Chapter 135: The Fool

Ji Chuxue’s gaze sharpened when she realized that it was Wu Qianqian’s communication jade tablet. Her heart sank.

“Our fifth junior sister… I’m afraid she may be in grave danger!”

The others fell silent at once…

Just then, Lin Qi spoke up, his tone filled with certainty. “Don’t worry. Qianqian is still alive.”

Jiang Yan asked, “Master, can you tell fortunes?”

“A little…”

Hearing their master say this, Jiang Yan grew even more curious.

How much was “a little”?

A little could also mean an awful lot, couldn’t it?

Could it be that their venerable master was quietly concealing his true strength?

Lin Qi suddenly asked, “What has everyone discovered?”

Jiang Yan immediately reported his observations. “Master, these corpses have not yet completely decomposed. Their skin has turned bluish-purple, and even their bones show a strange green hue. They must have undergone some kind of special treatment…”

Ji Chuxue promptly added, “Moreover, most of the corpses here are female. Their abdomens are unusually swollen—clearly, they were all heavily pregnant women.”

Lin Qi nodded. “It seems the secret hidden within Longevity Village is far more complicated than we imagined…”

…

Deep within the dense forest not far from Longevity Village stood a humble wooden cabin.

Inside, a man dressed in blue was busily brewing medicinal soup in the kitchen.

He fed logs into the fire one by one, occasionally fanning the flames to keep the heat steady.

The wooden cabin consisted of only a single room. On the small bed within it lay a woman.

Her dress was soaked through, and her hair was disheveled.

Her eyes were tightly shut, her brows deeply furrowed, as though she had fallen into a terrifying nightmare.

The woman was none other than Wu Qianqian.

Creak—

The man gently pushed open the cabin door. Carrying a steaming bowl of medicinal soup, he carefully made his way to the bedside.

His gaze fell upon Wu Qianqian, who lay there in such a wretched state. His voice was hoarse as he tried to call out to her.

“Miss… wake… up…”

He added silently to himself: If she doesn’t change her clothes soon, she’ll fall ill…

Wu Qianqian’s brows drew together slightly, as though she were responding to his call.

“Miss… please… wake up…”

The man’s voice sounded once more.

At that moment, Wu Qianqian was still trapped deep within her nightmare.

In the dream, she remained imprisoned inside a great vat filled with green liquid. Her body could not move, and her heart was as cold and lifeless as ashes.

Yet she seemed to hear someone calling to her.

Wake up?

Could this be a dream?

But why could she not escape from the vat? Why could she never wake up, no matter how hard she tried?

Why…

Why was this happening?

Several tears slipped involuntarily from the corners of Wu Qianqian’s eyes.

Seeing her tears, the man hurriedly picked up a towel and wiped them away.

Though his voice was hoarse, every word was filled with comfort.

“It’s… all right… You’re… safe…”

Those words were like the first light of dawn, dispelling the darkness of Wu Qianqian’s dream. Her brows gradually relaxed, and the tension in her expression slowly eased.

At last, her eyelashes trembled faintly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

She turned her head and saw a man whose skin was bluish-purple. His bangs hung down over his face, nearly concealing half of it.

“Ah… who… who are you?”

Wu Qianqian’s voice was weak and trembling. She tried to sit up, but her strength failed her, and she fell back onto the bed.

The man hurriedly stammered in reassurance, “Don’t… don’t be afraid. I… I won’t… hurt… you.”

Then he introduced himself.

“I… I’m… A-Dai.”

A-Dai’s clumsy manner made Wu Qianqian feel a trace of amusement, and her wariness eased somewhat.

“A-Dai? That name suits you rather well,” she replied softly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “Were you the one who saved me?”