In the end, Mu Yunjin didn’t do anything to Mu Lingzhu, merely gazing at her with a hint of murderous intent hidden in her eyes. “This is the last time I’ll spare you. Take care of yourself.”

Mu Lingzhu trembled in fear and nodded woodenly.

…

After walking out of the corner, Mu Yunjin happened to meet Chu Li, who was coming down the meditation hall steps. Chu Li spotted her at the same moment.

It was still raining outside. Ding Xian walked beside Chu Li, holding an umbrella for him, while Mu Yunjin stood alone in the rain, seemingly oblivious to the raindrops hitting her body. Her gaze fell directly on Chu Li.

Chu Li was completely surprised to see Mu Yunjin here. Seeing her body soaked by the rain, he immediately took the umbrella from Ding Xian’s hand and walked over to her.

“Why are you here?” Chu Li gazed at her intently, seemingly displeased that she was standing foolishly in the rain.

“Where else would you like me to be?” Mu Yunjin retorted, her tone cool as she struggled to suppress her anger.

Chu Li sensed something amiss in her words. He pressed his thin lips together and asked, “What’s wrong?”

…

…

Mu Yunjin didn’t answer Chu Li’s question. She merely glanced behind him, where Ding Xian and Huang Yan now stood side by side, while Master Huaiyuan stood alone at the top of the steps, seeing Chu Li off.

When the other three met Mu Yunjin’s dark gaze, they all froze momentarily.

Mu Yunjin held her breath, her heart a tangle of emotions. She very much wanted to be frank with these people and have a proper talk to prove her position.

But what was the point?

Chu Li didn’t even have the most basic trust in her, allowing Master Huaiyuan and the others to suspect and doubt her.

Mu Yunjin felt weary at heart.

Mu Lingzhu waited a while before coming out from the corner. She thought Mu Yunjin had already left, but as soon as she stepped out, she saw Chu Li and Mu Yunjin standing face to face.

Both had tense expressions and neither spoke a word.

The few people nearby also had solemn faces, creating a deadlock.

Mu Lingzhu recalled Mu Yunjin’s distracted appearance when she first came out of the meditation hall. Could it be related to Chu Li?

Considering how she had rushed to Shuiyun Temple in the pouring rain, Mu Lingzhu bit her lip, secretly delighted, feeling that an opportunity had presented itself.

“Prince Ning…” Mu Lingzhu broke the eerie silence.

Hearing Mu Lingzhu’s voice, Chu Li glanced at her, slightly furrowing his brow. His voice was cold, “What is it?”

Mu Yunjin also turned to look at Mu Lingzhu. She remembered giving Mu Lingzhu one last chance just now…

“Prince Ning, did you just arrive, or have you been here for a while?” Mu Lingzhu approached, a smile on her lips.

Chu Li ignored her.

Used to Chu Li’s cold attitude, Mu Lingzhu turned her gaze to Mu Yunjin and said coquettishly, “Sister, Shuiyun Temple is a Buddhist sacred ground. Prince Ning can’t do anything improper here, so why did you rush here in the pouring rain?”

Hearing this, a deep, surprised look flashed in Chu Li’s cold eyes.

Seeing Chu Li’s expression change slightly, Mu Lingzhu continued, “Just now I saw you coming out of the meditation hall with an unhappy face… Ah!”

Before Mu Lingzhu could finish, Mu Yunjin had grabbed her throat for the second time. Her red-lacquered nails dug into Mu Lingzhu’s neck.

“Mu Lingzhu, if you want to die, I’ll grant your wish.” Mu Yunjin gritted her teeth, her grip tightening.

Mu Lingzhu hadn’t expected Mu Yunjin to attack her. She could feel Mu Yunjin’s nails breaking her skin, and the scent of blood permeated the air.

Mu Yunjin frowned, watching the blood trickling down Mu Lingzhu’s neck. Her eyes blazed crimson, and just as she was about to apply more force, a hand grasped her wrist.

“Yunjin, let’s talk.”

…

In the meditation room.

Mu Yunjin sat cross-legged on a cushion. Chu Li sat properly in a chair nearby. Master Huaiyuan held a string of prayer beads and sat in meditation, while Huang Yan and Ding Xian stood to the side.

“You heard everything?” Chu Li spoke first, his voice calm.

“Yes.” Mu Yunjin honestly admitted. Since they were going to talk, they might as well have a proper conversation.

After Mu Yunjin’s reply, the meditation room fell silent for a moment.

Seeing no one speak, Mu Yunjin folded her arms, her clear eyes showing a hint of coldness. “I do know National Preceptor An’s identity, and I do know about the Divine Edict.”

“But there is no connection between National Preceptor An and me. I, Mu Yunjin, have never stooped to collaborating with others or working for them.”

After a pause, seeing that no one in the meditation room was speaking, Huang Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Then how did you know about the Divine Edict?”

“Consort Rong told me.” Mu Yunjin lowered her gaze. At this point, there was nothing to hide.

Hearing the words “Consort Rong,” Chu Li’s eyes narrowed slightly. He frowned, then gently relaxed his expression.

“Don’t you want to know why Master Kongshi became the National Preceptor of the Southern Court? I’ll tell you…” Mu Yunjin decided to lay it all out. These matters concerned both parties, and she was caught in the middle. Why should she bother?

It was thankless work, and in return, she was being suspected. It wasn’t worth it at all!

“The formation in the Dark Pavilion is a ruse. All these years, you thought Consort Rong was trapped in the formation, hidden from daylight. But she’s been living quite freely! The Moon Consort of Southern Court—have you heard of this person?” Mu Yunjin forced a mocking smile and met Chu Li’s gaze.

“The Moon Consort of Southern Court is your mother, Consort Rong.”

“Years ago, the Moon Consort saved Master Kongshi’s life, so all these years, Master Kongshi has willingly served the Moon Consort in Southern Court, even holding the title of National Preceptor.”

“As for the Divine Edict, I learned about it from Consort Rong as well. It’s said that the token can summon undead soldiers. I ordered the people of Phoenix Feather Pavilion to find the Divine Edict because I discovered that a force from Western Origin was also searching for it. I initially thought it was Chu Qing and Rong Min looking for it, and I feared that if it fell into their hands, there would be trouble. So I had my subordinates at Phoenix Feather Pavilion join the search.”

“Today I learned that the Western Origin force was yours.” After saying this, Mu Yunjin felt a sense of irony.

“I’ve said all I needed to say,” Mu Yunjin added.

After Mu Yunjin finished speaking, Master Huaiyuan and Huang Yan exchanged a glance, both shocked.

Chu Li looked at Mu Yunjin, seeing her forced smile and pretended ease. His heart ached for her. After a moment, he composed himself.

“This Prince has been searching for the Divine Edict,” Chu Li began.

“Since childhood, I knew my mother was looking for the Divine Edict, hoping that I would unify the Canghua Continent. But I disdained using the external power of the Divine Edict, so all these years I’ve been searching for it, hoping to find it before my mother does… and destroy it.”

Mu Yunjin had been listening quietly with lowered eyes, assuming that Chu Li’s purpose in seeking the Divine Edict was the same as Consort Rong’s. But upon hearing the words “destroy it,” her heart inexplicably trembled. She slowly raised her eyes to look at Chu Li.

“Exactly! Our master is not lacking in ability, so why would he need something like the Divine Edict? Besides, who knows if the talk about summoning undead soldiers is true or false?” Seeing that everything had been laid out but the atmosphere was still tense, Huang Yan spoke up to ease the tension.

Master Huaiyuan sighed softly, remaining silent.

“If it’s that simple, why did you keep it from me?” Mu Yunjin didn’t understand.

“The legend of the Divine Edict is not known only to me. Over the years, people from the other three countries have also been secretly searching for it. So I didn’t want you to get involved in this dark circle,” Chu Li explained, not telling Mu Yunjin that over the years, he had faced countless secret assassination attempts because of his search for the Divine Edict.

Now that she was the person he loved most, he only wanted to protect her well and prevent her from stepping into even the slightest bit of darkness.

Mu Yunjin’s mind was in chaos. Her reason told her that Chu Li was probably still hiding other things from her, but her heart had already softened uncontrollably, no longer as heavy as before.

How good it was to have a proper talk like this.

Seeing that everything had been laid out, Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together and tentatively asked, “Do you want to see your mother?”

…

On the way to the Dark Pavilion, Mu Yunjin felt uneasy. First, she didn’t know if Consort Rong was there, and second, she didn’t know what mother and son would say to each other after so many years apart.

Arriving at the Dark Pavilion, Mu Yunjin looked at the darkness before her, glanced at Chu Li beside her, and then addressed the darkness, “Consort Rong, are you there?”

There was no response from the darkness.

“If you’re there, please come out. Some things have been suppressed for so many years; it’s time to be frank and talk properly.” Mu Yunjin lowered her eyes, unsure if Consort Rong was there.

Chu Li stood with his hands behind his back, his thin lips pressed into a line, saying nothing. This matter concerning his mother had indeed exceeded his expectations.

After a while, there was still no response.

“Let’s go,” Chu Li said, withdrawing his gaze and turning to leave.

Seeing that there was indeed no one there, Mu Yunjin could only nod.

As the two walked back, the only sound in the quiet, cold Dark Pavilion was their footsteps.

“Li’er…” A cool voice finally echoed in the Dark Pavilion. Whether from restraining herself for too long, her voice sounded particularly hoarse.

Hearing Chu Li’s name, Mu Yunjin instinctively grabbed his arm and then turned around to see Consort Rong slowly walking out, dressed in brocade.

Consort Rong wore brocade robes with no makeup on her face, yet her appearance was still as beautiful and charming as ever.

The moment Chu Li saw Consort Rong, a complex look flashed in his eyes. Seeing her elegant appearance, a chill rose in his heart. He slightly opened his mouth but made no sound.

Mother and son meeting after a decade apart, never imagined it would be under such circumstances.

“After so many years, you’ve grown so much.” Consort Rong approached Chu Li, looking him up and down, a gentle smile in her eyes.

Mu Yunjin folded her arms and stepped back, watching as Consort Rong looked at Chu Li with loving eyes. She couldn’t help but purse her lips—Consort Rong had never shown her such a pleasant expression in their previous encounters.

Indeed, one’s child is different.

“Why did you stay in Southern Court?” Chu Li showed no concern for Consort Rong, his gaze calmly resting on her.

Consort Rong managed a faint smile, her eyes calm as she looked at Chu Li. She moved her lips and said, “Because that’s where my home is.”