Things unfolded as she had imagined. Every day, Xiao Qi watched helplessly as Wu Caiwei’s people tortured Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu, who had been full of life, was now on the brink of death. She had no doubt that if they continued for another two days, she would lose him forever.
Every day, she wrestled with her conscience, hesitating. But when Wu Caiwei came again and administered more medicine to Xiao Liu, Xiao Qi could no longer hold back and asked, "What are you giving him?"
"I've been developing quite a few new medicines lately, but I lack test subjects. So, I've had to reluctantly try them on him. This one took me a great deal of effort to create. Initially, his hands and feet will slowly rot, followed by his arms and legs, then his face, until only a contorted body remains. It will slowly hollow him out from the inside, turning him into a corpse. The most thrilling part is the inhumane suffering he will endure throughout the process," Wu Caiwei explained with a look of perverse delight.
Xiao Qi stared at her, appalled by her monstrous demeanor. "We are both women! How can you be so vicious? You treat another person's life as nothing. You don't even deserve to be called human!"
"You know what I want. If you can't bear to see him suffer, just tell me what I want to know, and it will be over. What does that have to do with me? It's you who refuse to save him." Wu Caiwei fixed her gaze on Xiao Qi. She knew that at Xiao Liu's current state, he would surely perish if the torture continued. Of course, the medicine she gave Xiao Liu was not as terrifying as she had told Xiao Qi; it was actually meant to heal his injuries. Her objective hadn't been met yet, and he couldn't die.
However, the medicine was indeed something she had specifically developed, and its healing method was rather peculiar. Xiao Liu's face began to contort, and he broke out in a cold sweat from the pain. The more Xiao Qi saw him like this, the more she believed Wu Caiwei's words.
Given her cruel nature and her desperate desire to know the location of the gold mine, disregarding their lives, it was entirely possible that she would resort to such methods. Xiao Qi couldn't bear to watch him die before her eyes; otherwise, she would never find peace.
After some thought, as if she had made a firm decision, she looked up at Wu Caiwei. "If I tell you what I know, will you spare him and give him the antidote?"
"Of course. I don't care for anything else he has to offer, and I'm not one to go back on my word." Wu Caiwei pulled out a vial from her bosom and dangled it in front of Xiao Qi, saying triumphantly, "The antidote is right here. Whether he suffers less is entirely up to you."
Xiao Qi's eyes were fixed on the vial of antidote, yearning to snatch it. But after struggling for a long time, she couldn't move at all and was exhausted. She glanced at the half-dead Xiao Liu. She knew that if she got the antidote, he would surely look at her with disapproval. But the situation had reached this point, and she had no other choice. Rather than watch him die, she preferred to be a traitor, despised by all.
Unbeknownst to Xiao Liu, Wu Caiwei gave him the antidote. Then, following Xiao Qi, they entered the wilderness and arrived before a stone cliff. Wu Caiwei lightly pressed her hand against the wall, and a stone door swung open.
Inside was pitch darkness, stretching as far as the eye could see. The soldiers trailing behind Wu Caiwei were beaming with joy. This was the gold mine they had been searching for! The thought of the entire mountain filled with gold, and the immense wealth it represented, thrilled them. Xiao Qi, however, said sternly, "The reason I had you give Xiao Liu the antidote wasn't because I planned to go back on my word. It's because your previous actions have alerted King Li. If I'm not mistaken, the mechanisms inside have been reset, and many ambushes have been laid, waiting for you. It's uncertain whether you'll even survive to claim the gold."
Wu Caiwei nodded. She had already considered this. Knowing that Xiao Liu was in her hands, if he couldn't endure it and revealed the location, they would surely lead them along the safest route for security. Thus, the seemingly safest path was actually the most dangerous.
Xiao Qi watched in shock as Wu Caiwei brazenly walked towards the path previously used by the workers. She quickly called out to Wu Caiwei and tried to explain, but Wu Caiwei continued on her way. Xiao Qi stamped her foot in frustration and followed.
Upon entering, Wu Caiwei carried a long staff, tapping it at various points as they proceeded, wary of traps. The staff proved to be quite helpful. A seemingly ordinary stone slab was actually concealing sharp implements beneath. If stepped on, it would impale their feet, making it impossible to pull free.
Simultaneously, walls on both sides opened, and numerous arrows shot towards the center of the path. Had they been walking there, they would have been riddled with arrows. After finally traversing the long passage, they finally saw the glittering gold. If not for Wu Caiwei's established authority, the soldiers would have rushed forward long ago to stuff the gold into their pockets.
As everyone was captivated by the sight of the gold and let down their guard, numerous figures in black suddenly emerged from the sides. The Yang family soldiers, caught off guard, were caught in a surprise attack. By the time they reacted, they had lost the initiative. Fortunately, Wu Caiwei's martial prowess was formidable, and she quickly turned the tide of the battle. However, as there were many passages within the tunnels, the attackers saw the situation was not in their favor and vanished before their eyes. After much effort, they managed to open the stone doors, but the attackers were long gone.
This incident cast a serious expression on everyone's faces. They deliberately ignored the gold and followed closely behind Wu Caiwei. Standing amidst the gold, Wu Caiwei closed her eyes, recalling all the events and the terrain they had encountered since entering the cave. She finally discovered a pattern: they had laid out the area in the formation of a Bagua diagram.
To confirm her suspicion, she tentatively opened the stone doors on the walls one by one. When she opened the sixth one, before the door even opened, she sprinkled a handful of powder inside. Soon, shouts were heard, and a large number of people fell. The Yang family soldiers behind her, who had already witnessed her capabilities, were astonished by her every move. It was no wonder the young lord trusted her implicitly. If it were him, he would also treat her as an honored guest.
After repeating this process several times, Wu Caiwei felt that the people hidden within the mountain had been largely eliminated. She then ordered her men to split up and hunt down the remaining forces hidden there. After an unknown amount of time, they returned, covered in blood.
Xiao Qi had been hiding her presence, trying to avoid attracting attention. Witnessing Wu Caiwei's cruelty and the slaughter of so many people in such a short time, she felt immense guilt for leading them here.