciples who hadn’t left were all peeking out from inside.

Chang Wan paused, “You flatter me.”

Shen Lan sneered: “It’s just that Elder Chang’s lectures are utter nonsense. Compared to your beauty, it’s nothing.”

Chang Wan frowned. Those words were indeed offensive. She lectured based on the jade slip; to call her lectures nonsense was clearly malicious. Her voice immediately turned cold, “What do you mean by that?”

“I am Shen Cong, a disciple of the Fire Red Sect.” Shen Lan’s voice was icy cold. “After listening to your golden and jade words and practicing as you instructed, I suffered Qi deviation that night and have now become a fool in the back mountain. I wonder if your esteemed self has heard this gossip?”

Her voice grew colder, “Of course, even if you heard it, you wouldn’t care, would you? It’s a pity that our fellow disciple from the Fire Red Sect has ended up in such a state—”

Upon hearing this, the disciples who had followed Chang Wan’s teachings immediately erupted, looking at Chang Wan with strange expressions and whispering behind her back.

But no one dared to offend Chang Wan.

Chang Wan, however, remained composed, “One must have evidence when speaking or acting. Empty words are just words, aren’t they?”

Who knew, this time Shen Lan didn’t speak, but a disciple behind her timidly said: “That exchange disciple is indeed… foolish. Before I came, I saw him in the back mountain acting like a three-year-old nephew…”

He seemed reluctant to speak further, unable to finish his sentence.

Chang Wan frowned. She recalled the time she had taught Li Su incorrectly. Could it be that person had truly suffered Qi deviation according to her previous methods and hadn’t come out?

But that didn’t make sense. Li Su had asked for private instruction, and she had fobbed him off with some deadly nonsense. But during normal lectures, she followed the jade slip and basic understanding according to the book!

However, she couldn’t shake off the uncertainty in her heart, and she inevitably felt her confidence waver.

The suspicious glances from the surroundings pricked her uncomfortably. Shen Lan’s mocking gaze was the most prominent. Just as Chang Wan was about to say something, her sleeve was lightly tugged.

Chang Wan looked back.

The mute youth, dressed in black, made his snow-white skin stand out. He placed the yellow talisman into her hand and gave her a smile.

[I heard what you said before; it was correct.]

[I believe you.]

Although she didn’t know the youth’s identity, Chang Wan felt a slight sense of calm. She then said to Shen Lan, “Where is he now? Take me there!”

The two partridges fluttered their wings and flew down again.