Volume 3, Chapter 182 – The Sin Moon Tower

It had only been a few breaths since Chi Xiyan turned around. How had that middle-aged woman disappeared from Chi Xiyan’s field of vision so quickly?

And why would a farm woman have the smell of blood on her?

Moreover, that bloody scent wasn’t like the smell of injury and bleeding, but rather more like the bloodthirsty aura stained from too much killing.

Chi Xiyan was an alchemist, and identifying medicinal properties by scent was one of an alchemist’s basic skills, so she was much more sensitive to smells than ordinary cultivators.

Though the bloody aura on that middle-aged woman was faint, Chi Xiyan had still detected it.

This kind of bloodthirsty aura typically only appeared on three types of people.

First were soldiers returning from slaughter on the battlefield, second were butchers and executioners who constantly dealt with blood.

The third was… assassins.

That dark-skinned farm woman wasn’t normal!

Chi Xiyan’s expression turned serious as an uneasy feeling suddenly surged up.

Without any hesitation, she fully unleashed her Fourth Realm cultivation. Her feet rose on an escape light as she rushed toward Lin Family Manor.

A distance of over ten li wasn’t far for a Fourth Realm cultivator.

Chi Xiyan didn’t take much time before returning to Lin Family Manor.

However, contrary to Chi Xiyan’s expectations, everything inside the manor was normal.

Farmers in the fields continued their work as usual. Several yellow dogs frolicked on the field ridges. Wisps of cooking smoke rose from between the houses.

A picture of thriving prosperity.

Surprise flashed in Chi Xiyan’s eyes. She had rushed all the way here but hadn’t seen that dark-skinned farm woman’s figure.

“Could I have thought wrong?” Chi Xiyan muttered to herself. She concealed her form and quietly entered the manor.

The manor’s location had been chosen by Lin Xiu, and the manor’s layout had also been modified by him.

What seemed like an ordinary manor actually contained many formation mechanisms within.

These formations served to hide certain important courtyards and buildings within this ordinary farm, without affecting these ordinary farming households.

Chi Xiyan specialized in alchemy, not formations.

She could only smoothly enter the manor’s core area by following the techniques and paths Lin Xiu had taught her.

After returning to the manor, the martial artist Lin Xiu saw Chi Xiyan rushing back.

“Young Lady, has something happened?” Lin Xiu asked.

After speaking, he frowned.

On Chi Xiyan’s body, he sensed a trace of disgusting aura.

However, when he used his spiritual consciousness to carefully sense again, he found nothing.

“Where are Yu Lizhi and her mother?” Chi Xiyan asked urgently.

“Sister Chi, are you looking for me?” Lu Zhuxin pushed open the courtyard door, looking at Chi Xiyan with a puzzled expression.

Chi Xiyan saw Yu Lizhi and breathed a small sigh of relief in her heart. “It’s nothing, Zhizhi.”

“As long as you’re fine, go rest first. I have something to discuss with Lin Xiu.”

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A trace of confusion appeared on the black-haired, innocent girl’s face, but she still nodded toward Chi Xiyan and pushed the door to return inside the house.

“Alright, Sister Chi. I’ll go watch over Mother.”

The moment she turned around, the corner of the previously innocent-faced girl’s mouth curved into a sinister arc.

This was truly a case of having a pillow delivered when drowsy.

Lu Zhuxin had just been contemplating how to initiate the next phase of her plan, and unexpectedly, someone had come so quickly to provide an assist.

Although Chi Xiyan hadn’t said anything, Lu Zhuxin already knew what had happened.

When Chi Xiyan returned to Lin Family Manor, Lu Zhuxin had detected something unusual.

This Heaven-Mandated Female Lead’s body had inexplicably picked up a trace of bloodthirst.

Although Lu Zhuxin didn’t understand these things, she was very familiar with this novel’s settings.

When her Eighth Realm spiritual consciousness expanded, Lu Zhuxin found the source of this anomaly.

When Chi Xiyan returned, she wasn’t alone. There was something dirty beside her.

That dirty thing’s cultivation was higher than Chi Xiyan’s, so Chi Xiyan hadn’t discovered it.

Lin Xiu was a martial artist, and his spiritual consciousness wasn’t strong enough. Although he could sense something unusual, he couldn’t see through that dirty thing’s concealment technique.

However, Lu Zhuxin was an Eighth Realm cultivator. Under the observation of Eighth Realm spiritual consciousness, anything below the Eighth Realm would have nowhere to hide.

“A First Stage Sixth Realm assassin is currently lurking in Chi Xiyan’s shadow.”

“She came in together with Chi Xiyan.”

An assassin who could hide in someone else’s shadow… Coincidentally, there was one in Lu Zhuxin’s memory.

In the original text, this was a minor character with little screen time. An unlucky little assassin who failed to assassinate Song Shixuan and was instead subdued and killed by Little Shiyuan—Ye Xiaoqing.

She came from Sin Moon Tower and specialized in disguise and infiltration.

This was truly an interesting change. Why had the minor villain who was supposed to assassinate the Heaven-Mandated Male Lead come here instead?

Was she targeting Chi Xiyan?

No, it shouldn’t be like that. If she was targeting Chi Xiyan, that little assassin wouldn’t be following Chi Xiyan, tailing her all the way here.

So…

“That assassin is targeting Yu Lizhi.”

“And moreover, Chi Xiyan brought her in.”

“Hehe…” Lu Zhuxin smiled softly. “Sin Moon Tower… who paid Sin Moon Tower to buy Yu Lizhi’s life?”

Although Lu Zhuxin had already had her fox subordinates quietly spread some information, how much time had passed? Whose movements could be this fast?

The Chi family had just received the news. Before confirming the information’s authenticity, they shouldn’t make such a major move.

So, thinking it over, Lu Zhuxin could only come up with one possibility now.

“It’s Qin Qingfen, isn’t it…”

In the original text, Qin Qingfen hadn’t done anything extreme.

By the time Qin Qingfen learned the identity of the true Chi family’s eldest young lady, Song Shiyuan had already grown up and become a renowned woman.

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Moreover, at that time, Chi Xiyan had already gained considerable influence in the Chi family.

But the current situation differed from the original text.

This was still the early stages of the plot’s development. Chi Xiyan didn’t yet have much influence in the Chi family.

The appearance of the Chi family’s true legitimate daughter would bring Chi Xiyan no small amount of trouble.

Then it was quite natural for Qin Qingfen to act behind Chi Xiyan’s back and quietly go to Sin Moon Tower to buy Yu Lizhi’s life.

“Qin Qingfen, Qin Qingfen… looks like I should thank you.”

“Hehe…”

For some time now, Lu Zhuxin had been hesitating about which aspect to start with first around Chi Xiyan.

Now it seemed that starting with Qin Qingfen was an excellent choice.

Qin Qingfen was Chi Xiyan’s aunt and also her wet nurse, deeply trusted by Chi Xiyan, and her right-hand.

However, Lu Zhuxin knew that Qin Qingfen and Chi Xiyan weren’t the same type of people.

In the script of true and false legitimate daughters, Qin Qingfen’s role was that malicious relative beside the false legitimate daughter.

Chi Xiyan was the Heaven-Mandated Female Lead. She might not have been a good person, but she wasn’t an evil one either.

“To get closer to Chi Xiyan, the first one who must be eliminated is this malicious aunt Qin Qingfen.”

“So next…”

Lu Zhuxin shifted her gaze to the unconscious old woman in the room.

She walked over, gently grasping the old woman’s wrist, slowly infusing a thread of demonic power.

“Old lady, you and I have no grievances.”

“You’ve done countless evil deeds in your ordinary life, causing your children’s families to be destroyed. Each and every deed is too numerous to record, unforgivable.”

“Your original fate should have been to die imprisoned in jail.”

“But I brought you out from the prison, letting you enjoy a bit more of this world’s happiness, letting you fulfill your wishes and make up for your guilt in illusion.”

“I also hope that at the end of your life, you can burn a bit more brightly for me.”

Lu Zhuxin spoke in a low voice.

As her demonic power infused, the old woman sleeping in a coma trembled slightly.

She weakly opened her eyes, looking at Lu Zhuxin in confusion.

“Daughter… who are you?”

“Mother,” Lu Zhuxin said softly. “I need to tell you something…”

…

On the other side, Chi Xiyan’s expression was grave.

“Lin Xiu, I encountered something strange today!”

“Just now on my way back, I met a strange farm woman. She asked me how to get to Lin Family Manor, saying she wanted to visit relatives at Lin Family Manor.”

Chi Xiyan then recounted to Lin Xiu everything about the encounter with the middle-aged woman earlier.

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After listening, Lin Xiu frowned.

“Young Lady, your thinking is correct,” Lin Xiu said. “I can indeed sense a trace of bloodthirsty aura on your body. That middle-aged woman you saw might very well be an assassin in disguise.”

“Then, where is that assassin?” Chi Xiyan asked. “Where has that assassin gone now?”

This question, Lin Xiu couldn’t answer either. He hadn’t seen that assassin with his own eyes, so he couldn’t make an accurate judgment.

“That assassin must be targeting Zhizhi,” Chi Xiyan said with furrowed brows, muttering to herself. “But I don’t understand why.”

“Only Aunt and I know about Zhizhi’s existence…”

“If it’s not the Chi family people… who else would have such enmity with this girl?”

“Young Lady,” Lin Xiu asked hesitantly. “That Miss Yu Lizhi, who exactly is she?”

“She…” Chi Xiyan’s brows furrowed.

She had almost forgotten that only she and her aunt Qin Qingfen knew about Yu Lizhi’s identity.

“Her identity isn’t convenient to make public yet,” Chi Xiyan said. “In any case, she’s very important to me and must be protected well.”

“Understood,” Lin Xiu nodded. “I’ll give orders for everyone to be careful. We won’t let anyone harm Miss Yu Lizhi.”

“Don’t worry, Young Lady. This manor is protected by maze-like formations. It’s not so easy for outsiders to enter.”

“Mm.” Chi Xiyan nodded. But she still felt something wasn’t right in her heart.

That assassin had appeared mysteriously and disappeared abruptly.

Every time she recalled it, Chi Xiyan would feel vaguely uneasy.

“Aunt… could that assassin have been sent by you?” Chi Xiyan murmured in a low voice.

Although last night Qin Qingfen had already promised her not to interfere in this matter, after thinking it over, the only person Chi Xiyan could think of who had a motive to harm Yu Lizhi was Qin Qingfen.

As Chi Xiyan muttered to herself, the shadow behind her rippled with waves.

…

“Xiaoqing has confirmed the target’s identity.”

“Bounty target: Yu Lizhi, ordinary person, no combat ability.”

“High-threat cultivators confirmed: Fifth Realm martial artist Lin Xiu, Fourth Realm sword cultivator Chi Xiyan, and several other Third and Fourth Realm cultivators.”

“Overall mission difficulty assessed as: Bronze Grade B, simple.”

“Heh… when did Sin Moon Tower fall to the point of taking even such low-level missions?”

However, complaints aside, as a professional assassin, Ye Xiaoqing would still seriously complete the missions she had already accepted. This was the most basic professional conduct.

“Mm, wait for an opportunity when the target is alone, strike and disengage.”

“Although these people’s cultivation isn’t high, they’ve taken their security seriously.”

“If discovered, there might be some trouble.”

The shadow rippled with traces of waves once more, then settled completely, silent and soundless.

Throughout this time, neither Chi Xiyan nor Lin Xiu noticed the abnormality in that shadow.

…

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Chi Xiyan’s heart had been feeling vaguely uneasy. She had a feeling like thorns pricking her back, but didn’t know where this sense of unease came from.

After giving Lin Xiu a few brief instructions, she decided to check on Yu Lizhi again.

Just as she arrived at the courtyard entrance where Yu Lizhi lived, Chi Xiyan saw the black-haired girl helping the old woman walk out.

Chi Xiyan frowned. “Zhizhi, didn’t I tell you to stay in the house? What are you doing coming out?”

“Sister Chi…” The black-haired ordinary girl shrank her neck. “I-I’m sorry…”

“I didn’t mean to scold you,” Chi Xiyan said with furrowed brows. “It’s just that the situation is a bit special right now. You’d better stay inside and not come out.”

“Sorry…” The black-haired girl lowered her head like a puppy that had done something wrong.

“ Sigh … forget it.” Seeing this girl’s appearance, Chi Xiyan felt helpless in her heart, and her tone softened somewhat. “You suddenly came out—is there something you need?”

As she spoke, Chi Xiyan looked toward the old woman beside Yu Lizhi.

She frowned.

The old woman’s condition looked even worse than before.

Death energy was vaguely condensing in her glabella.

This was a sign that death was near.

“Sister Chi… my mother says she has something she wants to tell you.” Lu Zhuxin carefully supported the old woman beside her.

Looking at this girl, whose face was full of worry for her mother, Chi Xiyan felt an inexplicable trace of reluctance in her heart.

Earlier, she had thought that with her medical skills, keeping this old woman alive for three months shouldn’t be a problem.

But now, death energy had already begun condensing in this old woman’s glabella. Whether she could live past one month was questionable.

The old woman, supported by Lu Zhuxin, tremblingly walked forward and grasped Chi Xiyan’s sleeve.

“Son-in-law… do you despise my Shuangshuang?”

Chi Xiyan’s brows furrowed again.

When had she ever despised Yu Lizhi?

And this girl’s name was Zhizhi, not Shuangshuang.

“Mother… I have never despised her,” Chi Xiyan said stiffly.

Her peripheral vision swept left and right.

Lin Xiu wasn’t here, and there were no outsiders around either.

Aside from Yu Lizhi, no one would see her embarrassing side.

Thinking this, Chi Xiyan felt somewhat more at ease.

“Mother… how could I possibly despise my own wife? Have you misunderstood something again?”

Wife… what a difficult term to speak aloud.

Chi Xiyan felt her toes curling again.

And behind her, that deep-colored shadow began rippling with waves once more.