Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1760 Disaster
Xiao Xuan'er broke the silence, "Lord Fang, everyone in the manor except A-Wan can see that A-Shi has feelings for you. Now that he has gone to the Fang family, it may not be a bad thing."

"Had thoughts about it?" Fang Zilan repeated the four words noncommittally, finding it amusing. Not to mention that she treated A-Shi like a child, she actually knew A-Shi's thoughts better than anyone else.

"Ah Shi saw me as a high-ranking official. The fleeting glimpse I made when I first entered the brothel was deliberately staged by him." Fang Zilan's voice was very soft, but it still reached Xiao Xuan'er's ears, making her pause in surprise.

“Ah Shi told me all of this.” Fang Zilan stared intently at the fiery red sunset, her eyes stinging and her voice becoming hoarse. “When he told me these things, I was thinking that I had also chosen His Majesty as my high branch, hoping to realize my ambitions and aspirations.”

Her voice deepened, "I know I used my own methods and effort, so why be so harsh on A-Shi?"

Mo Han's hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched into a fist. "Sister Lan, you were clearly just..."

"But what?" Fang Zilan interrupted him. "Whether it's for self-preservation or for the sake of national stability, whatever the reason, I rose to power by leveraging His Majesty's influence, that's an indisputable fact."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan'er lowered her eyes and said, "Flowers do not bloom forever, and branches and leaves cannot remain evergreen. If one day..." She paused abruptly before continuing, "Has Lord Fang considered a way out?"

Fang Zilan smiled and said, "What a coincidence, A-Shi asked me the same question."

Mo Han's expression was complicated. Based on his understanding of Fang Zilan, she would most likely say something like, "You should have faith in me," or something similar, in a nonchalant way. However...

He knew very well that Fang Zilan was caught between Li Shengxuan and Ji Ningtian, in a difficult position with no way out. Anything she said would just be self-deception.

"I'd rather die fragrant on the branch than be blown away by the north wind." A-Shi's voice suddenly rang out. Fang Zilan turned around and looked back. The sky was getting dark, and the figure of the boy under the corridor seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist, not very clear, but he stood straight.

"You still remember?" Fang Zilan smiled casually. Ashi walked up to her and bowed solemnly. "Lord Fang, I've come to say goodbye."

Fang Zilan remained silent, watching as Ashi bowed respectfully, then stood up and met her gaze for the first time, saying, "Lord Fang, please take care."

"You too." Fang Zilan pursed her lips. "You should always put yourself first. I hope A-Shi lives a long and worry-free life."

"Then why did you lie to me?" Fang Zilan's voice was as cold as ice, and Awan's voice trembled involuntarily. "It was Young Master who told me not to tell you. He was afraid that if you saw the medicine puppet that was used to test the medicine for you, you would feel sorry for it."

"What's different about the drug puppets used to test the medicine on me?" Fang Zilan's voice trembled slightly, but Awan still noticed it.

She hesitated for a moment, and Fang Zilan had already placed the dagger in her sleeve against her neck. "If the young master asks, just say that I threatened you with my life, and you will have no choice but to tell."

"Fang Zilan!" Awan tried to dodge the dagger at her neck, but the dagger followed her like a shadow, stopping right next to her neck without hurting her in the slightest.

"Speak!" Fang Zilan almost roared. Awan clenched her fists, her eyes red-rimmed. "That medicinal puppet was made by Master. He found a woman born at the same time as you. You know that the Gu you have is unique in the world, so Master fed her a medicinal ingredient and planted a hundred Gu in it, just to mimic your state when the Gu flares up, in order to test a way to control it." Fang Zilan remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "Is she in a lot of pain?"

Awan didn't expect her to ask that, and nodded gently. "The drug puppet is more sensitive than ordinary people, and it feels much more painful when the poison takes effect than you do. But you also know my master's methods. The drug puppet in his hands is the one that truly makes you wish you were dead."

"That's enough." Fang Zilan's voice was filled with unspeakable exhaustion. "Awan, if you need to test the medicine, just use me. There's no need for the medicine puppet."

"How can this be?" Awan's eyes were filled with astonishment. "Testing medicine could be life-threatening if things go wrong, not to mention you know how painful it is when this Gu ailment takes effect..."

"I can bear that little bit of pain," Fang Zilan interrupted Awan, seemingly unwilling to say more.

Awan didn't care about that, "Even if you can endure this, feeding you poison and bleeding you out will hurt so much it'll take half your life..."

"I can't feel pain anymore." Fang Zilan's voice lowered a few decibels, but Awan was stunned by her words and didn't recover for a long time before she finally asked blankly, "What did you say?"

“Except when the Gu flares up, I don’t feel any pain.” Fang Zilan said calmly, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.

Awan snapped out of her daze and suddenly grabbed her hand. A flash of silver light appeared at her fingertips, and a red mark appeared on her palm. She didn't even flinch, letting the back of the hidden weapon in Awan's hand glide across her hand without any reaction.

"Little Awan, even if you cut me with the bladed side, I won't feel any pain." Fang Zilan's tone was tinged with bitterness. As she spoke, she snatched the hidden weapon from Awan's hand, and a bloody mark appeared on her palm as she twisted her fingers.

Her movements were so fast that Awan had no time to stop her. She could only watch helplessly as her palm was slashed until it was bloody and mangled. She couldn't help but cry out, "Fang Zilan, what are you doing? If you don't want me to make the medicine doll, then I won't. Why did you have to hurt yourself like this?"

“Little Awan, I didn’t kill Boren, but Boren died because of me. Haven’t these kinds of things happened many times over the years?” Fang Zilan lowered her eyes to look at the hidden weapon in her hand. It was originally cold and gleaming, but it had become filthy because it was stained with her blood.

Isn't she the same? She's stained with the blood of so many people, so why bother with this feigned compassion?
“I’m an assassin.” She raised her head, and the cold look in her eyes made Awan shudder. “My life has always been bought with the lives of others.”

“I know,” A-Wan hurriedly replied, her lips pressed tightly together. “I know it’s not easy for us Ghost Gate members to survive; it’s either you die or I live. But…”

"No buts." Fang Zilan interrupted Awan in a deep voice, "I just want to know, how confident are you in becoming a drug puppet to test medicine for me?"

"I'm 50% sure." Awan thought for a moment and then added, "I know you're reluctant, but I only need one person. As long as you agree to let me make this medicine puppet, I promise that it can only succeed and not fail."

"I believe you." Fang Zilan let Awan take the hidden weapon from her hand and clean and bandage her wounds. "Whatever you need, I'll help you find it."