On the soft couch, the Emperor Emeritus's hair was even whiter than before, and he looked increasingly listless.

Seeing Jiang Qingwan enter, he struggled to sit up.

Zhong Yuan immediately stepped forward and placed a soft cushion behind him so that he could lean back more comfortably.

He smiled at Jiang Qingwan.

"You're here, have a seat."

Jiang Qingwan curtsied in greeting and then took her seat.

"Did the Emperor Emeritus summon me here to inquire about the Nine Dragons Formation in the Imperial Mausoleum?"

The retired emperor nodded.

"I am dying soon. If this matter cannot be resolved, I will die with regrets."

Zhong Yuan's eyes reddened.

"Your Majesty, please don't be so discouraged. I'm sure I can think of a solution."

Jiang Qingwan frowned slightly as she looked at the faint black aura gathering between his brows.

If this person's lifespan is destined to be so, then the will of Heaven cannot be defied. Even if he is Mo Yunhan's biological father, she is unwilling to interfere.

But now, things are not like that.

She noticed something was consuming the Emperor Emeritus's lifespan the moment she stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Why go to such lengths for someone who is already on their last legs?

"Dr. Zhong, you can go out now."

Zhong Yuan paused for a moment, looked up at the Emperor Emeritus, and only after seeing him nod did he retreat outside the hall.

Jiang Qingwan walked to the soft couch, raised her hand and condensed a wisp of spiritual energy, placing it on the Emperor Emeritus's brow to dispel the faint black aura.

The Emperor Emeritus took a deep breath, his eyes looking slightly more alert than before.

He looked at Jiang Qingwan, still feeling somewhat unwilling.

"Can't you really extend my life? Even by one year!"

Jiang Qingwan stepped back a few steps and sat on the round stool, her reply crisp and absolute.

"No, your vital energy is depleted, and you won't live more than three months. However, someone is absorbing your lifespan. You know who is doing this, right?"

The retired emperor sighed softly.

"You little rascal, you're really not afraid of death."

He was the most honored person in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even though he was no longer the ruler, he still held military power.

It can be said that whoever he wants to die has no chance of living.

But for some reason, listening to Jiang Qingwan's answer gave him an indescribable sense of peace.

He sat up slightly and spoke softly.

"Girl, it doesn't matter who's absorbing my lifespan. Tell me the truth: can you repair the Nine Dragons Formation?"

Jiang Qingwan didn't answer his question. Instead, she asked, "Then tell me the truth: who gave you the thunder talisman in the treasure box? And who helped you set up the mountain-protecting formation and the Nine Dragons Formation?"

It seemed that knowing his days were numbered, his eyes held a sense of relief, but also a helpless resignation after his unwillingness had faded.

"It's been a very, very long time since anyone has mentioned her to me. Her name is Murong Yanyan, and she is a very, very powerful Taoist priest. When I met her, she was about your age, and she came out of the jungle with a little tiger, like an ethereal spirit who didn't partake in worldly affairs."

Murong Yanyan?

Jiang Qingwan had never heard of this name before.

Suddenly, an extremely bold idea popped into his mind.

"She is Mo Yunhan's mother, right?"

It's impossible for a mortal to transform into a demon.

However, a Taoist master can create such illusions.

The retired emperor snapped out of his reverie, his expression becoming even more aged.

After a long silence, he slowly nodded.

"yes!"

Jiang Qingwan's heart sank.

"So, Mo Yunhan's mother didn't die? She created the demon-transformation rumor just to leave? Why? What did you do to make her abandon even her own son?"

The retired emperor smiled bitterly, but offered no further explanation.

"Girl, don't tell him about this. Once the Nine Dragons Formation is repaired, I will give you the Great Zhou Tiger Tally, and 100,000 troops will ensure your lifelong peace and prosperity."

Jiang Qingwan found it both laughable and pathetic.

"Do you know how much suffering Mo Yunhan has endured because of his mother's situation?"

The retired emperor lowered his eyes.

"What happened back then was too complicated. You just need to know that I would never harm him. Everything I did was for his own good."

Jiang Qingwan felt a heavy weight in her heart.

He took out a yellow talisman from his pouch, inscribed it with blood beads, folded it into a triangle, and placed it on the small table beside the soft couch.

"This thing can ensure you die a natural death."

After saying that, he turned and walked out.

As he reached the door, he suddenly turned back, looked at the withered old man on the soft couch, and asked, "What is the Emperor's birth date and time?"

...

After leaving the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Jiang Qingwan stood in the courtyard, her small face calm and serene under the moonlight.

The bracelet belonging to Yun Xiaoran and the jade carving that was smashed in Mo Yunhan's study both contain the birth dates and times of Mo Yunzhao.

As expected, kinship is cold under imperial power.

But she didn't expect that there was scheming everywhere.

It's likely that even the retired emperor, his own father, was among them.

If the person who set up the Nine Dragons Formation was Murong Yanyan, then the faceless woman with the snake-mouth jade wrapped around her waist in Mo Yunhan's study should also be Murong Yanyan.

The woman the master admired...

She raised her hand to her forehead and sighed deeply.

They even began to suspect that everything Second Senior Brother Xiao Rancuo did in Qingfeng Village was in accordance with their master's orders, and was an act of revenge against the Great Zhou because Murong Yanyan was kidnapped.

This absurd thought was nipped in the bud.

Upon exiting the Hall of Mental Cultivation, they were surprised to find that Ye Qi and Qing Sui, who were waiting outside, were not there.

Feeling frustrated, she walked a few more steps outside, but still didn't see anyone.

Just as I was wondering, a young eunuch carrying a lantern came over, bowing.

"Princess Ninth Prince, His Highness the Ninth Prince is staying in the palace tonight. Lord Ye Qi and Miss Qing Sui are worried that the Prince and Princess are not used to the place, so they have gone to Kuihe Palace to pack their belongings and ordered me to wait for you here."

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