Warm medicine emits fragrance

Not long after Fan Liuer and Siqing leaned against each other, footsteps could be heard outside.

The two were so frightened that they trembled and held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

As the footsteps drew closer, followed by the sound of machinery turning, then a slight tremor in the ground, the brick wall shifting and making a dull grating sound on the ground.

The light slanted out from directly opposite Fan Liuer. The light wasn't bright, but it was enough to make out objects, allowing Fan Liuer to see the figure standing at the door.

"Oh, you're awake?" Standing at the door was a woman dressed as a man, her tone light and teasing.

Fan Liuer wasn't as scared as before. Since she was a woman, she and Siqing shouldn't have experienced any terrible encounters.

The woman stepped in, bathed in light, and knelt down in front of the two. Her gaze swept over their faces before finally settling on Fan Liuer's.

"This young lady is really pretty."

She was backlit, so Fan Liuer couldn't see her expression and could only judge her current situation by the tone of her voice.

She swallowed hard and said softly, "Young lady, did you kidnap us for money?"

"If it's about money, name your price. My husband is very wealthy."

The woman laughed even louder, "I like people like you who have good judgment. Don't worry, as long as your husband is willing to pay, we won't make things difficult for you two."

Fan Liuer breathed a sigh of relief.

It's all about the money.

"Since you're awake, get up. I'll take you two to get something to eat. You two are our cash cows now, we can't let you go hungry." As she spoke, the woman pulled out a small knife from her waist and reached towards Fan Liuer's ankle.

Fan Liuer instinctively tried to shrink back, but the woman grabbed her foot and cut the rope around her ankle with a knife.

The restraints on her feet were loosened, but the woman's hands did not loosen; she even pinched Fan Liuer's calf.

"So soft."

Fan Liuer dared not move again, feeling strange all over her body.

The woman moved quickly, untying the ropes binding Fan Liuer and Si Qing with a few slashes. Then she stood up and reached out to Fan Liuer.

Get up.

Fan Liuer hesitated for a moment, then slowly placed her hand on it.

Although the other person was a woman, she had a lot of calluses on her hands, and the skin under her fingertips felt very rough.

"Why are your hands so cold?" the woman exclaimed in surprise.

"I...I'm naturally prone to feeling cold," Fan Liuer whispered.

The woman glanced at her a few times upon hearing this, but said nothing.

Fan Liuer felt uneasy under her gaze and was about to ask when the woman tightened her grip, saying, "Then I'll warm you up."

"Speak," she said, taking Fan Liuer's hand and turning to pull her outside.

Fan Liuer felt increasingly uneasy, but dared not ask any questions or resist, and could only follow behind the woman.

Siqing immediately got up and followed behind the two.

Once outside, the view was finally clear, and Fan Liuer looked around.

They are currently walking along a brick-paved path, occasionally passing a stone chamber containing some ceramic jars.

The more she looked, the more uneasy she felt.

No matter how you look at it, this place is very eerie and doesn't seem like a habitable place.

At the end of the passage, the woman pulled her to the right. In front of them was a door. Passing through the door, they found themselves in a very spacious place, like a grand hall.

However, instead of a chair, a stone coffin was placed in the center of the hall.

Fan Liuer's legs went weak, but the woman helped her up.

"Is this...is this a tomb?"

The woman helped her to her feet, smiling at her. "Is it that scary? The owner of this tomb has been dead for hundreds of years. Even if he became a ghost, he would have long since vanished."

Fan Liuer thought to herself that these bandits really had no scruples, actually setting up their den in a tomb.

They weren't afraid, but she was. She didn't dare to look around and could only stare at the woman's face.

Her appearance, like her personality, was spirited, with dark skin and some brown spots on her cheeks.

She should be about the same age as Fan Liuer.

The face in front of her suddenly magnified, and she leaned in, extremely close, only a palm's distance from Fan Liuer.

"Am I good-looking?"

Fan Liuer was so frightened that she tilted her head back.

She laughed heartily, "What are you afraid of? We're both women, and I can't do anything to you. If you think I'm pretty, then look at me more."

"Wei Nian, tone it down, don't act like a lecher." An old voice came.

Fan Liuer looked in the direction of the sound and saw a giant alchemy furnace in the center of the hall, taller than a person. An old man with white hair walked out from behind the furnace.

He was dressed in white, with white hair and eyebrows, and had a somewhat otherworldly and ethereal appearance.

This was different from the bandits Fan Liuer had imagined. She looked at the white-haired old man with surprise in her eyes.

Wei Nian's smile faded slightly. She released Fan Liuer's hand and walked towards the old man. "Master."

The white-haired old man glanced at Wei Nian, his gaze passing over her and landing on Fan Liuer before turning back to Wei Nian and asking, "Who did you bring back today?"

Wei Nian nodded, "Yes, but..." She paused, then lowered her voice, "This woman's husband is a bit troublesome, Master. Should we send them both away and choose someone else?"

The old man's face showed impatience. "There's no time. As long as I refine them at midnight tomorrow, my grand plan will be successful. At that time, what can a mere mortal do to me, even if he is an emperor?"

As he spoke, his voice deepened, "Wei Nian, I have waited thirty years for this day. Arrange for someone to hold those people back, and don't ruin my grand plan."

Wei Nian nodded, "Yes."

After saying that, she added, "Then I'll take them to eat first, and then I'll take them to take a bath."

The old man waved.

Wei Nian turned back to Fan Liuer and reached out her hand again, "Let's go."

Fan Liuer didn't hear their conversation and was completely confused about the situation.

This eerie tomb, this bizarre bandit leader, and this overly enthusiastic female bandit in front of me.

Were they... really bandits?

Fan Liuer began to suspect something.

After all, it's only a half-day drive from here to Guanshan Town. If there really were bandits here, there's no reason why she wouldn't have heard any news about it in Guanshan Town.

Filled with doubt, she followed Wei Nian around the main tomb chamber, up a long flight of stairs, and then to the next level.

Upon arrival, Fan Liuer immediately noticed the difference; this floor no longer had a stuffy smell, and there was even a breeze.

They came out of the tomb.

Soon, her doubts were answered. She followed Wei Nian to a railing, where Wei Nian faced her, placed his hands on the railing, and smiled at her.

"The moon here is beautiful, would you like to see it?"

Fan Liuer didn't need to walk over to know that what she said was true; behind her, the moonlight shone down.

Fan Liuer walked over, placed her hands on the railing, and first looked up.

That one look filled her with despair.