A silver figure appeared as Jin Lin’s voice fell.
“Your Majesty.” Shui Liu, unusually solemn, bowed respectfully to Jin Lin.
“I command you to investigate this matter thoroughly. You must apprehend the poisoner!”
“As you wish, Shui Liu obeys.”
Shui Liu bowed deeply, only to witness the same king who had just been stern and unyielding with him now fawning over Miss Yun with an ingratiating smile.
“Xuexue, don’t worry. I’ll make sure justice is served for you!”
Shui Liu rolled his eyes inwardly. Since ancient times, heroes have fallen for beauties—and his simple-minded yet extraordinarily powerful king was no exception!
Tsk, that sycophantic expression to please a beauty… truly nauseating!
Just as Shui Liu was silently criticizing Jin Lin’s behavior, the king suddenly turned his gaze back to him.
Shui Liu was instantly moved. How rare! Even while doting on Miss Yun, the king hadn’t forgotten about him! How touching!
“Why are you still standing there?” Jin Lin snapped irritably.
Shui Liu’s heart instantly turned ice-cold. His king’s attitude at this moment perfectly illustrated the meaning of “favoritism.”
“I’m… looking for evidence!” Shui Liu glanced at the washbasin still on the stand and walked over, pretending to examine an empty basin.
“Officer Shui, thank you for your trouble,” Yun Qingxue said politely.
“No trouble at all! It’s my duty. Miss Yun, there’s no need to stand on ceremony.” Shui Liu waved his hand awkwardly.
Another five days passed. During this time, Yun Qingxue devoted almost every moment to practicing magic.
Jin Lin often dropped by to guide her. Perhaps due to her innate bloodline inheritance, within just five days, Yun Qingxue had accumulated a small amount of spiritual energy and even mastered a couple of simple spells.
As for the poisoning incident involving the washbasin, despite Shui Liu’s relentless investigation, the culprit remained at large.
Shui Liu interrogated the three maids who had attended Yun Qingxue that day, but all three claimed they had seen no suspicious individuals.
The basin of water had been fetched by one of the maids from the purest spring in the Dragon Palace, and she had handled it personally from start to finish without letting anyone else intervene.
According to her, nothing unusual had occurred during the entire process—no suspicious incidents or people.
To verify the maids’ testimonies, Shui Liu even expended his own energy to use a special technique that could detect lies.
Yet the conclusion remained: none of them had lied.
If the maids were innocent, then the poisoner must have been exceptionally cunning, leaving no trace while silently slipping poison into Yun Qingxue’s basin.
Had it not been for A’dai—who was highly sensitive to toxins and loved consuming deadly poisons—Yun Qingxue’s best-case scenario would have been her face being permanently disfigured by the poisoned water!
With no progress in the poisoning case after five days, Shui Liu’s mood had gone beyond frustration.
Because as time passed, his king’s increasingly skeptical attitude toward his competence was enough to drive a good man mad!
During these five days of desperate investigation, two more maids were assigned to Yun Qingxue—both sent by Jin Lin.
After the poisoning incident, Jin Lin’s protection of Yun Qingxue became almost obsessive, covering every possible angle.
Everything Yun Qingxue ate, used, or wore had to be inspected by designated personnel and confirmed absolutely safe before reaching her.
Even more exaggerated, the security around her residence now surpassed that of Jin Lin’s own palace!
Such grand measures quickly spread throughout the Dragon Palace and even the entire aquatic realm. Soon, everyone knew that the Dragon King had fallen for a woman—so deeply that he would move heaven and earth for her!
Thus, the entire aquatic realm buzzed with discussions about this mysterious woman who had captivated their king.
Countless women of the aquatic realm had once swooned over the Dragon King’s golden robes, yet their noble-blooded king, who had remained untouched by any flower in the past, had suddenly succumbed to an unknown woman’s charms!
The hearts of many female admirers shattered. While speculating about Yun Qingxue’s origins, they cursed her as a “fox spirit” out of envy and resentment.
Gradually, rumors spread that Yun Qingxue was actually a fox demon from the Beast Clan, inherently seductive. She had allegedly schemed to approach the Dragon King and, during one of his outings, bewitched him into bringing her back to the aquatic realm—all to act as a spy for the Beast Clan and steal the Water Crest Token, a treasure of the aquatic realm.
Due to Jin Lin’s deliberate suppression, Yun Qingxue remained unaware of the growing rumors outside. However, she felt increasingly uncomfortable with his overbearing protection.
In her eyes, she and Jin Lin were merely strangers who had crossed paths by chance. She was grateful for his shelter and help, but his excessive care also made her feel like she was taking advantage of him.
After all, they were neither relatives nor close friends!
With Jin Lin treating her so generously, how could she repay him? By following ancient customs and offering herself in marriage?
No way. Emotions weren’t a game, nor a tool for repaying favors. But staying here as a freeloader didn’t sit right with her either. Even if no one dared to criticize her under Jin Lin’s protection, Yun Qingxue couldn’t ignore her own conscience.
She began to think it might be time to bid farewell to Jin Lin.
Just as Yun Qingxue contemplated leaving, the rumors within the aquatic realm about her being a Beast Clan spy intensified, even reaching the ears of several elders.
The Golden Dragon Hall, the most majestic structure in the Dragon Palace, housed Jin Lin, who reclined lazily on a crystal throne. His usual cheerful face now burned with fury.
Several elders stood respectfully in the hall, with one positioned at the center, addressing Jin Lin cautiously.
“Your Majesty, we humbly request a thorough investigation into Miss Yun’s origins.”
“Xuexue’s background is clean. What’s there to investigate?” Jin Lin replied dismissively, his impatience evident.
“But rumors are spreading throughout the realm, causing unrest among our people. If Miss Yun is indeed innocent, we suggest Your Majesty publicly clarify her origins to quell the rumors and stabilize morale.”
As soon as Jin Lin rejected the first elder’s proposal, another elder—with whiskers on either side of his mouth—stepped forward to voice his suggestion.
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