Xie Zhaolin lightly tapped the teacup with her fingertips, the clear chime of porcelain ringing especially sharp inside the soundproof barrier.
"A medicinal catalyst?" Her lips curved slightly. "Your father runs the alchemy workshop, and he's still missing this?"
Zhou Zhilán pulled a small pale jade vial from her bosom and placed it gently on the table. "There's just the right herb in the workshop's storage. It can perfectly mask the traces of the poison pill."
Xie Zhaolin scanned the jade vial with her divine sense. Inside lay a ghostly blue spiritual herb, its veins coursing with strange black threads, giving off a faint metallic, almost bloody scent.
"My father found it while checking the storage yesterday." Zhou Zhilán's fingers lightly traced the surface of the vial. "It's recorded in last year's inventory book."
Xie Zhaolin's eyes flickered.
A herb stored last year, now coming in handy—such perfect timing couldn't be a coincidence.
"Does Zhou Moxuan know about this catalyst?"
"He only knows the workshop has a usable one," Zhou Zhilán's lips curved. "Which exact herb… he'd have to check the storage records."
Xie Zhaolin suddenly smiled. No wonder Zhou Zhilán's father had been promoted to take over the workshop—controlling the storage records was the same as controlling the trail of "evidence." Altering a line in the ledger was trivial.
"What will the guards see tomorrow?"
"A petty thief," Zhou Zhilán's nails scratched a shallow line along the vial. "Just happens to carry this herb, and just happens to head toward the Patriarch's courtyard."
Xie Zhaolin studied the scratch.
Zhou Moxuan would think his men had succeeded, Xu Changming would trace it to the "Patriarch's minions," while the real medicinal catalyst had already been swapped for the one Zhou Zhilán had prepared.
"Your father knows?"
"He just needs to write one less line in the records," Zhou Zhilán looked up. "What that line says… that's my call."
Sunlight swept across her lashes, casting a shadow over her eyes.
"So…" Xie Zhaolin's gaze pierced the shadow in Zhou Zhilán's eyes, "you plan to use Zhou Moxuan to take down the Patriarch, then use Xu Changming to take down Zhou Moxuan."
Zhou Zhilán's fingers lightly stroked the jade vial. "Seventh Uncle admires clever people, but fears the ones who are too clever." She lifted her eyes. "And I… happen to be the latter."
Xie Zhaolin's eyes flickered. So that's it—Zhou Zhilán's father being promoted to Deputy Director of the workshop wasn't a blessing; it was a curse.
"First give him a sweet date, then the stick," Xie Zhaolin murmured. "Your father's next in line."
Zhou Zhilán's nails scratched a second line on the vial. "So after the Patriarch dies… I'll need to prepare a grand gift for Seventh Uncle."
Xie Zhaolin sipped her tea, eyes on the two intersecting scratches. "So, you're here for our final deal?"
"Senior, you see clearly." Zhou Zhilán nodded lightly. "Once Seventh Uncle's plan succeeds, the estate will be in chaos—perfect for fishing in muddy waters."
"What do you want?"
"The little items you got from the evil cultivator."
Xie Zhaolin raised an eyebrow. "And you're sure?"
"I'm not sure." Zhou Zhilán leaned forward suddenly. "But you should remember…" She tapped the tip of her nose. "I can smell something… special."
The teacup chimed sharply against the table.
Xie Zhaolin chuckled. "You don't disappoint me."
Zhou Zhilán pulled a black lacquered wooden box from her storage pouch. "The things are yours." Her fingers tapped the lid. "But I want the full plan."
The moment the box opened, a chilling aura seeped out. Inside lay a finger bone wrapped in black threads, a half-torn talisman, and a bloodstained piece of cloth.
Zhou Zhilán took a deep breath and pulled out a jade slip. "This records Seventh Uncle's dealings with a certain evil cultivator organization… proof of correspondence."
"Since Xu Changming's investigating evil cultivators, we'll give him a ready-made one."
"Seventh Uncle needs a scapegoat," Zhou Zhilán said, meeting Xie Zhaolin's eyes, "and I need them to be evenly matched."
"Forged?"
"Half true, half false." Zhou Zhilán's lips curved. "Seventh Uncle did meet some loose cultivators, just… I polished the story a little."
Xie Zhaolin scanned the jade slip, sensing the exquisite subtleties—truth and lie so entwined it was impossible to tell.
"At the same time, he'll receive a hefty gift tonight," Zhou Zhilán continued. "His confidant in the workshop will accidentally discover my father's secret stash of evil items."
Xie Zhaolin's eyes flickered. Zhou Moxuan would think he'd caught Zhou Hanshan's weakness, unaware he was stepping into a trap.
"The rest of the evil cultivator's items…" Zhou Zhilán caressed the wooden box, "will 'just happen' to appear in Seventh Uncle's secret room."
"You're merciless," Xie Zhaolin said with interest.
"Seventh Uncle never treated me as a niece," Zhou Zhilán looked down. "To him, I'm just a piece on the chessboard he can sacrifice anytime."
"And the confidant delivering the pills?"
Zhou Zhilán smiled faintly. "He'll become an accomplice of the evil cultivator." She tapped the cloth in the box. "Just enough to slip into his room."
Xie Zhaolin was silent for a moment, then pulled a black jade slip from her storage pouch and handed it to Zhou Zhilán. "Put this in too."
Zhou Zhilán scanned it with her divine sense, her expression flickering. "This is…"
"The remaining techniques of the Yinsha Sect," Xie Zhaolin said calmly. "Earlier ones, Zhou Moxuan could still handle, but this…" She tapped the jade slip. "It's enough to sentence him to death."
Though Zhou Zhilán didn't grasp the full meaning, she carefully tucked the jade slip into her sleeve. "When Xu Changming comes tomorrow, I'll have someone lead him to the secret room."
"Anything else?" Xie Zhaolin asked, noticing she hesitated.
Zhou Zhilán's fingers lightly stroked the jade vial, a trace of hesitation in her eyes. "Senior…" She paused, "after it's done…"
Xie Zhaolin's eyes flickered, understanding her unspoken words. "What do you want?"
Zhou Zhilán lifted her eyes, shining brightly. "A promise."
"Oh?"
"I need a guarantee." She clenched her hand. "That after it's done…"
Xie Zhaolin chuckled, interrupting her. "You're worried I'll break it?"
"You'd know… I don't even know your true name."
The air thickened suddenly.
"No rush."
After a while, Xie Zhaolin lightly smiled, tracing the teacup's rim. "When the dust settles, you'll know naturally."
The water rippled, reflecting Zhou Zhilán's lightly pressed lips. She tapped the table once and nodded. "I understand."
"After tomorrow—"
"After tomorrow," Xie Zhaolin lifted her eyes, calm as a deep pool, "you'll get your wish."
Zhou Zhilán looked deeply at her, then smiled.
Bright as early spring sunlight, her smile made Xie Zhaolin think of a venomous snake lurking among flowers.
"Thank you for letting this happen, Senior." She gave a graceful bow. Even her departing back carried a hint of youthful innocence.
Xie Zhaolin watched the figure quietly, murmuring, "An inner sect disciple…
…fits perfectly."