Chapter 53: Chapter 6: The Truth Emerges

Manager Yan’s face was pale, with cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

The pain he had just suffered felt like a thousand arrows piercing his heart, almost taking his life.

“I really don’t know, I was just following orders,” Manager Yan gritted his teeth and said.

“Is that so?” Shen Ruoxi’s eyes were as cold as ice. “How did it feel just now?”

Manager Yan’s heart trembled, but he still gritted his teeth and remained silent.

“You’re quite stubborn,” Shen Ruoxi sneered, taking three slender silver needles from her sleeve. “But you should know what kind of person my master is. The pain you felt was just the beginning; the suffering to come is something you’ll never want to experience again in your life. Are you really not going to talk?”

Manager Yan’s face turned even paler, yet he still maintained his silence.

“No one can withstand the pain of my three needles,” Shen Ruoxi’s lips curled into a cold smile. “I want to see if it’s your stubbornness or my ’Heartless Three-step Needle’ that’s more formidable!”

Shen Ruoxi’s mouth formed a cruel arc as she decisively stabbed the silver needle in her hand.

Manager Yan let out a piercing scream, the sound exceptionally sharp in the silent night.

His eyes opened wide, his body shook violently, his teeth chattered, and his face turned as white as paper, covered in cold sweat as if he had been pulled from water.

Holding the silver needle, Shen Ruoxi stood steadily, her gaze coldly fixed on Manager Yan, her voice icy and resolute: “How does it feel? My silver needle hasn’t even gone all the way in yet. Tell me, who exactly ordered you to take their blood? And what is the purpose?”

Manager Yan gasped, his face twisted like a specter, but he clenched his teeth and said nothing.

Shen Ruoxi’s lips curled even colder as she plunged the silver needle in again.

Manager Yan’s screams became more miserable, his voice breaking, barely recognizable from its original tone.

His face twisted into a terrifying grimace, blood streaming from his mouth, drowning the air in his wails.

Finally, unable to endure the heart-wrenching pain, he roared, “I’ll talk, I’ll talk!”

The six subordinates present and the victims inside the room all felt a chill run down their spines.

This elegant owner, despite her breathtaking appearance, was so ruthless and harsh, in stark contrast to her allure.

“Speak!” Shen Ruoxi’s voice was icy and firm, her silver needle still firmly embedded in Manager Yan’s body.

Manager Yan glanced at the silver needle trembling all over. He was silent for a moment before speaking hoarsely, “It’s the Sect Hierarch of the Demon Sect in West City Country, Xing Tian.

He fled to the Capital City severely injured from an internal power struggle within the sect.

His martial arts training requires Yin Yang Replenishment, but due to his severe injuries, he couldn’t achieve it.

So every seven days, he has to take the blood of twelve men and twelve women to make the Great Replenishing Pill in order to gradually recover his martial arts.”

Shen Ruoxi’s gaze grew even colder. “Where is he?”

Manager Yan shook his head bitterly, “Anyway, I’ve told you this much, so I’m as good as dead. I’ll tell you everything I know, but the Hierarch’s whereabouts are elusive; I really don’t know where he is.”

“Who was the person you met earlier? Where is he?” Shen Ruoxi continued to interrogate.

Manager Yan replied, “His name is Yun Heng, originally an insignificant figure in the Demon Sect. But because he risked his life to save the Hierarch, he was promoted to the first seat. I also don’t know where he is; he always finds me.”

“What if you have an emergency and need to find him?”

“I would leave a mark under the willow tree at the entrance of the market.”

Shen Ruoxi thought for a moment, “And you? What’s your role in the Demon Sect? What about these six?”

“I’m not one of the Demon Sect; I’m from Yongzhao.”

Shen Ruoxi knew well about Yongzhao; most of the managers in the mansion brought in by Old Mrs. Xu were from Yongzhao.

“How did you become involved with the Demon Sect?”

“We were originally from the Fanglan Pavilion,” Manager Yan said with his head lowered.

Shen Ruoxi was stunned, “What did you say?”

“I was the lover of our master. As I aged and lost favor, I was sent to watch over the distillery.

It was just last year that the master instructed me to do this, and as you know, I could only obey.”

Shen Ruoxi was truly shocked.

Fanglan Pavilion was a martial world faction, and its master, Lan Fen’er, was renowned in her youth for her beauty. Apart from her, the pavilion consisted of handsome young men who were all her lovers.

Everyone knew of her affairs. It turns out she also came to the Capital City and got involved with the Demon Sect’s Hierarch.

“Where is she now?”

Manager Yan paused, then suddenly lowered his voice, “Come closer, and I’ll tell you.”

Shen Ruoxi leaned in, and Manager Yan whispered, “She’s actually your Shen Mansion’s Old Mrs. Xu.”

Shen Ruoxi’s eyes widened in disbelief, “What did you say?”

“Everything I said is true. I’m as good as dead anyway.”

“She’s a fake?”

Only by pretending to be Old Mrs. Xu could she pull it off.

“Real, my master’s true identity is the daughter of Hanlin Xu. However, when they had twin daughters back then, it was considered inauspicious to keep both, so she was abandoned.

The Golden Eagle Castle’s lord found and adopted her, but as she grew, her foster parents forbade her to marry a bandit. Hurt, she ran off with him.

Soon abandoned by him, she started Fanglan Pavilion, taking many lovers.

Her reputation was tarnished, and many disapproved. Sixteen years ago, Fanglan Pavilion was severely attacked, and we lay low.

Unexpectedly, Hanlin Xu found her, saying his daughter was gravely ill, and asked her to return home.

With nowhere to go, the master returned to the Capital City.

Soon, after her sister’s death, without their parents’ notice, she assumed her sister’s identity and married into your Shen Family.

With the Old Marquis and your father alive, she dared not act. Only after their deaths did she gradually entrust Shen Family’s businesses to her former lovers. Now, it’s almost like what was Shen Family’s is now my master’s.

As for them, they’re sons of commoners in the Capital City, coerced into doing this.”

As Shen Ruoxi listened to this terrifying truth, her heart filled with dread.

So, everything stemmed from Old Mrs. Xu’s collusion with the Demon Sect, explaining why the Shen Mansion became a den of wolves.

“What about those deceased people?” Shen Ruoxi’s voice was icy.

Manager Yan trembled slightly as he answered, “Those three men were killed, exactly as you asked about.

We have already compensated for their deaths accordingly.

As for those women, because they were courtesans, no one cares for them. Six have already died and were hastily buried in the backyard garden.”

Shen Ruoxi closed her eyes, her heart aflame with anger, her eyes momentarily glowing red. These people are worse than beasts!

“Give me the signal to contact Yun Heng,” Shen Ruoxi ordered.

Without hesitation, Manager Yan handed over the signal.

Shen Ruoxi knew that this person must be aware of Xing Tian’s whereabouts, and she vowed to eradicate Xing Tian herself.

Afterward, Shen Ruoxi imprisoned Manager Yan and his subordinates there and left the victims from the darkness with them.

There were still several thousand taels of silver left in the accounts room, and Shen Ruoxi unhesitatingly distributed it all to the victims.

The men wept with gratitude, thanking her profoundly as they headed home.

Yet, the women found themselves in a dilemma, having nowhere to go.

Shen Ruoxi knew she couldn’t take them back to the Shen Family. That would alert Old Mrs. Xu, making it harder to bring her to justice.

As Shen Ruoxi pondered in frustration, she heard the sound of qinggong cutting through the air, her eyes darkened, and she instantly became vigilant.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep