The moon was obscured by dark clouds, and Zhao Xiheng couldn't even see Wei Li's face clearly. In addition, his all-black attire and the somber atmosphere he exuded made her heart tremble.

After so long, there was still no one in the mansion. The snow was deep up to her knees, and it was pitch black all around, without a single lamp. It didn't look like a place where a person could live at all.

She felt it wasn't like she had gone home with Wei Li, but rather like Ning Caichen had entered Lanruo Temple.

She swallowed hard and slowly moved towards the door.

Zhao Xiheng was genuinely a little scared. Her father had told her many ghost stories when she was little, and she was fearless except for death and ghosts.

Zhao Xiheng's head was now filled with a bunch of bizarre ideas, such as Wei Li being dead long ago, and the one in front of her now being a possessed ghost who wanted to absorb the girl's essence to maintain her cultivation.

For example, the deputy general was originally in league with this ghost, which is why he didn't care about Wei Li's life or death.

Thinking about it this way, it all seems to make sense. No wonder Wei Li's injuries healed so quickly, and he was back to his old self in less than two days. Even livestock don't have such a strong healing ability.

Wei Li suddenly grabbed the back of her neck. "Where are you going?"

Sobbing, Zhao Xiheng was so frightened that she squatted down on the ground, unable to even utter a curse.

However, Wei Li's hands were hot, burning hot, which meant he was a living person and not a ghost. Zhao Xiheng was startled by his sudden action, but felt a little more at ease.

But in this environment, even if Wei Li isn't a ghost, he looks like he is.

"What's wrong? Are you scared?" Wei Li squatted down, his hand still on her neck.

He looked around. "Afraid of the dark?"

Zhao Xiheng's lips trembled, and she held back her anger, unable to speak. Tears welled up in her eyes, her legs shook, and she suddenly sat down in the snowdrift.

"Aren't you cold sitting in the snow?" Wei Li asked her again. The moon hadn't come out yet, and it was still pitch black. Apart from Wei Li's pale face, Zhao Xiheng could hardly see his features and body. She bit her lower lip and remained silent.

"You coward, afraid of everything." Wei Li tugged at Zhao Xiheng, a mocking smile on his face. "Are you still going to stand up?"

Zhao Xiheng nodded, trying her best to keep her tone steady, "I can!"

She didn't want to show weakness in front of Wei Li; he would definitely laugh at her.

She pushed herself up from the snow, then her legs went weak and she wobbled. She mustered her courage and told herself: even if there are ghosts, it's not scary. She'll become a ghost herself after she dies. And when she dies, the two ghosts will be staring at each other in the underworld; who knows who will win!

A gust of cold wind slipped in through the crack in the door, making Zhao Xiheng's neck feel cold.

Wei Li stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching her, and raised his chin, "You think you can do it? Walk a few steps and show me."

Zhao Xiheng shook the snow off her clothes. "The snow is too thick. It's a bit difficult to walk. I need to conserve my energy."

"Okay, you can save up your energy. I'll talk to you for a bit while you're doing that." He nodded seriously. "Do you know where you are?"

"The Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion?"

"Yes, by the way," Wei Li nodded, then asked, "Do you know where everyone in this manor has gone?"

Zhao Xiheng's heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling.

Wei Li answered his own question, "They're all dead." He kicked the snow off the ground, clearing away the snow that had buried Zhao Xiheng's calves, revealing a small patch of ground.

The clouds parted before the moon, and its clear light enveloped the night once more, revealing a patch of snow that shone dazzlingly white in the darkness.

The small patch of ground that Wei Li kicked away was covered in ice, a scarlet-red ice.

“See that? This place is covered in blood everywhere. It’s frozen solid in winter and won’t be washed away until next summer when it rains. Because Pingzhou doesn’t have spring or autumn, only winter and summer, these marks fade very slowly.” Wei Li patted Zhao Xiheng’s face.

Zhao Xiheng's throat was dry. How many people would have to die to clear even a small patch of land covered in blood and ice?

"There's nothing we can do about it. That Prince of Zhenbei is just too prolific. He has over forty sons alone, plus his sons' wives, concubines, and relatives... tsk..."

He didn't say the rest, but Zhao Xiheng already understood.

The more Zhao Xiheng looked at the house, the more eerie it seemed, especially since the ground beneath her feet was covered in human blood.

"Have you gathered your strength? Let's go." Wei Li nudged her.

Zhao Xiheng almost fell to her knees, but Wei Li caught her.

Even if she has a strong mentality, being placed in such a gloomy mansion would inevitably make her feel scared.

Wei Li chuckled, "If you're not leaving, I'll leave by myself."

Zhao Xiheng's legs were still a little weak, especially since Wei Li had long legs and walked too fast, and the snow was deep, so she couldn't keep up at all.

She mentally prepared herself, thinking, "Look at you now, aren't you just a delicate figure in Wei Li's eyes? In this terrible environment, wouldn't it be normal for you not to cry a few times?"

Forget about saving face, just cry. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

"My lord." Having followed Wei Li for so long, she could shed tears at any moment without any preparation.

Wei Li backed away, asking, "What?"

"My lord, I'm scared." Zhao Xiheng's tears fell like pearls, and water droplets clung to her eyelashes. She pouted and clutched Wei Li's sleeve with her fingers. She looked as pitiful as could be. Such a delicate and soft appearance would make any man want to pity her.

Her cheeks were fair and tender, and looked very easy to pinch. Wei Li pinched them, and her face immediately turned red.

"My lord, my legs are too weak to walk anymore, please don't leave me behind." A delicate beauty is pleading with you, and if you don't agree, you'll be ungrateful.

“I didn’t leave you behind. We’re home now. If you can’t keep up, just find a room to stay in for the night.” He casually pushed open a door. “Look, it’s empty.”

As he spoke, he walked several steps away.

Zhao Xiheng grabbed her skirt, wiped away her tears, and ran after him, stumbling along. She didn't want to live in any of these desolate houses.

Wei Li walked too fast, almost leaving Zhao Xiheng behind.

Zhao Xiheng gritted her teeth, thinking to herself, "You're really asking for it."

If you don't wait for me, I'll... I'll...

She rushed over and wrapped her arms around Wei Li's arm, "My lord, waaaah, I'm so scared."

If you don't wait for me, I'll kneel down and beg you. Don't be ungrateful.

Wei Li suddenly felt something soft and fluffy hanging on him, and his face fell. "Zhao Xiheng, you really have no self-respect."

Zhao Xiheng cried twice more, expressing her fear.

Wei Li didn't speak, but suddenly his arm wrapped around Zhao Xiheng's waist, lifting her up. Zhao Xiheng was startled and quickly hung on his neck.

The Prince's Mansion is divided into an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard, which are further divided into an upper courtyard and a lower courtyard.

Wei Li did not take her to the inner courtyard, but instead took her to the lower courtyard of the outer courtyard.

The lower courtyard was usually the residence of male servants, and Zhao Xiheng thought he was deliberately humiliating her.

The two stopped in front of a house. Wei Li revealed a red string on his pale wrist, with a key hanging from it. He opened the door.

Zhao Xiheng frowned as she looked at the room. What kind of treasure was hidden there? And why did Wei Li have to carry the key with him at all times?

It's cold, the room is really cold.

Wei Li lit a candle, and Zhao Xiheng was able to see what the room actually looked like.

The house was neither big nor luxurious, nor even simple; it was barely habitable.

The room was filled with furniture that was neither new nor old; although simple, it was very clean and tidy.

She watched Wei Li sit down on the couch with practiced ease, and suddenly asked him, "Is this your residence? Was it arranged for you by the Prince of Zhenbei?"

"Any objections?" Wei Li lit a few more candles, and the house was completely brightly lit.

"I wouldn't dare."

Zhao Xiheng frowned, thinking to herself, "Isn't Wei Li the adopted son of the Prince of Zhenbei? Why is he arranged to live in such a place? Judging from the accommodation, this doesn't seem like how a beloved adopted son is treated; it's more like a servant being casually dismissed."

However, Wei Li found it strange. Hadn't he already conquered the entire Pingzhou? Why was he still crammed into this small, cramped house? He seemed to treasure this shabby little house quite a bit.

"So where am I staying tonight... ah?" Zhao Xiheng felt that asking directly was too abrupt, so she weakly added "ah" at the end to make it sound softer.

Wei Li raised his head and looked at her with a half-smile.

"Just find any room to stay in."

It sounds cute when a young woman talks like that, but it doesn't seem right for a grown man to talk like that.

Zhao Xiheng pursed her lips; Wei Li's "ya" was practically overflowing with sarcasm.

"I'm scared."

"What does this have to do with me? Go find your maid to accompany you."

The two of them came and went.

“The other rooms haven’t been cleaned for two months, Zhao Xiheng. You were the one who let your maid go.” Wei Li stared at her intently. “There’s no one to serve you here, no one to boil water or light the stove for you, and no one to clean your room…”

"What good will it do to stop her from leaving? Her heart isn't with me anymore; what use is her body if she's just gone?"

Zhao Xiheng suddenly recalled the ambiguous expression on Wei Li's face when she said those words to him. She took a deep breath, unsure how to go on living like this.

She was cold, and no one lit a stove for her; she didn't know how to cook either. She was hungry, and no one cooked for her; she didn't know how to cook either.

Where is Wei Li's wife?

What about Wei Li's concubines?

What about Wei Li's servants?

Was she really going to just sit there staring at Wei Li in this shabby little house? This was worse than living in the prefect's mansion!

Others seize power for power, beauty, and to enjoy life, but Wei Li's power grab was miserable. What was his real motivation?

“My lord,” she leaned closer, “didn’t you ask me what kind of place I wanted to stay? I don’t have many requirements anymore, I just want something warm and not creepy.”

Zhao Xiheng looked at him with eager eyes.

"So what if I conjure something up for you right now?" Wei Li mocked her.

Suddenly, the roof tiles rattled as they were stepped on, and several masked men in black, each wielding a sword, fell down from the roof.

Wei Li didn't even raise his head or open his eyes, clearly not taking them seriously.

Zhao Xiheng quickly scurried behind Wei Li to hide.