Rules of Horror: Survival Begins in the Haunted Harem - Chapter 69

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Xie Nuange had always assumed that because she belonged to the Noble Consort Faction and had entered through Entrance C, everyone who came through Entrance C must belong to that faction.

But what if that was not the case?

What if entrances and factions had nothing to do with each other?

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing Xie Nuange fall silent, Su Ye asked in confusion, “Is there a problem?”

Xie Nuange shook her head. “Have you spoken with any of the other Chosen Players who became palace maids?”

“Which entrance did they use?”

“Entrance B, all of them.” Su Ye looked at Xie Nuange. “That’s why we suspect everyone who enters through Entrance B becomes a palace maid.”

“Which entrance did you use?”

Xie Nuange answered slowly, “Entrance C.”

Entrance C was for palace candidates, while Entrance B was for palace servants. Then what was Entrance A?

Was it outside the palace, as Beilin had said?

So entrances really had nothing to do with factions.

“Call Xiao Yunzi in. Let’s ask him about the imperial harem.”

When Xiao Yunzi entered, Xie Nuange asked, “You’ve been in the palace for three years. Which palaces do the principal consorts occupy?”

“Your Ladyship, the Empress Dowager lives in the Palace of Longevity and Health. She spends most of her time worshipping the Buddha and almost never sees the consorts of the imperial harem.”

Xiao Yunzi went on to list all the principal consorts.

“The Noble Consort lives in Yikun Palace, Consort De in the Palace of Eternal Longevity, Consort Jing in the Palace of Universal Happiness, and Consort Qi in Zhongcui Palace.”

Xie Nuange and Su Ye listened closely and nodded.

“What do you know about the Noble Consort?”

Xie Nuange looked at Xiao Yunzi. “I was thinking of paying my respects to Her Ladyship this afternoon.”

“The Noble Consort is deeply favored.”

Xiao Yunzi’s tone changed slightly when he spoke of her. “She has served His Majesty since he still resided in his princely estate.”

“She has the gentlest disposition and never quarrels with anyone. There isn’t a soul in the palace who doesn’t respect her.”

Xie Nuange and Su Ye exchanged a look. “Then we’ll go to Yikun Palace.”

[Rule Five: The Noble Consort is an absolutely good person. You can trust her.]

Xie Nuange rose. “Su Ye, let’s pay our respects to the Noble Consort.”

They had Xiao Yunzi lead the way and headed toward Yikun Palace.

The Noble Consort occupied Yikun Palace’s main hall. The moment Xie Nuange stepped through the entrance, she caught the scent of incense.

The doors to the hall stood open when she and Su Ye arrived.

A palace maid dressed in lake-green came out to greet them. “Her Ladyship is copying sutras in the Buddhist room. Please wait a moment, Your Ladyship. This servant will announce your arrival.”

The maid soon returned. “Please follow this servant. Her Ladyship will be with you shortly.”

Xie Nuange was led into the sitting room of the main hall. The main hall of Yikun Palace was more than twice the size of the Palace of Eternal Spring, yet its furnishings were simple.

There were no lavish or magnificent ornaments. Everything was understated.

Far too understated for the residence of the most favored woman in the imperial harem.

When the Noble Consort emerged from the Buddhist room, Xie Nuange stood and swiftly glanced at her face.

She recognized the Noble Consort as one of the women who had occupied the foremost seats during the morning greeting.

She wore a silver-red banner gown and a white jade hairpin, and her features were gentle.

“Greetings, Your Ladyship.”

Not daring to stare, Xie Nuange bent her knees in a curtsy.

“No need for such formality. Sit, Noble Lady Xie.”

The Noble Consort’s voice was gentle. She took the principal seat and looked at Xie Nuange. “Biyu, serve the tea.”

Xie Nuange rose to thank her for the seat, then sat down. Su Ye withdrew behind her and stood with her hands lowered.

A palace maid entered with a tray and set tea before both the Noble Consort and Xie Nuange.

Xie Nuange raised her eyes, preparing to exchange a few polite words.

Then she saw the Noble Consort take a sachet from inside her clothes.

It was only the length of a thumb and hung from a red silk cord.

The Noble Consort fastened it naturally to a frog closure on her banner gown.

But the sachet… was red.

The moment Xie Nuange saw it, her first instinct was to jump out of her chair and take her leave.

How could she put it on only after they arrived?

[Rule Six: The Noble Consort wearing a red sachet is a false Noble Consort. Look carefully and determine whether the Noble Consort before you is real or false.]

Xie Nuange immediately set down her teacup and rose with a smile.

She swallowed the questions she had intended to ask about the birthday banquet.

“Your Ladyship, this concubine merely came today to familiarize herself with the palace. Having only just arrived, this concubine does not know her way around, so she wished to pay her respects and learn the route here.”

She signaled Su Ye to hand the tea leaves to the young palace maid.

“This tea came from this concubine’s family. It’s nothing precious, but perhaps Your Ladyship might keep it and enjoy a new flavor. This concubine won’t disturb Your Ladyship any longer. There are other palaces she must still—”

“There’s no hurry.”

The Noble Consort’s voice drifted down from the principal seat, cutting off Xie Nuange’s imminent farewell.

“It has been a long time since I gained a new younger sister. Sit and chat with me awhile.”

“What is it?”

The Noble Consort tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Xie Nuange’s banner gown. “Are you unwilling?”

At some point, the fragrance that had seemed pleasant only moments ago had turned sickeningly sweet.

Xie Nuange did not dare delay. Her knees had already bent to curtsy, but she straightened again at those words.

“This concubine would not dare.”

She sat down once more, placed her hands on her knees, and held her back rigidly straight.

The Noble Consort gave her a cold glance.

Perhaps it was only Xie Nuange’s imagination, but after the Noble Consort spoke, she suddenly detected a trace of rot mixed into the fragrance filling her nose.

The main hall, bright only moments before, was now lit solely by the dim light filtering through the doors and windows. Dust motes drifted visibly through the gloom.

A chill brushed the back of her neck. Su Ye seemed to have disappeared as well.

Xie Nuange could hear nothing behind her. Where had Su Ye gone?

And if Su Ye was gone, who was standing behind her, hidden in her blind spot and breathing cold air against her neck?

A dark shape suddenly moved in the depths of the hall.

Xie Nuange snapped her gaze toward it and locked on.

The longer she stared, the more it resembled a person standing there, watching her.

Who was it?

Xie Nuange stood ready to unleash her ghost items and skills at any moment.

Even if she could not win, she could still escape.

Just then, a hand slowly settled on her right shoulder. It was bitterly cold and carried that cloying, rotten stench.

In an instant, the hand pinned her to the chair so completely that she could not even rise.

“Mo—”

Xie Nuange had only begun to speak when a head crowned with a Manchu headdress leaned in beside her left cheek.

A finger pressed against her lips.

It sealed the unfinished word in her throat, leaving her unable to make a sound.

Absolute suppression.

Xie Nuange’s heart sank. Before a high-ranking consort, a low-ranking consort was nothing more than an ant to be crushed at will.

To survive in the imperial harem, she had to climb the ranks.

“Noble Lady Xie… don’t be nervous. I don’t eat people.”

From the corner of her eye, Xie Nuange watched that gentle face draw closer. She swallowed against her dry throat.

Crack.

One of the beads around her wrist shattered with an audible snap.

The ghost item Twelve Links Bracelet had blocked a fatal blow for Xie Nuange, costing her one bead.

Xie Nuange stared at the sachet hanging from the Noble Consort’s clothes, wishing she could tear it off.

If she removed it, the Noble Consort would return to normal.

Before she could decide how to act, the Noble Consort’s head went still.

“Hm?”

She stared at the bracelet on Xie Nuange’s wrist, now missing a bead.

Slowly, she released Xie Nuange and walked around to face her.

“Were you looking at this?”

The Noble Consort suddenly reached up and pinched the sachet hanging from her clothes.

“Even I don’t know when this thing was put on me.”

Xie Nuange’s breath caught. She looked up at the Noble Consort.

She was about to stand when she saw the Noble Consort’s fingers tighten around the sachet, pulling harder and harder. Then, without warning, the Noble Consort tore it from the frog closure.

The silk cord snapped, leaving the red sachet clenched in her palm.

She hurled it violently to the floor.

“Every single time!”