"What? Xin'er is missing?"
Su Zimo abruptly stood up, her face beneath the mask instantly turning extremely gloomy.
"Qinghe, immediately seal off the entire village. No one can enter or leave. Activate all the defensive mechanisms in the village. We must catch the person who took Xin'er," she commanded with urgency.
"Yes, owner," Qinghe quickly left.
Although Su Zimo's heart was filled with anxiety, she maintained a calm exterior. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down and think. Xin'er couldn't handle any stimulation, so she needed to find her quickly. Only by staying calm could she have a clear mind.
When she opened her eyes again, her mind was already clear.
She coldly glanced at Jun Zixi and Ling Qiushui standing before her, suspicions filling her heart.
Various thoughts raced through Su Zimo's mind.
If someone broke into Bright Moon Villa, even if they didn't perish from the defensive mechanisms, they would be detected by the secret twelve. Even if they couldn't find them, the little fox would surely be able to track them down.
But today, the little fox was unusually quiet. Speaking of which, where were Oak and Qi'er?
There was no activity from the mechanisms, and Liu Yue and the others hadn't noticed anything abnormal. What could be happening?
Su Zimo's mind raced, considering two possibilities. First, the intruder had high cultivation. Second, they entered openly through the gates of Bright Moon Villa.
And today, only Jun Zixi and Ling Qiushui had entered, arriving by carriage.
"Qinglian, go immediately and find out where Qi'er and Que'er are," Su Zimo ordered.
"Yes, owner," Qinglian promptly set off. Xin'er's disappearance had her worried that Li'er and Qi'er might also be in danger.
"Come here," Su Zimo called outside the door.
In no time, Shao Yu and Tianji appeared.
"Guard this place. Don't let Xin'er leave until she's found," she instructed.
"Yes, owner," Shao Yu and Tianji positioned themselves at the door.
Ling Qiushui observed, confirming that Bright Moon Villa was teeming with hidden strength. The master was surrounded by talented individuals, especially the twelve guardians outside the villa. Anyone who attempted to breach Bright Moon Villa would be met with certain death.
But such defense mechanisms made Su Zimo consider matters from a different perspective.
"What do you mean by this?" Jun Zixi glared at Su Zimo angrily. As a princess of a country and the lady of the Holy Lord of Cloud City, she had never been treated like this before.
"The meaning is quite clear, isn't it?" Su Zimo's tone carried a bloodthirsty intent.
She lifted her right hand, and golden butterflies fluttered around her fingertips.
The golden light they emitted resembled layers of golden dust gently falling to the ground, creating a beautiful spectacle.
"Jin Dee, quickly find Xin'er," she commanded.
"Yes, master," the golden butterfly flapped its wings, leaving behind a trail of golden light as it vanished from sight.
Su Zimo swiftly exited the main hall, following Jin Dee.
A flicker of shock flashed in Ling Qiushui's eyes.
Xuanlong Golden Butterfly, the world's smallest demonic beast, with only four or five known to exist. Yet Su Zimo had managed to contract one. Ling Qiushui realized she needed to be more cautious around her.
The advantage of the golden butterfly was that it stored the scent of anyone it had seen in its memory, allowing it to track down the person it was searching for with just a faint scent. It seemed that Su Zimo would find Xin'er soon.
"Shui'er, what kind of butterfly is that? Why is it golden?" Jun Zixi whispered to Ling Qiushui, her curiosity piqued. She had never seen a talking butterfly before and momentarily forgot her anger.
Ling Qiushui blinked, knowing she couldn't reveal the truth to Jun Zixi.
"Madam, Shui Er is also seeing it for the first time. I don't know what kind of butterfly it is. But isn't it more amazing for a butterfly to speak?" Ling Qiushui pretended to be ignorant and fearful as she glanced at Su Zimo.
"What kind of magic has Su Zimo mastered?"
Ling Qiushui's mouth curved into a sly smile. This gentleman was quite clever. By simply reminding Jun Zixi, she would start thinking along the expected lines.
"Madam, I wouldn't dare to draw conclusions," Ling Qiushui replied with feigned hesitation.
Meanwhile, Su Li's eyes, nearly reaching the edge of the cliff, sharpened as he gazed at the bracelet on his wrist emitting a faint golden light. His eyes turned incredibly cold in an instant.
"Let's go back. Xin'er is in danger."
"Huh?" Su Qi quickly looked at his bracelet. "This is bad! Jin Dee sent a message that Xin'er is in trouble. Father, we need to hurry back."
"Understood," Mu Yunxuan's eyes flickered with a hint of bloodthirst as he swiftly turned around, summoning the nine-winged golden dragon. Father and son quickly returned to Bright Moon Villa.
Su Qi's heart ached. Damn it, his mother must be scared and worried right now.
"Owner, it's not good. Li'er and Qi'er are not in the villa," Qinglian rushed back in a hurry after searching.
Su Zimo furrowed her brows, considering that Li'er and Qi'er possessed skills that would make it difficult for ordinary people to harm them, especially when the two brothers were together. Finding Xin'er was the priority.
At that moment, Jin Dee flew towards the gates.
Su Zimo's eyes gleamed, and she followed along with Qinglian.
Jin Dee stopped at the carriage.
Su Zimo's eyes filled with bloodthirsty anger as she observed.
"Go, bring Jun Zixi and Ling Qiushui here with Shaoyu and Tianji," she ordered.
Her voice was cold, and her anger was evident. It revealed just how furious she was in that moment.
Soon, Shaoyu and Tianji brought Jun Zixi and Ling Qiushui over.
"You dare, woman! How dare you lay a hand on Princess Ben!" Jun Zixi rushed at Su Zimo as soon as she arrived.
Ling Qiushui appeared fearful, pitifully supporting Jun Zixi.
Her eyes were veiled, but a triumphant smile played on her lips.
Jun Zixi had planned to bring her to Mingyue Villa today, and she had orchestrated it all so swiftly.
Between Mu Yunxuan and Su Zimo, there was affection. Her sister might not have any intentions, but Ling Qiushui perceived it differently. It made it easier for her to succeed, and the outcome would undoubtedly be favorable.
"If you've harmed Xin'er, killing you won't satisfy the rage in the heart of the villa's owner," Su Zimo said, turning away. The Xuan Bingxue practice hidden in her sleeve moved like an eye, swiftly crashing towards the carriage.
A loud bang reverberated as the entire roof shattered into pieces.
"Ugh!" Jun Zixi watched in shock as her carriage was reduced to ruins, unable to believe her eyes.
Ling Qiushui observed Mu Yunxuan's arrival, her eyes remaining silent. The fewer words spoken, the fewer vulnerabilities exposed.
"Xin'er."
"Xin'er."
Three urgent voices sounded as the three of them rushed to Su Xin's side.
"Mother, give me Xin'er," Su Qi quickly took Su Xin, and Qinghe swiftly brought a blanket for Su Xin to lie on the ground.
Mu Yunxuan bit his lip, hating himself for being unable to suffer in place of his daughter.
"Xin'er, wake up. Don't scare your mother. It's all my fault, and I should protect you wherever we go," Su Zimo sobbed, blaming herself for allowing such an incident to happen right under her nose. Her heart was filled with pain and self-blame.
She was a woman who wouldn't shed tears no matter what difficulties she faced, but when it came to her daughter, she cried without reservation.
Su Qi quickly fed a pill to Su Xin, but after a while, her condition didn't improve. Instead, a thin layer of ice formed on her pale little face.
"What's happening? What's happening?" Su Li stared at her sister in shock, sitting on the ground and looking at her sister with a blank expression.
Su Zimo's lips quivered, but she couldn't find the words to speak.
A faint smile played on Ling Qiushui's lips. Su Zimo, as I said, you have to start with what you care about the most—your daughter comes first. If you dare to approach Yunxuan, you must bear this pain.
"Xin'er, you have to hang in there and wake up quickly. Our Xin'er is very sensible. Haven't you always made your father and mother proud?" Mu Yunxuan gently touched Su Xin's cold face, his heart aching like a knife as he looked at his daughter's lifeless expression.
"Quercus, quickly, lift up Xin'er," Su Li, overwhelmed and unable to accept the situation, followed Mu Yunxuan's instructions.
Mu Yunxuan's hand condensed Xuan Qi, which he slowly injected into Su Xin's body.
Gradually, the thin layer of ice on Su Xin's face began to recede.
But she still hadn't woken up.
Mu Yunxuan held Su Xin in his arms, rising swiftly and walking towards Jun Zixi.
"What did you do to Xin'er?"