At the same time.
In a cave north of our tribe's settlement.
The "living white bone" with closed eyes, hidden beneath a black cloak, sat cross-legged, its skeletal fingers intertwined.
Black mist swirled above its head.
Within the cave, surrounding him, lay animal skeletons everywhere—large animals like cattle, sheep, and donkeys, as well as smaller animals like chickens and ducks, stained with blood.
A cool breeze blew in from outside the cave.
Following it, a woman in white, carrying a black box, entered.
Wu Cheng's eyes snapped open, his green-glowing gaze filled with greed.
"Zhiruo, you've arrived. Have you brought that slut's unborn child?"
Wu Cheng did not rise, revealing his skeletal arms from beneath the black cloak.
As "Wu Zhiruo" walked past Wu Cheng, she did not hand him the black box she held. Instead, she turned and stood before him, a distance of ten feet separating them. Before his eyes, she slowly opened the black box: "As you wish."
Her voice was as cold as ice.
She did not address him as "brother."
Such unusual behavior, however, was not noticed by Wu Cheng, whose heart was consumed by greed.
Inside the black box was a bloody mess, its contents indistinguishable, but the scent of blood was strong.
"My good sister, why are you still standing there? Quickly, bring me that slut's flesh and bones so brother can become human. Sister, come quickly."
Wu Cheng grew impatient.
"Wu Zhiruo" looked at him coldly. After standing still for a moment, she began to step backward, one step at a time.
"If you want it, come and take it!"
"Wu Zhiruo" retreated towards the cave entrance.
Wu Cheng was startled. He stood up and chased after her outside the cave.
His skeletal feet landed on the ground, leaving skeletal footprints with each step.
As he reached the cave's exterior, he saw the woman in white lying on a flower bed outside.
The woman lay there quietly, as if asleep.
A garland of white flowers adorned her head, her delicate makeup the only "scenic spot" in this desolate wilderness.
Upon seeing the familiar profile of the woman in white, Wu Cheng abruptly turned his head, glaring at "Wu Zhiruo," who stood ten feet away.
"Who are you?"
Gu Qianying tore off the human skin mask from her face, revealing her true features.
"How can it be you, you slut?"
Wu Cheng was greatly shocked.
His green eyes, hidden beneath the black robe, blazed with anger.
Wu Cheng glanced back at the woman in white lying on the flower bed not far away, then turned his gaze back, his anger surging.
"Gu Qianying! You venomous woman, did you kill my sister?"
From the moment she tore off the human skin mask, Gu Qianying had remained silent.
She looked at the "living skeletal white bone" enveloped in the black robe before her, her indifferent eyes filled with coldness: "You forced her to her death!"
Suddenly, a fierce wind seemed to rise.
Several black threads shot out from Gu Qianying's palm, striking directly at Wu Cheng and instantly entangling him. Like a "rice dumpling," no matter how desperately he struggled, he could not break free from the black threads that were as agile as snakes.
"Bang!"
Gu Qianying tossed the black box in her hand into the air.
The bloody mess inside the black box scattered like "heavenly maidens scattering flowers," with bloody chunks falling all over Wu Cheng.
The skeletal arms that extended from beneath Wu Cheng's black robe vanished at an astonishing speed.
A complete skeletal frame was reduced to only half in the blink of an eye.
His green-glowing eyes still moved nimbly.
"Gu Qianying, you slut, what have you done to me?"
Wu Cheng, with only half of his skeletal body remaining, roared while wrapped in the black threads.
"Didn't you want the unborn fetus as a medicinal ingredient to regain your flesh? I granted your wish! What, you don't like it?"
Gu Qianying watched coldly as Wu Cheng, his remaining half-skeletal body engulfed in red flames.
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, this medicinal ingredient of yours is extremely rare. It's a stillborn child produced by a Ghost Ghoul Evil Beast. It's said that this item can dissolve anything into a pool of blood, and it can even destroy souls preserved by demonic power, like yours. However, the process is worse than death! Wu Cheng, cherish it!"
Gu Qianying slightly raised her palm, retracting the black threads.
Under the corrosion of the Ghost Ghoul Evil Beast's fetus, Wu Cheng's remaining skeletal limbs melted, leaving only a complete skull and a pair of green eyes.
"Ah… Gu Qianying… you slut… may you die a horrible death… may you die a horrible death!"
Screams pierced through the mountains.
A strong wind swept through again, howling.
Gu Qianying stood in place, her red robe fluttering slightly in the wind.
Her red hair danced wildly behind her, tossed by the wind.
A skull rolled to her feet, and she watched it coldly.
Only when the green eyes in the skull began to dim did Gu Qianying take out the white medicinal powder she had prepared and sprinkle it onto the skull.
As the white powder stained the skull, Gu Qianying's cold voice echoed: "You wanted to regain human form, didn't you? This request, this Empress will also fulfill!"
Time passed, and a human-like head reappeared.
Still with green eyes, Wu Cheng had come back to life. He had regained his flesh, but… at this moment, he only had a human head.
Gu Qianying suppressed him beneath the cave.
She granted him one-third of her demonic power, allowing him to live a life of perpetual suffering.
After finishing this, Gu Qianying turned and walked towards the flower bed.
She looked at Wu Zhiruo, who lay there, pure and flawless, in the flower bed.
She bent down, crouched before her, and reached out to tidy Wu Zhiruo's disheveled hair, gazing at her delicate face.
Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Beside Wu Zhiruo lay another black box.
Inside it was her own flesh and blood.
Yesterday, Wu Zhiruo had wanted to offer her unborn child to replace her own and hand it over to Wu Cheng.
But she had not done so.
That scumbag Wu Cheng did not deserve it!
At the same time, she felt great pain. If she had realized sooner that Wu Cheng was still alive, the subsequent events would not have happened.
Wu Zhiruo was a patient she had treated, and here, she was also a fellow expectant mother.
For these reasons alone, she wanted to protect Wu Zhiruo.
She always maintained a thousandth of her mercy for her patients.
In her past life, although she had suffered betrayal, she had met many kind people along her journey of growth.
And she had enjoyed her time with those people.
Even if some of them were only acquaintances.
Yet, they had become long-term friends.
Since her rebirth, she had abandoned her "kindness" and become "evil." She no longer trusted anyone, but she could feel how others treated her.
Just like the person before her.
Yesterday, she had seen her preparing those medicinal meals.
If Wu Zhiruo had truly intended to harm her, why would she have been so verbose? Increasing the dosage of Bai Zhu San would have been enough.
Moreover, Wu Zhiruo knew very well that with her medical skills, she would quickly detect the medicinal scent of Bai Zhu San.
Therefore, she guessed that Wu Zhiruo merely wanted her to realize that she had drugged the meal and thus prevent her from eating it.
And precisely, the scene of her eating was meant to be seen by others.
Secondly, even if she had not noticed and had consumed a small amount of Bai Zhu San, combined with the medicinal effects of those dishes, it would have caused abdominal pain for a moment but would not have caused substantial harm to her unborn child.
And the scene of her abdominal pain was also meant to be witnessed.
Both of these scenarios served her purpose.
After that, came Wu Zhiruo's request to offer her own unborn child to replace the "fetus" that Wu Cheng demanded as a medicinal ingredient.
In this way, she could protect her unborn child and also satisfy her brother.
In planning this, Wu Zhiruo had never thought of leaving herself a way out.
Her intentions were so sincere.
Recalling her thoughts,
Gu Qianying again helped Wu Zhiruo adjust the white flower garland on her head.
"Rest assured, you can depart. The next person to die will be Wu Yangxuan. Although I have never met him and know nothing about him, I will continue to investigate until I find him. No matter where he is, even if it's the ends of the earth, I will cut off his head and bring it back to mourn you."
"Wu Zhiruo, farewell. May you meet someone in your next life who truly loves you and stays with you forever."