“Stop right there, damn it! Just let her run away like that? That wretched woman…”
The black-clad figure appeared, grabbing Liu Shi and leaping away in an instant. Mu Zhenfeng was the first to snap back to reality. With a cold, furious shout, he lunged forward, striking out at the two with his palm.
But the opponent countered with a backhanded strike, sending Mu Zhenfeng plummeting from mid-air. Landing on the ground, he saw that the two had already vanished. His aged face twisted with rage as he spat through gritted teeth, “Fine, let them go. But if you don’t treat your hand soon, your entire palm will be ruined.”
At this moment, Wanqing stepped forward. She had watched as her father roared and struck out, still puzzling over the man’s identity. Then she saw the black-clad figure retaliate with a palm strike—and caught the faint, peculiar scent emanating from his hand.
Though the odor was subtle, her keen senses picked it up immediately. Before she could warn her father, it was too late. Seeing that he hadn’t given chase but instead stood there fuming, she calmly reminded him, “…Your hand. That vile woman, this…”
Only then did Mu Zhenfeng snap out of his rage. With a start, he lifted his hand to inspect it—and froze. A small black puncture marred his palm, oozing dark blood, the surrounding flesh already turning a sickly blue-black.
His face twisted in fury and panic as he turned to Wanqing, who had approached.
“You really are reckless for someone your age,” she sighed. “To barge into the Marquis’s estate alone and rescue someone without alerting a single soul—that man is either extraordinarily skilled or possesses some unnatural ability. Lucky for you, your daughter happens to be me. Take this pill first. Once the poisoned blood is drained, apply this special antidote, and you’ll recover gradually. But for now, avoid using your internal energy.”
Seeing her father’s ashen, helpless expression, Wanqing shook her head and stepped forward, chiding him as she pulled out a medicine bottle. She handed him a pill, then used a silver needle to prick his middle finger, drawing out the tainted blood. After puncturing several acupoints, she watched as dark, foul-smelling blood oozed from the wounds.
Only when the blood ran bright red again did she carefully dress his injuries, instructing him patiently.
“Qing’er, I… I doubted you before. I—” Watching her tend to his wounds, Mu Zhenfeng felt a pang of guilt. Despite her cold, aloof nature, she had never treated him poorly.
Remembering how he had once questioned her because of Liu Shi’s words, his aged face flushed with shame. “It’s nothing. You’re still my father,” Wanqing replied with a faint smile. “Go back now. I won’t be entering. As long as Eldest Sister takes her medicine on time, she’ll recover.”
Noticing the rare hint of remorse on his face, she turned away. At the doorway, Mu Wanxia struggled forward, leaning against the frame with eyes full of sorrow and unspoken resentment. Wanqing ignored her completely, signaling to Honglian and the other maids before leaving.
“Xia’er, I’m fine. Go back and rest—your health is still fragile,” Mu Zhenfeng said helplessly, watching his tearful, distraught daughter. He stepped forward to steady her as she swayed, guiding her back to bed with a heavy heart.
“Father, Mother couldn’t have done this, right? I’m her own daughter—how could she poison me? Tell me it’s not true… please!”
Mu Wanxia, pale and weak, lay back down. Though she saw her father’s grim expression, she clung to denial, tears streaming as she pleaded for reassurance.
“Child, she was never your mother. A real mother would never harm her own flesh and blood. Rest now. I’ll get to the bottom of this,” Mu Zhenfeng murmured, his heart aching.
Liu Shi’s betrayal—twice poisoning him, even using their daughter—had struck him harder than anything before. Seeing Wanxia’s devastation, he struggled to breathe past the pain. He wanted to tell her that the woman had lost her mind, but instead, he could only offer hollow comfort.
“No… no! Mother loved me—she would never hurt me! It’s all lies!”
His words fell on deaf ears. Wanxia, lost in despair, shook her head violently, her laughter brittle and broken.
With a heavy sigh, Mu Zhenfeng turned to the maids. “Take care of her,” he ordered before leaving, his heart weighed down with grief.
“Qing’er—”
Before Wanqing could reach her courtyard, her father caught up to her. His face was lined with exhaustion, and his tone carried an unspoken plea. She paused, turning to him with a cool gaze.
“Speak. I have matters to attend to later.”
“I… Qing’er, I need your help tracking down that black-clad man. I suspect the real Liu family’s eldest daughter is connected to them.”
Mu Zhenfeng looked at her with weary hope. What kind of father had to beg his own daughter like this? But given her extraordinary abilities, he swallowed his pride.
“Did the Liu family ask you to investigate?”
Wanqing’s question carried a knowing edge. She had noticed her father’s unusual concern for Su Xiang but had held her tongue. Now that he’d come to her, she allowed a faint smile.
“Yes. Qing’er—”
As she turned to leave again, Mu Zhenfeng hurried after her, hope flickering in his eyes.
“We’ve never shared tea together as father and daughter. Why not come in for a cup before you go?”
Without waiting for an answer, she led him into her courtyard.
“This tea is exquisite, Qing’er. About that man—”
Mu Zhenfeng sat awkwardly in her main hall, sipping the tea served by Xia Zhu. Though he praised it sincerely, his impatience was palpable.
“Patience. This tea is brewed with rare herbs I refined myself. It not only strengthens resistance to poison but also invigorates the body—priceless, really. Drink more; it’ll do you good.”
She refilled his cup, amused by his conflicted expression as he obediently drank. Then she turned to Honglian.
“Bring the two paintings I retrieved earlier.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage