After confirming she showed no signs of life, the Crimson Powder Bride raised a hand without hesitation and summoned a flickering green flame.
The flame fell upon the corpse. In the blink of an eye, it burned the maid's body to ash.
Next, the Crimson Powder Bride pointed a finger. A gust of wind sprang up from nowhere, swept the ashes into the air, and carried them away with a roar. In an instant, they scattered into the void, mingled with dust and ash, leaving no trace behind.
Looking at the empty ground, the Crimson Powder Bride nodded with satisfaction.
She couldn't kill her target at night, but she could do it by day!
After dealing with the maid, she didn't even glance at the food on the table. Now that she had cultivation, she no longer needed mortal food to sustain herself.
Lifting the beaded curtain, she entered the inner chamber.
The Crimson Powder Bride took off her tattered skirt, stained with blood and grime. Then she opened a cabinet and searched through it. Among the colorful finery, she spotted a crimson jacket and skirt patterned with gold flowers. It looked much like her original wedding dress, so she reached for it without hesitation.
Just then, an unfamiliar memory surfaced.
In the lovely light of spring, she stood by a window in a courtyard with a maid, slowly unfurling a length of fabric bright as blood and lustrous as jade.
At her side stood a matron with indistinct features, chattering away. "...The caravan brought it back from a distant land. I heard it was originally a tribute for the court. The head of the imperial workshop took a bribe and secretly brought out a little of it, and we bought it all. If you ask me, our young mistress