When the autumn sparrow chirped three times, He Liansheng woke up. He pressed his throbbing forehead as he sat up in bed, vaguely seeing a figure outside his curtain. His first thought was to call out for Xing Shuishui. But sensing the person’s aura, He Liansheng’s eyes narrowed as his fingers touched the Taoyuan sword.…

Xing Shuishui approached He Liansheng’s bed. In his unconscious state, he lacked his usual fierce demeanor. His eyes were tightly shut, lips pale, with an undissolvable gloom between his brows. He wore clean clothes that carried a faint woody scent. Xing Shuishui observed him for a moment, tentatively calling his name several times. No response.…

Bloody footprints stretched along the path. Her footsteps echoed through Huayu Tower. There were no others, no guards. It was as if everything here had been emptied, leaving only a vacant building. Bang— Xing Shuishui turned around. The door had closed at some point. It was already dark here, and with the door shut, only…

The forest grew darker and colder. As they went deeper, the wild grass had grown as tall as a person. Everyone felt confused that they hadn’t encountered any spirits or evil beings yet. With her jade bracelet, Xing Shuishui felt braver. She pushed aside some intertwined black vines and paused at what she saw. “Sister…

Nothing major happened afterwards, except for the Huayu Tower’s city-wide search for thieves that eventually faded away. The matchmaking conference date drew near. He Liansheng was exceptionally vigilant, and Xing Shuishui still hadn’t found a chance to make her move. Taking the Spirit Suppression Tower safely seemed impossible unless He Liansheng was somehow injured to…

In the Eighth District of Qingzhou, Xing Shuishui returned to the inn when it was already late. She felt uneasy, carefully checking her body for bloodstains before going upstairs. Killing Elder Baicang shouldn’t raise suspicions about her yet. Pretending to be human was useful precisely because it made her seem harmless. Besides, Huayu Tower had…

When it came to matters concerning herself, Xing Shuishui wasn’t indifferent. Should she make another trip to Huayu Tower? The best approach would be to grab one of Shangguan Houyue’s confidants and question them, or directly threaten the young master to tell the truth. Counting on Lingshan? They were most interested in capturing Shangguan Houyue…

The throbbing in her head subsided. Xing Shuishui opened her eyes – it was already bright outside. She sat up abruptly in bed, clutching the blanket and cautiously surveying her surroundings. Her last memory was falling into the river. Wait… falling into the river! She instinctively touched her collar – the concealment talisman hadn’t failed.…

The atmosphere in Huayu Tower was tense. Shangguan Houyue refused to back down, ordering: “Stop him.” The young man sneered: “You think you can?” He seized a sword from someone and coldly faced Shangguan Houyue. The bells on the eaves chimed – in the blink of an eye, his sword was before them. His speed…

A person worth protecting with your life? He Liansheng asked, “Why should there be one?” Hua Yiling stared at him for a long time before laughing. “You’re quite different from the Lingshan people I’ve met before.” Xing Shuishui could roughly guess what kind of Lingshan people he had met before – those who constantly preached…