Chapter 61: The Approaching Danger

Inside the medical clinic, the deep and lingering sound of a bell echoed through the empty hall, as if proclaiming something ominous.

Qu Wanqing’s heartbeat quickened involuntarily. The surrounding air was so tense it seemed nearly frozen, and the scent of medicinal herbs grew pungent, mingling with a premonition of misfortune.

"Clang... clang... clang..." The bell rang out once more, sounding like a warning sent from another world.

"Not good! Wanqing, be careful!" Jiang Yu’s expression suddenly shifted as he pulled Qu Wanqing behind him.

Qu Wanqing was slightly stunned, but quickly reacted, joining Jiang Yu in searching for the source of the bell.

They cautiously traversed the rooms of the clinic, every step as perilous as walking on thin ice, while countless unknown dangers seemed to lurk in the surrounding darkness.

Every shadow and every corner could potentially conceal a fatal threat.

"Where is that bell coming from?" Qu Wanqing asked in a low voice, a hint of trembling in her tone, yet her eyes remained resolute.

"Judging by the sound, it should be coming from that direction." Jiang Yu pointed toward a closed door in the distance, behind which the unknown seemed to loom heavily.

The two slowly approached the door, everything around them growing exceptionally quiet in that moment.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept past, causing Qu Wanqing to shudder involuntarily.

The ringing of the bell from behind the door grew clearer, as though summoning them into an undiscovered realm.

"Let's push it open," Jiang Yu said in a low voice, his tone tinged with a trace of resolute determination.

Qu Wanqing took a deep breath and shoved the door open with force.

The room beyond was covered in dust and cobwebs. Under the dim light, various strange mechanisms were scattered about, gleaming with a cold, piercing luster.

The bell sound originated from a massive bronze bell, next to which were placed various bizarre apparatuses, resembling an ancient testing ground.

"What... what is this?" Qu Wanqing stepped forward curiously, but before she could get close, the mechanisms suddenly activated, and a flurry of sharp blades lunged from all directions, forming an impenetrable barrier.

"Danger!" Jiang Yu reacted instantly, quickly pulling Qu Wanqing aside so they narrowly escaped the attack of the traps.

An anxious expression appeared on Qu Wanqing’s face, and cold sweat beaded on her palms.

The chilling aura of the surrounding mechanisms seemed to warn them against drawing near carelessly.

Jiang Yu knitted his brows tightly, carefully observing the operating patterns of the traps to find a vulnerability.

"Jiang Yu, these mechanisms are too powerful, what should we do?" Qu Wanqing asked in a lowered voice, clutching the small box in her hand tightly as if it were a protective amulet.

Jiang Yu’s gaze swept rapidly across the mechanisms. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Wait, there is a flaw here..."

Before his words fully faded, a mechanical latch emitted a sharp click, as though some hidden secret was about to be revealed.

Jiang Yu’s gaze was as sharp as a falcon’s, swiftly scanning the intricate mechanisms to find a glimmer of survival.

The gears of the traps meshed with a teeth-grating friction, and the cold light of the blades flickered like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, ready to harvest lives at any second.

Suddenly, Jiang Yu locked his eyes onto an inconspicuous corner where a tiny gear was slightly misaligned. This minute discrepancy became the key to cracking the mechanism.

"Found it!" Jiang Yu muttered in a low voice.

He cautiously approached the mechanism, his movements gentle and precise, akin to performing a delicate surgical operation.

Qu Wanqing’s heart leaped to her throat as she watched Jiang Yu’s every move intently, terrified of disturbing him or causing any unforeseen accident.

The surrounding air seemed to solidify, leaving only the whirring of the gears and the sound of their intertwined breathing to form an eerie melody.

Jiang Yu’s fingers nimbly adjusted the gears, sweat rolling down his forehead, yet he dared not split his focus even for a fraction of a second.

Time ticked away second by second; the whirring sound of the mechanisms gradually subsided, and the chilling glint of the blades faded.

Finally, with a soft click, the traps ceased operation, and the surrounding aura of danger dissipated along with them.

"We did it!" Jiang Yu let out a long breath, a triumphant smile blooming on his face.

Unable to contain her inner excitement any longer, Qu Wanqing lunged into Jiang Yu’s arms, holding him tightly.

"That's wonderful, Jiang Yu, you are simply amazing!" A tremor laced her voice, and the joy of surviving a catastrophe brought her nearly to the brink of tears.

Jiang Yu gently embraced Qu Wanqing in return, feeling her body temperature as an indescribable sense of happiness welled up in his heart.

The removal of danger drew their hearts closer, as though they had just weathered a trial of life and death together.

However, just as they were immersed in joy, a figure quietly appeared at the doorway.

Pale-faced and clutching her chest, Miss Bai stumbled into the room. "Master Jiang... save me..." Her feeble voice shattered the tranquility of the room and fractured the warm atmosphere between the two.

Seeing Miss Bai’s injured state, pity stirred within Jiang Yu’s heart. After a moment of hesitation, he walked toward her.

Watching Jiang Yu move toward Miss Bai, Qu Wanqing felt jealousy and a sense of crisis surge like a tidal wave. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails nearly dug into her flesh.

The surrounding air seemed to turn icy, pressing down heavily upon her emotions.

"What... exactly is your purpose?" Qu Wanqing’s voice was frigid, akin to a cold wind blowing from the underworld.

Suppressing the churning bitterness in her heart, she spoke in a tone as cold as ice: "Miss Bai, breaking into a forbidden area in the dead of night at such a life-or-death moment, instead of hiding in your own room, you come running straight to find Jiang Yu. What on earth are you plotting?"

Miss Bai trembled, tears rolling down her cheeks like broken pearls, looking as tear-stained and pitiful as pear blossoms drenched in rain. "Elder Sister Wanqing has misunderstood me. I was only... only frightened and wanted to seek someone to lean on..." She cast a timid glance at Jiang Yu before quickly lowering her gaze, frail and delicate like a dodder flower swaying in the wind.

Seeing Miss Bai in this state, Jiang Yu could not help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

He subconsciously wanted to step forward and offer comfort, only to be stopped by Qu Wanqing’s glacial glare.

A thick smell of gunpowder hung heavy in the air, tense and ready to erupt at the slightest provocation.

Caught between two women, Jiang Yu felt trapped in a dilemma, sitting on pins and needles, wishing he could simply vanish on the spot.

Suddenly, Qu Wanqing let out a cold laugh, shattering the suffocating deadlock.

She drew an exquisitely embroidered sachet from her sleeve—the very one previously confiscated from Miss Bai’s room.

"Miss Bai, the things found in your room are truly exquisite."

Miss Bai’s face instantly drained of all color, her lips trembling, yet she was unable to utter a single word.

Inside that sachet lay the undeniable proof of her collusion with Steward Qian!

A commotion broke out among the onlookers, who now cast looks of utter contempt and disgust toward Miss Bai.

To think that this seemingly fragile and harmless woman harbored such profound scheming!

Overwhelmed with shame, Miss Bai covered her face and fled in a panic, vanishing into the night.

"Wanqing, I..." Realizing he had wronged Qu Wanqing, Jiang Yu spoke with a guilty expression, wanting to explain.

Instead, Qu Wanqing smiled brightly, stepped forward, and naturally looped her arms around Jiang Yu’s waist, gently resting her head against his chest.

"I know you are kind-hearted and easily deceived. Still, you must be more careful next time. After all, you can know a person's face, but not their heart."

Jiang Yu held Qu Wanqing tightly, whispering softly into her ear, "I'm sorry, Wanqing, it will never happen again."

The sight of the two embracing was warm and sweet, making the previous tension seem like nothing more than an illusion.

Yet, at that exact moment, a violent wave of energy surged from the direction of the mysterious sickroom, causing the entire clinic to tremble slightly...

"What is that..." Jiang Yu’s expression changed abruptly as his gaze locked firmly onto the sickroom.