Inside the cave.

Cui Shenghe's fingers slowly moved over the skeleton, each touch feeling like reopening old wounds, painful yet resolute.

Finally, when the last trace of uncertainty was eliminated, his pupils contracted sharply, and the dam in his heart, which had been crumbling, collapsed—these were indeed the remains of his mother, Cui Jiao.

The moment he confirmed it, Cui Shenghe felt a tightness in his chest, as if a thousand needles were piercing him at the same time, the pain making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He clenched his teeth, trying not to reveal any of his vulnerability, but his bloodshot eyes betrayed all his emotions.

Zhao Zhi knelt to the side, her heart aching, but she could only watch helplessly. Her hands were clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, trying to share the unbearable weight.

“Why…” Cui Shenghe whispered, his voice hoarse and desperate, each word seemingly squeezed out from the depths of his throat, “What did she do wrong to deserve this? That bastard!” Anger, sorrow, and confusion intertwined into a complex web, binding him tightly.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning, and a resolute glint appeared in Cui Shenghe's eyes. He turned abruptly to look at Zhao Zhi, his eyes shining with an unprecedented determination: "I want to know the truth, the whole truth."

Zhao Zhi was startled and was about to dissuade him when she saw Cui Shenghe take out a copper bell from his bosom.

Zhao Zhi's heart skipped a beat. He was about to use a soul-capturing technique, but whose soul could he capture from a pile of bones? She dared not think too deeply about it.

"Zhizhi, you don't know, do you? This Soul-Capturing Bell is a secret treasure passed down through generations of the Cui family. It contains a soul-capturing technique that can use the blood of the caster as a catalyst to peer into the memories of the deceased."

"Brother, no!" Zhao Zhi exclaimed, trying to stop him, but Cui Shenghe was already reckless. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then without hesitation, pricked his fingertip. A drop of bright red blood fell onto the copper bell, where it was instantly absorbed, turning into a wisp of green smoke that rose up.

In a short while, wisps of green smoke slowly enveloped the skeleton.

As the smoke billowed, the temperature inside the cave seemed to plummet, and a chilling aura swept over them. Cui Shenghe's brows furrowed, his eyes tightly shut, as if drawn by an invisible force, gradually immersing him in another world.

Zhao Zhi was both anxious and afraid, but she dared not rashly stop Cui Shenghe's actions.

At the same time, Cui Shenghe felt a sudden lightness in his body. He stepped through the vast white mist and entered his mother's memories. As an observer, he witnessed everything that Cui Jiao had suffered before her death.

"Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao..." Yun Shu, dressed in a bright yellow nightgown, slowly walked towards the dragon bed.

On the dragon bed, Cui Jiao's hands were tied to the bedposts, and apart from a mandarin duck-patterned bodice hanging around her neck, she had nothing else on her body.

She stared in horror at Yun Shu as he approached, and said with disgust, "Yun Shu, aren't you afraid of disappointing the civil and military officials by doing such a disrespectful thing?"

Yun Shu's lips curled into a cold smile, but his eyes flashed with an unfathomable chill. "Disrespectful? If it weren't for Yun Ling, we would have long been an enviable couple! Jiao Jiao, every time you and Yun Ling roll around in bed, does he call you that? Jiao Jiao, if you like me calling you that, how about I call you that every time we make love? How about that?"

"Disgusting!" Cui Jiao turned her head and cursed.

Yun Shu showed no annoyance, but instead chuckled lightly.

He walked to the bedside, looking down at Cui Jiao like a cheetah scrutinizing its prey. Cui Jiao involuntarily shivered.

"Jiaojiao'er, I've been craving your body for so long."

The next second, he suddenly grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes.

“Jiaojiao, my dear Jiaojiao, you and Yunling had a wonderful time on your wedding night. No,” he smiled, his smile growing more smug, his voice growing softer, “you always have a wonderful time when you do that with Yunling!”

His words were like a knife, piercing Cui Jiao's heart deeply. Her eyes widened, her face flushed, and she cried out in shame and anger, "You, you shameless scoundrel, how dare you spy on us?!"

However, her anger didn't last long. The next moment, he forcefully kissed her lips, silencing all her resentment and anger.

"Ugh, ugh—" Cui Jiao struggled desperately, but to no avail. Her hands were held tightly, and her body was unable to move. She felt her breathing become rapid, her heart pounding, and a nameless fear surged into her heart.

Cui Jiao's resistance greatly displeased Yun Shu, and the coldness in his eyes intensified.

"Jiaojiao, Yunling is dead! From now on, you belong only to me. I am your only man! My dear sister-in-law, only if you serve me well will I let Li'er go..."

A hint of despair flashed in Cui Jiao's eyes. She glared at Yun Shu with resentment. This man, who had always been gentle and refined in front of her, was now like a beast ready to devour everything she had.

"Yun Shu, I will hate you for doing this!" she roared in resentment.

Yun Shu covered her eyes with his hands and said in her ear with heavy breathing, "My dear Jiaojiao, in a little while, you'll be too comfortable to curse anymore."

...

"You beast! Stop it! You beast!" Cui Shenghe stood to the side, helplessly witnessing all of this, his lips bleeding from being bitten by his teeth.

The scene shifts, and he sees Cui Jiao being imprisoned by Yun Shu in a secret room.

Yun Shu drove a long nail into Cui Jiao's bone. "Ah—" Cui Jiao couldn't bear it and cried out.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!