Chapter 187 Found you, 520
"A short, tiny girl walking at the back." Mu Jianjian looked at the other women, her heart filled with anxiety.
Logically speaking, she watched these people enter the house and didn't feel anyone moving around during that time, unless a person with a very high level of cultivation came.
"I don't know..." The other women looked at each other and shook their heads.
Until a woman in a corner spoke up weakly, "I...I think I saw her. After I came in, she disappeared at the corner of the last door. It seems she left with someone else."
Sure enough, someone had been here.
Upon hearing this, Mu Jianjian turned to leave, but a woman grabbed her hand, pleading, "Please, save us!"
One woman spoke up, and the others quickly followed suit, pleading.
“I can’t help you, but if you can infiltrate the Liangyi Institute, there will still be a glimmer of hope.”
The Liangyi Courtyard was the most chaotic and filthy courtyard in the entire Red Mansion, where the upper echelons handled their dirty, clandestine transactions. Therefore, the women there were not registered.
Mu Jianjian looked at the women with a hesitant expression, but this time she didn't stop and turned to leave.
The only way out has been shown to them; whether they take it or not is entirely up to them.
She hurried to the back door, but there was no sign of anyone there.
Under the clear sky, the vermilion on the walls appeared even more vibrant and captivating. Mu Jianjian, who knew everything that had happened here, felt as if it had been soaked in blood, dazzling to the eye. Red lanterns hung from the eaves of the houses along the narrow path, swaying in the breeze.
It was too late; she lost track of them.
But should we just go back like this?
Mu Jianjian suddenly noticed a small strip of cloth fluttering in the wind at her feet. She picked it up, and the rich scent of sandalwood wafted into her nose.
This is Shan Chuxue's dress, yet it carries the scent of such precious spices, which could only have come from the person who kidnapped her.
Confusion overwhelmed her, and Mu Jianjian clutched the strip of cloth tightly in her hand.
Even without true qi, she could still use the Fragrance Poison Technique to find Xue'er.
——
Inside the Red Mansion Cloud Pavilion.
A screen embroidered with flowers and birds divides the space in two. The interior is exquisite and elegant, with various carved porcelain vases placed on bookshelves, and the fragrance of sandalwood wafting from a censer hanging from the ceiling, rich and intoxicating.
A little girl in tattered clothes knelt in front of the screen, her head buried in her arms, making it impossible to see her expression.
"Get up." A woman's voice came from behind the screen.
Dan Chuxue looked up, but her eyes remained downcast, as if she dared not look up at people. Her face no longer had the innocence of before, but instead revealed a sense of old age and coldness.
"Yes, Master."
"Any news about the grand banquet in Yingzhou?"
"The Demon Lord is dead. Young Lord Chi Wenqing has taken over after eliminating the remaining forces. However, other sects have not spread the story of what happened that night, which seems to be due to some kind of secret agreement." Shan Chuxue spoke in a serious tone.
A soft laugh came from behind the screen, and the woman asked unhurriedly, "Anything else?"
"There's also the death of Jin Hongze, the son of the Golden Crow Shrine's master, and... the disappearance of Mu Jianjian, the young lady of the Xuan Shuang Sect. However, the mastermind behind both incidents has not yet been found. Yingzhou has completely washed its hands of the matter, and the Holy Lotus Pavilion seems to be showing favoritism..."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work." Behind the screen, Yun Rong brewed tea and took a small sip.
"This is what Xue should do." Shan Chuxue lowered her head even further. After reporting, she was about to leave when she was called back.
"I heard you've been getting quite close to Number 520?"
"No." Shan Chuxue frowned and denied it, recalling the other person's feigned comfort when she left.
What good is it to take care of her and treat her well?
She wouldn't remember a favor someone did for her; in the end, she'd just hand her over without a second thought or any remorse.
Dan Chuxue walked into the courtyard from behind the door, and was about to leave to do what she had been told when she was suddenly pulled into a corner, where a strange woman appeared in front of her.
"Xue'er, are you alright?"
The voice sounded familiar, but had she ever seen her before?
“It’s me, Mu Yuanyuan,” Mu Jianjian put her finger to her lips to be quiet, “Don’t make a sound, I’ll take you away from here.”
We can deal with any other issues later. Now that we've found Xue'er, the most important thing is how the two of them can leave.
Dan Chuxue stared in disbelief at the unfamiliar woman in front of her. How did she manage to sneak here all by herself?
Besides, is that a human skin mask on her face?
Why would she wear a human skin mask?
"Sister?" Countless questions flashed through Shan Chuxue's mind, but her expression returned to its previous timid and innocent state. "Sister, there are many people here... Can you please leave quickly?"
"Shh—" Mu Jianjian didn't delve into the deeper meaning of the little girl's words. She took the other girl's hand and walked a short distance towards the deserted corner of the courtyard before lifting Shan Chuxue onto a tree branch next to the courtyard wall and supporting her up. "Xue'er, you go up from here first and wait for me on the wall."
Dan Chuxue saw the girl struggling to lift her onto the tree branch, her hands trembling from the excessive force. Because the two were so close, she could smell a faint scent of blood on the other girl's clothes.
She was finally placed on a branch, a feeling that was both familiar and utterly foreign.
Dan Chuxue looked down and saw the girl clenching her fists and trying to climb up in a disheveled state. In a daze, she looked up and saw the woman standing coldly at the end of the corner of the courtyard.
Her body trembled.
"Clang—"
When Mu Jianjian saw Shan Chuxue fall from the tree to the ground, she was almost devastated.
There were already many servants patrolling this courtyard, and this fall directly reduced the chances of a successful escape by ten percent!
"Xue'er!" Mu Jianjian quickly let go of the tree and hugged Shan Chuxue, who had fallen to the ground.
Did she faint?
Is there a physical injury?
Just as Mu Jianjian was anxiously trying to check on the other person's injuries, an exquisite brocade robe appeared in her field of vision, and her heart sank instantly.
When did you stand in front of me?
She didn't even notice.
Mu Jianjian looked up and froze.
She had never seen such a beautiful woman.
The woman had skin as white as snow and a relaxed demeanor. Her eyes were like a clear spring that could see right through people. Her features were deep and exquisite, like a painting. Standing in the sunlight, she seemed to be shining brightly.
If Sang Wanyue is a plum blossom in the snow, then the woman before us is a spring that never dries up in the desert.
Mu Jianjian was speechless for a moment. After she came to her senses, she looked around and saw that there was no one around the woman and that the woman did not seem to be shouting. Only then did her heart relax a little.
"Beautiful lady, do you know the owner of this courtyard?" she greeted, holding the unconscious Shan Chuxue.
The woman nodded slightly, her cool gaze sweeping over the two of them.
"Can we not tell anyone? Just pretend we've never met. I'll give you anything you want," Mu Jianjian whispered as she approached the woman, then smelled the sandalwood scent emanating from her. "Were you also brought here?"
Seeing that the woman's expression seemed to soften, Mu Jianjian immediately said, "My sister was brought here. The person living here might be a pedophile. We can go out together."
She didn't notice at all that the little girl in her arms trembled slightly.
"What if I say no?" the woman said slowly after Mu Jianjian finished speaking.
"Then I'm sorry." Mu Jianjian felt remorse for attacking the beautiful woman. She took out the hilt of the Fire Fox Dagger from behind her back and tried to knock the other woman's head unconscious without any mercy.
But who knew that the other party seemed to be carrying some kind of magical barrier, which deflected the Fire Fox Dagger. The woman quickly reached for Mu Jianjian's neck, so fast that Mu Jianjian could hardly react!
A chilling, bone-piercing touch accompanied by a tearing sound as Mu Jianjian's human skin mask was removed, revealing a stunningly beautiful face.
The woman smiled for the first time since they met. The next moment, she used her fingertips to unbutton the robe that Mu Jianjian was wearing, revealing the girl's fair and smooth skin. Next to her hung a wooden sign engraved with "520".
"Found you, 520."
The woman looked up, her voice becoming hoarse and alluring, captivating the soul.
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