RWNEFE -Chapter 184 The Sick Beauty!

After Shen Lanxi returned and rejoined the group, Ban Sicao was still following along.

Liu Yanhui frowned: “Aren’t you going to take your men to tend to their wounds?”

Ban Sicao glanced at his attendants, saw they were all standing fine, and immediately grinned: “They’re all fine, no need for healing.”

“Master, are you alright?” Shen Yuanjing stepped closer with concern.

Shen Lanxi: “I’m fine. Go back.”

Feng Wu whispered: “Wandu Sect.”

Shen Lanxi nodded slightly.

Feng Wu turned to look, surprised that members of the long-vanished Wandu Sect would appear here!

“Master, they’ve been following us the whole time,” Liu Yanhui said.

Shen Lanxi: “He knows where Song Daoxi is.”

Liu Yanhui was stunned and murmured: “That was too easy!” Then he immediately moved closer to Ban Sicao.

Zhao Chengkai watched Shen Lanxi’s back thoughtfully. He hadn’t expected that the Lanxi Princess, raised like gold and jade, would actually know martial arts—

And not weak ones at that.

She’d also gotten lucky, finding someone who knew Song Daoxi’s whereabouts so quickly.

Thinking this, Zhao Chengkai’s expression darkened. He was not willing to remain subordinate to a woman forever.

Soon Liu Yanhui returned with a report.

“He said Song Daoxi is at Prince Cheng’s estate in Gannan, and he also said Song Daoxi is fake!” Liu Yanhui’s voice dropped for the latter half.

Shen Lanxi: “How could the Guigu heir be fake? Our task is to bring this heir back.”

Liu Yanhui’s eyes flickered, then he nodded: “Understood.”

When they rejoined the main army, Ban Sicao stopped at a distance and did not come closer.

Shen Lanxi waved: “Station troops in Liuzhou. We rest here tonight!”

“Yes, General!”

Five thousand soldiers marched into Liuzhou with full confidence. Outside the city, people watched with suspicion, fear, caution, and curiosity.

Qian Feng shouted: “We are the imperial army sent to suppress the rebellion and reclaim Liucheng. Everyone, remain calm!”

Various factions were heading to Liucheng, but no imperial forces were present.

Since the Zhou Dynasty had only recently fallen into disorder, the population’s ingrained respect for imperial authority was still strong. Hearing Qian Feng’s declaration, everyone cleared the way.

Shen Lanxi smoothly took over the Liucheng county office as a temporary command center.

Under the full moon, Shen Lanxi suddenly opened her eyes.

Ban Sicao had not expected her to be awake. Surprised, he sat on a chair.

Shen Lanxi: “State your purpose here, and I will spare your life.”

Ban Sicao raised an eyebrow so high it nearly touched his hairline. Wasn’t that supposed to be his line?

After a moment’s thought, he said: “You just tell me why you weren’t poisoned, and I’ll tell you why I’m here.”

Shen Lanxi glanced at him. The next second, the teacup in Ban Sicao’s hand shattered with a loud crash, cleaved in two by an invisible force!

Ban Sicao froze.

Her internal energy, fully released, had reached a level that could shatter stones and break metal—an incredibly terrifying martial skill!

“You… you surrounded yourself with internal energy. My poison didn’t touch you at all!” Ban Sicao exclaimed, standing in shock.

Shen Lanxi: “Now you can state your purpose.”

Ban Sicao was like a man seeing an ancestor—both excited and nervous.

After pacing twice around the round table, he spoke: “Someone has been impersonating the Wandu Sect to commit crimes. I came to the Central Plains to find this person and tear them to pieces!”

Shen Lanxi: “Because of the harem?”

Ban Sicao nodded, then suddenly raised his head.

“You heard of the Wandu Sect and weren’t even surprised?”

Shen Lanxi looked at his flustered, jittery expression: “I’m surprised!”

“Then why don’t you look surprised at all?”

Shen Lanxi: “Do I need to show it?”

Ban Sicao observed her thoughtfully: “I see. Masters like to pretend. My father and others always acted mysterious.”

Shen Lanxi: “You must have been trained strictly from a young age.” You’ve been beaten plenty!

Ban Sicao, in disbelief: “How did you know?”

Shen Lanxi: Just by looking at you, I didn’t need to think!

“Continue.”

Ban Sicao nodded quickly and resumed: “I first went to the capital, but someone discovered me, and I was chased the whole way. Passing through Cangzhou, I found more people impersonating our Wandu Sect. After investigating with no result, I got angry and poisoned them all. Later, I heard the Guigu heir had appeared and sought Song Daoxi to advise me.”

Shen Lanxi: “Then Song Daoxi said he didn’t know, and you said he was fake?”

Ban Sicao nodded, his tone disdainful: “What so-called smartest man in the world? Just a pretentious pretty boy!”

Shen Lanxi’s voice turned cold: “The two taels of silver you tossed were poisoned. You thought we were chasing you?”

Exposed, Ban Sicao felt embarrassed.

“Later I realized you weren’t. Didn’t I neutralize the poison for you?”

Shen Lanxi sneered: “You wanted me to let you off, and it’s that easy?”

Ban Sicao warily eyed her.

“Do you know there’s a poison that doesn’t kill immediately? Like ‘Soft Tendon Powder,’ it leaves limbs weak, daily vomiting blood, gradually draining strength, leading to mental haze. After over half a year, death occurs.”

Ban Sicao thought for a moment: “Hair and face? Do they change?”

Shen Lanxi: “…Hair falls out and turns white; the face should be covered in wrinkles, like an old person!”

Though she hated recalling it, it was true.

“This poison of yours is somewhat like the ‘Sick Beauty’ poison, but also different. ‘Sick Beauty’ weakens limbs, causes daily vomiting, gradual decline, but doesn’t kill quickly. This poison is chronic, draining life slowly—death takes five years at minimum, decades at most. In death, appearance becomes more beautiful—hence the name. Your poison speeds up death and disfigures—did it alter the formula?” Ban Sicao murmured in doubt.

“I need to see the poison or its victims to confirm if the two are related. Where’s the poisoned person?”

Shen Lanxi: “There is none. If it were ‘Sick Beauty’ poison, it would originate from—?”

Ban Sicao glanced oddly at her: “For sparing my life, I’ll tell you. This poison comes from the Wandu Sect.”

Shen Lanxi: “Your Wandu Sect had gone into seclusion. Apart from you, who else went to the capital?”

Ban Sicao instantly denied it: “No one but us. Our sect had relocated abroad. If no one had impersonated us, we wouldn’t have returned to the Central Plains!”

Shen Lanxi: “Could the impersonators actually be Wandu members?”

Ban Sicao paused: “I’ll investigate.”

“All right. Now I know why you weren’t poisoned. I’m leaving.”

Shen Lanxi said nothing.

“I really am leaving?” Ban Sicao called out.

Shen Lanxi: “If you don’t want to leave, stay in the courtyard and fertilize the flowers!”

Ban Sicao nimbly jumped out the window and left.

She now confirmed that around 80% of the poison meant to kill her originated from the Wandu Sect. Years ago, the official reason the sect was hunted by the court was vague—officially, they were called cruel and ruthless, but many groups were crueler, yet not hunted.