Xu Heyu smiled, looking at Qu Xinyao with tender eyes. “As for marrying Xinfei, I’m ready at any moment.”

Hearing this, Qu Xinyao’s face grew increasingly red.

This was the first time Mu Yunjin had seen Qu Xinyao look so shy, and she couldn’t help but smile, sighing with contentment—how wonderful it was that these lovers had finally found their way to each other.

“You and His Highness seem to be getting along well these days,” Xu Heyu turned to look at Mu Yunjin and Chu Li.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow. “We’ve always gotten along well.”

“It seems His Highness has once again been tamed by you!” Qu Xinyao smiled slightly, genuinely happy for them.

“That’s right, my charm is irresistible,” Mu Yunjin immediately agreed with Qu Xinyao’s words, then looked toward Chu Li.

Chu Li’s face showed a faint smile, clearly agreeing with Mu Yunjin’s statement.

“Your Highness, My Lady!” Ding Xian hurriedly walked in from outside, his expression grave.

…

…

Chu Li and Mu Yunjin looked toward Ding Xian.

“The secret guards just reported that something has happened to Third Madam and Fifth Young Miss. They were captured by Qin Muyue while trying to escape!” Ding Xian urgently reported.

Mu Yunjin’s body suddenly froze. “Captured by Qin Muyue? Weren’t secret guards protecting them?”

“Your Highness assigned twenty highly skilled secret guards to stay in Lin Yin City to protect them, but when Qin Muyue discovered them, all twenty guards stepped forward to fight. In the end, nineteen died, and the only survivor was seriously injured. That guard said Qin Muyue has practiced some evil technique that allows her to easily fight twenty opponents at once…”

Mu Yunjin bit her lip, her fists tightly clenched. With Luo Ningyu and Mu Xiarou in Qin Muyue’s hands, how could there be any good outcome?

“Did Qin Muyue spare that guard’s life to deliver a message?” Chu Li spoke calmly, looking at Ding Xian.

Ding Xian nodded. “Indeed, there was a message…”

As he spoke, Ding Xian looked troubled, glancing at Mu Yunjin, then at Chu Li. “Qin Muyue said…”

“She said that if she doesn’t see the Princess Consort coming to beg her within three days, she will have Third Madam and Fifth Young Miss’s heads delivered here.” After finishing, Ding Xian couldn’t help but marvel at Qin Muyue’s ruthlessness.

Mu Yunjin narrowed her eyes, suddenly feeling rage rise in her chest. This damned Qin Muyue kept provoking her—did she think Mu Yunjin wouldn’t dare kill her?

Just as she clenched her fists and stood up, ready to leave, her hand was grasped by Chu Li. The warmth transmitted from his palm made her pause momentarily as she looked at him.

“I will go retrieve them for you,” Chu Li said, looking at her.

“No!” Mu Yunjin refused outright.

Although she had complete faith in Chu Li and believed he could handle many things for her, this particular matter made her extremely anxious.

Luo Ningyu and Mu Xiarou were the only people left from the Mu family.

She had to save them.

She couldn’t bear to watch more members of the Mu family die before her eyes.

This was also a debt she owed to Minister Mu.

“Then what do you want to do?” Chu Li’s expression changed, his tone somewhat displeased.

“I want to see Qin Muyue myself,” Mu Yunjin pursed her lips, watching Chu Li’s increasingly dark expression.

A black curtain descended in Chu Li’s eyes, yet he remained very calm, speaking in a steady voice, “And then what? Disregard your own body and fight Qin Muyue to the death?”

“…” Mu Yunjin frowned, lowering her gaze.

The atmospheric pressure in the room grew increasingly heavy. Qu Xinyao and Xu Heyu exchanged glances, both inexplicably feeling a chill in the hall, with coldness seeping in from all directions.

“Chu Li, but I’m worried about you.” Mu Yunjin knew Chu Li was displeased, but still wanted to try to persuade him.

Chu Li sighed, leaning back in his chair, quietly thinking for a moment.

Finally, Chu Li made his decision. “You are not going.”

Mu Yunjin’s face immediately fell.

……

Mu Yunjin returned to Phoenix Feather Pavilion alone.

After making his decision, Chu Li had taken Ding Xian, Huang Yan, and others to Lin Yin City.

After returning to Phoenix Feather Pavilion, Mu Yunjin felt restless, extremely anxious, as if something bad was about to happen.

The more she thought about this bad possibility, the more uneasy Mu Yunjin became.

A moment later, unable to bear it any longer, she walked over to Grandma Yu.

Grandma Yu was standing by the stream. Seeing Mu Yunjin approach, she smiled and spoke, “Does the young mistress wish to borrow spiritual power?”

Mu Yunjin nodded.

“Although spiritual power can protect your child from harm, it is, after all, an external force. It’s not good for the young mistress to rely on it too much. It’s better to naturally accept the pregnancy process,” Grandma Yu said.

“I have something important to do. Can I just borrow it this once?” Mu Yunjin clasped her hands together, her face pleading.

Grandma Yu sighed and shook her head. “You’ve borrowed spiritual power three times already, with short intervals between. This time I cannot agree.”

“All right.” Mu Yunjin wasn’t particularly skilled at begging. With Grandma Yu having spoken so clearly, she couldn’t continue to press her request.

Without the aid of spiritual power, being pregnant now, if she rashly went to Lin Yin City, she would only be creating trouble for Chu Li.

Forget it, better to behave and stay here.

Waiting for Chu Li to return safely.

That night, Mu Yunjin once again dreamed of Si Qing and Fu Huan—

This time, under the Mortal Life Tree, they were no longer two smiling figures sitting together chatting, but Fu Huan holding the blood-covered Si Qing, crying heartbrokenly.

Si Qing lay in her arms with closed eyes, his blood slowly flowing, dyeing the surrounding withered leaves crimson.

Fu Huan, with reddened eyes, tightly held the gradually cooling body in her arms, her eyes filled with unprecedented sorrow and despair.

“Brother Qing, in this vast world, why is there no place for the two of us?”

“I’ll come find you now. Will you wait for me?”

A red light flashed, and the two figures nestled tightly together, peaceful and beautiful. Withered leaves fell one by one, landing on their bodies, but neither moved.

Nearby, the black qilin and red phoenix lowered their heads, large tears falling from their eyes.

……

When Mu Yunjin woke up, her face was covered in tears, and her pillow was soaked with them.

The dream vividly replayed before her eyes. Mu Yunjin wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, discovering that she was trembling violently. Why was that dream so real?

Waves of anxiety hit her again. Mu Yunjin felt she could no longer sit still. Looking at the time, it was not long past midnight.

Mu Yunjin got out of bed, changed into light clothes, simply tied her long hair into a ponytail, and left the room, walking toward the exit of Phoenix Feather Pavilion.

Reaching the door, Mu Yunjin drew back her steps, turned around, and walked toward the wooden cabins where Qiqi and the others lived.

Passing by Huaying’s door, she noticed the light was still on inside.

Mu Yunjin paused and gently knocked on Huaying’s door. “Huaying, are you asleep?”

The door suddenly opened.

Huaying was sitting in the wooden cabin sorting some medicinal pills. Seeing Mu Yunjin, she looked up. “Mistress, why are you still awake so late?”

“Something came up,” Mu Yunjin replied.

“I just successfully refined a batch of pills and am categorizing them. Huang Yan helped with some of them.” Huaying curled her lips into a smile, putting the pills one by one into porcelain bottles.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips. “Are you free? Take me to Lin Yin City.”

“Mistress, you…” Huaying hesitated. She had heard about Qin Muyue capturing Luo Ningyu and Mu Xiarou.

“Take me, please. I’m worried about Chu Li,” Mu Yunjin frowned.

Huaying looked at Mu Yunjin. “Mistress, with Prince Ning taking action, there shouldn’t be any problems. You’re pregnant now and should take good care of yourself.”

“But I have a bad feeling,” Mu Yunjin bit her lip, thinking of tonight’s dream. Her chest still felt a sharp pain.

“If you won’t take me, then I’ll go by myself.” Mu Yunjin stood up and was about to leave.

Huaying immediately stood up and said to Mu Yunjin, “Mistress, I can take you, but we can only watch from a distance and not get involved, alright?”

“Alright!” Mu Yunjin agreed immediately.

Hearing this, Huaying smiled. “But to find someone, we should bring Qiqi along.”

With that, Huaying left the room and knocked on the door of the adjacent room.

A moment later, she activated the invisible space.

……

An hour and a half later, around the fourth watch of the night.

Qiqi tracked the location of the military camp. The three of them appeared at the camp on the outskirts of Lin Yin City. At this time, in the military headquarters, apart from some guards at the gates, most people were still resting.

After knocking out three soldiers, Huaying took their clothes, handed one set to Mu Yunjin and another to Qiqi.

After changing into their clothes, the three of them dispersed to search for Qin Muyue’s camp.

Mu Yunjin’s heart was pounding heavily. After walking around, she finally found a tent with a light on inside, and no guards around it.

She couldn’t help but slowly approach.

As she got closer, familiar voices came from inside—

“Chu Qing, I understand Mu Yunjin. She’s a person with a tough exterior but a soft heart. She will come to rescue this mother and daughter,” Qin Muyue’s voice, filled with laughter, rang out. Unlike before, her laugh had a ghostly quality to it.

“I hope so. The Divine Decree still can’t find a way to summon the dead soldiers. No wonder Mu Yunjin gave it up so readily,” Chu Qing’s words carried a hint of annoyance.

“Hmph, after she helps us activate the Divine Decree, the first thing I’ll do is kill Mu Yunjin to satisfy my hatred!” Qin Muyue said angrily.

Standing not far away, listening to the conversation inside, Mu Yunjin couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Want to kill her?

In your dreams!

If anything, it would be the other way around.

Hmph.

Just as she was listening, the tent flap was suddenly lifted. Mu Yunjin immediately turned to the side, lowered her head, and stood motionless in front of a tent.

Hearing footsteps from the left, Mu Yunjin glanced over and saw Chu Qing and Qin Muyue leaving the tent together, walking toward the south.

Seeing the two walking further away, Mu Yunjin steeled herself and carefully followed them.

As she walked, she looked around, wondering if Chu Li was here.

If Chu Li discovered her, he would probably scold her to death.

Mu Yunjin walked slowly, not noticing a dark shadow gradually approaching her…