"At that moment, we were all dead. Could the deceased still open their mouths to eat?" Su Zimo found Li Zifu's question rather perplexing.
She lifted her gaze, staring fiercely at Mu Yunxuan, who seemed slightly uneasy with his eyes that held the world's peerless charm.
"Could it be related to the bottle of medicinal juice you consumed?" Mu Yunxuan's lips curved slightly, and his deep, dark eyes locked onto Su Zimo with an enigmatic expression.
"Madam, you accidentally fed that to your husband," he said, his eyes playfully scanning Su Zimo's eyes beneath the mask.
Upon hearing this, Su Qi's eyes brightened, gleaming with cunning curiosity. She darted her gaze back and forth between her mother and father, hoping to uncover the mystery behind their three siblings.
With a clever and adorable face, Su Qi's cunning eyes revealed her current train of thought.
Though Su Li's expression remained unchanged, she had secretly anticipated this moment. Why did her mother always avoid mentioning this matter?
Su Xin's large eyes flickered as she also shifted her attention between her father and mother.
Observing their reactions, Su Zimo suddenly felt like a culprit.
"You don't need to ask anything, Junior Uncle. It's probably something wrong with the bottle of medicinal juice he consumed," Su Zimo replied, evading Mu Yunxuan's penetrating gaze. Whenever she recalled that scene, she felt an urge to bang her head against a wall. Being in the sky or lying on the ground didn't faze her, but being inside a coffin always made her feel uneasy, ever since she was a child afraid of the dark, shiny box.
"Since you have Void Daoist Zi and Ling Qiushui in your hands, why not ask them?" Li Zifu suggested, a hint of curiosity glinting in his slightly glowing eyes. This girl seemed to be quite tight-lipped.
"Mother, can we visit Daddy's house?" Su Qi asked softly. If her mother didn't want to talk about it, they wouldn't push further. She sensed that her mother was facing difficulties in revealing the truth; otherwise, she wouldn't repeatedly claim that their father was dead.
"What are you planning? Bright Moon Villa isn't our home! Why should we stay close and yet far away?" Su Zimo calculated in her heart, although not particularly vengeful. Even if she didn't realize it, she still held a grudge against that Mr. Xi Ye, who called her Wild Seed.
"Mother, Grandpa Li said that the Shenchi in Daddy's family can cure Xin'er's illness," Xin'er interjected, blinking her innocent eyes. Only Su Qi and Su Li, who knew her well, understood that Xin'er did it on purpose.
"Ugh!" A flock of crows seemed to fly over a certain woman's head. Did she speak like that? Why wasn't her little padded jacket considerate, uttering incomplete words?
Su Zimo covered her eyes and glanced at Mu Yunxuan.
"Go! Your daddy's house is also your home." Mu Yunxuan shrugged and smiled. This woman also had her moments. It was evident that Xin'er did it on purpose.
"Thank you, ma'am! Then come with us!" Su Xin eagerly looked at Su Zimo.
"Your mother won't go. With your father here, your mother can rest assured," Mu Yunxuan replied, gazing deeply at Su Zimo. Did she truly trust him?
In the end, Su Zimo accompanied the three children as they journeyed to Cloud City.
Zhenguo Mansion seemed to be immersed in the colors of spring. Begonia flowers, known as flowers of noble concubines, adorned both sides of the road. Magnolias, peonies, and osmanthus blossoms also added to the picturesque scenery.
After sorting out their emotions, Ji Yu and Ji Rui returned to Zhenguo Mansion.
Night fell, and in the silent courtyard, a woman's voice filled with anger resonated.
"Brother, do you have any leads on today's incident?" Ji Rui shouted angrily, her face twisted with malice. Upon closer inspection, her bloodshot eyes revealed the extent of her fury.
She tightly wrapped her hair with a silk scarf.
Ji Yu, on the other hand, sported a head of white hair like a tiger's skin in the scorching weather.
The peculiar behavior of the two siblings may have seemed strange, but within Zhenguo Mansion, apart from the Zhenguo Gong, no one dared to question them.
"Rui'er, why the rush? Today's events were peculiar, and our opponent was so powerful that we didn't even notice their presence. We almost faced disgrace due to our negligence." Ji Yu clenched his fists, his anger showing no signs of subsiding since leaving Bright Moon Villa.
"Sister Rui, I don't mind what happened today as long as we keep it to ourselves. No one needs to know about it. But brother, you must find the person who drugged me," Ji Rui said gloomily, her body overflowing with hatred.
"I don't need you to tell me. I will uncover the truth," Ji Yu affirmed.
"It must have been done by Mingyue Villa. Although Su Ziyun is an alchemist, she no longer possesses the capability to harm us. Aside from the people from Mingyue Villa, I can't think of anyone else," Ji Rui declared with certainty. If it was someone from Bright Moon Villa, who else could it be?
"I will dispatch someone to Su Mansion to gather information, and we can expect results by tomorrow," she said.
Ji Yu's eyes turned cold as he clenched the teacup in his hand.
Ji Rui stared at Ji Yu with a deadly gaze. She had been manipulated by him since childhood, taught how to control men, and finally, when she found someone she truly loved, her brother destroyed it right in front of her. She was determined to make him suffer a fate worse than death.
In the Three Kings' Mansion, Liu Yunfei, Jun Lintian's personal bodyguard, rushed into the study.
Liu Yunfei was one of Jun Lintian's subordinates who had been called back after the restoration of their military power.
Ever since Jun Lintian regained his military authority, he had been idle, and even the Haoyue Emperor's Praetorian Guard couldn't impede his movements.
"Liu Yunfei, you may approach Wang Ye," he announced.
Inside the study, Jun Lintian was engrossed in painting while Yave assisted him with ink polishing.
Clad in a black brocade robe, Jun Lintian possessed a straight and slender figure. His thin lips were pursed, exuding a cool aura, and his brush strokes flowed like a swimming dragon.
Liu Yunfei patiently waited until Jun Lintian finally set down his brush.
"What have you discovered?" Jun Lintian asked in a gentle yet cold voice, brimming with anticipation.
"Reporting to Wang Ye, the mother and son from Mingyue Mountain Villa, as well as Mu Yunxuan, have gone to Cloud City. The three children belong to Mu Yunxuan..." Liu Yunfei reported.
Jun Lintian's rage boiled within him, causing him to sweep the inkstone platform off the table with a loud "bang." His intense gaze pierced through the void. So, Su Zimo didn't die that day; instead, she entered the secret chamber. Had they planned it all along?
Numerous questions swirled in Jun Lintian's mind, igniting a tremor of anger within him.
Yave lowered her head, remaining silent. As an insignificant woman, she doubted if she was worth Wang Ye's wrath.
Su Zimo, a woman he had never regarded highly, was now exceeding his expectations through Wang Ye's actions.
"What else did you find?" Jun Lintian inquired.
"Wang Ye, Su Ziyun and Xie Leng Chan were rescued by the Xie family," Liu Yunfei revealed.
Jun Lintian pursed his thin lips, his gaze filled with malice. If it weren't for the Xie family's support, he would have killed that woman with his own hands.
"Yave, go and check on Su Ziyun. See if there's anything we can use to our advantage. Keep that woman alive for now; she might still be useful to me," Jun Lintian ordered.
"Yes, Wangye. I will go over shortly," Yave replied.
Su Ziyun was already an outcast, and she no longer needed to worry.
In the depths of Cloud City's dungeon, Mu Yunxuan and Su Zimo stood outside a cell, observing Ling Qiushui writhing in pain due to the poison in her hair.
Su Zimo's face remained devoid of emotion as she stared at Ling Qiushui.
Zi Qiu Daoist stood beside them, his forehead beaded with sweat.
"Shui'er, endure it a little longer. You'll be fine," he comforted, even though he knew he was powerless to help his daughter, locked up and unable to alleviate her suffering.
"How? Ling Qiushui, the taste of this poison is comparable to the heart-devouring demon you once gave to the lord of this village!" Su Zimo's cold voice echoed, causing both father and daughter to notice their presence.
Ling Qiushui abruptly stopped writhing in pain, her gaze filled with disbelief as she looked at Su Zimo. She quickly averted her face, not wanting Mu Yunxuan to see her current state. Despite her cruelty, Ling Qiushui still held feelings for Mu Yunxuan.
"Holy Lord, please save my daughter! She suffers like this every day, and it tears at my heart as a father to witness her agony!" Zi Void Daoist, who had been imprisoned for several days, appeared visibly aged.
"Tell me, what was the bottle of medicinal liquid placed in the coffin during the marriage ceremony? If the estate's owner gets the answer, Ling Qiushui will receive an antidote immediately," Su Zimo's emotionless voice stated, her clear eyes devoid of any color.
Su Zimo was direct and didn't waste words. As for Ling Qiushui, she had brought this suffering upon herself.
Zi Void Daoist's eyes flickered, and he surreptitiously glanced at Su Zimo.
"Do you think the estate's owner will take this matter lightly?"
"Do you believe that the estate's owner would have the leisure to play games with you at a time like this?" Su Zimo's voice fluctuated, revealing her underlying anger.
Mu Yunxuan's eyelids lifted, and a hint of a smile played on his lips as he calmly said, "Speak. What was in the coffin?"