“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret. I swear none of this will ever leak out—unless something happens to me, or to the Poison Sect. If that day ever comes, then I’m afraid this little secret of ours will be known across the entire world.” Shao Wanwan smiled sweetly, but every word she uttered was laced with quiet menace.
Mu Nanzhi clenched her teeth tightly. Countless thoughts of revenge flitted through her mind, each darker than the last, but in the end, she could only let out a silent sigh. Her gaze, cold as frost, landed squarely on Shao Wanwan’s face.
“You witch… you’ll get your retribution one day.”
Strangely, Shao Wanwan looked even more delighted by those words. As far as she was concerned, this was no threat—it was a sign of submission.
Her threat had worked.
A spark of glee flickered in her eyes, though she didn’t let it show too much.
Just then, Mu Nanzhi glared at her with an expression that was equal parts scorn and warning.
Shao Wanwan gave a half-sincere, half-mocking smile and said, “Honestly, I didn’t mean to hurt you. My bad, okay?”
If she hadn’t said anything, maybe Mu Nanzhi would’ve stayed silent. But hearing that only deepened the chill in her eyes, turning it sharp and dangerous.
The moment she said it, she realized something was off and hurriedly corrected herself. “Ah—but you’re a woman. You don’t have the equipment for that. How about this? When you find someone you love and get married, just have your man do it for you. I won’t resist or fight back. Sound fair?”
Of course, she was lying through her teeth. She just wanted to calm Mu Nanzhi down a little.
Mu Nanzhi said nothing.
“You’re not saying anything, so I’ll take that as a yes. Deal’s set in stone now.” Shao Wanwan nodded to herself as if she’d just signed a contract.
She looked up at the sky. The last rays of sunset had faded into dusk, and the shadows were thickening fast.
“It’s getting dark. We should leave this place,” she said, then leaned forward and scooped Mu Nanzhi up into a princess carry.
Mu Nanzhi was in no shape to walk. Right now, this was the only option.
Shao Wanwan’s cultivation of Internal Energy was significantly higher than Mu Nanzhi’s. On top of that, Mu Nanzhi’s body was light. Carrying her didn’t take much effort at all; she was practically weightless in her arms.
With her movements restricted, Mu Nanzhi had no choice but to let Shao Wanwan carry her away.
Just before her feet left the ground, Mu Nanzhi’s eyes caught a glimpse of a few scattered red plum blossoms on the ground. In that instant, four words floated into her mind—Bloodshed and Misfortune. No matter how she tried to push them away, they lingered like a curse.
Her thoughts drifted to that moment in the courtyard before she left the imperial capital, when she spoke with her Senior Brother, Tianjizi.
Something about what he said back then felt off.
Now, it all clicked into place.
Tianjizi had known in advance. He calculated that she would face a calamity upon coming to Qingling, and yet he still urged her to go—even pushed her toward it.
Wasn’t that just sending her into danger?
A storm of sorrow and fury surged in Mu Nanzhi’s chest. Her life had been marked by hardship, her family gone too soon. She treated that Senior Brother like family, trusted him completely.
And now, he betrayed her.
The pain of it gnawed at her heart.
Shao Wanwan carried her down the mountain and brought her to the hotel Mu Nanzhi had booked earlier. Only then did she lift the restriction placed on her.
Mu Nanzhi can finally move again, but the moment she so much as shifted her weight, pain shot through her like lightning. It tore through her muscles, made her wince, and a cold sweat immediately formed on her smooth forehead.
“Your friend Bian Suwen is in Qingling too, isn’t she? Why not call her over and have her take a look at you?” Shao Wanwan offered lightly.
“No need for your concern. You can leave now,” Mu Nanzhi replied coldly, frowning.
“Tch, I was just trying to be nice. Suit yourself. If you end up with permanent damage, don’t come crying to me.” Shao Wanwan shrugged as if she couldn’t care less, then turned and walked out, closing the door behind her.
Silence settled over the room.
Mu Nanzhi sat there in the stillness, her expression clouded with darkness. She took out her phone, scrolled to Tianjizi’s contact, and pressed the call button.
“Hey, little sister! You’re in Qingling, right? Having a good time?” came Tianjizi’s cheerful voice from the other end.
“What did I ever do to you… for you to harm me like this?” Mu Nanzhi’s voice trembled with suppressed rage.
His tone instantly changed. The laughter vanished. “What are you talking about?”
“You already knew. Why pretend?” Her voice was icy. “Bloodshed and misfortune. What a beautiful calculation, Senior Brother.”
Tianjizi felt the shift in her tone and immediately realized something was wrong. He rushed to explain.
“Sister, I only foresaw that you’ll encounter a fated relationship in Qingling. I wanted you to find some happiness. I swear, it was for your own good. Did something happen?”
Fated relationship? Hearing those words made Mu Nanzhi want to laugh.
It was nothing short of a cursed fate.
“Then why didn’t you tell me beforehand?” she demanded.
“If I told you straight, you might’ve refused to go. I held back for your sake. It really was for your own good,” Tianjizi insisted.
“For my good? You call bloodshed and disaster something good?” Her voice was filled with disbelief and anger.
“Maybe I miscalculated something. A small error. Let me recalculate, and I’ll get back to you in a bit,” he said quickly, trying to salvage the situation.
But all he heard next was a single tone.
She had hung up.
Tianjizi assumed she accepted his explanation and was waiting for his results. He set his phone down and began another divination.
A moment later, the new result was clear.
Face lighting up with hope, he called her back. But all he got was a line-busy tone.
He tried again. Same result.
Only then did the realization slowly dawn on him—Mu Nanzhi had blocked his number.
He didn’t call again.
Instead, he leaned back, expression calm and unfazed. His initial calculation had indeed contained a few errors, but the overall direction was correct.
Whatever happened to Mu Nanzhi was part of her destined tribulation, but in the end, it would lead to something good.
She might hate him now, but before long, she would probably be thanking him instead.
Once the day comes that she gets married, he will be drinking the matchmaker’s wine for sure.
Knock, knock.
A gentle knock sounded on the door.
Mu Nanzhi forced herself to stand and hobbled slowly toward the door, each step a struggle. When she opened it, she was greeted by the sight of Bian Suwen in her usual simple yet elegant attire.
“Missed me that much? You actually came all the way to Qingling just to find—” Bian Suwen began playfully, but she suddenly stopped as she noticed the strange look on Mu Nanzhi’s face.
Her smile faded, and her voice softened.
“Nanzhi… you don’t look well. Are you okay?”
Mu Nanzhi had been holding herself together for so long, but the moment she saw Bian Suwen, she couldn’t pretend anymore. She stepped forward and threw her arms around her, breaking down in heart-wrenching sobs.
Bian Suwen could sense that something serious had happened. She didn’t ask any questions, only held her and let her cry.
It was a long time before the tears finally stopped.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Bian Suwen asked softly, brushing a strand of hair from her friend’s face.
Mu Nanzhi didn’t want to talk about it. She only asked her to treat her injuries.
Bian Suwen didn’t press for answers. But once she began the treatment, the signs were impossible to ignore.
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