Chapter 64 Tangdao Bathing Beach ⑥ - The Mysterious Jiuli Clan. ...

Lan Shuyin stared at him in astonishment, her mind blank.

The slight tingling sensation from the slap on his face still lingered in his palm—he couldn't tell if it was from too much force or from his hand itself, which carried a strange, tingling current.

"I'm sorry." Suddenly, his low voice broke the suffocating silence.

His face was filled with complex and sincere emotions she had never seen before. "I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me. It wasn't that I was deliberately hiding it from you."

"..."

Lan Shuyin stared blankly at the faint red finger mark on his cheek, her mind filled with thoughts of: No way.

By apologizing in such a self-destructive way, has his method of upholding the truth shifted from indifference to another extreme form that everyone has to care about?

However, she had to admit that when she discovered that Wei Li and Boss Wei were actually the same person, she felt a bit of anger and betrayal deep down—she had treated him as a friend, but he had made a fool of her.

But at this moment, seeing the clear handprint on his face, that anger deflated completely, like a balloon punctured by a needle.

Everyone has secrets, she thought. Perhaps he really does have his reasons.

Besides, what obligation does he have to tell her everything?

Lan Shuyin frowned and said, "You don't need to do this. You've helped me so much, and besides, I didn't even ask you..."

The whole thing was a bit sudden, and her voice was dry and hoarse, with a hint of bewilderment, but she was already subconsciously trying to find excuses for him.

It was only then that Lan Shuyin realized that he was still holding her wrist.

She gently pulled away, thinking he had forgotten, but he didn't let go. Instead, as if he had come to his senses, he took out a wooden box containing spiritual essence from his pocket with his other hand and carefully sprinkled it onto her injured palm.

He lowered his eyes, his movements focused, and explained in a low voice, "The ley lines of the Haitao Building are very special, with yin energy and obsessions accumulating year after year. Someone used these special ley lines to construct that strange core space. Judging from the method, it should be a spiritual cultivator with considerable skill."

He didn't say anything else, nor did he ask her how she died in the battle formation. Perhaps because of the memories of her past life, Lan Shuyin could no longer be as single-minded and self-assured as before, assuming that his thoughtfulness and care were simply due to his personality.

She looked away somewhat awkwardly. "Better than you?"

"Not necessarily," he replied calmly, his hands still moving. "Everyone has their own expertise. The other party is an expert in this area; I just happen to know how to counter it."

After he had finished sprinkling the entire box of Spirit Powder, he finally released his grip on her wrist.

Lan Shuyin had just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him take two more steps closer.

Before she could react, he had already raised his hand, and his fingertips, which were covered in a white powder, gently touched the wound on the back of her head.

The posture was too intimate, and Lan Shuyin stiffened. She subconsciously wanted to back away, but he firmly stopped her with his hand, which was resting on her waist.

"Don't move." His voice was like the gentle tapping of jade, clear and firm, yet leaving no room for argument. "The wound needs treatment."

At such close range, she could clearly smell the faint, refreshing aroma of tea.

How could I have overlooked such obvious similarities before?

A cool sensation came from the back of my head, and the burning pain began to subside.

The sudden reduction in pain gradually cleared my mind.

The anger that had been too much for him to think about before, overwhelmed by a series of unexpected events, finally found an outlet.

Jiang is well!

That bastard who pretended to be harmless and kept calling her "Sister Yin" actually tricked her into this godforsaken place!

She's going to settle this score with him properly!

Thinking of this, Lan Shuyin disregarded everything else and turned to rush towards the elevator.

As soon as the elevator doors on the 23rd floor opened, she rushed to the control room and shoved the door open.

The two security guards, Jiang Wuyang and the others, were both present. They stood helplessly in front of the screen displaying a wall full of flashing static.

Upon seeing Jiang Wuyang, Lan Shuyin's eyes flashed with anger, and she rushed over in a few steps. Reaching out her right hand, she grabbed his neck and used the force of her charge to slam him to the ground!

"Bang!"

Jiang Wuyang's back slammed heavily onto the cold ground with a dull thud. Lan Shuyin's knee followed immediately, pressing firmly against his chest, her hand tightening around his throat, completely subduing him.

"Brother!" Two security guards exclaimed upon seeing this and rushed forward.

"Don't move!" Jiang Wuyang raised his hand to stop him, his voice hoarse from being choked.

"Jiang Wuyang!" Lan Shuyin looked down at him, her voice filled with suppressed icy anger. "What exactly do you want?!"

"You asked me what I wanted to do, instead of asking who I am..." Jiang Wuyang didn't struggle at all, but just looked up at her, even slowly pulling out a strange smile on his face, "Sister, you remember me, don't you?"

Lan Shuyin's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know how Jiang Wuyang had recognized her, but her expression remained icy, and she tightened her grip even more. "What are you thinking? Thinking you're a complete liar?"

"Heh..." Jiang Wuyang chuckled softly, his breathing becoming increasingly labored. "I admit that my elder sister is angry with me... but if she hates me, then she's hating the wrong person..."

He spoke haltingly, staring intently into her eyes, "To commit suicide for Ah Xue... it's not worth it... it's so not worth it..."

"Bang!"

Hearing him dare to mention Ah Xue again, Lan Shuyin couldn't hold back any longer. She clenched her fist and smashed it down on his face, which was twisted with a distorted smile!

"This punch is to repay you for tricking me into your trap!"

"Bang!"

Another punch landed, making him turn his head to the side.

"This punch is for slapping you on the face when you pretend to call me Sister Yin!"

Only when his lips were cracked and his cheekbones were bruised did Lan Shuyin release his grip, panting heavily.

She stood up, looked down at the disheveled Jiang Wuyang on the ground, and said coldly, "Who you are and who I am are not important. What is important is that if you dare to scheme against me again, I will make you suffer ten times more than you are now."

Lan Shuyin turned to leave, but behind her came Jiang Wuyang's hoarse growl, a voice filled with resentment and anger:

"Do you really think Ah Xue is some kind of innocent and kind person?! Do you even know what she's done?!"

She paused, but didn't turn around. She saw Wei Li standing quietly in the shadows of the corridor and didn't want him to hear anything.

Watching her resolute departure, the stubbornness in Jiang Wuyang's eyes gradually gave way to a chilling, ashen look—

"Stone monster, are you trying to take my sister away from me?"

“My sister is mine alone. If you dare to ruin my plans, I will grind you, you stone-bodied beast, into dust and scatter you into the latrine.”

"You can't even handle a fox, you useless piece of trash. Someone like you doesn't deserve to stay by my sister's side!"

...

The sinister and vicious mockery still echoed in his ears. Jiang Wuyang pushed away the hand that was helping him up, slumped down for a long time, and then raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Lan Shuyin silently stepped into the elevator, with Wei Li following closely behind, standing silently beside her.

She silently moved half a step to the side, her gaze fixed on the changing floor numbers, as if the shifting red letters held some answer.

The Mangshantang shrine was closed. As she walked out, she took out her phone. Once the signal was restored, a series of unread messages and missed call notifications popped up on her phone.

Chang Jingyu sent a message, sounding somewhat anxious, saying that Jiang Wuyang had snatched her phone and asking where she was and if she was alright.

The rest were all from Wei Lifa.

Stepping out of the underground parking garage, the evening sky was already tinged with gray-blue. The light from her phone screen illuminated her face, revealing the unread messages. She subconsciously glanced at it; Wei Li was still three steps behind her, looking preoccupied.

She looked even more forlorn than she did.

But recalling everything that had happened before, Lan Shuyin felt a mix of emotions.

She stopped and turned to face him.

"Kui Li," her voice sounded particularly earnest in the twilight, "is there anything about me that you want?"

"I know this might not be the right question. But you, or Boss Wei, just appeared in my life, helped me, and even... did so much for me. Why?"

Seeing that he was about to speak, she interrupted him first, "I want to hear the truth, is that alright?"

Kui Li stared at her, remained silent for a moment, and then said in a low voice, "I'm afraid I'll scare you."

This answer startled Lan Shuyin. She had imagined many high-sounding reasons, but she never expected it to be like this.

"You scared me?" she repeated, puzzled.

“Yes.” He took half a step forward, closing the distance. She could clearly see that deep within those once cold and aloof peach blossom eyes, a profound longing, almost bursting forth, surged. “You are the one I want.”

It is said that nothing can be hidden under the sun. At this moment, as he faced the warm twilight, his expression remained gentle and composed. However, what shone through his appearance was not genuine warmth, but rather a perfect disguise that concealed extreme madness.

His voice was gentle and clear, each word seemingly carrying a burning heat, striking her heartstrings: "From head to toe, inside and out, you are the treasure I want."

—I'm here to find my treasure.

—We meet again. Are you here looking for your treasure again?

--yes.

Suddenly recalling his meaningful words, she quietly reached behind her back and pinched her arm, cautiously asking, "Are you involved in the black market organ trade?"

"..."

Kui Li suddenly sighed, "If you want to refuse, you don't have to pretend to be stupid."

Lan Shuyin also sighed, "A chosen one like me, with beauty that could make fish sink and geese fall in love with, wisdom and courage combined, and elegance and humor in perfect harmony, would make any man who meets me fall irrevocably in love with me. It's really... alas, what a pity."

She smoothed her hair. "I've long since sealed my heart with cement, determined to dedicate my life to exploration. Boss Wei, you missed out on a good time."

Upon hearing this, Wei Li remained silent for a moment, then said, "I know."

“I knew that a long time ago.”

His voice was calm and resonant, carrying a sense of composure as if he had already seen through everything.

“You often say that if it weren’t for all those upsetting things, you’d love to have an ordinary relationship. You don’t like spiritual practices, and you don’t like me. You think I’m inhuman, too cold-blooded, and you hate me and don’t want to see me.” He looked at her slightly stunned expression and said softly, “I know all of that. But I still… can’t help but want to see you.”

"But I can never quite find the right balance. If I'm too enthusiastic, you'll be scared off; if I'm too indifferent, you'll back away. Tell me, where should I stand to make you feel just right?"

Lan Shuyin had only been working with abstract concepts, but his confession was so sudden and wild that she didn't know how to react. She would habitually resort to joking around, but she never expected…

Wei Li doesn't play by the rules; is she playing the innocent love card with her here?

Lan Shuyin's lips twitched, and she almost felt like she had truly been the heartless person who had tormented him a thousand times over.

"Mr. Wei is too kind. You are exceptionally elegant and treat people with great kindness and consideration. It is I who am too narrow-minded and lack vision, and I am not worthy of this favor."

She didn't dare look directly into his fixed gaze, which made her heart pound. After Lan Shuyin finished speaking, she raised her hand to flag down a passing taxi, smiled and greeted him, then quickly opened the door and got in. "Driver, please open the door first."

They fled in panic.

I had absolutely no courage to hear what he had to say next.

She bent over, looking at the ground beneath the car, until she felt she was out of the other person's sight. Then she straightened up, looked out the window at the receding street scene, and let out a long sigh of relief.

The car merged into the nighttime traffic, neon lights flickering on her face. Her chaotic thoughts gradually settled as the car drove smoothly.

Lan Shuyin suddenly realized.

That's not right.

When Wei Li said, "If it weren't for all those upsetting things, I'd really like to have an ordinary relationship," it was clearly a test she had deliberately said to him in her past life, in a seemingly casual setting where it was just the two of them. He didn't respond at the time, and she assumed he was indifferent or hadn't heard her at all.

But not only did he remember, he also just repeated it in that same tone.

Did he recognize her too?

Lan Shuyin couldn't feel happy; her heart was heavy—this proved that he had always known who she was, but deliberately watched her worry about the note. If it weren't for that slap…

She unconsciously pressed her forehead.

In any case, based on her experience from her previous life, Wei Li wouldn't linger around someone for no reason. The only explanation is most likely that she's involved in some karmic destiny she's not yet aware of.

Therefore, not a single word of his humble confession can be believed.

He's so modern now; he knows exactly how to manipulate people's hearts. He knows what words will unsettle her and what gestures will soften her heart.

In short, the situation has become complicated.

Originally, she only wanted to find out who was behind that note, but now it seems that it was most likely a threat set up by Jiang Wuyang to get revenge on her. Besides him, she couldn't think of anyone else who hated her so much.

Therefore, there is actually no need to investigate further.

A strong urge to break free from them surged up within me.

She was so exhausted in her past life that she lost the will to live, but she still has it in this life.

She didn't want to get involved in any spiritual practices, the Temple of Truth, or those mysterious conflicts. She didn't want to become cannon fodder in any game.

Lan Shuyin pondered for a moment and then said, "Master, go to Tangqian Alley."

She was going to see Sanan, the jewel-encrusted medium whom Kui Li had taken to see once.

Ten minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of the deserted four-story tenement building.

The lacquered wooden door seemed to indicate that the owner inside was about to receive guests.

Lan Shuyin walked in and found herself in a spacious, double-height hall. The dim light from the wall lamps enveloped the entire space in a mysterious, warm shadow.

"A distinguished guest's arrival brings honor to our humble abode." The voice preceded the person's arrival, carrying a touch of languid exoticism.

Lan Shuyin looked up and saw Sanan standing on the second-floor railing. Dressed in a dark purple Thai robe and adorned with ornate accessories, he slowly descended the spiral staircase, the beads clinking softly against each other.

"Miss Lan looks much more refreshed and pleasing to the eye now that she's not with that capricious guy."

Lan Shuyin didn't respond to that, nor did she bother with pleasantries. She went straight to the point, saying, "Kui Li said that you are one of the top mediums, someone with real skills. I wonder if Mr. Sanan can discern my origins?"

Sanan walked slowly around her once, then suddenly chuckled, "You're testing me. But it's alright."

He stopped directly in front of Lan Shuyin, his eyes becoming deep and unfathomable. "Your spirit has grown up alongside this body since childhood."

"This body was originally a stillborn infant, but your spirit itself is severely incomplete, lacking even facial features, so the soul and body don't mesh well. We need to find your facial features first and find a way to completely integrate you with this body before discussing anything else."

"No facial features?" Lan Shuyin was taken aback.

“What is lost after death is not what was lost in life.” Sanan said, walking to the shrine, taking out a handful of dark red incense sticks and lighting them. “It’s not too late to get them back now.”

The smoke from the incense burner suddenly turned thick and black, twisting into eerie runes in the air. Sanan muttered incantations, then suddenly grabbed a handful of cinnabar and threw it into the incense burner—

"boom!"

A burst of blood-red light suddenly exploded from the black smoke, and Sanan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, falling straight backward.

The incident happened so suddenly that Lan Shuyin was startled and quickly stepped forward, "Mr. Sanan?"

However, Sanan trembled violently, his eyes wide open, and terrifying blood seeped from his seven orifices. He squeezed out three words through clenched teeth:

"The Jiuli Clan..." Before he could finish speaking, he lost consciousness.

"Mr. Sanan? Mr. Sanan?"

Lan Shuyin called out several times, but the pulse she felt under her fingers was weak and erratic, clearly indicating a severe backlash from the probing. She immediately took out her phone and dialed an ambulance, briefly explaining the address and the situation.

After hanging up the phone, she simply sat on the floor next to Sanan, propped her elbows on her knees, and rested her chin on her palms, lost in thought.

He died falling off a cliff in his past life, and even in death he couldn't find peace, his facial features were cut off? How utterly depraved and heartless must someone be to do such a cruel thing to a corpse?

Jiuli clan...

This family was so ancient that she had only considered it a vague and distant legend in her previous life.

It is said that the Jiuli clan was not a single-family clan; their bloodline was secretly scattered among the Three Rivers and Five Lakes, its origins traceable to the ancient Jiuli tribe that contended with the Yellow Emperor. They did not worship ordinary ghosts and gods, but rather some ancient, chaotic, and more fundamental "primordial beings" closer to the origin of the world. They possessed terrifying secret methods to twist flesh and blood and alter souls, and their actions were unpredictable and treacherous, making them heretics and taboos in the underworld.

They are more like a shadow that accompanies the ancient darkness.

Could the legend be true? That the younger sister's true form was desecrated, and that she lost her facial features after death... all of this is related to the Jiuli clan?

Lan Shuyin knew very well that a poor fusion between the spirit and the body not only affected lifespan but also made it easier to die a violent death. She didn't want to die young and mysteriously.

Therefore, regaining facial features seems to be an urgent matter.

However, the Jiuli clan is extremely secretive, and their whereabouts are difficult to find. For now, it seems we can only wait until Sanan awakens before inquiring further.

She thought to herself.

The ambulance arrived quickly.

Five or six medical staff arrived at once, glancing around cautiously as they entered. But upon seeing the unconscious Sanan lying on the ground, they visibly relaxed, quickly lifting him onto a stretcher, having Lan Shuyin sign a consent form, and then left.

Lan Shuyin closed the door for Sa Nan and turned to leave when she saw another ambulance with its blue lights flashing parked on the side of the road. Two paramedics hurriedly got out and asked her, "Did you call an ambulance?"

Lan Shuyin was startled, suddenly recalling the unusual behavior of the medical staff earlier, and a chill instantly ran down her spine.

“No,” she replied calmly. Watching the two medical staff members make a phone call to confirm the address while complaining helplessly, she turned and walked away quickly, realizing that the group that had taken Sanan away earlier were not real medical personnel.

Lan Shuyin subconsciously took out her phone and tapped on the name in her contacts. In that moment of hesitation, she caught a glimpse of a figure in the shadows across the street, seemingly watching her silently.

She felt a chill run down her spine and immediately pressed the dial button.

The call was answered almost instantly.

Before the other person could speak, Lan Shuyin immediately said in a hurried tone with a hint of coquetry, "Husband..." She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her voice not too loud or too soft, just loud enough for people nearby to hear, "Where are you? Come pick me up now."

She paused, then emphasized, "Hurry up, okay? I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of Tangqian Alley."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a calm reply, "Stay where you are, I'll be there soon."

When Kui Li said "immediately," he truly meant it.

Almost the instant the words were spoken, Lan Shuyin heard a dull thud from the shadows at the street corner, as if something heavy had collapsed to the ground. Immediately afterward, Wei Li's figure stepped out of the darkness.

Lan Shuyin immediately rushed over, but ignored him and turned her gaze to the source of the sound.

Two people wearing white gloves and dressed like drivers were moving an unconscious man in black.

"Wait a minute." Lan Shuyin called out to stop them, and walked straight over to search the unconscious man.

The man's pockets were empty; there was no wallet, no cell phone, no identification, and even the tags on his clothes had been carefully cut off.

“No need to look anymore.” Wei Li’s voice sounded behind her. “Special Bureau investigators don’t leave any personal traces when they go on missions.”

"Special Bureau?" Lan Shuyin was taken aback. "They're monitoring me?"

“It’s not you.” Kui Li’s gaze drifted towards Sanan’s house.

Seeing this, Lan Shuyin hesitated, as if she wanted to say something. After a moment, she gritted her teeth and said, "I may have made a mistake."

Seeing that Wei Li was looking over, she subconsciously lowered her eyes. "Sa Nan has been taken away."

"Um."

His reaction was so calm that Lan Shuyin couldn't help but look up and emphasize, "After he fainted, he was taken away by someone impersonating medical staff. Could it be the Special Bureau?"

“The Special Bureau, the New Path, both are possible.” Wei Li seemed to know what she was thinking and added, “The New Path is a folk spiritual organization that has emerged in recent years. They act erratically and unscrupulously. They have something they want on Sanan. I don’t know exactly what it is. His house is usually guarded, so those people can’t get in. Today is a good day.”

Today is a lucky day.

That sounds like sarcasm no matter how you look at it.

Lan Shuyin was momentarily stunned when she heard him ask, "Have I explained it clearly?"

She was still smoothing it out, but she nodded.

Kui Li nodded. "Then you should explain yourself." He lowered his eyes and gazed at her. "What did you just call me?"

"ah?"

"On the phone," he repeated patiently, each word perfectly clear, "what did you call me?"

She had thought he wanted to ask why she had come to see Sanan, and she had even prepared her answer. She never expected that this was what he cared about.

For a fleeting moment, Lan Shuyin paused, feeling guilty.