Qin Munan galloped toward this place on horseback. As he approached Qin Muyue and Mu Yunjin, he leaped from his horse and positioned himself between the two who were about to fight.

Seeing Qin Munan arrive, Qin Muyue instinctively lowered her head, wanting to pick up the black veil she had thrown down earlier. With her face completely ruined, Qin Munan was the last person she wanted to see.

Qin Munan knew nothing about Qin Muyue’s disfigurement, and when he saw the shocking scars, his pupils contracted tightly.

“Moon’er, you…”

“Qin Munan, get out of the way quickly. Don’t interfere with my business, or I’ll kill you too!” Qin Muyue looked up, glaring at Qin Munan.

Although Qin Munan hated how Qin Muyue had disgraced herself, blood ties remained unbreakable from beginning to end. Seeing his dear sister, whom he had treasured since childhood, reduced to this state, how could he not feel heartbroken?

Seeing this scene, Mu Yunjin silently withdrew the Phoenix Tail Whip in her hand…

It seemed this battle would not happen.

“Mu Yunjin, why are you putting away your whip?” Qin Muyue angrily turned her gaze toward Mu Yunjin.

…

…

Hearing this, Qin Munan also turned to look at Mu Yunjin, his eyes flowing with complex thoughts.

“Hey, General Qin, some people are destined to be enemies. What terrible things your sister has done, you know better than anyone.”

“Even at this point, do you still hope she’ll turn back?”

Yun Lianqing, who had been watching from the side, couldn’t help but speak up, his tone roguish, his words filled with sighing.

Qin Munan tightly clenched his fists, lowered his eyelids, and said firmly, “I cannot give up on my sister!”

Qin Muyue paused, her eyelashes trembling slightly as she turned to look at Qin Munan. At this moment, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t moved.

In this world, only Qin Munan would not despise her for this ugly face…

It turned out there was still someone who cared about her safety.

Mu Yunjin rubbed her head with a headache, no longer having the patience to waste time here in the cold. She sniffled, turned to look at Chu Li, and said, “Chu Li, let’s go back.”

“Mu Yunjin!” Qin Muyue called out Mu Yunjin’s name first.

Then, without another word, she raised her palm and struck toward Mu Yunjin, the palm wind rushing directly at her.

Mu Yunjin dodged the palm wind, and as she was about to counter, Qin Munan’s figure had already blocked in front, intercepting Qin Muyue’s second strike.

“Moon’er!” Qin Munan shouted.

When Qin Muyue launched her first strike, her eyes had already reddened. At this moment, she couldn’t listen to any persuasion, and regardless of whether it was Qin Munan or Mu Yunjin before her, she used her full strength.

Seeing that Qin Muyue had finally made her move, Mu Yunjin’s expression also turned serious.

But just as she was about to act seriously, the originally bright daylight suddenly darkened, accompanied by bursts of thunder. A black shadow abruptly darted out from the direction where Shen Wanning had been sent flying earlier.

Then, black light flashed from the fingertips toward Qin Muyue. When Qin Muyue’s body came into contact with that light, she suddenly collapsed limply.

Just as she was about to fall to the ground, she was seized by the shoulder by that black shadow, which then swiftly vanished from the outskirts, trailing darkness.

After the black shadow disappeared, the surroundings returned to brightness.

This sudden turn of events made Mu Yunjin even more furious. Were they deliberately toying with her?

She had made full preparations, but at the crucial moment, her opponent was snatched away.

What kind of nonsense was this?

“Who are they playing with? What mischief are Black Robe and his people up to now? They release this mad woman to find someone for a death battle, and now they’ve taken her away?” Yun Lianqing got up and walked over.

They had been standing on the side and saw that the person who abducted Qin Muyue was Black Robe.

Qin Munan, upon seeing Qin Muyue being taken away, inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

The scene he least wanted to witness was Qin Muyue fighting against Mu Yunjin. He couldn’t accept either of them being harmed.

“It seems that Qin Muyue still has great value to Black Robe, otherwise, he wouldn’t have come all the way here to take her away,” Huang Yan sighed.

Mu Yunjin gave a cold snort. “How boring! Let’s go home!”

As she spoke, she turned and looked expectantly at Chu Li.

Chu Li sighed slightly, walked over, and put his arm around Mu Yunjin. “There’s no help for it. Even heaven wants you to calm down a bit.”

“I’m calm enough; it’s the other side that isn’t,” Mu Yunjin pouted.

After a pause, Mu Yunjin seemed to remember something and looked in the direction where Shen Wanning had been sent flying. There was now no one there.

She couldn’t help but frown and muttered, “Shen Wanning and Black Robe appearing here at the same time—they only came for Qin Muyue?”

Hearing this, Chu Li looked at Ding Xian.

Ding Xian understood. “This servant will go and investigate.”

After speaking, he flew away together with Song Chun.

“Is General Qin returning from Linyin City?” Yun Lianqing greeted Qin Munan with a smile.

Qin Munan nodded slightly.

“Is it for Crown Prince Ye’s coronation ceremony in three days?” Yun Lianqing asked again.

Qin Munan nodded again.

“General Qin is truly kind-hearted. If this crown prince had such a sister…”

“Yun Lianqing, that’s enough, stop talking!” Mu Yunjin interrupted.

Yun Lianqing pressed his lips together and let out a light snort.

……

After returning to Prince Ning’s residence, as soon as they sat down, Mu Yunjin remembered something and couldn’t help looking at Chu Li. “Chu Li, before I needed to rely on Fish Granny for spiritual protection, but now I’ve found that when I use my inner power, spiritual energy emerges from my abdomen by itself. What’s going on?”

Chu Li looked at her, his gaze pausing on her abdomen. After a long while, he couldn’t help but shake his head. “This prince cannot explain it either.”

Mu Yunjin curled her lips and joked, “I wouldn’t be carrying some little monster, would I?”

“Mmm, it’s possible…” Chu Li nodded in agreement, his lips tinged with a smile.

Mu Yunjin laughed lightly and reached out to give Chu Li a gentle punch.

“Your Highness, the formation arrays inside and outside the residence have been set up. Today’s incident definitely won’t happen again,” Huang Yan walked in and said to Chu Li.

Chu Li nodded slightly.

At this moment, Ding Xian and Song Chun also entered. After they came in, they first looked at each other, and finally Ding Xian spoke first.

“Your Highness, Black Robe and Shen Wanning took Qin Muyue into Minister Yan’s residence, but neither of them used the main entrance—they sneaked in secretly,” Ding Xian said.

Upon hearing the words “Minister Yan’s residence,” Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, suddenly recalling their recent mention that Yan Lingshang was a sacrifice.

Could it be that after failing to capture Qu Xinyao last time, they’ve now turned their attention to Yan Lingshang?

“Additionally, we just discovered something else,” Ding Xian continued.

“Speak,” Chu Li said.

Ding Xian nodded, “These past few days, it’s said that many young women have gone missing near Linyin City. Occasionally, some of the missing women are found, but their skin has been peeled off, leaving them bloody and unrecognizable from their original appearance.”

“It seems our guess the other day was correct. Black Robe and his people abducted Yaoyao to take her skin and transfer it to Qin Muyue. But such skin transplantation requires a high degree of compatibility; not everyone can be matched,” Huang Yan tilted his head, slightly furrowing his brow.

Mu Yunjin bit her lower lip. “Now they’ve set their sights on Yan Lingshang.”

“Ah, this is a difficult matter. We have no standing to intervene; we can only pity that poor woman,” Huang Yan sighed lightly.

Mu Yunjin’s brows tightened. Hearing this news still made her feel uncomfortable.

To peel off someone’s skin while they were still alive—what an extremely cruel and painful thing…

Ah, these villains.

Just then, a guard who was watching the gate walked into the Liquid Spring Pavilion. Seeing everyone in the courtyard, he bowed slightly. “Your Highness, Princess, Minister Yan and Miss Yan have come to visit, and the ministers from the Ministry of Rites and Ministry of Revenue have also brought their wives.”

Upon hearing the words “Miss Yan,” Huang Yan and the others flickered their eyes.

“It seems Black Robe and his people haven’t succeeded yet. The moment for this young master Huang to heroically save a beauty is approaching,” Huang Yan winked at everyone.

Everyone fell silent.

Soon, in the front hall.

Chu Li and Mu Yunjin sat together in the main seats, while several officials and their families sat in the side seats. The gifts they had brought filled half the room, and everyone’s faces were wreathed in smiles as they looked at Mu Yunjin and Chu Li.

“Today, hearing that Prince Ning and Princess Ning had returned to the residence, this old minister came specially to visit. I hope we’re not disturbing Your Highness and the Princess?” Minister Yan said with a face full of smiles.

Although he had once publicly criticized Chu Li in court and secretly collaborated with Old General Qin, as the Prime Minister, there were certain formalities he still had to observe.

“You’ve already come, so why talk about disturbing or not disturbing?” Chu Li’s tone was indifferent, not even glancing at Minister Yan.

Minister Yan’s face suddenly stiffened.

“Hahaha, those familiar with Prince Ning know that His Highness is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Minister Yan, please don’t take it to heart,” the Vice Minister of Rites smoothed things over from the side.

Hearing this, Minister Yan laughed awkwardly.

Mu Yunjin sat to the side, her gaze occasionally falling on the silently seated Yan Lingshang. This woman appeared normal now, but after returning home, anything could happen.

How should she warn her?

Although this Yan Lingshang was quite annoying daily, she hadn’t committed any major offenses and didn’t deserve to forfeit her life.

Yan Lingshang seemed to notice that Mu Yunjin kept looking at her. She raised her head and looked toward Mu Yunjin.

When Mu Yunjin met Yan Lingshang’s gaze, she immediately averted her eyes.

A moment later, Minister Yan and the others proposed to take their leave.

They had never been on good terms with Chu Li, and their visit today to bring gifts was merely for show. Naturally, they wouldn’t stay long.

After the officials bowed one by one to Chu Li in farewell, they walked out of the front hall.

Mu Yunjin watched Yan Lingshang’s retreating figure, pressing her lips together and glancing sideways at Chu Li to exchange a look.

“Miss Yan, please wait.” A young maid walked out from the direction of the back garden at this moment.

Yan Lingshang and Minister Yan both stopped and turned around.

“The Princess has prepared a gift for Miss Yan. Would Miss Yan please accompany the Princess to the back garden to collect it?” the maid said with a smile.

Yan Lingshang was slightly taken aback, then looked at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin also didn’t know where this maid had come from. When she met Yan Lingshang’s gaze, she curled her lips and nodded at her.

This gesture left Yan Lingshang unable to refuse.

She could only bow slightly to Mu Yunjin and then walk over.

Seeing her approach, Mu Yunjin led her toward the back garden. As soon as they stepped into the back garden, a figure flashed by, striking Yan Lingshang on the back of the neck and knocking her unconscious.

“Huang Yan, what mischief are you up to now?”