Ma femme escalade le mur

Chapitre 104

Duan Chen was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper when it came to matters of the heart, and she couldn't resist his teasing. His earlobe was held between his warm, wet tongue, and she immediately felt a tingling sensation in her heart, letting out a suppressed moan. Her body gradually softened, but her mind remained clear. She felt something was wrong, and while Zhan Yun was kissing her neck, she twisted and rubbed against him, her clear voice trembling slightly: "Don't..."

Zhan Yun felt a warm, soft body in his arms, smooth, delicate lips, and a delicate fragrance in the air. His desire intensified, and just as he felt reason slipping away, he suddenly heard Duan Chen's slightly panicked soft call. Coupled with the strong struggle of the warm, soft body beneath him, he immediately stiffened. He took several deep breaths, suppressing the burning desire in his chest. He slightly raised his elbows, half-closed his eyes, and held his breath. These simple movements caused sweat to bead on his temples and forehead.

Exhaling slowly again, Zhan Yun opened his eyes and saw Duan Chen staring at him with wide phoenix eyes, a hint of coquettishness, confusion, and bewilderment still lingering in her eyes and brows. Zhan Yun, who had initially had other thoughts, was now amused by her expression and a smile curved his lips. His clear, warm voice, tinged with a seductive huskiness from the influence of desire, said, "Little fool..."

Duan Chen's phoenix eyes widened further, her pink lips parted slightly, and her voice clearly revealed a hint of surprise: "Who are you calling stupid?"

Zhan Yun lowered his head and buried it in her neck, letting out a muffled laugh. A few strands of hair slipped down onto the pillow with his movement, gently brushing against Duan Chen's cheek, carrying his unique, clear scent. Duan Chen took a soft breath, then felt a little itchy from the hair, so he turned his head away, his voice returning to its usual cool tone: "Don't move, it'll tickle."

Zhan Yun looked up at the sound and saw that the person had returned to her usual aloof appearance. She was both amused and exasperated. She gently kissed her forehead again: "Chen'er..." This girl really knows how to torment people.

Duan Chen frowned but didn't speak. Zhan Yun propped himself up on his elbows and sat up, looking at her with a smile: "Not sleepy anymore?"

Duan Chen sat up as well, gently shaking his head. He then noticed that after all that commotion, his long black hair had fallen loose, and his hairpin was nowhere to be found.

Zhan Yun quietly observed her delicate appearance with her hair down for a while, her slightly pink lips curving into a gentle smile, and in her outstretched palm was the willow hairpin that Duan Chen had used for many years.

Duan Chen, however, failed to grasp the flirtatious undertone. He softly thanked her, then took the hairpin and sat down on the edge of the bed to tie his hair. Zhan Yun simply shook her head and chuckled softly, her crescent-shaped eyes filled with deep affection.

The two had only walked halfway when Zhou Yufei quickly approached, showing no sign of fatigue, his peach blossom eyes sparkling: "Duan Chen, you weren't asleep? Perfect timing, you just woke up, what a discovery!"

The three then walked back to Zhao Ting's room. Inside, they found not only Zhao Ting, but also Xiao Changqing and Zuo Xin. Upon seeing Duan Chen, Master Xiao rushed forward, grinning, and said, "Little Duan, the letter has finally arrived. There are some good things inside!"

As she spoke, she untied a lotus-root-colored purse from her waist and poured out a few snow-white, oval-shaped candies: "Here! Lotus seed candies. They're delicious, sweet and refreshing with a hint of bitterness. Little Duan, you'll definitely like them." These two had probably only just returned. They had left at noon yesterday, saying they were going to that lotus banquet, and hadn't returned until late tonight.

Duan Chen's lips curled slightly as he picked up a lotus seed candy, put it in his mouth, and then gave another one to Zhan Yun. Zhan Yun smiled slightly and put it in his mouth as well. The taste wasn't very sweet, with a light fragrance and a hint of bitterness. It was quite refreshing to hold in one's mouth on a hot summer day, and had a unique flavor.

Zhao Ting picked up a small porcelain bowl from the table and handed it to Duan Chen: "Plum soup, I instructed the kitchen to make it earlier." Even though it was hot, it was already night, so it was not suitable to drink it iced. It had just been served a little while ago, so it was warm and just right to drink.

Duan Chen took the small bowl and thanked him softly. She brought it to her lips and took two sips; the warm soup was sweet and sour, very refreshing. Zhao Ting stood opposite her, watching her sip, her long eyelashes fluttering, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if she really liked the taste. A sense of peace and satisfaction welled up within him. Zhan Yun took the small bowl from Zuo Xin, a faint smile on her lips as she watched the two of them, saying nothing.

Everyone took their seats, drank some plum soup, and ate some fruit and snacks, while passing around and reading the letter sent by the Xiao family from Muzhou. Earlier, because of the matter in Kushui Town, Xiao Changqing sent a letter home after leaving the town, requesting his family to hand-copy all the records related to the Seven Sheng Sect in the library and send them to Bianjing. Since he hadn't expected to stay at the Seventh Prince's mansion, he wrote down the address of a friend in Bianjing as Zuo Xin had suggested.

After carefully reading the letter, everyone felt even more strongly that the case was inextricably linked to the Seven Sheng Cult. Xiao Changqing and Zuo Xin then listened to Zhan Yun's account of the case that had just occurred that day, and everyone fell into deep thought. Finally, Xiao Changqing sipped his plum soup and muttered thoughtfully, "Thirty years ago, she would be at least thirty-five or thirty-six years old now, the same age as Xia Luzhen."

Zhan Yun nodded slightly, fanning himself with a folding fan: "Jin Xiaobai and that mysterious man surnamed Bai are both in their early thirties. I think the Seventh Young Master they mentioned should be about the same age."

Zhou Yufei folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, and handed it back to Xiao Changqing: "This letter says that the Seven Sheng Sect was wiped out back then, and there were many unclear and inexplicable reasons for it. Now it seems that there are indeed some strange things. Moreover, the sect leader was over thirty years old but still looked like a young girl, which is really extremely strange!"

After the incident in Bitter Water Town, everyone learned that the claim that the Seven Streams Sect members were all young and beautiful, possessing the secret to eternal youth, was nothing but a fabrication. The Seven Streams Sect had only risen to power for six or seven years before being wiped out by a coalition of martial artists. Most of its members were only thirteen or fourteen years old when they joined, and by the time of its destruction, the oldest were no more than twenty. Their youth was undeniable. As for their beauty, it was related to the strange rule set by the sect leader: appearance was the primary criterion for selecting members.

Thirty years later in Kushui Town, although Zhao Lin, Jin Xiaobai and others acted very differently from back then, they were still extremely picky about the appearance of their followers. However, the reason was simpler and more vulgar and sordid: it was just to satisfy their own selfish desires. Therefore, men and women with ordinary appearances would become tools for blood extraction.

The most significant connection between the various matters concerning the Seven Streams Sect and the current case lies in the Seven Streams Sect's secret techniques mentioned in the letter. According to the Xiao family's records, taking the heart's blood of a young virgin and drinking it on the full moon each month, combined with the Seven Streams Sect's closely guarded internal energy cultivation methods, can cleanse the internal organs, preserve youth and health. If persisted in for many years, it can even enhance one's blood and energy, allowing one to remain young forever.

Regardless of whether this record is distorted or even fabricated, it at least explains why someone would dissect a human heart while the victim is still alive. Combined with Duan Chen's previous deduction that they targeted those among the elite, the motives of these two murderers are self-evident. Unlike the people in Bitterwater Town who only abused innocent men and women for lustful pleasure and used pills to bribe court officials, these two seem truly possessed, genuinely believing in the power of heart's blood and thinking they could achieve youthful appearance and longevity by consuming it.

Carefully selecting their prey, using unknown methods to drug them, then brutally removing their hearts without any resistance, and finally drinking their blood—all in exchange for beauty and immortality. Such a person is practically no different from a demon. Despite the sweltering summer heat and the gentle night breeze, everyone in the room couldn't help but shiver. This time, they were dealing with no normal people!

Remembering that the blood-red jewelry of both women had been taken after their deaths, Zhou Yufei touched the back of his neck and swallowed hard. "I say, one of them, could it be a woman?" If it were a man, there would be no need to pick out jewelry and look in the mirror. But if it really was a woman, the thought was even more chilling!

Zhao Ting recalled what Zhan Yun had told him in Kushui Town and couldn't help but turn to look at Zhan and Duan: "Do you think that person with such high martial arts skills could be the man surnamed Bai who injured people with flying knives in Kushui Town?" According to Zhan Yun's previous description, that person's movements were unpredictable, his internal strength was profound, and his lightness skill was also remarkable. In this case, it matched the characteristics of one of the suspects they had deduced that afternoon.

Zhan Yun and Duan Chen exchanged a glance. After a moment's thought, the latter replied softly, "We can't rule out that possibility. Even if these two aren't the Bai man we met before, they're still connected to the Seven Life Sect."

Everyone nodded in agreement; what he said was true. Xiao Changqing, chewing on a lotus seed candy, rested his chin on his hand and sighed, "This Seven Life Sect is truly deeply entrenched and incredibly difficult to deal with!"

Zhao Ting pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "That's quite true. As long as the Seven Sheng Sect isn't eradicated completely, the common people will never have a peaceful life." Moreover, now even members of the royal family are involved; the Seven Sheng Sect's influence is not to be underestimated!

Zuo Xin reached out and took the purse from Xiao Changqing's hand, tying it around his waist. He then gave him a slightly stern look. Still eating! Eating so many sweets in the middle of the night, aren't you afraid of cavities?! Xiao Changqing pouted, looking a little aggrieved, snatched the bowl of plum soup from Zuo Xin's hand, took a big gulp, puffed out his cheeks, and glared at him. Zuo Xin glanced at him with amusement, then turned to the others: "You were just saying you were investigating the records of various competitions in Bianjing City over the past few years, any progress?"

Everyone slumped again, but Duan Chen spoke softly, "I didn't think this through. Even if we find out, it won't help."

Zhao Ting and his companions were well aware of this. Let alone three years, in just one year, the various competitions, large and small, in Bianjing City were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, with countless first-place winners. What good would it do to assign someone to protect each one? Could they possibly send constables to provide one-on-one protection? Moreover, one of the two murderers possessed unfathomable martial arts skills, far beyond the capabilities of ordinary officials. Even with that one in ten thousand chance, whoever was caught in the crossfire would certainly be dead, with no chance of returning alive.

Currently, although everyone has a rough idea of what's going on, knowing the murderers' motives and general targets, they are still at a loss and unable to stop the two men from committing the crime. The third watchman's drum has sounded, and another dawn is approaching, which also means that more innocent people in Bianjing will be brutally murdered. The group sat in the room, looking at each other, their hearts heavy.

Author's Note: There will be an update tomorrow at 9 AM!

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Please be careful not to mention sensitive content from this chapter when leaving comments; I don't need to elaborate on the reasons.

Please keep a low profile; there will be more meat soup and diced meat later. Those who read the previous post should already know this.

I recently reviewed the entire article, and I know that it still has many shortcomings.

The case has some disjointed plot points and unclear explanations, and the emotional storyline also feels abrupt and unnatural in some places.

Furthermore, due to its length, it cost everyone a considerable amount of money. Whether it was quietly buying the article or leaving comments and praise,

Xue Luo has seen everyone's heartfelt support, and while being encouraged, she is also deeply moved. She bows to everyone here!

I have no way to repay everyone's support and love, so I'm announcing two things here as a token of my gratitude.

First, I'll reorganize this article in the next couple of days. After this case is closed, there's one more case, and then it will be the final chapter.

In other words, this article will definitely not exceed 500,000 words, which should include about 30,000 words of extra chapters.

Secondly, to maintain the integrity of the story, the main character's side story is still included within the main text.

Others, such as Xiao Changqing and Zuo Xin, will be featured in a column for everyone to read for free.

If you have any requests for additional side stories, please feel free to suggest them, preferably as early as possible, because Xue Luo needs to plan ahead.

Thank you again for your support, bowing~

92

Chapter Nine: Demons • Crimson Smoke...

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Zhou Yufei's anxious calls rang out from outside the door: "Duan Chen, Xingzhi, get up quickly! This has gotten out of hand!"

Before long, everyone appeared in the courtyard. Xiao Changqing yawned, chewing on lotus seed candy to relieve his drowsiness: "Which girl has been victimized this time... Sigh, doesn't this murderer get tired of all this trouble, causing trouble every two mornings and three days..."

Zhou Yufei, with dark circles under his eyes and a gloomy expression, said, "It's not a young lady, it's the top scholar in last year's imperial examination! I heard from the people at the government office that the scholar's wife has fainted several times from fright, and every time she opens her eyes, she says that there is a demon causing trouble..."

As they talked, they walked out and soon boarded a carriage, heading east of the city.