Chapter 160: Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole

"Did I say it was you?" Mu Yuanzhi glanced at Pei Shangling. "If you had finished interrogating her last night, why would you still need to wait until today to be assassinated?!"

Pei Shangling couldn't refute it; indeed, that was correct.

He had found Madame Huang last night; if he had finished interrogating her then, who knows how many secrets she might have spilled by now.

"Ah Zhi, do you believe me now?" Pei Shangling exclaimed, overjoyed.

Mu Yuanzhi couldn't be bothered to waste words with him.

Madame Huang is dead now, which means any evidence that could point to Pei Yunxi is completely gone.

"Senior Sister!" Qilin came back huffing and puffing, "I didn't catch them; halfway through the chase, someone suddenly blocked the road, someone was holding a funeral!"

"How convenient?" Mu Yuanzhi frowned suspiciously.

Qilin lowered their head to look at Madame Huang and asked, "Has she stopped breathing?"

Mu Yuanzhi nodded.

Qilin was so angry they punched the air.

And she just died like that!

"Even if she's a bad person, Pei Yunxi is utterly vicious—she even killed her own foster mother!" Qilin gritted their teeth.

Upon hearing that, Pei Shangling gave Qilin a complex look, and Qilin became annoyed, "What, did I say something wrong again? If it's not Pei Yunxi, who else could it be?"

Pei Shangling pressed their lips together and said nothing, not knowing what they were thinking.

They also didn't want to bother with what Pei Shangling was thinking; since the leads were cut off, they could only return to the inn for now.

All we can hope is that after the black-clad person reports false information, Pei Yunxi will herself reveal a flaw.

"Senior Sister, the county magistrate at the inn is obviously suspicious too!" Qilin suddenly remembered there was also this person.

Mu Yuanzhi nodded: "Indeed, but I don't have time now; we'll talk about it later when we return to the capital."

After hearing that, Pei Shangling suggested, "We could have the Crown Prince Brother or Brother Jue investigate!"

"No need." Mu Yuanzhi flatly refused.

She didn't want to have any involvement with them.

Pei Shangling thought, he could just secretly make contact; besides, Ah Zhi wouldn't know, and he couldn't let go of every suspicious person who threatened his sister!

Mu Yuanzhi walked and walked before realizing that the little follower Pei Shangling had disappeared at some point.

Qilin also noticed, and he chuckled, "Looks like that Pei Shangling knew they were being annoying and got lost."

"Who cares." Mu Yuanzhi wasn't concerned; the purpose of this trip was to find the wood and insects that could solve the Symbiotic Gu.

By the time Mu Yuanzhi and Qilin finished breakfast and returned to the inn, the National Teacher was already waiting there.

"Master, have you finished your business?" Qilin stepped forward.

The National Teacher nodded, "And you?"

Qilin, big-mouthed, said, "We……"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mu Yuanzhi giving him a look, and he hastily closed his mouth, forcing a smile: "We were just going to get breakfast."

"Then let's set off." The National Teacher's smile unchanged, he walked ahead.

Mu Yuanzhi felt the National Teacher must know something, but they weren't saying anything, and he was pretending not to know.

"National Teacher, have you divined the fortune of this journey?" Mu Yuanzhi asked.

National Teacher: "I usually don't ask about the future, but since the Princess asked, I will cast a hexagram."

As he spoke, he casually tore off a few leaves and placed them in his palm.

Mu Yuanzhi could see the leaves moving without wind, standing up and falling down, arranging themselves into a form he couldn't understand.

Qilin couldn't help but ask the National Teacher, whose expression showed no change, "How is it, Master?"

"Great misfortune." The National Teacher said.

"Great misfortune?!" Qilin was shocked.

Great misfortune, and you still have that expression?!

Truly impressive; if it were him, he'd have died of shock long ago!

Upon hearing that, Mu Yuanzhi's face also turned grave.

Does this great misfortune refer to the peril of the Black Sea, or to the danger of Pei Yunxi's schemes?

Could it be that Pei Yunxi doesn't even believe the black-clad person's report?

At this moment, Pei Yunxi was meeting this black-clad person in a secluded spot in the outskirts.

Since marrying, she's found it much easier to go out; often she can meet people in person herself.

Originally, for safety's sake, she never proactively went to see these people directly, but now that Madame Huang has been eliminated by her people, she temporarily hasn't found a reliable substitute.

Madame Huang was someone she had long wanted to get rid of—she knew too much, and this was the perfect opportunity.

Someone told her that Pei Shangling had gone to find Madame Huang.

Although Pei Yunxi didn't know why Pei Shangling went to see Madame Huang, since the goal was to silence her, she took the opportunity to kill Madame Huang once and for all.

The black-clad person had already changed into ordinary attire, waiting for Pei Yunxi's reaction.

"This went so smoothly—have you tied up Mu Yuanzhi?" Pei Yunxi asked delightedly.

The black-clad person nodded, "What does the Princess wish to do with her?"

"I will handle it myself." A flash of ruthlessness crossed Pei Yunxi's eyes as she turned to the black-clad person and asked, "Can it be done safely?"

"If the Princess is worried, you can wait until I've made all the arrangements before you go see her—it won't be too late."

Pei Yunxi was very satisfied with the black-clad person's caution, "Good, let me know once you've made the arrangements and come inform my palace."

"Mu Yuanzhi, I will send you off properly!"

After parting with the black-clad person, Pei Yunxi didn't return to the Xiao manor; she knew the black-clad person would soon seek her out again, so there was no need to go back to the Xiao manor and then out again—she had finally shaken off the Brave Martial Guard that had been clinging to her like a follow-the-leader bug.

In fact, Pei Yunxi didn't realize that her supposed escape was merely an illusion; the Brave Martial Guard were elite troops selected by the Son of Heaven, hardly inferior to the secret guards, and naturally wouldn't be so easily shaken off by her.

The two Brave Martial Guard secretly tailed Pei Yunxi without staying close, so they completely didn't know what the mysterious man Pei Yunxi saw was discussing in detail.

"Do we need to report today's matter to His Majesty?"

"Of course, I'll have you first follow that man, and later we'll report to His Majesty."

"All right."

The Brave Martial Guard's tracking skills are already good, and with the black-clothed man distracted, he had no idea he was being followed.

He was thinking about how to arrange the next act well.

The black-clothed man quickly found Mu Yuanzhi's carriage.

As he lifted the carriage curtain, he almost got hit by Qilin's hidden weapon.

"It's me!" the black-clothed man said, having just snatched away the hidden weapon, his heart still pounding.

Qilin: "I naturally know; otherwise you'd already be dead."

Fortunately the National Teacher wasn't in the carriage, having gone out to buy things; otherwise this guy coming over so openly would not know how to explain himself!

The black-clothed man dared not doubt Qilin, because he heard the boy address him as Master Gu Rongjin.

Just thinking of Gu Rongjin made him feel uneasy.

"I've already followed your orders and contacted Pei Yunxi; where's the antidote?" he said, reaching out to Qilin for it.

Mu Yuanzhi: "What's the rush? Once you lead Pei Yunxi to a place, we'll naturally give you the antidote."

The black-clothed man gritted his teeth: "All right! I'll lead her to the ruined temple behind the Nine-Curve Bridge in the town ahead."

He seemed very familiar with this area.

Mu Yuanzhi and Qilin exchanged a glance, nodded, and said: "All right, at midnight, you bring her there."