The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

In the dungeon, the smell of blood seemed even stronger than before, lingering for a long time in the damp, cold air. Cen Jiexiao, holding a dim oil lamp, appeared at the dungeon entrance, her slender figure. The dim light shone on her pale face, making it look even more haggard, as if a gust of wind could blow it down.

"Lord Cen, why are you here?" The two guards guarding the dungeon were startled when they saw Cen Jiexiao. They quickly put down the halberds in their hands and bowed, with a hint of surprise and worry in their tone.

Cen Jiexiao ignored the guards' surprise and said lightly: "I'm fine, I came to see you." Her voice sounded calm, but if you listened carefully, you could hear a hint of fatigue and heaviness that was hard to conceal.

After saying this, she took the lantern and walked straight into the depths of the dungeon. The dim light cast a long shadow behind her, swaying with her footsteps, as if it were a ghost wandering in the dungeon.

"Lord Cen, this dungeon is dark and damp, you'd better not go in." Seeing this, one of the guards hurriedly stepped forward and tried to dissuade Cen Jiexiao.

"Yes, Lord Cen, your health is precious. It would be disastrous if you were to catch some disease." Another guard echoed, "If there's anything you need, just tell us to do it."

Cen Jiexiao paused, turned to look at the two guards, her eyes cold and her tone indifferent: "This is my duty, how can I retreat?"

The two guards were frightened by Cen Jiexiao's gaze and dared not say anything more. They could only bow their heads and agree.

"Dean, please slow down and be careful with your steps." Xiaozhi followed closely behind Cen Jiexiao, carefully supporting her and reminding her in a low voice.

Cen Jiexiao didn't say anything, just nodded gently and continued walking forward. In the dungeon, the damp air was mixed with the nauseating smell of blood and decay. Every step she took seemed to step on the tip of Cen Jiexiao's heart, heavy and oppressive.

"Dean, this dungeon is eerie and scary. You'd better not go in. Just tell me if you need anything." Xiaozhi couldn't help but persuade her again as he saw Cen Jiexiao's face was getting paler and paler.

Cen Jiexiao stopped and glanced at the corpses lying all over the dungeon. There was a strange fear on everyone's face, as if they had seen something terrible before dying.

"Where is Yu Lan?" Cen Jiexiao retracted her gaze, walked to one of the corpses, squatted down, examined it carefully, and frowned slightly.

"Director, Miss Yu Lan is examining the body inside, trying to find traces of the murderer." Xiao Zhi replied in a low voice, "Director, do you really want to go in? This dungeon..."

Cen Jiexiao did not answer, but gently pushed Xiaozhi's hand away and walked straight into the depths of the dungeon.

Cen Jiexiao felt as if her heart skipped a beat. A chill rose from the soles of her feet, crawled up her spine, and rushed to the top of her head, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. The dungeon was cold and damp, but this chill seemed to come from the depths of her soul, making her feel as if she were falling into an icy cave. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat, telling herself to stay calm, to be composed. Step by step, she walked towards the end of the dungeon, each step feeling like it was treading on her own heartbeat, heavy and slow. The faint firelight cast flickering shadows in the dungeon, distorting everything into bizarre shapes. In the darkest part of the shadow, a thin corpse curled up, lying lifeless like a discarded rag doll.

"This is..." Cen Jiexiao's voice was trembling. She tried her best to control herself so that her voice would not sound so panicked. "The last survivor?"

"Yes." Yu Lan lowered her head, concentrating on examining the body on the ground. There was a hint of regret and helplessness in her tone. "It's a pity that he was silenced before I could ask anything."

"Silence?" Cen Jiexiao repeated these two words, as if chewing a bitter pill that was hard to swallow. "You mean, someone killed someone to silence them?"

"Yes." Yu Lan stood up, frowning, as if she had encountered some problem. "Look..." She pointed to the neck of the corpse, where there was a silver needle as thin as an ox hair. If you didn't look carefully, it would be almost imperceptible.

"What kind of poison is this?" Cen Jiexiao's heart was in her throat, and an ominous premonition came to her mind.

"This poison..." Yu Lan hesitated, as if considering something, "It's very strange."

"Strange?" Cen Jiexiao's heart beat faster. "Why is it strange?"

"It's extremely poisonous, killing instantly upon contact with blood," Yu Lan said after taking a deep breath, "and..."

"And what?" Cen Jiexiao's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Yu Lan's face showed a solemn expression, and she lowered her voice and said, "And the incubation period is so long. This poison seems to be very similar to a poison in the Imperial Palace."

"What!" Cen Jiexiao felt a bang in her head, as if something had exploded. Countless thoughts raced through her mind. Could this matter be related to the palace? Who was behind this?

"I can't be sure yet," Yu Lan interrupted her thoughts, "but I've already sent people to investigate. Also, the people from Pujitang are helping with the tests, so I'm sure there will be results soon."

Cen Jiexiao remained silent, standing silently, her gaze fixed on the corpse's twisted face, which seemed to silently reveal the fear and struggle before death. A huge rock seemed to weigh down her heart, making it difficult for her to breathe, and an inexplicable unease spread through her. Then, she noticed something between the corpse's fingers, and carefully pried open his hand, revealing a delicate jade pendant. "This is..."

"This poison is called 'Bi Luo Huang Quan'. It is extremely toxic and kills instantly on contact with blood." A deep voice came from behind Cen Jiexiao, carrying a hint of chill, which seemed particularly chilling in this gloomy dungeon.

Cen Jiexiao turned sharply and saw a man in black standing behind her. His face was stern, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He seemed to blend seamlessly into the gloomy dungeon. If he hadn't spoken, Cen Jiexiao would have barely noticed him. The man used his dagger to pick up a bit of black powder from the assassin's mouth, brought it to his nose, and sniffed. A faint scent of bitter almonds filled his nostrils. "This poison is extremely rare, only found in the inner court of the imperial palace."

"Lu Qingyun..." Cen Jiexiao called out vigilantly.

She walked around Lu Qingyun, squatted down, and carefully observed the assassins who had already fallen silent. Their limbs were stiff, as if they were stone sculptures frozen in the moment of death.