Hua Yan was initially just shouting for a bit of relief, never expecting that someone would actually come to rescue her!
“Ah Yan, are you okay? I finally found you. You have no idea how chaotic it is outside…”
Shui Se pushed open the door, and the disciples guarding outside were already lying all over the place, knocked down by her.
No matter what, Shui Se was the daughter of the elder of their Zhengyi Sect. Judging her by her face and thinking she was powerless would likely result in a miserable end.
Hua Yan pulled her inside and said, “Se Se, you’re just in time! Quick, quick, what’s happening outside?”
“A major event! After tonight, I’m afraid the sect is going to change dramatically.” Shui Se gently held her heart and led her out. “If I hadn’t reacted quickly, we wouldn’t have been able to get out now.”
“Could it be… the Zhengyi Sects have come to destroy us, and our Zhengyi Sect is going to be annihilated tonight?”
“…No.”
“Oh…”
Shui Se looked at her suspiciously, “…Why do you sound a bit disappointed?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Hua Yan coughed, “So what exactly happened?”
Shui Se sighed softly, “Ah Yan, it’s better if you don’t ask. I’m afraid you’ll be unhappy if you know… Sigh, let’s go quickly while there aren’t many people around…”
“Unhappy? Why would I be unhappy?”
“It’s a long story…”
“We’re not in a hurry. Take your time.”
As they talked, Hua Yan pulled out a pack of sunflower seeds from her sleeve.
As the Holy Maiden of the sect, Hua Yan’s status was noble, and her residence was remote. Although there was constant noise outside, they didn’t encounter many people along the way—of course, it might also be because people were instructed not to come.
Someone had set a fire, and the blaze looked spectacular against the sky, with smoke curling around, creating a scene like fireworks.
Although Hua Yan had never seen fireworks, it seemed not too different from her father’s descriptions.
Hua Yan cracked sunflower seeds as she admired the fiery scene.
“How can you still have the mood to watch this!”
“Okay, okay, I won’t look. Don’t be mad, Se Se.” Hua Yan withdrew her gaze and pondered, “…If it’s not the Zhengyi Sects coming to exterminate us, then with this kind of commotion, is someone rebelling tonight?”
Shui Se nodded, confirming her guess.
“Who started it? Elder Xu? He’s so old, it shouldn’t be him. Elder Wu? He doesn’t get along well with the sect leader, but still….” Seeing that Shui Se had no intention of answering, Hua Yan put away the sunflower seeds and shook off the shells, “…Anyway, what’s the situation with the elders?”
“I only took a distant glance, and it seems they’re all being held at the main hall.”
“Did anyone send a message out?”
Shui Se shook her head, “Both the pigeon coop and the stables are guarded.”
“What about Yu Ye?”
Shui Se paused for a moment, then continued shaking her head slowly, “I overheard two disciples chatting this evening and sensed something was wrong, so I hid outside. At night, I saw a large number of people surrounding the sect. Those who resisted seemed to be killed. My mother’s place was also surrounded, so I came to find you first. Luckily, there are fewer people here… Anyway, let’s get you out of here first.”
Hua Yan nodded but then suddenly stopped, “…Are you sure this is the way out of the sect?”
Shui Se also paused, then laughed, “Ah Yan, are you being silly? The usual way out is already blocked. This secret passage was accidentally discovered by my mother. It might have been built by a previous sect leader. Only my mother and I know about it.” She turned to Hua Yan, her eyes filled with a mix of tenderness and a hint of grievance, “Ah Yan, you don’t trust me, do you?”
“With our many years of friendship, how could I not trust you?”
Hua Yan unfolded her silk fan, twirling it lightly with her fingertips.
Shui Se suddenly asked, “Ah Yan, do you like Protector Yu?”
“Of course, I do.”
“Really? How much do you like him?”
“Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
Shui Se smiled, “It’s nothing, just asking casually.”
“Se Se, what’s the name of that disciple from Dangshan Sect who wanted to commit suicide for you last time?”
“Are you mistaken?” Shui Se responded without hesitation, “I’ve never been to Dangshan. That ghostly place is no different from a monastery.”
“Hmm, I was just asking casually too.”
The two of them fell silent, making the noise outside seem even louder and the quietness between them somewhat eerie.
Shui Se kept walking and led her into an inconspicuous storage room.
It was so inconspicuous that Hua Yan didn’t even remember there was such a place in the sect.
The room wasn’t as old and shabby as she imagined. Instead, it was clean and tidy, with a bed, a table, and a cabinet. The oil lamp on the table was still warm. Hua Yan sniffed the air and felt a familiar scent.
Shui Se lit the lamp, and the red flame cast a mottled, deep shadow on her face. She struck the wall a few times, revealing a dark secret passage.
Before her mother passed away, she had given Hua Yan the map of secret passages handed down through the generations in the demonic sect, but there was definitely no such passage.
Shui Se pointed at the secret passage. “You go in first. I’ll grab something and come right away.”
Hua Yan shook her head. “It’s too dark.”
With no other choice, Shui Se handed her the oil lamp. “This should be enough, right?”
The light barely illuminated the narrow walls. Hua Yan held up the oil lamp with one hand while awkwardly flipping her fan with the other, trying to appear agile. “…I’m afraid of the dark. You go first.”
The fan looked exquisite and elegant, but each rib was made of finely forged steel, with a row of dense poison needles hidden beneath the frame. Flipping it effortlessly was far from easy. Usually, Hua Yan could do it with ease, but now, having lost her internal energy and feeling weak all over, it was quite challenging.
Shui Se raised an eyebrow. “Since when are you afraid of the dark? How come I didn’t know?”
Hua Yan nodded without shame. “Now you know.”
Shui Se sighed deeply, a tone of something unspeakable in her voice. “You’re still as annoying as ever.”
The tone was incredibly strange.
Before Hua Yan could figure it out, Shui Se suddenly closed in, her five fingers lifting as she pulled out a silk fan identical to Hua Yan’s. She struck Hua Yan with the fan with full force.
Caught off guard, Hua Yan staggered back. At this moment, with her internal energy gone and her limbs weak, she fell into the secret passage. She managed to brace herself with her hands, but Shui Se quickly snatched the fan from her and threw it aside.
A blade flashed from the front of Shui Se’s fan, cold and gleaming, pressing against Hua Yan’s throat. At the same time, she reached out with the other hand, gripping Hua Yan’s face. “The poison you took is colorless and tasteless, causing no harm to your body but draining your internal energy and making you weak, so even someone like you wouldn’t notice.”
“Right now, you’re no different from a cripple—no, you’re worse than a cripple.”
Shui Se’s grip was harsh, as if trying to tear a piece of flesh from Hua Yan’s face. Her body trembled with excitement, and every word she spoke was filled with a sense of pleasure.
Hua Yan winced in pain, wanting to struggle but lacking the strength.
If she still had her internal energy, she could have easily smacked Shui Se against the wall, ensuring she wouldn’t be able to peel herself off for half a day!
“It hurts, it hurts… Shui Se, what has gotten into you? Wait, are you… really Shui Se?”
The dim light from the oil lamp cast a hazy glow on Shui Se’s face.
Although Hua Yan had confidence in her ability to see through disguises, she was uncertain at this moment.
“If I’m not Shui Se, who else could I be?” Shui Se released her grip, letting out a cold laugh. “Do you know what I hate most about you, Hua Yan? It’s your air of being untouched by the sufferings of the world.”
“Everything I desperately want comes so easily to you… Born destined to be the Holy Maiden, loved by your parents, cared for and pampered by the elders, even the sect leader treats you like a sister, and you have such a gentle and considerate fiancé… But I…” She slowly caressed her neck, her voice filled with a tangible resentment. “I can only live in your shadow, risking my life to prove my worth.”
Hua Yan: “Huh?”
Shui Se burst into anger. “Yes, that’s the expression!”
Hua Yan: “…???”
She had indeed suspected Shui Se earlier, but she thought Shui Se was being coerced. In fact, Hua Yan always felt that Shui Se liked her a lot because she had always been close to her since they were young.
Hua Yan liked a certain style of clothing, so Shui Se would wear the same clothes.
Hua Yan liked certain books, so Shui Se read those same books.
Hua Yan used certain cosmetics and jewelry, so Shui Se used the same cosmetics and jewelry.
Hua Yan had a silk fan specially made by a blacksmith for use as a weapon, so Shui Se also used a silk fan as a weapon…
Sometimes, when Hua Yan saw Shui Se’s back from a distance, she would mistake her for herself. When she asked, Shui Se would just smile and say that looking alike wasn’t bad, as it showed their closeness.
Honestly, Hua Yan almost thought Shui Se had a secret crush on her.
“You live in happiness but don’t realize it. I know you don’t like our sect and don’t want to be born here. So why were you even born? Why didn’t you just die?”
“…”
“But after tonight, everything will be different.” Shui Se pressed the fan blade against Hua Yan and pushed her forward, her smile deepening. “Starting tomorrow, I will be the new Holy Maiden.”
Hua Yan was in a daze.
Is this cursed position really something to fight over?
“Se Se, if you really want to be the Holy Maiden, I—”
“No need!” Shui Se suddenly interrupted loudly. “Who wants you to give it up? Acting as if you’re so kind-hearted. Whatever I want, I’ll take for myself! Do you know how much I hate you? How hard it is to endure joking with you! And do you know… the position of Holy Maiden was originally mine! If not for you, it’s all your fault. Why were you even born…” She suddenly grabbed Hua Yan’s face again, her voice filled with hatred. “I hate you so much! I wish you were dead.”
As she recalled, there was indeed such a thing.
Before Hua Yan was born, the position of Holy Maiden was indeed intended for Shui Se, but… she had no idea Shui Se had harbored this resentment for so long!
“It hurts, it hurts… Let go, let go!”
Shui Se twisted her face with malicious glee. “Are you angry now? Do you hate me? Do you feel the pain of betrayal…”
Hua Yan mumbled, “Actually, it’s… okay… Just let go! If you keep twisting, I’ll really get mad!”
Shui Se was confused for a moment, completely unable to understand her. But then she immediately said, “None of that matters now. I will take your place.” Shui Se tied Hua Yan’s hands behind her back, took out a dagger from her sleeve, and grabbed Hua Yan’s chin. Her expression became increasingly ferocious, and the sharp blade hovered over Hua Yan’s face. “And you…” As if remembering something, she suddenly gloated, “Do you really think Protector Yu likes you? What if I told you his affection was just a pretense?”
Hua Yan was stunned.
“Can’t you see? The person who started the rebellion tonight is Protector Yu. He has been planning this for who knows how long. With the sect leader and the left protector absent, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“Didn’t you ask me earlier why you would be unhappy?”
Shui Se covered her mouth and laughed. For the first time, Hua Yan saw such a venomous expression on her usually gentle and harmless face. “Because the poison was given to you by your beloved fiancé, Protector Yu… with his own hands.”