When Ji Yunshu asked this, Muruo paused. Knowing he couldn’t hide it, he simply told her everything.

Ah!

In just a few short days, she hadn’t expected so many people to have died.

What Ji Yunshu expected even less was that her father was dead, her eldest brother was dead, and her eldest sister had gone mad. For anyone else, this would surely be difficult to accept, but she was surprisingly not as agitated as one might imagine. She merely slowly lowered her gaze and asked faintly, “When will they leave the capital?”

“Today.”

“Oh.”

Oh? Just oh?

After all, Muruo was an outsider—there wasn’t much he could say. He couldn’t very well ask her to go see them off, could he?

Naturally, he swallowed these words without speaking them.

“By the way.” Muruo remembered something and took out an exquisite small bottle he had brought, explaining, “This is medicine to suppress the toad poison. Remember, you must take two pills every day.”

“Mm.”

“Also, that kind of poison cannot be endured. If you don’t want to die in agony, you must take it.” He instructed repeatedly.

Ji Yunshu obediently accepted the medicine.

Muruo didn’t want to disturb her rest. After giving a few instructions, he gathered his things and left.

Watching that departing figure, Ji Yunshu thought again of the scene she had seen in her dream just now—on the battlefield, smoke filling the air, Muruo stabbed through the heart with a long sword, falling into a pool of blood with eyes refusing to close in death. And in the dream, the person who killed him—that face was so familiar, appearing before her eyes so vividly real.

She didn’t know if it was some kind of warning, or simply just a dream.

After a short while, she supported herself and walked to the doorway, looking at the gloomy sky. Her eyes couldn’t help but redden, her heart aching. She coughed violently several times.

Then she called out, “Zijin.”

Shi Zijin immediately leapt down from under the eaves and bowed. “What are your orders, Miss?”

“Accompany me out for a trip.”

“But Miss, your condition…”

“It’s no problem.”

Shi Zijin wavered, but knowing her stubborn nature and that he couldn’t stop her anyway, he could only agree.

Soon, Ji Yunshu changed into plain white men’s clothing, left Prince Rong’s manor, and went to the General’s Manor.

It happened to be the time when the Ji family was preparing to set off to return to Jinjiang.

The entire group wore white mourning clothes with white silk bands tied around their heads. But because the Ji family had committed wrongdoing, they hadn’t held an elaborate funeral. In the procession, two horse-drawn carriages led the way, while the carriages behind them each carried a coffin covered with black cloth weighted down with stones.

When Ji Yunshu arrived, she happened to see Ji Wanxin emerging from the manor. Because her health was poor, she was being supported by a maid beside her. Next to her was the already deranged Ji Muqing, who kept rubbing her own hair with her hands, laughing foolishly without cease, completely unaware that her father and eldest brother were already dead.

Perhaps this was better—carefree and without worry!

All the previous unpleasantness could simply be forgotten.

“Yunshu?” Ji Wanxin walked over, somewhat surprised. Her weak eyes lifted to look at the bandages on Ji Yunshu’s neck, and they reddened. “I’m so glad to see you’re alright. These past two days my heart has been restless. I inquired about your condition, but everyone said you… Fortunately, you’re fine. But how are you now? Are you feeling better? Why aren’t you resting properly?”

Concerned words came flooding forth.

Ji Yunshu shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Ji Wanxin asked again, “Did you come to see Father and Eldest Brother off?”

“Mm.”

“This is all my fault. I knew Eldest Brother was going to rebel but couldn’t stop him, which is why things ended up like this today. A thousand wrongs, ten thousand wrongs—none of them are my fault.”

She cried her heart out, evoking pity in anyone who saw her.

To Ji Yunshu’s eyes, she couldn’t distinguish the truth or falseness of the woman before her.

She only said, “This matter has nothing to do with you. Even if you had stopped him, what then? What’s meant to happen will always happen.”

“Now that Father and Eldest Brother are both dead, I truly don’t know what to do in the future.”

“I heard the young master of the Shen family broke off the engagement?”

Ji Wanxin: “Yes, but this is actually for the best. This capital is a dragon’s pool and tiger’s den. If I stayed, sooner or later I would suffer losses. Now it’s better—I can return to Jinjiang and live out the rest of my life peacefully, taking good care of Eldest Sister.”

She glanced at Ji Muqing.

Ji Muqing then smiled cheerfully at her, broke free from the maid beside her, and walked over. Looking at Ji Yunshu, she pulled out a candy from her pocket and gave it to her, saying, “For you to eat.”

Looking at that candy in her palm, Ji Yunshu smiled slightly, though her eyes reddened.

“Do you like it?”

“I like it.”

“Then I’ll give you candy often from now on, okay?” That innocent face of hers brimmed with smiles, no longer showing any trace of her former arrogance, domineering ways, or hostility.

After experiencing certain sorrows, people either experience great joy or great sorrow.

Ji Muqing was fortunate—hers was great joy.

“Alright, from now on I’ll eat the candy you give me every day.”

“Mm.” Ji Muqing smiled very happily. Then the maid helped her onto the carriage.

Suddenly—

“What are you doing here?” Ji Huan emerged from the manor, wearing white mourning clothes, that cold, hard face filled entirely with hatred.

Ji Yunshu: “Second Brother…”

“I am not your second brother.” Ji Huan roared, lifting his chin, his nose reddening. “Ji Yunshu, back then in the palace, I should have killed you.”

He gritted his teeth.

Back then in the palace, Ji Huan had been unable to bear it and let her go.

Now his heart was filled with regret—he really should have torn the woman before him to pieces.

Ji Yunshu showed no anger. “What led to everything today was nothing more than the word ‘greed.’ Second Brother resents me, and I have nothing to say about that. But ultimately, one was my father and one was my eldest brother. I only wanted to come see them off.”

“See them off? You’re not worthy at all. Father was right—you’re the sinner of our Ji family. Because of you, Third Brother and Grandmother died. Now you’ve caused Father and Eldest Brother’s deaths too. You have absolutely no right to see them off. If you have even a shred of conscience, get lost and never appear before me again in this lifetime. Otherwise, I will personally kill you.”

Ji Wanxin tried to persuade him: “Second Brother, Yunshu isn’t at fault. She only wanted to come see them…”

“Shut your mouth.” He rebuked her and ordered the maid, “Take Second Miss onto the carriage.”

The maid then firmly pulled her aboard.

Ji Huan glared furiously at Ji Yunshu, snorted coldly, and mounted his horse.

He gave the order to depart.

And the main gate of the General’s Manor slowly closed.

Ji Yunshu’s demeanor remained calm throughout. She watched the group gradually disappear into the distance, then knelt down and knocked her head heavily against the ground with a resounding thud.

Not because of guilt, but because of filial duty.

Inside the carriage, Ji Wanxin lifted the curtain and looked at the strong wind outside. Those red, pained eyes gradually deepened.

The hand holding the curtain gripped even tighter.

As her fingertips gradually turned white, her face grew more and more ferocious.

“Ji Yunshu, my Ji family’s vengeance—sooner or later, I will make you repay it double.”

Utterly ruthless.