Before they could reach Mu Yunjin, a cloud of black mist rushed toward the approaching black-clad men. The leading assassins who came into contact with the mist collapsed to the ground.

Hua Ying ran over, grabbed Mu Yunjin’s wrist, and pulled her aside. “Mistress, let’s go first!”

Mu Yunjin followed beside Hua Ying, mindful of her condition, not daring to run at full speed. She could only quicken her steps, but the black-clad men behind them continued their relentless pursuit.

Knowing Mu Yunjin’s poor health these past two days, Hua Ying released her hand. “Mistress, you go ahead. I’ll hold them off for a while.”

Mu Yunjin bit her lip, nodded, and hurried toward her room to find the jade whistle.

After just a few steps, Hua Ying behind her was locked in a bitter struggle with the assassins.

Mu Yunjin hurried along. When she reached the rear courtyard, the previously empty yard suddenly swarmed with another batch of black-clad men from all directions, surrounding her.

Trapped in the middle, Mu Yunjin’s expression darkened. The heavy killing intent around her put her entire being on high alert.

“Who sent you?” Mu Yunjin asked with a tense face.

…

…

“A dead woman does not need to know so much,” one black-clad man sneered, then swung his blade toward Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin stepped back, narrowed her eyes, and drew the phoenix-tail whip from her wrist. She struck at the approaching assassin, but the whip landed with only a fraction of its usual power.

The black-clad man took the hit without flinching, merely shrugging his shoulders. “It seems the rumors were wrong. Our master sent so many of us to kill her—what a waste of manpower…”

As he spoke, the surrounding assassins broke into mocking laughter.

Mu Yunjin bit her lip. In this situation, she desperately wanted to charge forward and kill them all, but she knew she couldn’t fight or get angry now.

Damn it, who could…

“Brothers, kill her!” The lead assassin gave the order. At his command, blades flashed all around as the black-clad men swung their weapons at Mu Yunjin.

The glint of weapons momentarily blinded Mu Yunjin. Her heart leaped into her throat as she covered her lower abdomen with one hand while gripping the phoenix-tail whip with the other, preparing to fight to the death.

Just as she was about to use her true qi to leap upward, a flash of cyan light streaked through the courtyard—

Jiang Qingxue’s figure flew in from outside the courtyard wall.

At the same time, her disciples from Qingyin Pavilion also flew into the courtyard. Seeing Mu Yunjin surrounded by assassins, Jiang Qingxue’s eyes instantly reddened.

Holding her jade flute, she waved her hand slightly, killing in the blink of an eye.

“The Head of Qingyin Pavilion!” The lead assassin exclaimed in surprise, but before he could say another word, he was met with Jiang Qingxue’s fierce palm strike.

The remaining black-clad men were engaged by the Qingyin Pavilion disciples, unable to focus on Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin stood in place, surprised that Jiang Qingxue would appear at such a critical moment. But given the current situation, she couldn’t dwell on it. Taking advantage of the chaos, she stepped away.

Several black-clad men noticed Mu Yunjin’s attempt to leave and moved to pursue her, but suddenly, a group of half-human, half-beast monsters emerged from all directions. Without a word, they began tearing into the assassins in a bloody massacre.

At that moment, another jade whistle sounded—

Immediately after, waves of purple-armored guards appeared one after another in the courtyard, so numerous they surrounded the entire City Lord’s residence, leaving no gaps.

Seeing the situation deteriorate, the black-clad men tried to retreat, only to find Mu Yunjin’s reinforcements everywhere, making escape impossible.

“Keep one alive. The rest—leave none standing,” Jiang Qingxue commanded, having captured the lead assassin. The others understood, their eyes red with bloodlust.

…

After calm was restored outside, Mu Yunjin finally emerged from her room. Her left hand still instinctively covered her lower abdomen as she approached, first looking toward Jiang Qingxue.

“Mother, how did you suddenly appear here?” Mu Yunjin looked at Jiang Qingxue, who seemed to have grown much thinner since they last met.

This was the first time Jiang Qingxue had heard Mu Yunjin call her “Mother.” Her nose tingled, her eyes reddened, and fighting back tears, she forced a smile. “The weather’s turning cold. I made several new clothes for you and wanted to deliver them. When I reached Diehua City, I heard you were here.”

“Thankfully, I arrived in time, otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.” Jiang Qingxue had noticed Mu Yunjin’s poor complexion and how she had been constantly holding her lower abdomen. It could be that…

At that moment, Qiqi, Lei Yan, and the others rushed over. Seeing that everyone was unharmed, they breathed sighs of relief, then turned their attention to the captured assassin kneeling on the ground.

“Who sent you?” Qiqi demanded angrily.

All eyes immediately focused on the black-clad man.

The assassin lowered his head. “Kill me or flay me, do as you please.”

“You think I wouldn’t dare?” Qiqi grew angry, raising her claws, ready to strike the man.

Nearby, Hua Ying stopped her hand, her lips curling into a cold, enchanting smile. “No need to kill or flay him. Making him wish for death is the best way to make him talk.”

As she spoke, Hua Ying took out a porcelain bottle from her sleeve. She opened the lid, and a small black snake, about the length of a little finger, crawled out. She placed it in her palm, then slowly lowered it onto the assassin’s head.

The next moment, the small black snake burrowed into the man’s skull. A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the courtyard—

“Ahhh…!”

The black-clad man clutched his head, rolling on the ground in agony. The veins on his forehead bulged as his screams grew more terrible.

Mu Yunjin frowned slightly. Today was Qin Muyue and Chu Qing’s wedding. Could this attack be related to…?

Jiang Qingxue supported Mu Yunjin, glancing at her belly without mentioning it, and stared coldly at the assassin.

After a while, the black-clad man, convulsing in pain, finally relented. “I… I’ll talk, I’ll talk…”

“Wouldn’t it have been easier this way from the start?” Hua Ying recalled the small black snake.

The assassin lay on the ground, taking several deep breaths. “It was a woman who signed as ‘Yue’ [Moon]. She paid a hefty price for Mu Yunjin’s head.”

“Yue? Her full name? What does she look like? Which country is she from?” Qiqi fired off four questions at once.

The assassin shook his head. “This lowly one doesn’t know. I was only following my master’s orders to carry out the mission.”

“What organization are you from?” Qiqi asked.

“We… I… Ahh!” Before the assassin could finish, a dart flew from the shadows, piercing his throat.

The man died instantly.

This sudden turn of events startled everyone. Qiqi and Lei Yan immediately leaped toward the direction the dart had come from.

In the courtyard, Mu Yunjin stared at the assassin’s corpse, biting her lip. “Yue… who could it be?”

“Qin Muyue?” Hua Ying suggested, glancing at the others. Everyone pursed their lips. At the mention of a woman named Yue, almost everyone’s first thought was Qin Muyue.

Jiang Qingxue’s face darkened as she looked at Mu Yunjin. “It could also be Rong Wanyue.”

Mu Yunjin had instinctively thought it might be Qin Muyue, but Jiang Qingxue’s sudden mention of Consort Rong made her eyes flicker.

Consort Rong…

Could it be her?

Was she willing to burn all bridges for the Divine Token?

But Qin Muyue was equally possible. Why else would such an incident occur precisely on her wedding day?

Both Consort Rong and Qin Muyue knew Chu Li wouldn’t be by her side today. Attacking her now was indeed the perfect opportunity.

“Could it be someone else? If they hired an assassin organization, they should have planned for failure. Wouldn’t it be too stupid to leave a clue in the name?” Mu Yunjin considered this angle.

“If it truly is an assassin organization, then after this failure, they’ll certainly send more people. We must be extra cautious in the coming days,” Jiang Qingxue said.

Everyone nodded.

At this point, Qiqi and Lei Yan flew back. As soon as they landed, Qiqi rushed over. “Mistress, the enemy is not to be underestimated. Even with my tracking skills, I couldn’t detect that person’s aura. They managed to escape.”

“Let’s not worry about that now. City Lord Xu still needs rest. Let’s all disperse for now,” Mu Yunjin said, feeling uncomfortable again after all the commotion.

Everyone went their separate ways.

…

Back in her room, Mu Yunjin lay down again.

Jiang Qingxue followed her in, sat by her bedside, and smiled gently at Mu Yunjin. “Yunjin, are you pregnant?”

Under Jiang Qingxue’s gentle gaze, Mu Yunjin nodded.

“How perfect! I had some leftover fabric from making your clothes, so I made a few pieces for a child to wear.” As she spoke, Jiang Qingxue opened her bundle, revealing several thick cotton garments and a few tiny brocade outfits.

Mu Yunjin took one of the small brocade clothes and unfolded it. The tiny garment melted her heart instantly. “It’s beautiful.”

“In the blink of an eye, you’re going to be a mother,” Jiang Qingxue sighed.

“Yes, and you’re going to be a grandmother,” Mu Yunjin smiled, winking at her.

Amused, Jiang Qingxue touched her face. “I feel like I’ve suddenly aged.”

“Not at all,” Mu Yunjin smiled, then after a pause, asked, “Mother, where have you been alone these days?”

“Just wandering around,” Jiang Qingxue said softly.

Mu Yunjin leaned against the headboard, lowering her eyelids slightly. “That’s nice. I haven’t been doing so well lately.”

“What happened? Has Chu Li not been treating you well?” Jiang Qingxue’s eyes showed concern.

Mu Yunjin pouted and told Jiang Qingxue everything about going to Guigu Cave to find the Spirit Crocodile, Chu Li’s amnesia, and how she was keeping her pregnancy a secret from him.

After listening, Jiang Qingxue’s brows furrowed tightly, her eyes flashing with sharpness. “That Rong Wanyue, she truly deserves to die!”

“I must go settle accounts with her. How dare she treat my daughter this way!” Jiang Qingxue was furious, standing up to leave.

Mu Yunjin quickly grabbed her sleeve, raising the corner of her lips. “Mother, don’t rush. I’ve already given Consort Rong plenty to be angry about these days.”

“All for a Divine Token—she must have gone mad!” Jiang Qingxue was still angry. After a moment, her expression darkened. “Hearing what you just said, I strongly suspect those black-clad men were sent by Rong Wanyue.”

“Her?” Mu Yunjin pursed her lips. “I don’t think she would be so ruthless. If Chu Li were to find out…”

Jiang Qingxue sighed. “Let’s hope so.”