A crisp, melodious voice, clear as silver bells, rang out, yet the words it spoke were chillingly ruthless. Deng Youning, holding a bamboo flute, stepped slowly from the carriage. Though she wore a veil and her face was hidden, her slender, tall frame gave her the appearance of a true beauty.
"I do not offend others, but should they offend me, I shall cut them down to the roots."
Han Qiongyue’s meaning was now entirely clear. Deng Youning gave a light chuckle and played a strange melody on her flute. As the tune began, the insects seemed to receive an order, turning to attack the would-be robbers. Within moments, the men were all poisoned and collapsed to the ground. Some with more vitality remained, writhing on the dirt and groaning.
Deng Youning swept a threatening gaze over them. "Speak. Who sent you?"
"Whoever tells the truth will receive the antidote."
Hearing this, Han Qiongyue hurried over, asking suspiciously, "Ningning, do you suspect someone deliberately sent these men to kill us?"
Deng Youning nodded decisively. She had recognized them; they were the Crown Prince’s secret guards from the ruined temple in Liangcheng. They had carried out their assassination order, waiting until the Silver Dragon Guard had departed to strike.
Just as Han Qiongyue was about to have Mammy Dou interrogate them, the men all bit down on hidden poison and ended their own lives. She sighed, "It seems someone does not wish for us to return to the capital alive."
She searched her conscience—she had made no enemies. Why would someone in the capital go to such great lengths to kill an old woman like her?
"Do not speak of this," Deng Youning said. "We shall take another route into the capital and act as if we never saw them today."
Han Qiongyue calmly made the arrangements. To ensure nothing was discovered, Deng Youning carefully disposed of the remains of the poisonous insects that had killed the men, leaving not a trace behind.
Her grandmother did not know who wanted her dead, but Deng Youning knew all too well. She wondered how Deng Xuelian had discovered her martial arts and Gu Poison Arts, but she would have to ensure that no evidence could ever be linked to her. Otherwise, every time someone in the capital died of poisoning, she would be blamed for it.
*That vile Deng Xuelian—she even wanted to kill her own grandmother!*
Her grandmother came from a family of martial artists and possessed a constitution even more robust than her own. Why, in her past life, had she suddenly died of illness without any warning? This mystery had haunted her for two lifetimes. Today, she finally had the answer.
What puzzled her further was that even though her grandmother had sent a carrier pigeon back to Dongji the moment they recognized each other, the distance between the Dongji Capital and the Nanxin border of Liangcheng was vast. There was no way Wu Tong and the men in black could have traveled that far in time. This could only mean that Wu Tong and his associates had been tracking her grandmother from the very start.
How did Deng Xuelian and the Crown Prince know that her grandmother would find her—the true daughter of the house—on this journey? And how did they know she had apprenticed at the Ten Thousand Serpents Valley?
***
In front of the State Protector Estate, the Deng family had long since finished their preparations. Lady Gu paced at the entrance, looking quite nervous.
"Stop pacing, you’re making my head ache!" Deng Zheng felt a complex mix of emotions at the thought of having an extra daughter. If not for the fear of scandal affecting his career, he would never have allowed his mother to bring that girl of unknown origins home. He wondered what this daughter looked like and if she could be used to land a wealthy son-in-law.
"Oh, how can I not be anxious? Tell me, who knows if she really is of the State Protector Estate's bloodline?" Lady Gu had long since believed Deng Xuelian’s words and was certain that Deng Youning’s lineage was fraudulent.
"Mother, isn't Little Sister preparing for the blood test?" Deng Yi, Deng Youning’s own brother, spoke with a predatory tone. "If she isn't, and is merely confusing the bloodline and deceiving Grandmother, I’ll see to it she’s dragged to the Jingzhao Prefecture and made to regret it."
Deng Xuelian had been raised by him; they were the closest of siblings. Ever since the Deng family received word from Han Qiongyue that the true daughter, Deng Youning, had been found, Deng Yi had watched Deng Xuelian fall into sorrow and self-reproach, losing a significant amount of weight over the ordeal. Seeing his beloved sister in such pain, he felt a deep resentment toward Deng Youning. He wished she had died on the road or met with some misfortune so she wouldn't come back to disturb their peaceful lives.
Before long, the carriage stopped before the State Protector Estate. Mammy Dou helped Han Qiongyue down first, and then everyone watched as Deng Youning stepped out.
Due to her martial training and her bloodline, Deng Youning was quite tall for a woman. Dressed in fine robes, she greeted everyone with poise and elegance. She really did have the air of a noble lady. Deng Zheng was already planning which family to marry her off to so that he might reap the greatest benefit.
However, when their eyes moved to Deng Youning’s face—which was so deathly pale it looked like she might collapse at any moment—they were all startled. In the Ten Thousand Serpents Valley, she had been kept in a lightless basement, and her skin had become unnaturally white. Because she had been bled frequently, her frame was withered and thin, as if a gust of wind could shatter her.
Deng Zheng felt immense disappointment. Lady Gu was no better; she covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, her disdain clearly written on her face. *Could this girl have some sort of sickness?* she thought. *God forbid she passes it on to us! What was Mother thinking, bringing this medicine bottle back? I don't believe for a second such a monster came from my womb! Why? Why isn't Lian'er my own flesh and blood?*
Deng Yi, seeing how sickly Deng Youning looked, felt a rare sense of relief. He figured she wouldn't live long. Moreover, in her condition, she would have no strength to bully his Lian'er. If she stayed quiet, he would treat her like a dog and feed her. If she didn't know her place, he could have a servant girl teach her a lesson, and she would likely wither away on her own.
Seeing the ill-intentioned looks from the family, Deng Youning couldn't help but laugh at herself. Such blatant disdain and calculation!
"By the way, where is Lian'er?" Han Qiongyue asked, noticing Deng Xuelian was absent. That girl had been crafty since she was young, much like her petty daughter-in-law, and excelled at household schemes—a quality the old lady disliked. *Is she so bold now that she won't even come out to greet me upon my return? Does she hold no respect for me?*
Lady Gu explained, "Mother, please do not be offended. Lian'er is currently preparing the items needed for the blood test."
*A blood test!* Han Qiongyue’s brow furrowed, and her expression soured instantly. "I have personally verified Ningning’s identity. If you doubt her, why not just sweep me out of this estate along with her!"
Ignoring everyone else, she took Deng Youning by the wrist and headed back to her Fushou Hall. In her letter, she had clearly explained the entire story of how they met and recognized each other, spanning several pages, yet her foolish son and daughter-in-law still doubted Ningning’s identity. It wasn't just about Ningning; this was a slap in the face to her.
"You, oh you! Why must you insist on a blood test?" Deng Zheng, a man who bullied the weak but feared the strong, was angered by his mother's reaction and immediately shifted the blame onto Lady Gu.
"I... I was only worried about the purity of our estate's bloodline!" Lady Gu felt aggrieved. *This Deng Youning has only just returned and she already has the old woman turning against us. In the future, she’ll probably use the grandmother's backing to run wild!* The thought sent a chill down her spine.
"Hmph, perhaps she used some sort of sorcery to bewitch Grandmother's mind!" Deng Yi pondered. To him, this was the only logical explanation. In his memory, his grandmother was never close to anyone; even he, the eldest grandson, rarely received her affection. He could not believe she would show such favoritism to someone she had only known for a month. It had to be sorcery! And she looked like a monster, too.
As the three were still arguing outside the gate, a sudden commotion erupted in the courtyard. Soon, a maid ran out in a panic, shouting:
"It’s bad! It’s terrible—the State Protector, the Lady, and the Young Master! The eldest young lady has hanged herself!"