Xie Zhaolin's fingertips suddenly tightened. The pale skin beneath her grip flushed purple.
"Co…operate?" Zhou Zhilán was actually smiling. Her throat gave off a sickening crack under the pressure, yet she still forced those three words out. In her almond-shaped eyes, there was no fear, no plea. Only a ruthless kind of clarity.
Xie Zhaolin stared at her, surprise flickering in her gaze. She'd imagined countless possibilities—begging, threats, even desperate resistance. She never expected this answer. Her fingers loosened slightly on instinct, but the grip was still enough to kill.
"You know who I am?" Her voice was soft, but murder swirled in her eyes.
The pulse beneath her fingertips beat steady, far too calm for someone on the verge of death. Zhou Zhilán's lips even curved, as if she wasn't the one whose throat was being crushed.
"I don't," Zhou Zhilán wheezed, still smiling. "But I know… you're not Zhang Xiuxiu."
Xie Zhaolin's eyes darkened. This body really was Zhang Xiuxiu's. Yet with Zhou Zhilán's shrewdness, why would she ever bother working with a useless sickly girl?
Unless…
Xie Zhaolin suddenly tightened her grip again, watching Zhou Zhilán's face turn from red to blue. "Think carefully before you answer."
"The eyes…" Zhou Zhilán's pupils were unfocused, her voice breaking between breaths. "Zhang Xiuxiu's eyes… always held a stubbornness, like she refused her fate, like she was ready to fight back at any time…" A rough cough tore through her throat. "But you… you're different. Your eyes… are too clear. So the first time I saw you… I knew you weren't her."
Black qi churned in Xie Zhaolin's palm. She sneered. "That's all you've got?"
"Of course… not. And there's Yuzhu," Zhou Zhilán rasped. "You disguised her well. But I knew… she always fiddled with her sleeve corners. That day, she stood at your side, not moving a single finger."
"You spied on the Chu family?"
"I just… happen to remember every servant's habits."
The night wind swept through the corridor, carrying a few dead leaves across the floor.
Xie Zhaolin suddenly smiled, but her fingers tightened again. "So? You came to expose me?"
Zhou Zhilán's breath grew harsh, but she still forced out a grin. "No…" Her trembling hand slipped from her sleeve, revealing a jade slip glimmering with cold light in the moon. "I came… to remind you."
Xie Zhaolin's eyes were drawn to it, her grip loosening slightly.
"Hehuan Sect…" Zhou Zhilán inhaled deeply while she had the chance, her voice suddenly steadier. "The patrol envoy's schedule… It includes… every place they'll search tomorrow."
Xie Zhaolin's fingers stilled.
Zhou Zhilán seized the chance, her voice sharp as a blade. "I can help you live openly under the sun. After all… it was you who wiped out the Chu family."
For a long moment, Xie Zhaolin finally released her grip.
Zhou Zhilán staggered back several steps, bracing herself against a pillar just to stay upright. Purple-red finger marks marred her pale neck, yet her smile only brightened. "So? Is this bargaining chip… heavy enough?"
Xie Zhaolin's black qi surged, her voice icy. "You really came prepared."
"I always do," Zhou Zhilán said calmly. "Because the ones who don't… don't live long."
Xie Zhaolin studied her in silence, then asked, "You're not afraid I'll just kill you?"
"Of course I'm afraid." Zhou Zhilán rubbed at the bruises on her throat, finally showing a girlish softness.
"But you won't." She tilted her head, smiling slyly. "Someone who could hide as a mortal and endure this long won't throw away such an easy escape route over a burst of temper."
The dry leaves under their feet cracked softly.
"How'd you even find this place?" Xie Zhaolin's voice dripped with danger.
Zhou Zhilán tilted her head again, eyes wide with false innocence. "Probably… instinct?"
Black qi exploded around them, killing intent bursting from Xie Zhaolin's gaze.
"Fine." Zhou Zhilán sighed, finally dropping her mask. "I smelled it on you…" Her nose twitched slightly. "The scent of the Chu family's deaths."
Xie Zhaolin's fingers trembled.
"That scent…" Zhou Zhilán frowned slightly. "It drifted so far, so very far."
Under the moonlight, surprise flashed in Xie Zhaolin's eyes. This kind of natural spiritual sense was one in a million…
"You're clever." She chuckled softly, though her smile never reached her eyes.
Zhou Zhilán brushed the blood-stained marks on her neck, then raised her fingers into the moonlight. Her voice was faint, like a sigh. "The ones who aren't… already ended up like the Chu family, dead without even knowing why."
"You think I'll believe you?" Black qi coiled lazily around Xie Zhaolin's fingertips, ready to strangle her again at any second.
"You don't need to." Zhou Zhilán's tone was flat. "The fact you didn't kill me already proves… You're tempted, aren't you?
The Hehuan Sect's Golden Core cultivators will search the southern part of the city tomorrow." She paused deliberately. "With your current injuries…"
Xie Zhaolin's hand faltered slightly.
…She really wasn't fully recovered yet. If she ran into a Golden Core cultivator now, she might not escape unscathed. Her gaze flickered. "What do you want?"
Zhou Zhilán's lips curved into a smile both sharp and playful. "I want to climb higher."
"Climb higher?" The black qi danced at Xie Zhaolin's fingertips.
"That's right." Zhou Zhilán sighed softly, eyes flashing with just the right touch of regret. "Originally, I planned to use the Chu family as my stepping stone. But now…" Her gaze lingered meaningfully on Xie Zhaolin. "They're gone.
But you wiped out the entire Chu family, maybe even killed a demon cultivator—" Her voice dropped low, "That kind of strength is worth my gamble."
Xie Zhaolin held her gaze. Inside those eyes, there wasn't the faintest trace of fear, only calculation and resolve. Suddenly, she understood. "You want to use me… to get rid of the Zhou family?"
Surprise flickered in Zhou Zhilán's eyes before her smile widened. "Talking to a smart person is refreshing."
"The Zhou family treated you badly?" Xie Zhaolin asked casually.
"I've been stuck at the third layer of Qi Refining for two years, four months, and seventeen days." Zhou Zhilán's voice was frighteningly calm. "All the resources…"
"Went to the direct bloodline?" Xie Zhaolin raised a brow.
"No." Zhou Zhilán suddenly laughed, the sound icy and cruel. "They went to feed the beast the patriarch keeps."
A soft laugh escaped Xie Zhaolin. "You really know how to pick your timing."
"Same to you." Zhou Zhilán smiled too, though her eyes stayed cold. "You spared me because you saw value in me, didn't you?"
Xie Zhaolin narrowed her eyes. "You're confident."
"It's not confidence." Zhou Zhilán shook her head. "It's interest."
"You and I both get what we want. That's all."
For a while, Xie Zhaolin stayed silent, then suddenly chuckled. "Fine."
Zhou Zhilán's lips curled upward, relief flashing through her gaze.
"But…"