“Boss, the Master wants you to escort the person yourself.”
A man hurried in from outside and said to the burly man.
The burly man heard this and asked, “Where is the Master?”
“The Master is currently meeting with a distinguished guest and asked Boss to quickly escort the person.”
“What distinguished guest?” the burly man asked.
Xiao Qi shook his head, “Boss, I don’t know either, but the Master said to send the person over quickly, as this guest happens to like young girls.”
The burly man nodded, “Xiao Qi, go hire a carriage.”
“Alright, I’ll go prepare now.”
Prefect of Suizhou
Prefect Feng Tang bowed, looking at the man before him with a hint of surprise. The young sect leader of the Red Lotus Sect appeared quite young.
Suddenly, he met a pair of eyes filled with chilling coldness. Feng Tang, startled, quickly lowered his head.
“Prefect Feng, has the person you were asked to prepare been made ready?”
The young man’s attendant said coldly.
Feng Tang secretly swallowed, “Young Master, please don’t be anxious. The person is almost here. According to my subordinates, it’s good merchandise, a young girl.”
The attendant heard this and looked towards the young man.
The young man did not look at her, turning away, he said coldly, “Once it’s handled, deliver it to my room.”
“Yes.” The attendant bowed.
The carriage stopped, and Xue Zining felt herself being carried out. She caught a glimpse of the words “Prefect’s Mansion” out of the corner of her eye.
Upon being brought into the mansion, her clothes were stripped off, she was thoroughly cleaned, and dressed in a thin, barely-there garment. She was then wrapped in a quilt and carried into a room.
The door closed. Xue Zining opened her eyes. The room was extremely dim. In the faint candlelight, she saw a figure standing there.
Her heart skipped a beat, a strange discomfort washing over her.
The figure’s shadow, cast by the candlelight, stretched long and thin.
The black, mysterious robe was slowly shed, revealing bronze skin beneath.
The candlelight suddenly extinguished, and she felt footsteps approaching.
Each step was slow and uneven, like the rhythm of her own heart.
A weight settled beside her on the bed. She clenched her fists.
Suddenly, a hand covered her eyes, cold and chilling.
She heard his voice in her ear, “Don’t make a sound, I won’t touch you.”
Xue Zining froze.
In her daze, the quilt was pulled back, bringing with it a wave of cold.
Skin met skin; his was icy, hers burning.
She felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had experienced this before.
“Sleep!” His deep voice echoed in her ear.
Familiar, yet also strangely distant.
She slowly drifted into slumber.
In the darkness, a pair of eyes opened, looking at the sleeping girl beside him, he let out a low chuckle.
Suddenly, a faint sound was heard from outside. He quickly rose, but not before tucking the quilt in properly around the person on the bed.
He grabbed his clothes, threw them on, walked out, and closed the door. He looked up at a face identical to his own, sneering, “Are you really content to be my substitute?”
Xue Jingyun tore off the human skin mask, revealing a face of peerless beauty, his eyes, bright as stars but cold as frost, stared coldly at the man before him.
“Hua Yunjin,” he said, each word enunciated.
Hua Yunjin chuckled softly, “It’s just been a while, Jing Ge. You’ve lost all your affection for me. Have you forgotten how close we once were as brothers?”
“The past is past. You are now the source of all evil, the Red Lotus Sect.” Xue Jingyun said coldly.
Hua Yunjin’s expression gradually turned icy. “Xue Jingyun, if you speak that way, then all our former connections are severed.”
“They were severed the moment you chose the Red Lotus Sect.”
Hua Yunjin’s eyes turned sharp. “Since that is the case, then allow me to test the difference between us.”
He suddenly attacked, and Xue Jingyun retreated swiftly.
Hua Yunjin sneered, “What? You look down on me as an opponent?”
Xue Jingyun’s starry eyes, filled with frost, said coldly, “I do not wish to fight you now. Hand over Xue Zining.”
Hua Yunjin sneered, “The person is in my hands. If you want her, defeat me. Otherwise, you will never have her. Just as in the past, I would rather destroy her than let you have her.”
Xue Jingyun’s body trembled. He looked up again, his gaze now as cold as an abyss.
A flash of white, and he lunged towards Hua Yunjin. Hua Yunjin’s gaze flickered, surprise mixed with him retreating repeatedly.
It seemed he was still far from Xue Jingyun’s level.
“Hua Yunjin, with me here this life, you will not harm her one bit.” Xue Jingyun was now directly in front of him, mere inches away.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He clutched his chest, looking up at Hua Yunjin who had attacked him. A mouthful of blood sprayed out.
Hua Yunjin froze, withdrew his hand, and asked with a frown, “What is wrong with you?”
Xue Jingyun looked up and said, “She is in danger.”
Hua Yunjin blinked and turned to look at the room he had come from. The door was open.
“Not good,” Hua Yunjin’s heart skipped a beat.
“Where is she?” Xue Jingyun, enduring the pain in his chest, grabbed Hua Yunjin and asked.
Hua Yunjin pushed him away and said coldly, “Follow me.”
Xue Zining woke up to find herself lying on an ice bed. The cold emanating from below was seeping into her body.
Little by little, it spread from her limbs to her entire body, and her senses were gradually disappearing.
Her limbs were immobilized.
At this moment, footsteps sounded. She saw a familiar face.
“Are you very surprised to see me? My dear imperial sister?” Xue Yunlan looked at her with a contorted expression.
Xue Zining froze, “You…”
Xue Yunlan lowered her head and said, word by word, “Do you know how many days I endured for this day?”
“Ten days is not much,” Xue Zining said slowly.
“Not much? But for me, it felt like years. Finally, finally, you are in my grasp.” Xue Yunlan reached out and pinched her chin.
Slowly, she tightened her grip, and Xue Zining felt herself suffocating.
Xue Yunlan leaned close to her ear and said, word by word, “Do you know I have been waiting for this day?”
“So, you planned all of this?” she asked.
Xue Yunlan chuckled softly, her laughter laced with mockery. “Yes, I know my dear imperial sister cannot stand any imperfections. How could she let a girl go missing under her nose?”
“It seems you know me well.”
Xue Yunlan threw her head back and laughed heartily. “Xue Zining, don’t forget, I used to follow in your footsteps.”
“Xue Yunlan, I regret letting you go.”
“Do you? It’s too late for regrets. You can’t escape this time, and from now on, you’ll have no chance for regrets, because…”
She leaned in closer and said, word by word, “I will kill you.”
“Yunlan, have you retrieved the item?” a voice called out, interrupting their conversation.
Xue Yunlan looked up, her gaze faltering slightly as she saw the person who had arrived. She then bowed, “Sect Master, you are here.”