"Let me go. I'm telling you, if you kill me, the Sikong family won't let you off." Sikong Rong struggled desperately, but no matter how hard he thrashed, he couldn't break free from the water chains binding him.
"Do you think I'd let the Sikong family know it was me who killed you?" Ye Lanshan's voice was soft, but her actions were utterly cruel—she was truly using the punishment of lingchi.
Sikong Rong was already in too much pain to speak, his eyes filled with terror as he looked at her like she was a demon.
Finally, just as he was on the verge of death, Ye Lanshan stopped.
Sikong Rong hung his head, murmuring weakly, "The Sikong family won't let you off."
"What if I make them think it was the Holy Land that killed you? Would they still avenge you then?" Ye Lanshan slowly raised both hands, conjuring a "Holy Light Sacred Bird" that pierced through his body.
"You actually possess three types of mystic power. Good thing I chose not to oppose you back then." Yun Di was first shocked by Ye Lanshan's three mystic powers, then unnerved by her cruelty—and, of course, relieved for himself.
If such methods were used on him, he shuddered violently and shook his head, strengthening his resolve to cling tightly to Ye Lanshan's coattails. Only then could they be safe.
"Miss, are you alright?" Ye Yu's words sounded concerned, but his eyes held a probing look. Was this really the young miss? She had never been this ruthless before. Though she had always endured and schemed, she had never killed so brutally.
"What could happen to me? I walked out of the Xuan Yu Forest alive. Dealing with a few people now is nothing."
Ye Lanshan saw the suspicion in his eyes and used the Xuan Yu Forest to hint at her change.
What am I thinking? How could I doubt the young miss? I already confirmed it back then—only the young miss has the seven-petal lotus mark on her arm. Ye Yu immediately cast aside his doubts.
Seeing her goal achieved, Ye Lanshan said nothing more.
She didn't want to deceive him, but what else could she do? She needed this identity to survive.
And if Ye Yu and Grandpa found out that the real Ye Lanshan had long since vanished, who knew how devastated they'd be.
Besides, she didn't even know why she had suddenly come here. How could she explain all this to them?
Maybe the heavens were making up for the family love she had long missed by sending her here. But how could she say that? She had only just tasted what family affection felt like and didn't want to lose it.
In the silence, Ye Yu looked around and said, "Miss, this place is truly uninhabitable now. Should we find somewhere to settle Master Sikong first?"
Since the incident was sudden, Ye Lanshan hadn't fully secured the courtyard, so she said, "Let's go to Dream Red Pavilion first."
Sikong Kuang and the others were guests, so they had no objections. On the way, Ye Lanshan transformed back into a man's appearance.
"A brothel? No way? You're making us stay in a brothel?" Yun Di initially thought it was just an ordinary inn, but he never expected it to be a brothel.
"As you can see, it is a brothel. The girls here are all stunning beauties with different styles. Pick whichever you like."
Hearing his shocked exclamation, Ye Lanshan felt some of the heaviness in her heart lift. After all, I'm using Ye Lanshan's body, so I am Ye Lanshan. Whatever the reason I'm here, I'll take things as they come. I already have a goal, don't I?
And I've already avenged the original owner. Our karmic transaction is complete. From now on, I am her, and she is me. There's nothing wrong with that.
After all, this body has a lingering connection to my modern one, and even our souls share an unknown link. Though I don't know if it's coincidence or design—if it's design, no one should have the power to drag me from there to here.
"This, this—are you sure we're staying here?" Yun Di's incredulous shout interrupted Ye Lanshan's thoughts.
Ye Lanshan walked expressionlessly toward Dream Red Pavilion, then turned to glance sideways at him. "If you don't want to stay, that's fine. But if something happens, you're on your own. I'm not cleaning up your mess."
While he stood stunned, the others had already gone inside, leaving him alone outside. When he snapped out of it and found no one around, he quickly hurried into the building.
"Master, this is...?" Qing Dai saw Ye Lanshan bringing so many people at once for the first time.
"Are there any spare rooms? Settle them in." Ye Lanshan noticed her puzzled look and explained, "They're my friends. They're being hunted by enemies and need to hide here for a few days."
"Understood. Don't worry, Master. I'll arrange the most secluded rooms for them." Qing Dai immediately grasped her meaning upon hearing the explanation.
As they quietly and comfortably picked their rooms, the long-brewing rain outside finally fell. On the ruined debris, the downpour washed away all traces of blood, leaving only grotesque corpses scattered on the ground.
"Holy Light Sacred Bird? Isn't that a Holy Land technique? Why would it appear on Sikong Rong?" The Sikong family members who had learned of Sikong Kuang's whereabouts were baffled and eventually gave up pondering the question.
When they arrived, they only found several bodies lying in disarray. One corpse was in a particularly gruesome state. Stepping closer, they realized it was Sikong Rong.
"Sikong Shu, we've lost many people already and haven't even seen a trace of Sikong Kuang. What do we do now?" A man in a black mask reported to someone crouching to examine Sikong Rong's wounds.
"What can we do? We have no retreat now. The only option is to find Sikong Kuang as quickly as possible and capture him to report back." The crouching man sounded irritated, as if this truly was the only path left.
"Understood." The masked man nodded to indicate he knew what to do.
The rain continued to pour heavily. In no time, their clothes were soaked through.
"All the clues are washed away by the rain now. Searching further won't yield anything. Why don't we go back and discuss how to capture Sikong Kuang?" A young man with a fan swayed lazily, glanced around, and grasped the situation.
"Fine, let's go back." No matter what, Sikong Shu still heeded this young man's words.
Who was this young man? He was Sikong Shu's strategist, Sikong Nian. Sikong Shu had climbed from an outer disciple to his current position entirely thanks to Sikong Nian's support.