Chapter 31: The Mysterious Person

“Sect Master, all the mechanisms you ordered have been set in place. The eight exits have been completely blocked, the broken stone at the entrance to the central mechanism chamber has fallen, and the internal mechanisms are in operation.” reported several trusted disciples in Zhongshan Sect’s narrative hall, respectfully bowing to Shu Qi.

Shu Qi’s expression was dark. He furrowed his brows tightly and coldly asked: “Have all the mechanism switches been destroyed?”

“Replying to Sect Master, as per your instructions, all the mechanism switches have been chopped and destroyed, leaving no possibility of being activated again.” answered one disciple calmly.

Shu Qi gave a faint “hm” sound, his impatience showing as he waved his hand. “Alright, you may leave now.”

The disciples obeyed and withdrew. In an instant, the spacious hall was left with only Shu Qi and Ji Qinghe. Due to the repeated disruptions that had occurred that night, Shu Qi had lost all interest in celebrating his birthday. He forced a smile, apologized to the guests, and arranged for them to stay, promising to entertain them later.

At this moment, he closed his eyes, a heavy expression on his face, and raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Shu, you’ve sealed off all the exits to the forbidden area and destroyed the mechanisms. Doesn’t that mean Wan Wan can’t get out either?” Ji Qinghe, observing his expression, cautiously brought up the topic.

Shu Qi lowered his hand and looked at Ji Qinghe, his tone cold. “What if she can’t get out? A daughter who betrays her own family and is shameless enough to do so—if she does come out, I will still deal with her.”

Shu Qi’s wife had passed away, and Ji Qinghe understood how much he had doted on his daughter, Wan Wan. To suddenly hear him speak such words, it was certain that something was amiss. Ji Qinghe, confused, asked: “Shu, what’s wrong with you? From the moment you injured Wan Wan, I knew something was off. How could you bear to lay a hand on her? And now you’re speaking of a life-and-death situation—are you out of your mind?”

“She has a problem.” Shu Qi said after a brief silence.

Ji Qinghe didn’t understand, frowning as he asked: “A problem? What problem?”

“She knows a lot… things she shouldn’t, things she couldn’t possibly know.” Shu Qi squinted, recalling the incomplete words that Shu Wan had almost said—sorry to Jiang Xuanfeng, it was us… Interesting.

“And also, the mechanisms of the forbidden area can only be passed down by the Sect Master, and I have never passed it on to anyone. But look at how she activated the mechanisms without hesitation today. She’s clearly very familiar with them.” Shu Qi said thoughtfully. “She knows how to activate them, so she must also know how to leave. How could I not be on guard? I even suspect… that she might not be Wan Wan at all.”

“My Wan Wan… maybe she was swapped out by someone with ulterior motives… And they brought in this impostor. But this little girl is too naïve—there are too many flaws!”

Ji Qinghe took some time to process the shocking statements from Shu Qi. After thinking for a moment, he frowned and questioned: “But, Shu, if your suspicion is correct, shouldn’t you leave her alive? Keep her alive to find out who the mastermind is, so you can locate the real Wan Wan?”

Shu Qi wearily shook his head and simply said: “I can find Wan Wan myself, but she must die.”

“A mere little girl, what harm can she do, even if she manages to escape?” Ji Qinghe casually remarked. However, upon seeing Shu Qi’s serious expression, clearly not in agreement with his words, Ji Qinghe’s thoughts shifted. “Could it be… that there is something unknown within the forbidden area of Zhongshan Sect that Shu Qi is concerned about?”

Shu Qi shot him a cold look.

Ji Qinghe’s heart sank. Realizing his mistake, he quickly stopped speaking. He didn’t want to offend Shu Qi. He immediately apologized: “I spoke out of turn. Please don’t take offense, Shu. Hahaha.”

“Five days. They should be dead by then.” Shu Qi disregarded Ji Qinghe’s offense and spoke in a deep voice. “In five days, I will open the forbidden area’s passage and go in to search carefully. If I don’t find a body, I won’t be able to rest easy.”

—

“Boom—”

As Shu Wan activated the mechanism, Yi Chenlan felt an unease stirring within him. When he heard the rumbling sound, he immediately rushed to check Shu Wan’s hand, but it was too late. The floor tiles beneath his feet suddenly retreated several feet!

Yi Chenlan reacted swiftly, leaping forward, but in that brief moment, a solid stone wall had descended between him and Shu Wan.

“Wan Wan—” Yi Chenlan’s heart sank. From Shu Wan’s expression, it was clear she knew exactly how to activate the mechanism. This stone wall could not have been dropped by her. Someone outside must have intervened, or perhaps it was the mysterious person from earlier in the passage.

If it was someone outside, that could be explained, but that person wasn’t on his side now. What did they want to do? Could Wan Wan be in danger?

Yi Chenlan’s long fingers touched the cold stone wall, and a ruthless light flickered in his eyes.

—

When Shu Wan opened her eyes, her head felt heavy, and everything around her was dimly lit by yellow candlelight. Her eyes, unused to the lack of light, felt uncomfortable. She instinctively reached up to rub her eyes, but then suddenly realized something was wrong.

Shu Wan immediately sat up from the ground. The large circular hall before her was filled with flickering candlelight. Eight finely carved wooden doors were evenly distributed around the room. Though it was her first time here, she immediately recognized it. This was the central mechanism chamber she had read about in her book.

But where was the mysterious person who had taken her?

As soon as that person had spoken earlier, Shu Wan’s heart had nearly leapt out of her chest. Before she could even react, the person’s sharp hand strike had knocked her unconscious.

Shu Wan anxiously looked around. In the center of the circular hall was a large raised platform, but other than that, there was nothing. Her hands were sweating, and she kept glancing around helplessly, fearful that the person might suddenly appear behind her.

“Looking for me? Little mute.”

Without warning, a carved wooden door to the left of Shu Wan opened, and a ragged woman stepped out.

Her long hair, unkempt and falling to her knees, framed a face that was haggard but still held a certain beauty. Her tattered black clothes clung to her body, resembling a fallen beauty ghost.

Shu Wan jumped back in shock, retreating several steps. “Y-y-y-you… cough cough… cough cough cough…”

Huh? She could speak now?

“You truly are not a natural mute.” the woman said with a blank expression. “I noticed the bruise on your neck and damage to your throat, so I decided to try.”

The woman quickly approached. “But don’t misunderstand me. I didn’t save you out of kindness. Those random things you wrote, I can’t understand them, and it’s too much of a hassle to communicate like that. Now, you will answer my questions. If you try any tricks, I’ll kill you. Understood?”

The woman’s martial skills were clearly superior to Shu Wan’s. She nodded obediently, her feelings a mixture of helplessness and bitterness.

As an author, Shu Wan understood very well that the plot in the forbidden area was a high-stakes, safety-assured scene designed to give the male protagonist a “Metal finger” moment. But now, in her own situation, a completely unfamiliar, powerful person had emerged from the forbidden area—someone she had never written about and didn’t recognize at all.

This stranger casually asked: “I’ve only just woken up after a long sleep. I don’t know how long I was out, but it must have been quite a while. Let me ask you, did Jiang Xuanfeng go to Snowy Night Mountain to challenge Yi Heng?”

This sleep wasn’t just long… Shu Wan stared at her blankly, enduring the pain in her throat as she honestly replied: “Yes, he did.”

“Heh, fool.” the stranger immediately concluded with a sharp tone.

“Who won the fight?” she asked again.

Shu Wan thought for a moment. “It’s hard to say. They… both died.”

The woman’s expression changed, her brows knitting as she fell silent for a moment. Then, she sneered coldly. “Jiang Xuanfeng had it coming! He deserved to die! He had a wife and children, living well outside. Yet, that scoundrel Shu Qi tricked him into returning to the damn Zhongshan Sect! He was practically asking for death!”

Shu Wan stood there expressionless, listening to her curse, and obediently refrained from commenting.

“Did they bring his body back? Has he been buried?” The woman clenched her fists, her chest heaving with anger. “Even if he’s been buried, I’ll dig up his grave and cut off those useless ears of his. He won’t be able to ignore my warnings!”

Shu Wan slightly shrank her neck, quietly reminding: “But he… he has been dead for ten years…”

“What?!”

The woman’s eyes widened in disbelief. She suddenly stepped forward with a burst of energy and grabbed Shu Wan’s wrist tightly. “What nonsense are you talking?! Ten years—he’s been dead for ten years?! You’re lying to me! You’re lying!”

The woman’s grip was so tight that Shu Wan’s face turned pale. She trembled, her lips shaking as she said: “Senior… it’s true.”

The woman forcefully threw Shu Wan away, her body trembling uncontrollably. “What evidence do you have?! I told you, if you try any tricks, I’ll kill you!”

She glared at Shu Wan, her eyes wild with fury, like a mother lion gone mad, ready to devour her. She desperately searched Shu Wan’s expression for signs of guilt or fear, but there was none. The delicate young girl before her had eyes as clear and pure as water, offering no hint of deception.

“How could this be… how could this be…”

The woman muttered softly to herself, her voice full of disbelief. “He’s dead… he’s been dead for ten years… ten years…”

Shu Wan endured the lingering pain in her throat, watching as the woman seemed to calm down gradually. She then tentatively spoke in a hoarse voice: “Senior… I wouldn’t lie to you. Everything I said is the truth. I… can I go get my… Senior Brother, who was with me? I… I’m worried about being alone with him…”

“Hahahahaha…” The woman suddenly burst into loud laughter, tears even forming at the corners of her eyes. Shu Wan furrowed her brow, her hands nervously twisting together, feeling somewhat lost as she looked at the woman who had suddenly become completely unhinged.

After laughing to her heart’s content, the woman raised an eyebrow and kindly explained: “Once I’m done asking my questions, I’ll kill you. What do you want to bring him here for? Do you want me to enjoy killing you more?”

She added: “Besides, he’s already dead. I’ve hated men my entire life. You should be thankful you’re just a little girl, or else I wouldn’t have the patience to listen to your last words.”

Shu Wan froze.

The woman… said… Senior Brother Ah Lan… was dead?

It must have been when she was taken away that Senior Brother Ah Lan noticed something was wrong and chased after her. But he couldn’t defeat her and was instead killed by her…

Shu Wan’s eyes gradually turned red, her whole body trembling. Like an angry little beast, she clenched her fists and suddenly lunged forward, gathering her energy into her palm to strike at the woman. Before she even reached her, the fierce Blazing Sun True Qi surged from her, but the woman’s brows furrowed as she didn’t take the hit. She swiftly dodged to the side.

“You seek death.” the woman’s voice turned cold, and her expression gradually shifted to one of disgust. “Blazing Sun True Qi? No wonder you looked familiar. Ten years… Yes, that fits. Could it be that you’re Shu Qi’s daughter?”

Shu Wan’s mind was filled with the image of her killing Yi Chenlan, a storm of anger, regret, and guilt swirling inside her. She didn’t want to exchange another word with this woman. Regardless of whether she was a match for her or not, Shu Wan gathered all her True Qi and slammed her palm forward once more.

This time, the woman didn’t dodge. Instead, she coldly smiled and met Shu Wan’s palm with her own. The two palms collided, and while the woman only took half a step back, Shu Wan was sent flying by the shockwave, crashing down to the base of the high platform.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Shu Wan half-kneeled on the ground, coughing uncontrollably as her energy surged within her dantian. She watched the woman approach, her expression a mix of amusement and disdain. Knowing that she was no match for her, Shu Wan’s heart burned with anger and hatred. She fought back tears, glaring at her fiercely.

“You killed Senior Brother Ah Lan! Why did you kill him?! I had just managed to get him out! He had finally… finally escaped! He didn’t even get…” didn’t even get to live a single good day…

Shu Wan rambled in sorrow, her heart breaking. She had been trying so hard to help Yi Chenlan, but once again, she had harmed him. This time, she had directly caused his death.

Perhaps it was the grief or something else, but Shu Wan felt herself growing weaker. She couldn’t stand up. All her strength was spent in fiercely glaring at the woman, like a helpless little cub thrown from the safety of its nest, unable to fight against any danger.

The woman, amused by her appearance, was about to laugh, but then her steps suddenly stopped. A hint of pain flashed across her face.

“You insignificant rat, how dare you use such a despicable trick on me!” she snapped, suddenly turning to shout at the carved wooden door behind her.

Shu Wan couldn’t help but look at the door, a faint hope blossoming in her heart, her pure eyes filled with expectation.

The door opened in response, and a faint light streamed through the passage as Yi Chenlan slowly walked in.

He stood tall and elegant, despite being covered in blood, his body wrapped in makeshift bandages that were far from neat. Yet, his majestic presence remained unchanged.

“You…”

The woman froze when she saw Yi Chenlan’s appearance, as though witnessing something unbelievable. Her lips moved, but she couldn’t utter a single coherent word.

Yi Chenlan paid her no attention, not even sparing her a glance. He quickly stepped to Shu Wan’s side, carefully lifting her up. He held a black pill between his fingers and gently placed it near her lips. “Wan Wan, take this medicine.”

Shu Wan, growing weaker by the second, leaned against Yi Chenlan’s chest. Without hesitation, she obediently opened her mouth to take the pill, her voice quivering with suppressed tears. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, you’re not dead… she said you were dead…” Tears immediately streamed from her eyes.

Yi Chenlan gave a soft hum in response. He tenderly wiped away her tears and whispered soothingly: “Don’t listen to others’ nonsense. How could I die so easily?”

Shu Wan nodded vigorously, as if the harder she nodded, the more resilient Yi Chenlan’s life would become. The pill slid down her throat, irritating her wound and making her cough a few times. She asked: “Senior Brother Ah Lan, what kind of medicine is this?”

Her eyes were pure, filled with trust. Yi Chenlan paused slightly, avoiding her gaze, and refrained from mentioning the poison he had used earlier. “You clashed with her earlier, your energy is disrupted. This will help you regulate your breath.”

Shu Wan showed a look of gratitude, slightly pushing to shield Yi Chenlan behind her. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, stand behind me. This woman is very powerful, I…” Before she could finish, she collapsed weakly.

Yi Chenlan immediately steadied her, resting her head against his shoulder, his expression silent and cold as he turned his gaze to the woman.

“Jiang Yang?” The woman didn’t bother wiping the black blood dripping from her mouth as she cautiously asked: “Are you Jiang Yang?”

Yi Chenlan furrowed his brows. “Who are you?”

“My name is Duan Yuexian.” she stared intently at him: “I am the master of Luo Xian Mountain Villa.”