CHAPTER 266: CHAPTER 266: I HAVE A PLAN

Wei Sheng grinned, teeth gleaming under the flickering light. "Sure, sure..." he said, tilting his head. "As soon as I get a taste of her blood."

His mouth moved lower, closer to Shen Li’s neck.

Qingran moved.

Two bullets fired in rapid succession, one to the neck, the other to the head.

Bang!

Bang!

Blood sprayed everywhere.

Landing on Shen Li as she screamed.

The impact sent Wei Sheng staggering, his head jerking to the side as dark crimson poured down his front. He dropped to one knee, his smile wiped clean.

But then... he laughed.

Low and raspy.

He was still laughing.

Even with two holes torn into him, he laughed.

Shen Li stared, frozen, her mouth parted in horror as blood splattered across her cheek and blouse.

She couldn’t even scream again, her voice was gone.

Xu Tianming reacted first, dragging Shen Li behind him and shielding her with his body. He shouted something, but she didn’t hear it.

The world had gone muffled.

Ruihuang and Yu Song were on Wei Sheng next.

They slammed him into the wall, their fists crashing into his ribs and face, boots striking his legs.

He didn’t stop laughing.

Even as blood bubbled from his mouth.

Even as they broke skin and left bruises.

He laughed and laughed until it turned to sobbing.

"I didn’t mean to—I didn’t want to—she made me—" he choked between blows. "She said her blood would make it stop—make the voice stop—!"

Qingran’s gun trembled in her hand.

Meng Nian turned to her, breathless, furious. "How long are we going to put up with this?! When are you going to end it?"

Qingran exhaled shakily, lowering her gun.

"He’s here for something.." she said. "And he’s slowly revealing it. So please... try to understand."

Meng Nian’s face twisted. "What about Shen Li? She’s horrified!"

Qingran’s eyes darkened. "It can’t be helped. There are going to be more traumatic moments in the days ahead. We can only brace ourselves."

Shen Li collapsed to her knees behind Xu Tianming, her breaths shallow. She was shaking all over, blood on her face, and in her eyes was something fractured.

Something that might never fully mend.

Qingran turned her gaze back to Wei Sheng now curled in a sobbing heap on the floor, blood staining every inch of him and her jaw clenched.

"Take him back to that room and lock him up."

Yu Song didn’t move.

His knuckles throbbed from the blows he’d thrown, but that wasn’t what made his breath shallow.

It was the laughter.

And the sobbing.

And the way the world around Wei Sheng felt like it had stopped breathing.

Then, without warning...

[That is not the voice of a man..]

The whisper was calm, like wind through a crack in a stone.

Yu Song blinked. "What do you mean?"

[The vessel remains, but the helm has changed hands. The thread of self has been taken by one who feeds on the mind.] Yingci replied.

He stared at Wei Sheng. At the blood. At the strange stillness after all the madness.

"Who?"

A pause. Then a soft, distant echo.

[One binds with chains of law, the other with chains of longing. Neither let go easily.]

Yu Song’s breath caught.

"Can he be saved?"

[What has tasted blood, rarely hungers for anything else.]

"So we can only put up with him?"

[That’s for Gu Qingran to decide. She’ll know what needs to be done and end this madness..]

Yu Song didn’t say anything and help Ruihuang drag Wei Sheng to the maintenance room.

"Meng Nian, Tianming. You know head to the main hall. I want to have a little chat with Shen Li."

Meng Nian gave her a brief pause before modding while Xu Tianming squeezed Shen Li’s hand gently.

Muttering "You’ll be fine."

Qingran waited until the others were gone and the hall had settled into silence. Only then did she turn back to Shen Li, her expression softer, more human than the others had seen in days.

She crouched beside her, careful not to crowd. Shen Li was still trembling, the blood on her face had dried now, flaking faintly when the dim light shifted.

Qingran reached out slowly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind the girl’s ear.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently.

Shen Li didn’t nod. She didn’t shake her head either. Just blinked, her eyes glassy and unfocused.

"I know you’re shaken up. Anyone would be. What he did... what he tried to do..." Qingran’s voice tightened, but she steadied it. "It was unforgivable. I should have stepped in sooner."

Shen Li finally looked at her. There was no accusation in her gaze just quiet confusion.

"Is he going to hurt someone else?" she whispered.

"Not if I can help it."

Silence stretched for a beat before Qingran exhaled slowly and leaned in.

"That’s why I need to move fast.." she said. "I didn’t want to do this yet, but I don’t have the luxury of time anymore. Not if I want to stop this from happening again."

She watched Shen Li’s face as she spoke.

"I’ll need your help. Not just today, but for something big. Something dangerous."

Shen Li frowned. "Me?"

Qingran gave a small smile. "You’re not ordinary, Shen Li. You’ve probably known that deep down. And I think... I think whatever that thing is inside Wei Sheng, it knows too."

Shen Li shivered, recalling what had happened.

"I’m not going to put you in danger blindly. I’ll protect you. But I need you to be strong."

Shen Li hesitated. "What do you want me to do?"

Qingran reached out and took her hand.

"I’ll explain when the time is right. For now, I just want you to trust me. Can you do that?"

Shen Li stared at her, wide-eyed. Then nodded.

"Okay then. Let’s head back to the main hall and get you cleaned up.."

Qingran helped her up, but her mind was in deep turmoil.

Now she has two things to worry about.