Tang Zhou replayed everything in his mind—from the moment he entered the cemetery to what he had seen and heard last night in the icy well. The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong.
The stone chamber that held the former empress’s coffin had a hidden passage behind it. In an ordinary tomb, the coffin would be placed in the deepest chamber. But here, the secret passage beyond it was sealed with a black iron dragon-breaking stone, and the final chamber was too lavish—its decor utterly out of place within a burial ground.
After he and Yan Dan were trapped by the dragon-breaking stone, it was Shen Xiangjun who found them. If her supposed knowledge of bird language was a lie, then she must have been very familiar with the cemetery herself. But then, who exactly was Tao Ziqi? Was she truly as cruel and vicious as Shen Xiangjun had claimed?
Last night, Tang Zhou had already realized that Master Shen’s earlier words to him were false. So could he trust Shen Yijun either? The two women told identical stories about the trivial details, yet their versions split apart entirely when it came to what truly mattered. One of them must have lied—or perhaps both had.
The truth was close now—so close it felt just a single thread away.
But what was that final thread that led to it?
He was still deep in thought when a few light knocks sounded on the door.
“Come in,” he said casually.
A burst of silver-bell laughter followed, and Shen Xiangjun ran in, holding a plate of bright red apples. “These apples looked so good that I couldn’t resist taking a bite,” she said cheerfully. “But my sister scolded me and said they weren’t clean. So I washed them before bringing them to you—they’re not dirty anymore.”
She placed the apples on the table with a smile.
Tang Zhou glanced at them and shook his head. “I don’t want to eat them yet. I’ll wait a while.”
Shen Xiangjun pouted, her lips curling slightly. “Alright then.”
Tang Zhou suddenly asked, “Where’s my junior sister? Why hasn’t she returned yet?”
Shen Xiangjun blinked. “I haven’t seen her. I’ll ask my sister if she has.”
Tang Zhou thought for a moment. She wouldn’t leave the Shen residence easily, and there shouldn’t be any danger. “No need,” he said lightly. “She’s always mischievous. Who knows where she’s wandered off to this time?”
Shen Xiangjun leaned on the table, watching him intently. “The birds and I often play hide-and-seek. What games do you play?”
Tang Zhou thought for a moment. “Catching monsters,” he said. Yan Dan was the one he had caught by accident.
“What happens after you catch them?” she asked curiously.
“…Wait until they escape,” he replied with a faint smile. “Then catch them again. Some monsters are very talkative—you have to keep them company.”
Shen Xiangjun looked confused. “Really?”
Tang Zhou chuckled quietly. “Sometimes, you meet monsters who know the ways of the world. They’re servile, spoiled, and only say sweet, meaningless things.”
Shen Xiangjun tilted her head, studying him. “I don’t think you’re talking about monsters,” she said softly. “I can’t tell what you mean, but monsters definitely aren’t that interesting.”
Tang Zhou was about to reply when his vision suddenly wavered. The room tilted, and he felt his body lose strength. He tried to stand but stumbled backward, collapsing onto the edge of the bed.
Seeing this, Shen Xiangjun jumped up in alarm and ran toward the door, shouting, “Sister! Sister, come quick—someone’s sick! Please come see!”
Tang Zhou bent his knees, trying to steady himself, but found he couldn’t even move a finger. Gathering what little strength remained, he bit the tip of his tongue until a faint taste of blood spread in his mouth.
Footsteps approached. Shen Xiangjun rushed back, reaching out to steady him. “Where does it hurt? Is it serious? My sister’s not here—I’ll go find her!”
Tang Zhou gave a weak smile. “Why look for her?”
He realized he had been drugged, though he couldn’t tell how. Watching Shen Xiangjun’s panicked expression, he sighed inwardly. She probably knew nothing—and could do nothing.
Shen Xiangjun took his hand, struggling to pull him up, but Tang Zhou’s body remained limp. She stamped her feet anxiously. “I’ll go find my sister!” she said at last, and hurried out.
Moments later, a slender figure appeared at the door. Shen Yijun entered, her face shadowed with gloom. Step by step, she drew closer, her eyes glinting coldly. When she reached him, she smiled faintly.
“Indeed,” she murmured, “it’s the purest soul…”
Though Tang Zhou couldn’t move, his mind remained sharp. “So it was you,” he said quietly.
He recalled falling into the well last night—and now this paralysis. It must have been Shen Yijun’s doing, the tea laced with poison. She had orchestrated what he heard and saw of Master Shen’s actions—perhaps just a trick to keep him guessing.
Shen Yijun met his gaze and nodded. “I knew you’d go there. I knew you’d see Father burying someone and wouldn’t believe him anymore. After that, you’d only trust what I said—right?”
Her voice softened, eyes burning with desire. “Your soul is so pure. I really do love it. I didn’t want to treat you like this.”
She reached out, her slender fingers brushing across his face. From this distance, he could see the small mole at the corner of her mouth.
“Mr. Tang,” she whispered, “you have such a beautiful face. Any woman would fall for it. I didn’t want you to turn old and withered… but I have no choice.”
Tang Zhou smiled faintly. “Why bother pretending?”
Shen Yijun smiled, her expression blooming like a spring flower. “Tell me, do you like Xiangjun more—or me?”
Tang Zhou didn’t answer. He simply closed his eyes.
Then, a soft, lilting laugh sounded nearby—a voice both gentle and teasing:
“Of course he likes you more. Don’t you believe it?”
Tang Zhou opened his eyes to see Shen Yijun, her face pale and trembling.
“Who are you? Human or ghost?” she cried, stumbling to her feet and glancing wildly around. No one answered—until a cold, wet hand brushed against her neck.
A low chuckle followed.
“I’m a ghost... a drowned one.”
Shen Yijun wiped her neck. Her palm came away slick with moss, and her face twisted. “Come out! Do you think I’ll be scared just because you’re a ghost?”
Tang Zhou immediately recognized the voice—it was Yan Dan. But Shen Yijun’s panic was far too real.
“I know you’re not afraid,” the voice whispered again, almost beside her ear, “and I don’t want you to be. Fear ruins all the fun.”
Shen Yijun spun in circles, searching for the source. “Come out and stop playing tricks!” she shouted, her eyes bloodshot.
A sigh drifted through the air.
“I’m no longer human. If I can’t play tricks, what else can I do? You hurt me so deeply... I should let you see what I’ve become. But I look terrible now—seeing me would only make you sick.”
Tang Zhou’s heart tightened. Shen Yijun must have done something to Yan Dan—but she didn’t realize Yan Dan wasn’t human.
Shen Yijun forced a shaky smile. “I wasn’t afraid of you when you were alive. Why should I be now that you’re dead?”
The words had barely left her mouth when a clammy, mossy hand brushed her cheek. She froze, then turned—and there stood Yan Dan, drenched and deathly pale, her black hair dripping like ink. Her unfocused eyes lifted slowly.
“I’m out... standing right in front of you.”
A strangled scream tore from Shen Yijun’s throat as she stumbled backward, tripping at the doorway. Her terrified gaze met Yan Dan’s stiff, jerky movements—the movements of a corpse newly awakened. Shen Yijun’s face drained of color. A corpse shouldn’t change so soon… within hours. Gritting her teeth, she dragged herself out of the room and fled.
Yan Dan watched her go, brushing her wet hair from her face before turning to Tang Zhou.
“Brother, are you alright?”
She walked over, crouching before him with a mischievous yet gentle smile. “I searched the whole Shen residence and only found this white dress. It doesn’t fit me well.”
Tang Zhou said nothing.
Propping her chin, she teased softly, “Guess who I borrowed it from?” When he turned away, she reached out and pinched his cheek, forcing him to look at her. “Why are you ignoring me, brother?”
His face stayed calm, though his ears flushed red. “You—”
Yan Dan laughed, her eyes bright as stars. “Tang Zhou, you treated me so harshly before. Heaven must have eyes—it finally let me catch you.” She leaned closer, her tone playful yet sharp. “But before we settle our debts, if there’s anything you want to know, I’ll tell you.”
Tang Zhou fell silent, then asked quietly, “When did you start doubting Shen Yijun?”
Yan Dan sighed. “Why not ask about ‘Miss Shen Er’? There’s only one Miss Shen in that family—no siblings. Didn’t you notice?” She tapped the corner of her mouth. “She has a mole here. And so does Miss Shen Er—same spot, same size. Even twins differ slightly, but theirs are identical. And tell me, do you really think that girl was so simple-minded? She’s clever—using her so-called bird language to mask her lies.”
Tang Zhou recalled the mole he had seen earlier and frowned.
Yan Dan continued, “Do you remember when I said I could understand fish? I meant it. The fish in the lotus pond told me something important—Master Shen and Miss Shen aren’t father and daughter at all.”
Her eyes glimmered. “I saw them arguing before, and they didn’t act like family. I guessed they came to Qingshi Town with a purpose—something tied to all the mysterious deaths here. They were using you, each trying to get rid of the other. But your pure soul was too tempting... so Miss Shen struck first.”
She paused, then said, “When she took you to that abandoned well, I suspected the two Miss Shens were the same person. I went to confirm it—and found the mole. But there’s still something strange about what you saw in the well. You thought it was an illusion, but she used a mind-control technique. One look into her eyes, and your will was gone. She had me thrown into the well too.”
Raising her wrist, Yan Dan revealed the absence of her bracelet. “She thought removing this would break your protection spell, not knowing it freed me instead. I told her it was a charm you gave me to sense danger. She actually believed it.”
Tang Zhou murmured, “Then her bird language… was all a lie.”
Yan Dan nodded. “Completely. She’s no friend of birds—just keeps a parrot for show. My friend from the Feather Clan says parrots are the worst mimics among us. So I knew from the start she was lying. And since she knew the tomb’s traps so well, she must’ve been the one who set the dragon-breaking stone there.”
Suddenly, she slapped him—not hard. “I may be a demon, but have I ever harmed you? You, on the other hand, nearly killed my companion!”
Tang Zhou didn’t flinch.
Yan Dan stood, her tone softer now. “You owe me a life. How will you repay it? Or will you just strike me down like before?”
“I’ve never thought that way,” he replied.
She gave a faint smile. “Miss Shen’s gone, and the drug will wear off soon. Farewell, brother. We won’t meet again.”
As she turned to leave, Tang Zhou said quietly, “Right now, I’m powerless. If anyone from the Shen family returns, I’ll be finished.”
Yan Dan sighed. “That’s exactly why I must go. Once you recover, my strength won’t match yours.” Her gaze sharpened. “Are you stalling for time until the drug fades? I really don’t have time to play with you.”
She started to leave—but his voice stopped her. “Yan Dan...”
She turned back, smiling sweetly. “Brother, the tea you drank was laced with soft muscle powder. The weakness will fade in an hour. You’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
Tang Zhou looked at her steadily. “Where will you go? Maybe I’ll visit you one day.”
She laughed softly. “It’s my turn to visit you. Once a senior brother, always a senior brother—how could I trouble you?”
“If you come to Xiangdu, ask for the Tang Mansion,” he said. “Anyone can tell you where it is.”
Yan Dan tilted her head, pretending not to hear, and turned to leave. But just as she stepped forward, a sharp gust of wind brushed past her. Her forehead went cold—her body frozen in place. A talisman flared on her wrist, hardening into a glowing bracelet.
Tang Zhou withdrew the finger that had been resting against her forehead, a faint smile curling his lips. “We were just a little short this time,” he said softly. “Let’s try again next time.”
Previous/Next
.jpeg)
