After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

The night grew cooler, and a cold wind began to blow.

The crescent moon hangs high, and the stars shine brightly.

With the Marquis and his son away on campaign, Jiang Zhiyu confined to her sickbed, and the old Marquis going to bed early, the Marquis's mansion was quiet at night, but undercurrents of murderous intent were brewing.

A cold wind swept fallen leaves across the bluestone steps, making a rustling sound.

A drop of night dew fell from the eaves into the stone jar.

Almost simultaneously, several dark figures drifted in like smoke and took up positions in various places.

The moment the central mechanism of the Star-Picking Tower was destroyed, the entire building emitted a groan like a dying beast.

The secret passages and mechanisms were opened, and pairs of scarlet, menacing eyes looked especially terrifying in the darkness.

A melodious zither tune echoed through the night sky, clear as a spring, yet it instantly drove all the poisoners into a frenzy.

They quickly surged into the secret passages, moving freely through the crisscrossing network of tunnels.

The Shadow Guards noticed the movement immediately and appeared to try to stop them. However, all the mechanisms in the secret passage had malfunctioned, and the perfect environment for the Shadow Guards had vanished. What they were about to face was a poisonous person who was mindless, felt no pain, and feared no one and nothing.

Even though they received rigorous training from a young age, they were still living people, and how could they be compared to the dead?

Fang Xiaoran clearly sensed the movements of the poisonous people from the pulsating Gu spirit. She slightly curled her lips, and her fingers moved more and more rapidly. The music changed, and the poisonous people became more and more ferocious. Their scarlet eyes were like those of ferocious beasts, and they attacked anyone who approached them without restraint.

As the music ended, Fang Xiaoran stood up and quickly disappeared into the night sky, followed by several dark figures.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the island in the middle of the lake. It was unusually quiet, with only the faint candlelight shining through the island.

Fang Xiaoran knew that Shang Lingzhu must be there.

She reached the shore, touched the ground with her toes, and leaped into the air. The night wind swept across her face, and the stray hairs on her forehead fluttered in the wind. Her eyes were sharp and piercing, filled with murderous intent.

The moment she landed on the island, she quickly scanned her surroundings to make sure she couldn't sense anyone, then rushed into the depths of the bamboo forest at top speed.

The bamboo grove was quiet and deserted, not a soul in sight, not even the maids who usually came and went; they must be asleep at this hour.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the pavilion. Lanterns hanging in the long corridor swayed in the wind, and a faint fragrance permeated the air.

The flowers are in full bloom, and the chirping of insects is particularly clear under the quiet night sky.

Fang Xiaoran quickened her pace, stepping on the fallen leaves. With a flick of the wind, she disappeared into the long corridor. The door to the room at the end was wide open, and the room was brightly lit.

"You've come." A soft voice drifted slowly from the room, like a feather brushing past, yet like a heavy stone falling into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

Fang Xiaoran suddenly looked up and saw Shang Lingzhu leaning against the chaise lounge, the candlelight falling on the jade pot in her hand, the aroma of wine filling the air, intoxicating all who beheld it.

"Since you're here, why not have a drink with me?" She waved gently, a faint smile in her eyes, completely devoid of any murderous intent or sense of danger.

There was no one else around, at least Fang Xiaoran didn't sense it.

Faced with Shang Lingzhu's invitation, Fang Xiaoran walked towards her calmly, her eyes filled with undisguised coldness. "You and Mother are best friends. She came to Yancheng alone from Lingnan. She met you at a tea party and they hit it off immediately. She regards you as the person she trusts the most."

Fang Xiaoran spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice trembling.

“She and I are still good friends. As my friend’s daughter and my daughter-in-law, you are different from others. You just need to live out the rest of your life quietly, and no one can touch you.”

"Are you really comfortable with me staying by your side?" Fang Xiaoran narrowed her eyes, a smile hidden in them.

Shang Lingzhu smiled slightly, "What can you do? Your mother was manipulated by me, so you are no exception."

"So, you really did kill Mother?"

Having come this far, the two had no choice but to break off all pretense of civility. Since Fang Xiaoran had decided to take action, she had not considered any way out.

Shang Lingzhu didn't answer, but picked up the wine pot and drank it down in one gulp. The wine slid down her chin, gleaming coldly in the moonlight. She casually wiped away the wine stains, her smile chilling: "Bai Qiqi, she deserves to die. She touched someone she shouldn't have. I have no reason to keep her alive."

"Just because of jealousy, you killed your own friend, Shang Lingzhu. You are truly a viper!" Fang Xiaoran stared at the man in disbelief, her eyes red.

To be honest, she had never truly understood Shang Lingzhu. Judging from appearances alone, she felt like she was seeing things through a fog. Perhaps her mother had also never seen through her, which was why she ended up in such a state.

"Jealousy?" Shang Lingzhu's smile deepened, and she looked like a beautiful ghost from hell, stunningly beautiful yet extremely dangerous. She said, "That's only one aspect. I won't give away anything I own."

"For the position of Holy Maiden, for the 'Secret Scripture of Ten Thousand Gu'?"

"Two tigers cannot share one mountain. When I learned that she was also a saintess, I was saddened, but I was also excited. She and I are both friends and mortal enemies, which proves that the fate between us is unparalleled."

"You're a madman! You're absolutely insane! The so-called saintess was never a concern of Mother. She never interfered in the affairs of the Yan clan either. Yet you killed her simply because of this so-called competition and jealousy."

Fang Xiaoran's eyes reddened, her fingertips dug deeply into her palms, blood dripping from between her fingers onto the ground, yet she felt no pain at all. "You said that two tigers cannot share one mountain, then I will take the position of Holy Maiden!"

"You?" Shang Lingzhu smiled. "You're a bit better than your mother, so I'll play along with you."

As soon as she finished speaking, she dropped the jade bottle in her hand, spilling the scarlet wine all over the ground, along with a faint smell of blood.

Blood wine? She actually fed the Gu poison with her own body.

"I haven't used the 'Secret Scripture of Ten Thousand Gu' before. Today is a good day to try it out. I've heard that the Gu Spirit Secret Technique of the Yan Clan is quite extraordinary. This will allow me to see for myself whether the Gu Spirit Secret Technique is more interesting or the 'Secret Scripture of Ten Thousand Gu' is more vicious."

The bamboo forest swayed without wind, and insects chirped incessantly. Silver-purple Gu worms emerged continuously from her sleeves. Fang Xiaoran's eyes darkened, and a silver light gradually emanated from her body.

At the same time, Silver Crane had already begun to move, plunging one foot deep into the secret passage.

Chu Qi and his group also surrounded the island in the middle of the lake, keeping a close watch on the outside world.

The night wind suddenly stopped, and the bamboo forest was deathly silent.

Fang Xiaoran and Shang Lingzhu met each other's gazes, but one sat calmly while the other stood there with icy eyes.

The two types of Gu techniques intertwined and entangled incessantly, like thousands of visible threads colliding with each other; this was in fact a battle between Gu worms.

The Gu clan raises Gu insects by placing them in jars and letting them fight each other. The one that survives is the true "Gu".

At this moment, the battle between Fang Xiaoran and Shang Lingzhu was like two giant "human-shaped Gu urns". Every drop of their blood and every breath they had was driving the thousands of Gu worms they were raising to fight each other!

As the two clashed, Shang Lingzhu remained composed. She chuckled and said, "Did you use poison to infiltrate Millennium Tower to distract me?"

"No, it's just to rescue people."

"He is as kind-hearted as ever, but what good is it if those shadow guards regain their freedom? Once the Gu worms inside them erupt, they will only die."

"Since you are the master of Millennium Tower, I don't believe you would let the Shadow Guards die suddenly. They are the sharpest hidden weapons in Emperor Zhao's hands."

"When the monarch changes, so does the Millennium Building. You seem to know quite a lot. You should know that the dead are the best at keeping secrets."

The Gu technique between the two erupted once more. Fang Xiaoran's fingertips trembled slightly in her sleeve, and a drop of blood silently slid down.

Shang Lingzhu smiled sinisterly, then suddenly flipped her palm, causing the ground to explode. Countless golden silkworm gu burst out of the ground, forming an airtight cage in mid-air that completely trapped Fang Xiaoran.

Each golden silkworm shimmered with an eerie golden light, and poisonous mist filled the air as its mouthparts opened and closed.

All around were the sounds of Gu worms flapping their wings. Fang Xiaoran could even sense the Gu worms hidden in the shadows. This island in the middle of the lake was actually a giant Gu urn, where Gu worms fought each other, and the strongest Gu worms survived.

Fang Xiaoran was instantly surrounded by Gu worms, like an impenetrable wall, with no chance of escape.

This surprised Fang Xiaoran. Even if her Gu Spirit Secret Technique was powerful, facing so many Gu worms would be extremely taxing on her, and the Gu Spirit Secret Technique would also deplete her lifespan, which was extremely disadvantageous for her.

After several exchanges, Fang Xiaoran's breathing gradually became rapid, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

The situation seemed dire; she could no longer hold back.

Thinking of this, Fang Xiaoran's eyes turned cold, and crimson blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. The Gu spirit began to stir. She could clearly feel her body rapidly weakening, but even so, she was determined to fight.

Shang Lingzhu seemed to see what she was going to do, but she didn't care. She just smiled and the Gu worms' attacks became more and more fierce. Fang Xiaoran was a little overwhelmed, but the Gu spirit was fully unleashed.

“Not enough. Your amount of Gu is not enough.” Shang Lingzhu shook her head slightly, slowly stood up, and her light gaze fell on Fang Xiaoran.

Fang Xiaoran's breathing became increasingly rapid, and the Gu threads on her fingertips were stained dark red. She gritted her teeth and suddenly slashed her wrist with her other hand.

Feeding the Gu spirit with one's own blood and essence is an extremely dangerous method, but it may be worth trying for now.

The sound of the Gu worms colliding was like a torrential downpour. Two completely different Gu poisons intertwined in the air, causing the surrounding bamboo forest to wither and decay at a visible speed.

Tiny beads of blood seeped from Fang Xiaoran's seven orifices. The backlash from forcibly feeding the Gu spirit with her blood was far beyond her imagination. She could feel her internal organs being torn apart by some kind of force.

She clutched her chest, her gaze turning icy as she looked at Shang Lingzhu. Seeing her like this, Shang Lingzhu chuckled and said, "Are you planning to feed yourself to the Gu worms? Interesting, but I won't let you have your way."

As she was about to make her move, a flute melody suddenly pierced the air, actually affecting the performance of the two Gu worms, especially her Golden Silkworm, which was visibly weakening.

Seeing this, Shang Lingzhu's eyes darkened, and she suddenly glanced into the depths of the bamboo forest. Fang Xiaoran also subconsciously turned around.

A tall, slender figure appeared, stepping through the bamboo shadows. As his robes fluttered, the moonlight bathed him in a silvery glow. He held a jade flute in his hand, with a dark red tassel tied to the end, swaying gently in the wind.

It's him, Gu Yuqing!