“You…” The black-clad man hadn’t expected her to be so ruthless. His expression tightened as he stared at her, momentarily speechless.
“What exactly is that thing? If you don’t speak, I’ll slice it off piece by piece…”
Her face was cold as she questioned him, the dagger in her hand stabbing downward, piercing his thigh. Blood spurted out, yet her expression remained utterly unchanged.
“Ugh, you witch, you…”
The pain in his leg made the black-clad man tremble and groan. Seeing her hand movements didn’t stop but instead the icy dagger seemed to inch toward his groin, he instinctively clenched his legs and cursed in fury.
“Witch? I just wanted to live quietly. If it weren’t for you people constantly targeting, framing, and blackmailing me, why would it come to this? Blame yourselves for provoking me, so…”
At his insult, Wan Qing smirked darkly. She had only wanted a peaceful life, occasionally treating illnesses or experimenting with poisons. Yet these people kept causing trouble, even wishing her dead. With a cold glare, she let the dagger slide down his thigh, pressing against his groin.
“Go ahead and kill me, kill me, I…”
The black-clad man hadn’t imagined falling into her hands would be so humiliating. He’d seen cruel women before, but none like her. The pain near his groin, though only from the dagger’s slight pressure, made him gasp in terror, his face pale as he screamed wildly, then bit down on his own tongue.
“Want to die? I haven’t allowed you to die yet, so don’t even think about it. And this poison pouch—seems you’re quite the expert with toxins. Too bad you met me. If you won’t talk, I have plenty of ways to make you…”
Seeing him bite his tongue, Wan Qing swiftly pinned him with another silver needle. His body froze, legs trembling, eyes burning with hatred as he glared at her.
With a wicked smile, she grabbed his chin, noticing a small poison pouch wedged between his teeth. She plucked it out effortlessly and tossed it aside. With a sharp tug, she dislocated his jaw to prevent further suicide attempts, then rummaged in her sleeve and produced a small vial.
Uncorking it, a sweet, cloying fragrance wafted out. Smiling, she tilted the vial, sprinkling some powder onto the wound on his thigh.
“You… what did you do to me?”
Unable to bite his tongue, the black-clad man could only struggle to lift his head, his voice slurred and trembling.
“If you won’t talk, I have countless ways to make you. I guarantee you’ll beg for death, only to find it worse than living…”
Seeing his stubborn defiance despite his fear, Wan Qing smirked coldly, the dagger glinting in her hand as she stood before him, her smile chilling.
“You…” Her expression, though sweet, sent shivers down his spine, his heart pounding in terror.
Soon, one or two ants appeared, drawn by the blood seeping from his wound. At first just a few, but as they vanished into the crimson pool, more and more swarmed toward him.
Not just ants—tiny insects, some with hard shells, crawled toward his injured leg.
“You… you…” The swarm of ants and insects, some even fluttering near his face, filled him with primal dread.
“Some ants have already crawled onto your leg. Soon, not just them, but these bugs will burrow into your wound, gnawing at your flesh bit by bit. Eventually… without me lifting a finger, you’ll become neither man nor woman. You’ll…”
Wan Qing chuckled lightly, relishing the terror in his eyes. She paused, then flicked a few ants from the blood pool onto his groin with her dagger.
“You… ah, ah! I’ll talk, I’ll talk, I’ll talk!”
Her words struck him like a ghostly apparition. The unbearable itch and pain at his groin made him writhe and scream. Even the toughest man would break under such torment.
“What did you say? You’re sure you’ll talk now?”
Seeing his arrogance shattered, Wan Qing’s smile widened, though she feigned disbelief.
“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Just get these things off me, and I’ll tell you everything! Ahh—they’re inside, they’re inside!”
Her sweet yet terrifying grin made sweat and blood mingle on his forehead. As he spoke, he felt something burrow into the wound at his groin, sending him into convulsions of horror.
“Just a little bug in your thigh wound. My potion makes them adore your blood. I’ve already plucked it out for you. Wouldn’t it have been easier if you’d cooperated sooner? Spared us both the trouble, hm?”
With a flick of her dagger, she extracted the squirming insect, showing him its bloodied body before tossing it aside. Sighing, she produced another vial, uncorked it, and blew a fine powder toward him.
“You…” With that breath, his acupoints unlocked. The black-clad man scrambled up, only to gag at the sight of ants and insects covering his legs, especially the wounded one. Swallowing bile and blood from sheer terror, he watched as the creatures slowly retreated, as if summoned away.
Once they were gone, he collapsed, drenched in sweat and blood, gasping for air.
“Speak. Your wound isn’t fatal yet, but if you keep bleeding, you’ll die soon enough.”
Rolling her eyes, Wan Qing wiped her bloodied hands with a silk handkerchief and tossed it aside. She perched on a nearby stone bench, crossing her legs.
“I… I don’t know much about the token. Just that it’s called the Dragon-Tiger Token. They say whoever possesses it gains the power of an army, so…”
Though he longed for death, the black-clad man hesitated, then spoke. Suddenly, with a desperate lunge, he flung a handful of black powder at her face.
“You… I was going to spare your wretched life, but you threw it away. Don’t blame me. The poison on you will rot your flesh within three days, reducing you to a puddle of blood. I’ll leave you with just enough breath to see Mu Wanjun—she’s about to marry someone else.”
His sudden attack caught her off guard. Wan Qing barely dodged, covering her nose, but still inhaled some. Dizziness washed over her, but she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay conscious. She sprinkled antidote powder on his wound, then turned away coldly.
“You… ah!” Her words and skills enraged him, but the searing pain in his leg made him scream again.
“Ugh…” Stumbling out of the pavilion, Wan Qing’s vision blurred. A carriage raced toward her on the road. She rolled aside, barely avoiding it, then staggered into the forest. Exhausted, she slumped against a tree, sweat pouring down her face. With trembling hands, she drew silver needles and pierced her own acupoints, one by one.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage