Yun Shuyao had already made the corresponding preparations. She’d been preparing for this scenario very early on, starting from when Concubine Mei obtained that string of inauspicious Buddhist prayer beads.

Now this monk and Taoist were most likely coming for Daiyu, but if they wanted something to happen to her, first the Lin family would have to have problems. And the Lin family wasn’t just Lin Daiyu’s Lin family—it also had her, and her children. They simply couldn’t be separated.

Because she didn’t know when those two people would appear, nor was she certain whether it would be day or night, Yun Shuyao often walked around the garden near Concubine Mei’s courtyard during the day.

No one suspected anything—everyone knew she was somewhat obsessive about cultivation matters.

As for whether it would delay household affairs… after establishing regulations, most of the time things proceeded according to the rules. Only when accidents occurred would matters be reported up. How many accidents could there be? The stewards could handle ordinary matters. If everything required her to make decisions, what were they there for?

Taking that salary meant shouldering that work—if they couldn’t handle it, replace them.

The more prestige one had in Lin Manor, the easier it was to manage.

So Yun Shuyao truly didn’t spend much time on household management each day.

At night, Yun Shuyao didn’t stay in the garden, but she’d already planted some specific plants around Concubine Mei’s courtyard in advance, just waiting for the “guests” to arrive.

Just waiting like this, she waited for the main players.

As soon as the monk and Taoist showed their faces in the capital, it wouldn’t be long before people discovered them, wanting to capture them to exchange for the reward. These two were also forced into desperation and could only avoid people to come to the Lin family.

They weren’t as capable now with their injuries as before, but secretly infiltrating to see Gao Shi and Concubine Mei once while others were unaware should still be no problem.

They didn’t want to make a big commotion—if a disturbance arose, the Lin family’s guards weren’t to be trifled with either.

And Yun Shuyao didn’t want to alarm Lin Ruhai—she wanted to probe first.

This monk and Taoist were injured and very likely hadn’t recovered yet. This was an opportunity for her.

To genuine cultivation practitioners, she was a standard wild amateur—no master to lead her through the door, no systematic inheritance, only able to fumble around blindly herself.

Getting these things certainly wasn’t so easy, but if this monk and Taoist had such abilities, wouldn’t they have some treasures kept in reserve?

On an utterly ordinary night, the monk and Taoist jumped in from outside the wall, silently arriving at Concubine Mei’s courtyard. Stepping on a vine by the window, they opened the window and jumped inside.

Beside Concubine Mei’s bed was another small bed where Gao Yiniang was resting.

For her daughter’s sake, she was truly devoted, personally caring for her without delegating to others.

At any movement from her daughter, she would awaken.

When awakened by someone, she almost cried out, then discovered this monk and Taoist. Her body trembled.

How—how could it be them?! How could they be here!

The Taoist woke Gao Shi, then lifted the bed curtain, looking at Concubine Mei sleeping on the bed.

From her current appearance, one could see her dire state—her complexion pale, her face so thin it had become a palm-sized face, her lips basically devoid of any color. The hand exposed outside the quilt clearly showed raised veins.

Even her breathing was very weak.

Gao Shi looked to the side with trepidation. It wasn’t just her alone in this room—there were also two maids, though they were in the outer chamber. She hastily gestured for them not to make any sound.

The Taoist indeed made no sound. Looking at Concubine Mei’s complexion, his face grave, he calculated with his fingers. Something was wrong.

Gao Shi hadn’t deceived them. If this Concubine Mei continued like this, this pregnancy absolutely couldn’t be preserved.

The Taoist said softly: “Have you fed her something?”

These words made Gao Shi’s heart skip a beat, then she quickly looked toward the outer chamber to see if she’d startled them.

If people discovered two men in her daughter’s room late at night, even with mouths they couldn’t explain clearly.

This truly wasn’t a place to talk. The monk and Taoist exchanged glances and tacitly decided to change locations.

Gao Yiniang seemed to only blink, and the two people vanished. However, a slip of paper suddenly appeared before her.

Gao Shi looked—on it was a location and time. She quickly put the paper away.

Because her movements were somewhat urgent, they made a sound. A maid in the outer chamber awakened, quietly getting up to see Gao Yiniang standing before Concubine Mei’s bed. She immediately became alert. They’d just been sound asleep—could Concubine Mei be uncomfortable somewhere again?

Gao Shi forced a smile at the corner of her mouth, walking over softly: “She hasn’t woken. I suddenly couldn’t sleep and got up to check on her. You all continue resting.”

The several maids caring for her personally didn’t have a single one who could sleep completely through.

Tonight her daughter had slept for three hours, which was already relatively long.

Seeing her say this, that maid breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the sky, she could still sleep another stretch. However, uneasy, she still quietly walked to Concubine Mei’s bed and lifted the curtain, confirming she was fine now before going back to lie down.

Gao Shi silently watched her movements. She’d just made only a small sound and the maid had awakened. Why hadn’t the maid awakened when the Taoist spoke?

By rights, it shouldn’t be so.

Gao Shi’s brow twitched. Was this another mysterious and unfathomable method? As soon as they left, the sounds she made could be heard by the maid.

These people… Gao Shi secretly clenched her fists. They could definitely preserve her daughter’s pregnancy, right?

The time written on the paper slip for meeting was tomorrow. She needed to think carefully about what to say to grasp the initiative.

Early the next morning, Yun Shuyao discovered traces of two uninvited guests. Upon hearing news that Gao Shi was going out, she wasn’t surprised at all. She had someone report the information, then also arranged a carriage herself. After Gao Shi left, she subsequently departed as well.

The enemy in the light, she in the dark—this was the advantage.

She followed far behind Gao Shi. Sometimes she would deliberately take a detour to avoid being detected.

Finally, Gao Shi stopped in a bamboo forest with few people. Sometimes people would come here to cut bamboo. On extremely rare occasions, some scholars and poets would also come here to stroll.

Now there was no one here. Even if there were people, hiding in the bamboo forest, others couldn’t see them.

The monk and Taoist needed to avoid people—they’d also been annoyed by those people who constantly wanted to capture them to exchange for the reward.

Gao Shi left earlier than the time on the paper slip. After she stopped, Yun Shuyao sent out the information and stayed on another hilltop herself.

At this distance, they couldn’t discover her. Even if the monk and Taoist had vast supernatural powers and discovered someone, they would only think it was a tourist.

After Gao Shi waited a while, she saw those two people and immediately went forward devoutly: “Masters, you’ve come. Please, I beg you to save my daughter!”

She wanted to kneel, but it seemed something beneath her knees was supporting her—she couldn’t kneel down.

Gao Shi’s complexion changed slightly: “Master, I…”

The mangy-headed monk shook his head: “Foolish person, why don’t you quickly say what you fed her? Without knowing the cause, medicine and stone cannot save her.”

Gao Shi had thought for a long time last night. Had she fed her daughter anything? Definitely not recently. Speaking of things not from recently, that would be the pill she’d given her daughter to eat many years ago. After her daughter ate it, she gave birth to her granddaughter Ying Yu.

She’d also eaten that medicine herself—that’s how her daughter came about. But when she gave birth to her son, everything had been fine with no abnormalities.

Why would there be a problem now when her daughter ate this kind of medicine a second time?

Gao Shi was somewhat uneasy. Could this divine medicine not be taken a second time?

Seeing her expression, those two people knew there was something in this they didn’t know about. The Taoist waved his sleeve: “Since you’re unwilling to speak, then seek another expert.” Having said this, he made as if to leave.

Gao Shi hastily stopped him: “Master, please wait.”

What other experts could she possibly find?

“This believer has also obtained such a pill before. After my daughter took it, she became pregnant. That was in the twenty-seventh year of Kangxi. Other than this accident, this believer cannot think of any other reason.”

The monk and Taoist heard this and exchanged glances, both with strange looks in their eyes. “Do you still have that medicine?”

Gao Shi shook her head: “No more.”

The lame-footed Taoist pondered. This type of medicine shouldn’t conflict by reason. Moreover, he’d looked at Concubine Mei’s complexion last night—she had once greatly damaged her vital energy. The pregnancy-assisting pill wouldn’t do this.

Just as he was about to inquire further, the lame-footed Taoist heard a sound. His brow twitched: “They’re coming again.”

The mangy-headed monk looked over, his face ugly. It was these people again—how could they be so persistent like restless spirits?!

Yet they couldn’t strike at them. The two hated it until their teeth itched. The Lin family was also too wealthy—because of some small matters before, they’d spent such a huge sum, making them vexed beyond measure.

Seeing these people, Gao Shi’s complexion changed drastically. If she didn’t know that covering her face would be useless, she would have loved to cover her face to avoid people.

If the Lin family found out about this, it would be terrible.

“It’s them!”

“They really are here!”

“Quick, surround them, capture them!”

In these people’s eyes, the monk and Taoist were gleaming white silver—only they had legs and they couldn’t easily catch them. For this reason, they had to work harder. If they caught them, they wouldn’t need to worry about silver for many good years ahead.

Yun Shuyao watched from afar. Without seeing this monk and Taoist’s strength with her own eyes, without confirming their condition, she wasn’t at ease.

With this look, Yun Shuyao couldn’t help but laugh.

The monk and Taoist both didn’t want to tangle with these people. Attracting more people would make it harder to escape.

They fled toward treacherous terrain. Ordinary people couldn’t keep up, but Yun Shuyao could.

At first, they still thought this was also someone trying to capture them for the reward. But after escaping this bamboo mountain area, that person behind was still there. They realized something was wrong. Even martial artists couldn’t maintain this state for long. Having run this far with them, that person’s breathing remained calm—they simply weren’t an ordinary person. So they stopped on a platform.

The Taoist flicked the whisk in his hand: “May this fellow Daoist state your purpose?”

Not only had Yun Shuyao changed her attire for this outing, she also wore a mask on her face. Seeing she refused to reveal her true appearance, they became even more vigilant.

They wanted to have a good talk, and Yun Shuyao also wanted to have a good talk. Between cupping her hands in salute, a colorless and odorless powder scattered with the wind. This wasn’t poison—combined with what they’d been exposed to last night, it could take effect.

“Fellow Daoist, this humble one has a confusion.”

Hearing it was a woman’s voice, the lame-footed Taoist showed no abnormality: “Fellow Daoist, please ask.”

Yun Shuyao: “May I ask why you two have repeatedly acted against the Lin family?”

If there were no accidents, the problems Lin Ruhai encountered while in office, the danger her son met going south to take the xiucai examination, as well as Lin Ruhai being assassinated while serving as imperial commissioner, and the sea salt information inexplicably leaking during his tenure as Salt Censor… all bore these two people’s handiwork.

The lame-footed Taoist was silent: “Why won’t fellow Daoist remove—”

Yun Shuyao sighed: “My strength is meager—I can only resort to this inferior strategy.”

The lame-footed Taoist’s face became even more grave: “Fellow Daoist is too modest.”

From her aura, the cultivation level of the person before him was indeed not high, but if the cultivation level truly wasn’t high, why could she chase them for so long?

She must have hidden her strength!

The mangy-headed monk secretly regretted—they really shouldn’t have entered the capital.

He: “Amitabha, benefactor…” He’d only said half his words when his complexion changed drastically. He felt a wave of weakness in his body, and it came fierce and fast!

He glared with round eyes: “You poisoned us?! Despicable!”

Yun Shuyao smiled: “This isn’t poison. This is a type of incense, harmless, only it makes people relax, their bodies powerless, that’s all.”

This was her treasured possession kept in reserve!

After developing a sense of crisis, she’d been preparing. Over these many years, she’d only stored a little.

The two separated to continue running. Yun Shuyao chased behind. Before long, she’d caught up to both. This medicinal effect—without an antidote, even she herself couldn’t withstand it.

She bound them with rope, and under their terrified gazes, stripped all their clothing except their undergarments, then stuffed them into a mountain cave: “The hour grows late. You two rest well here. I’ll come again in a few days.” To prevent wild beasts, she even moved stones to block the cave entrance.

Here there was nothing to eat or drink, plus the bewildering incense. If they still had some means to escape, Yun Shuyao would accept her bad luck. If they couldn’t escape, after starving for a few days, their mouths should be less stubborn. She had plenty of time to take it slow with these two.

Moreover, they had quite a few good things on them—for example, the Taoist’s whisk, the monk’s wooden fish, and the various bottles and jars stuffed in their clothes whose uses were still unknown. Now they were all hers!

Yun Shuyao was somewhat excited. She didn’t know—after feeding these to the spirit mirror this time, how much could it recover?

Facts proved she’d been happy too early.

After feeding everything to the spirit mirror, it only recovered to just over fifty percent.

To completely restore it—the road ahead was long and arduous.

As for that monk and Taoist, Yun Shuyao still wondered if she could dig out more things, but their mouths were very stubborn. From her questioning, they knew she was connected to the Lin family, so they refused to say anything, let alone mention cultivation methods and distribution of cultivation forces.

The lame-footed Taoist went mad: “Backlash, this is backlash.”

The monk laughed wildly: “Timing and fate—fate dictates it thus!”

When struck by lightning, they should have had this awareness. They couldn’t escape—even if they escaped for a time, they couldn’t escape for a lifetime.

They wanted to go against heaven’s will—how would heaven comply with them?

That crazed energy made Yun Shuyao, witnessing this scene, furrow her brows tightly.

Following heaven?

Human life is but a brief hundred years. Wanting to extend it through cultivation was itself acting against heaven. If one merely complied, how could there be cultivation!

That they would say this—what they went against should be something else.

Thinking of how they’d never dealt a fatal blow to any of the people who’d surrounded and tried to capture them, Yun Shuyao understood somewhat.

It seemed that unless necessary, she couldn’t do anything to ordinary people.

Unknown things more easily inspired wild thoughts. That she’d been so smooth this time was perhaps the retribution they spoke of for going against heaven.

Formless and shapeless, impossible to detect—she could only keep alarm bells ringing in her heart, reminding herself.

Returning to Lin Manor, Yun Shuyao kept a low profile, organizing her gains.

She hadn’t obtained any cultivation methods, but she could feel she was more clear-minded now. Drawing talisman charms could save one-third of the effort compared to before.

At this time, information from the outside world seemed to have a filter applied—except for matters she focused on, everything else couldn’t enter her ears.

Gao Shi, exposed for having contact with the monk and Taoist and now personally watched by a tall and sturdy nanny: “…”

She tremblingly cared for her daughter, praying that some deity could help them, but gods and Buddhas were merciless. Her daughter’s pregnancy, during an ordinary rising movement one day, was lost.

Gao Shi’s complexion was deathly pale: “…”