After being poisoned by mushrooms, all the strange creatures became fascinated by me.

The system's friendly reminder faded away, and in the end, Tang Li didn't finish off the person at her feet.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that she always does the opposite of what is expected.

"Are you awake?"

Tang Li asked.

The guard lying in the pool of blood suddenly opened his eyes. His body, which had felt extremely cold, gradually warmed up. He looked at Tang Li, his rational mind still not fully understanding the current situation, but he suddenly had a premonition that he had been saved.

He was breathing heavily, looking at Tang Li with a mixture of sorrow and pleading. He didn't speak, only large tears silently rolling down his eyelashes.

Fearing he would suffocate, Tang Li reached out and pulled off the black cloth covering his face, revealing a face that still had a touch of childishness. Only then did Tang Li realize with surprise that this person was no more than sixteen or seventeen years old.

Tang Li straightened up and put the half-used panacea back into her pocket: "Xia Feilin may come back at any time. If you can move, don't keep lying down. We can't waste time here."

The guard scrambled to his feet, not daring to utter a sound, only occasionally letting out a sob.

Tang Li watched his movements coldly. The little girl was a beat slow to speak and threatened, "If I can save you from such serious injuries, then I can naturally take your life back at any time."

"Do you understand this?"

The guard nodded hastily; he knew best how close he had come to death.

"I won't threaten you much," Tang Li said calmly. "Answer a few questions and I'll let you go."

Her saving the person before her was certainly not out of compassion. After all, what good people are there in this building?

"What's your name? How many years have you been at Xue Man Lou?"

The guard whispered, "My name is Su Changfeng, and I've been here for two years."

She pulled out the book "Xingtian Manual" from her bosom and waved it in front of Su Changfeng: "Have you ever practiced evil arts?"

The sudden appearance of the cultivation technique before him made Su Changfeng's breathing quicken: "No, the master has never bestowed any cultivation technique upon me. Only those who are most loyal and perform their duties best are granted this opportunity."

"Do you know why Xia Feilin values ​​that jade carving of the balsam flower so much?"

Su Changfeng said, "Because... that was the medium through which the adults prayed to the Phoenix Goddess."

Tang Li, being a priestess, gave him a sharp look: "Tell me about the Phoenix Goddess."

"Fengxian God," Su Changfeng said in a low voice, seemingly out of fear, "Fengxian God is omnipotent. He bestows cultivation techniques, gold and silver treasures, and I've heard... he can even grant the opportunity for eternal life."

"The Phoenix Goddess's favorite flower is the red balsam. That's why the Master absolutely refused to let anyone take that jade carving away." He said, clenching his teeth. "The jade carving is usually hidden away; it's all those stewards' fault..."

He dared not hate Xia Feilin, who killed him, so he transferred all his hatred to others.

"Immortality?" Tang Li recognized the keyword and pressed further, "Have you really seen someone who is immortal?"

Su Changfeng seemed to remember something, his whole body tensed up, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and longing: "Yes, yes, the master once showed us..."

"My lord, my lord, you can ask the God of Carefree to perform a miracle and resurrect his brothers who are loyal to him."

Tang Li breathed a sigh of relief, surprised that she had actually found someone in the know.

"That man was the master's right-hand man, and he died trying to save him. That night, we saw him breathe his last; there was a huge hole in his chest..." Su Changfeng shuddered violently. "Afterward, we smelled a wonderful fragrance, and something was wriggling in his chest. Blood returned to his body... and then he woke up. After that, he greeted us and spoke to us just like before..."

Tang Li raised an eyebrow: "Something's wriggling? What kind of thing?"

Su Changfeng opened his mouth, unable to express himself for a moment.

Tang Li tried to recall for him, "Was it something like grease?"

A look of horror flashed across Su Changfeng's face: "You... how did you know...?"

Tang Li raised her hand and pressed it against Su Changfeng's gradually healing wounds on his chest and abdomen, her tone calm: "Then think about it, Su Changfeng, what's the difference between everything you just experienced and the scene of the dead coming back to life that you witnessed?"

Su Changfeng's pupils trembled as he stared at Tang Li in horror.

"He can resurrect people," Tang Li smiled, "and so can I."

"He needs to pray to the gods to resurrect people, but I don't."

Tang Li stood on tiptoe, stretched out her arm, and patted Su Changfeng's arm.

"Su Changfeng, think about which side you should stand on?"

Without saying a word, Su Changfeng knelt down and kept begging.

"Get up," Tang Li said with a smile. "Now, I need you to take a little risk for me."

"Does your lord still have any important items hidden somewhere? Or, where did he hold the ritual when he resurrected people?"

After Tang Li finished speaking, Su Changfeng stood there hesitating for a moment, as if he had finally made up his mind, and took the lead to lead the way.

The more they walked down the road, the more familiar it seemed.

Tang Li narrowed her eyes and suddenly spoke up behind him, "You're not planning to take me to a place with lots of wine jars, are you?"

Su Chang, who was walking ahead, almost twisted his ankle. He turned back to Tang Li in a panic: "How...how did you know?"

Tang Li became suspicious.

"That dusty place doesn't seem like the kind of place your chivalrous master frequents," she said coldly.

"But, but," Su Changfeng said anxiously, his face flushed, "it's because the adults value that area and don't allow the servants to go in and clean it, and they don't even let us go near it on ordinary days, that's why it's covered in dust!"

Tang Li remained noncommittal and continued, "What's in the jar?"

Su Changfeng shook his head and said in a muffled voice, "I've heard that it's a miracle that can bring people back to life."

"Some say it contains balsam wine, which smells intoxicating and grants immortality with just one sip. Before the resurrection ceremony, the adults did indeed have someone specially bring out a jar."

"But last year, one of my brothers got greedy and stole a jar..." Su Changfeng's face turned pale, and he stumbled involuntarily. "He angered the Phoenix Goddess because of this, and when we found him the next day, he was no longer recognizable as a human..."

"He... turned into a thick layer of blood, mud, and bone fragments, covering an entire wall. If it weren't for the token he dropped and a perfectly intact head tucked beneath the flesh... no one would have recognized him."

"From then on, even if the adults didn't forbid it anymore, no one dared to go near that place again..."

No wonder, Tang Li thought to herself, no wonder she hadn't seen any guards when she strolled along like this.

This only made her more curious about what was inside the jar.

There was still a corridor between them and the room filled with wine jars, so Su Changfeng didn't dare go any further. Tang Li didn't make things difficult for him, but as usual, she gave him a warning and told him to keep watch outside.

Then she went straight to the wine jars inside and, without saying a word, took one down.

Upon taking a bite, Tang Li unexpectedly raised her eyebrows.

...very light.

——Empty?