Anning's carriage suddenly stopped after traveling a certain distance. The abrupt halt nearly sent Anning tumbling inside.
Rong Cui, startled, quickly supported Anning and anxiously asked, "Your Highness, are you alright?"
Anning shook her head. "I'm fine. Go ask what's happening."
Rong Cui nodded, lifted the carriage curtain, and questioned the coachman, "How were you driving? Her Highness the Princess was almost injured. If she had been hurt, how many heads would you have to lose?"
The coachman, terrified, immediately begged for mercy. "Your Highness, please forgive me. I didn't mean to. It's just that there are too many people ahead, and the carriage cannot pass."
Rong Cui was about to tell the coachman that he was making excuses when she instinctively looked up and saw a dense crowd of people. She swallowed her words, turned to her Princess, and said, "Your Highness, there are people ahead blocking the carriage's path."
Anning looked outside through the carriage curtain lifted by Rong Cui. Indeed, a group of people were gathered, doing something.
Anning said, "Let's also get off the carriage and see."
Rong Cui helped Anning out of the carriage and instructed the coachman to wait.
Upon reaching the crowd, Anning saw that a notice had been posted on the city wall.
The notice was from the Qianjin Tower. The楼主 of Qianjin Tower had an incurable illness and required the virgin blood of a maiden to alleviate it. If there was a suitable maiden, Qianjin Tower would promise to fulfill one of her conditions, valid indefinitely.
"What is the origin of this Qianjin Tower? Your Highness..."
Rong Cui turned to find that the Princess was gone. She frantically searched everywhere, but there was no trace of her. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Had the Princess gone missing again?
Anning hid in the shadows, summoned a small child, gave him a silver ingot, and had him deliver a note to Rong Cui.
Then, she turned and left.
Qianjin Tower was the foremost assassin organization, present in every country. Whatever happened in each country, Qianjin Tower likely knew.
However, Qianjin Tower had an unwritten rule: they would not get involved in the royal wars of any country. This was also the main reason why the monarchs of each country did not eradicate Qianjin Tower.
It did not belong to any single monarch.
Qianjin Tower in An Country was located in the suburbs of the capital. What was once a desolate place was now crowded with maidens of marriageable age.
Many entered, but even more were sent out.
Regardless of whether they were suitable or not, upon leaving, they would receive a silver ingot.
This was enough for a family's expenses for half a year.
Finally, it was Anning's turn. She stepped forward, extended her left hand, and below it was a jade cup. A maid from Qianjin Tower lightly nicked her fingers with a specially made silver dagger. She felt nothing, not even pain. Blood dripped into the jade cup. This time, only ten drops were needed.
The maid covered the jade cup with a special lid and carefully placed it on a tray, which was then taken away by another maid.
The maid handed Anning a silver ingot and said, "Please rest for a while, and we will notify you of the results shortly."
Anning did not refuse. After all, it was the silver she had earned by painstakingly donating blood.
Inside the Qianjin Pavilion of Qianjin Tower, a disheveled man lay on the ground. Beside him was a jade cup, smashed on the floor, its contents spilling out. The blood flowed out profusely, eventually forming a winding, rugged stream.
He lay there, letting the blood soak through his white robes, blossoming like blood-red flowers, eerily beautiful.
The door was suddenly pushed open. A beautiful woman walked in, saw the scene, placed the tray she was holding on the table, and quickly walked forward, her face filled with worry. "楼主, are you..."
The man looked up, his eyes blood-red and terrifying. He mumbled, "It's not that taste, not that..."
The woman quickly took the tray and two jade cups. "楼主, try these two."
The man suddenly pushed the woman away with one hand, staggered to his feet, and angrily shouted, "Enough! Don't give me any more. It's not them, none of them have that taste."
The jade cups slipped from the woman's hands. She could have easily caught them with her skills, but she didn't, letting the cups fall to the ground. The blood flowed out, merging with the previous stream.
She slowly stood up, her beautiful face displaying an unreadable mix of emotions. It was impossible to tell if she was angry or pleased.
After a long moment, she slowly spoke, "楼主, how will you know if you don't try?"
The man raised his eyes. His once spirited, handsome face was now covered by a grim expression. "I have been trying for three days and three nights. It's enough, it's more than enough."
Now, the mere smell of that taste made him want to vomit.
It wasn't that taste.
"楼主, try one last time." The woman picked up the last jade cup from the tray.
"It's warm, but it's useless," the man shook his head.
Wen Nuan paused for a moment, a gentle smile appearing on her beautiful face. "楼主, how will you know if it works if you don't try?"
He took it, smelled it, and then shook his head.
Wen Nuan sighed inwardly but quickly regained her spirits. "楼主, don't worry, there will be a way."
"Wen Nuan..."
Wen Nuan was startled and looked up at the man. The blood-red glow in his eyes had a trace of calmness. "If one day I can no longer control myself..."
He paused, then finally said in a soft but firm voice, "Kill me..."
Wen Nuan trembled all over. She stared for a moment, then angrily pushed the man away. "Wen Yuxi, if you dare to give up on yourself..."
"Kill me!" Wen Yuxi looked at her, his eyes holding a long-lost serenity.
Wen Nuan turned and walked towards the exit. At the doorway, she suddenly stopped and said, her voice as cold as frost, "楼主, Wen Nuan will definitely find a way, she definitely will."
"There won't be."
"There will be." Wen Nuan's voice came through as she closed the door.
Wen Yuxi smiled, a somewhat desolate smile. He lay on the ground, gazing at the window above, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
After a long time, he turned his head and saw a jade cup in front of him. Blood was contained within the shattered pieces, flowing to his lips. For some reason, he suddenly felt like licking it. As his tongue touched the blood, his entire body trembled. He licked it twice more. It was that taste, the long-lost taste.
A glimmer of light appeared in his ashen eyes. He thought to himself, Xue Zining, have you returned?
"Someone..." he shouted loudly.
Wen Nuan, who had just walked out of the Qianjin Pavilion, heard the voice from inside. Without time to think, she leaped into the air, ascended to the top floor of the Qianjin Tower, and broke through the window. She saw him sitting there, holding a shattered, irreparable cup, licking the blood from it.
Wen Nuan trembled all over. "楼主, you..."
"I want the owner of the blood in this cup," Wen Yuxi said, word by word.
Wen Nuan's eyes lit up. "楼主, could this blood be..."
"Yes," Wen Yuxi nodded.