Une aura glaçante

Chapitre 32

Xue Beifan saw her thin lips, and the words she spoke when her upper lip touched her lower lip were like small knives, which made him feel inexplicably itchy.

I wanted to tease her a bit more, but the old nun turned back.

The two remained hidden in the alley, keeping silent.

The nun went to the kitchen and started a fire, seemingly to cook. Just then, a young nun ran in from the doorway, carrying a bundle in her hands. "Master, it's been chopped down."

Old Ni took it and opened it. Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan peered into the kitchen from the wall and saw a bloody human head.

Xiao Dao gasped in surprise, and Xue Beifan quickly covered her mouth.

But in the kitchen, the old nun slowly turned her face and looked towards the alleyway.

Xiao Dao pried Xue Beifan's hand open and mouthed the words to him.

Xue Beifan didn't understand at first, but Xiao Dao couldn't help herself and whispered in his ear, "That dead person was a maid from the Cai family, the one who relayed a message to the Seventh Concubine yesterday!"

Xue Beifan was astonished. That maidservant had come with the Seventh Concubine, hadn't she?! She'd been killed already?!

The old nun mumbled incantations as she placed the maid's head into the steamer, instructing the young nun, "Steam it only until it's half-cooked; human brains are only nutritious when they're half-cooked."

Xiao Dao heard it clearly and felt her stomach churning. Xue Beifan quickly reached out to rub her back and winked at her—Miss, please don't throw up!

Xiao Dao covered his mouth and inhaled.

Then the old nun asked, "What about the physical body?"

“They’re bleeding us out right now,” Little Shani replied without changing his expression. “Seventh Concubine said the blood should be stewed into soup so she can have some nourishment.”

"Hehe." The old nun nodded and told the young nun to bring the blood. After the young nun left, the old nun sat on a stool, crossed her legs, and gently fanned the fire with a palm-leaf fan, muttering something in a lukewarm tone.

Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan listened intently, and heard her say, "The stupidest thing a woman can do is try to keep a man by pretending to stay young... Well, that's just as I wished." After saying that, the old nun laughed in a terrifying tone.

Xue Beifan and Xiao Dao both had a strange thought at the same time—it seemed that the old nun was deliberately saying it to them!

Just then, a strange smell wafted from the stove, indistinguishable between the aroma of meat and the stench of a corpse. Xiao Dao couldn't stand it; she covered her mouth and waved her hands repeatedly. Xue Beifan carried her and leaped over the wall, out of the courtyard. Landing on the open ground outside the back gate, Xiao Dao leaned against the wall and began to vomit.

Xue Beifan patted her back from behind and took out a water pouch hidden at his waist, which contained some wine.

Xiao Dao gulped down two mouthfuls, then jumped up from the spiciness, exclaiming, "What kind of wine is this? It's choking me!"

Xue Beifan smiled, "Shaodaozi (a type of strong liquor)."

Xiao Dao stuck out half of his tongue and stared at Xue Beifan.

Xue Beifan stared blankly at her crescent-shaped pink tongue. Xiao Dao poked his forehead and warned, "Don't look!"

Before she could finish speaking, Xue Beifan suddenly pulled her behind a big tree.

A moment later, the bushes in the woods rustled, and two nuns emerged, appearing to be in their thirties or forties.

Peeking through the gaps in the tree branches, Xiao Dao saw that the two men were well-proportioned, had bright eyes, and moved with agility, indicating that they knew kung fu.

"Was someone speaking just now?"

“I heard you too.”

"Nobody's here... Could it be that seventh concubine?"

"Ha, she's probably having a great time eating people right now, thinking she can stay young forever..."

"Shh!" another said cautiously, "Speak less, lest you ruin Master's grand plan."

After they finished speaking, the two went into the temple.

Xue Beifan poked Xiao Dao's shoulder with his finger. "Those two were probably the ones playing tricks in the woods earlier."

After piecing together the events, Xiao Dao asked Xue Beifan in surprise, "So, it seems like that old nun intentionally deceived this seventh concubine and was plotting against her!"

"Rather than saying she's scheming against the Seventh Concubine," Xue Beifan shook his head and smiled coldly, "it's more accurate to say that she's using the Seventh Concubine to harm Cai Bian, trying to create chaos in the Cai household."

"They have a grudge against each other? They've done something so vicious, not even sparing the women." Xiao Dao shuddered. "Monks are supposed to be compassionate, and we haven't found any old women or anything like that in this temple. Could we have misunderstood the old lady?"

"Shall we go take another look?" Xue Beifan wanted to turn back.

"I'm not going." Xiao Dao pouted and walked back. "I'm going back, or I'll throw up my dinner from last night."

"What about the Dragon Bone Five Diagrams?" Xue Beifan caught up.

"Let's wait and see, let's go back and think of another way."

"Are you hungry?" Xue Beifan asked with a smile, leaning closer. "Maybe we can get some steamed brains back at the temple?"

"Ugh!" Xiao Dao shoved him, and seeing that it was getting late, he quickened his pace.

Xue Beifan stayed close to her, paying close attention to the situation in the forest, being extremely cautious.

After walking for a while, Xiao Dao remained silent, lost in thought. His usual lively and energetic nature had suddenly turned quiet, which Xue Beifan found unusual. "What are you thinking about?"

"The whole thing is so strange." Xiao Dao muttered to himself, arms crossed. "Cai Bian is a lecherous man who doesn't care about his daughter, he's greedy and has no perseverance... He has so many concubines at home, yet he's like an addict, falling in love with every one he sees. How strange is that?"

Xue Beifan chuckled, "That's normal, he's a spoiled brat."

“Didn’t you hear what Seventh Concubine said? There’s still Eighth Prince at home, and he likes prostitutes outside.” Xiao Dao frowned and shook his head. “Even with all five vices, he’s still going this far… I suspect he was cursed or bewitched before. I should have checked his pulse when I beat him yesterday.”

“If she were just an ordinary old nun, there would be no reason for her to harm Cai Bian like this, or perhaps her entire family!” Xue Beifan guessed. “Maybe that old nun is actually the Mountain Woman, here for revenge!”

"That's certainly possible... Ah!" Xiao Dao was a little distracted and stepped on something soft. She thought she had stepped on a snake and jumped up in surprise.