Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I released my lower lip, which I had been biting hard. A drop of blood fell before my eyes, splashing onto the floor.

My lips moved weakly.

Chang Yan seemed to want to hear me beg for mercy. He leaned his head closer and asked excitedly, “What did you say?”

I looked into his eyes, which were inches away, and curled my lips into a faint smile. “I know,” I whispered.

In that instant, the drop of blood on the ground rose, transforming into a tiny, crimson arrowhead.

It shot into Chang Yan’s right eye with a soft squelch.

Unfortunately, the force wasn’t enough to pierce through his skull.

Chang Yan let out a soul-shattering roar and clutched his eye socket.

Deep red liquid gushed through his fingers as he glared at me with his remaining eye, his gaze filled with pure malice.

I had used most of my spiritual energy for that attack and was now utterly exhausted. I spoke slowly, “That was for Ah Xuan and Xiao Lian.”

Just before dawn, Ah Xuan had leaned close to me. She asked if I was willing to avenge their children.

Chang Yan considered them too old, so they never had a chance to get close to him. Only I did.

I didn’t think twice before agreeing. I wasn’t going to live long anyway.

In response, they transferred every last trace of their remaining Snow Soul spiritual energy into me.

Soon after, their bodies grew completely cold.

Because they had endured long-term torture, their spiritual energy was meager; combined, it was only enough for a single strike.

Earlier, I had rehearsed the techniques Lan Yi taught me over and over in my mind, yet I still couldn’t control the ice in the basin. I could only manipulate a single drop of my own blood.

Chang Yan stared at me with his one remaining bloodshot eye. After a long silence, he said slowly, “You will regret not dying last night.”

He summoned several subordinates, pointed at the basin of ice, and gave a grim command. “Use those ice cubes on her, and then…”

He paused, glancing at me with a mix of regret and morbid anticipation. “…see how long she lasts.”

Watching the men approach me step by step, my heart turned to ash. In my final moments, I thought of my brother.

If he saw his sister’s corpse-filthy, broken, and stripped of dignity-how would he feel?

I bit the tip of my tongue, attempting to use the last of my spiritual energy to condense a blade to slit my own throat and grant myself some shred of decency.

Alas, my energy was spent. The drop of blood that surfaced on my tongue fell powerlessly down my throat.

A metallic taste spread through my mouth, but in the next breath, I caught a scent-clear, cold, and slightly bitter.

It was calm, restrained, and startling.

I looked up toward the doorway.

A figure in a white cloak entered slowly. Silhouetted against the sunlight, his frame was tall and upright.

It was Lan Yi.

He walked until he was a few paces away. His eyes were as calm as still water, yet he never once looked at me. He spoke indifferently, “Lord Chang Yan, for what reason have you invited me here?”

Chang Yan sat on his high seat. He picked up a wine cup and slowly poured the liquid over his injured eye. The bright red wine flowed down half his face, and his smile was grotesque.

“If I hadn’t kidnapped your person, would High Priest Lan have even shown himself?” He licked the wine from the corner of his mouth, revealing a row of snow-white teeth. “It has been ten years. High Priest Lan’s Snow Soul has become even more pure. It truly makes one’s mouth water.”

Lan Yi glanced at me, his expression devoid of any ripple of emotion. His voice was detached. “The Lord is mistaken. This woman is merely my concubine. We share only a fleeting affair; she has no formal status.”

Chang Yan arched an eyebrow and chuckled. With a flick of his wrist, he splashed the remaining wine from his cup.

The liquid transformed into red blades in mid-air, dancing through the sky as they slashed across the clothes on my upper body.

Shredded fabric fluttered down, pooling at my waist.

I felt freezing. My body shook uncontrollably.

He pointed at the Mysterious Bird jade pendant around my neck and asked with a half-smile, “If I am not mistaken, this should be High Priest Lan’s soul spirit. It takes a hundred years of cultivation to form. Why would it be hanging on an ordinary concubine?”

Lan Yi did not look at me. He simply shook his head slightly, his tone unchanging. “You are mistaken. That is just an ordinary pendant.”

Chang Yan stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly, his grin widening. “Oh? Since that’s the case, I can rest easy.” Chang Yan turned to look at me. “This woman’s bloodline is quite pure, perfect for improving my clansmen’s lineage. My men are looking for some fun; it’s only right that they take good care of her.”

Lan Yi lowered his gaze, his voice cold and indifferent. “As you wish, Lord.”

He turned around, his cloak billowing behind him. His back was steady and impenetrable.

He left without looking back, not even once.

Chang Yan looked at me and clicked his tongue in mock pity. “Did you hear that? He doesn’t want you anymore.”