C5 First Meeting

Bai Liyuv listened to him, her smile growing wider. Without a word, she tossed aside her sword. Seeing this, Soong Qingyuan's heart leaped with joy, and he was about to speak again when a sharp pain shot through his face, leaving him dazed and confused as he stared at her.

"Did you really think I'm a fool? You thought I didn't know about your dirty dealings with Mengci?" Bai Liyuv maintained her composed demeanor, though she secretly rubbed her palm, wincing at the pain.

"Moonbeam, you must be mistaken. How could I be involved with someone so malicious?" Soong Qingyuan's eyes widened, filled with feigned sincerity, though his voice dripped with disdain and hatred at the mention of Bai Mengci.

Bai Liyuv couldn't stand his act any longer. She feared she might get sick if she watched him any further. She picked up her sword and drove it into the ground next to his neck, the cold blade grazing his skin. Her smile remained unchanged. "I just want to know, did you poison me? Think carefully before you answer, because this old temple doesn't need another corpse."

The blatant threat left Soong Qingyuan feeling particularly frustrated. He gritted his teeth and said, "It wasn't me! I would never poison you, my cousin! How could you think that I..." His words were abruptly cut off, like a duck suddenly silenced.

Bai Liyuv shifted her sword slightly, eyeing the bleeding wound on his neck with a half-smile. "Oh? Really?" she said, though she knew deep down that Soong Qingyuan likely wouldn't have given her such a poison. She estimated the poison would take at least two days to manifest, and its sudden and intense onset seemed suspicious, almost as if it had been accelerated. She couldn't shake the feeling that he had tampered with it.

"Soong Qingyuan, I'm giving you one last chance. If you don't come clean now, you won't get another opportunity," Bai Liyuv warned, circling the sword around his neck with a casual but deliberate motion, her eyes cold and piercing.

Soong Qingyuan's face turned pale, and with a quick flicker of his eyes, he grabbed a knife from the ground and lunged at her heart, aiming to strike with ruthless precision. The viciousness in his expression was a stark contrast to his earlier sincerity.

Bai Liyuv had never let her guard down around him. Instinctively, she thrust her sword, piercing him through. Soong Qingyuan fell to the ground with a thud, eyes wide open in anger and disbelief, his face etched with regret.

Pulling the sword out, Bai Liyuv clicked her tongue in disappointment. Well, there goes any chance of getting information. Undeterred, she tossed the sword aside and searched his body. The cumbersome ancient clothing was in the way, so she tore his outer robe for easier access. Within moments, she found a small porcelain bottle at his waist. Raising an eyebrow, she opened it and took a sniff, thinking to herself that Soong Qingyuan's fate was well-deserved.

The top-grade potion, once consumed, stirred up all the energy and blood within, clashing with the poison inside like water meeting fire. No wonder the original body died without Soong Qingyuan noticing, still preoccupied with other matters—what a scoundrel!

The more Liyuv thought about it, the angrier they became, feeling sorry for the original body. Liyuv pursed their lips and tossed the bottle away. Suddenly, two figures appeared at the entrance of the dilapidated temple. One of them swiftly sliced the bottle in half with a sword, scattering the powder everywhere, filling the air with a rich fragrance.

Liyuv looked up to see the leading figure, standing about nine feet tall, wearing a dark iron mask. The exposed jawline was delicate, with fair and smooth skin. Long black hair, reaching the waist, was tied up with a light green hairpin of indiscernible material. Draped in a black cloak, underneath was a dark green robe with gold trim, embroidered with a fierce, lifelike qilin. The entire presence exuded an indescribable, chilling intensity. The gaze from the mask's eye holes landed on Liyuv, sending shivers down their spine, as if they were prey caught in the sights of a ferocious beast, unable to muster any thought of resistance.