After being brought into the city, General Li did not see them immediately. Instead, as a courtesy, he had people prepare food and bath water for them, allowing the weary travelers to rest first.
He Sui’an was still concerned about Weicheng.
She wasn’t sure if Jincheng was aware of Weicheng’s situation. As soon as she entered the city, she mentioned it to the soldiers. They said they would verify it but then didn’t follow up.
The situation in Jincheng was completely different from Weicheng. Although both were border towns of the Zhou dynasty and not far apart, Jincheng was evidently much more prosperous.
Or maybe not.
He Sui’an had never seen Weicheng before it was ravaged by the Hu people. Perhaps Weicheng was even more flourishing than Jincheng.
Upon arriving in this unfamiliar place, she felt uneasy.
Where there are more people, there are more scheming minds.
The general’s mansion had high walls, built along the edge of the main street. The main gate had imposing upturned eaves, exuding grandeur. The backyard was adorned with artificial hills and lush greenery, with pavilions and towers arranged in an eye-catching manner that dazzled He Sui’an.
As soon as they entered the general’s mansion, Qi Buyan and she were separated. He Sui’an was led by a maid to a courtyard typically used to accommodate female guests, while he was taken to a separate courtyard by a servant.
When she reached the western wing, she saw quite a few people there.
The western wing had been unoccupied for some time, so cleaning it up took a while.
General Li had received information that a Gu poison master from Tianshui Village in Miaojiang had agreed to help. The master was a boy under twenty, who usually worked alone and was always surrounded by insects, snakes, and poisons.
However, the fact that the boy had brought along a young girl was unexpected, so General Li hurriedly had the western wing, used for female guests, cleaned and prepared.
The maid led He Sui’an into the room.
Holding her bundle tightly, her hands turned pale with tension, but she did not forget to thank the maid.
“No need to be so polite, young lady.”
Behind the large screen, a bath filled with petals was prepared, emitting wisps of mist. On the clothes rack, shaped like double phoenixes, hung a new set of clothes.
The maid, with an expression as wooden as ever, her lips curved in a perfect smile, reached out to untie the belt at He Sui’an’s waist. “Let me assist you with your bath, young lady.”
“No need.”
He Sui’an guarded her belt, almost undone by the maid, and said, “You all can leave. I can manage on my own.”
“Understood.”
Seeing her reluctance, the maid bowed and withdrew, considerately closing the door behind her.
The paper on the door reflected their silhouettes.
The servants of the general’s mansion stood guard outside the western wing. He Sui’an was left alone in the room and approached the large bath filled with warm water. The incense burner nearby had just been lit, and the scent was still faint.
Having hurried to Jincheng over the past few days, she indeed felt dirty and decided to bathe.
The water was slightly cool, so He Sui’an quickly got out.
She looked at the thin, old dress in her bundle and then at the new dress with a fur-lined collar prepared by the general’s mansion. She decisively chose the latter.
A few steps away stood a person-high square mirror. He Sui’an tied the blue belt of her dress, walked over, and looked at her reflection. The chest-length skirt was embroidered with a peony flower, noble and elegant like white jade, adorned with silver threads.
Her cheeks were free of makeup, her skin white and smooth, with colorful ribbons entwining her sleek, black hair.
What stood out was the wound on her forehead.
He Sui’an leaned in to examine it closely.
The wound had scabbed over, some scabs had naturally fallen off, revealing new skin underneath.
She felt like she had forgotten something important, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember. After hesitating for a long time, He Sui’an decided to let it go and focus on surviving.
She wanted to find Qi Buyan.
For now, he was the only person she could trust.
He Sui’an pushed the door open and went out. Several maids asked if she had any orders.
“I want to find the person who came here with me,” she said, unconsciously clenching her fingers.
The maid’s ever-smiling face showed a hint of reluctance and hesitation, but considering that He Sui’an was brought by the Gu poison master Qi Buyan, she agreed and led the way.
It was already late, and the path was illuminated by elegant green lamps, serene and beautiful.
The two of them passed under the corridor.
After a while, they arrived at a secluded courtyard.
The walls were covered in green vines, and the occasional sound of insects could be heard from within. He Sui’an stopped, eyes filled with doubt. “He lives here?”
“Ah!”
A heart-wrenching cry came from the courtyard.
She exclaimed, “What was that sound?”
The maid, accustomed to it, lowered her head and looked at the ground. “Replying to you, young lady, no, this is the residence of the young master’s servants. But the person you’re looking for is inside.”
Seeing the maid say nothing about the sound, He Sui’an became even more curious and wanted to go inside.
She was indeed afraid.
But she was more afraid that something had happened to Qi Buyan. If that were the case, with no memory, no knowledge of the world, and no one to trust easily, she would have to live alone. He Sui’an knew she didn’t have the ability to do so and had nowhere to go.
“Can I go in now?”
The maid respectfully pushed open the slightly ajar courtyard door for He Sui’an. “You can.”
He Sui’an took a step inside and looked back to see the maid still standing in place. In the moonlight, the maid was wearing the plain brown dress of the general’s servants, with a barely perceptible look of fear in her eyes as she gazed toward the courtyard.
Just before He Sui’an turned to look, the maid had resumed her usual expression.
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
The maid replied, “The general has said that servants are not allowed to enter without orders.”
“What about me?”
“You were brought by the Gu poison master and are a distinguished guest of the mansion. The general instructed us to take good care of you, and you can go wherever you like.”
The night wind blew, causing the maid’s lantern to tremble. She stood humbly, seemingly waiting outside for He Sui’an to come out. The wall lamp under the eaves flickered. He Sui’an still decided to go in. “Thank you.”
Just as He Sui’an reached the middle of the courtyard, a figure suddenly lunged at her from the left.
She instinctively dodged.
However, her embroidered shoes were caught on the uneven bluestone path, and she fell backward.
Upon closer inspection, the person who lunged at her was a man in his twenties. His face was sallow, with heavy shadows under his eyes, and he looked physically weak. His mouth was drooling, yet he was dressed in fine clothes.
The man’s fingernails had been completely pulled out, leaving his fingers bloody and exposed. His bare feet were also without toenails.
He Sui’an quickly stood up.
She was about to run out when she heard the sound of silver ornaments.
A figure walked out from the house, still in that same outfit. Qi Buyan stepped over the convulsing man on the ground and approached He Sui’an. “Why are you here?”
He Sui’an, never having seen such a scene, could barely speak. “He… he…”
“What about him?”
Qi Buyan patiently guided her to continue speaking.
She saw blood on his palm.
He Sui’an tried to turn and run, but Qi Buyan grasped her waist with one hand, his hand cold from being washed, and easily pulled her back. He spoke gently, “Finish what you were saying.”
She tried to push him away. “His hands and feet… the nails are gone. Did you do that?”
Her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly.
The black snake coiled around He Sui’an’s hands.
As the snake tightened, it left two distinct red marks, and He Sui’an immediately stopped moving.
“It was me. I’m helping him remove the Gu poison,” Qi Buyan said, looking down at her. He had a gentle appearance but laughed softly. “Why are you so easily frightened? It makes me want to kill you.”
