Chapter 207 Su Yuyao interrogates Longjing
Chengma Peak is buzzing with excitement again!
At the summit of Chengma Peak, a bonfire slowly ignited, quickly illuminating the falling snowflakes in a golden hue.
The lurking wolf clan, smelling the scorching heat in the air and watching the shimmering light in the sky, braved the wind and snow to gather at the entrance of Guangyu Hanyao's cave.
The palace doors slowly opened, and Su Yuyao, who had not appeared for a long time, walked steadily in front of everyone, wearing a deep blue wide-sleeved long dress, a golden yellow waist belt, and a shiny black bearskin cloak.
Her eyes sparkled, her hair was piled high with clouds of color, and she wore no hairpins or ornaments except for a few red ribbons that swayed in the air. Although it was snowing heavily, not a single snowflake landed on Su Yuyao, and even the ribbons in her hair were not touched by the cold air!
Her arms were wrapped around Xuanhe, who was wrapped in a tiger skin. Xuanhe stuck out his small, pink tongue, blinked his bright blue eyes, and stared seriously at the dark mass of his tribesmen.
"Fellow clansmen!" Su Yuyao spoke, her voice deep and clear, echoing through the valley, "Although the mountain is now closed, the joy of the wolf clan's new addition to the family must be shared by all! Today, my son Sa Yuchen is one month old, and I, Sa Ningbao, sincerely invite everyone to drink and celebrate together!"
Everyone was taken aback, and murmurs began to circulate among them.
"A full moon? Yu Chen is almost a hundred days old, isn't she?"
"Shut up! The commander says it's a full moon, so it's a full moon!"
"That's right! Yu Chen is finally a month old! Let's have a good celebration!"
"Awoooooo—!"
"Awoooooo—!"
The howls of wolves pierced through the blizzard, whipping the cold winds and spreading in all directions...
The wind and snow couldn't dampen the wolf tribe's joy. Rat Lady and several women cheerfully invited everyone to drink, and she also got her husbands to roast meat for everyone, turning the cold snow mountain into a lively and bustling place!
Conversely, Guangyu Hanyao, with its doors closed, was not affected by wind and snow, but it was permeated with a bone-chilling cold.
Su Yuyao removed her cloak and sat upright on the throne, with the mischievous Xuanmiao nestled beside her and the sleeping Xuanhe in her arms. She pinched Xuanmiao's plump cheeks, then looked at Xuanhe, whose sleeping posture was exactly like Xuanfeng's, and couldn't help but feel relieved. Thank goodness, I held on, I'm back!
“Miss Ningbao, the melting glaciers have already flooded the four northern cities, but…” Shadow hesitated before saying, “This year the mountain closure period was brought forward, and the melted glaciers flooded the four cities, causing them to freeze over again! So…”
"So, the four northern cities became...dead cities," Su Yuyao said calmly.
“That’s right!” Shadow nodded in agreement.
"How's it going at Buqiong Peak?" Su Yuyao swayed slightly as she coaxed Xuanhe, and continued to ask.
"Lord Zheng Qing's guild is incredibly popular! Some of our wolf clan brothers have even taken on the job of running errands!" Shadow replied excitedly.
Su Yuyao slightly raised her eyelids and curled the corners of her mouth, "What about the others?"
"The pond that Bi Rong is in charge of has turned a bit green these past few days!"
Su Yuyao nodded slightly and continued to ask, "How did things go with Uncle Qimen?"
"Don't worry, Commander! We'll wipe them out quickly!" Ratbu replied in a low voice.
"Is anything missing?"
"Probably not!"
"If it exists, it exists; if it doesn't exist, it doesn't exist."
"No!"
"Okay. What's going on at Yiguo Garden?"
"Lord Qinggan originally intended to use this as an excuse to seek justice from the Goddess Yi Mu, but he failed to see the Goddess Yi Mu several times when he went to the Heavenly Palace. Moreover, the Yi Fruit Garden is not peaceful either, and Lord Qinggan is too busy to deal with it!"
"What's wrong with Yiguo Garden?"
"I heard that Qingju and Qinglu are having a huge fight with Lord Qinggan's concubine, Qixiang. Although Qixiang gave birth to a son, he is not well received because of his congenital defects. Fairy Qingjin can't control Qingju and Qinglu, and she doesn't want to get involved in the mess between Lady Qing and Qixiang, so she has gone into hiding!" Rat Diviner replied.
"Hide away? Where else could she go besides the Heavenly Palace?" Su Yuyao asked in confusion.
"The Azure Fairy has gone to Elder Zhang's place. Oh, Elder Zhang is Lord Qinggan's father, the Tea God! It is said that Immortal Tea Lord's father was a tea farmer under Elder Zhang, so the two of them are close friends!"
Su Yuyao paused for a moment, "Close friend? Immortal Tea Lord's father? Interesting..."
"Daughter!" Langzhi rubbed his hands together, interrupting Su Yuyao's thoughts. "Father has already taken the spider silk ball out of Renshen's mouth. Ask whatever you want!"
Su Yuyao glanced at Ren Shen kneeling on the ground, then looked at Shu Bu.
Rat understood and bowed, saying, "Commander, there are many people outside. I'm afraid my mother and aunts won't be able to handle it. Shadow and I will go out and lend a hand!"
After saying that, he winked at Shadow and left the hall with Shadow.
Su Yuyao watched as the divination stick closed the palace door tightly before asking leisurely, "Renshen, who was trying to harm me the time you saved me?"
Ren Shen raised his eyelids slightly, blinked a few times, then lowered them again, remaining silent.
Su Yuyao curled the corners of her lips. "I know they're from the south, but I don't understand why they're so disorganized?"
Ren Shen frowned and raised his eyelids to look at Su Yuyao.
“Miao’er and I are Xuanfeng’s Achilles’ heel. Instead of capturing or binding us, they want to kill us. Are they really not afraid of angering Xuanfeng? Or…” Su Yuyao slowly raised her head to meet Ren Shen’s gaze, “Someone simply wants to kill me? Is this person Yi Mu? Or is it someone else?”
Ren Shen looked into Su Yuyao's eyes, and something seemed different... He didn't have time to think about it. He slurred his words and said in a low voice, "Miss Yao'er, I've said it many times, it was Mother Yi who ordered me to protect you and Miao'er..."
"Your mother asked you to protect us, but who is the other person who wants me dead at all costs?" Su Yuyao interrupted Ren Shen.
Ren Shen bowed his head and replied, "I do not know!"
"So you say you don't know?" Su Yuyao said coldly. "Renshen, what are you still trying to hide now? Do you want my father to coax something else out of you?"
Ren Shen suddenly looked up, staring at Su Yuyao's eerie smile, and asked in bewilderment, "Miss Yao'er, now that things have come to this, is there anything you still can't see through?"
Su Yuyao smiled wickedly and said, "Those four-legged fish can only be commanded by the Tide Clan. Although I cut off Qiangji's arm, he doesn't have the guts to harm me! As for Zeyuan..." Su Yuyao recalled all that Zeyuan had done to her, and she no longer felt afraid, but rather a relieved sympathy, and a trust tinged with a bit of hatred!
“Zeyuan would never harm me, so there’s only one person left!” Su Yuyao said firmly, “Hongzhu!”
Renshen's eyes widened in shock, but he dared not respond.
"Hongzhu?" Upon hearing this, Langzhi immediately flew into a rage, his red eyes bulging as he roared, "That vile hussy who instigated the Mother Goddess to harm my daughter in Xunyin Valley?! What has she done now?!"
Su Yuyao ignored the annoyed Lang Zhi and stared intently at Ren Shen. Her red eyes flickered slightly, and the spiderweb chains on Ren Shen's chest began to slowly pulsate.
"Ugh!" The excruciating pain instantly drained Ren Shen of his Qi. Here we go again...?! Ren Shen's eyes slowly turned bloodshot, and a mouthful of metallic taste suddenly rose from his throat.
Su Yuyao sneered and asked in an icy voice, "Tell me, how did Hongzhu send out the four-legged beast?"
Ren Shen frowned, and dark red blood gradually seeped from his lips.
"Could it be... the tide?" Su Yuyao raised her eyelids and glanced at Ren Shen.
Ren Shen clutched his chest, and faint traces of spiderweb chains appeared on his face.
Xuanmiao looked at the injured Renshen with some anxiety. She stood up unsteadily, held Su Yuyao's shoulder, and pleaded, "Mother, don't do anything reckless!"
Su Yuyao was stunned for a moment. She looked at Xuanmiao in surprise, opened her arms and hugged Xuanmiao's round little body, and asked softly, "Miao'er, what did you say? Say it again!"
"No!" Xuanmiao threw herself into Su Yuyao's arms, tilting her rosy face up and blinking her big, round eyes, and said in a sweet voice, "Miao'er's dear! Mother, don't go blind!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Su Yuyao's eyes, but then it disappeared into the endless valley. "But Miao'er's Agan won't answer Mother's questions. What can Mother do?"
Xuanmiao blinked her big, round eyes, pursed her little lips, turned her little bottom around, and climbed down the throne backwards with her short legs.
Bai Er rushed forward to pick up Xuan Miao, but Xuan Miao twisted her body and muttered, "No! No!"
"Bai Er, ignore her, let her go!" Su Yuyao said softly with a smile in her eyes.
"Yes!" Bai Er replied, carefully protecting the stubborn Xuanmiao.
Xuanmiao, with her bottom sticking out, climbed down the steps and walked aggressively to Renshen. She pinched her round belly with both hands, wrinkled her little nose, and called out in a childish voice, "Agan! I don't want to wash, sob!"
Thump! Before Ren Shen's sweetheart could even be moved, Lang Zhi's legs went weak and he knelt on the ground.
With tears in his eyes, he looked at Xuanmiao and said with trembling lips, "My little child... has grown up!"
Ren Shen glanced contemptuously at the spineless Lang Zhi, then widened his pupils to look at the seemingly dignified Xuan Miao, licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, and replied softly, "Miao'er, Agan doesn't know anything, how should he answer?"
"Hmph!" Xuanmiao's little belly twitched, and his brows furrowed. "Ah-gan-ji-dao! Suo!"
“I…” Ren Shen’s heart softened, as if forcibly melted by a force. He wanted to be stubborn, but looking into Xuanmiao’s worried and angry eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to be defiant. “It’s Qiangji…”
"Jiji! Jiji!" Xuanmiao quickly turned to Su Yuyao, beaming and calling out, "Mom! Jiji!"
"Jiang Ji?" Su Yuyao was somewhat surprised. How could Jiang Ji obey Hong Zhu's orders? Ze Yuan couldn't have given the order. Chao Xi? Neither Hai Chao nor Jiang Ji were in Chao Xi's eyes, not to mention Hong Zhu's identity... Could it be... pregnant?! Su Yuyao's eyes flashed!
Ze Yuan couldn't impregnate Hong Zhu, but if she were, the child in her womb would appear to outsiders as the offspring of the Heavenly Lord Ze Yuan. His mother would likely accept the child for the sake of the Heavenly Palace's reputation, thus securing Ze Yuan's position! However, one thing is puzzling: why did Ze Yuan tacitly approve of Hong Zhu's blatant actions? Why didn't Chao Xi stop her? Why did his mother allow all of this…? What was her motive?
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and slowly exhaled. In the empty valley, several huge clusters of Qi seemed to rotate steadily, but in reality, they were merging, pulling, and restraining each other to maintain the apparent balance.
Balance...balance?!
Su Yuyao opened her eyes and looked at Ren Shen, who was secretly wiping his mouth. "My mother knew someone wanted to kill me, so she sent Ren Shen to protect me. She let them harm me, yet she also stopped them from actually doing so! In Xunyin Valley, she let me harm them, yet she also secretly protected me..."
Hmph! How cunning! I always thought that Mother Yi was doing this for Miao'er, but I never expected that she would not only use me as bait, but also as a weapon, using their intention to harm me to weaken them without them even realizing it!
Su Yuyao breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Xuanmiao, whose little belly was sticking out in the main hall, her heart warmed and softened. "Miao'er is so great! She solved a big problem for her mother! But... what was that about the tea steam that her mother saw just now?"
Xuanmiao was stunned, his eyes wide, and he shook his head frantically, saying, "No, no!"
After saying that, she avoided Su Yuyao's gaze and buried her head in Langzhi's arms.
Langzhi hugged Xuanmiao tightly and glanced at Su Yuyao's expression. Her unpredictable mood was just like Tuanyue's!
“Daughter, hehe…” Langzhi said guiltily, protecting Xuanmiao, “Dad was just about to tell you! Last time we went hunting, we encountered Longjing who was seriously injured. He only said he wanted to see you before he fainted. We brought him back just in time for you to give birth, so… I was thinking of telling you later…”
Su Yuyao smiled, looking at Xuanhe who was sleeping soundly in her arms, and said softly, "Father, I've been awake for over a month now, why did you only think to tell me now? Longjing is Xianmingjun's close confidant, and he was seriously injured. I suppose Xianmingjun has already met with misfortune! If I hadn't gone out today and seen the tea vapor in the air, how long would you have kept it from me?"
Su Yuyao's voice was gentle, yet it possessed an undeniable authority.
Lang Zhi was already feeling a little guilty, and looking at Su Yuyao, who resembled Qingyue, he became even more flustered. "Daughter, I didn't mean to hide it from you! It was Ren Shen who said that you had just given birth and shouldn't be bothered by these upsetting things! I thought the boy made sense, so I was thinking of telling you later!"
Ren Shen gritted his teeth and turned to glare at Lang Zhi.
Langzhi, however, said with self-pity, "My dear daughter, you were unconscious for so long, and our Yuchen almost starved to death! Not to mention the little one... You have no idea..." As Langzhi spoke, she began to choke up, "The little one was poisoned while suckling your milk! After Daddy saved him... the little one couldn't eat or drink for more than half a month... He was kept alive entirely by Daddy using his Qi... After you woke up... Daddy felt sorry for you... so I listened to that brat Renshen's slander... Actually, Daddy never intended to hide it from you..."
Ren Shen frowned as he looked at the sorrowful Lang Zhi. This old spider is really... shameless!
Su Yuyao coldly watched Lang Zhi's clumsy performance, then glanced at the indignant Ren Shen. Knowing the hardship Ren Shen faced as a dependent, she withdrew her Qi.
Ren Shen's chest relaxed, the excruciating pain throughout his body instantly vanished, and the spiderweb-like chains on his face gradually faded. He caught his breath and looked up at Su Yuyao.
Su Yuyao met Ren Shen's lifeless gaze, smiled, and said, "It must have been hard for you all. You actually found a place for Longjing to stay on this snowy, rocky mountain! If it weren't for the dung heap, he might have already perished!"
Upon hearing this, Xuanmiao perked up, proudly poked her head out, and looked at Su Yuyao with a grin, calling out in her childish voice, "Miao'er, you know, I won't wash!"
Su Yuyao looked at Xuanmiao with slight surprise, "Could it be Miao'er's idea?"
"Hmm! Fine!" Xuanmiao smiled brightly, her chubby cheeks squeezing her eyes into two crescent moons.
Looking at Xuanmiao, who could barely speak yet still wanted to share her burdens, Su Yuyao felt no joy or relief, only worry and reluctance. Suddenly, the camellia-shaped birthmark reappeared before her eyes. Since everything was predestined, then… she would go with the flow. She suddenly understood the feelings of her biological parents. Her father had given up his life of crime for her, refused Xuanfeng for her and her mother's sake, and always put her first, yet he lost his life because of her, and her family was destroyed because of her…
Perhaps, this is my unchangeable fate!
With tears welling in her eyes, she lowered her head and looked at Xuanhe in his swaddling clothes. This child was born into danger, and if his identity hadn't been hidden, he probably wouldn't have survived... A tear fell and soaked Xuanhe's tiger-skin swaddle blanket.
Xuanhe slowly opened her eyes, and Zhanqing's eyes held a mother's helplessness and heartache.
"Ah! Ah!" Xuanhe smiled when he saw Su Yuyao, pursing his lips and babbling.
Upon hearing Xuanhe's voice, Bai Er quickly stepped forward. Seeing Su Yuyao's moist eyes, her heart tightened, and she said softly, "Miss, now that Yuchen is awake, let's go back to our room to rest!"
Su Yuyao handed Xuanhe to Bai Er, then raised her wrist, tugged at her sleeve, and tapped the corner of her eye. "Bai Er, take Yu Chen back first."
"Ah...yes!" Bai Er took Xuan He, looking at Su Yu Yao with heartache, but unable to comfort her. She could only turn around and look at Xuan Miao in Lang Zhi's arms, "Miao'er, you should go back to the room with your aunt!"
"Don't worry about it! I'll take her!" Lang Zhi finally found a chance to leave the main hall, and quickly put his arm around Xuanmiao and walked out of the hall. "Daughter, you go ahead with your work, Daddy is taking the little one out for some fresh air! Come on! Grandpa will roast a cow's head for the little one!"
"I'm so angry at Niu Tou! I'm so angry at Niu Tou!" Xuanmiao shouted happily, waving her little fists.
As Ren Shen watched Lang Zhi carry Xuan Miao out of the main hall, leaving him alone in the empty hall, he quickly bowed and said, "Miss Yao'er, may I go and help Lord Lang Zhi... start a fire..."
Su Yuyao leaned back on the throne, rubbing her forehead, and said with a sinister smile, "No rush, go and bring up the Dragon Well first! Then... report the missing news to me bit by bit!"
"yes……"
...
Inside the main hall, a pungent odor filled the air. Su Yuyao half-opened her eyes and looked down at the Dragon Well, which was covered in filth and had tree branches overhead.
"Longjing..." Longjing knelt down with a thud, weakly saying, "Greetings... Miss Yao'er..."
Su Yuyao's expression remained unchanged. She slowly released her Qi field and probed into Longjing's body, only to find it was a piece of burnt ashes!
Su Yuyao frowned. "Longjing, what exactly happened that would make you take such a big risk to see me?"
Longjing leaned down and said, "Miss Yao'er... someone is framing Xianmingjun!"
"Framed?" Su Yuyao raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Yes…” Longjing struggled to sit up and said with difficulty, “The Azure Gold Fairy discovered that Elder Zhang had been murdered at his residence and immediately sent someone to notify the Heavenly Palace… Lord Crimson Flame led his men there and found that Elder Zhang had already lost his breath, but strangely… a tea knife from the Nevernight Lodge was stuck in Elder Zhang’s neck…”
Su Yuyao frowned again.
“After obtaining the evidence, Lord Ruixin went to the Nevernight Lodge to arrest people. He wouldn’t listen to our explanations at all. I protected Lord Xianming and fought desperately, but we still couldn’t escape Lord Ruixin’s cage of fire… To save me, Lord Xianming used his Qi to cover the flames of the cage, which allowed me to escape…”
"You came here... just to say this?" Su Yuyao interrupted Longjing with a frown.
"Miss Yao'er, please save Xianmingjun! Xianmingjun has been wronged!" Longjing kowtowed to the ground. "The tea knives from Buyeliao are distinctive; they were tribute items sent to the palace along with the tribute tea. There are plenty of them! Xianmingjun shouldn't be convicted based solely on tea knives!"
Su Yuyao twirled her sleeve, pondered for a moment, and said, "Whether Xianmingjun murdered Mr. Zhang is for Mother Yi to judge. I live deep in the snow mountain, and I cannot interfere in matters outside."
"But...but Mother Yi hasn't shown her face for a long time, and there's no news of Princess Jinyu either! Lord Ruixin has gone many times, but Lord Xuanfeng has turned him away each time!" Longjing said anxiously, shaking the slightly green branches on his head. "I believe...someone wants to use Lord Xianming to weaken Lord Xuanfeng..."
“Longjing!” Su Yuyao said solemnly, “Don’t make unfounded assumptions!”
"Miss Yao'er!" Long Jing slammed his head heavily to the ground, pleading, "Please...please save Xianmingjun...The Heavenly Palace is already in turmoil...The temporary peace is only because of Lord Xuanfeng...If...there is no Lord Xuanfeng..."
“Longjing,” Su Yuyao slowly stood up and walked to Longjing, “Have you ever thought about it? Even you know that the tea knife evidence can’t convict Xianmingjun, so why did Ruixinjun dare to do it?”
“Because…” Longjing hesitated slightly, then his eyes suddenly lit up, “He’s certain… that Mother Yi won’t… step in?”
Su Yuyao breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and said, "But you don't need to worry. It's been so long, and the Heavenly Palace still hasn't made any moves, which means that Lord Ruixin has not succeeded."
"That Immortal Tea Master..."
"The absence of news about Xianmingjun means he's alright." Su Yuyao slowly raised her hand, grasped the tree branch above Longjing's head, and with a slight movement of her Qi, wisps of green smoke rose from the branch.
"Ugh!" Longjing endured the pain on his head and looked at Su Yuyao in surprise. He saw that Su Yuyao squeezed the branch in her hand and it turned to ashes.
Su Yuyao spread her palm and sprinkled the bluish-black ash onto Longjing's nose.
"Longjing, although Xianmingjun's affairs are none of my business, considering your unwavering loyalty to your master, I am willing to make an exchange with you!"
"Exchange?" Longjing looked at Su Yuyao in surprise. "How do we exchange?"
"You...you have to say something useful!" Su Yuyao curled her lips, but her eyes were as sharp as a hunting hawk. "Let's start with...Xianmingjun's instigation of the relationship between Yi's mother and Xuanfeng..."
Longjing's eyes widened slowly, his pupils gradually enlarging, revealing a hint of fear towards Su Yuyao.
“You said it, and Xianmingjun still has a sliver of hope. If you don’t, Xianmingjun is doomed! Think it over carefully…” Su Yuyao glanced at the Longjing tea, smiled disdainfully, turned around and sat back on her throne, slowly smoothing the stray hairs at her temples.
“Yes…” Longjing looked at Su Yuyao’s appearance, which seemed familiar yet utterly unfamiliar, “Because of someone…”
"Oh, who is it?"
“Mr. Fu…” Longjing hesitated slightly before speaking.
Su Yuyao's lips curled up subtly. "Oh, he is... Mr. Fu."
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