Chapter 29#

Chapter Twenty-Nine#

Seeing no movement inside the room for a long time, the person outside reached out and knocked on the door again.

When no response came for a while, Jiang Chengyi frowned slightly.

He clearly sensed the aura of someone inside. Could it be some strange thing again?

If it were someone else, they would probably have turned and left. However, Jiang Chengyi was a bold and careful person.

This empty room had been uninhabited for a long time, located in a remote area, and the servants hadn’t cleaned it very carefully. If it were a ghost or a demon, how could there be a handprint on this door?

He simply pushed the door and entered. As soon as he entered, he saw Pei Huang and Xue Jingci inside. He breathed a sigh of relief completely, closed the door, and walked up to the two.

“It’s so late. You two…”

Before he finished speaking, Xue Jingci suddenly raised his hand, and his fingertips very quickly pressed against Jiang Chengyi’s heart.

Jiang Chengyi was startled. Xue Jingci slowly withdrew his hand and turned to Pei Huang, saying, “Don’t worry, this one is alive.”

Hearing these words, Pei Huang then relit the candle.

The cold wind poured in from the broken main door, howling and entangling with the jumping firelight.

Jiang Chengyi came back to his senses and looked at Xue Jingci with quite a bit of surprise. Clearly this person’s cultivation was much lower than his own, yet just now he hadn’t even been able to see Xue Jingci’s movements before his life pulse was pressed.

He looked at the two and asked, “What do you mean by those words? Naturally, I am alive. What are you doing here?”

Xue Jingci didn’t answer but just stepped to the side.

With him moving aside, Jiang Chengyi only then noticed that there was also a beyond-recognition corpse lying on the bed behind them.

Jiang Chengyi covered his nose and mouth, and blurted out in astonishment, “You killed someone?”

Xue Jingci didn’t react. Pei Huang answered, “The person wasn’t killed by us. But don’t you find this corpse familiar?”

Listening to the meaning of his words, the one dead on the bed seemed to be someone he knew.

Jiang Chengyi’s heart tightened. He leaned closer to take a look and couldn’t help but frown slightly.

The deceased was a man. The skin of the corpse was rotten and covered in red scratch marks, and having been soaked in water for a long time, it was very swollen and disgusting.

Jiang Chengyi carefully identified it for a long time before seeing familiar traits from the skeletal structure.

He should have seen this person; he shouldn’t be unable to remember.

Just as he wanted to directly ask Xue Jingci, he suddenly noticed a very large bronze mirror hanging on the white wall nearby.

He unexpectedly saw his own face in the bronze mirror.

Jiang Chengyi looked at the corpse on the floor and suddenly felt a chill all over his body, finally remembering where he had seen this face.

—It was in the mirror.

That was clearly his own face!

Jiang Chengyi took a deep breath, almost unable to think calmly. His lips trembled as he asked, “This is me?”

Xue Jingci glanced at him and said nothing.

Naturally, there couldn’t be two Jiang Chengyis in the residence.

Now their every word and action had to be careful. Speaking carelessly might cause everything to start over.

Jiang Chengyi came back to his senses and covered his mouth. Xue Jingci pulled a chair over from the room, signaled for him to sit down, and asked Pei Huang to check his pulse.

This check revealed that Jiang Chengyi indeed had signs of poisoning in his body. It was just that his cultivation was profound and his soul was also very strong, which was why he hadn’t died at this time like that ghost.

Suddenly hearing that he was poisoned, Jiang Chengyi was actually quite calm. He looked at the corpse of “himself” and said, “This matter definitely has something to do with the demon race. Tomorrow I will add more manpower to investigate; there must be a spy in the residence.”

Xue Jingci nodded. Seeing that it was getting late, he told him to go back to sleep quickly, and then he took Pei Huang back to their room.

The two sat on the bed. Thinking of his identity as a demon race spy, Pei Huang’s expression couldn’t help but look a bit unpleasant.

But as soon as he lowered his head, he found that Xue Jingci had already closed his eyes and fallen asleep, his breathing even.

This person always lived with a calm attitude, and there weren’t many extra expressions on his face. Yet for some reason, being by his side made one feel a few more degrees of peace of mind.

Pei Huang slowly lay down, his eyes open and looking at the bed canopy, and just like that, he saw the dawn.

After daybreak, Pei Huang and Xue Jingci went to that courtyard by the pond to investigate again and happened to run into Jiang Chengyi.

Seeing that the corpse had vanished into thin air during the day, all three felt somewhat fortunate for the timely investigation last night.

After nightfall, strange things often happened in the residence, and many people didn’t dare to go out.

But in this crisis, there also seemed to be many clues hidden that could allow them to prepare in advance.

Jiang Chengyi looked at Xue Jingci and said he had already arranged the investigation for the spy. It was just that now that the corpse had vanished, it would probably be necessary to search out the toxic substance to better find an antidote.

Xue Jingci thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go search.”

Jiang Chengyi remembered that Xue Jingci also understood medicine quite well. Finding the toxic substance wouldn’t be a difficult task, so he nodded and agreed.

After he left, Xue Jingci took Pei Huang to check everywhere in the residence. They first checked the kitchen, then went to the storehouse to check spices, but found nothing.

Pei Huang coughed, and his gaze fell on the rooms near the study. Before marrying the City Lord, the Young Master had always lived there.

“Does the City Lord still remember that place? In the past, you always came to find me to play chess.”

Xue Jingci glanced at Pei Huang. Seeing his strange expression, he also had some suspicions in his heart.

Others didn’t know Pei Huang was a demon, but he remembered that white, fluffy little fox.

“Let’s go and play a game.”

Not long after the two went over, a maidservant came to serve a meal.

Once bitten, twice shy. This time, without Pei Huang needing to speak, Xue Jingci pretended to be pregnant. He claimed his appetite was poor and had the maidservant bring some fruit, focusing on playing chess with Pei Huang.

Only after the maidservants had all left did he stand up and begin to search through chests and cabinets.

This search actually allowed him to dig out a jar of medicinal wine in the back yard. It smelled fragrant, but it was impossible to distinguish what herbs were used to brew it.

Xue Jingci immediately thought of Yin Xinyao.

Jiang Chengyi had mentioned earlier that she was now a famous doctor in the city with many patients every day. To meet her, a reason would be needed.

While he was thinking, a violent wind suddenly arose. In an instant, heaven and earth overturned, and the familiar sense of dizziness appeared again.

When Xue Jingci came back to his senses, he was once again sitting in the bridal sedan.

This time the restart was too sudden. He didn’t know who had violated a taboo again.

Xue Jingci fell into deep thought. Only when he returned to the bridal chamber did he remember something and lift the veil himself.

Xue Jingci looked at the wedding candles in the corner and finally noticed something wrong.

During the previous restart, he saw the bloody footprints. When he retreated back into the room, he had specially looked at the color of the candlelight. At that time, the candlelight had a blue glow, but thinking back now, the color of the candle body also seemed to have lightened a bit.

And this time, the change in those wedding candles was already visible to the naked eye—they had almost changed from deep red to light red!

Xue Jingci only then realized an extremely terrifying matter.

—The number of restarts was not infinite. Once the candles turned completely white, they would change from wedding candles to spirit candles.

At that time, they would all die. These spirit candles were lit for them.

Xue Jingci put the veil back on and patiently waited for Pei Huang to return.

Hearing the familiar footsteps, he put down the red dates and longans in his hand and said, “Go look at those candles. Has the color changed?”

Pei Huang looked up, and his heart immediately jumped heavily.

What Xue Jingci could think of, he naturally could think of as well.

Originally he only felt that a few restarts were somewhat irritating, yet they also gave them opportunities to explore. Now he understood that this was actually the greatest death tribulation.

But the most terrifying thing was that this time they didn’t even know the cause of the restart.

A suspicion surfaced in Pei Huang’s heart, but he forcibly suppressed it.

He couldn’t afford to think deeply. Outside the door, the maidservant came again to urge them to consummate the marriage. This time, there were no more romantic thoughts in Pei Huang’s heart; his mind was entirely on how to send Xue Jingci safely out of the secret realm.

The next day, Xue Jingci intended to go to the military camp to find Jiang Chengyi and also meet Yin Xinyao to ask about that jar of medicinal wine.

To his surprise, he was stopped halfway by a Buddhist cultivator.

That person was wearing the clothes of a mansion guard but had an abrupt bald head. This was why Xue Jingci saw through his identity at a glance.

“Can the City Lord step aside with me?”

Xue Jingci nodded and followed the person out of the residence, soon arriving at a temple in the city.

They entered the largest main hall. The Buddha statue sitting on the lotus platform had a solemn appearance, with a compassionate smile on its face. Both posture and expression were lifelike.

The Buddhist cultivator breathed a sigh of relief and said seriously, “Benefactor Xue, these days a few fellow disciples and I have quietly repaired the Buddha hall and consecrated this Buddha statue. It can keep ghost things away.”

Hearing him directly call out his identity yet seeing no abnormal things happen around them, Xue Jingci instantly understood the reason.

It seemed they finally had a place where they could speak freely.

While they were talking, footsteps came from outside the hall. It was actually Jiang Chengyi, Yin Xinyao, and Song Jue.

Seeing Xue Jingci, Jiang Chengyi hurried over and said, “A fellow senior from the Buddhist sect found me yesterday. I originally wanted to tell you about this immediately, but an accident occurred, causing the secret realm to return to the starting point again.”

“Accident?”

Xue Jingci asked, “Do you know the cause of this restart?”

Jiang Chengyi nodded and said, “When I was investigating the spy, I unexpectedly found Lin Su. You also know he is the most upright person. Before I even pretended to use torture, he directly confessed all the demon race’s secrets.”

Hearing this, Pei Huang slightly breathed a sigh of relief.

Previously he had also guessed that the restart of the secret realm was related to him.

If the Young Master really were a spy, he would naturally find ways to get rid of the human race’s greatest general, which was why he would use a slow-acting poison.

And if he did something contrary to his identity, it would cause everything to start over.

“Fortunately, with this Buddha hall, in the future, important information can be placed on the incense table so everyone can know.”

Jiang Chengyi took out what he had written and handed it to Xue Jingci to read. On it were all the clues they currently held, such as not doing things contrary to one’s identity, not leaving the city, not getting injured, and so on.

Xue Jingci took a look, pulled out pen and paper from his storage bag, and added the matter of the wedding candles turning white.

Seeing this line of words, everyone’s expressions became solemn, and they couldn’t help but fall into anxiety.

Lin Heng and Xiao Xun stepped into the Buddha hall at this time.

Xiao Xun’s gaze fell on Xue Jingci. Seeing that he was also looking at him, he couldn’t help but reveal a smile and took the initiative to stand by Xue Jingci’s side.

Xue Jingci asked him softly, “Is your injury better?”

Xiao Xun nodded and said, “Don’t worry, that medicinal soup was very effective.”

While the two were talking, Lin Heng also learned about Lin Su’s matter from Jiang Chengyi.

He had always been unable to hide things and everything showed on his face. At this moment, his face was full of guilt as he apologized for his brother.

Everyone shook their heads and said it was no matter, but morale was very low.

It couldn’t be helped. There were truly too many cultivators entering the secret realm this time, and no one knew who would make a mistake.

Now suddenly knowing about the wedding candles, they only felt the hope of getting out was becoming increasingly slim.

Xiao Xun’s gaze swept over everyone. He walked over and patted Lin Heng’s shoulder, saying gently, “Don’t think like that. Although everything restarted, Senior Brother Jiang has an exceptional memory and must have remembered all the information Senior Brother Lin mentioned. Perhaps this is the missing link we were lacking; once it’s filled, we can leave safely this time.”

His voice was clear and pleasant, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. There was not a hint of impatience or blame in his eyebrows, and his expression was very gentle.

It actually brought the quiet and stagnant atmosphere back to life.

Jiang Chengyi gathered his spirits and began to systematically arrange the things to be done next.

Lin Heng looked at Xiao Xun gratefully and came over secretly to thank him, but by the end he was somewhat hesitant.

These days he had looked after Xiao Xun and knew better than others how serious his injuries were. Now that everything was restarting because of Lin Su, it meant having to go through the matter of protecting the envoy once more.

He felt sorry for Xiao Xun, having let him face danger in vain. But hearing that Jiang Chengyi happened to be arranging the matter of protecting the envoy, he immediately closed his mouth.

Jiang Chengyi also felt it was difficult.

Seeing him not speaking, Xiao Xun took the initiative and said, “I’ll go.”

Xue Jingci was about to speak when Xiao Xun smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, I can definitely bring the envoy back safely…”

“The one I’m not worried about is not the envoy…” Xue Jingci interrupted him. “It’s you.”

The morning light broke through slightly, and the soft rays passed through the curling sandalwood smoke, gently spilling on Xue Jingci.

Xiao Xun had always known that Xue Jingci didn’t like to say much to others and rarely expressed his feelings straightforwardly. Usually, he at most caught a few degrees of tenderness from Xue Jingci’s eyes and felt satisfied.

He blinked, avoiding Xue Jingci’s gaze, fearing the desires in his heart would completely break free from their cage.

After this day, everything was as usual. It was just that with the Buddha hall, more cultivators understood the mysteries of the secret realm and didn’t dare to act rashly anymore, only focusing on doing their own duties.

Xue Jingci gave the wine jar to Yin Xinyao, asking her to check if there was a problem.

Yin Xinyao studied it for a few days and, using the incense table to send a message, invited everyone to gather in the Buddha hall.

Everyone arrived, except for Xiao Xun. Today was the day to protect the envoy. Xue Jingci was worried and had instructed Xiao Xun beforehand not to return to the quarters but to come directly to the City Lord’s mansion so it would be convenient for Yin Xinyao to treat him.

Yin Xinyao nodded and agreed, patting her medicine box and saying she had brought the treasures at the bottom of her box.

Everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief, but Yin Xinyao’s expression changed slightly. She took out the wine jar from her embrace and said, “There is poison in this wine.”

Jiang Chengyi’s expression changed as he followed up, “What poison is it?”

Yin Xinyao said, “It’s quite a coincidence. I once saw something in an ancient medical book that is very similar to our current situation.”

“Years ago, a city had a plague and was eventually captured by the demon race army. The demon race set fire to the city, and this oasis turned into scorched earth overnight, buried by yellow sand. Later, an expert in medicine went in to investigate and found that the so-called plague was actually a poison. The demon race is fine if they touch it, but the human race is not.”

Jiang Chengyi asked, “Will the poisoned person have unbearable itching all over their body?”

Yin Xinyao nodded. “Exactly. It’s a kind of slow-acting poison. At first it looks like an allergy, but in the end one dies miserably. However, that ancient medical book records a method to detoxify it, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

“By the way, Junior Brother Xue, where did you get this wine from? You must keep a close eye on the person who poisoned it, lest they take action before I’ve even made the antidote.”

Xue Jingci was silent for a moment, then looked at Pei Huang and said, “From his room.”

Everyone stared at Pei Huang in unison, especially Jiang Chengyi, whose eyes widened rarely.

Could it be that the one who used this slow-acting poison before was actually the Young Master? Then would he continue to use poison afterward?

At high noon, the incense smoke in the Buddha hall was ethereal, yet it was strangely quiet at this time.

Everyone stared fixedly at Pei Huang, a chill rising from their backs for no reason.

Seeing Xue Jingci also looking at him, Pei Huang immediately expressed his loyalty. “I would never…”

But before he finished speaking, a pair of cool hands covered his lips.

Xue Jingci’s voice carried a hint of threat as he stared seriously at Pei Huang and said, “Think clearly before you speak.”

Pei Huang recalled the matter of showing off his tail and ears to Xue Jingci before, and nodded slightly. “Okay… I’ll think about it again.”

Think about what? Was he that kind of person!

This appearance of Pei Huang was rare; Xue Jingci couldn’t help but take an extra look.

Usually Pei Huang was always like an untamable young wolf, but now he actually made him feel a sense of grievance.

Xue Jingci squeezed his palm, then let go and explained, “Outside the Buddha hall, one cannot do things contrary to one’s identity. We must think carefully—if it were the real Young Master, what would he do?”

“We?”

Pei Huang was confused. This matter, strictly speaking, had nothing to do with others, and the one who had to make the decision was only him.

Xue Jingci nodded. “This matter is of great importance. I think the choice this time should be made by everyone together.”

Song Jue had been silent all along, only now suddenly speaking up. “Correct. Previously there was no Buddha hall, and we could only think for ourselves. Now we are all one body; naturally, we must advance and retreat together. If we choose wrong, don’t blame others.”

Pei Huang looked at Xue Jingci, and instantly understood in his heart.

Xue Jingci didn’t want him to bear this matter alone.