The horrific scene at the Black Market from days past was still vivid in their minds: the ground littered with blood and severed limbs, the mountain of heads and corpses. Now, the Black Market was less than a tenth of its former self, and the perpetrator of this devastation was the man standing before them, his face as fair as jade, his beauty unparalleled.
He had actually come to the Black Market in person.
Was it for her?
At this moment, the middle-aged woman and the dwarf cursed the ancestors of the one who hired them, wishing to dig up their graves, scatter their bones, and grind their ashes to dust.
"Is this the Regent's consort you spoke of, the one who is not favored?"
Not favored? Not favored enough for the Regent to personally come to the Black Market for her?
Their legs, which had not trembled even when captured and held at sword-point, now shook uncontrollably.
"My lord, look at how you've frightened them."
Nan Shiying walked to Ji Jinmo's side. Seeing the two terrified figures, she couldn't help but find it amusing. Yet, for the first time, she realized what a terrifying presence the Regent of Lin Yuan was to those who knew of his ruthless and cold-blooded nature.
Ji Jinmo shook his head in resignation, his hands slowly moving from his sides to his back. He ignored the two being held by Xuan Yi and Xuan Wu, and instead pointed to various corners of the courtyard. "Thirteen, dig out the things."
Xuan Shisan responded and quickly moved to the spots Ji Jinmo indicated, digging out everything buried in the earth.
They were animal skeletons.
A peculiar fragrance rose and billowed upwards. Ji Jinmo waved his sleeve, and the cuff stirred up a gust of wind, instantly dispersing the pervasive scent.
Nan Shiying shook her head, clearing the sudden mist that had appeared before her eyes.
"The medicinal effect is astonishing."
The smell emitted by so many corpses gathered together could instantly confuse the mind. If my lord hadn't entered the courtyard a step ahead of them, they would have fallen prey to these two.
Seeing their buried skeletons unearthed, the middle-aged woman and the dwarf finally gave up any thought of escape and obediently followed the others into the house.
Thirteen lit candles, and the candlelight dispelled the darkness within the house, illuminating and exposing the mountain of bones piled in the corners of the room.
All animal bones.
Incomplete bones.
"This..."
The sight of so many bones piled together was visually impactful.
Nan Shiying, however, paid no mind to the bones in the room. Instead, she took out a handkerchief from her懷 and wiped the dust off a chair before inviting Ji Jinmo to sit with her.
"Don't be nervous. I'm not here for retribution today," Nan Shiying's voice, laced with a smile, reached their ears. Looking at Nan Shiying's cheerful face, the two could not manage a smile at all.
They exchanged glances. The middle-aged woman hesitated for a moment before bowing to Nan Shiying. "If Your Highness has any instructions, please speak them plainly. We will comply."
"Good, you are quite straightforward."
After praising her with a smile, Nan Shiying said casually, "It's simple, I want the method for inducing hallucinations."
The method for inducing hallucinations was the foundation of their survival. If this method were handed over, the "Phantom Double Fiends" would have no place in the martial world. But if they refused, the saber at their necks pressed down, the blade deepening slightly.
The woman took a deep breath and nodded heavily. "Alright, Your Highness, we can hand over the method, but..."
"I only want the method, not my life."
Nan Shiying interrupted the woman.
Though they couldn't see clearly in the darkness, in the brightly lit room, the middle-aged woman and the dwarf saw the bloodstains on her skirt. The blood was somewhat dried, but its magnificent color was undiminished. The skirt no longer showed its original color, stained by so much blood that it had become this way.
"Not my life?"
The two couldn't help but feel suspicious and looked towards Ji Jinmo.
Nan Shiying raised an eyebrow, a chilling glint in her eyes. With just one glance, the middle-aged woman and the dwarf felt immense malice. The fierceness, no less than Ji Jinmo's, made them dare not say another word.
The woman glanced at the dwarf, who reached into his robes and took out a secret manual.
Xuan Shisan took the manual and, after checking for any danger, presented it to Nan Shiying with both hands.
Seeing this small gesture, the hearts of the middle-aged woman and the dwarf trembled again.
Nan Shiying was not just favored; her status likely surpassed that of a typical madam of a household.
Upon receiving the manual, Nan Shiying flipped through it a few times.
"Alright, I heard you have guests to attend to later, so we won't disturb you any further." Nan Shiying tucked the manual into her robes and cheerfully stood up to leave.
The two were slightly stunned.
They clearly hadn't expected her to let them go so easily.
"Oh, right, remember to charge them a hefty price!" As she reached the door, Nan Shiying suddenly turned back. The shifting light and shadow crisscrossed her face, casting it in an eerie, cold glow.
The Phantom Double Fiends swallowed hard, feeling their blood surge backward, and with a gulp, it was as if they had swallowed an ice cone.
"Yes!"
The two straightened their backs and respectfully took the command.
Ji Jinmo's lips curled upwards as he observed this.
...
Faint rustling sounds could be heard intermittently. The events concerning the Phantom Double Fiends quickly spread throughout the Black Market, but everyone merely listened. Those who were cautious had long since hidden their tracks.
...
In the carriage, Nan Shiying perused the secret manual obtained from the Phantom Double Fiends, gaining a general understanding of the core of this so-called illusion technique.
In essence, it involved using a type of hallucinogenic drug to confuse the mind, combined with subtle psychological suggestions and various environmental and object factors, to achieve the hallucinatory effect.
The animal corpse she had buried in Nan Yuan'er's courtyard did not have enough medicinal potency to have any significant effect.
What a shame!
Nan Shiying sighed with some regret.
This meant that the "Peony Tofu Soup" was merely bait to lure her into the courtyard, with no relation to the hallucination.
...
About an hour after Nan Shiying and her companions left, Nan Yuan'er's maid, disguised, arrived at the Black Market. Unlike ordinary maids, she showed no fear in this chaotic and mixed environment, appearing composed as if she were already accustomed to it.
She stood outside a hidden door, paid a silver coin, and lit a candle in a discreet corner after the day's events at the Black Market.
A silver candle.
This was an item carried by every guest entering the Black Market.
A gold candle signified a commission, while a silver candle represented a clean-up operation afterward.
Seeing the lit silver candle, the Phantom Double Fiends exchanged glances, seeing clear malice in each other's eyes.
Since you've come, don't even think about leaving!