The pain in my arm was getting worse, but I didn't dare to look at it.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the sound gradually faded away.
Leng Wushuang slowly lowered his hand. Although he remained expressionless, a faint sadness was revealed in his eyes. He was always reserved and kept all his emotions to himself.
In the kitchen, the First Madam's eyes were filled with tears, yet she held her Qingfeng sword horizontally, gritting her teeth as she blocked the guards, whose eyes were also filled with sorrow.
The guards lay scattered on the ground, their faces unrecognizable, their exposed skin scratched raw and bleeding, hanging in thin, eerie strands—a truly horrifying sight.
The insidious nature of this poison lies in the fact that when it takes effect, the pain and itching are unbearable, making it impossible to distinguish between pain and itching. Even if you keep scratching, it won't alleviate the suffering in the slightest. The itching and pain that seeps into your bones makes you suffer even in the last moments before you die.
It was worse than death.
The poison in Isoro was solidified on his wrist by a tiny pill, and the poison looked like a dark birthmark, displaying a ferocious appearance.
The palm-sized lump nestled on her forearm, its allure amplified by her translucent skin.
"Will I die?" Wu Shilang asked Leng Wushuang repeatedly on the way back to Juxian Hall, his eyes brimming with tears.
Leng Wushuang was very impatient. Holding up her Xiongqing sword, she brushed aside Wu Shilang's hand that was grabbing her sleeve and replied coldly, "Not for now. You still have a year to live."
In just one year... Isoro's eyes suddenly dimmed, and he lost the strength to speak. Even his walking slowed down.
Once the chattering stops, there is only deathly silence.
Leng Wushuang walked ahead, and when she didn't see Wushilang follow for a long time, she felt strange. She pretended to turn around casually and glanced at her. When she saw Wushilang hanging her head in dejection, her heart softened immediately.
"Nothing will happen..."
Huh? Isoro looked up at Leng Wushuang, whose expression was slightly unnatural. "What?"
Leng Wushuang's eyes flickered slightly, dark and bright like polished black gemstones, radiating a resolute light. "I said, I won't let anything happen to you."
It will be alright. I am responsible for causing trouble for her at my own resort.
Leng Wushuang subconsciously made an excuse for her behavior, then reached out and awkwardly touched Wu Shilang's hair, as if petting a giant dog, and said, "You will live a long, long life, like a tortoise."
Wu Shilang remained silent, deeply bothered by the word "turtle".
His words carried a cold tone; though intended to comfort, they sounded awkward coming out.
However, Isoro's heart calmed down in an instant.
Then, Isoro smiled with extreme confidence, his eyes narrowing into slits: "I say, Musou, could it be that you've already started to like me, which is why you're being so nice to me?"
Boom! The peerless young master's face instantly turned into a boiled lobster, and he angrily shouted, "Shut up!"
Then, the peerless young master tried his best to calm his fluctuating emotions, pretending to be calm. He silently looked up at the sky, not even glancing at Wu Shilang. With a single, elegant wave of his hand, he easily tossed the still poisoned Wu Shilang away again.
Then, without looking back, he strode away.
In such a sad and terrifying atmosphere, everyone couldn't help but smile when they saw Isoro stuck upside down on the wall.
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Upon arriving at the Juxian Hall, the First Madam composed herself and began the arduous task of recalling the events.
This happened twenty years ago...
At that time, the old master of the manor was still alive, and the manor was still accepting chivalrous people from the martial arts world who wanted to retire from public life.
It was raining continuously that day.
The sky was overcast, and there was a musty smell everywhere. This is what the plum rain season in Jiangnan is like. It always rains for several days in a row, and everything is damp.
In this kind of weather, no one's mood will be high.
This naturally includes everyone at Xiejian Manor.
Just after lunch, everyone spontaneously gathered in a circle to count their loose silver coins. After counting the loose silver coins, they counted the whole silver coins. Thanks to the skillful management of the three ladies of the manor, some of the whole silver coins were exchanged for loose silver coins, which allowed everyone to have their final entertainment.
The silver coins fell to the ground one by one, clinking and tinkling, striking the ground and resonating in everyone's hearts. The sound of the silver coins falling to the ground instantly stirred everyone's emotions, and they began to feel that the rainy season was not so unbearable after all.
"Master, someone is requesting an audience at the gate." Guard Zhang, panting, ran up, clutching a bright green bamboo slip with the words "Disarm the Sword" engraved on it.
In earlier years, Xiejian Manor issued a total of 50 evacuation orders.
If a chivalrous swordsman who has offended an enemy has no more ties and wishes to retire into seclusion, he can enter the manor with this refuge token, and the manor will naturally protect him.
By the time of the Leng family's generation, 49 pieces had been collected. After 10 years, the owner of the last piece could not be found.
Now, the sudden appearance of the last one has made Old Master Leng truly happy for a long time.
It's unclear when exactly, but the Leng family's male offspring began to decline. By the time it came to the Leng family's patriarch, who was nearly 50 years old, his first wife finally became pregnant.
The loss of his former glory led Old Master Leng to consider retiring from the affairs of the martial world. However, the long-awaited asylum order repeatedly delayed his plan.
This time, I was finally able to collect the last one.
This feeling of relief is something that others cannot understand.
"Where are they?" Old Master Leng suddenly stood up, his face full of surprise, taking the bamboo chair he was sitting on with him far away.
"Reporting to the Master, they are in the front hall," Guard Zhang hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "Old Master, the people who came are quite different."
Old Master Leng laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, "Over the years, those who have come here have all been extraordinary."
Indeed, over the years, those who have sought refuge at Xiejian Manor have all carried heavy grudges. Behind each of them lies a bloody tale. No matter how complicated things may seem, they become simple in the eyes of the old manor lord Leng.
Therefore, Master Leng did not care.
Upon learning that the visitor was already in the front hall, Elder Leng walked quickly, leaving Zhang, the bodyguard who was leading the way, far behind.
Upon meeting the other party, the old manor lord finally understood what Zhang Huyuan meant by "not simple".
They are indeed different.
The matter was actually related to Miao territory.
The couple sitting in the chairs in the front hall were a Miao couple.
The woman, who looked to be in her early thirties, wore a mask with a grotesque face and distorted patterns on it. She was dressed in Miao ethnic clothing and was twirling her long hair with her little finger.
The man had a wide mouth and square face, and was tall and strong, looking like a giant tower. His bare chest was covered with blood-red runes, which crookedly crawled all over his chest, making him look particularly eerie.
The two men sat upright in their chairs. When they saw the old manor lord enter, they both stood up and went to greet him.
"Master Leng."
Both of their voices were extremely rough and hoarse, like the sound of iron filings grinding against a stone mill, devoid of any emotion.
"I wonder how my humble estate can help you two?" Old Master Leng asked immediately, with a hint of urgency. This matter involved Miao territory and needed to be resolved quickly. In another month, the First Madam would be giving birth, and he had to be by her side no matter what.
"We are not here to seek refuge, but simply to ask the old master to hand over someone."
"Who is it?" Old Master Leng asked, frowning as usual.
"The Silver Frost of Your Estate".
Yinshuang's surname is Hong, and her current maiden name is Toutou. She is the third concubine that the old manor lord took a year ago. She is gentle and timid. It is said that she was originally the daughter of a wealthy family in the Miao village, but she ended up in southern Anhui because her parents were robbed.
This exile lasted for tens of thousands of miles.
"I wonder why you two want me to hand over Silver Frost?" The old manor lord's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
“She stole our Miao village’s most treasured possession and escaped. We have been chasing her for three years. If the treasure is not returned this year, the lives of 1,500 people in the village will be in danger.”
The two men looked quite serious, and their voices became slightly more impassioned.
Old Master Leng was slightly taken aback and asked, "Have you two mistaken me for someone else?"
No wonder he asked that question. His new concubine was too quiet and reserved. Even thunder and lightning would startle her for a long time. It was simply absurd to say that she was a thief who had stolen treasure and fled.
"There is absolutely no possibility of error."
However, both of them were quite resolute.
Since the other party was so confident, Old Master Leng naturally had no reason to argue any further.
All that needs to be done is a three-way confrontation.
The Third Madam was quickly invited over. She moved with light steps, panting after every few steps. When she finally reached the front hall, she didn't say anything. She first held onto the door frame to calm her breathing before walking in.
Upon seeing the two Miao people in the front hall, he couldn't help but shudder.
He asked in a trembling voice, "Have you two come to see my mother?"
Her voice was soft and weak, and before she spoke, tears were already welling up in her eyes. The two men opposite her, who were initially furious, were astonished by her question and asked, "Hong Yinshuang has a daughter?"
It's likely that this daughter has never even met anyone from the Miao region.
In fact, not to mention her daughter, they had never even seen Hong Yinshuang herself. The women in their village always wore masks. This Hong Yinshuang had learned Gu magic from people outside the village in her early years and had never been in the village since.
Even fewer people know what she looks like.
“I am the adopted daughter that my mother took in on her journey.” She explained shyly, turning her gaze to the old manor lord Leng, and said with a shy smile, “I didn’t tell you this because my mother and I eventually separated.”
Old Master Leng walked over, took her hand, and said gently, "These two are here to find your godmother. Tell them what you know."
Upon hearing this, the two people opposite him immediately followed up: "Then, Miss Red, where is Silver Frost from our village now?"
Upon hearing this question, the Third Madam immediately burst into tears, and said sorrowfully, "My mother passed away on her way to southern Anhui."
Her voice was already delicate, and when she cried like this, it truly made her look like a pear blossom in the rain, causing Old Master Leng's heart to clench. He asked even more gently, "So, did she give you anything?"
The third wife tilted her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Yes, there was a small jar, sealed. I saw that my mother liked it very much, so I buried it with her."
The two Miao men rushed over and asked with ferocious expressions, "Then, madam, could you tell us where Hong Yinshuang's grave is?"
One of them wore a mask, and the other had red symbols painted on his face. Their excited expressions made them seem even more strange and eerie.
The third wife was so frightened that she took two steps back, grasped the old master's hand, trembling, but bravely refused, saying, "I won't tell."
Her words caused all three people present to frown.
"Why didn't you tell us?" The two Miao men were even more furious. If it weren't for the old manor lord Leng's displeased expression stopping them, they would have almost pounced on them.
The third wife was so frightened that she took two steps back and hid behind the old master of the Leng family. She said in a soft voice, "You must hate Mother to death. If I tell you where her grave is, you will definitely destroy it."
Her gentle yet resolute nature made her even more beautiful than usual.
Old Master Leng protected his third wife, frowning slightly. Thinking about how fierce the two men had looked just now, he couldn't help but side with his third wife.
Although I don't know Hong Yinshuang's character, since the Third Madam wants to preserve this tomb, it would be best if she could return the Miao village treasure intact without destroying her own Third Madam's adoptive mother's tomb.
Thinking of this, Old Master Leng suggested, "I have a compromise, how about that?"
Although it was a question, Old Master Leng used an affirmative tone.