Shen Wanning spoke with extreme grievance, her eyes faintly brimming with tears.

Seeing Shen Wanning playing the victim first, Feng Xuan’s face tightened with displeasure, “Then what about knocking Yuer unconscious?”

“Enough!” Murong Rusu suddenly shouted in anger.

Then, she slowly turned around and looked at Feng Xuandaoren, “This is our Qing Feng Island’s own business. We don’t need outsiders like you to interfere.”

“And you, Feng Lan, since you rescued someone, you can leave now that the rescue is complete!” Murong Rusu then turned to look at Black Robe.

When Feng Xuandaoren heard the word “outsider,” his expression changed. He immediately put down Yuer from his arms, snorted heavily, and walked out of the stone chamber without looking back.

Black Robe also didn’t linger, stepping away to leave.

Murong Rusu looked at each of the remaining people one by one, first at Shen Wanning, “Wanning, don’t let this happen again.”

“Yes, Mother.” Shen Wanning nodded.

…

…

“Yuer, for bringing outsiders in without permission, you are punished to copy the Tianyu Heart Sutra two hundred times. Submit it to your master when I finish my seclusion.”

Yuer obediently nodded in agreement.

After speaking, Murong Rusu walked out. As she passed by Chu Li, she turned her head slightly to look at him, but ultimately said nothing and left.

Once Murong Rusu left, Xu Heyu, worried about Qu Xinyao, didn’t stay long either and hurried to leave.

Seeing Xu Heyu’s urgency, Chu Li left the stone chamber with him. Before leaving, he reached out and stroked Yuer’s head.

Inside the stone chamber, Yuer looked at Shen Wanning, sniffled, and glared at her, “Yuer doesn’t like Aunt Shen anymore.”

“So what?” Shen Wanning looked at the little girl, unconcerned.

“Then I’m going to turn you into a pig.” As Yuer spoke, a spiritual light flashed from her fingertip toward Shen Wanning.

Suddenly, Shen Wanning felt her body tighten, and then she couldn’t move at all.

Was this… acupoint sealing from a distance?

After immobilizing Shen Wanning, Yuer immediately scurried out, and soon returned with a brush dipped in ink. She hopped onto the ice bed and bent close to Shen Wanning’s face.

“You…” Shen Wanning wanted to step back but couldn’t move at all.

Then, Yuer took up the brush and drew a big pig’s head on Shen Wanning’s face.

“Hee-hee-hee, so ugly…” Yuer covered her mouth with a laugh and scampered out of the stone chamber.

Outside the stone chamber, Murong Rusu stood not far away, frowning tightly, clenching her fist, then relaxing it again…

……

“They’re back! They’re back!”

In River Moon City, a group of people had been waiting anxiously from daylight until dark. When they saw the returning party, they all excitedly ran out.

“Sister Qingmeng, please help quickly!” Xu Heyu, as soon as he entered, looked toward Qingmeng.

Qingmeng immediately went over to examine Qu Xinyao.

Mu Yunjin stepped forward to follow, but was caught by the arm by Chu Li, who was walking toward her.

“It’s so late, why haven’t you gone to rest?” Chu Li looked at her, noticing she was still dressed the same as during the day, despite the heavy evening chill, truly causing him worry.

Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together, looking at Chu Li, “How could I sleep when you hadn’t returned?”

Then, tugging his arm, she said, “Let’s go in first to see the situation, and we’ll rest after…”

Chu Li nodded slightly.

In the room, Qingmeng sat at the bedside, taking Qu Xinyao’s pulse, while Xu Heyu watched Qu Xinyao without blinking.

After a while, Qingmeng let out a relieved sigh, “They gave Yaoyao a pill made from Fengqie flower. After taking it, her entire body would be paralyzed, losing sensation. After a few hours, when the drug’s effects dissipate, she will wake up on her own.”

“Fengqie flower? Isn’t that herb specifically used to numb pain?” Huaying asked with a frown, surprised.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin realized that the Fengqie flower was equivalent to modern anesthesia.

Xu Heyu’s heart trembled, recalling the scene of Black Robe holding a dagger to Qu Xinyao’s face when he entered the stone chamber. He suddenly felt grateful that he hadn’t arrived too late…

“Alright, it’s getting late. Everyone’s had a tiring day. Heyu, stay with Yaoyao.” Qingmeng stood up, giving everyone a meaningful look.

Everyone understood and bid farewell to Xu Heyu.

……

Back in the main hall, the group remained together rather than dispersing.

“They numbed Yaoyao’s pain, so they might not have intended to harm her life, but they might have wanted to take some part of her body,” Qingmeng analyzed.

“Sister Xinyao shouldn’t have much value to them. What could they possibly want from her?” Qiqi was puzzled, unable to understand.

Hearing this, Huaying calmly said, “Anyone with medical knowledge knows that there are many things to be taken from a living person. If they captured City Lord Qu, there must be something they wanted from her.”

“For example… her appearance…” Huaying recalled the horrifying face of Qin Muyue.

At the mention of appearance, Chu Li’s eyes flickered, recalling the scene of Black Robe aiming a dagger at Qu Xinyao’s face when they entered the stone chamber.

Upon hearing the word “appearance,” Mu Yunjin also immediately thought of Qin Muyue.

Thinking about it, it was entirely possible.

On second thought, remembering that Qin Muyue had escaped from the array in the Southern Court Kingdom, Mu Yunjin suddenly felt like another time bomb had been planted nearby.

“We should just be careful shortly. Since they want to take something from a living person, most of their attention will be on us, as they might use this to take revenge,” Qingmeng said.

Hearing this, Qiqi felt chilled, thinking silently that those people were truly deranged, capable of coming up with any cruel idea.

Now, even while she was perfectly fine, she had to worry about her face being taken away…

Mu Yunjin listened from the side without expressing an opinion. She was currently pregnant and could only hope to safely deliver her child. Moreover, Chu Li now kept a close watch on her, not allowing her to get involved in these matters.

But listening to everyone’s exchanges, she felt a restless energy stirring within her…

……

After resting for a night at the City Lord’s Mansion, everyone got up early the next morning to check on Qu Xinyao’s condition.

Qu Xinyao had already awakened in the middle of the night, but did not know about her being unconscious or kidnapped.

Seeing that she was completely unaware, no one mentioned the incident.

“Are you all leaving already? Won’t you stay a few more days?” Qu Xinyao saw that they were all saying goodbye and felt reluctant, as it was a rare opportunity to have so many people gathered together.

“Mm, you and Heyu are newlyweds in the honeymoon phase. We won’t disturb your sweet time together. When you’ve had enough of being lovey-dovey, we’ll come again,” Huang Yan teased.

Hearing this, Qu Xinyao’s face turned red.

“I’ll stay for two more days. I’m alone and have nowhere to go,” Qingmeng spoke up.

“Then I’ll stay with Sister Qingmeng,” Huaying added, following Qingmeng’s lead.

The two stayed behind in case Black Robe and his people launched another sudden attack.

Qu Xinyao was naturally delighted to have them stay.

……

On the returning carriage, Mu Yunjin thought back and forth, deciding to tell Chu Li about the previous night’s events.

“Chu Li, Qin Muyue has escaped from the Southern Court Kingdom.” Mu Yunjin leaned against the carriage and turned to look at Chu Li, waiting for his response.

Chu Li’s brows furrowed. This was indeed news to him. “Really?”

Mu Yunjin nodded, “Absolutely true.”

“Then someone in the Southern Court Kingdom must have helped her,” Chu Li pondered for a moment before stating with certainty.

The array set by Kong Shi was incredibly intricate and difficult to solve, and he perhaps knew this best. For Qin Muyue to escape from the array, there could only be one explanation…

Someone had secretly helped her.

And that person must have been thoroughly familiar with Kong Shi’s array.

“Imperial Preceptor An is highly respected in the Southern Court Kingdom. Whoever helped Qin Muyue behind his back must be even more revered than him…” Mu Yunjin raised her eyebrows as she spoke.

Looking across the entire Southern Court Kingdom, apart from the most supreme person, it would be hard to think of anyone else.

Chu Li curved his lips slightly but didn’t express an opinion.

Mu Yunjin yawned, not wanting to dwell on such matters at the moment. Day after day, these events were driving them all to the brink of nervous exhaustion.

So she leaned against Chu Li’s shoulder, “I’ll sleep for a while. Wake me when we arrive.”

“Mm.” Chu Li drew her into his embrace, planting a kiss on her forehead.

As his thoughts drifted, a trace of worry clouded his eyes.

……

Upon returning to Zhangzhou City, Song Chun, who had been observing the situation in Butterfly City, suddenly appeared and approached Chu Li after he got down from the carriage.

“Your Highness.”

Chu Li looked at Song Chun.

Song Chun stepped closer and spoke in a low voice, “The Emperor of Western Ming has come to Zhangzhou City. Soon, he will send imperial guards to Phoenix Feather Pavilion to invite you for a meeting.”

“Recently, many informants have known that Your Highness has appeared in Zhangzhou City, so the Emperor of Western Ming has also discovered the small stream outside Phoenix Feather Pavilion,” Song Chun said.

Just as he finished speaking, several men in plain clothes approached from a distance.

Seeing Chu Li standing by the stream, they immediately hurried over and bowed, “This humble official Lin Ning pays respects to Prince Ning and Princess Ning.”

“No need for formalities,” Chu Li said calmly.

After Chu Li spoke, Lin Ning took out a gleaming gold token from his sleeve, “This humble official, on the Emperor’s verbal command, invites Prince Ning and Princess Ning to meet at the teahouse in Zhangzhou City’s market street.”

Hearing this, Chu Li and Mu Yunjin exchanged a glance, then both nodded slightly.

Seeing their agreement, Lin Ning was overjoyed, bowed, and made a gesture of invitation.

A moment later, when they arrived at the second floor of the teahouse, imperial guards in plain clothes were standing outside. They all bowed slightly upon seeing Chu Li and Mu Yunjin.

Then, Eunuch Lu, who had come along, immediately stepped forward, looking at Chu Li and Mu Yunjin with deep emotion.

“This old servant pays respects to Prince Ning and Princess Ning,” Eunuch Lu bowed.

“No need for formalities,” Chu Li said.

Eunuch Lu nodded, pointing inside the door, his tone somewhat heavy, “The Emperor has been ill recently, his health deteriorating day by day. These past few days, he has improved somewhat, but his heart has been thinking of Prince Ning. Early this morning, he came to Zhangzhou City in disguise, wishing to see Prince Ning and Princess Ning…”

After finishing, Eunuch Lu smiled awkwardly, “Listen to this old servant’s rambling. Your Highness and Princess, please go in.”

As he spoke, the door was opened for Chu Li and Mu Yunjin.

The two entered and immediately saw the Emperor of Western Ming sitting inside, dressed in a gray brocade robe. It had been some time since they last met, and the Emperor had grown much thinner and older. The hair at his temples, which used to have some black strands, had now completely turned gray-white.

Seeing the arrivals, the Emperor slightly opened his mouth. Since the revelation of Chu Li’s identity, he hadn’t seen Chu Li. Now, facing him directly, he felt somewhat embarrassed.

“You’ve come. Please sit. I have something to discuss with you today…”