Chapter 228 Where Things Deviate, There Must Be a Demon

Su Hewan didn’t respond immediately. Her mind kept replaying every detail from the daytime interrogation of Xiao Yun Zhen.

Suddenly, her pupils constricted sharply.

“Qingqing!”

Su Hewan grabbed Yu Qing’s wrist with such force that Yu Qing cried out in surprise.

“Do you remember what Xiao Yun Zhen said—aside from asking for gold, silver, and jewels, the immortal doctor also demanded something else as payment?”

Yu Qing froze for a moment, her mind racing to recall the chaotic scene from earlier that day.

After a moment, she remembered.

“He said… that immortal doctor asked for the Crown Princess’s blood!”

As soon as she spoke, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet to freezing.

A chilling sensation crawled up their spines, straight to the top of their heads.

Asking for money was understandable, asking for rare treasures could be rationalized.

But why would someone claiming to be an immortal doctor want the blood of a patient suffering from depression?

Su Hewan’s heart began to pound uncontrollably.

She took several deep breaths before finally managing to steady her voice.

This bizarre demand completely changed the nature of the case.

“This goes far beyond ordinary murder for wealth!”

“In ancient records, blood is often associated with sacrifices, curses, or some extremely evil experiment!”

As a history major, Su Hewan’s mind immediately conjured countless ancient witchcraft and sorcery techniques.

Terrified, Yu Qing clutched Su Hewan’s arm, tears threatening to spill.

“Help! How did this go from a palace intrigue drama to a horror story in a second?!”

The two of them spent the night in endless panic and speculation, barely sleeping a wink.

The next morning…

The four of them gathered again in the inn’s first-floor hall.

Both Su Hewan and Yu Qing had deep dark circles under their eyes.

No sooner had they sat down than Su Hewan eagerly laid out the discoveries and deductions from the previous night.

“A vial of blood?” Lu Yan’s hand froze on his teacup, his sharp brows knitting into a tight knot.

Shen Jue, who had been lazily leaning back in his chair, sat upright instantly upon hearing this.

The eyes that usually held a faintly mocking smile now swirled with a dark storm that made hearts race.

“If that’s the case, Wanwan’s speculation might very well be true.”

Shen Jue’s voice was no longer gentle; it carried a coldness as if from the depths of the nine hells.

“In the secret archives of the Eastern Bureau, I’ve seen certain confidential records from the previous dynasty in Southern Territories.”

“Some deranged witch-doctors, in pursuit of immortality or in crafting mind-controlling poisons…”

He paused, scanning the three serious faces at the table.

“They would use the blood of people with special fates, or those fed specific medicines, as the key ingredient for their potions!”

“Absolutely insane!” Lu Yan slammed his palm onto the table.

“To think that in this vast, righteous world, there are people daring to commit such demonic acts!”

As a close minister to the emperor, Lu Yan despised these sorceries that treated human lives like nothing and played tricks with the supernatural.

Yu Qing shrank her neck and swallowed hard.

This is like the ancient version of a biohazard human experiment…

Su Hewan’s expression was grim, yet she maintained absolute rationality.

“If that’s really the case, then our previous deductions hold.”

“Shennong Valley used the hallucination pollen to control the Crown Princess, fabricating her apparent suicide to force the Zhen Nan Prince’s Mansion to comply.”

“And their true objective is very likely to exploit Southern Territory’s geography to carry out some vast, hidden, and evil plan!”

“The Crown Princess’s blood is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Su Hewan lifted her head, her gaze blazing as she looked at Shen Jue and Lu Yan.

“We must find that Medicine Man Valley, whether it’s to complete the task assigned by the Empress Dowager or to stop this disaster that could sweep across the world!”

Shen Jue let out a cold snort, killing intent flashing in his eyes.

“In my life, I hate more than anything when someone tries to act mystical in front of our family.”

“This Medicine Man Valley… it seems we’re going, no doubt about it!”

With their target set, the four of them wasted no time and immediately began preparations to venture into the Ten-Thousand Mountains of the Southern Borders.

Poisonous insects, miasmas, thick fog, treacherous terrain—these were the deadly obstacles that lay before them.

In the afternoon, Lu Yan and Shen Jue, accompanied by the two girls, returned once again to the Zhen’nan Prince’s residence.

They had expected strong objections from Xiao Zhengnan if they requested to enter the mountains in search of the immortal doctor.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Xiao Zhengnan’s reaction was… unusual.

“Two esteemed guests are willing to risk themselves for my son? I am truly grateful beyond words!”

Instead of refusing, Xiao Zhengnan’s enthusiasm was almost unnerving.

He personally led them into his study, his previously troubled expression seemingly wiped away.

“The Ten-Thousand Mountains are filled with danger. Without a guide, there’s no way anyone could enter.”

As he spoke, he attentively retrieved a sheepskin scroll from a hidden compartment.

“This is a map of the remote mountains of the Southern Borders that I’ve had people collect over the years. It’s incomplete, but it marks many of the deadly miasma swamps.”

He offered the map with both hands, then turned and shouted toward the door.

“Aliao, come in!”

No sooner had he spoken than a dark-skinned, bare-armed man covered in strange tribal markings entered.

The man’s expression was impassive, his gaze as cold as a beast’s. Mechanically, he performed a unique Southern Borders salute to the group.

“Gentlemen, Aliao is the finest hunter in our residence—and the only one who has ever returned alive from the outskirts of Medicine Man Valley.”

Xiao Zhengnan smiled sincerely, even letting two crocodile tears escape the corners of his eyes.

“With him as your guide, and this map, you will surely succeed and obtain the antidote!”

Su Hewan stared at the guide named Aliao, alarm bells ringing in her mind.

【Something’s off! Why is the Zhen’nan Prince suddenly so agreeable?】

【Not only a map, but a guide too—he’s practically handing his neck to us!】

Yu Qing quietly stepped behind Lu Yan, silently venting in her mind.

【A weasel wishing a chicken Happy New Year—he definitely has no good intentions! This map probably leads straight to the King of Hell’s hall!】

Lu Yan stood with hands clasped behind his back, his cold, hard expression betraying no emotion, though his deep black eyes were fixed intently on Xiao Zhengnan.

Shen Jue, however, smiled.

He casually took the sheepskin map, glancing over Aliao with a measured look.

“The Prince truly considers his subordinates’ needs, even thinking of such details for us.”

“Well then, we shall accept it graciously.”

There was an inscrutable undertone to Shen Jue’s words.

Xiao Zhengnan’s smile grew even brighter. “You are too polite, gentlemen. All of this is for my son.”

Only after the four left the Zhen’nan Prince’s residence and walked through the bustling marketplace did the tension relax slightly.

Su Hewan and Yu Qing walked hand in hand ahead, browsing the various stalls.

Shen Jue and Lu Yan followed behind at a measured distance.

Lu Yan glanced sideways at Shen Jue, who was studying the map.

“There’s something wrong with this map… and with the man.” Lu Yan’s tone was resolute.

Shen Jue let out a light snort, his gaze instantly freezing like ice.

He looked ahead at the two girls examining their hairpins, then stopped and let out a cold snort.

“This trap is so obvious that even Qingqing spotted it immediately!”

“Xiao Zhengnan, held by us with leverage, may appear submissive, but in truth, he’s praying that we vanish, bones and all, in the Ten-Thousand Mountains!”