Hearing the word “home,” both Mu Yunjin and Chu Li’s expressions changed.

Seeing the unusual look in Chu Li’s eyes, Consort Rong’s lips curved slightly upward. She then glanced lightly at Mu Yunjin, standing to the side, and slowly spoke, “Since you two have cleared things up between yourselves, I also have some things to say.”

After saying this, Consort Rong raised her eyes to look at Chu Li. “Li’er, your mother won’t harm you. Now that the other three countries are constantly making small moves in secret, if you don’t prepare yourself, it will be too late.”

“Mother…” Chu Li’s voice was calm and deep. “I will make my own decisions about my affairs.”

“Since you now live in Southern Court, live your life well. There’s no need to interfere in these matters.”

“And in the future, don’t come here again.”

After Chu Li finished speaking, a mist rose in his cold eyes. With an expressionless face, he took Mu Yunjin’s hand and walked out of the Dark Pavilion.

Mu Yunjin hadn’t expected that the mother-son reunion after ten years would consist of only these brief words. She couldn’t help but look back at Consort Rong, who was standing still, her beautiful eyes filled with grief.

…

…

…

After leaving the Dark Pavilion, the rain outside had stopped.

Perhaps due to today’s emotional distress, even though everything had been laid out openly, Mu Yunjin still felt a knot in her heart.

She couldn’t help but sigh slightly and said to Chu Li, “You go back first.”

“What about you?” Chu Li frowned slightly, gazing intently at Mu Yunjin.

“I’ll stay at Anxin Hall for a couple of days.” Mu Yunjin’s tone was helpless. She suddenly realized that in this Diehua City, she had nowhere to go without Chu Li.

Hearing this, Chu Li reached out and grasped Mu Yunjin’s arm, speaking gently, “I’ve wronged you. What does it mean for you to stay outside the mansion? You go back, and I’ll stay here.”

Mu Yunjin was slightly stunned. Upon hearing his words, she couldn’t help but glance sideways at Chu Li and pursed her lips. She didn’t refuse, “Alright, you’ll have company here anyway.”

After she spoke, she walked down the steps.

Chu Li watched her gradually receding figure, his eyes filled with traces of a smile. The fact that she was still willing to be upset with him was a good sign.

Huang Yan and Ding Xian had been waiting around the Dark Pavilion and had heard the conversation between Mu Yunjin and Chu Li. Huang Yan approached Chu Li, feeling his scalp tingle.

“Master, what does it feel like to fall in love? You’re even willing to stay away from the prince’s mansion? Lowering yourself to stay at this Shuiyun Temple?” Huang Yan was very confused.

Chu Li gave Huang Yan a cool look and replied coolly, “You wouldn’t understand.”

Ding Xian smiled teasingly and then tentatively asked, “So we’ll all be staying here for the next few days?”

“Yes.” Chu Li nodded and walked towards Anxin Hall.

After Mu Yunjin went down the steps, she turned behind a large tree and observed Chu Li’s movements. She had thought he was just saying empty words, but seeing him going toward Anxin Hall, she felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Mu Yunjin hugged the tree trunk, hesitating in her heart whether to go find Chu Li.

Should she, or shouldn’t she?

After thinking, she berated herself for being neurotic. Why was she creating trouble for herself?

Self-inflicted torment.

“It just rained. Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?” National Preceptor An’s voice sounded beside her.

Mu Yunjin turned around to see National Preceptor An standing behind her, wearing a gray-blue robe, understated and reserved. She hadn’t noticed when he had appeared.

“What does it matter if I catch a cold?” Mu Yunjin replied irritably.

Then, before National Preceptor An could speak, Mu Yunjin frowned and added, “You and the Moon Consort are like conjoined twins. Wherever she is, you are too. Do you like her? Do you want to be a family with her?”

Originally, Mu Yunjin just wanted to mock National Preceptor An, but by the time she reached the last sentence, her long-dormant gossip spirit ignited again.

“What nonsense are you talking about? If I were to be family with her, would you and Chu Li call me father?” National Preceptor An glared at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin was momentarily speechless. She looked at National Preceptor An with disdain, “Then forget it. Even if our current father isn’t the best, at least he’s an emperor. Chu Li and I wouldn’t even consider you!”

“Hmph!” National Preceptor An was also provoked by Mu Yunjin.

“By the way, did you lay your cards on the table with Chu Li?” National Preceptor An calmed himself and asked.

Mu Yunjin nodded, “Yes, they were suspecting behind my back that I was working with you. How could I take such an insult? Don’t they have any judgment? What could I possibly achieve by teaming up with an old man like you?”

“Did you eat gunpowder? Why are you speaking so harshly? Every word out of your mouth is mocking me.” National Preceptor An was somewhat annoyed.

“Chu Li has already met with the Moon Consort. He told her to stop and live her life peacefully. I don’t know if she’ll listen.” Mu Yunjin avoided the previous topic and brought up the Moon Consort.

National Preceptor An sighed slightly, “She’s been preparing for this for over a decade. She won’t give up so easily.”

“So you’re going to let a woman turn the world upside down? That’s not how you repay a debt of gratitude. If this continues, something bad is bound to happen.” Mu Yunjin was grateful at this moment that National Preceptor An was also from the modern world, so she didn’t need to be tactful or considerate in her speech. She could just say what needed to be said.

National Preceptor An was silent for a moment.

Seeing that he had nothing to say, and having stood there for a long time, Mu Yunjin indeed felt a bit chilly and was about to leave when she was stopped again by National Preceptor An.

“Do you remember what I said about your extraordinary past life?”

“Here comes the charlatan again…” At the mention of this, Mu Yunjin was speechless once more.

National Preceptor An kept a straight face, his brow deeply furrowed, his gaze calm yet concealing a surging deeper meaning. Then he slowly spoke—

“Your appearance has destined that there will be an unavoidable calamity on the Canghua Continent.”

Mu Yunjin paused, her heart sinking. She instinctively observed National Preceptor An’s expression and, seeing his serious face without any trace of humor, her expression changed inexplicably.

“Hahaha, I was just scaring you. Look how frightened you are!” After a moment, National Preceptor An suddenly burst into laughter.

“You…” Mu Yunjin gritted her teeth, wishing she could knock out National Preceptor An with one blow, but she knew this old man had extraordinary skills and that she was no match for him.

“I’m leaving. I’m tired of dealing with you.” Mu Yunjin put her hands behind her back and walked away.

National Preceptor An stood in place, his gaze fixed on Mu Yunjin’s back. His smile gradually faded, replaced by a tinge of worry.

…

Having been distracted by National Preceptor An, Mu Yunjin directly left in Chu Li’s black ebony carriage. She had been rained on and caught a chill, and now she just wanted to go back, take a bath, and change her clothes.

As for Chu Li, let him stay there for now!

Sitting in the carriage, estimating that they had just reached the outskirts, Mu Yunjin leaned softly against the carriage compartment. It was already past noon, and this morning had worn her out.

Just as she closed her eyes, preparing to take a short rest, the carriage suddenly lurched and came to an abrupt halt. Then she heard the coachman’s trembling voice outside.

“Princess, Princess, something’s happened…”

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin frowned, lifted the carriage curtain, and went out. She saw the coachman’s face pale, pointing tremblingly ahead, “There’s a dead person there.”

Mu Yunjin looked ahead, and when she saw the motionless figure lying on the ground not far ahead, her eyes widened, and she jumped down from the carriage, almost running over.

She saw Mu Lingzhu lying on the ground with her eyes wide open, her body tilted to one side. Whether from trying to escape or not, one of her shoes had fallen off. Her neck was soaked in fresh blood, along with the surrounding ground flowing with crimson. What was even more horrifying was that the cause of Mu Lingzhu’s death was five bloody holes in her neck.

Mu Yunjin instinctively looked at her right hand. It was true that she had punctured Mu Lingzhu’s neck, but it was only a flesh wound and couldn’t have caused death.

This…

Just as she was thinking, a series of hoof beats suddenly came from around them. By the time Mu Yunjin looked around, she had been surrounded by a group of Imperial Guards, and in the center of the guards was parked an exquisite sandalwood carriage.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Prince Rong Chu Zhen and Princess Rong Qin Shuning quickly got off the carriage. When they saw the tragically dead Mu Lingzhu, Prince Rong suddenly widened his eyes and pointed at Mu Yunjin.

“Mu Yunjin, you’re utterly heartless!”

“Mu Yunjin, you’re truly ruthless. You wouldn’t even spare your sister! Poor Lingzhu was diagnosed just this morning as being with child. This is the flesh and blood of our Rong Prince Mansion!” Qin Shuning wiped her tears and lowered her head, beginning to sob.

Mu Yunjin stood in place, knowing she had fallen into a trap again. Her face remained calm, “Which of your eyes saw me kill her?”

“Which eye?” Qin Shuning stepped forward a few steps. “This morning, servants from the Rong Prince Mansion went to Shuiyun Temple to offer incense and saw you sisters pulling and tugging at each other. Didn’t you also tell her that if she provoked you again, you would kill her?”

“Now the prince and I heard about what the servants said, and out of concern, we came out looking for Lingzhu. Coincidentally, Lingzhu happened to be murdered here, and you happened to be here too. If it wasn’t you, who else could it be?”

After Qin Shuning finished speaking, an Imperial Guard spoke to her, “In reply to Princess Rong, the body of Concubine Mu is still warm. She was killed not long ago.”

With those words, Mu Yunjin was practically convicted.

Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together, pondering the situation before her. Everything seemed to have been specially arranged for her. Could it be that someone had been watching her since she left home today?

“This is a matter of life and death. I will not tolerate it. I will report this to my royal brother immediately and let him decide this matter, to give our Rong Prince Mansion justice!” Prince Rong Chu Zhen spoke, then swept his sleeve and left with long strides.

Hearing this, a faint smile emerged from Princess Rong’s lips as she raised her eyes to meet Mu Yunjin’s gaze. “Young sister-in-law, come with me to the palace!”

“The innocent are naturally clear of blame. Don’t always try to smear others. You’ll not only make yourself stink but also implicate those around you.” Mu Yunjin folded her arms, looking indifferent.

“We’ll see about that.” Qin Shuning sneered. Last time, the Western Bright Emperor harbored resentment over Mu Yunjin killing Chu Qingchang. This time, with the added life of Mu Lingzhu, Mu Yunjin would surely be indefensible.

Mu Yunjin walked a few steps, then remembered the coachman from the Ning Prince Mansion waiting in place. She said calmly to him, “You go back to the mansion first.”

After saying this, Mu Yunjin got into the Rong Prince Mansion’s carriage.

Before getting into the carriage, Mu Yunjin looked in Mu Lingzhu’s direction and saw her being carried on a stretcher by several Imperial Guards, covered with a white cloth. She bit her lip, feeling very unsettled.

The only child left in the Mu family was Mu Xiarou.

No matter what, she had to ensure Mu Xiarou’s safety. Otherwise, she would truly have no face to meet Minister Mu in the future.