Enchanting Cult Leader 8

Elora carefully opened the hidden compartment, and a musty odor mixed with a faint fragrance wafted toward her, oddly pleasant.

"Elora, quickly, see what's inside!" Vixen urged in her mind.

Elora retrieved the object within, to her surprise, it was a small booklet. Flipping through a few pages, she discovered that it contained records of the shameful deeds committed by the leaders of various sects, along with a wealth of incriminating evidence. "Tsk, tsk... These so-called righteous sects are hardly as virtuous as they claim, are they?"

"Vixen, help me copy this booklet and the notes," Elora requested. While this wasn't evidence implicating Evan Skylar in a plot against the Nebula Sect, the secrets of the major sects could certainly serve as useful leverage.

"Give me a few seconds," Vixen responded swiftly. "Elora, there's something else."

"What is it?" Elora's heart raced. Could it be a forgery? She would be terribly disappointed if that were the case.

"There are more writings hidden within the paper layers."

"Really?" Elora's excitement surged. Could there be more secrets, more leverage to gain? Truly, the heavens were on her side!

"I'll copy it for you now. Let's examine it further when we're back. This place is no longer safe." Vixen sensed someone approaching.

Elora's expression tightened in alarm, sensing the danger herself. "Hurry up, then."

...

Evan Skylar was on his way when he faintly heard voices coming from the study. The study was a secret, guarded area of the Skycrest Sect. Without his direct orders, no one would dare to approach. How could there be voices? Had someone infiltrated the study? His heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down his spine. He immediately leapt into action, using his light-footed techniques to rush to the study.

Once inside, he inspected the room but found nothing unusual. Wait—there was the hidden compartment! He hurried to the bookshelf, activating the mechanism. Opening it, he found the small booklet still inside, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

It must have been his overworked mind playing tricks on him. Evan Skylar shook his head, giving the study one last thorough check. Finding no irregularities, he closed the door behind him, returning to his quarters.

...

"Phew… that was close!" Elora collapsed beneath a tree, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. She had been terrified; if she had been any slower, Evan Skylar would have discovered her.

After a brief rest, Elora attempted to rise, only to suddenly feel her body stiffen, her heart convulsing with pain as cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

What was happening? Had she been poisoned? That couldn't be right—she had been so careful.

Then, an idea struck her. The faint fragrance mixed with the musty odor when she opened the hidden compartment... Could that have been when she was poisoned? How careless of her! The world around her blurred, her eyelids heavy with fatigue. No, she couldn't fall asleep now. She had to find Yinzhu for an antidote. Elora shook her head, gripping the tree trunk as she struggled to her feet, staggering forward...

But after only a few steps, her strength gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. A surge of blood rose in her throat, and she coughed out a mouthful of sickly, sweet blood. Darkness closed in around her as she fell unconscious.

...

"Master, someone is blocking the path ahead!" Mo Yu noticed a figure in red lying across the road. Initially, Mo Yu had no intention of intervening, but the figure obstructed their way.

"Let's take a look," a deep, magnetic voice ordered from the carriage.

"Yes, Master!" Mo Yu dismounted and approached, pulling back the black veil to reveal a stunningly beautiful face. It was a woman!

"Master, it's a woman in red!"

For some reason, the image of Yue Lan from the Cuiyan Tower flashed in Gu Han's mind. Without a second thought, he pulled open the curtain, disregarding the look Mo Yu shot him. He strode over to the woman and, upon closer inspection, was taken aback—it was indeed Yue Lan!

Gu Han noticed that she had blackened blood at the corners of her mouth, a clear sign of poisoning.

He immediately grasped her hand, examining it closely. There, on the back of her hand, a sinister black flower was slowly blooming—Mandragora! He had read about this poison in a rare book. Mandragora, a venom from the Western regions, first causes convulsions, cold sweats, difficulty swallowing, and unconsciousness. Black Mandragora flowers would appear on the victim's hand, draining their life force. Once the flower bloomed fully, death would follow.

In the dead of night, how could a woman be out here? Who had poisoned her? Staring at her fragile face, like a broken doll, Gu Han's heart tightened with an unexpected sense of urgency.

Ding... Target's affection +5, current affection value: 20.

The notification stirred Elora's fading consciousness. "Help… me... help..." Her voice was faint and raspy, but Gu Han still heard it, instinctively murmuring a soft response.

Elora, hearing the answer she longed for, could no longer hold on. Her vision went black as she lost consciousness.