Chapter 69 Lingering Effects of Aphrodisiac

"Has Little Six returned yet?" Shen Yu asked Shen Muzhou softly as he followed behind.

Lin Yanxi looked up at Shen Muzhou. He remained silent, his eyes dark and deep, and she could see the faint worry on his face. "No."

By the time, it was already approaching evening. Little Six had left early in the morning. Reinforcements should have arrived by now. Even if there were any issues and they couldn't bring reinforcements, they would have sent a message back. But for two full days, there had been no news.

Shen Muzhou said, "However, the secret sentries have already passed the message back to the capital."

The few people returned to Ghost City. It was underground, so there was no distinction between day and night. Dim candlelight illuminated the narrow, long staircase. The sound of dripping water echoed periodically as they walked down until they reached an open area, beyond which lay the main street of Ghost City.

Ghost City opened on specific dates, the first and fifteenth of each month, and closed after seven days. Once closed, one would have to wait until the first or fifteenth of the next month to enter or leave again.

Today was the last day.

Lin Yanxi asked, "Do you guys feel like this Ghost City is a bit different from when we came that day?"

She couldn't pinpoint what was different, but it felt strange, giving her a sense of unease.

Shen Yu glanced to his sides and said casually, "What's different? Aren't all these stall owners the same, wearing face coverings and acting mysterious?"

Shen Muzhou remained silent but noticed that there were few customers in front of the stalls on either side. Occasionally, one or two customers stood before a stall. While they appeared to be discussing the items in their hands, their eyes would frequently dart towards them before quickly looking away.

Lin Yanxi gave Shen Yu a look as if he were an idiot. "You're truly a breath of fresh air amongst the royalty."

The princes of Nan Min who remained in the capital all had their own ways of surviving. Shen Yu alone was blessed with sheer good fortune.

At first, Shen Yu didn't think there was anything wrong with the comment. He ran a hand through his hair. "Naturally."

Then he saw Lin Yanxi's meaningful smile. He pointed at Lin Yanxi and asked, "Hey, you little girl, what do you mean by that!"

Seeing that he had figured it out, Lin Yanxi quickly ran behind Shen Muzhou and stuck out her tongue at him.

Shen Muzhou glanced at Shen Yu and said, "Stop fooling around. Let's go into the Zhihai Building first."

Meng'er had said that these people wouldn't cause trouble in Zhihai Building, so no matter what the stall owners outside were trying to achieve, they would be temporarily safe once inside.

He naturally took Lin Yanxi's small hand and kept her by his side as they walked towards Zhihai Building.

Shen Yu retorted indignantly, "You're so biased, it's unbelievable!"

In front of Zhihai Building, the piles of corpses that had been stacked high yesterday were gone. As usual, a few girls stood at the entrance, soliciting customers, as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, you've arrived."

Sister Lian'er, seeing them, came out from the entrance to greet them.

Lin Yanxi had to admire the skills of these women. As they warmly welcomed them, it was as if nothing had happened that day, and they were simply regular customers.

Shen Yu pointed at her and said, "It's her! It's this woman who led me and Little Six into the private room and drugged us."

Sister Lian'er's expression didn't change. She still smiled obsequiously. "You're too kind, young sir. Please come in quickly. Someone has been waiting for you for a long time."

Kind?

When was I kind to you?

Shen Yu glared at her vigilantly. Sister Lian'er smiled, took Shen Yu's hand, winked at him, and the coldness on Shen Yu's face gradually faded. He clasped Sister Lian'er's hand in return.

He walked into the building with her.

Lin Yanxi watched Shen Yu's lecherous demeanor and suddenly understood why Luo Jingxin didn't like him. The rumors from the capital were indeed not unfounded.

The other girls flocked around Shen Muzhou. "Young master is so handsome."

Several slender hands reached out to caress Shen Muzhou's arm. He held his saber in front of him and said coldly, "Move aside."

Seeing this, the girls didn't dare to embarrass themselves further and dispersed.

"Come here." Shen Muzhou looked back and beckoned to Lin Yanxi, who was standing on the side. His expression softened considerably.

The girls in Zhihai Building immediately cast envious glances at Lin Yanxi.

Lin Yanxi pouted. It was always like this. In front of others, he would pretend to be close to her, causing misunderstandings and suspicion, but in reality, the person he cared about was not her at all.

However, she was used to it. She obediently walked over and, following Shen Muzhou, entered a room with Sister Lian'er.

This time, they were more cautious than usual. Shen Muzhou picked up the tea on the table, lifted the lid of the octagonal incense burner, and used the tea to extinguish the incense.

He then searched the room thoroughly but found nothing unusual.

Sister Lian'er smiled at this. "Don't worry, this room is very clean."

"Meng'er has been waiting for you all day. That silly girl, to help you, received a severe reprimand from the楼主 (Louzhu - building owner)."

Sister Lian'er was only moderately attractive, but her movements were charming and seductive, possessing a unique allure. She always wore that alluring smile. When she mentioned Meng'er, a hint of worry appeared in her eyes, and her smile softened a little.

Lin Yanxi hadn't been able to bring Gu Qing to Meng'er. She felt a trace of guilt and asked, "Is Meng'er alright now?"

Sister Lian'er shook her head and sighed imperceptibly. "She... is sick. A heartache. What about Gu Qing? You couldn't find him?"

Her words seemed to be stuck in her throat, and Lin Yanxi didn't know whether to answer truthfully.

Shen Muzhou took over the conversation. "He's dead."

Sister Lian'er was startled at first, then sneered. "Come on, that coward who's afraid of death. After finally escaping Ghost City, he must have long since changed his mind and eloped with someone else. Would he die?"

"I think he's afraid to come back. You don't need to lie to me!"

Before they could ask further, Sister Lian'er opened up and chattered on. "When he came that year, I knew he wasn't a good person. Just a frail scholar, a pretty boy. Relying on his talent as a musician and his painting skills, he constantly approached Meng'er."

"Later, he claimed his mother was ill and needed medicine. Meng'er, that silly girl, believed him. She threatened to kill herself and begged the 楼主 to give her medicine. The 楼主 saw through him and investigated the musician's identity. Guess what happened?"

They exchanged glances, having already known what happened next. Shen Yu said indifferently, "He already had a virtuous wife at home, and the medicine was for his own wife."

Sister Lian'er waved her hand, leaning even closer to Shen Yu. She pinched his chin playfully. "Young master, you guessed wrong."

Lin Yanxi asked in confusion, "Wrong?"

Sister Lian'er recalled the past and said resentfully, "He was simply a greedy and cunning person. The county magistrate's daughter was chronically ill, and the county magistrate deeply cherished his daughter. He issued invitations, widely seeking famous doctors and precious medicine. Whoever could cure the young lady would be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver."

"Gu Qing accepted the invitation and often approached the young lady under the pretense of treating her illness. After obtaining the prescription, he abandoned Meng'er and left Ghost City. How could the 楼主 let him off lightly? When they were about to kill him, Meng'er begged the 楼主 to spare Gu Qing, promising to work for Zhihai Building her entire life and never again entertain the thought of buying her freedom."

"The 楼主 forced Meng'er to sever Gu Qing's hand. To save his life, she had no choice but to do so. After that, the 楼主 gave Meng'er a Memory-Eating Pill. It was supposed to make her forget him completely, but perhaps because Meng'er loved Gu Qing so much, she remembered all his good qualities, only forgetting everything that happened on the day he abandoned her."

Lin Yanxi murmured after hearing the story, "So, that's what happened between them."

Sister Lian'er pressed, "Did Gu Qing get to become the county magistrate's son-in-law as he wished?"

She shook her head and said softly, "No."

The truth was always harder to accept than lies.

Sister Lian'er asked in disbelief, "The county magistrate's daughter didn't like him? That makes sense, that pretty boy..."

Shen Yu put his arm around her shoulder and corrected, "You guessed wrong this time. The county magistrate's daughter liked him very much. They eloped from the mansion and are now living a very poor life."

Sister Lian'er seemed lost in thought for a moment, then her face regained its alluring smile. "I'll go and call Meng'er for you."

With that, she swayed her slender waist and left the room, closing the door gently.

"What are you thinking about?" Shen Muzhou, who had been silent, finally spoke.

Lin Yanxi sighed wistfully, "I'm thinking about how Gu Qing could be so deserving. Two women deeply in love with him, yet he was full of schemes. At the same time, I'm glad he didn't get his wish and live a life of wealth."

He looked at her, his eyes filled with tenderness, and teased, "Don't think about it. These things are too difficult for you."

The young girl immediately glared at him, refusing to be outdone. She wasn't even afraid of him anymore.

What did that mean?

Just as she was about to say something, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Sister Lian'er walked in. Meng'er was not with her.

Sister Lian'er waved her handkerchief, signaling them to come over. "Let's go, the 楼主 wants to see you."

The three of them followed Sister Lian'er through several doors into a private room. This was the same room where Meng'er had drugged them last time. Before stepping into the room, Shen Muzhou paused.

He tugged at Shen Yu's sleeve and whispered, "Fifth Brother, you wait here. Lin Yanxi and I will go in. If we don't come out within an hour, find a way to throw this out."

Shen Yu secretly took a dart from his hand. "Be careful with everything."

Sister Lian'er looked back at Shen Yu waiting outside and understood. She smiled. "Caution is necessary. It's only right."

She took out two silk ribbons and offered them to both of them. "Cover your eyes."

Shen Muzhou hesitated for a moment, then reached out to take the ribbon from her hand. Lin Yanxi grabbed his wrist and looked at him with unease.

He looked at her, stunned for a moment, his expression softening slightly. "If you're scared, wait outside with Shen Yu. I'll be back soon."

Who said I was scared?

Lin Yanxi frowned, snatched the ribbon before him, and said defiantly, "I'm going too."

Shen Muzhou clenched the silk scarf in his palm, not rushing to tie it. "The antidote."

Seeing her confusion, he repeated, "The antidote for the lingering effects of the aphrodisiac."

Sister Lian'er quickly understood and asked teasingly, "Can the symptoms of the lingering effects manifest within the body?"

Lin Yanxi then remembered the lingering effects. Could the sudden dull pain in her chest just now be a lingering effect?

Meaning, she had developed feelings? For whom? Shen Muzhou!

She instinctively glanced at Shen Muzhou. His expression was stern, and a hint of unnatural panic flickered deep within his dark eyes, completely masked by his indifferent demeanor.

Lin Yanxi's fair face flushed slightly, and her tone was stiff. "No."

Sister Lian'er's gaze lingered on their faces. She just smiled without speaking, then turned to a small drawer and took out a porcelain bottle. She poured out two small black pills for them to eat.

After they tied their blindfolds, Sister Lian'er rotated the ornaments in the four corners of the room. A hidden compartment behind a painting opened, revealing an eight trigrams disk with three pointers in the center.

After turning the pointers to their corresponding positions, the wooden board of the bed lifted, revealing a secret passage.

After walking about ten steps into the secret passage, Shen Muzhou and Lin Yanxi's blindfolds were removed.

Before them stood a handsome man. Unlike the others in Ghost City, he did not cover his face with a mask. On the bed lay a beautiful woman dressed in West Region attire.

"Meng'er!"