Chapter 153

He called Mu Yuanzhi Ahzhi… right in front of her!

He let her go back!

"I'll wait for you to go back together!" Pei Yunxi firmly refused to leave.

Mu Yuanzhi felt Pei Yunxi's appearance truly pitiful, both base and humble.

Xiao Yichen pressed his lips, finally still let out a quiet sigh, and said to Mu Yuanzhi: "Ahzhi, I'll look for you again next time."

"Scram, no time." Mu Yuanzhi still said that, striding away.

Pei Shangyan glanced at Pei Yunxi and Xiao Yichen then chased after them: "Ahzhi sis, wait for me!"

"Don't follow me!" Mu Yuanzhi glanced at Pei Shangyan, coldly saying.

Pei Shangyan wasn't discouraged; no matter how harshly Mu Yuanzhi spoke, he persistently followed her: "Ahzhi sis, we siblings haven't sat down together to talk in a long time—can't you give big brother a little time?"

Mu Yuanzhi snorted, lifted her eyes and sneered at Pei Shangyan: "At this point, still talking about brother-sister—don't you find it disgusting, Pei Shangyan?"

Upon hearing those words, Pei Shangyan's face turned very unsightly.

"Where is it disgusting, Ahzhi? You and I have been siblings for sixteen… seven years; you grew up under my watch, though not blood-related, our sibling bond is genuine, even closer than blood siblings!" Pei Shangyan exclaimed excitedly.

"Closer than blood siblings? Closer than you and Pei Yunxi?" Mu Yuanzhi sneered.

She thought this question would stump Pei Shangyan, but he nodded without hesitation: "Exactly, even closer than I am with Pei Yunxi."

He spoke decisively.

Mu Yuanzhi froze for a moment, never expecting Pei Shangyan to be so decisive.

"Hah, too bad, she no longer cares for it!"

"Is that so? To you it's like that, alas, to me it's already irrelevant." Mu Yuanzhi smiled indifferently, skirted around Pei Shangyan and walked away.

Irrelevant…

Pei Shangyan muttered those words, he didn't chase after Mu Yuanzhi again, but shouted from where he stood: "Ahzhi sis, I'll prove it! I will surely become your good brother again!"

Mu Yuanzhi walked faster, not wanting to hear Pei Shangyan's disgusting words.

She would not give them another chance; their chances were already used up in the previous life!

Mu Yuanzhi had taken only a few steps when a shadow suddenly fell; wary, she stepped back a few steps, lifted her gaze to meet a face smiling like a flower.

It was Pei Shangling!

She hadn't seen that hateful face in a long time either.

"What a coincidence, Ahzhi." Pei Shangling smiled broadly.

A coincidence? Probably intentional again.

Who would have thought she'd finally managed to enter the palace once, only to run into annoying people one after another.

Mu Yuanzhi glanced at Pei Shangling, then stepped away.

Pei Shangling's face fell instantly; he pursued her relentlessly: "Don't go, Ahzhi—don't you want to hear news about my Symbiotic Gu with the Qilin?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Yuanzhi indeed stopped.

Pei Shangling felt joy mixed with sorrow; this was the only way he could get a few words from his sister.

"Don't you dare lie to me!" Mu Yuanzhi warned, glaring at Pei Shangling.

"Naturally, I never lie to you." Pei Shangling reached for Mu Yuanzhi's hand, as expected she shook it off; he felt a moment of loss before smiling again, saying: "It's not convenient to talk here—come with me."

Mu Yuanzhi frowned warily: "Why isn't it convenient? What trick are you trying to pull?"

"Ahzhi, do you really think so little of me?" Pei Shangling's eyes were deep; he looked as if he were desperately suppressing something.

Mu Yuanzhi knew Pei Shangling had a violent temper, yet he hadn't lashed out in front of her for a long time, but she still had no intention of yielding to him.

"That's right." She nodded.

Pei Shangling wasn't angry; he was merely despondent, a wave of gloom instantly enveloping everything.

Ahzhi truly didn't trust him from the heart…

Clearly she once said he was the most reliable person in the world, her hero; with him she would feel completely at ease, yet now she actually had to guard against him possibly deceiving her to her detriment.

It's all his own fault; he always puts Pei Yunxi first, for that duplicitous so-called sister, repeatedly hurting the sister he cherishes right before him.

Finally, Pei Shangling let out a faint sigh and said: "Alright, let's talk here."

Only then did Mu Yuanzhi cross her arms, waiting for Pei Shangling to continue.

Pei Shangling didn't know why he felt a little nervous; he swallowed.

Probably because he feared that if he said something wrong, his sister would ignore him again, making him nervously wring his hands.

Over by the Black Sea, there's a forest said to contain suspicious Reed Wood and Fish Scale Wood that can counteract the Symbiotic Gu.

"Can wood dispel gu poison?" Mu Yuanzhi couldn't believe it.

Of course not only that; we also need the giant-veined dragonfly the Qilin mentioned.

Hearing that, Mu Yuanzhi's eyes widened: "You went to look for the Qilin?!"

"Yes, yes." Pei Shangling felt inexplicably guilty.

He knew she had always been on guard against him approaching the Qilin.

Probably related to that dream; he actually could understand it, but does she know about that dream too?

Impossible! He never said it—how could he possibly say it?!

Mu Yuanzhi's face instantly turned grim: "I warned you, Pei Shangling, not to get close to the Qilin!"

"We both have the Symbiotic Gu now; if he dies I can't live either, I won't harm him—don't you believe me?" Pei Shangling asked anxiously.

Mu Yuanzhi let out a derisive laugh; she was certain she could never believe him— in his past life he caused the Qilin's miserable death, one of her nightmares!

But with the Symbiotic Gu present, Pei Shangling indeed cannot act as he pleases.

She neither affirmed nor denied; Pei Shangling felt another wave of loss.

I'll tell Father Emperor to let us go to the Black Sea to look for medicine. Pei Shangling smiled: "You've always wanted to go outside and have a look, haven't you?"

He knew she would definitely be happy.

"Being with you is worse than dying." Mu Yuanzhi said sarcastically.

Such heavy words, even Pei Shangling now could not help feeling angry; he clenched his fists tightly, suppressing the fire rising within him.

He has no right to be angry with her; it's all his own fault!

Pei Shangling took a few deep breaths and said, "But if I don't accompany you, Father Emperor won't let you leave, will he?"

Mu Yuanzhi furrowed her brow; indeed, that's correct.

Pei Shangling, this blockhead, actually could think of that?

Pei Shangling indeed only recently, after being pointed out by the National Teacher, understood why Father Emperor never allowed Mu Yuanzhi to leave the capital alone; before he thought it was merely fear for her safety, but now he realizes it's completely different.

Father Emperor feared that A Zhi, once she left the capital, would not return, or perhaps be kidnapped by someone with ulterior motives, coerced and lured into making weapons or poisons that threaten the empire.