Chapter 96 Shen Zhiheng deserves to die!
Shen Huixue took a clean dress and walked around the screen. Seeing her mother's cold expression, she approached and whispered, "Mother, Uncle is probably up to no good today. Can you handle it? If you really can't... you can bring up Zhang Jinghuai's name to put pressure on him."
Upon hearing her daughter's words, a trace of sadness flashed in Shen Qingwu's eyes.
Since returning, I've never heard Huixue mention that person, yet today I have to borrow that person's power for her sake.
Her return to snow shouldn't have been a life like this.
Shen Qingwu let her daughter help her get dressed, and replied softly, "Don't worry, let's hear what he wants to do first."
"I'll stay with you for a while."
Shen Qingwu shook her head: "No need, you can stay here. Some things are easier to say when there are fewer people around."
After dressing, Shen Qingwu casually tied her hair into a bun and walked out of the inner room.
As soon as the door opened, Shen Zhiheng turned his head and looked over, immediately noticing that his younger sister was different from usual.
He felt a complex mix of emotions. His younger sister had always been very opinionated, and their father doted on her. If she hadn't been tricked by that fox spirit, she should have had a better life. Instead, she had lived a crazy and foolish life for half her life.
"Brother, it seems like it's been many years since we last met." Shen Qingwu and Shen Zhiheng's eyes met, and tears streamed down her face.
Shen Zhiheng was taken aback at first, then his face lit up with joy, and he quickly got up to greet her: "Qingwu, you've finally woken up. I've been waiting for this day for more than ten years."
Shen Qingwu sat down in the chair following Shen Zhiheng's pull, her face showing just the right amount of confusion: "I don't know what's wrong with me, I suddenly became like this."
"That fox demon must have poisoned you before he died. That mirage poison is extremely rare; who else could it be but him!"
“Impossible, how could Liu Feng do this to me?” Shen Qingwu choked up as she spoke. “If it really is him… it’s because I’ve wronged him.”
After saying that, Shen Qingwu looked around, her face full of doubt: "Brother, where is the doctor who helped me detoxify? I can't find him. I wanted to thank him properly."
"Oh, that doctor had to leave first," Shen Zhiheng said casually, relieved at the same time. It seemed that Qingwu hadn't recognized Mr. Cang at all when she was in a daze.
"You've been poisoned for years, so taking care of your health is the priority now. We can talk about other things later."
"I understand. Thank you so much for taking care of me and Huixue all these years, brother." Shen Qingwu said with gratitude.
"What are you saying? We're all family."
After the brother and sister put on a show of deep sibling affection, Shen Zhiheng coughed again. He covered his mouth with one hand, and when he removed his hand, his palm was covered in blood.
Shen Qingwu's pupils contracted slightly, her voice filled with anxiety: "Big brother, what's wrong with you?"
Seeing Shen Qingwu wiping his mouth with her sleeve regardless, Shen Zhiheng let her wipe away the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth, his face showing a bit of bitterness: "I didn't want to tell you, but I'm afraid my brother's body won't last much longer."
"How could that be? Big brother, there must be other ways. More than ten years have passed, you should have found a way to alleviate the curse, right? Didn't you say that you could definitely do it?" Shen Qingwu's eyes reddened, filled with sorrow.
"We've found a solution, but..."
"Just what?"
"It only requires the inner core of a demon race as a catalyst. There are a few inner cores of third-realm demon races in the clan, but they all shattered when the demon curse was extracted. It is probably because the curse is too powerful. We can only use the inner cores of fourth-realm demon races."
Shen Zhiheng told the fabricated lie, confident that it would not arouse any suspicion from Shen Qingwu, because he had actually tried this idea before, only to fail.
The curses cannot be invoked; he can only choose to become a half-demon, and then those curses will no longer be able to harm him.
"Four Realms?" Shen Qingwu seemed to have thought of something, and a hint of hesitation appeared on her face.
Shen Zhiheng had been watching her closely and naturally noticed her unusual behavior, which immediately put his mind at ease.
Previously, he thought Qingwu was crazy and that he could just find someone to find out the whereabouts of her inner core, but unfortunately, she drove away everyone who came. The maids sent to serve her also searched for the whereabouts of the inner core in the mansion, but they couldn't find it anywhere.
It seems that the fox demon's inner core is indeed still in her hands. As long as it's still there, even if Shen Qingwu is unwilling to hand it over, the inner core will eventually be his.
“Yes, but the demon race of the Fourth Realm is not something we can provoke at will. Wouldn’t that be courting death?” Shen Zhiheng sighed heavily. “If we still can’t find them in the end, then so be it. You’ve woken up, and I have no regrets in this life.”
"Big brother...I..." Shen Qingwu's tone became increasingly hesitant.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Shen Zhiheng asked with concern.
"It's nothing," Shen Qingwu shook her head.
"Now that you've recovered, I should be celebrating for you, but your little niece is about to get engaged to the Prince of Xiling, so things are a bit hectic at home. How about I come to see you again after this period of time?" His words clearly indicated that he intended to leave.
"Brother, why be so polite with your sister? In the blink of an eye, Yingzhu is about to get engaged. I wonder if I can attend the engagement ceremony?"
"Of course you have to go, you're her only aunt."
Is it the only one? Shen Qingwu's heart stirred slightly.
As the two were talking, the guards that Shen Zhiheng brought suddenly walked in. He glanced at Shen Qingwu and hesitated slightly.
"It's alright, just say what you want to say."
"Clan leader, Shen Zhuo, the garrison commander of the Mingjing Division, led his men into the clan and kidnapped Shen Zhiyuan."
Shen Zhiheng's expression changed: "What's the reason? The Mingjing Division can't just arrest people without cause, can they?"
"It was said to be a bribe to officials in Yongzhou."
This excuse is far too blatant, and they even have evidence. Although this crime is not under the jurisdiction of the Mingjing Division, the emperor is far away and no one can control Shen Zhuo.
Shen Zhiheng's expression changed several times. Although Shen Zhiyuan didn't know much, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't be unable to resist telling Mingjing Division what he shouldn't say. If they couldn't rescue him, they would have to keep quiet.
After thinking it over, Shen Zhiheng turned to Shen Qingwu and said, "There are still matters to attend to within the clan, so I must leave first, elder brother."
"I'll see you out, brother." Shen Qingwu got up and saw Shen Zhiheng to the door.
The brother and sister walked all the way to the front gate. After Shen Zhiheng had walked a distance, Shen Qingwu suddenly ran after him and called out, "Big brother."
"Is there anything else?"
"Brother, I have a Four Realms Elixir. If you need it, I will take it out and send it to you another day."
"But what about the fox demon's inner core?"
Shen Qingwu nodded.
"Never mind, that's the only thing the fox demon left behind. Keep it as a keepsake."
Shen Qingwu shook her head, her attitude firm: "Nothing is more important than you, Big Brother."
Hearing her say that, Shen Zhiheng finally stopped refusing. He thought to himself, after all, Qingwu was his own sister, and she really was on his side.
"Alright, then I thank you, Qingwu."
Shen Qingwu smiled and said, "I'll send it to my older brother once I find it."
As Shen Zhiheng walked away, the smile on Shen Qingwu's face gradually faded, and she clenched her hands tightly together.
How could she bear to give Liufeng's inner core to Shen Zhiheng? But since Shen Zhiheng had this idea, keeping the inner core by his side would only bring trouble to her and Huixue.
She knew her older brother well. Regardless of the purpose of the inner core, if it involved life and death, he would never give it up. If things turned sour with him, he wouldn't hesitate to poison his own sister.
Shen Huixue waited for a long time before her mother finally returned.
She quickly stood up and asked, "Mother, what exactly did Uncle say?"
Shen Qingwu hesitated for a moment, not telling her daughter about the inner core, afraid that it would upset her. She only said, "These are just words of brotherly and sisterly affection. After all, I am his own sister. I heard that his daughter is going to marry the heir of the Xiling King, and he even invited me to attend the engagement banquet."
"He told me that too, but I don't think it will be that easy."
"How so?" Seeing her daughter's certainty, Shen Qingwu couldn't help but feel a little curious.
"When I was in the capital, I met the heir of the Prince of Xiling several times. He is definitely not someone I can fool."
"Is that so?" Shen Qingwu couldn't help but feel a little emotional. "It seems that the young master has finally grown up. Whether Shen Yingzhu can marry into the Xiling Prince's Mansion or not, we'll just have to wait and see."
"By the way, didn't Achan come today?" Shen Qingwu suddenly asked.
“I asked Aunt Wu to stop her, because I was afraid she would run into my uncle.”
"That's good then." Shen Qingwu suddenly said, "Since we have nothing to do today, why don't we go and pay them a visit?"
"Mother, is it convenient for you to go out?"
"Of course, I'm all better now, so there's nothing wrong with going out for a walk. I remember you have a few guards with you, so just take them with you."
With the guards of the Duke of Li's heir on board, the Shen family wouldn't follow.
Shen Huixue nodded: "Okay, I'll make the arrangements."
When the mother and daughter arrived at Achan's place with bags of gifts, it was already late afternoon. She was in the kitchen helping Chen Hui tend the fire.
The kitchen was filled with the aroma of food. Today, Achan specially ordered a chicken blood paste, saying that she wanted to stand with Huiniang through thick and thin.
Whether they would advance or retreat together, Chen Hui didn't know; she only knew that her daughter was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.
Ah Chan licked her lips at the aroma. To make chicken blood paste, you need fresh chicken blood, so you have to buy a live chicken. Since the chicken is already killed, it's best to stew it tonight for it to be fresh and delicious.
Ah Chan admired herself in her heart, thinking how clever and quick-witted she was.
Before the food was even cooked, Chen Hui suddenly turned to look outside the kitchen: "Someone's knocking on the door, I'll go check it out."
"I'll go."
Achan clapped her hands, stood up, and quickly walked to the door. She opened the latched door and saw the Shen family mother and daughter, who seemed to have just returned from shopping.
"Miss Qingwu, Huixue, please come in." Achan warmly ushered them in.
A carriage was parked outside the gate, and four guards stood at the entrance.
Stepping into the small courtyard, Shen Huixue took a deep breath and looked at Achan with shining eyes: "Is Huiniang stewing chicken again?"
Ah Chan smiled and said, "Yes, a whole chicken. You came at just the right time."
Seeing Huixue's eager expression, Shen Qingwu smiled and said, "Go to the kitchen and help Huiniang."
"Then I'll head over first."
Shen Huixue went to the kitchen, and Shen Qingwu and Achan brought the things they had brought into the room. After entering the room, neither of them went out immediately.
"Today, my elder brother brought the great demon that killed Liufeng to give me an antidote," Shen Qingwu said softly.
Achan's smile faded: "You're here again? What a coincidence? One or both of you are here."
"I only saw one. If the other one comes, he's probably at the Xiling Prince's residence. I don't know what they're up to. It seems like the only thing happening lately is the engagement of the Xiling Prince's heir."
Ah Chan thought to herself that perhaps something important had happened that they were unaware of.
It was definitely not a coincidence that Bai Xiuming came to Xiling.
She couldn't help but think to herself, no matter how powerful Bai Xiuming was, it wouldn't be easy for him to deal with two fourth-realm demons by himself.
Moreover, there is a Jiaomu (a powerful dragon) in Xiling whose strength is unknown, and perhaps other hidden beings in the Four Realms.
Ah Chan frowned. Could he have risked his life in this place?
Before she could even ponder why she was worried about Bai Xiuming's life, Shen Qingwu continued, "My elder brother came to see me today because he wants Liufeng's inner core. His body doesn't look like it can hold on much longer, and he said he wants to use the inner core to draw out the demon curse."
"Impossible," Achan said decisively. Demon cores have no such strange use.
"I guess so. I suspect he might want to turn himself into a half-demon as well."
This was the conclusion Shen Qingwu reached after repeated consideration. It seemed somewhat alarming, but it was not surprising at all.
Achan wasn't interested in Shen Qingwu's purpose, but instead asked, "Did you agree to give it to him?"
"I can't refuse; he'll stop at nothing to achieve his goal."
Achan nodded; she understood Shen Qingwu's thoughts, but...
“There’s something I didn’t tell you when you mentioned inner alchemy before.”
"What?"
Achan looked out the window and said softly, "If a half-demon can obtain the inner core of his parents and absorb the demonic power within it, he has a chance to become a demon."
Shen Qingwu looked on in disbelief: "Are you serious? But... but I've never heard of this before."
"Because almost no demons would do this. Only the inner cores of demons at the fourth or fifth realm provide enough power for conversion. Such powerful demons have long lifespans and rarely die unexpectedly."
"Can Huixue transform into a complete demon, like Liufeng?"
"yes."
Shen Qingwu let out a long breath, her body trembling slightly. She murmured, "Shen Zhiheng deserves to die. He actually tried to steal my daughter's demon core."
Achan simply watched Shen Qingwu quietly.
"But I've already promised him, and I can't go back on my word now. What can I do to make him give up Liufeng's demon core?"
Shen Qingwu suddenly turned to look at Achan, her eyes filled with a faint madness. Although the mirage poison had been cured, it still had an effect on her.
"Achan, Liufeng has always said you're very smart. Can you tell me how to make Shen Zhiheng give up?"
This time, Achan didn't refute. She said, "You should know the answer in your heart."
“…Yes, of course I know.” Shen Qingwu’s voice was ethereal. “As long as the Shen family is destroyed, they will not harm my Huixue, nor will they compete with my Huixue for her father’s inner core.”
Her daughter could live a free and unrestrained life like her father, which was the life they had originally envisioned for her.
"You must have a way, right?" Shen Qingwu looked at Achan pleadingly.
Achan didn't beat around the bush. She said, "The Shen family's trump card is probably your cousin, that dragon mother. I guess its strength has reached the fourth realm."
"You want to start with her?"
"If you can see the Dragon Mother, I have a way to drive her mad. A crazed fourth-realm demon is terrifying. Even if it can't destroy the Shen family, people will find out that the Shen family is raising demons, but you and Huixue might both be implicated. Have you thought it through?"
"Do you have a way to protect Huixue?" Shen Qingwu didn't care whether she would be implicated; she only cared about her daughter.
“That’s not difficult. She’s always lived in the capital, and the Shen family’s affairs have nothing to do with her.” A-Chan was confident enough to make that promise.
When the time comes, go and coax Bai Xiuming, and he will give in.
"Alright, in five days I will take the inner core to the Shen family. At that time, I will find a way to see the Dragon Mother."
Although it was a bit rushed, she delivered the inner core, and her elder brother would surely be overjoyed. When she asked to see Qingying, her brother wouldn't refuse, after all, she was also a member of the Shen family.
Achan was somewhat surprised; Shen Qingwu was much more decisive than she had imagined.
Such a big decision would require ordinary people to think twice, but she agreed instantly.
Seeing Achan's expression, she smiled and said, "I've wanted to kill them countless times to avenge Liufeng. Maybe I'm the kind of person who would betray my family for love. I've thought about it for over a decade, and I don't need to think about it anymore."
"Since you've made your decision, I'll prepare the incense and medicine for you in the next few days."
"A fragrant medicine, is it poisonous?" Shen Qingwu couldn't imagine what kind of medicine could drive a great demon of the fourth realm into madness.
“It’s not poisonous.” A-Chan’s expression was somewhat strange. “You should be more familiar with another name for it: aphrodisiac.”
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