I really don't want to take shortcuts anymore

Wei Ying stepped lightly and arrived at the edge of the pond. He leaned over and looked for a long while, his face extremely solemn.

When Luo Qianhuai walked to his side, he saw Wei Ying put his finger into it, and when he took it out, it was already bright red.

He put the hand close to his nose and sniffed it gently, and a hint of doubt appeared between his brows.

Luo Qianhuai walked to his side, lifted up her skirt and squatted down, gently pulled up the cuff of her sleeve with her left hand and put her right hand inside.

Xing Xuan, who was following closely behind her, was unable to stop her and watched her raise the blood-stained finger to her nose, sniff it a few times, think for a few breaths, then bring the hand to her lips and lick it gently.

"Madam, the blood is dirty, and there might be some poison in it. How could you... And Old Xing, why didn't you stop Madam?" Xing Xuan was stunned, but she actually mustered up the courage to vent her anger on Wei Ying.

Wei Ying had indeed not expected Luo Qianhuai to do this, so he was in no mood to pay attention to Xing Xuan's retort. His brows knitted into knots, and he nervously looked at Luo Qianhuai's face repeatedly, worried that in the next second, her face would suddenly change and she would fall to the ground from the poison.

"I'm fine." Luo Qianhuai took the handkerchief handed over by Xing Xuan, wiped his hands clean, and a hint of understanding appeared in his eyes.

Seeing that she was fine, Wei Ying breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Madam, this is not human blood, nor is it the blood of an animal."

Luo Qianhuai nodded. She had seen more blood in her previous life than Wei Ying, and she was sure of this when she smelled the scent in the carriage.

Seeing that she remained silent, Wei Ying continued, "In my opinion, someone must have been deliberately trying to confuse the issue. I don't know what they used to dye the entire pool of water red. But I just checked its taste, and it doesn't smell like cinnabar. And cinnabar is precious. To dye such a large pool of water red, I don't know how much would be used. The money spent would be enough to buy two more Qinglu Gardens. If it is used exclusively to scare Madam, I'm afraid it would not be worth it."

"It's definitely not cinnabar." Luo Qianhuai said, "It tastes bitter but sweet, has a large output, and can produce this effect. There is only one thing in the world."

"Madam knows?" Wei Ying's eyes showed surprise but also no surprise.

He didn't know since when, but he had become accustomed to Madam Luo's omniscience and omnipotence, and had long since given up the idea of ​​doubting and finding fault.

It's not just him. Didn't you see that Mr. Wen, who was dancing the most enthusiastically before, has now stopped and obediently regarded the other party as his mistress?

"Yes." Luo Qianhuai did not say much, but turned back to the carriage: "Continue forward and go straight into the inner courtyard."

When she passed by Hou Zhong, she glanced at him indifferently.

The latter was now slumped on the ground, already looking frightened, with a blank look in his eyes, and only muttered: "Blood is all over the lotus pond... It's them, they are back, and they are here to take our lives..."

This look is not something you can fake just by wanting to.

Luo Qianhuai seemed to be thinking about something, but the two guards pressed their blades down tighter and shouted, "Who are they? Speak clearly!"

Hou Zhong seemed unaware of it and just kept on talking to himself.

Luo Qianhuai ignored him and got on the carriage with Xing Xuan. Wei Ying winked, and the two guards had just put away their swords when they saw the man suddenly leap up with red eyes, waving his arms wildly, and was about to rush forward.

But he was just an ordinary person, how could he escape from the guards?

He was knocked unconscious by a knife strike and thrown onto Qian Duo's carriage which was following closely behind.

Although Qian Duo is knowledgeable and experienced, he is just a businessman after all, and he can't help but feel frightened and uneasy at this time.

He had been hiding in the car, secretly peeking out through a corner of the curtain, and saw his employer, such a delicate young lady, getting out of the car to check the blood pond without fear. He felt that she was too reckless, but also admired her courage. However, he would never dare to ride with a frightened madman.

Qian Duo got off the car with shaking legs, gave his seat to the guards guarding Hou Zhong, and moved closer to Luo Qianhuai's car:

"Madam, the weather is bad, and this place is really weird..." He looked at the dark and thick blood pond without any ripples, and shuddered: "Why don't we go back first and come back another day when the weather is fine..."

Luo Qianhuai was calm and composed: "My time is precious. Since we have chosen today, we cannot make a wasted trip. Shopkeeper Qian, look at the sky. It is already overcast. Even if you go back on your own, I am afraid you will encounter a rainstorm on the way. If something unexpected happens, who will take care of my business?"

Every word of these words was reasonable, but to Qian Duo, they sounded like a threat.

He knew in his heart that his boss was warning him. No matter how many dangers lay ahead, he had no choice but to face them head on. If he had any intention of retreating, the papermaking technique in his mind alone would become a death warrant.

He looked at Wei Ying, who had a sneer on his lips and no longer pretended to be deaf and dumb in front of him, and then looked at the guards with cold faces, and gradually he understood what was going on.

No wonder even his former boss, the wife of Minister Lou Zhiping, ordered him to serve him wholeheartedly. It turned out that none of the descendants left by the late emperor were easy to deal with.

Qian Duo felt a little bitter, but he could only accept the reality honestly.

He was not a young man who had just entered the business world. He knew that if he wanted to make his business big and good, he had to rely on the powerful and wealthy. Naturally, the higher and more powerful these powers and wealth were, the better.

Even if there is a bottomless abyss behind the high cliff, it is impossible to turn back.

Qian Duo made up his mind: "Madam, rest assured, I will follow you till death and will never have second thoughts!"

Luo Qianhuai was speaking from the heart. She was indeed worried that Qian Duo would encounter a thunderstorm and get into an accident if he went back now. She never expected that he would be so good at making up his mind. However, after just a short while, he had already thought through everything clearly.

The group quickened their pace and soon arrived in front of a temple built against the mountain.

When Han Miner built this place, it was the time when she was most favored by the late emperor. All the materials used were of the best quality. The main material was camphor wood, which was covered with layers of varnish, making it both quiet and majestic.

For Princess Yong'an at that time, this was just a villa for leisure, so the design did not follow the old-fashioned and grand styles of the palace. Instead, a special person was hired to build relatively flexible and lively, yet full of charm pavilions according to the structure of the mountain. Standing in front of the main hall and looking up, one can only glimpse the flying eaves and red tiles, which seems to be half-hidden.

Perhaps it was because of this that before this bestowal, these buildings were not demolished or destroyed for violating regulations, but were left intact to Luo Qianhuai.

When the group arrived, they saw that the main hall door was tightly closed and there was no one in sight.

Wei Ying could clearly hear several rapid breathing sounds coming from inside the door, and they did not sound like those of people who had practiced martial arts.

One of his personal guards came forward and knocked on the door: "Madam is here, why don't you come out to greet her quickly!"