Please, Don’t Die - Chapter 34

“Miss Cong Shuang, you should leave first. I don’t wish to trouble you.” He Qingsheng’s tone was light, signaling for Cong Shuang to stay out of it. With a beckoning gesture, he pulled the madam back in front of him. “We’ll just question her.”

“Madam, I don’t want to make things difficult for you either, but you’ll have to cooperate with me, won’t you?”

The upward lilt in He Qingsheng’s voice was like a sharp hook, playfully and skillfully snaring and toying with his prey’s psyche.

The madam’s legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor, her lips trembling as she stammered incoherently, clearly terrified.

“Master… is… is…”

Cong Shuang quickly stepped forward, patting the madam’s back to soothe her.

The madam stiffened, then began shaking uncontrollably, as if her soul had fled, leaving her frozen in place.

“This is rather troublesome,” He Qingsheng lamented.

A floating, flexible blade tapped mockingly against the madam’s cheek.

The threat was unmistakable.

Gritting her teeth, Cong Shuang resolutely turned toward He Qingsheng and bowed deeply, pressing her forehead to the ground. When she lifted her head, her face was set with determination, as if she had made up her mind.

“Immortal, I know the purpose of your visit. I am willing to offer my humble assistance.”

“Oh?” He Qingsheng seemed intrigued, finally deigning to shift his gaze from the madam. “You know our purpose?”

The word “purpose” rolled off his tongue, laced with a hint of mockery and a touch of temptation.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached from outside.

He Qingsheng watched Cong Shuang leisurely, while Ying Qujie stared at him distractedly, as if lost in thought.

The two seemed utterly oblivious to the fact that their earlier disruption and provocation had drawn a crowd of guards.

Cong Shuang’s words seemed to vanish like a skipped stone on water.

Seeing how composed the two were while she was in a panic, she frantically pulled out half a bone from her collar and thrust it toward He Qingsheng. “Immortal, this! This will prove my sincerity!”

“This is half of my younger brother’s spine!”

Boom!

The lead guard kicked open the wooden door with a flourish, followed closely by over a dozen others brandishing long staffs.

“Eh? Where are they?”

The group stood dumbfounded at the entrance.

Inside, the room was perfectly arranged, as if no guests had ever been there, except for the shattered window and the still-warm teacup on the table.

A quick-witted guard checked the neighboring rooms. “Boss, no one’s in these either.”

“Idiot, get back here. Don’t disturb the esteemed guests.”

The private rooms of Tianxiang Tower catered to the wealthy and noble, far beyond the reach of common folk like them.

The leader smacked the young guard hard on the head, yanked his ear, and barked at the others, “Search the building, and be smart about it! No loud noises, don’t disturb the honored guests!”

“Yes, sir!”

…

Inside the secret passage.

Ying Qujie deftly tied the madam up, securing her tightly.

Cong Shuang looked on with concern, glancing repeatedly at He Qingsheng as if wanting to speak but hesitating.

“Madam Wang has always been kind to the sisters in the house.”

A small wooden puppet landed lightly on Cong Shuang’s shoulder, and her body instantly tensed.

He Qingsheng teased, “No need to worry. Physician Ying is very professional, he won’t hurt her.”

Cong Shuang stared at Ying Qujie in disbelief. He seemed so gentle and refined, how could he be capable of this?

Ying Qujie sighed helplessly. Meeting her horrified gaze, he reached out toward her.

The weight on Cong Shuang’s shoulder vanished, the eerie chill dissipating. Her racing heart finally settled back into place.

In the pitch-black secret passage, the physician held a small wooden puppet in his hands, his eyes smiling as he said, “The way you say it makes me sound like some professional assassin.”

“Not at all.”

Cong Shuang stood frozen, the eerie wooden puppet in her hands suddenly seeming to come alive with an uncanny vitality.

“Miss Cong Shuang?”

He Qingsheng called her name several times before Cong Shuang snapped out of her daze, offering an apologetic smile. “Forgive me, Immortal. The sight stirred memories, my younger brother used to love the silk dolls I made for him.”

Her voice was strained. “I beg the Immortal to seek justice for my little brother.”

Earlier, upon entering the passage, Cong Shuang had explained in detail why she had come to Tianxiang Tower, to investigate the cause of her brother’s death.

After her parents passed away, her uncle’s family had taken in her and her brother.

But the good times didn’t last. Her brother mysteriously disappeared, and when Cong Shuang tried to search for him, her uncle’s family did everything to stop her.

Fortunately, Cong Shuang was clever. Not only did she evade her uncle’s persecution, but she also found half of her brother’s spine.

Half a spine, his remains were incomplete.

Heartbroken, Cong Shuang vowed to uncover the truth behind it all and bring justice to her brother.

In the end, all the evidence pointed to Tianxiang Tower. Disregarding her reputation, she resolutely entered the brothel, seeking only the truth.

Day and night in Tianxiang Tower, she remained vigilant, careful not to miss any clue related to her brother.

Her efforts were rewarded, she discovered this secret passage.

And she waited for He Qingsheng and the others.

As she spoke, Cong Shuang suppressed her sobs, nearly choking on her grief.

He Qingsheng shared her sorrow for a moment, but now, hearing her mention it again, her voice grew somber once more.

“Don’t worry, Miss Cong Shuang,” He Qingsheng said solemnly. “Lead the way.”

Ying Qujie remained silent throughout, like a mere background presence.

With one hand holding the puppet as he followed Cong Shuang, his other hand was hidden in his sleeve, gripping the soft blade He Qingsheng had slipped to him during their earlier playful banter.

Earlier, He Qingsheng’s spirit had briefly detached, whispering into his ear a single warning:

“Cong Shuang is deceitful.”

When he had tied up Madam Wang, he had thought He Qingsheng was genuinely sympathizing with Cong Shuang, as if she had suddenly changed her temperament.

Only when a wisp of sinister energy coiled around Madam Wang’s wrist did he relax, leaving untouched the hidden dagger in Madam Wang’s golden bracelet.

A ghostly woman, let her act if she wanted.

The passage was pitch-black, an endless darkness thick as ink, paired with a chilling silence that made the underground feel utterly inhuman.

Countless branching paths, each seemingly hiding countless pairs of watching eyes, ready to devour any reckless intruder at any turn.

He Qingsheng mused that, if she were removed from the equation, Cong Shuang could have simply led them into this maze.

No further action would be needed, few mortals would survive here without starving to death.

“We’re here, Immortal.”

After walking for what felt like an eternity, Cong Shuang lowered her voice and beckoned to He Qingsheng.

He Qingsheng estimated their location, they had long since left Tianxiang Tower’s territory.

Judging by the number of branching paths, the vast underground beneath the imperial capital was hollow.

How convenient for the people, it seemed the Great Su Dynasty would have no trouble building a subway. The thought amused He Qingsheng.

Probably only Yan Xingyi would get the joke.

Too bad Ying Qujie wouldn’t.

No, she couldn’t allow that.

How could she deny Physician Ying, so eager to learn, her enlightening wisdom?

On He Qingsheng’s end, she was busy concocting wild plans to give Ying Qujie a taste of modern society’s shock.

Meanwhile, Ying Qujie had already moved with near-silent steps toward the location Cong Shuang had indicated.

It was an opulent underground palace.

The walls, constructed entirely of bronze, were seamless, their ancient patterns rigid yet softened by a sense of harmony, depicting the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces with breathtaking craftsmanship.

The only door was not fully closed. Candlelight seeped through the gap, vanishing at the edge where it met the darkness.

In the secret passage, it was like a sliver of daylight.

From within the door came eerie, muffled sobs.

The gap was too narrow to see the full picture.

“Immortal, what should we do?” Cong Shuang asked anxiously.

Ying Qujie was also waiting for He Qingsheng’s instructions.

He Qingsheng’s gaze swept over Cong Shuang’s expression before she replied casually, “The door isn’t even closed, just walk in.”

When neither of them responded, she hesitated and added, “If that doesn’t work, how about knocking? If no one answers, we’ll take it as permission.”

Cong Shuang: “…”

Is this really the way?

Before Cong Shuang could suggest anything else, Ying Qujie had already knocked three times, dong, dong, dong, on the bronze door.

He Qingsheng shot him an approving look, as if to say, This one gets it.

Then she floated ahead into the palace.

The dazzling radiance that had been blocked by the bronze walls now revealed itself in full. The dome above was inlaid with countless luminous pearls, bright as stars, arranged into celestial constellations that illuminated the vast hall.

Nine towering pillars stood solemnly at the cardinal points of the palace, their entrance had only granted them access to one corner.

Up close, the pillars were pitch-black, forged entirely from dark iron, each engraved with ancient runes.

She had definitely seen these runes before in the Twelve Walls!

But the memory wasn’t clear enough for her to immediately recall their origins.

There wasn’t a single trap in the palace. Its creator seemed utterly unconcerned about outsiders intruding.

Either there was nothing of value inside, or the builder was so arrogantly confident that they believed no one who entered would ever leave.

As she rounded the pillars, He Qingsheng sucked in a sharp breath.

Nine dark iron chains converged at a central platform, which was nearly submerged in a pool of ice.

And within that ice, submerged up to their necks, who else could it be but Yan Xingyi and the Prince of Liang?

He Qingsheng blinked, closed her eyes, opened them again, then squeezed them shut once more, only to see Yan Xingyi frantically waving at her, his eyes brimming not just with joy but with sheer desperation for survival.

“Xiao He-”

“Save me-”

“…us glug glug glug…”

He Qingsheng channeled a wisp of baleful energy to Ying Qujie. “Remember what I said, wait here for me.”

With that, she flew straight toward the frozen lake.

The glow from the dome’s pearls fell upon her green robes, as if infusing a sliver of vitality into the endless ice.

Before Ying Qujie could even utter a warning, the little wooden puppet vanished in the blink of an eye.

She really was in a hurry.

He lowered his gaze, fingers brushing over the flexible blade in his hand.

“Physician Ying, the Immortal is so incredible. Isn’t she afraid at all? This place is terrifying.” Cong Shuang’s voice trembled pitifully at the end, as if the icy chill had seeped into her bones.

“Physician Ying, you’re amazing too. As a mortal, aren’t you cold here?”

Ying Qujie twisted the red bracelet on his wrist, it burned faintly against his skin. The baleful energy swirling around him formed an impervious barrier, blocking out all external cold.

Cong Shuang couldn’t see this shield. Like someone frightened, she stiffly leaned closer to Ying Qujie. The black-red energy curled unhappily around her neck.

Ying Qujie took a step back. Cong Shuang took a step forward.

“Miss Cong Shuang,” he said, “we are still within her line of sight.”

Ying Qujie’s warning skipped a few steps, directly voicing his suspicions.

Cong Shuang paused for a moment before letting out an eerie laugh.

“Is that so? But it seems the immortal can’t spare any attention for you right now,” Cong Shuang hinted, glancing meaningfully toward the Frozen Lake.

Following her gaze, Ying Qujie saw the little wooden puppet, previously moving with lightning speed, suddenly freeze mid-air above the circular platform, as if someone had forcefully pressed a pause button.

On the platform, Yan Xingyi was still struggling to drag the half-conscious Prince of Liang through the water.

They were on the verge of being completely swallowed.

“Physician Ying, mortals shouldn’t indulge in too much curiosity.”