Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Haunted House (20)

Su Man had no intention of making a move. These two were exchanging blows and secrets—if she killed Qian Ji, the flow of secrets would end. That wasn’t what she wanted; if she was going to do anything, it would only be after she learned every last secret. The old woman was sobbing as she cried out, almost ready to fall to her knees. “No, please no, my dear boy! How did you become like this?”

She truly could not understand. Her grandson had only been a little disobedient before; how had he changed so completely, as if he were someone else entirely?

“Enough of this nonsense—unless you want to die for me, don’t talk to me again!” Qian Ji grew more and more impatient, as though the old woman before him were a stranger. “What’s the point of you even being alive? Useless in life, and even more useless in death!”

“If you weren’t so worthless, would I have to work this hard?” Qian Ji’s accusations came as if it was only natural, as though everything today was the old woman’s fault.

“Xiao Ji, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. Please don’t be angry. I’m willing to do anything for you. What do you want me to do? Don’t be angry with me, for your sake I’ll do anything.” The grandmother agreed, humble and desperate. “As long as you live, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Su Man arched her brow. This wouldn’t do. She was here for secrets, and if the old woman suddenly changed her tune, who knew what might happen next. The old woman’s mind was clearly muddled!

Thinking this, Su Man could no longer care about secrets. She tightened her grip on the dagger, determined to destroy the threat before it could grow.

A shrill scream rang out, but it wasn’t from Qian Ji—it came from a vague, horrifying figure clinging to Qian Ji. Su Man saw that her dagger could not move an inch further.

Focusing her gaze, she realized the figure was Hu Nian! Hu Nian’s whole form was twisted, winding around the dagger like gauze, using all his strength to prevent it from harming Qian Ji in the slightest.

He was using the last of his life to protect Qian Ji.

“Xiao Chai... I have to protect my child.” His face was contorted in pain, yet he murmured over and over, “I have to protect Xiao Chai... I’m a father. I’ll protect you now. My Xiao Chai is a good child, such a good boy...”

His eyes began to glaze over, but instinct alone kept him clinging to the dagger.

Su Man frowned and changed her grip again. Hu Nian let out an even more anguished scream, unable to maintain his form any longer, dispersing into a mist that drifted in the air.

But he had bought Qian Ji time.

The air shifted. At some unknown moment, black runes had appeared, sprawling across the floor and converging, crawling up Qian Ji’s body.

“Xiao Ji...” The grandmother stared in confusion as the black runes devoured her, pulling her toward Qian Ji. A faint scream could be heard, and when Qian Ji absorbed the runes, the aura around him grew even more menacing. Unsatisfied, he set his sights on the misty remnant of Hu Nian. The black runes surged forward once again, and were absorbed into his body.

All this happened in the blink of an eye—far too quickly to stop.

Su Man clearly saw two vague clouds of energy floating around Qian Ji, but after a few breaths, they vanished completely.

[He absorbed those two horrors.]

[My god, this man is frighteningly ruthless—those were his own family!]

[What’s so scary? Didn’t you hear earlier? He’s killed family before, and not just once!]

[He’s building his own strength. It’s over for the streamer!]

Everyone in the livestream room watched in suspense, clutching their hearts for Su Man.

But Su Man herself remained perfectly calm. The more dangerous things became, the colder her mind grew, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Qian Ji.

She could see that Qian Ji was not as composed as he appeared. His face shifted constantly, his features morphing between those of the grandmother, himself, and Hu Nian. Now was the time! She rushed forward, gripped the dagger tightly, and slashed down with all her strength.

A triple-layered wail tore through the air. Qian Ji’s body was nearly split in two. He glared at Su Man with venomous hatred—had he not just absorbed the other two and lacked time to adapt, he would never have let her escape!

But for now, he was clearly no match for her. Knowing when to yield, he vanished from her sight in a flash. The next time they met, he swore he’d tear her limb from limb!

Su Man made no move to pursue him. To be honest, she had no idea where to start—it was a bit of trouble.

But it wasn’t anything to fear. Power seized by force would never truly be one’s own. Besides, Qian Ji had been gravely wounded by her hand; he wouldn’t be appearing again any time soon.

And with the grandmother likely out of the picture, only Qian Yuan, Jinghua, and Ai Ji remained.

One of those three was most likely the creator of this domain of obsession.

Reflecting on everything she’d seen here, Su Man felt she had a vague idea of who it might be.

After some thought, she went to find Madame Jinghua.

She found her in a room on the third floor, quietly arranging flowers.

Sunlight spilled across Madame Jinghua’s face, gentle and serene.

When Su Man entered, Madame Jinghua merely nodded, showing no particular emotion. It was Su Man who got straight to the point, telling her what had happened downstairs and stating that both the grandmother and the real Qian Ji were dead.

As she spoke, she kept a close eye on Madame Jinghua’s expression. She had seen the woman’s unpredictable moods before—she was here to discuss business, not to throw her life away.

“So that’s how it is...” Madame Jinghua showed no particular reaction, only a gentle smile. “So the one I killed last night really was the bad boy.”

“I didn’t expect he’d still be so wicked, even grown up.” Her smile was warm and graceful, the mechanical stiffness gone, replaced by a touch of lively spirit.

“As for the old woman, she brought it on herself.”

She placed the last flower in the vase, then sat by the window, gazing out at the clouds.

Her expression revealed nothing of her true feelings.

“Are you satisfied?” Su Man asked her. “With this outcome.”

“Satisfied?” Madame Jinghua looked at her. “What does it matter whether I am or not? What’s done is done, and no amount of satisfaction will bring back the past.”

Su Man nodded, letting the matter drop. She said, “In your heart, you always bore a grudge against Qian Ji, which is why every Qian Ji who appeared in this space looked so pitiful.

That’s what you always wanted, isn’t it? You wished Ai Ji could be the princess of this family; you wanted Qian Ji to experience everything Ai Ji had gone through. That’s your obsession, right? Because you were powerless to protect Ai Ji when you were alive.”