Chapter 46: Blood Beneath the Willow

 

The courtyard of cyan tiles lay quiet beneath the afternoon sun.

Mingyi stood before its worn gate, feigning indifference even though curiosity gnawed at her.

“Just a dilapidated courtyard,” she had said earlier. “What’s so special about going inside? It’s probably full of junk.”

But Dan Er’s words had lingered in her mind.

Ji Bozhai possessed wealth great enough to stroll through Changrong Street buying whatever he pleased without a second thought. Yet this courtyard—tucked away within his own estate—remained neglected and crumbling.

Why?

Dan Er had only smiled when she questioned him.

“He likes it,” the man had said. “But not because it’s old. Someone from his past once lived here.”

He had refused to explain further.

The memory of that conversation echoed in Mingyi’s mind as she slipped quietly through the estate during the noon rest hour. Ji Bozhai had been busy selecting companions for his upcoming journey and often returned late at night. With Granny Xun sent away on an errand, Mingyi had seized the opportunity to investigate.

Everything had been planned carefully.

Yet the moment she approached the courtyard, she realized she had underestimated him.

Ji Bozhai had actually placed an Essence Power array over the entire courtyard.

Fine threads of energy formed a delicate web across the space beneath the sunlit willow tree. The strands glimmered faintly, almost invisible—but touching even one of them would leave behind the intruder’s aura.

Mingyi clenched her teeth.

What a waste of Essence Power.

Maintaining such an array required tremendous strength, and replenishing it afterward would take a long time. Any fighter would wince at the thought of spending power so carelessly.

But the extravagance confirmed something important.

Situ Ling and Dan Er had not lied.

There truly was a secret hidden here.

After carefully scanning her surroundings to ensure no one was watching, Mingyi raised her hand and formed a quick seal with her fingers. Two faint threads of Essence Power slipped from her fingertips, hooking onto the protective web. With delicate precision she tugged them apart, creating the smallest gap.

Holding her breath, she slipped inside.

The courtyard itself was modest.

A main hall faced the entrance, flanked by two side rooms. In the small front yard, a willow tree stretched its fresh green branches toward the sunlight, leaves swaying gently in the breeze.

Mingyi glanced around quickly before moving toward the tree.

Situ Ling had mentioned a vanity case buried somewhere beneath it.

But the moment she stepped forward, her sharp ears caught something.

Footsteps.

Someone was approaching.

Her heart jumped into her throat.

Without hesitation she darted into one of the side rooms and leapt silently onto a ceiling beam.

Moments later, the door to the courtyard creaked open.

A figure staggered inside.

The person’s breathing was uneven and heavy. Each step seemed unsteady, as though walking required immense effort.

Then the wind shifted.

A faint coppery sweetness drifted through the air.

The scent of blood.

Mingyi’s face turned pale.

Seriously?

Of all the places he could come—he had to come here.

The man pushed open the side room door with a rough motion. It struck the wall and rebounded slightly before settling half-closed, allowing a thin beam of light to spill across the floor.

He collapsed into the Grand Tutor Chair as if all strength had left his body.

Inside the room, incense burned slowly before a small altar. Upon it rested a spirit tablet, its golden characters glowing faintly in the dim light.

The man stared at it for a long moment.

Then, in a hoarse voice, he spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

Mingyi’s pupils shrank.

She knew that voice.

It was Ji Bozhai.

Why was he here in the middle of the day? He should have been supervising the selection process.

More importantly—

Why was he covered in blood?

If it had been anyone else, Mingyi might have hidden successfully until they left. But Ji Bozhai’s perception was far too sharp. The moment he regained his composure, he would notice someone else in the room.

She was doomed.

Her mind raced wildly. She bit her finger nervously, trying to decide what to do.

Finally she squeezed her eyes shut, steeled her heart, and deliberately let out a startled cry as she slipped from the beam.

Ji Bozhai reacted instantly.

Still seething with rage from whatever battle had left him wounded, he lashed out without hesitation. His palm shot backward with lethal force, aimed directly at her vital point.

But the instant their eyes met, his expression flickered with shock.

His attack halted mid-strike.

Instead of killing her, he forcibly withdrew the blow and caught her as she fell.

“What are you doing here?!” he demanded furiously.

The effort made his injuries worse. He spat another mouthful of blood.

Mingyi trembled as if terrified. She hurriedly wiped the blood from his lips with her sleeve, her voice shaking.

“I—I came to look for something! I didn’t know you were here. My lord, what happened to you? Why is there so much blood?!”

Only now did she truly notice the state of him.

His robes were soaked crimson. Fresh blood continued to trickle from the corner of his mouth.

The sight was horrifying.

Especially since he was glaring at her as though deciding whether to kill her after all.

Her mind went blank.

And before she could stop herself, she blurted out:

“Is your mouth… on its period?”

Ji Bozhai fell silent.

For a moment, the room was completely still.

He truly wanted to strangle her.

Taking a deep breath, he coughed violently and set her down on the floor.

Mingyi glanced at her dress and saw that the pale pink fabric was now stained with his blood. She quickly knelt beside him and patted his back anxiously.

“Who could have hurt you like this?!”

“Why… are you here?” he asked again between coughs, his sharp gaze boring into her.

Mingyi immediately adopted the most innocent expression she could manage.

“A few days ago I ran into Young Master Situ outside,” she explained earnestly. “He told me to come here and look for a makeup case. I thought it was strange, but you’ve been so busy lately. By the time I fall asleep you’re still not home, and when I wake up you’ve already left.”

She blinked up at him with wide eyes.

“So I decided to come check for it myself. I was going to tell you after I found it.”

She gestured vaguely toward the courtyard.

“Is this place forbidden? It just looks like an old courtyard.”

Ji Bozhai’s hands trembled with anger.

He grabbed the back of her neck.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“How could I?” Mingyi cried immediately, tears filling her eyes. “Granny Xun was here today too—you can ask her!”

Weakness washed over him. His grip loosened as his eyes half-closed.

“If you’re lying… if you’re lying to me…”

“My lord?” Mingyi said quickly, supporting his swaying body.

When he suddenly slumped forward, she panicked and shouted toward the courtyard.

“Someone! Help!”

But the courtyard remained silent.

No servants.

No guards.

Even Buxiu was nowhere to be seen.

She called again and again until her throat grew hoarse.

Still no response.

Grinding her teeth, Mingyi forced Ji Bozhai onto her back.

“I’ll take you to a physician.”

“Let go…” he murmured weakly.

“What’s the point of pretending to be strong now?” she muttered under her breath.

The girl who earlier could barely take two steps while carrying him now ran desperately out of the courtyard with him clinging to her back.

Her arms trembled. Her legs nearly gave out.

Still she refused to drop him.

At last her strength failed completely. Half dragging him along the path, she collapsed onto the ground and began crying loudly.

“Someone help! Waaah!”

Ji Bozhai didn’t know whether to laugh or feel angry.

He had never seen Mingyi look so miserable.

Her elegant dress was smeared with blood. Her hair was disheveled. Her limbs shook with exhaustion.

Yet she stubbornly refused to abandon him.

He wanted to tell her she could simply leave him there and go find help.

But he was too weak to speak.

So he could only think helplessly:

Women in love really do lose all sense.

If she insisted on dragging him like this… at least his clothes were made of thick fabric.

“Sir? Miss Ming?”

A voice finally called from the distance.

Buxiu.

Ji Bozhai felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Then darkness swallowed his vision.

And he lost consciousness.