In the side courtyard, everyone had gone to rest early, and Liu Liu was no exception. After dinner and washing up, she retired for the night.
Liu Liu was fast asleep when a pungent scent of wine, mixed with the aroma of dragon saliva incense, permeated the air.
She was very familiar with this smell, and she was always vigilant when sleeping. So, when the person lunged at her, she swiftly rolled over, causing his grasp to miss.
He lunged at her again rapidly. Liu Liu's face turned grim. Fortunately, she was wearing a mask tonight. It seemed her mask couldn't be removed for some time to come; she would take it off upon returning to the逍遥岛 (Xiāoyáo Dǎo).
"Are you crazy? Sneaking into my room in the middle of the night to attack me is unbecoming of a gentleman."
As Liu Liu fended him off, she snorted angrily. Although her martial arts were not weak, Feng Xie's skills were unfathomable. More importantly, he was a man and had greater stamina than a woman.
If this continued, her mask would surely be ripped off. The thought made Liu Liu both angry and anxious. A chill pervaded her body. With a flick of her wrist, her soft sword transformed into a sharp blade, unleashing countless sword flowers that struck directly at Feng Xie.
Feng Xie wasn't using his full strength; he was merely trying to remove Liu Liu's mask. Seeing Liu Liu's urgency now, he realized she had something to hide.
He suddenly felt at ease, completely certain of one thing: the person before him, Qi Ye, was indeed his Liu'er, with absolute certainty. However, seeing her current apprehension, he couldn't bear to force her. He took a step back, a sinister smile gracing his lips.
"Liu'er, I know it's you. You don't want to see me, but I will stay with you until you are willing to acknowledge me. Rest well. I'm leaving."
With that, he vanished from Liu Liu's chamber. Despite the fierce fighting within, there was not the slightest disturbance outside.
Liu Liu surmised that Hong Xiu had been acupoint-sealed by him. When she went out to check, she found it was indeed so. She then unsealed Hong Xiu's acupoints. Hong Xiu, rubbing her eyes, saw Liu Liu standing by her bed and mumbled groggily,
"Does Master require anything?"
"It's nothing. You sleep," Liu Liu said softly. Hong Xiu nodded and buried her head back into her pillow. Liu Liu returned to her room, thinking no one else would come tonight and she could finally sleep peacefully. This Wan Feng Tea Estate was becoming increasingly unsafe.
Feng Xie returned to the guest quarters. His mood was exceptionally good due to his happiness. After contemplating his thoughts for a while longer, he prepared to sleep. Unexpectedly, Ri Ying walked in, reporting with a cold expression.
"Master, a moment ago, your subordinate apprehended Miss Bu as she was attempting to poison the Wan Feng Villa. Fortunately, I stopped her and confiscated her poison."
After Ri Ying finished speaking, he handed the items obtained from Bu Xiangyin to Feng Xie. Feng Xie glanced at them, his face turning frosty, his entire being radiating a chilling aura, like the cold-faced judge in the eighteen levels of hell, exuding icy malevolence. He commanded in a deep voice,
"Immediately arrest her. You will personally oversee her and hand her over to Master Feng tomorrow."
"Yes," Ri Ying nodded, surprised that Bu Xiangyin would attempt poisoning. She must have received orders from Hua Wu You. But why would she want to poison the people of Wan Feng Tea Estate?
Wasn't he the only one Hua Wu You intended to deal with?
Feng Xie's slender brows arched, his formidable presence looming overhead.
"It seems Hua Wu You has begun his move. We must proceed with caution in the coming days."
"Yes, Master," Ri Ying accepted the order and went to apprehend Bu Xiangyin, personally guarding her and sealing her acupoints to prevent suicide or any further inexplicable actions.
The next morning, everyone received the news: Bu Xiangyin had attempted to poison the largest well in the Feng Manor. The evidence was irrefutable, leaving her no room for denial.
However, Bu Xiangyin still hoped to seek a sliver of survival by relying on the favor of the man beside her. She spoke with a pitiable, tearful tone,
"Husband, I have been framed. I beg my husband to do me justice."
Feng Xie couldn't help but laugh sarcastically upon hearing her words. His eyes glinted with murderous intent. He shifted his body, his presence like Mount Tai descending from above, and stood coldly before her. He extended his hands and clasped her vital points, speaking sternly,
"Speak, did Hua Wu You order you to do all this? Who exactly are you? Otherwise, I will make you wish you were dead."
He laughed, standing as if he could defy heaven and earth, feared by gods and demons alike. Yet, she still dared to hope this man would feel even a shred of affection for her. How could that be? Such a man would likely never love her in his lifetime. Biting her lip, she met Feng Xie's dark, probing eyes.
"Since you know, kill me or dismember me as you wish."
She intended to be defiant, but unexpectedly, the man ruthlessly dislocated her arm. She heard the sound of her own bone fracturing, followed by excruciating pain. Unable to bear it any longer, she let out a pig-like scream and wailed in agony.
Partly from pain, partly hoping someone in the main hall would pity her, she scanned the room with tear-filled eyes and realized that everyone in the Feng Manor, from the hosts to the guests, were ruthless individuals. Human lives were like fleeting clouds to them. Thus, her plea was futile.
Bu Xiangyin, recognizing this fact, felt both hatred and pain, tears streaming down her face. Her once fair and delicate face was indescribably disheveled.
"Did you always look like this, or is it a disguise? Why can't I see any flaws?"
Liu Liu leaned in close, her gaze cold as she studied Bu Xiangyin's face for a long time, speaking with a puzzled tone, completely ignoring Bu Xiangyin's suffering. Seeing that Bu Xiangyin did not answer, she extended her slender fingers and pressed on Bu Xiangyin's fractured bone. The pain made her scream and tremble as she replied,
"I'll speak. In fact, I used a disguise. After disguising myself, I applied a facial rejuvenation elixir, making the disguised appearance indistinguishable from the real one."
"Oh," Liu Liu, having obtained the answer she wanted, finally released the woman called Bu Xiangyin.
So, it wasn't that they looked exactly alike, but that she had used a disguise. This facial rejuvenation elixir was indeed a remarkable item. She wondered which master pharmacologist had invented it.
However, given the vastness of the world, there were all sorts of strange and rare things, so it was not entirely surprising. Just as Liu Liu moved aside, a stern voice suddenly rang out from the main hall.
"Hua Wu You, how dare you send someone to poison the Wan Feng Villa! This is outrageous! I, Feng Jiu, am irreconcilable with you!"
Feng Jiu, in his fury, struck the table beside him heavily. His face ashen, he ordered a servant, "Come, drag this woman out and execute her! Scatter her ashes to the winds!"
Upon hearing Feng Jiu's words, Bu Xiangyin's face turned pale, and her body couldn't help but sway a few times. She shook her head.
Rumor had it that Feng Jiu was a gentleman who cherished delicate women, but it turned out to be mere pretense. In private, he was equally bloodthirsty and violent. Today was her misfortune; she had fallen into their hands and could only accept her fate.
Bu Xiangyin's eyes flashed as she allowed the Feng Manor servants to drag her away. Her martial arts had been crippled, rendering her utterly useless. Thus, escaping was out of the question.
Those in the main hall watched as the servants dragged Bu Xiangyin away. The gloom that had hung over them for days had finally lifted. Fortunately, they had seen through this woman's true colors sooner rather than later.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have known what other poisons they might have suffered. Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, they suddenly heard screams from outside the house. The figures in the hall simultaneously flashed out.