Seeing the Marchioness of Wuning firmly refuse, the steward monk said no more.

The Marchioness of Wuning ultimately assigned the task to Tang Wei’s other personal maid, Ningcui.

“You lost track of the young lady, so you must bring her back safe and sound. This way you can redeem yourself through merit. Do you understand?”

Ningcui was scared to death inside but didn’t dare refuse. She said in a trembling voice: “This servant understands. This servant will definitely bring the young lady back.”

“Go then.” The Marchioness of Wuning no longer looked at her and closed her eyes wearily.

Ningcui walked with heavy steps into the darkness.

The wind at night was very cold, mercilessly cutting her tender cheeks, making her think of Qinghong whose throat had been cut.

That person who had captured the young lady… after receiving the banknotes, would they really release the young lady? Or would they do to her and the young lady what they did to Qinghong—

Ningcui instinctively touched her neck, tears filling her eyes.

On such a deep night, with swaying shadows everywhere, she simply couldn’t recognize the path.

The monk guiding her stopped: “The valley entrance is just ahead. Female benefactor, please be very careful.”

Ningcui gripped the lantern pole tightly, her face deathly pale as she nodded.

The path ahead, she would have to walk alone.

She carried the lantern, stumbling with each step, the path seeming to have no end.

Ahead, a tall black shadow stood silently.

Ningcui gathered her courage and raised the lantern high, instinctively breathing a sigh of relief.

It was that pine tree!

She carried the lantern and carefully approached, discovering the blue cloth strip tied to the pine tree.

She first followed the letter’s instructions and placed the pouch containing the banknotes on the ground half a zhang away from the back of the pine tree, then circled back to wait quietly.

Slight footsteps sounded—the rustling of thick fallen leaves and dry grass being stepped on.

Ningcui’s entire body tensed as she stared fixedly behind the pine tree.

She vaguely saw a figure approach and then retreat. Something flew over.

In that instant, Ningcui’s hair stood on end. She covered her mouth tightly to keep from screaming.

The thing that flew over landed not far away—a pebble wrapped in blue cloth.

Ningcui fearfully removed the cloth strip and brought it close to the lantern to look.

On the cloth strip was crookedly written a location.

She gripped the cloth strip and ran back to where the monk was waiting, her tone carrying the excitement of having survived a catastrophe: “Here, the young lady is here!”

The monk took the cloth strip and looked at it, then hurried to say: “Female benefactor, go this way.”

The two rushed toward the place written on the cloth strip.

Inside the valley the wind was somewhat lighter. The grass was half a person’s height, shadowy and indistinct, making one’s heart palpitate.

Intermittent whimpering sounds came from somewhere unknown.

Ningcui raised the lantern to look and flew over: “Young lady!”

Tang Wei was tied up like a dumpling lying on the ground, struggling feebly.

“Young lady, Young lady, are you all right?” Seeing Tang Wei’s face clearly, Ningcui screamed and directly flung the lantern from her hand.

The monk picked up the lantern and walked over. Borrowing the lamplight to illuminate, he saw Tang Wei’s appearance.

Looking just at her right cheek, it was smooth and fair. Though disheveled, it couldn’t hide her beauty. But on her left cheek, a bright red brand mark destroyed all the beauty.

“Mmm mmm mmm—” Seeing people arrive, Tang Wei called out intensely, but unfortunately with broken cloth stuffed in her mouth, she couldn’t shout.

Ningcui came to her senses and crawled over to clumsily remove the cloth ball stuffing Tang Wei’s mouth and untie the ropes.

Tang Wei’s hands and feet gained freedom, but she still couldn’t move.

Ningcui kept crying: “Young lady, Young lady, are you all right?”

“Do you want to die? Quickly carry me away!” Tang Wei’s voice was hoarse as she said through gritted teeth.

“Yes, yes, this servant will carry you back right away.” Ningcui reached out to pull Tang Wei. Because of her panic, she couldn’t get her on her back for a moment and received a feeble slap.

“Useless!” Tang Wei cursed in a hissing voice.

Ningcui carried Tang Wei forward while gritting her teeth. She fell several times along the way before finally walking out of the valley.

The people waiting there surrounded them. An old servant took Tang Wei over and carried her on her back to the Marchioness of Wuning.

“Mother—” As soon as Tang Wei saw the Marchioness of Wuning, she broke down crying.

The Marchioness of Wuning saw Tang Wei’s face and was scared out of her wits: “Wei’er, what happened to you!”

Tang Wei raised her hand to touch the undamaged skin on her left cheek and screamed: “A mirror, bring me a mirror!”

No one dared move.

“Mother, I want a mirror, I want to see my face!” Tang Wei shouted loudly. Perhaps from half a day of terror and fear, in her agitation her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

Another bout of chaos ensued. The unconscious Tang Wei was changed into clean clothes, her face and hands wiped clean, making the bright red brand mark on her left cheek even more conspicuous and frightening.

The Marchioness of Wuning stared fixedly at her daughter’s left cheek, completely unable to accept it.

Her daughter was completely ruined!

She abruptly stood up and went to find the steward monk.

“That person is familiar with the surrounding terrain—they’re either from the temple or from this area. Your esteemed temple must give my daughter an explanation!”

The steward monk chanted a Buddhist invocation: “This humble monk has already arranged for disciples to guard both ends of the valley and the path down the mountain. Tomorrow we’ll search the mountain together with the constables…”

Hearing the steward monk’s arrangements, the Marchioness of Wuning turned and went back.

The steward monk secretly sighed.

Fortunately, they hadn’t listened to this lady and let the person who abducted Second Miss Tang go unchecked. Otherwise, they would be even more helpless now.

When Tang Wei woke, the sky was already bright.

Seeing the Marchioness of Wuning sitting beside her, she was somewhat confused: “Mother, why are you in my room?”

The Marchioness of Wuning’s eyes reddened: “Wei’er, you’re awake. Are you hungry?”

“I’m hungry—” Tang Wei’s expression froze as she suddenly sat up. “Quickly bring me a mirror!”

Knowing her daughter would have to face it sooner or later, the Marchioness of Wuning signaled the maid to bring the mirror.

Tang Wei looked into the mirror and saw that the left side of her cheek had already been treated with medicinal ointment and bandaged.

She reached out to scratch, but was stopped by the Marchioness of Wuning: “Wei’er, you absolutely must not scratch. The doctor has applied scar-removing ointment for you.”

Tang Wei didn’t dare move and screamed: “Mother, has the person who harmed me been caught? I want to cut them into a thousand pieces!”

“Wei’er, calm down first.” The Marchioness of Wuning signaled to the maid.

The maid walked out. Before long, she brought in a man dressed as a constable.

“Wei’er, Constable Liu wants to ask you questions. Just tell him what you know so the person who harmed you can be found sooner.”

Tang Wei nodded repeatedly.

“Does Miss Tang remember how the incident happened yesterday?”

Tang Wei’s gaze was confused: “I was walking quickly in the forest when I suddenly tripped and fell. Someone covered my mouth, and then I knew nothing.”

“What happened after that?”

“After that—” Tang Wei recalled, her face deathly pale. “When I woke up, I saw a man with a black cloth mask covering his face, showing only his eyes. He looked at me for a while, then, then—”

Tang Wei’s tears flew directly, her expression mixing fear with despair: “He used iron tongs to pick up a piece of burning charcoal and pressed it onto my face—Mother, I’m disfigured, wuwuwu…”

Constable Liu waited for her to cry for a while before asking again: “Did that person say anything?”

“He didn’t say a single word. After burning my face, I knew nothing again. When I woke up again, I was lying there unable to move.”

Constable Liu pondered for a moment, then said to the Marchioness of Wuning: “This person’s demand for money was probably incidental. Their true purpose was seeking revenge.”