cinnabar

The servant outside the house responded to Jiang Nian's instructions and brought in writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone soon.

The wind blew in the evening, and the moment I closed the door, I could hear sobbing outside.

Jiang Nian listened attentively to the noise in the treetops for a moment, then turned to the person across the table.

After Xizhen took the paper and pen, he started drawing something on the paper.

The ink spread across the bamboo paper, creating a dark sheen along his handwriting.

Jiang Nian's eyes fell on the paper, and within a few seconds, a strange pattern appeared on the paper.

It was an eye that couldn't distinguish between left and right.

But apart from the basic eye sockets and pupils, the area where the upper eyelids were originally was replaced by other strange lines.

Xizhen simply drew a few strokes on the eyes and then withdrew his hand.

The pale golden ink soon dried up due to the dry weather, and the faint ink stains appeared on the back of the bamboo paper.

"……This is?"

Jiang Nian reached out and took it from Xizhen's hand, lowering his eyes to look at it carefully.

The pattern drawn on the paper is clearly similar to a simple sketch, but looking at the pupils in those eyes, there is always a strange feeling as if I am being stared at.

It doesn't give people a cold and uncomfortable feeling. If I had to express it... it's more like the kind that once the paper is closed, these strange eyes will fade from my mind.

It obviously looks very strange, and people can see it at a glance.

But as long as you don't look at it, you will forget it as soon as you turn your head.

However, I always have a vague feeling that I am being watched, which I can't get rid of.

Xizhen tapped the purple-hair brush with her fingertips lightly on the jade brush mountain, and when her eyelashes were half raised, a crescent-shaped arc was drawn at the end of her eyes.

The smile on the lips seemed to be stained with dark red cinnabar, hooking people's hearts.

"It's the curse that will reveal the talisman array."

"……curse?"

Jiang Nian tightened his grip on the paper and subconsciously glanced down at the single eye.

It was still there on the paper, lifeless.

It won't move or blink.

The sandalwood table made a slight sound. Xizhen leaned over with his elbows, and the moment his ten fingers touched each other, the laziness that had previously filled his body disappeared like smoke.

The hair hanging by his ears fell down with his movements, and the candlelight reflected in his eyes was like dancing gold, and even the gentle smile on his brows exuded a bit of strangeness.

“Yes, no special paper is needed, and there are no restrictions on size. It will generate heat when it is close to the talisman array.

You just need to draw it according to the steps I drew, then place it on the talisman paper, and the talisman will break by itself."

"By then... your actions will be much more convenient."

"But one thing to note is that if the talisman formation fails, the people on the Wu Mi side will also notice it."

Xizhen tilted her head slightly, picked up the teacup from which steam was no longer rising, and picked it up by the edge. As she lowered her eyes and sipped the tea, her long eyelashes blocked the cold thoughts in her eyes.

"Qin or Xiao should have told you to record the position of the talisman array, right?"

Jiang Nian instantly understood the true meaning of the recording array: "You mean... regardless of whether I alarmed the goddess or not, they will flee at a certain moment?"

Xizhen smiled slowly: "Yes, so you need to use all the items in your hands, as well as this spell, to hide your identity while keeping the talisman array functioning."

"Because the goddess attaches great importance to this mission..."

He lowered his eyes, his words tinged with leisurely contemplation. "Under special circumstances, I think she's more likely to tie you up and use you as a bargaining chip than to kill you."

"—After all, this is more valuable."

“…”

Jiang Nian did not comment on Xizhen's idea.

Whether it is Xiao Yingzhu and his group, or Wu Mi and his group, they all uphold a common philosophy.

No matter what, interests always come first.

As long as it helps advance the mission, other things can be put aside.

However, compared to the issue of life and death, she had another question she wanted to ask: "...Excuse me for being so intrusive, but I have something I don't understand."

"Why were these important matters delayed until the night before departure?"

If Xizhen didn't come tonight, she might not be able to figure out what Xiao Yingzhu and Qin Lan's ultimate goal was when they got to Zuihua Tower.

Xizhen paused, her eyes flickering as she gently curved her lips into a smile, her tone adding a hint of teasing, "Perhaps... Xiao is afraid that Miss Jiang will be nervous."

"......?" Jiang Nian's pupils slightly dilated, and he asked in surprise, "Why?"

Xizhen stared at her for a moment with his long eyelashes drooping, then looked away very lightly.

"If I had told you everything at once, I think Miss Jiang would have asked me a lot of questions at the post station that day."

“…”

Jiang Nian couldn't find any excuse to shirk responsibility.

In fact, these days, just knowing that she was going to Zuihualou to inquire about the treacherous goddess, she revealed her nervousness about being seen and used as a handle.

If he knew at once that he had gone to Zuihua Tower, in addition to successfully sneaking into the top pavilion and finding the information about the plague plan in Cang County and the medicine to save Princess Qingping from the coma, he also had to find the locations of several talisman arrays.

Then she would probably spend the whole day analyzing this matter from beginning to end.

After all, she doesn't like to fight a battle without preparation.

Thinking this way will delay the things at hand.

"Too."

She smiled and sighed, then shook her head helplessly: "Sorry, my mental state for this kind of thing is still too poor."

Xizhen's gaze paused slightly, his attention focused on one of her words.

"...Psychological quality?"

“……!”

Jiang Nian calmed down his suddenly turbulent mood and explained calmly, "Miss Tao gave me some books from the sect. They contain words similar to cultivation, or alternative words for nourishing qi."

"I thought it was interesting, so I learned how to use it."

In a moment of nervousness, she almost called herself a commoner, but fortunately she resisted the urge to use honorifics, otherwise it would have been obvious that she was being too cautious.

Xizhen blinked slowly, then curved her lips and smiled softly: "If you didn't know, you would think that the young lady learned it from the soldiers."

? !

Could it be that Xizhen really found out?

Jiang Nian was about to test it out without changing his expression, but the person in front of him immediately changed the subject: "It's okay, it's not a big deal anyway. As long as the young lady likes it."

"That makes sense. If you're curious, Mr. Xi, I'd love to give you a copy when I'm free."

Jiang Nian's mood calmed down at this moment, so he just said it casually.

After the conversation, the room fell silent for a while.

Xizhen frowned and picked up the purple brush again. After asking if he could paint on the drawing and getting permission, he used the tip of the brush dipped in gold ink to lightly touch a few points on each of the five floors of Zuihua Tower.

The force with which his pen tip touched the drawing was just right, neither too light nor too heavy. The light golden ink was particularly eye-catching on the drawing, but the overall look was not unpleasant.

It seems to have appeared on the drawing.

After Xizhen scanned the drawing again and carefully examined it, he put the pen back on the pen holder and handed the drawing back to Jiang Nian.

"This should be the location where the Wu Mi people set up the talisman formation."

Jiang Nian took it with both hands, thanked him, and secretly memorized the position of each gold dot on the drawing. Then he raised his eyes and looked at Xi Zhen curiously:

"There's one more thing I'm curious about..."

Meeting Xi Zhen's pale eyes, Jiang Nian asked under his suggestive gaze, "Why is Master Xi so sure about where the talisman array will be set up in Zuihua Tower?"

Since Xi Zhen is Xiao Yingzhu's subordinate and has only recently cooperated with Commander Yu, he should not have been here before.

After all, Cang County was not the main battlefield before, so there was no need to arrange such an important person here.

But now, just by looking at the blueprint, he can analyze the location of the talisman array in Zuihua Tower.

It's incredible.

Xizhen wasn't surprised by her question at all. He seemed to have expected her to say that. His eyes darkened for a moment before fading. "The method of using talisman arrays to cover a region was originally created by this humble official."

"Today, I see that the basic structure of Zuihualou is similar to the one I laid out back then. It can't be said that it is out of the trap I set up back then."

Why was he so sure that the talisman array hadn't been changed...

Jiang Nian's mind froze for a moment, then he remembered that when he was looking for those sacrifices, Xizhen encountered a talisman array set up by a member of the Wu Mi tribe.

So it will be so certain.

Just as she was about to nod, she changed her mind and thought of the goddess in the rooftop pavilion of Zuihua Tower.

Would the goddess forget such an important matter?

Will she change?

…

Xizhen had previously made it clear that he couldn't guess what she was thinking about matters related to the goddess, so asking again would be overstepping his bounds.

Putting away the chaotic thoughts in his heart, Jiang Nian smiled gently.

"Thank you, Mr. Laoxi, for taking the trouble to come here today to tell me these things. I am deeply grateful."

After the brief conversation, Xizhen stood up from behind the table.

He reached out to take the outer robe which was slightly wet with raindrops from a light shower, lifted up his long dark black hair, adjusted the collar to make it warm, and then let his waterfall-like black hair fall down.

Jiang Nian walked to the door and opened the door of the flower hall for Xizhen.

Before she left, she saw the moon obscured by clouds in the sky. After hesitating for a while, she turned around and asked Xizhen, who was about to walk to the door:

"Master Xi...when will he appear in Zuihualou next?"

The bright eyebrows and eyes were extremely charming under the moonlight. The gentleness just now was gone, and the cunning and sinister danger reappeared on Xizhen's face.

Hearing Jiang Nian's inquiring question in a soft voice, he turned his eyes to the side, and the emotions in his eyes were empty as nothingness.

"It depends on the circumstances at the time."

"but……"

Xizhen raised her hand to smooth out the slight wrinkles on Yuebai's sleeves, and gave Jiang Nianwen a gentle, almost invisible smile.

"I can guarantee that nothing will happen to Miss Jiang. Besides... there's also that bottle of incense."

That bottle of incense?

Jiang Nian subconsciously touched the perfume that was still in her bag.

The base of the incense that Buqu improved and concocted to be able to make people dizzy was given by Xiao Yingzhu, and Xizhen personally admitted that the bottle of incense was made by Xiao Yingzhu.

Is he hinting at something?

As if he didn't intend to say more to Jiang Nian, after he finished speaking these words, he walked towards the corridor outside the flower hall.

The flower hall is surrounded by beautiful scenery.

Even though no one lives here often, Qin Lan's servants have taken care of the scenery here meticulously, making it very elegant and unique.

Moonlight flows along the end of the corridor, reflecting a smooth light.

In the distance, the rustling sound of water came down from the rockery, and the splashing water seemed to wake up the sleeping fish. Occasionally, a goldfish would flap its tail and then fall into silence again.

Jiang Nian stood there, watching Xi Zhen walk out of the corridor. The moonlight, which was completely unobstructed by any buildings, was even brighter and clearer, casting a soft glow over his entire body.

The only sound in my ears was the chirping of cicadas after a slight rain.

After a moment, a very light voice was heard.

"Since you are Xiao's person, you should be able to be her best..."

Test the object.

The words disappeared like clouds in the pool water. Jiang Nian leaned against the door, and his fingertips clenched involuntarily.

The bright moonlight made her pupils feel blinded.

Something vaguely seemed to be about to happen.