Chapter 32: Li Dai Tao Jiang
The figure walked slowly into the moonlight, and Yun Yuan finally saw her face clearly.
The moonlight traced her smiling eyes and brows - just like the day when she suddenly appeared in the outer house, smiling and forcing Ruyue to choose a slave, and pointed herself to Yuanfeng Courtyard; it was also like when she followed Fengwu into the slave courtyard and led herself to the master's pavilion in the center of the lake; it was even more like the second trial of fighting poison with poison, which, although difficult, was exactly in line with her ability.
Xi Ran, the young master's favorite concubine.
The person who could come here and help at this moment must be the flower spy who has been hiding in the Feng family for many years. Could it be her? The flower spy's intelligence clearly focuses mainly on Yuanfengyuan. She knows Feng Yanyuan's preferences and temperament like the back of her hand, even knowing more about Yue. How could it be Xiran, who has hardly ever set foot in Yuanfengyuan?
Xi Ran chuckled: "I felt you were different when I first met you. It was a pleasant surprise."
"Thank you for saving me." Yun Yuan asked tentatively, "Why are you here?"
"A beautiful night is a rare occasion. I'm sure you won't miss it." Xi Ran gathered her sleeves. "I came all the way to the back mountain to look for you. Firstly, I wanted to see the scenery of Moon Viewing Valley, and secondly..." She raised her eyebrow slightly, "As Tao Yao asked, I'm here to clear some obstacles for you."
Yun Yuan suddenly realized: "There is no one guarding this place, it must be you..."
"The Moon-Watching Valley is naturally guarded by the Haofeng Guards. I was just checking on them on behalf of the Young Master and giving him instructions. I used some tricks to let them rest for a while. It took some time to deal with the patrol, but fortunately, we managed to catch up."
Xi Ran shifted her gaze to the corpse on the ground. "Over the years, I only knew that Feng Yanhao had close ties to Wangyue Valley. I'd occasionally overheard Haofengwei mention 'that person'... I had no idea the person in this valley was actually Feng Xiaoming." She raised her eyes to look at Yun Yuan. "However, I'd heard that he turned to poison techniques because his martial arts were difficult to master. I didn't expect him to have such skills."
Yun Yuan looked at the corpse again - there was neither pain nor panic in the dilated pupils, only a calmness like dead water, as if this body had never lived.
Yun Yuan said, "This person is not Feng Xiaoming."
Xi Ran was stunned and looked around the valley.
"No wonder, I was wondering how he could be so fast..." Her eyes locked onto a dark bush. "This venomous snake actually prepared a secret passage and a substitute long ago. How cunning."
"Secret passage?" Yun Yuan was slightly startled. "Did he expect me to come?"
Xi Ran pondered and said, "He's not guarding against you. This substitute should be buying time for him to leave the Feng family."
She leaned over and pulled the dagger from the corpse, blood dripping slowly along the blade.
"Isn't the Feng family protecting him?"
"Protection?" Xi Ran sneered. "While the Queen was alive, it was protection. Now that she's dead, Feng Xiaoming's archenemy has been eliminated, and Moon-Watching Valley has become his prison." She sheathed her dagger. "Feng Xiaotian won't let him go. First, poison techniques are despised by reputable and upright sects. If Feng Xiaoming were to flaunt his power outside, it would tarnish Xiaofengtang's reputation as a 'reputable and upright sect.' Second, the Feng family now relies heavily on Moon-Watching Valley's secret poisons. If he leaves, the supply to Huiming Corridor will be cut off." Her gaze fell on the corpse. "Once the Wind God Formation is activated, with this substitute to hold him back, it will be enough for Feng Xiaoming to escape."
"But the Feng family is under martial law. Can he really escape?"
Xi Ran looked up at the valley and sighed, "Of all the Feng family, only the Wind God Formation could have trapped him. The few guards guarding the compound couldn't find any trace of him. It's more likely that Feng Yanhao must have left a secret passage for him." She looked at Yun Yuan, "Have you ever thought about how to escape?"
Yun Yuan's gaze drifted towards Yuanfeng Courtyard, and she sighed, "This opportunity is rare, and I haven't considered any escape routes." After a pause, she added, "Now I just hope I can hold on until the Third Young Master wakes up."
Xi Ran's body trembled slightly, "Can you save him?"
The eagerness and surprise in his tone made Yun Yuan's heart tremble.
She nodded slightly: "That poison can be cured by Hanmei Powder."
"That's good, that's good." Xi Ran's eyes flashed with tenderness, and she suddenly added: "Then you must return to Yuanfeng Courtyard as soon as possible, change into ordinary clothes, and take care of the Third Young Master."
"What are your plans?"
"Have you forgotten?" Xi Ran raised the corner of her lips slightly, "It was me who knocked Hao Fengwei unconscious, and this white blade was also given to me by Feng Yanhao."
Yun Yuan suddenly understood her plan and asked in surprise, "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I have another plan." Xi Ran looked at the flickering lights in the distance. "As long as I can see Feng Xiaotian, our efforts today will not be in vain."
"There's another plan?" Yun Yuan was stunned. "Are you sure you can escape?"
"About... 30%?" Xi Ran smiled faintly and said, "This opportunity today will never come again. Even if I die, it will be worth it." She looked up at the moon, and the moonlight set off her clear eyes with exceptional tenderness. "I've been trapped in the Feng family for seven or eight years, watching one spy after another come and go. I'm really tired of this life of fear and trepidation. I have to thank you for finding Feng Xiaoming and stirring up this stagnant situation. It makes me feel that everything these years have meaning."
Yun Yuan was silent for a while, and finally asked, "Why... did you come to the Feng family?"
A trace of sadness flashed across Xi Ran's eyes, and she smiled bitterly. "It's a long story. If you and I can both escape the Feng family, I'll tell you in detail." She glanced around and said, "Time is running out, and I have some unfinished business. You should leave now. You also need to make some preparations for saving yourself."
Yun Yuan's throat moved slightly, but she ultimately said nothing more. She took a half step back and bowed deeply to Xi Ran. The shadow of her long black hair obscured the complexity in her eyes. When she looked up again, her figure had already darted out of the valley like a startled wild goose, blending into the dark night in an instant.
Yuanfeng Courtyard was still shrouded in dead silence. The lanterns under the eaves swayed gently in the night breeze, casting flickering light and shadows.
Yun Yuan quickly changed into the moon-white skirt she wore everyday and tiptoed back to Feng Yanyuan's bed.
There was a faint smell of blood between the curtains.
As early as when he was carried back to Yuanfeng Courtyard, she took advantage of everyone's panic and mixed Hanmei Powder with tea and fed it to him - this action was almost thoughtless, it was the medical instinct that had been engraved in her bones and blood since childhood.
Who would have thought that he would leave a way out for himself?
She remembered what her father often said, "Save others and save yourself," and a faint smile appeared on the corner of her lips.
Although this poison was ferocious, it was uncommon. It was one of the hundreds of poisons she had deciphered during her drug trials. However, the toxicity was so strong that Hanmei Powder needed to wait for the poison to take effect before it could take effect. Therefore, he would still need to "die" for several hours.
She placed her palm gently against Feng Yanyuan's chest, her fingertips sensitively sensing the faint yet steady pulse—his heart pulse was slowly recovering. Her heart relaxed a little, but the worry between her brows remained.
Outside the window, the sound of the night watchman's clapper came from afar, reminding her that dawn was approaching.
The first to notice the events in Wangyue Valley were undoubtedly the Haofeng Guards, and the first to receive the news was undoubtedly the Young Master, Feng Yanhao. Given his temperament, he would never publicize his partner's betrayal. Instead, he would rush to find a scapegoat—and Yun Yuan was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate. The Patriarch was currently preoccupied with the Wind God Formation, too busy to even grieve over the loss of his son. How could he possibly inquire about the Young Master's disposition?
And it's unknown when Feng Yanyuan, the only one who could possibly protect her, will wake up.
Sure enough, before dawn, a flurry of footsteps broke the silence of Yuanfeng Courtyard. Feng Yanhao personally led the Haofeng Guards in breaking in and, without further explanation, dragged her to the Slave Courtyard.
In the cold dungeon, the python whip in Feng Yanhao's hand gleamed coldly in the firelight. He simply asked, "Do you plead guilty?"
"Your servant..."
As soon as she opened her mouth, the python whip lashed down fiercely, carrying the sound of wind. The sound of flesh tearing apart, accompanied by the girl's heartbreaking cries, echoed off the stone walls. The smell of blood instantly filled the air.
Feng Yanhao's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a demon in the flickering candlelight of the prison's slave yard. He brandished the python whip with impenetrable force, no longer in an interrogation, but rather as if he was pouring out his rage.
"Bitch!" He cursed with gritted teeth, and blood from the whip splattered on the stone wall.
Just as Yun Yuan's consciousness was blurry, he suddenly heard a voice announce: "Young Master! The mistress is here!"
The whip stopped hitting, but severe pain had already spread throughout her body. Yun Yuan forced herself to stay conscious, and suddenly heard two loud slaps.
"Feng Yanhao, are you crazy?!"
Feng Yanhao panted heavily, "Mother... this slut broke into Wangyue Valley and killed Feng Die. Now my uncle is also missing... I am..."
Another slap, the crisp sound echoed in the torture chamber.
"Don't I know how to interrogate the people of Haofengwei?! Even if you want to torture her into confessing, you should at least let her breathe. Beat this bitch to death, are you framing her or protecting her?!"
Feng Yanhao suddenly let out a creepy chuckle: "Sheltering... I'm shielding her?" His voice suddenly became high-pitched, "My people have become killers! What good can I expect of me?" His voice gradually faded, leaving only gritted teeth and curses: "Bitch... That damn bitch..."
"That person has been taken away. But you... didn't even touch him, and instead beat the Third Young Master's maid to death."
"Touch her..." Feng Yanhao growled, "I think it's dirty..."
"It's not scary to be deceived by a woman." The mistress's voice suddenly softened. "Your father went through the same thing when he was young. He would understand you. At most, he would scold you and punish you."
She suddenly lowered her voice, "But if you really kill this man today and then frame him and lie...it will only make your father suspect that you were the one who murdered the Third Young Master, and then he will suspect that you are behind all this..." She spoke the four words word by word, "wolf ambition."
"But this bitch!" Feng Yanhao's voice suddenly rose, then suddenly dropped, "This bitch must be a spy!" His voice was filled with frantic pleading, "Mother, just give me another hour... no, half an hour will be enough! I will definitely be able to pry open her mouth... before father finds out..."
"Your father has already discovered it." The mistress's voice was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head. "He went to examine the body himself. Even though the knife was drawn, it only made the truth more obvious."
Feng Yanhao didn't say anything else, and the dark room was dead silent. Yun Yuan's consciousness became increasingly blurred. She was not sure if she could not hear clearly. She gritted her teeth and pinched her fingertips into the wound. The stinging pain instantly made her consciousness sharp and clear.
She turned her head and looked up. In the blurred blood mist, she saw the back of the mistress and Feng Yanhao who was looking dejected.
"Your father has recognized that the blade is yours. You gave it to her, right? Bone-piercing is also your usual sword technique..." The mistress's voice became softer and softer, but every word was as sharp as a knife. "You also taught her yourself, right?" She sighed, "Your father is testing the incense in the Haofeng Guard. I guess it's your 'Drunkenness', right?"
Feng Yanhao stumbled back a step, his back against the wall. "Father...isn't he at Fengshen Pavilion? He has to take charge of the situation, so why would he come down the mountain?"
"The Wind God Formation has been restarted."
Feng Yanhao smiled bitterly and asked in a deep voice, "Who is it?"
The mistress suddenly chuckled. She slowly walked towards the window, the moonlight casting mottled shadows on her. "Your mother is an outsider. How dare she ask about the affairs of Fengshen Pavilion?"
As she spoke, she turned her head, the moonlight illuminating her features. In Yun Yuan's gradually blurring vision, her face looked like a floating jade sculpture of a young girl.
The mistress lowered her gaze, "But I heard on the way...the Third Young Master has also woken up."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
