Chapter 24

Inside Tengluoju, the fragrance of wisteria flowers remained as elegant as ever, but it could no longer suppress the sudden, solidified murderous intent. The air seemed frozen, weighing heavily on everyone's chest. On the zither table, the end of the dark blue steel needle trembled, emitting a subtle hum that intertwined with the sound of rain outside the window, creating a cold, death-threatening melody.

Su Wanwan froze in place, her outstretched left hand still suspended in mid-air, her fingertips inches from the remains of the buzzer nailed to the piano case. The horror on her face spread like cracks on ice, rapidly solidifying and shattering her exquisitely graceful demeanor. Her watery eyes were now swirling with a turbulent sea of ​​disbelief, the panic of being seen through, and a hint of the ferocity of being cornered! She stared intently at the dark figure that silently emerged from the doorway, like prey caught by a venomous snake.

Gu Linzhi slowly walked into the elegant pavilion, his steps steady and calm, his dark robe brushing the threshold without raising a speck of dust. His fingertips toyed with another dark blue steel needle, his gaze calm and unwavering, yet with a penetrating power that pierced the soul, as it fell on Su Wanwan.

"Mr. Su," his voice was low, but it was particularly clear in the pervasive fragrance of flowers. Every word was like ice beads hitting a jade plate. "You have good skills."

Su Wanwan's breath suddenly stopped! Her hands, tucked into her sleeves, clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white from the strain. The sharp aura that had burst forth instantly receded like the tide, dizzyingly fast. Her shock was forcibly suppressed, replaced by a deep sense of grievance and incredible weakness. She stumbled back a step, her body trembling slightly like a wisteria vine swaying in a storm, her voice filled with a shattered sob:

"You... who are you?! What are you going to do?! Wanwan is just a weak woman who makes a living by playing the piano. How could she have seen such a weapon! Just now... just now she was just dodging instinctively out of fright. How can she be so skilled?! Sir... Sir, please don't scare Wanwan..." Tears quickly gathered in her eyes, and she looked so pitiful that she was about to burst out.

Mo Ya's stern face remained expressionless, but his eyes were as cold as a knife. He slowly withdrew his right hand, his gaze sweeping over Su Wanwan's hands, which seemed fragile and boneless, yet were now trembling slightly from the tight grip.

"Instinctively dodging?" Mo Ya's voice was dry and hard. "He was able to instantly judge the trajectory of the hidden weapon, precisely meeting the attack with his bare hands, while simultaneously employing the force-absorbing technique of 'Weak Willow Following the Wind'... Master Su's 'instinct' is something even the top martial arts masters might not possess."

Su Wanwan's face turned even paler, and tears finally rolled down her cheeks, tears streaming down her face: "My lord... I don't understand what body movements you are talking about... Wanwan has been weak since childhood, and only learned some basic breathing exercises to strengthen her body from her deceased mother... I was in a hurry just now, and I just dodged randomly..." She covered her face and sobbed, her shoulders shaking, and she looked so pitiful.

Gu Linzhi's gaze passed over her mournful tears and fell on the ink-drenched freehand painting of wisteria on the wall. The vines were twisted and tangled, the flowers bloomed like a waterfall, and the brushstrokes were vigorous, revealing an irrepressible vitality.

"Master Su's painting is powerful and profound, capable of achieving it only with profound vision," he said calmly, as if appreciating a masterpiece. "Especially the burnt ink applied to the wisteria stamens, the rich, thin, dry, and wet strokes, the flowing energy, the essence of 'ink distinguishing five colors'. I wonder... who was his teacher?"

Su Wanwan's sobs barely register for a moment, then she sobbed even more loudly, "...It's...it's my father's last work...Wanwan...Wanwan just hung it here out of a sense of remembrance..."

"Oh?" Gu Linzhi's fingertips gently brushed the smooth edge of the rosewood zither table, his gaze settling on the curling green smoke from the incense burner. "Then is this wisteria incense also an ancient recipe passed down by your father? This fragrance is elegant and far-reaching, condensed and lingering. Even more rare is... it has the miraculous effect of calming the mind and soothing fear. Just now, when Mrs. Su was frightened, this incense was truly a timely relief." He tilted his head slightly, his deep eyes locking onto Su Wanwan again. "I wonder if this incense, in addition to wisteria, albizzia, and lily, also contains... datura seeds?"

As soon as the three words "Mandala" came out, it was like a thunderclap!

Su Wanwan's sobs suddenly stopped! Between her fingers, covering her face, her eyes, once filled with tears, instantly turned icy and sharp! Like silver needles steeped in poison!

"Sir... what do you mean?" Her voice suddenly turned cold, no longer delicate, with a hint of sharpness of having her disguise exposed, "Wanwan doesn't understand pharmacology, let alone what Datura is! If you continue to slander me and defame my innocence, Wanwan... Wanwan will bang her head against this piano table to prove her innocence!" She raised her head suddenly, with a determined madness in her eyes, and she was about to crash into the hard piano table!

"Su Wanwan!" Mo Ya shouted, leaning forward, tensing the remaining muscles in his right arm, and was about to step forward to stop him!

At this critical moment!

“Report—!”

A deep, rapid voice suddenly rang out from outside the Accord door! A member of the Shadow Scale, soaking wet and breathing rapidly, knelt on one knee at the door, holding a water-stained file high in his hand. His voice pierced the tense silence in the room: "Prime Minister! Urgent news from the Bai family!"

Gu Linzhi's gaze instantly shifted from Su Wanwan to the door like a cold probe. Mo Ya also abruptly stopped.

The Shadow Scale member spoke rapidly, "Coroner Chen performed an autopsy overnight! He confirmed that the intact left side of the 'mute''s face is indeed the face of Bai Ziqing, the youngest son of the Bai family! Elder Bai Songnian has already identified the portrait, tears streaming down his face, confirming it beyond a doubt! But... Bai Ziqing was reported as having died of a sudden illness three years ago, and his coffin was buried! The Bai family's ancestral tomb... has been excavated overnight! Inside the coffin... are only a few heavy stones! No bones!"

boom--!

This news was like cold water poured into boiling oil, instantly exploding the stagnant air inside the Accord!

Bai Ziqing! The true face beneath the painted skin! The false impression of his "sudden death" three years ago! The empty coffin!

All the clues converged in an instant, pointing to a cold and terrifying truth!

Su Wanwan's body, poised to charge, suddenly froze! The mad determination on her face cracked like a shoddy clay mask! Instead, a deep, unconcealable horror and... despair filled her bones! She stumbled back a step, her back slamming hard against the cold wall, causing the vigorous wisteria painting to rustle!

Gu Linzhi didn't even glance at her, as if she were an insignificant, invisible figure. He reached out to take the damp file, his eyes quickly scanning the scribbled yet shocking record. His fingertips paused briefly on the words "empty coffin," then lifted them up, his deep eyes resting once again on Su Wanwan's face, distorted by fear. His voice was so calm it made one's heart tremble:

"Three years ago, Bai Ziqing, the youngest son of the Bai family, died suddenly of illness. Now, with only a half-painted face, he's become a core soldier of the Snow Spider Pavilion in the Northern Di Kingdom. He lurked on government ships, detonated explosives, and his body was mutilated." He walked slowly forward, his dark figure carrying an invisible sense of oppression as he approached Su Wanwan, who was leaning against the wall. "Master Su, tell me... did Bai Ziqing willingly change his appearance to become a soldier for the Northern Di people? Or... was he somehow transformed into a walking corpse, knowing only to obey orders, by someone's 'departure from his soul and erosion of his bones'?"

The words "soul-destroying and bone-eroding" pierced Su Wanwan's heart like an icy iron spike! Her body trembled violently, her eyes unfocused, her lips quivering, yet she couldn't utter a single word. Her image as the elegant and refined courtesan completely crumbled, leaving only a pale, fragile shell gripped by fear.

Gu Linzhi's gaze was like the most precise probe, capturing every subtle sign of collapse on her face. He continued to approach, his voice low and cold, penetrating all things:

"Next to Bai Ziqing's mark at the Snow Spider Pavilion, there's a scar left by Mr. Bai's unique 'Crescent Hook' needle technique. This scar dates back to before his 'sudden illness and death.' Knowing the location of this scar, and being able to perfectly replicate half of his appearance and then sew it back together using the 'Painted Skin' technique... requires someone extremely familiar with him and possessing the Bai family's secret needlework techniques."

His gaze, sharp as a knife, pierced Su Wanwan's sharply contracted pupils:

"Su Wanwan...or, should I call you..."

His voice paused slightly, as if he was savoring the poison hidden behind this name:

"...Bai Zhiling?"

The three words "Bai Zhiling" were like three thunderclaps, striking Su Wanwan's head fiercely!

“No!!!!” A shrill, inhuman scream suddenly erupted from her throat! She felt as if all the bones had been pulled out of her as she slid softly down the wall to the ground! Her carefully combed hair was in disarray, her pearl hairpins fell, and her beautiful face was distorted by extreme fear and collapse! She held her head tightly with both hands, her body curled up into a ball, shaking wildly, and uttering incoherent, beast-like sobs and screams:

“I don’t know… It’s not me… Don’t come over… It’s not me who killed my brother… It’s not me… It’s the incense… It’s that incense… Soul-Separating Powder… Soul-Separating Powder… Ahhhh——!!!”

She suddenly raised her head, tears streaming down her face, her eyes filled with madness and despair. She stared at Gu Linzhi intently, her fingers trembling as she pointed at the wisteria incense burner from which smoke was curling.

"It's it! It's it! If you smell it for a long time... you will be obedient... you will turn into a ghost! My brother... my brother was turned into a ghost by it! And me... I will soon become a ghost too! Hahahaha..." She suddenly laughed crazily again, her laughter was shrill and piercing, echoing in the elegant pavilion filled with the fragrance of wisteria, which was creepy.

Gu Linzhi's eyes suddenly turned cold! Soul-scattering! Sure enough, it was related to the wisteria fragrance!

"Hit her!" Mo Ya shouted fiercely, and his only remaining right arm shot out like lightning, his five fingers like hooks, grabbing Su Wanwan, who was limp on the ground, her mind almost broken! At the same time, several members of "Shadow Scale" outside the door pounced in like tigers!

Just when Mo Ya's hand was about to touch Su Wanwan's shoulder!

Something strange happened suddenly!

Su Wanwan, limp as mud and looking like a madman, suddenly flashed a flash of icy cunning and ruthlessness from the depths of her scattered madness! Her body suddenly shrank and sprang with incredible flexibility and speed! Like a venomous snake that had been gathering strength for a long time! From the sleeves of her wide, moon-white skirt, two cold stars shot out silently! They went straight for Mo Ya's throat and heart!

The cold star was extremely fast and its angle was extremely tricky! It turned out to be two poisonous silver needles as thin as cow hair, shining with a faint blue luster!

Such a close distance! Such a sudden outburst! The target was Mo Ya's severely injured and immobile left side!

Mo Ya's pupils suddenly shrank! His forward momentum was already weak, and his right arm grabbed Su Wanwan, his left arm severely injured and unable to block! Seeing that the two deadly poison needles were about to penetrate his vitals!

A critical moment!

“Ding! Ding!”

There were two more subtle but crisp sounds of metal clashing!

Two black lights, faster and sharper than Su Wanwan's poison needles, arrived first! As if they had eyes, they accurately knocked the two deadly poison needles away!

The poison needle was deflected by the huge force, and with two "snap" sounds it was nailed into the rosewood piano table and the floor next to it, and the end of the needle vibrated violently!

The one who made the move was still Gu Linzhi! He had two more dark blue steel needles on his fingertips without knowing when!

The cunning in Su Wanwan's eyes instantly gave way to utter despair! With a flick of her wrist, she slid backwards along the icy ground like a boneless fish, her hands swishing across her waist. Several rays of cold light shot out like celestial flowers. Their targets were—the guqin! The purple vine painting! The incense burner emitting curls of smoke! And the incoming Shadow Scale members!

She wasn't trying to hurt anyone! She was trying to destroy things! To create chaos! To protect her last escape route!

"Bang! Crash!"

“Sizzle!”

"Bang!"

The strings of a guqin were severed by a hidden weapon, with a sharp crack! The wisteria scroll was torn apart! The incense burner was violently knocked over by a dart, splattering hot ash and unburned incense cakes, instantly burning black holes in the precious Persian carpet. The rich fragrance of wisteria mixed with the smell of burning exploded violently! The "Shadow Scale" members who rushed in were momentarily stopped by the sudden rain of hidden weapons and the chaos!

Take advantage of this lightning-fast chaos!

Su Wanwan's body had already slid to the carved window overlooking the river! Without even looking at it, she slammed her palm against the window frame!

"Crack!" The wooden window frame shattered!

The icy river wind, carrying raindrops, instantly poured in! Her figure shrank, and like an arrow from a bow, she leaped out of the broken window without hesitation! Below her was the canal, shrouded in mist and rain, with a turbulent flow!

"Stop her!" Mo Ya roared, and regardless of his injuries, he pounced towards the window!

However, it was still a step too slow!

Su Wanwan's figure was like a kite with a broken string, instantly disappearing into the thick rain and fog outside the window! Only a string of crazy and resentful laughter echoed in the wind and rain:

"Gu Linzhi! Jiangnan is where you will die! Snow Spider Pavilion...will make you...soul-destroying--!!!"

The black crow flew to the window and saw a fleeting splash of water on the turbid river surface, which was then swallowed up by the rushing water and rain fog, leaving no trace!

"Chase!" Mo Ya's eyes were filled with murderous intent as he shouted downstairs! Like hawks, several members of the Shadow Scale group leaped from windows and corridors without hesitation, plunging into the icy canal!

The elegant pavilion was a mess. A broken zither, torn scrolls, an overturned incense burner, a charred carpet, and an air filled with a strange, thick aroma... and the dark blue poison needles nailed to the zither table and the floor.

Gu Linzhi slowly walked to the broken window, his dark robe rustling in the incoming river wind. His deep gaze pierced through the misty rain, gazing at the river where Su Wanwan had disappeared, his face expressionless.

Mo Ya covered the broken wound on his left arm and walked behind him with a sullen face: "Prime Minister, it is my fault..."

"It's alright." Gu Linzhi's voice was calm. "Now that the 'Purple Owl' has appeared, the web under the vine can no longer hide." He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on the incense ash scattered on the ground and the poison needle nailed to the floor. "Soul-Separation Powder... Purple Vine Fragrance... The Art of Painted Skin... The Bai Family Murders... And this 'Purple Owl' from the Snow Spider Pavilion..."

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips grasping a burnt wisteria petal that had fallen from the overturned incense burner. A faint, almost enchanting, vein of deep purple shone through the scorched petal.

"What a 'Ningxiang Garden'." Gu Linzhi's fingertips twisted the broken petals. In his deep eyes, a cold light like a glacier suddenly cracked, reflecting the gray sky and the rushing muddy water outside the window, "What a... Phantom under the Vine."