Chapter 420: Mother Is Inside

Smoke swirled, the acrid smell stabbed into their mouths and noses; even with a medicated cloth covering them, everyone's eyes ached.

Xiao Er dragged a guard, who was curled in a corner coughing violently, into the shadows as if he were carrying a chick.

Lu Qi's short blade silently pressed against his throat.

The icy touch made the guard's whole body go rigid, and his cough was abruptly stifled.

Lu Qi took out a medicated cloth and dabbed his eyes a few times.

The guard's vision cleared, and seeing the people before him, his eyes widened: "Spare me, brave man! Spare me!"

Lu Qi barked, "Speak! Where are the people from Ning Prince's Mansion being held?"

The guard hesitated, then hurriedly replied, "There are many people from Ning Prince's Mansion; the men are locked in the rooms at the northeast corner, the women in the houses to the south."

Lu Qi tugged his collar forward and said, "Go south! Lead the way!"

The man staggered, then led them to a row of houses where the women were confined.

Xiao Ningxun frowned slightly, "Where is the oldest Old Madam?"

"The oldest?" the guard raised his hand toward a tightly shut door, "Here, here."

It was an ordinary tiled house, with a lock hanging on the door.

Xiao Er mustered his strength, kicked the door, the lock shattered, and a few startled cries came from inside.

They rushed in: Old Madam Ms. Xia, Grandma Liu, and a woman, huddled together in the corner, coughing incessantly.

Tuan Tuan shouted happily, "Grandma! Grandma!"

Ms. Xia was startled by the words, "Tuan Tuan? How did you get captured too?"

Xiao Ningxun hurriedly took out a medicated cloth and covered Ms. Xia's face: "Grandmother, it's me, Xun Er. We're here to rescue you."

Xiao Ran also quickly produced two medicated cloths and handed them to Grandma Liu and the woman beside her: "Put them on your faces, and the coughing will stop; these were made by the Divine Doctor."

Tuan Tuan looked at the woman, "Are you… Mother Consort of Xiao Yueyue?"

Consort Yun nodded, "Ahem, yes."

Xiao Ningxun, without further words, turned and ordered, "Quick! Take them out! Retrace the way we came in!"

"Yes!" several guards stepped forward, helped the three up, and hurried away.

Xiao Ningxun looked at the trembling guard, "Where is the Princess Consort?"

"Princess Consort? She, she isn't here."

Xiao Ningxun's heart sank, "What about Prince Ning's eldest son? Isn't he locked together with the other men?"

The guard's whole body jolted, "No, he's not here either."

"Where are the people?"

The guard's eyes flickered anxiously, his voice stammering, "I—I don't know!"

"The Princess Consort and Prince Ning's eldest son were ordered to be detained separately; a lowly guard like me has no right to know such things."

Xiao Ningxun's gaze darkened.

"You don't know?" Lu Qi's wrist twitched, the blade's edge drawing a shallow line of blood on his throat, "Then how do you know they're not locked together?"

The guard broke out in cold sweat, "I truly don't know!"

Xiao Ningxun raised both hands and covered Tuan Tuan's eyes, "Tuan Tuan, cover your ears."

"Okay." Tuan Tuan obediently replied, covering her ears.

Lu Qi understood instantly; a massive hand like iron tongs seized the guard's wrist, pinning him to the wall, while the other hand clamped the bases of two of his right‑hand fingers.

He twisted them in the opposite direction.

Crack! A sharp sound rang out.

Ugh—!

The guard let out a horrible scream, his whole body thrashing like a fish out of water, yet Lu Qi held him firmly.

Xiao Ran stared dumbfounded, his face turning ashen in an instant.

Lu Qi said coldly, "If you don't cooperate, I'll snap off each of your remaining fingers one by one! If fingers aren't enough, I'll take the bones on your body!"

"You can imagine how many bones on your body are enough for me to break!"

He released his grip, and those two fingers drooped limp to the side.

Cold sweat and tears streamed down the guard's face.

He frantically nodded, gasping, "I—I will lead you there!"

"Quick!"

The group followed him to an isolated courtyard.

The courtyard gate was tightly shut.

The guard raised his only good hand, trembling, and pointed toward the interior.

"It's— it's at the very back, in the windowless room."

Lu Qi kicked the courtyard gate open, and the group hurried inside to the deepest part.

It was a solitary house; the walls had no windows, only a heavy door wrapped in dull iron.

Three massive, oddly shaped bronze locks hung on the door.

Xiao Ningxun looked at Tuan Tuan on Xiao Er's back, "Good, Mother is inside, help brother open this door."

Tuan Tuan looked at the terrifying door, "Alright! Uncle Xiao Er, set me down, I can see Mother right away!"

Xiao Er crouched and placed her on the ground.

Tuan Tuan untied the Embroidered pouch at her waist, pulling out a rust‑stained broken piece of iron.

She whispered, "Open this broken door! I want to see Mother!"

She released her small hand, a faint glimmer flashed, and the broken iron piece vanished.

The voice trailed off.

Click.

Click, click…

A fine, light sound came from inside the three bronze locks, as if countless tiny mechanisms within the lock cores snapped simultaneously.

Clang!

The three large locks crashed heavily to the ground.

Xiao Er pushed the door open; the room had no windows, little smoke entered, and in the haze, an oil lamp flickered with a dim yellow light.

The room was empty except for a simple wooden bed placed against the wall.

A woman was leaning against the wall, sitting on the bed.

Tuan Tuan ran over excitedly: "Mother!"

Xiao Ningxun also rushed over: "Mother!"

The woman on the bed slowly turned her head.

The lamplight illuminated her face.

Tuan Tuan's steps halted instantly; Xiao Ningxun grabbed her and pulled her behind him, crying out in shock: "How could it be you?"

The woman had delicate features and a pallid complexion—she was none other than the former Prince Ning's side consort, Fang Qingyan!