“You… what do you mean by that?” The Fort Master let out a cold snort, turning to sweep his gaze across the room.

The moment their eyes met, Chen Xiaoyi collapsed to the ground, the light instantly draining from her eyes.

“No… I didn’t, I didn’t do it, Fort Master, they’re slandering me, I truly didn’t…” she shook her head, murmuring under her breath.

Chen Xiaoyi had never imagined that Feng Jiu’er would lie — there was nothing in her belly at all. What was she to do now?

The Fort Master’s face turned livid with rage. He glared at Chen Xiaoyi, his voice dropping to a low, murderous tone.

“Chen Xiaoyi, I’ll give you one last chance. Were you or were you not sneaking around behind my back, enticing other men?”

Chen Xiaoyi lifted her gaze to the Fort Master for a brief moment, then quickly averted her eyes and shook her head.

“No, Fort Master, I truly didn’t. And I didn’t kill anyone either. It’s Feng Jiu’er — it’s all of them trying to frame me. I did nothing.”

“The evidence is now ironclad, and you still want to deny it!” Xiao Yingtao said coldly.

She had never seen anyone with such brazen shamelessness. But then again, what was there that a woman like Chen Xiaoyi, who had lost all humanity, could not do?

“Never mind — I have a way to make her talk.” Qiao Mu stepped forward two paces, eyes fixed on Chen Xiaoyi. “Someone, restrain her.”

“Yes.” Two of the brothers stepped forward and hauled Chen Xiaoyi up from the floor.

“Let go of me! What are you doing?!” No matter how Chen Xiaoyi struggled, she was no match for two grown men.

She had no idea what Qiao Mu intended, and naturally, she was frightened.

“Qiao Mu.” Feng Jiu’er looked at Qiao Mu and gave a small shake of her head.

“It’s fine. I’m in perfectly good shape.” Qiao Mu offered her a reassuring glance, then shifted her gaze onto Chen Xiaoyi.

Better to get to the bottom of this quickly — it would make everything easier afterward.

“Let go of me!” Chen Xiaoyi struggled hard once more, then looked up to meet Qiao Mu’s gaze. “What are you going to do? I didn’t do anything. You people…”

Qiao Mu did nothing at all — she simply stared at Chen Xiaoyi. Yet in the blink of an eye, Chen Xiaoyi’s eyes turned hollow and vacant.

“Don’t… frame me…” Chen Xiaoyi let out the words she had been trying to hold back, and then she fell silent.

Everyone present watched Qiao Mu and Chen Xiaoyi, as though waiting for something.

“You — what is your name?” The dungeon was quiet for a moment before Qiao Mu spoke.

“Chen Xiaoyi,” came the soft reply.

Aside from the glassy look in her eyes, she appeared no different from usual.

“Was it you who poisoned Old Liang’s entire family?”

Just as Qiao Mu’s voice rang out again, the three Liang brothers, having heard the news, arrived at that very moment.

They fixed their eyes on everything unfolding before them and did not interrupt.

“Yes.” Chen Xiaoyi gave a slight nod.

Her answer left everyone present stunned.

“Why did you administer the poison?” Qiao Mu continued.

“Little Sister Liang was deeply cherished by the Fort Master. On top of that, I discovered that her birth date and hour were the same as mine.” Chen Xiaoyi’s faintly dazed voice continued.

“I didn’t want her to take my place. She cannot be left in this world.”

“You…” Upon hearing Chen Xiaoyi’s explanation, Third Liang clenched his fists and made to lunge forward.

Fortunately, First Liang stopped him — otherwise he would have already charged over and struck her.

Feng Jiu’er looked at First Liang and Third Liang and shook her head. First Liang shot Third Liang a stern glare, signaling him to stay calm.

“The Fort Mistress’s jade pendant — was it also you who placed it on Yanu’s bed, with the intent of pinning the blame on the Fort Mistress?” Qiao Mu asked in a low, grave voice.

“Yes,” Chen Xiaoyi replied. “That wretched woman refuses to die — how else could I ever take her place as Fort Mistress?”

“Years ago, was it you who bribed the master fortune-teller to present his own birth date to the Fort Master in your stead? Am I correct?” Qiao Mu’s voice rang out once more.

“Yes,” Chen Xiaoyi answered quietly.

Qiao Mu knitted her brows slightly, her voice growing even lower: “In order to conceive a child, you went and seduced a man, didn’t you?”

Her question struck another raw nerve in the Fort Master’s heart, yet in that moment, all he could do was steady himself and watch everything unfold in cold composure.

“Yes,” Chen Xiaoyi confirmed with another faint nod.

“Why?” Qiao Mu pressed.

“I consulted a divine physician. The divine physician told me the Fort Master must have a problem with his own body. In order to become Fort Mistress, I had to conceive.” Chen Xiaoyi replied in a flat, detached tone.

Feng Jiu’er noticed the beads of sweat forming at Qiao Mu’s temples and immediately moved toward her, wishing to stop her.

But Qiao Mu raised a hand and stopped her from coming closer.

“Today — who did you go to meet? Who gave you the poison?” Qiao Mu fixed her eyes on Chen Xiaoyi and asked in a low, firm voice.

“It was a mysterious person. I don’t know his identity. He said he could help me claim the position of Fort Mistress.” Chen Xiaoyi replied.

Qiao Mu’s brow furrowed again. Even as her complexion began to pale, she still hoped to draw out one crucial piece of information.

“Do you know whether he was someone inside the fort or someone from outside?” Qiao Mu asked again.

“I don’t know.” Chen Xiaoyi shook her head.

“Alright, enough.” Feng Jiu’er stepped in front of Qiao Mu, cutting off her questioning.

Qiao Mu closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and worked to steady her internal energy.

“Qiao Mu, are you alright?” Xiao Yingtao hurried over and supported her.

“Xiao Yingtao, let her sit down,” Feng Jiu’er said, taking Qiao Mu’s hand and giving the order.

“Yes.” Xiao Yingtao helped Qiao Mu and eased her down to sit on the ground.

Feng Jiu’er knelt behind Qiao Mu, extended her palm, and pressed it against the center of Qiao Mu’s back.

Before Qiao Mu had any chance to refuse, Feng Jiu’er sent a surge of her inner energy flowing through her palm and into Qiao Mu’s body.

“Fort Master, Qiao Mu knows the art of hypnosis — but whenever she uses it, it greatly depletes her vitality. I’ll leave what remains to you.”

With that single remark, Feng Jiu’er focused entirely on channeling her energy to heal Qiao Mu.

Chen Xiaoyi blinked, and after a moment, slowly came back to herself.

She looked at everything around her, then turned her head to glance at the two people restraining her, completely unaware of what had just transpired.

Chen Xiaoyi stood frozen for a moment, then lifted her gaze to the Fort Master — and it seemed she was beginning to recall what she had said just moments ago.

Suddenly, her eyes went wide, and her entire body went limp.

It was only because the two brothers were holding her that Chen Xiaoyi did not collapse to the floor.

The Fort Master’s brow furrowed briefly. He looked down at the three women on the ground, then clasped his hands in a gesture of deep gratitude. “Little Sister Feng, my thanks!”

Even as he raised his eyes to offer his thanks, the Fort Master’s gaze had turned ice cold.

He waved his hand. “Take her away!”

“Yes.” The captain of the Nanmeng squad received the command and gave a sharp wave of his hand.

The two brothers gave a nod and escorted Chen Xiaoyi out.

The Fort Master let out a quiet sigh and turned to walk out.

The three Liang brothers said not a single word, turned, and followed.

Aside from Feng Jiu’er, Qiao Mu, and Xiao Yingtao — and Jian Yi standing guard to one side — the only person remaining in the dungeon was a jailer who had not dared utter a word the entire time.

Watching the color gradually return to Qiao Mu’s face, Xiao Yingtao breathed a sigh of relief.

She turned back and said in a low voice: “Are you not going to release that person?”

The jailer startled, then shuffled over, trembling, fumbled for the keys, and unlocked the cell door.

Yanu, who had been cowering in the corner, bit her lip and took a few steps forward before kneeling down.

“Many thanks to the young misses for saving my life — this servant will never forget this kindness for as long as I live! Thank you, thank you!”