Chapter 29: Entanglements of a Past Life

"Is that so?"

He smirked, and didn't say whether he believed it or not.

That look, however, carried a hint of meaning, but she no longer dared to probe further.

"The conditions you proposed, I accept, but... my silver isn't that easy to earn."

He was clearly smiling, yet the smile didn't reach his eyes.

For some reason, Master Huang and his grandson couldn't help but flinch.

The other side looked like just a frail scholar, yet why did he give them a sense of oppression?

Master Huang hurriedly said, "We will certainly do our utmost, please rest assured, young master."

Shen Qingquan said nothing further; the young master gave her a deep glance, then nodded toward the guard.

"Then I shall be at your service, both of you," the guard said.

"We dare not; it's just... there are women at home now, so it's inconvenient to invite the young master in. May we see you outside the gate instead?"

The guard looked toward his own master, saw the master nod, and then said, "Very well."

From start to finish, the man's gaze mostly lingered on Shen Qingquan.

The woman stood alone in the courtyard, her eyes slightly lowered; light fell on her head, casting a faint halo of shadow that made her face appear dim and indistinct.

She was beautiful.

Like a mesmerizing night, cool, aloof, and soul‑piercing.

Her coarse linen robe did not conceal her beauty at all; instead it gave an unadorned beauty, like raw jade.

Especially those eyes—jet‑black and bright—as if a single glance could see into a person's heart.

"Heh."

Finally, he lowered the carriage curtains, his brows lowered and a faint smile on his face.

Recalling the conversation he heard that day, it turned out... it was her.

…

Soon, Huang Yuanchang took the medicine box and stepped forward, with Master Huang accompanying him.

"Both of you, please get in the carriage."

They entered the carriage, and soon the thick curtains fell again; the guard stood before the carriage, towering and unmoving.

Shen Qingquan also did not leave, still standing in the courtyard, waiting quietly.

Her expression was calm, revealing nothing, yet no one knew that at this moment she was caught in tangled, complex emotions.

It couldn't be him; he is the Crown Prince of Qianzhou, how could he appear a thousand li away in Xiangcheng?

She felt a battle raging within her heart.

In her previous life, after Shen Qingquan lost her relatives, she inadvertently fell into the hands of Xiao Hanyuan, the Crown Prince of Qianzhou. That was a dark, painful memory for her.

That man was like a demon, dominating her entirely. He was obsessive, tyrannical, autocratic, gloomy, and capricious; during the years she spent by his side, not a single day brought her peace. She lived on edge, fearing that any mistake might anger him and bring his punishment.

His methods of punishment were endless; each time left her scarred and unforgettable. What he liked most was to toy with, even mock, her struggles and despair, until she could no longer bear it and begged him for mercy.

He seemed to relish the process; as she stubbornly showed a vulnerable expression, his gaze grew even more profound and terrifying, as if to swallow her.

Whenever that happened, she grew even more afraid of him.

She escaped many times, but each time he eventually captured her again. His power was overwhelming; throughout Qianzhou he was second to none, wielding authority beyond imagination. At that time she was merely a helpless, destitute Shen family girl, her parents and clan dead, and her maternal family's fate unknown.

She was secretly harmed by Shen Qinya and Xia Chengche, and after being gravely injured she inadvertently drifted to Qianzhou, where she met Xiao Hanyuan. By then she already knew Shen Qinya and Xia Chengche's true nature and was determined to seek revenge, but she never expected that after escaping the wolf's mouth she would fall into the tiger's den.

She was imprisoned in that ornate cage, day after day able to see only one person, without freedom or future, living like a walking corpse. She was nearly mentally broken; his domination and obsession drained her spirit.

Perhaps because the lessons of her previous life were so painfully harsh, she now, reborn, craved strength.

She refuses to remain a helpless piece of meat to be bullied; she wants to become the knife.

To possess the power to dominate this world and protect her family's safety.

Even if she must later confront him, she will have the confidence and will not, as in the previous life,

allow him to control her without any resistance.

She never wants to see that face again. Yet she never imagined that just a few days after rebirth, she would encounter someone so similar to him!

She took a deep breath, striving to shake off this bizarre thought.

This person is not him.

Shen Qingquan, don't scare yourself.

In her memory, that perverse demon could not possibly appear here, and he only had a single guard by his side? He has been ill since childhood, frail, and whenever she saw him, he was always wrapped in a fur coat by the fire, with not a trace of vitality around him.

Moreover, he exuded a terrifying coldness, like a thousand‑year‑old black ice.

How could such a man speak so gently to others?

Thinking of this, her previously turbulent heart gradually calmed, like a disturbed lake slowly becoming still.

Yes, she has been reborn. She is no longer the Shen Qingquan of her previous life. This time, she will certainly not fall into his clutches again!

She did not know that her expression at that moment was captured in the eyes of those in the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Bai Yi slowly withdrew his gaze. Was it his illusion? The way she looked at him was not like the first meeting, as if... she already knew him.

That initial shock, surprise, and a hint of... fear in his eyes did not seem feigned. Yet, in his memory, he had never seen her.

Then it's strange—how did she come to know him? Does she know his identity?

A flash of sharpness flickered in his slightly lowered eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

Master Huang suddenly felt a chill inside the carriage; when he recovered, the sensation had disappeared.

He inspected the eyes, then the nose, then the heart, not daring to glance carelessly, and carefully examined the wound.

Only upon this examination did they discover his injuries were severe. On his shoulder was a gruesome blood wound that looked like... an arrow wound? He should have taken medicine, yet it hadn't healed; the wound turned black, leading him to suspect poisoning.

"Please, young master, extend your hand."

He took his pulse, and as he did, his brows furrowed deeper.

Bai Yi leaned against the carriage, his expression calm, as if not at all anxious about his condition.

"The young master has probably carried the Weakness since childhood; this injury has severely drained his vital energy, and on top of that the arrow is poisoned. The situation… is far from optimistic."

Huang Yuanchang, standing nearby, said nothing; he is not well‑versed in poisons, and at home only Grandfather can understand a thing or two. He stared for a long while but could not discern what poison the young master had been struck by.

"Do you know what poison I've taken?"

"The old man observes that it should be February Red."

A flash of sharp insight flickered in Bai Yi's eyes, somewhat surprised; this folk doctor he had stumbled upon unintentionally had recognized the poison he was afflicted with at a glance.

Outside, guard Min Feng twitched his ear, hearing the conversation inside crystal clear. If any military personnel were present, they would surely notice that although he stood there, his whole body remained on high alert, as if the slightest rustle of wind would make him dash out and seize that person.? This book was first published on 17K Novel Network; see the official content right away!