The heavy wooden door slammed shut, shutting out all prying eyes and noise from the outside world. Su Nian leaned against the cold door, slowly sliding down to the floor. Her forced composure receded like the tide, revealing her near-exhaustion and lingering fear. Cold sweat had already soaked through her thin gauze dress, clinging stickily to her skin and bringing a chill. She hugged her trembling knees, buried her face in her arms, and breathed deeply.
The bet was won.
She did indeed survive the altar and... ventured deeper into the ancient castle.
"Between slumber"...
She looked up and surveyed her temporary refuge once more. It was a thousand times better than the dungeon; it had solid walls, a clean wooden bed, and even a desk and a chair. In the corner was a washstand with a copper basin, and next to it was even a small window covered by heavy curtains. The air was still cold and stale, but at least the nauseating smell of blood and despair was gone.
It was an elaborate cage. But at least, she was safe for the time being.
After resting for a while, Su Nian struggled to her feet. Weakness and hunger gnawed at her will like leeches clinging to her bones. Her immediate priority was to restore her body's vitality. She sat down by the bed and began to guide her breathing, recalling the most basic breathing techniques from the world of immortals and heroes, trying to calm her turbulent blood and carefully sensing the state deep within her soul.
The soul ice crystals remained cracked and dim, the icy mark dormant. Only a few golden specks, tightly protected, emitted a faint but persistent warmth, like distant stars in the night, offering her a sliver of comfort and strength.
“We’re in,” she murmured to herself, as if speaking to the point of light. “Though it’s been a perilous journey, we’re finally… one step closer to you.”
Just then, the soft, rhythmic knocking sound came again from one direction on the wall.
Su Nian stiffened, raising her head warily, her sharp gaze sweeping across the stone wall from which the sound had come. The sound came from next door, very soft, carrying a tentative restraint.
Who is it?
Another sacrifice? Some being trapped here? Or... yet another trap set by the vampires?
She held her breath and did not respond immediately. In the face of complete uncertainty, any rash action could lead to utter destruction.
The tapping paused for a moment, as if the other party was also waiting. After a while, it started again, this time with a slightly different rhythm: three short taps followed by one long tap, repeated twice.
This doesn't seem like an unconscious action; it's more like a... signal?
Su Nian's mind raced. If it were a trap, the other party wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths. If they were of the same kind, perhaps she could glean some information about the ancient castle. Risk and opportunity coexisted.
She took a deep breath, walked to the wall, and mimicked the other person's rhythm, gently tapping the rough stone wall three times with her fingernails—two short and one long.
The knocking stopped abruptly.
A long silence fell over the room, so long that Su Nian thought the other person had left or given up.
Just as she was about to retreat back to the bedside—
A faint, indistinct sound, as if transmitted through a thick layer of water, drifted through the air. It wasn't language, but rather a suppressed, painful, and desperate whimper and gasp, interspersed with a subtle, metallic rustling sound.
Su Nian's hair stood on end instantly. The voice was ominous, definitely not benevolent, but it also seemed... not to be feigned.
What exactly is locked up next door?
This unexpected turn of events made Su Nian even more acutely aware of the eeriness and danger of this ancient castle. She had to recover her strength as soon as possible, both physically and... spiritually.
She sat back on the bed, clearing her mind of all distractions, and focused all her energy on communicating with the Ice Soul Mark. Her consciousness sank into the shattered "ice field," where she "saw" her broken soul and the pale blue, unresponsive mark at its core. She concentrated, as if trying to move a mountain, attempting to evoke a trace of chill.
Once, twice... after countless futile attempts, just as her spirit was about to be exhausted and her consciousness began to fade—
Buzz...
A faint, almost imperceptible coolness, like a wisp of silk, suddenly seeped from the Ice Soul Mark, slowly flowing across the cracks in her soul. The feeling was fleeting, but the relief it brought was real! At the same time, she noticed that at the very end of the finest crack on her soul's ice crystal, it seemed… to have healed by an insignificant thread! Finer than a hair, yet it had truly happened!
Su Nian suddenly opened her eyes, her heart pounding.
It wasn't because her efforts had paid off, but because she clearly felt that the emergence of that trace of Ice Soul Power and the healing of the soul rift occurred after she... successfully persuaded Xie Chen with the theory of "special drinking method" and was personally assigned to be placed in this "Slumbering Chamber"!
Is it a coincidence?
Or... was her guess right? Could the act of causing this ancient castle and that world-weary prince to "change" because of her really trigger some kind of law, which in turn nourished her soul and legacy?
This discovery thrilled her to the point of trembling. If this was true, then her previously conceived "boiling the frog slowly" plan was not merely for survival and the mission, but also a hidden path to recovery!
The next day, as the clock's magical hands pointed to "morning," there was a sound outside the door. It was the same expressionless vampire maid, bringing breakfast.
No longer cold black bread and murky water.
Instead, it was a bowl of slightly steaming, thick oatmeal porridge, a small cup of warm milk, and a small dish of clear honey on the side.
Looking at the tray, Su Nian felt reassured. Derrick's "discretionary consideration" had yielded a better result than she had anticipated. This proved that her "value" was being initially recognized.
She ate her food quickly and in small bites, feeling the warmth coursing through her body. The sweetness of the honey almost brought her to tears; it was a long-lost, tangible feeling of being "alive."
After eating, she didn't idly wait like ordinary prisoners. She began to engage in gentle activities in the limited space, stretching her muscles and improving blood circulation. She carefully washed herself, made her bed, and even tried to wipe the dust off the tables and chairs. She wanted to quickly rid her mental state and environment of the shadow of being a "sacrifice" and move closer to being a "special being who needs to be treated with care."
When the maid came to collect the trays, Su Nian looked into her empty eyes and said in a calm but clear tone, "Please tell Butler Derrick that if possible, could you add some chopped dried fruit to tomorrow's porridge? And could the milk be a little warmer? This will help... with physical recovery and emotional stability."
The maid left silently without saying anything.
Su Nian knew this was a test of her limits, but she had to do it. She needed to gradually imprint "Su Nian's" habits and needs into the daily life of this ancient castle.
The next two days passed in a state of apparent calm but underlying turmoil.
The quality of the food delivered was slowly improving; sure enough, there were a few more raisins in the porridge, and the milk was at a more suitable temperature. Su Nian persevered in her training and breathing exercises, striving to capture the slightest signs of repair that might appear deep within her soul after each successful "interaction" with the outside world. The signs did exist, but they were extremely slow, like water dripping on a stone.
The knocking and muffled sobbing from next door could be heard occasionally, but Su Nian remained silent most of the time, simply listening quietly and trying to deduce more information. She initially judged that it was likely a being that had been imprisoned for a long time and was in a highly unstable mental state, temporarily unable to communicate effectively, but not showing any direct malice.
On the afternoon of the third day, Su Nian had just finished a round of simple stretching exercises and was preparing to try meditation again when—
A strange feeling suddenly descended upon me.
It wasn't sound, nor sight, but a kind of... indescribable "sense of being watched." Cold, distant, yet seemingly close at hand, it penetrated the barriers of the walls, silently enveloping the entire space she was in.
It's Xie Chen!
Su Nian froze instantly, as if the blood in her body had frozen in that instant. She dared not move, and even her breathing became unconsciously shallow, like prey locked on by the gaze of a predator.
The gaze wasn't overtly malicious; it was more like a...casual glance, like a master surveying their territory, casually glancing at a caged bird. But the oppressive feeling it conveyed was far more unsettling than any explicit threat. Under that gaze, she felt all her secrets, the icy crystals and sparks of light deep within her soul, were laid bare.
She forced herself to maintain the outstretched arm position, trying to make her expression look natural, as if she were simply moving her body to adapt to her surroundings. She couldn't show anything unusual, she couldn't let him know that she was aware of his spying.
A few seconds later, the cold gaze vanished silently, just as it had appeared.
Su Nian suddenly relaxed, her back instantly soaked with cold sweat. She leaned against the wall, panting heavily, her heart pounding.
He was indeed spying on her. In some way she couldn't understand. This completely shattered the little sense of security she had just built up. She had almost no privacy in front of this man.
But at the same time, a thought flashed through her mind like lightning—during that brief moment of eye contact, the dormant icy mark deep within her soul seemed to... tremble extremely faintly? Not because of her guidance, but as if it had been unintentionally touched by some kind of similar or opposing force?
Before she could even process what was happening, there was a knock on the door.
This was not the usual, almost silent way a maid would appear.
Su Nian composed herself and said in a deep voice, "Please come in."
The door was pushed open, and there stood the old butler, Derrick. He was still wearing a sharp black suit, his gray eyes expressionless.
“Miss,” he said curtly, “your list of ‘requirements’ seems to be growing.”
Su Nian's heart tightened slightly, knowing this was a response to her earlier question about the temperature of the dried fruit and milk. She remained calm: "It's simply to better serve His Majesty the Prince."
Derrick didn't dwell on the issue, but instead changed the subject: "The castle library has some human texts on... 'food and mind.' Perhaps they will be helpful for you in 'adjusting your state.' Of course, this requires additional permissions."
Su Nian's heart skipped a beat. The library! It might hold clues about this world, about vampires, even about soul cultivation! This was the source of information she needed most right now!
What was Derrick's intention in doing this? Was it Xie Chen's instruction? Or was it a test he took on his own initiative?
“Thank you very much for informing me, Mr. Butler,” Su Nian replied cautiously. “If possible, I would like to obtain permission to read it. It is indeed very helpful to me…”
Derrick nodded slightly. "I will report to my master." He paused, his gray eyes seeming to linger on her face for a moment, before adding, his voice still calm, yet carrying a subtle, unspoken meaning, "The castle is vast, my lady. Some corners are far older and more...dangerous than the 'Sleeping Chamber.' Satisfying curiosity comes at a price."
After saying this, he bowed slightly, said no more, and turned to leave the room.
The door closed again.
Su Nian stood rooted to the spot, her heart churning. Derrick's words were incredibly informative. He had offered information about the library, which seemed like bait, an opportunity. But at the same time, he had also issued a clear warning.
What awaits her in that library? Knowledge, or a trap? Has Xie Chen already tacitly approved? Is there any connection between that brief spying just now and the news Derrick brought now?
She walked to the small window covered by a heavy curtain, hesitated for a moment, and then gently pulled open a corner of it.
Outside the window, instead of the courtyard or distant mountains she had imagined, lay a dense, impenetrable darkness. Only in the far distance, a few faint, eerie blue lights flickered, like will-o'-the-wisps. The Eternal Night Dynasty, truly deserving of its name. A chilling air seeped in through the cracks, carrying a musty, stale smell.
This window offers no path to freedom; it only allows her to feel her prisoner's situation more acutely.
However, Su Nian's gaze gradually hardened.
Danger and opportunity coexist. She cannot let fear hold her back. The library—she must go. It is the key to understanding the world and finding a way to restore her strength.
She returned to her desk and sat down, unfolding the simple paper and pen her maid had brought her for "recording her feelings." Instead of recording her feelings, she began to sketch, from memory, some basic array runes and herbal patterns from the world of immortals and heroes. These things might not be useful in this world, but they could train her concentration and also serve as a disguise—she needed to make her monitors believe that she was diligently researching "human knowledge" to "improve blood quality."
The pen nib glided across the rough paper, making a soft, scratching sound. Deep within her soul, those few golden specks seemed to find a little more peace because of her focus.
Just then—
A faint yet incredibly clear sense of pull suddenly emanated from the core of her soul!
It didn't come from the Ice Soul Mark, but... from those few golden specks of light belonging to Xie Chen!
Like compasses, they all pointed in one direction—not outside the door, nor next door, but... diagonally downwards? It was as if something deep underground in this "slumbering space" was attracting them, or rather, something of the same origin as them!
Su Nian abruptly stopped writing, her pupils contracting slightly.
What does this sudden sensation mean?
What secrets related to Xie Chen's soul are hidden beneath this bedroom?
Is it an opportunity, or... a greater danger?
(End of Chapter 52)
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Next chapter preview: The unusual pull of the golden light points to a secret deep underground! Will permission to access the library be granted? What is Xie Chen's true purpose behind his seemingly laissez-faire surveillance? How will Su Nian utilize these intricate clues to uncover the truth and power within the perilous ancient castle? Is what lies hidden underground another prison, or... a glimmer of hope?
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