Chapter 5: Gouge Out Eyes

“W-what are you trying to do?”

Feicui swallowed hard, struggling to steady her voice, but the cold blade pressed against her throat made it tremble despite her efforts.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Shen Jixue slid the dagger lightly, chuckling softly.

“I’m here to take your life, of course.”

Feicui never expected to be overpowered by a mere girl.

She quickly pleaded, “N-no, please don’t kill me! I’ll tell you anything you want to know!”

Shen Jixue pondered for a moment, then agreed with a smile.

“Alright, go ahead.”

Feicui breathed a small sigh of relief and racked her brain for any secrets about the Lin household.

A huge secret concerning Lin Mozhi surfaced in her mind.

This secret would surely save her life.

“The young master, he… uh… ah, cough…”

Her eyes suddenly widened in terror.

She glanced at Shen Jixue in disbelief, her gaze nearly reaching the corners of her eyes.

Filled with fear and resentment, her pupils dimmed into lifeless pools.

Blood dyed the snow red as it poured from her throat.

Shen Jixue casually stabbed the dagger into the snow in front of Feicui’s lifeless body, then wiped the few bloodstains off her hand on Feicui’s clothes.

No matter what Feicui said, she would’ve killed her.

Why waste time listening to a dead person?

Shen Jixue stood, retrieved a porcelain jar from beneath a nearby tree, and calmly tidied her slightly disheveled clothes as if nothing had happened.

Then she left the grove of dwarf pines.

All that remained was a cooling corpse and the silent winter trees.

From a distance, the small dagger stuck in the ground resembled a tombstone, marking Feicui’s death.

That night.

“What made you think to summon me today?”

Fu Xingren adjusted her robes and strolled over gracefully.

“Could it be that the long night has left you lonely, craving the company of a beauty?”

Shen Jixue raised a single finger, pressing it against Fu Xingren’s shoulder, leaning back slightly with distaste.

“I killed someone. Go clean it up.”

“You called me just for that?!”

Fu Xingren rolled her eyes dramatically, disregarding any semblance of composure.

“Do you know how busy I am, my dear Sovereign?”

“Oh? How busy?”

Shen Jixue raised an eyebrow.

Fu Xingren slumped onto the bed, sighing deeply.

“How do you even deal with all the political affairs on a daily basis? Those old geezers are insufferable!”

“It’s simple,” Shen Jixue smiled meaningfully, seeing Fu Xingren’s hopeful look.

“Whoever’s stronger gets the final say.”

Fu Xingren deflated instantly, then suddenly leaned closer with excitement.

“Can I use the Hehuan Technique on them?”

“Don’t even think about it.”

Shen Jixue’s brows furrowed as she rejected the idea immediately.

The fact that Fu Xingren could even consider using the Hehuan Technique on the demon officials made Shen Jixue seriously question the wisdom of entrusting major decisions to her before coming to the human realm.

“Hmph.”

Fu Xingren got up angrily and disappeared in a swirl of her sleeve, vanishing without a trace.

Feicui’s body was discovered three days later.

It was clearly a murder, but the remote location meant no one had witnessed the killer.

Lin Moyu couldn’t reveal the truth, so she pleaded with her father, Lin Shuiyu, to use a time-reversing artifact.

Yet the artifact showed no trace of anyone, which was clearly the work of someone with extraordinary cultivation erasing their presence.

And Shen Jixue?

She was just a young girl who hadn’t even reached adulthood, clearly lacking any cultivation.

It was impossible for her to have done it.

Though Lin Moyu was certain Shen Jixue was the culprit, she couldn’t say so without evidence, which only deepened her hatred for her.

The Lin household was plunged into fear.

To reassure everyone, Lin Shuiyu and his wife not only increased security but also set up defensive arrays within the manor.

It wasn’t until the weather warmed that the matter gradually subsided.

Lin Mozhi suspected Feicui’s death was related to Shen Jixue but couldn’t explain why the artifact failed to show her presence.

Even Luyi became more cautious and probing in her interactions with Shen Jixue.

As the ice and snow melted, plum blossom snowmelt water could no longer be collected.

Lin Mozhi remained as indifferent as ever.

Shen Jixue, however, had all the patience and time in the world.

Snow in winter, flowers in spring.

Xu Chang had gone out on an errand.

Normally, Luyi would fetch meals from the main kitchen daily, but today she was busy loosening the soil in the courtyard’s flowerbed.

She handed the task to Shen Jixue.

“You… go quickly and return. Don’t respond to anyone calling out to you. Just bring the food back,” Luyi said as she handed her the lunchbox.

“If anyone troubles you, tell Xing’er in the main kitchen. Understand?”

Shen Jixue nodded, her expression puzzled but obedient.

“Understood.”

“Alright, go on.”

Luyi stood by the courtyard gate, only turning back inside once Shen Jixue’s figure disappeared from sight.

Shen Jixue understood her meaning.

Since Feicui’s death, she had not stepped out of Songhe Courtyard.

No matter how much Lin Moyu hated or resented her, she couldn’t extend her hand in front of Lin Mozhi.

It was said that later, two servants mysteriously died in Yingluo Courtyard, their bodies covered in whip marks, with no intact flesh left when they were carried out.

A beautiful face, but a heart of an Asura.

No matter how furious Lin Moyu was, she could only wait—wait for Shen Jixue to step out of Songhe Courtyard.

At least while Lin Shuiyu was around, she dared not act recklessly.

Shen Jixue had barely stepped out of Songhe Courtyard when she noticed a figure darting from a hidden spot, heading towards Yingluo Courtyard.

Feicui’s death had already caused Lin Mozhi to waver in his perception of her identity.

The so-called errand that Xu Chang had left for was likely an investigation into her background.

Was she truly a refugee, or merely a spy disguised as one?

After all, she had been injured, and immediately after, Lin Moyu’s trusted maid, who had grown up by her side, ended up dead.

Sacrificing a confidant for a spy’s safety didn’t seem like something Lin Moyu would do.

Today, she had intentionally given Lin Moyu this opportunity—to add more fuel to the fire.

Once Lin Mozhi uncovered her identity, his guilt would deepen.

For a doubter, the truth must never be laid bare before them.

Only when they uncover it themselves will they truly believe and let go of suspicion.

Most importantly, Lin Mozhi was sentimental.

Whether it was towards Xu Chang, Luyi, or even the young servant boy who had died years ago, he protected them fiercely.

When he discovered the truth—realizing that his doubts had caused him to misjudge true loyalty and repeatedly let someone sincere fall into danger—the overwhelming regret would consume him.

Compared to the trust he placed in Xu Chang and Luyi, Shen Jixue would become an irreplaceable presence in his heart, ultimately earning his trust and, in time, his affection.

“Ah Xue, it’s ready.”

Xing’er handed over the lunchbox with a smile, sneaking a chestnut cake into Shen Jixue’s hand.

She blinked playfully and whispered, “Here, fresh from the oven.”

But today, Shen Jixue behaved unusually.

She clutched Xing’er’s sleeve nervously and whispered, “Sister Xing’er, someone followed me all the way here. I’m scared.”

Xing’er’s expression immediately turned serious.

After a moment, she smiled again and patted Shen Jixue’s hand reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, go back now.”

With Xing’er’s assurance, Shen Jixue knew she would find a way to inform Luyi.

She hesitated for a moment before walking away.

After a few steps, she turned back to look at Xing’er, who waved her off with a smile.

Only then did Shen Jixue clutch the lunchbox and leave the kitchen.

On her way back, Shen Jixue’s nervous glances in every direction were evident to anyone watching.

The passing servants simply found her behavior odd but had no intention of getting involved.

Or rather, no one wanted to be associated with anyone from Songhe Courtyard.

Nothing happened along the way.

As Songhe Courtyard came into view, Shen Jixue gradually let her guard down.

Between the kitchen and Songhe Courtyard was a small ornamental garden.

Though modest in size, it was exquisitely designed, aligned with the principles of Yin-Yang and the Eight Trigrams.

It could gather spiritual energy, allowing flowers here to bloom earlier than elsewhere.

The flowers Shen Jixue had been gifting Lin Mozhi over the past few days came from this garden.

She never picked the eye-catching large flowers, only delicate and colorful small ones, arranging them into modest bouquets.

She’d then ask Luyi to place them in vases inside Lin Mozhi’s room.

Luyi initially refused, but when Shen Jixue said, “Even if one cannot see the spring scenery, smelling it feels like being in spring,” she paused briefly before agreeing.

When Lin Mozhi asked about the flowers, Luyi simply said she had picked them herself, never mentioning Shen Jixue.

Otherwise, the sentiment would be wasted.

In the previous days, to avoid Lin Moyu’s spies, Shen Jixue would sneak out at dawn to pick flowers.

Today, passing by the garden, she decided to pick some again.

She hadn’t noticed that while there were occasional passersby earlier, by the time she finished gathering flowers, the garden had fallen silent.

In the distance, a flash of crimson appeared.

Lin Moyu, accompanied by two or three maids, stood among the flowers, lowering her head to savor the scent of a peony with a satisfied smile.

“Meeting you is truly not easy.”

Lin Moyu’s tone was light, but her gaze was sharp.

She smiled and stepped towards Shen Jixue one deliberate step at a time.

“W-what do you want?”

Shen Jixue stepped back, intending to turn and run, but two robust old servant women appeared behind her, pressing her down to her knees on the spot.

The food from the lunchbox spilled across the ground, yet she still tightly clutched the bouquet of flowers in her hand.

Lin Moyu raised her chin slightly, and the old woman understood, snatching the bouquet from Shen Jixue’s hand and presenting it to Lin Moyu.

She raised her hand, flicking at the flowers that had been crushed and bent out of shape, curling her lip in disdain.

“What a wretched girl. Even the flowers she likes are such lowly mongrels.”

Shen Jixue caught the insinuation in her words, her eyes turning red as she struggled to rise.

“Give me back my flowers!”

Her frail shoulders were gripped so tightly by the strong servant women that it felt like they might shatter.

The pain brought tears to her eyes, yet she continued to struggle with all her might, desperately trying to reclaim the bouquet that others treated like discarded trash.

Lin Moyu’s smile faded.

She stared expressionlessly at Shen Jixue for a moment before suddenly grabbing the bouquet and tearing it apart, petal by petal.

Shen Jixue’s eyes turned red, her lips trembled, but she bit back her sobs and glared stubbornly at Lin Moyu.

“You’re a bad woman!”

Lin Moyu froze for a second, then her lips curled into a vicious smile.

She raised her hand and slapped Shen Jixue twice across the face, her head snapping to the side from the force.

Leaning down, Lin Moyu grabbed Shen Jixue’s swollen face, her voice dripping with malice.

“Say one more word, and I’ll tear your mouth apart.”

“You—you are a bad woman!”

Shen Jixue locked eyes with Lin Moyu, her large, clear eyes brimming with undisguised disgust.

Lin Moyu stared into those eyes—eyes that mirrored countless others who had once cursed and despised her.

A wave of malice surged within her, crashing like an unstoppable tide.

Her trembling fingertips brushed around Shen Jixue’s eyes, her touch filled with a twisted excitement, her voice nearly delirious.

“How about…I dig out your eyes and let you accompany your young master in the underworld? Wouldn’t that be nice?”