Li Siyuan!

Xuanjing Tian did not even know how she had fallen asleep.

When she awoke, she found herself lying on the bed, covered by a thin quilt, yet the bedding underneath was in complete disarray.

Xuanjing Tian scrambled up in a hurry, only to realize this was Zhu Youning's bed. Zhu Youning was nowhere to be seen, and standing beside her was Miaocheng Tian.

"Sister, why are you here?"

"I came in this morning to wake you, but you wouldn't stir. It is already noon; you cannot keep sleeping like this."

"It's already noon?"

Xuanjing Tian could not help but frown. As she recalled the events, she felt as though she had been in a dream, sitting there in a daze for a while.

Miaocheng Tian reached out to pull back a corner of the quilt, frowning as she said, "Get up quickly, this blanket needs to be changed. That Zhu Youning... he didn't do anything to you last night, did he?"

The moment the words left her lips, Miaocheng Tian regretted them, for the stains on the blanket told the whole story.

It certainly did not look like nothing had happened.

At this moment, Xuanjing Tian recalled the events of the previous night, her mind a whirlwind of complex emotions: resentment, unwillingness, helplessness, and even a lingering sense of aftertaste.

Shaking off the chaotic thoughts in her mind, Xuanjing Tian put on her clothes and tidied herself up, though she felt only soreness in her waist and back, her legs trembling as if her body had been completely hollowed out. She sat on a stool and said to Miaocheng Tian, "Sister, go tell someone to boil some water. I need to bathe and change."

Miaocheng Tian nodded and walked out of the room to instruct the others to heat the water.

A while later.

Miaocheng Tian looked at Xuanjing Tian, who appeared slightly weary after washing and dressing, and for a moment, she did not know what to say, eventually offering, "Little sister, you have suffered."

"It is nothing."

Xuanjing Tian remained silent for a moment before changing the subject. "Sister, did you discover anything yesterday?"

Miaocheng Tian nodded and said, "I discreetly questioned the servants and guards yesterday. I found that they do not have a deep impression of Zhu Youning, as he seems to dislike interacting with others. He spends most of his time alone in his room, and if there is anything to be done, he simply instructs his deputy, Wu Yi, to handle it."

Xuanjing Tian speculated, "Staying in his room alone—could he be plotting something?"

With that, she scanned her surroundings, preparing to get up and search the place. After all, this was Zhu Youning's room.

"Don't bother looking. I searched it this morning; there is nothing unusual."

Miaocheng Tian pressed Xuanjing Tian back down onto the stool, wanting her to get some proper rest. Afterward, Miaocheng Tian added, "Besides that, I discovered that Zhu Youning has been purchasing large quantities of medicinal herbs lately. This isn't inexplicable, given that he was injured not long ago. What is strange, however, is that after the large shipments of herbs are delivered to the manor, they mysteriously vanish into thin air. I suspect there is a secret chamber in Zhu Youning's residence."

"But if there is a secret chamber, why would he use it to store medicinal herbs?"

"That is something we will have to investigate ourselves."

Jin State, outside Taiyuan City, Tongwen Hall headquarters.

Hidden deep within a lush, dense forest lies a mysterious place.

Buildings stand in orderly rows here, and at the center lies a massive pit nearly ten meters deep, crawling with thousands of venomous snakes and littered with the horrifying, bleached bones left behind by their feast.

The continuous hissing of the snakes as they flicked their tongues was enough to chill one's blood.

At the edge of the pit, three Tongwen Hall disciples, draped in white robes and wearing peculiar masks, knelt on the ground.

The target of their obeisance was a refined, middle-aged man in white robes wearing a high crown.

This man possessed a unique appearance: his earlobes hung to his shoulders, his face was square and broad, and his demeanor was composed and unhurried. He carried an air of gentleness and courtesy, much like the benevolent and righteous Emperor Zhaolie, Liu Bei, of the Three Kingdoms period.

But one should not judge a book by its cover; to assume this man was truly benevolent and righteous based on his appearance alone would be a grave mistake.

For he was none other than the current Holy Lord of Tongwen Hall, the adopted son of the Prince of Jin, Li Keyong, and the leader of the Thirteen Taibao of the Jin State: Li Siyuan.

As an assassination organization specifically cultivated by the Jin State, Tongwen Hall, despite its habit of "courtesy before force," was ultimately a terrifying group of killers. Its leader could never be a man of true benevolence.

At this moment, Li Siyuan gently waved his exquisite Wen-Cultivating Fan, which featured a "Wen" character mark woven from a hundred flowers, listening to his subordinate's report with unhurried composure.

"You are saying that the Ninth and Tenth have gone missing?"

The disciple kneeling at the front cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to the Holy Lord, the masters of the Loyal Sect and the Filial Sect have vanished without a trace after departing for Luoyang. My subordinates have searched with all their might for three days and three nights, but have found nothing."

Li Siyuan swept a glance at the disciple, his eyes devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Then, he extended his right hand and gripped the empty air, a burst of blue-white true energy erupting from his palm.

At that instant, the Tongwen Hall disciple felt as if an invisible giant hand had seized his throat, lifting him into the air as he struggled violently.

"Incompetent, and you have the nerve to return?"

Killing intent flickered in Li Siyuan's eyes. He gave a light push into the void with his right hand, and the disciple felt an invisible force strike him.

The force was immense, pushing the disciple directly into the deep pit.

For a moment, the sound of hissing snakes filled the pit.

The disciple let out one blood-curdling scream before falling silent forever.

The remaining two disciples were so terrified they trembled, keeping their heads bowed low.

They were drenched in cold sweat, which had even soaked through the white masks they wore.

Watching the gruesome scene of the snakes feeding below, Li Siyuan shook his head gently, clicking his tongue in a sigh, adopting the posture of one who feels compassion for the world.

"I did not wish for this, but Tongwen Hall has its rules. Failure to perform one's duty must be punished. Wouldn't you agree?"

The remaining two Tongwen Hall disciples dared not say a word, kowtowing repeatedly as they stammered, "The Holy Lord is right! The Holy Lord is right!"

Li Siyuan nodded slightly, looking at the two Tongwen Hall disciples with satisfaction, though his eyes remained chillingly cold. "I will give you another half-month. If you cannot find the two sect leaders, there will be no need for you to return."

"Yes!"

Having received a satisfactory answer, Li Siyuan waved his hand dismissively. Only after the two disciples had bowed and retreated with extreme caution did he allow a look of melancholy and vexation to cross his face.

The disappearance of Li Cunzhong and Li Cunxiao had truly left Li Siyuan feeling restless and agitated.

This was because his foster father, the Prince of Jin, Li Keyong, was particularly fond of his tenth son, Li Cunxiao.

If Li Cunxiao's whereabouts remained unknown by the time Li Keyong emerged from seclusion to hold him accountable, he, as the Holy Lord of Tongwen Hall, would find it impossible to shirk the blame.