Peony felt a chill run down her spine, knowing full well the consequences of disobeying the emperor's orders.
She lowered her head slightly, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by helplessness.
He sighed softly and replied, "My lord, I understand. I will do as you instruct."
However, once she was out of He Cheng's sight, her steps became unsteady, and her heart felt as if it were tangled in a mess.
"Is targeting Su An the only option left...?"
Su An and she were only at odds, but Su An never treated her with malice. On the contrary, Su An gave her something that no one else had ever given her.
But she...
"Why don't we go find Su An? Maybe there'll be another way?"
Hearing this, the shadow guards nearby were so alarmed that they hurriedly advised, "Chief, please don't act rashly!"
"You are aware of the stakes involved. If you disobey the Emperor's decree, the consequences... will be unimaginable! How can you let everything you've worked so hard to build within the Shadow Guard over the years be destroyed because of a woman!"
Peony raised her head slightly, looking at the anxious look on her subordinate's face, and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "How could I not know? It's just that Su An, she really loves me."
"This power struggle is a dog-eat-dog world, where each side serves its own master. If you switch sides now, not only will your own life be in danger, but you will also implicate others! His Majesty's dignity cannot be offended. Just treat this as a mission that you have to carry out, and stop worrying about it."
Peony remained silent for a long time before finally nodding helplessly.
I originally thought that I could continue to run my shop peacefully, just as Su An said, and live a peaceful and prosperous life.
But in the end, I was just being too optimistic.
"Go and prepare."
As dawn broke, the tranquility of the county town was shattered by a sudden commotion.
In the streets and alleys, people kept collapsing, clutching their stomachs and groaning in pain, which quickly sparked riots, and clinics everywhere were packed with patients.
"What... what's going on? Why are so many people suddenly poisoned?"
"Have you heard? A meteorite fell from the sky in our county last night. The craters are still there. Many people saw it with their own eyes. This is an ominous sign! It must be a witch causing this disaster!"
The crowd began to discuss the matter, and these words immediately caused an uproar.
"Su An! Isn't Su An a witch? She was brought back from the dead and acts strangely; she must be the one causing trouble!"
"Could it be that she got angry because we criticized her yesterday, and now she's trying to kill us all?!"
The words spread like wildfire, igniting a powder keg and drawing immediate responses from the crowd, who were both shocked and enraged.
"Yes! It's her! It's definitely her!"
Without any organization, a large group of people rushed towards the Su family's shop, each wielding a stick, their faces full of anger, and cursing incessantly.
"Su An, you witch! If you want to die, just die already! You shouldn't be alive in the first place! Now you're using your sorcery to poison our entire Floating County. Do you have any conscience at all?!"
"It's all your fault, you unlucky wretch! Because of you, there has never been a moment of peace in Fuyou County. If it's not you, you witch, causing all this trouble, then who else could it be? You should have been struck by lightning long ago, instead of continuing to wreak havoc here!"
"Drive her out of the city! Our Fuyou County cannot tolerate this witch!"
Su An was checking the goods in the shop when he suddenly heard a deafening shout of curses outside, leaving him completely bewildered and confused.
"What's wrong now? Why are you calling me a witch again?"
She frowned and walked out, and her family was also shocked by this sudden change.
Su Jiang tried to reason with them, but as soon as he stepped outside, several people started throwing vegetable leaves at him, forcing him to turn back and close the door to stop them.
"Hand over Su An and make her get out of the county!"
"Get her out of the county!"
Li Guihua clearly heard their curses and immediately paced anxiously, "Someone got poisoned and they can blame it on Xiao An? What kind of nonsense is this!"
But Su An understood in an instant and slapped his palm in anger.
Needless to say, it must have been He Cheng's doing again!
"They're trying to kill me and ruin my reputation!"
Su Yue walked over and took her hand, her face flushed with worry and anger: "Big sister, was it that wicked person who did it? Let's go find him and get to the bottom of this!"
"Is there even a need to say anything? Just grab him and beat him up, then make him explain to everyone!" Su Ting said angrily, his short hair standing on end.
As Su An listened to her family's words and peeked through the crack in the door at the angry crowd outside, a sense of sorrow and helplessness welled up in her heart.
The people wished they could burn her as a monster, and now, her whole family is likely to suffer because of her.
Forget about confronting He Cheng; they'd be surrounded and attacked the moment they stepped outside.
“This can’t go on. They’re only hostile towards me now. I’ve become the target of everyone’s anger. If I don’t step in, I’ll only drag you and the whole shop down with me,” Su An said with a sigh.
"I'll go out and hold the line first. Even if I get kicked out of the city, it'll be good to lay low for a while. I'll come back after the matter is investigated."
The shop door can't hold them back for long. If public opinion continues to fester, people will eventually storm in, and the situation will become even more serious. This is her only option.
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
But Li Guihua's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. She grabbed her tightly, her eyes red, and scolded, "Our family has been through so many storms together. We've weathered every single one together. We're family, and family should stand together through thick and thin! How could your mother possibly agree to you step in alone now?"
Su Ting's eyes also reddened with anxiety, and she suddenly grabbed her leg tightly, "Big sister! I know you're doing this for our own good, but why are you walking by yourself in this situation? Are you trying to make us worry to death!"
“That’s right, a family should stand together through thick and thin. If we face this together with our eldest sister, we’ll definitely be able to come up with a solution.” Su Jiang stood directly in front of Su An, his dark eyes showing no sign of backing down.
“You guys…” Su An opened her mouth, her eyes suddenly stinging.
The whole family knew she wasn't the original Su An, but just an unexpected guest from her brother, yet they all stood firmly by her side.
But the more this is the case, the less she wants to drag them down with her!
Su An bit her lip in unbearable pain. Just then, the shop door was suddenly pounded violently, followed by He Cheng's disgusting shout:
"Smash it with all your might! Today I will bring this evil demon Su An to justice!"
"Bang! Bang!" A huge crashing sound accompanied by splinters of wood was heard as the gate was suddenly smashed open, and a group of guards and a swarm of civilians rushed in, cursing and swearing.
The family had nowhere to hide and were instantly surrounded at the counter.
Leading the group were He Cheng, whose face was sinister and hypocritical, and the old Taoist priest from yesterday!
"Don't go too far!" Su An shouted angrily, his eyes red with rage, glaring at He Cheng and the others.
But the next moment, the old Taoist priest suddenly grabbed a basin of dog blood and splashed it all over her.
"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, evil spirits, reveal your true form and have nowhere to hide!"
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