The moonlight was hazy, and the light wasn't bright, but Rong Zhi still noticed a gruesome wound on Qiu Ju's exposed wrist. Blood was oozing from the wound, dripping onto the ground, forming a strange pattern with each step Qiu Ju took.
The pattern was circular overall, but Rong Zhi couldn't decipher what it represented.
She couldn't let Qiu Ju walk any further, lest some bizarre ritual be performed.
Rong Zhi directly lifted the woman up. Back in the room, she quickly bound Qiu Ju. With no rope, Rong Zhi used the woman's own clothes to wrap her like a zongzi.
Strangely, even though Qiu Ju was wrapped up, her feet maintained a walking posture, as if she couldn't see she was in a room, nor realize she was lying on a bed.
After settling Qiu Ju, Rong Zhi went outside and looked at the large bloodstains on the ground. Gritting her teeth, she bit her own wrist, letting blood drip onto the ground to disrupt the original pattern.
Although Rong Zhi didn't understand what the pattern was, she knew that by destroying it, it couldn't possibly take effect.
Rong Zhi now regretted that her memories from her previous life concerning this matter were somewhat blurry, otherwise she wouldn't be so passive.
Having done all this, Rong Zhi returned to the room and bandaged her wound.
Early the next morning, Rong Zhi suddenly heard a scream.
"What's going on?"
She opened her eyes and saw Qiu Ju staring at her own bundled body in horror. The sound woke up Xia He and Dong Mei.
They got up and dressed, looking at the scene before them in a daze.
Finally, all eyes fell on Rong Zhi. She was sleeping in the same bed as Qiu Ju, and it was clear everyone was starting to suspect her.
Rong Zhi explained, "I saw Qiu Ju go out last night, and she had a wound on her wrist. I was afraid she'd hurt herself sleepwalking, so I tied her up. You can look outside if you don't believe me; you'll still see the bloodstains she left."
Xia He and Qiu Ju, half-believing, went outside. They returned shortly, their gazes towards Rong Zhi now carrying a hint of strangeness.
"What is it?"
Sensing something was wrong, Rong Zhi went out to look. Where were the bloodstains? Only withered, yellowed grass from late autumn.
Impossible. It hadn't rained last night. So much blood couldn't have dried up in one night; there should have been some trace. How could there be nothing at all?
Rong Zhi checked several times but found no clues.
By then, Xia He had untied Qiu Ju. She looked at Rong Zhi with suspicion, "Chun Tao, did I really go out last night?"
"Of course. Look at the wound on your wrist, you'll know."
Qiu Ju lifted her sleeve and gasped when she saw her wrist. A deep, gruesome wound was there. Although it wasn't bleeding, the moment she saw it, Qiu Ju suddenly felt a pang of pain.
"I think something's wrong here. We should escape quickly!" Qiu Ju felt scared.
"Yeah, anyway, the steward isn't here. If we run, he won't know."
Rong Zhi looked up at the surrounding wilderness. For some reason, she felt it was even more desolate than when they arrived yesterday.
Yesterday, she had said that Xia Jin wouldn't let them leave easily. However, since the girls insisted, Rong Zhi didn't say anything.
"Then let's pack up and get ready to leave. Even if we can't escape, it'll be good to go out and find some food."
From last night until now, they hadn't even had a sip of water, let alone food.
The three girls nodded and quickly returned to their rooms to pack.
While they were inside, Rong Zhi leaped onto the roof. Gazing into the distance, she was startled.
As far as the eye could see, there was only withered yellow grass. If they were too far from the imperial city to see its scenery, they should at least be able to see a few trees. But now, not a single tree was visible.
When Rong Zhi had arrived yesterday, the scenery had not been like this.
Her expression turned somber.
In a blink, the girls had come out, and Rong Zhi quickly jumped down.
"Let's go quickly."
Dong Mei pointed in one direction, "That way is opposite to the imperial city. If we walk in that direction, we should find someone's home."
Qiu Ju and Xia He followed, and Rong Zhi had no choice but to tag along.
As they walked further and further, the thatched hut fell behind. But gradually, everyone noticed something was wrong.
"Why is the scenery here all the same? It feels like we can't get out," Xia He said, a look of anxiety on her face as she observed their surroundings.
Dong Mei and Qiu Ju looked around, remaining silent, but it was evident they weren't much calmer than Xia He.
Rong Zhi looked back. The thatched hut that had been within sight was now gone.
"Let's keep walking!" She knew Xia Jin wouldn't let them leave so easily.
With no other options, they had to keep walking. After forcing themselves forward for a while, Qiu Ju plopped down on the ground.
"Damn it, we've walked so far and still can't get out."
"Are we going to be stuck here forever?" Xia He and Dong Mei looked around blankly, at a loss.
Rong Zhi's expression was grave. She had never seen anything like this. Looking back, the thatched hut was long gone. If they couldn't get out, they would likely die of thirst and hunger in this barren land.
A low sob could be heard nearby. Rong Zhi irritably rubbed her forehead, suddenly remembering the pattern from last night.
"Qiu Ju, let me borrow your hand."
Qiu Ju looked at Rong Zhi in confusion. After a moment of hesitation, she extended her hand.
Rong Zhi pressed down with her fingertips, her nails slicing open Qiu Ju's wrist, causing the woman to cry out in pain.
"What are you doing, Chun Tao!"
Rong Zhi watched the blood gush from Qiu Ju's wrist and said to her, "Follow me."
With that, she began to walk in circles around the area. Qiu Ju stared for a moment before quickly following, a premonition washing over her that following Rong Zhi might lead her to an exit.
As Qiu Ju walked, a strange pattern appeared on the ground. Xia He and Dong Mei didn't know what it was, but Rong Zhi did. This pattern was the exact opposite of the one Qiu Ju had traced last night.
Rong Zhi didn't know why she remembered it so clearly. By the time Qiu Ju's wrist had almost bled dry, the pattern was complete.
Rong Zhi then cut her own wrist and dripped some blood onto the ground at the opposite position from yesterday, and looked at the ground.
"What is this?" Qiu Ju asked, clutching her injured wrist, looking at the ground in confusion.
Regrettably, after a long time, there was no reaction from their surroundings.
Rong Zhi's expression grew more somber. Had she guessed wrong? Was this not a "formation" from the Xuanmen families?
Typically, there were two ways to break a formation: either find the formation's eye, or set up a completely opposite formation to cancel out the original one. Rong Zhi had thought she could solve their current predicament by remembering yesterday's pattern, but it seemed she had been too simplistic.
"Look, isn't that the thatched hut from yesterday?" Dong Mei suddenly exclaimed, pointing in a direction.
The girls turned their heads and indeed, there was a thatched hut there. But just moments ago, the spot had been bare. Moreover, they had walked a considerable distance; the hut shouldn't be in that location. Yet, the current hut was less than a hundred paces away.
Qiu Ju could no longer afford to worry. The thatched hut was the safest place right now. She eagerly ran back, and Dong Mei and Xia He quickly followed. They didn't dare to wander off again.
Before leaving, Rong Zhi glanced back and noticed the pattern on the ground had vanished.
She recalled the scene from last night, feeling a sense of frustration, as if an invisible hand was controlling them, yet she was powerless to resolve it.
Just then, Rong Zhi noticed trees appearing around them, and the sounds of the surroundings became more chaotic. It was as if they had finally returned to the real world, which gave Rong Zhi a sense of grounding.
Rong Zhi didn't immediately return to the thatched hut. Instead, she explored the surroundings and found some wild berries.
Berries were scarce this season, and even if found, they were sour and bitter. To find food, they would have to return to the imperial city. Rong Zhi decided to let everyone have a bite for now before heading to the imperial city for proper food.
"Pah! What kind of berry is this? It's so disgusting!" Dong Mei spat out the berry after one bite, her face contorted into a grimace.
The other two also looked unhappy, while Rong Zhi ate it without changing her expression.
"This is the only berry around. Eat some, it's better than starving."
Hearing this, the girls' faces showed dejection. They hadn't expected the steward to confine them here, so apart from their travel money, they hadn't brought any food.
Dong Mei picked up the remaining half-berry and forced herself to eat it, gritting her teeth.
After eating, the girls lay on their beds, conserving their energy. After all, there was nothing they could do but sleep. Rong Zhi, meanwhile, went outside and used her Qinggong to head towards the imperial city.
Walking would take a day and a night to reach the imperial city, but with Qinggong, it would only take an hour. They didn't know how long they would be trapped here, and they needed to find some food.
As Rong Zhi walked, she came across a very familiar place – the thatched hut.
Rong Zhi stopped abruptly. Looking at the familiar scene, her expression darkened. She slowly walked closer, and then heard the girls' conversation.
"You know, how did Chun Tao know about that pattern? She wasn't like this before."
"Didn't they say Chun Tao saw Qiu Ju sleepwalking last night? Maybe she found out then."
"But there was no pattern outside the house. Maybe Chun Tao was mistaken."
The voices grew clearer. Rong Zhi suddenly pushed open the door, confronting the astonished faces of the girls.
"Chun Tao, why are you back so soon? Weren't you going back to the imperial city?" Dong Mei blinked, looking bewildered.
Rong Zhi looked at the girls and finally let out a long sigh.
"We can't get out. I walked for quite a while, and then I heard you talking. It seems we've circled back."
At these words, despair flickered across the girls' faces.