Chapter 29 Poisoning She needed to determine her true place in Mu Qingheng's heart...
The Celestial Princess's dignity and composure are unimportant compared to her life; she cannot die!
Mu Meng opened her slender arms and embraced Mu Qingheng, using her soft body to stop him from moving. She slightly tiptoed and tilted her head back to place a kiss on his lips.
A soft, cool touch on my lips.
It was cool and soft, like a slimy, venomous snake slowly crawling across her body. Mu Meng touched it, immediately took a few steps back, and couldn't help but tremble all over.
When he trampled on her dignity, she longed for death; yet now, to live, she's gone to such lengths. This way, she can obtain the power of the Crimson Heart Pill. He didn't kill her in her past life, so he probably won't kill her this time either.
Between death and humiliation, death is naturally easier.
But even if one is truly going to die, one should not do so hastily.
She cannot die at this moment, lest the Red Heart Pill be given away to the devil to attack her people.
And then there's her sister; she hasn't yet seen her sister and her beloved resolve their misunderstandings and live happily ever after.
She can't just die like this.
Fortunately, she saw Mu Qingheng's hand reaching into his robes and ultimately took out a handkerchief instead of the Azure Phoenix Feather.
Has he given up his murderous intent?
In his previous life, he had countless opportunities to kill him, but he deliberately spared his life, constantly torturing and humiliating him.
It seems this life will be the same.
Mu Qingheng was stunned, as if he had been hit on the head. It took him a long time to react. He slowly walked forward, and Mu Meng subconsciously took a step back.
Seeing her back away, he immediately stopped and couldn't help but laugh: "Mengmeng, you kissed me, why are you crying? Come on, wipe your tears."
Mu Meng belatedly raised her hand to touch it, and sure enough, she felt a cold, wet touch. It turned out that she had been crying at some point.
"Mengmeng, may I come over?" Seeing that Mu Meng neither answered nor refused, Mu Qingheng tentatively took a step forward.
After a brief moment of bewilderment, his expression softened into one of tenderness and joy. Though he suppressed it subtly, it still unconsciously showed in his eyes and brows.
Mu Qingheng opened his mouth several times, but seemed to feel it was inappropriate and remained silent. He wanted to purse his lips, but the curve of his lips just wouldn't come down.
"Mengmeng, why did you suddenly kiss me?" he finally asked softly.
"I……"
Mu Qingheng looked at her tenderly and affectionately, not urging her, and patiently waiting for her to speak.
His beautiful eyes sparkled with a childlike joy, as if some unbelievable, unimaginable good fortune had befallen him.
Mu Meng's lips trembled slightly: "I, I am..."
Just now, in a split second, she thought of a way to save her life, and after trying it, she didn't expect it to actually work.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't come up with a suitable reason to fool Mu Qingheng.
How can she explain this? He's so perceptive; how can she explain such an absurd act?
"You..." After waiting for a long time, seeing that she really couldn't say it, Mu Qingheng hesitated for a moment, suppressing his embarrassment, "...You like me, don't you?"
As Mu Meng's mind raced, he suddenly heard Mu Qingheng ask a low question.
Perhaps she was too flustered, but she actually felt that his tone was a little cautious and humble, unlike him.
like?
She was just trying to save her life at the last second; she didn't even dare to come up with such an absurd reason.
But Mu Qingheng was clearly not surprised at all, and said softly, "So the reason you've been cold and distant towards me these past few days is because of this... that you don't want to see me?"
Mu Meng stared at him in disbelief.
Seeing this expression, Mu Qingheng's gaze softened even more. He raised his hand and gently covered his chest, without using too much force.
"Mengmeng, don't be in so much pain. Your sadness hurts me too. Relax, let's talk it out, okay?"
Mu Meng looked at him hesitantly: "What does this mean? What do you mean by 'sharing the pain with me'?"
Mu Qingheng paused for a moment, then smiled, "It's not important. Don't be afraid, with your brother here, you don't need to be afraid of anything."
Mu Meng tried to understand what he was saying, but his mind was in turmoil and he couldn't guess what he was up to.
But if you take it literally, she feels that either she's gone mad, or Mu Qingheng is.
She could only calm herself down slowly: "I'm not afraid."
Mu Qingheng looked at the charming and gentle girl in front of him. Because she had been crying, her eyes were misty and shimmering.
His Mengmeng, his darling.
It turns out that what he had been longing for already belonged to him.
Was it the same in his past life? But back then, his heart was too hard, and he didn't understand these things at all.
Thinking of this, Mu Qingheng felt a slow pain in his heart again, which gradually intensified, as if a sharp knife was grinding back and forth, cutting his heart until it bled profusely.
He pursed his lips, forcing himself to endure the pain, and looked down at his hands—Mengmeng had such feelings for him, but what had he done in his past life? He truly deserved to be torn to pieces!
"When did it start?" Mu Qingheng asked softly.
Seeing his expression, Mu Meng finally understood a little. But finding it too absurd, she still couldn't quite believe it: "You mean..."
Mu Qingheng parted his lips slightly, paused, and then pursed them again.
She raised her hand and gently touched her lips: "When...did this happen?"
Mu Meng lowered her eyes: "I don't know."
"It's my fault for not noticing your feelings sooner," Mu Qingheng didn't press further, his gentle gaze gradually turning into one of heartache. "It's nothing, your brother will handle everything."
He finally understood everything.
So it turns out that Mengmeng distanced herself from him because she thought they were siblings. She felt sad when she was with him, and that's why she was in so much pain after kissing him.
Despite his supposedly keen observation, he failed to notice. This left Mengmeng alone, burdened by forbidden feelings and living in constant fear, enduring much injustice.
But thankfully, he won't let her suffer even the slightest grievance again.
The excruciating pain gradually subsided as her feelings for him improved. Mu Qingheng felt a mixture of sweetness and bitterness, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt pity for her. He slowly walked towards Mu Meng and said, "Mengmeng, why didn't you tell your brother about this sooner?"
His heart was tormented by the pain of loving someone and the joy of being loved, but he didn't feel sad at all.
He is the luckiest person in the world.
When Mu Meng saw Mu Qingheng approaching, she didn't back away this time. Instead, she slowly said, "I've thought about it, but I don't know how to bring it up with you."
"It's alright, it's alright. Actually, we..." Mu Qingheng gently patted the top of her head, "Let's not talk about this for now. Don't worry, your brother will resolve everything soon and won't let you suffer anymore."
He couldn't help but feel a pang of tenderness, so he stepped forward and gently bent down to get close to her face.
"Wait," noticing his movement, Mu Meng immediately took two steps back, her mind racing to find an excuse. "It was me, I was confused just now. I don't know how I could do such an absurd thing. We are siblings, we can't do this."
She shook her head repeatedly, staring at Mu Qingheng and emphasizing, "We can't do this."
Mu Qingheng chuckled softly, rubbing his forehead. "Brother and sister. That's right, Mengmeng doesn't know anything yet."
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Mengmeng, just wait patiently a little longer.”
...
Mu Meng felt that he really should sort out the current situation.
Even if we take a step back and assume that the Azure Phoenix Feather has already been taken by Mu Qingheng, at least Yunze Realm will no longer be harmed, and at least she no longer needs to worry about the lives of these forty-odd people.
Although this round wasn't what she expected, it wasn't a complete loss.
But Mu Qingheng's heart was really too strange.
After that day, Mu Qingheng didn't say anything else. On the way back, he only talked to her about things from when they were little, but he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes. He seemed to be really happy.
Mu Qingheng...is he really in love?
Doesn't he hate her?
She had no trust in Mu Qingheng whatsoever. She felt that everything he did and said was ill-intentioned, but... this didn't make sense.
Her only value to Mu Qingheng was the Red Heart Pill. He had already obtained the Azure Phoenix Feather, and his spiritual power was far superior to hers. If he wanted to kill her, it would be easy—logically speaking, he no longer needed to pretend.
Even kissing can grant the power of the Heart-Piercing Pill, but nothing beats cutting open your heart to extract it.
Although it was utterly absurd, there seemed to be no more reasonable explanation than that he had fallen in love with her.
What about his past life? In his past life, he was also... no, no, in his past life he only treated her as a plaything, and he didn't hesitate to cut out his heart.
"Why is it different from my previous life..." Mu Meng murmured, then suddenly frowned slightly, turned her palm over and looked down.
A few wisps of black energy emanated from her fair and smooth palm.
The eerie black mist resembled a thin fog, and Mu Meng slowly clenched his fingers.
Mu Qingheng did not act as he had in his previous life, so the preparations he had made had to be abandoned. But even if he did not seriously injure her, she had already taken the Nine Poison Pearl, and it had to exert its proper effect.
Her most pressing need was to determine her importance in Mu Qingheng's heart.
The following day, Mu Meng went to Sheng Yuanting's residence.
Sheng Yuanting was on leave today, and soon walked in from outside. He was wearing a light blue casual robe, but he was not as leisurely as before. He was a little anxious when he bowed: "Greetings, Your Highness."
Before Mu Meng could speak, Sheng Yuanting immediately asked, "You've come at the perfect time. I was just about to look for you anyway. There's something I need to ask you. Did Your Highness take the Nine Poison Pearl from Sangling Pavilion that day?"
He bombarded Mu Meng with questions, silencing all the words she had prepared. She paused for a moment, then nodded, "Yes."
"I only found out last night and immediately wanted to find you, but I heard that you went to Yunze Realm and have not returned... I wonder what Your Highness is doing with the Nine Poison Pearl?"
Mu Meng's fingers slowly tightened under her sleeves. Looking at Sheng Yuanting's concerned and anxious expression, she felt secretly ashamed, but she had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "I told you the other day that I wanted to give my brother a gift."
Sheng Yuanting frowned even more deeply: "May I ask what the gift is?"
"Soul flower."
"What?" Sheng Yuanting gasped softly. "The Soul Flower isn't made with the Nine Poison Pearls, but with the Nine Azure Pearls. A single word makes all the difference! How could Your Highness be so careless?!"
In his haste, he blurted out a string of words before realizing his mistake: "His Highness the Crown Prince's birthday is still a while away. Has Your Highness started making it yet? If not, I can accompany you to change it right now, it won't be a problem."
Mu Meng bit her lower lip, took a deep breath, and then feigned panic: "But...but I've already taken it..."
Sheng Yuanting opened his mouth slightly, his mind blank for a moment: "I've already taken it..." He realized what he had done, and in his haste, his tone unconsciously carried a hint of reproach, "Although the Nine Poison Pearl is said to be a spiritual medicine, it is actually a defensive weapon. After taking it, the body is poisoned. Only by enduring an attack can the poison be transferred to the attacker, and after the transfer, the poison can be neutralized. However, the person who took the poison has no way to detoxify except by enduring the attack. Your Highness, you—"
"What's the use of saying all this now?" Sheng Yuanting stopped talking and sighed, his eyes filled with deep worry. "It's all my fault. I should have gone in with you. This matter is no small thing and needs to be reported to His Highness the Crown Prince. The Nine Poison Pearl is no joke."
He was both anxious and remorseful, and turned to walk out. Mu Meng quickly stepped forward to stop him: "Brother Sheng!"
Sheng Yuanting turned to look at her.
Mu Meng pursed her lips: "No...it's not your fault. I was careless and took it without looking carefully. I'll go tell my brother myself."
She came today with the intention of guiding Sheng Yuanting to expose this matter to Mu Qingheng.
She just didn't expect that Sheng Yuanting had already found out and was still so worried about her.
Mu Meng already felt guilty in front of Sheng Yuanting, and now, compared to his openness, her selfishness made him feel even more ashamed.
"Brother Sheng, please don't blame yourself. Actually, I should thank you. If you hadn't noticed, I wouldn't have known I took the wrong one, and it would have been a disaster. Besides, you just said that the Nine Poison Pearl isn't without a way to counter it..."
"Nonsense," Sheng Yuanting frowned, looking into Mu Meng's clear and innocent eyes. After hearing her call him "big brother" twice, he subconsciously adopted a brotherly tone, forgetting the honorific. "Can that kind of detoxification method be used? How can you withstand it?"
"You probably don't know how dangerous the Nine Poison Plant is. This matter cannot be delayed for a moment. I must go find His Highness the Crown Prince now. Your Highness, please come with me."
...
"Master, there's some movement from the East Sea." Yu Da hurried over, bowing and cupping her hands. "The King of the East Sea has regained some of his consciousness. According to our people, he's started mentioning Mu Luo from time to time these past two days."
Mu Qingheng was standing at his desk writing something. Hearing Yu Da's words, he didn't react much. "Hmm, let him be."
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "How is Zhongli Wei's health?"
Zhongli Wei is the name of the King of the East Sea. Yu Da nodded, "It won't have much of an impact."
Seeing his master so calm, Yu Da was puzzled and couldn't help but remind him, "Master, judging from the current situation, he will definitely remember everything he did in less than half a month. Given his feelings for Mu Luo, he will surely return the spiritual power to her. How could Mu Luo refuse? Once she recovers her spiritual power, she will definitely be a troublesome enemy. But... I still don't know how Master plans to deal with this?"
This question was presumptuous, but she was truly anxious. She was Mu Qingheng's most trusted confidante in the Heavenly Clan; if even she didn't know...
Yu Da wondered in bewilderment: Could it be... that Master has no plan at all?
Mu Qingheng stopped writing and stared at Yu Da with a chilling look.
Yu Da immediately knelt down, touching her head to the ground: "Master, please calm your anger. It was my fault for speaking out of turn... But I had absolutely no disrespectful intentions, nor did I dare to presume to know your thoughts. It was truly, truly..."
Cold sweat trickled down her temples. Yu Da's eyes darted around rapidly. Her master was capricious and unpredictable; she had spoken carelessly, and although it wasn't enough to kill her, it was still…
"Get up. If you have nothing to do, get out of here and stop getting in my way."
Mu Qingheng's tone was sharp and cold, but he didn't say anything else, and let it go so easily.
Yu Da stared blankly up in disbelief. Although the man behind the desk had a cold demeanor, a hint of softness appeared in his eyes and brows—his master seemed to be in a good mood today.
At this moment, he only looked down at the paper on his desk and slowly began to write, seemingly having no intention of pursuing her slip of the tongue.
"Yes..." Yu Da responded and withdrew. After all, she had finished reporting her matters, and since her master was not angry, it was best for her to leave as soon as possible.
"Wait, send a message back to the desolate border," Mu Qingheng suddenly called out to her again, "Have Cangbi make some preparations, I will be returning soon. However, I will not take over the position of Demon Lord for the time being."
Yu Da was initially delighted upon hearing this, but then paused, slightly bewildered. She was completely baffled as to what her master was trying to achieve with each step of this scheme.
But he dared not ask any more questions, and only respectfully replied, "Yes, your subordinate will definitely convey the message."
Mu Qingheng hummed in agreement: "You go down..." He paused, then his expression suddenly sharpened. "Go quickly. Someone's coming. Don't let anyone see you."
Yu Da acted cautiously, so Mu Qingheng was not worried. He also didn't care much about the visitors and just focused on doing his own thing.
A short while later, the guard on duty came in to announce that General Sheng Yuanting of Xuantian had come to visit.
Mu Qingheng calmly put down his pen: "Please ask him to wait for me in the outer hall."
"Yes. But Her Highness the Princess came along too. It seems that General Xuantian brought her with him."
"Mengmeng came with Sheng Yuanting?" Mu Qingheng paused for a moment, ink dripping from his pen onto the paper, staining it.
He realized what was happening, quickly put the paper and pen aside, and strode out to greet them, saying, "I understand, you may leave."
...
Sheng Yuanting's face was so solemn it looked like it could drip water. Mu Meng had been trying to persuade him the whole way, but he hadn't calmed down at all.
“General Xuantian, things haven’t gotten to the worst point yet. I’m perfectly fine, aren’t I? Please give me a smile. When His Highness the Crown Prince comes in, he’ll think I did something to you and that you’ve come to complain to him.”
No amount of comforting could help. Mu Meng's initial guilt gradually turned into helplessness. Brother Sheng was such an adorably old-fashioned person.
Sheng Yuanting glanced at her, "Why doesn't Your Highness call me Brother Sheng anymore?"
Mu Meng chuckled: "You don't respond when I call you. I've tried everything to be nice to you along the way. If you could relax a little, I wouldn't mind calling you 'Big Brother' a few more times."
She could still laugh. Sheng Yuanting glared at her, and finally said helplessly, "I finally understand why His Highness the Crown Prince dotes on you so much."
He shook his head, his tightly furrowed brows relaxing slightly.
When Mu Qingheng came in, he saw Mu Meng smiling at Sheng Yuanting. Her smile was exceptionally gentle and lovely, and he couldn't help but like her.
He subconsciously curved his lips into a slight smile, but when his gaze fell on Sheng Yuanting, the smile gradually faded: "General Xuantian, please have a seat."
Mu Qingheng stepped forward and took Mu Meng's hand, wanting to lead her to the main seat.
"Your Highness, I am terrified and will not take a seat. I have come today to apologize to you." As soon as Mu Qingheng finished speaking, Sheng Yuanting knelt on one knee, his voice deep and resonant.
A cold glint flashed in Mu Qingheng's eyes. Mengmeng was right beside him, brought by Sheng Yuanting—what crime had he come to plead guilty to?
"The other day, the young princess, under the pretext of preparing a birthday gift for the Crown Prince, pleaded with me to allow her to enter the Sangling Pavilion to retrieve a treasure. Last night, while reviewing the records, I discovered that the young princess had mistakenly taken the Nine Poison Pearl instead of the Nine Azure Pearl, but it was too late; the young princess had already ingested it..."
Mu Qingheng suddenly turned to look at Mu Meng, and hurriedly reached out to grab her slender white wrist, his expression grave as he took her pulse.
In an instant, Mu Qingheng's face paled even more: "It is indeed the Nine Poison Pearl. The poison has seeped into my body and has been there for several days."
Mu Meng hadn't expected Mu Qingheng to be so knowledgeable, answering so accurately with a casual remark. She had been watching Mu Qingheng closely, observing his expression closely, and had secretly come to a conclusion.
Knowing what was going on, she went to help Sheng Yuanting first.
"Brother Sheng, get up quickly. Why are you apologizing? This matter really has nothing to do with you."
She never expected Sheng Yuanting to be so stubborn. She came today to probe Mu Qingheng's background, not to frame him with a fabricated crime.
Mu Qingheng stopped Mu Meng abruptly. His fingers trembled slightly, and his eyes, which were filled with deep pain, looked at Mu Meng. When he turned to look at Sheng Yuanting, his expression turned gloomy and cold.
"Entry and exit from Sangling Pavilion must be recorded. Why do I not know that Your Highness has ever been there?"
"It is my dereliction of duty, Your Highness. Please punish me."
“You truly deserve to die,” Mu Qingheng, who was usually impassive, now had a deep rage in his eyes. “Guards—”
"Wait! All of you step back," Mu Meng stepped forward and whispered to dismiss the guards. "Brother, this is my fault, and I asked General Xuantian not to record it. How can you put all the blame on him? If you punish him, I will never speak to you again."
As soon as she turned around, Mu Qingheng quickly grabbed Mu Meng's hand: "Alright, punishment is a matter for later, let's detoxify you first."
She paused, then looked down at Sheng Yuanting, "Even if the young prince defends you, you are still guilty of dereliction of duty. Just because she begged you, does that give you the right to disregard the law and rules? If Mengmeng ends up unharmed, that's fine, but if she suffers even the slightest punishment, I will never let you off the hook."
Sheng Yuanting had no way to defend himself: "Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly accept the punishment."
His Highness the Crown Prince is right; he is not innocent. At that time, he was inexplicably bewitched, and when the young prince smiled and begged him, he agreed without thinking.
"Your Highness, the most urgent matter now is to detoxify the young princess, but she is a delicate young lady, and the method of detoxification..."
"You don't need to worry about it. Step aside." Mu Qingheng's tone was extremely cold, his words concise and to the point, unwilling to say a single more word to him.
After hesitating for a moment, Sheng Yuanting had no choice but to kowtow and leave.
Mu Qingheng held Mengmeng's hand for a long time without letting go or making any further moves. His face grew paler and paler, as if he was in great pain.
"Brother, what's wrong with you?" After observing for a long time, Mu Meng had a new understanding of Mu Qingheng's psychology—regardless of the reasons for the changes in his past and present lives, he was probably serious.
But... is he injured or does he have some hidden ailment? Why does he look so pale?
Mu Qingheng gritted his teeth secretly, not wanting to show any sign of pain in front of Mengmeng. His heart was born for her, and how could he not feel pain when she was poisoned and suffering?
"I'm fine, Mengmeng, how could you... how could you be so silly?" Not wanting to utter a single word of reproach, Mu Qingheng sighed softly and tenderly stroked Mu Meng's long hair.
Mu Meng glanced at his expression and smiled easily, "Actually, there's no need to worry too much. After all, the Nine Poison Pearl can be slowly neutralized with spiritual power after it's transferred. It's just that it's not easy to find someone to take over. We can't let someone else suffer for nothing."
Mu Qingheng immediately shook his head, "The method of transfer is not advisable. I will not let anyone hurt you."
He thought for a moment, his expression softening, and asked softly about something else, "Mengmeng, you mistakenly took the Nine Green Pearl instead of the Nine Poison Pearl. Is the Nine Green Pearl... meant to be used to make a Soul Flower?"
Mu Meng nodded.
Mu Qingheng's heart was being torn apart. How could this be? In his previous life, Mengmeng had also given him a soul flower, but she hadn't mistaken him back then.
However, thinking about these things now is pointless. Mengmeng has taken the Nine Poison Pearl, and the poison has settled in; it must be removed as soon as possible.
“I understand. I’ll take you back to your bedchamber first,” he carefully instructed. “Be good, don’t make the Soul Flower. It will only harm your body and cause you suffering. I don’t want such a gift. If anyone is going to make a Soul Flower, it should be me who makes it for you.”
Mu Qingheng leaned slightly to meet Mu Meng's gaze, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Don't be afraid, brother guarantees you will be cured of the poison without any harm."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
