Chapter 769: From Pheasant to Phoenix

By the time they returned, the sky over the Ji Family had already changed.

Han Yao had already ascended to the position of Clan Leader; upon learning that Shi Youxuan had arrived, she smiled slightly: "Let her in."

She had not expected Shi Youxuan to be so bold; how could she dare to return at a time like this?

It was time to settle the score.

Shi Youxuan, Nianyin, and Nianci successfully entered the Ji Family, yet they were not free!

From the moment they entered the Ji Family territory, they were followed by Han Yao's people, who watched them like tigers eyeing their prey, acting high-strung.

And there were many of them, a grand procession of over a hundred people.

Invisibly, this set off the three of them, making them appear quite imposing.

But when they reached Han Yao, she was the one who was more imposing.

Han Yao wore the purple robes representing the status of Clan Leader, held the golden crown of the Clan Leader, and sat high above on the Clan Leader's throne.

"I never imagined you would still dare to return?"

Shi Youxuan smiled slightly: "This is the Ji Family, we are all people of the Ji Family, why wouldn't we dare to return?"

"Unless you have a guilty conscience—where have you hidden my aunt!"

Han Yao did not directly answer Shi Youxuan's question, but instead instructed her subordinates: "You all go out, we sisters will have a chat."

The guard captain was uneasy and reminded her: "Clan Leader, it is too dangerous for you to be here alone."

Han Yao frowned slightly and said with authority: "You still know I am the Clan Leader? I thought the Ji Family was already being run by you."

"This subordinate would not dare."

The guards took their people and left, closing the palace doors behind them.

"Now there are only a few of us here, you can ask whatever you want." Han Yao was confident and unruffled.

"Where did you take our Clan Leader?" Nianyin could not help but speak first.

Han Yao did not hide it either, smiling: "Since you have already guessed it, I won't beat around the bush. Ji Yingjie is indeed in my hands, but you can't expect me to tell you just because you say so, can you?"

"You must bring something to trade; that would be fair."

Shi Youxuan: "What do you want to trade with?"

Han Yao: "The location of the Ji Family Treasure. As long as I get the location, I will return Ji Yingjie to you immediately. Isn't this a fair deal?"

Even Shi Youxuan did not know where the Treasure was.

Nianyin knew, but the Clan Leader had made them swear a deadly oath back then, absolutely forbidding them from telling outsiders.

She could not say it.

That was the Ji Family's final trump card.

"I don't know."

"I don't know."

"I don't know either."

All three of them claimed not to know, but Han Yao was not without ways to deal with them, threatening: "That's fine, then take your secrets down to the Nine Springs and reunite with that old woman."

"What have you done to our Clan Leader?"

Nianci had a quick temper and rushed up to grab Han Yao by the throat: "Will you say it or not? If you don't, I'll strangle you right now."

Han Yao was not afraid at all: "Go ahead and strangle me. I guarantee that after I die, your Clan Leader will immediately lose her life to be buried with me."

Nianci let go.

This woman was too detestable.

Her own life was not worth much, but the Clan Leader could not suffer the slightest mishap.

"Don't think that just because you won't talk, we have no way to deal with you. The young and old of the Ji Family will not let you off," Nianyin said bitterly.

The corners of Han Yao's mouth lifted into a mocking smile: "Is that so? Then let us wait and see who will truly be the sinner of the Ji Family."

She was alone, and Nianyin and Nianci were both experts; controlling her should have been easy.

However, they went outside.

The people of the Ji Family were filled with righteous indignation, cursing Nianyin and Nianci as traitors and demanding they release the Clan Leader.

Shi Youxuan had always felt something was wrong, and now she finally had the answer.

A brand-new electronic screen had been added to the Square, and everything they had just done in the palace had been recorded.

It was just that there was no sound; one could see the actions but not hear what was said.

They had been tricked.

Han Yao had feigned weakness earlier; everything she did was an act, performed for outsiders to see, and the three of them had not known.

The people could not hear what they were saying, only seeing Nianci and Nianyin acting like vicious villains, out for the new Clan Leader's life.

"Traitors."

"Villains."

"Drive these villains out of the Ji Family..."

"Driving them away is letting them off too easily; they should be burned to death to avenge the Clan Leader!"

The uninformed masses roared in anger, the flames of their fury illuminating faces twisted with rage.

During this time, Han Yao had been busy working behind the scenes, inciting the emotions of the people. Combined with today's "live broadcast," the uninformed masses all believed that the three of them were the sinners of the Ji Family!

Han Yao had them taken away, saying triumphantly: "How about it? What else do you have to say now? No one will believe you. If I hadn't stopped them, I'm afraid you would have died in their fury."

"Tell me where the Treasure is, and you can live."

"Pah!"

Nianyin spat at her: "Your treacherous plot will not succeed. Don't even think about knowing the location of the Treasure."

"Guards, lock them up."

Han Yao changed her expression, and the three of them were locked into the Dungeon.

The Dungeon.

Nianci and Nianyin pressed against the wall, examining it carefully inch by inch.

Shi Youxuan asked curiously, "What are you two doing?"

After checking carefully, the two came over and sat down beside her: "Looking to see if there are any listening devices or hidden video cameras."

"Are there any?"

"No."

She did not know if Han Yao was too arrogant, or if she looked down on them too much.

Anyway, there was no surveillance in the Dungeon, which made it much more convenient for them to talk.

Han Yao had not been harsh to them; although the Dungeon was cold, damp, and lacked light, it had all the necessary living facilities.

Shi Youxuan mocked herself: "Not bad, she knows how to treat prisoners well."

Nianci said: "You should rest for a while. In a moment, I will find a way to send you out. Once you are out, run far away and do not come back until the danger is resolved."

Shi Youxuan asked: "Why should I run?"

Nianci said: "We are going to be executed tomorrow. Didn't you hear what that woman said?"

Shi Youxuan laughed, and Nianyin laughed too.

The two comforted her: "Don't worry, that woman is just trying to scare us; she can't bear to kill us."

If she hadn't had that certainty, she wouldn't have come back so recklessly!

Noon.

Someone brought them food.

The meal was not bad, four dishes and one soup, with steamed buns as the staple food.

Steamed buns were a type of food that the upper-class members of the Ji Family did not eat; they were only given to prisoners or men.

The person delivering the food was Luo Guo, one of the "old, weak, sick, and disabled" that Shi Youxuan had left behind.

Luo Guo opened the small window on the iron door and passed the dishes in one by one.

As he handed them over, he gloated: "People, you know! No one knows when their luck will turn bad. A few days ago, you were still a high and mighty young lady, held up by everyone, and in just a few days, you've become a prisoner..."

"Back then you despised us as burdens, but now without me, this burden, you'd starve to death! Eat slowly, don't choke on the steamed bun, or you'll just be a burden to me."

Shi Youxuan was not someone who would take such abuse.

Even if she had become a prisoner, she could not lose her composure.

She immediately retorted: "Pah! You petty person who thinks he's achieved something, even if I've fallen on hard times, it's not for someone like you to gossip about. Let me tell you, don't provoke me, otherwise, I'll definitely drag you down with me before I die!"

The guards watched the commotion but did not notice anything else.

She scolded "Luo Guo" furiously, but quietly tore open a steamed bun, inside of which was a rolled-up note.

Seeing that she had discovered the secret inside the steamed bun, "Luo Guo" left with peace of mind.

Shi Youxuan unfolded the note; on it were some strange characters.

Nianyin and Nianci could not understand them.

The strange characters were Morse code; Shi Youxuan translated them in a low voice: "Clan Leader is safe, not in the Ji Family. Quezi and Xiazi have been taken away. Yaba and I have stayed behind to coordinate your rescue."

"Zhu Yiwen has not shown his face, Han is a puppet."