Before Mei Yanran could speak, Mo Sigui gently pulled down her right lower eyelid.

On the white of her eye was a thin red line about the size of a grain of rice. At first glance, it looked like a blood vessel, but its slightly curved shape seemed unnatural.

“Miao gu,” Mo Sigui sighed.

He released his grip, leaving two red marks on Mei Yanran’s fair skin.

An Jiu asked, “What’s Miao gu?”

“Fool,” Mo Sigui replied, unwilling to explain.

Mei Yanran spoke softly, “Take a hundred insects, put them in a jar, and after a year, open it. One insect will have eaten all the others. That’s called gu.”

In reality, gu poison wasn’t limited to this. Herbs and minerals could also be used to create gu, with thousands of formulas. Some complex GU required finding the original caster to be neutralized.

“A living creature enters the body?” An Jiu recalled something. “When attacking Piaomiao Mountain Villa, someone’s insect burrowed into my body. Qiu Yunran’s snake could detect it, following its movement. I had to cut it out with a dagger.”

An Jiu rolled up her sleeve, revealing her pale arm with a long, dark bruise from the insect’s damage that hadn’t fully faded.

“That’s a type of gu, highly toxic and meant for quick killing. Many who dabble in poisons raise venomous pets to eat such creatures. However, these pets usually dislike slow-acting gu that can be suppressed with medicine,” Mo Sigui explained gravely. “Aunt, please describe the pill you took – its shape, color, smell, and size.”

Those skilled in gu could dominate the jianghu with their art. It was a profound study, and Mo Sigui only had a surface understanding, never having researched Gu deeply. This was a weakness for him.

Mei Yanran replied, “It was a red, oval pill, about the size of a thumb’s nail. The taste was strange. I couldn’t identify any herbs, but there was a strong fishy smell.”

Mo Sigui glanced at Mei Yanran’s thumb, noting her small, full nail. “At that size, it was likely insect eggs. Did you feel any pain after taking it?”

The pill encased the eggs. As it was swallowed, the outer layer would dissolve quickly. Body heat would incubate the gu, and with the drug’s catalyst, the eggs would hatch soon. The creatures wouldn’t stay in the stomach but would seek out blood vessels.

Mei Yanran nodded, “About two cups of tea’s time after taking it, I felt severe abdominal pain. The pain spread to my left ribs and then stopped, lasting only about one cup of tea’s time.”

Mo Sigui furrowed his brow and took her pulse. The scene fell silent.

Using his internal energy to check her meridians and blood vessels, he searched for the foreign object. His heart leaped when he found it, but the creature was cunning, evading his qi and quickly hiding elsewhere.

Mo Sigui’s face darkened instantly.

The human body’s extraordinary meridians were incredibly complex. The tiny guy could hide anywhere, exhausting his qi before he could locate it.

Seeing him withdraw his hand, An Jiu asked, “If we could find this pill, could you neutralize the poison?”

“You can find it?” Mo Sigui’s expression shifted from gloomy to hopeful.

“Our team didn’t take the poison. We all suspected Gao Dashuang kept it privately. He wouldn’t have returned it, right?” An Jiu reasoned.

Mo Sigui’s eyes brightened like sunlight breaking through clouds. “Then go find it quickly.”

“Alright.” Although An Jiu didn’t understand Gu well, she had never seen Mo Sigui like this and knew the situation must be dire. She hastily ate a bowl of rice, prepared herself, and set off immediately.

“I’ll go with you,” Mei Yanran said, following her to the ferry.

An Jiu stood on the boat, her small frame accentuated by her black outfit. Her features were familiar to Mei Yanran, but the calm, deep gaze in her eyes pained her.

Mei Yanran’s feelings were complex. She instinctively rejected this person occupying her daughter’s body. Mei Jiu had mentioned they once coexisted harmoniously and shared hardships, but Mei Yanran knew her daughter’s nature all too well. Perhaps she would even gratefully help count money for someone who had tricked and sold her.

Yet, facing this familiar countenance, Mei Yanran couldn’t fully hate her.

“It’s not necessary,” An Jiu said, untying the rope. “I’ll move faster alone.”

She pushed off from the dock with the oar, and the boat quickly drifted far into the lake.

Mei Yanran watched the lone boat float on the misty lake surface. As she turned, leaving only her slender silhouette, a sense of desolation filled her heart.

“She belongs to the night. If she chooses to hide, few in this world could find her.”

Mei Yanran turned to the voice to see a figure emerging from the bamboo path. Dressed in white among the green bamboo, he appeared otherworldly, his alluring eyes containing a smile that belied any worldly charm.

“Aunt,” Mo Sigui said.

“Sigui, did you notice Jiu’er’s strangeness early on?” Mei Yanran reflected, realizing how much she had failed as a mother.

“Yes, but the truth was beyond my expectations,” Mo Sigui gazed at the vast water. “Isn’t this outcome better? Cousin wasn’t suited for a life in darkness, so Heaven made other arrangements.”

Mei Yanran worried, “But Jiu’er…”

“Cousin is intelligent. After facing life and death, she will surely grow. If you interfere too much, she’ll remain a woman who can only live under others’ protection,” Mo Sigui turned to her. “She’s no longer your daughter now. This is fate’s arrangement.”

Mei Yanran lowered her eyes and sighed, “Indeed.”

But how could she not worry? Mei Jiu’s current situation was even worse than in Meihua Village. As the emperor’s agent, the Hua family would not treat her as a normal daughter-in-law but would guard against and harm her. Yet if the Hua family fell and Mei Jiu survived, she would still be recalled to the Konghejun.

“In this meeting, I sensed she has matured, showing the grace of a family matriarch,” Mei Yanran smiled slightly.

“Everyone should live for themselves once,” Mo Sigui murmured.

The sky was overcast, with the lake and heavens a uniform gray. Mist connected them, creating a scene of chaos.

The stuffy, humid air foretold an impending downpour.

Shortly after An Jiu left Meihua Village, raindrops began to fall. She entered a village, bought a straw rain cape, opened an umbrella to cover her clothes and face, and headed directly into the city.

Many others entering the city were similarly dressed, so she didn’t stand out.

A winding lightning bolt cut through the thick clouds like a serpent. For an instant, the world turned white, followed immediately by rolling thunder.

People quickly left the streets. Though it was daytime, it was as dark as night, with only occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the sky.

An Jiu rushed to the imperial palace, closed her umbrella, concealed her presence, and scaled a corner of the palace wall.