Chapter 159: Out of Breath

"No need, get lost!" Mu Yuanzhi said rudely.

Pei Shangling didn't leave, but instead followed from a distance.

Qilin: "Senior Sister, should I drive him away?"

He said while rolling up his sleeves, ready to fight at any moment.

Mu Yuanzhi, however, said: "Don't bother with him, don't cause trouble."

She didn't want to attract unnecessary attention.

Qilin understood, he glanced back at Pei Shangling and then let it be.

Upon reaching the village, Pei Shangling couldn't help but say to Mu Yuanzhi, who was clueless about finding someone ahead: "Ah Zhi, I know where Huang Po is; come with me."

Mu Yuanzhi stopped to think, and Qilin said to her: "Let him lead the way; since he's come to us, we shouldn't waste the opportunity."

Pei Shangling eagerly looked at Mu Yuanzhi, waiting for her reply.

At that moment, a commotion interrupted Mu Yuanzhi's thoughts.

It was a bout of crying, and soon many people rushed over to a certain spot.

"How did he just die?"

"He was fine just yesterday!"

"I heard it was murder?"

"That's too terrifying, right?"

"Murder?!"

Mu Yuanzhi and Qilin exchanged a glance, then hurriedly followed the crowd to see what was happening.

"Could it be Huang Po?!"

Pei Shangling's expression tightened, and he also followed over.

This direction indeed leads to Huang Po's house; could it be that after he left, someone killed Huang Po to silence her?!

Mu Yuanzhi and Qilin arrived in front of the house where the person died.

Such villages rarely see outsiders, so Mu Yuanzhi and Qilin, two outsiders dressed in fine attire, stood out greatly.

"Where did these two come from?"

"Are they the ones who killed the person?"

"Shh, don't speak nonsense; at a glance they're not someone we can provoke!"

Mu Yuanzhi went to ask the person who looked like the village chief among them: "Is the deceased Huang Po?"

She couldn't squeeze in, so she couldn't see what the deceased looked like.

"Pah, what nonsense! This old lady's doing just fine!"

The village chief hadn't spoken yet when an elderly voice rang out.

Mu Yuanzhi and Qilin looked up simultaneously and saw a rosy-cheeked woman adorned with jewelry walking over.

Though called Huang Po, she isn't really an old lady.

Perhaps the villagers are just used to calling her Huang Po.

"Huang Po has arrived!" the village chief made way and greeted her with utmost respect.

Mu Yuanzhi thought that if this person were Pei Yunxi's foster mother, the emperor would surely not mistreat her.

However, seeing that Huang Po didn't look like someone who'd suddenly gotten rich, she supposed she must have been doing well all along.

But she remembered Pei Yunxi often complaining of having gone hungry and poorly clothed since childhood.

Huang Po, with her nose in the air, glanced at Mu Yuanzhi and said haughtily: "Who are you? Cursing me this early morning, you old hag?"

She snorted coldly, giving off an aggressive vibe.

The villagers all knew who stood behind Huang Po, so they naturally didn't dare slight her, and thus also put on an air of authority, glaring at Mu Yuanzhi and company.

Huang Po clearly didn't recognize Mu Yuanzhi, nor did she know Pei Shangling.

Seeing someone speak to his sister like that, Pei Shangling couldn't tolerate it and shouted: "Bold! Do you know this is Princess Yuanzhi?"

"Princess?"

"She's a princess?"

"Isn't that just Yunxi's sister?"

Everyone present except Huang Po changed expression, daring not to continue their rashness; even those who had previously put on unpleasant faces now wanted to leave, fearing they'd be held to account.

Huang Po wasn't the least bit afraid; her expression lost its earlier arrogance, she smiled broadly: "Ah, it's the Princess—my apologies, I'm a commoner blind to true worth."

Mu Yuanzhi actually didn't want to draw attention, but now the whole village knows her identity.

She gave Pei Shangling a glare—more capable of causing failure than success.

"Did the Princess come here to look for a commoner?" Huang Po asked.

Mu Yuanzhi was about to speak when Pei Shangling stepped in front of her and said: "It's not her seeking you; it's this prince seeking you."

"And who are you?" Huang Po frowned.

"I am the Fourth Prince!"

"Fourth Prince?"

The scene erupted in an uproar again.

How could princes and princesses come to their village? Could it be because of Princess Yunxi?

The villagers, clueless, speculated wildly, and no one paid attention to the deceased here.

Mu Yuanzhi didn't know what Pei Shangling was up to—he hadn't sought Huang Po last night, yet today she came to find her, and he's been hanging around causing trouble!

Qilin whispered to Mu Yuanzhi: "Senior Sister, how are we supposed to secretly seize that old lady for interrogation now?"

Mu Yuanzhi also didn't know what to do in this situation, feeling that Pei Shangling had messed everything up!

Pei Shangling directly said to Granny Huang: "Come with me for a trip; I have something to ask you."

Granny Huang: "The Fourth Prince may not know; I am the former foster mother of Princess Yunxi."

She feared that Pei Shangling would make things difficult for her because he didn't know this.

Pei Shangling was unmoved: "I naturally know this; come with me, I won't say it a third time."

He blatantly refused to give Granny Huang face.

【66> Seeing this, the others, when looking at Granny Huang, changed their fawning expressions.

Seeing this, the others, upon looking at Granny Huang, their fawning expressions changed somewhat.

They thought the imperial family would be courteous to Granny Huang, which is why they were so respectful toward her, but now it seems not to be the case?

Granny Huang felt a bit embarrassed.

What's up with this Fourth Prince? Even the Crown Prince used to be polite when seeing her, so why is this Fourth Prince so impolite?

But she still followed Pei Shangling.

Mu Yuanzhi said to Pei Shangling: "Right now I'm the one looking for someone!"

"Ah Zhi, trust me, just leave it to me."

Mu Yuanzhi naturally refused; after leaving the crowd's sight, she demanded that Pei Shangling hand over Granny Huang to her.

Granny Huang, not understanding, became alert.

"Careful?!"

The Qilin suddenly shouted and blocked in front of Mu Yuanzhi; hearing the Qilin's words, Pei Shangling also instinctively shielded Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi immediately looked at Granny Huang and saw an arrow shooting toward her at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow; Granny Huang hadn't even had time to scream, her voice caught in her throat, as if the arrow had pierced her vocal cords.

Granny Huang, terrified, tried to pull the arrow out with both hands, but before she could exert any force, she collapsed straight to the ground, eyes wide, hands stiff, as if calling for help yet unwilling; she couldn't utter a word as blood trickled steadily from the pierced throat.

"Granny Huang!" The change came too fast; by the time Mu Yuanzhi and the others reacted, it was already too late.

The Qilin, without a word, went to pursue the person who shot the hidden arrow!

Pei Shangling stayed here to keep watch.

Granny Huang stared fixedly at the crouching Mu Yuanzhi, struggling to open her mouth but unable to utter a word, and soon breathed her last!

Mu Yuanzhi was furious!

Mu Yuanzhi lifted her gaze to look at Pei Shangling, her eyes full of ruthlessness; Pei Shangling wore an innocent expression: "It's not me! Ah Zhi, you can't suspect me—if I were going to act, I would have done it last night; why wait until now, until right in front of you?"