The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 64 - 63

Chapter 63

Mu Manor, Qingyun City.

With the matters involving the Su family and Mu Gongzhen settled and her grandmother’s health significantly improved, almost fully recovered, Elder Mu Furen, now regained her physical strength, issued an order for all the servants of the Mu household to pack their belongings and prepare for the journey to the capital in five days.

The Eastern Wing House also had a lot of preparations to make, not only packing for the move but also dealing with Mu Yingying’s personal forces, who were hiding not far outside Qingyun City.

Since Mu Yingying would be heading to the real battlefield in the capital, careful planning for future contingencies was necessary, making her quite busy.

In the innermost room of the quarters, most of the belongings had already been packed and moved to the carts, leaving only some essential items. Behind a large wooden table, three people were continuously discussing their plans.

“Su Su, please remind our people who are infiltrating the residence of their duties. Once we reach the capital, they should spread out and blend into various quarters without arousing suspicion,”

Mu Yingying instructed her close maid. If they could infiltrate the Mu manor in the capital, it would be advantageous when any incident arose, as many servants in the manor would be her people, facilitating the handling of future matters.

“Yes, Miss,”

Su Su replied understandingly before excusing herself to carry out her tasks, leaving only Mu Yingying and Lu Jiu in the room.

Mu Yingying pondered about her personal forces for a moment before voicing her plan, “We’ll leave about a dozen of our people here in Qingyun City to monitor the situation. The rest should split into groups and infiltrate various major cities, especially around the capital, have a considerable number blend in there. And split some to infiltrate the capital, but ensure they don’t move too much, lest they attract attention.”

“When should they start their journey?” Lu Jiu nodded in agreement with the young miss’s orders.

“They should start dispersing in two days,”

Mu Yingying lowered her gaze, glancing at the documents in her hand, then continued, “Make sure they don’t travel in large groups. They should spread out and travel separately, regrouping later. The Su family’s men are still searching for us, so we mustn’t alert them to our movements.”

"Then I’ll have them disperse and travel along different routes to avoid drawing attention. If nothing goes wrong, they should reach the cities ahead along the way where you’ll stop before reaching the capital. If you encounter any accidents or need manpower, you can call on them in those cities,"

Lu Jiu proposed a more thorough plan. No one knew if the entire journey would be safe and worry-free, so they had to prepare preventive measures in advance. This way, when the young miss needed assistance, she could call on their people who were hidden at any time.

Mu Yingying agreed, thinking it prudent to be cautious. "Let’s do as you suggested."

"Additionally, the people we sent to monitor Mu Furen and her daughters at the temple sent a report this morning,"

Lu Jiu took an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to the small figure before him. Mu Yingying promptly opened it to read.

As her big, round eyes scanned the contents, her brows furrowed tightly, and her small face showed a serious expression, her body emanating a chilling aura.

For nearly a year now, Bai Lijun and her two daughters had been exiled to observe precepts at the family temple. During this time, Mu Yingying had them closely monitored. Shortly after their departure, only two days into their journey, they were attacked by bandits! 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

However, amidst their misfortune, they had a stroke of luck when someone happened upon them, allowing the three women to escape unscathed. Upon reaching the family temple, they found no proper care awaiting them!

The temple’s inhabitants ignored them, and the highly reputed monk they had heard about was nowhere to be found—it had all been a lie!

Initially, Mu Yingying was puzzled by these events—the bandit attack, the poor reception, and the esteemed monk. Upon investigation, she discovered that the mastermind behind it all was none other than her eldest brother...

It seemed he had long decided that the three women would not live comfortably. Mu Yingying had no intention of interfering; she simply observed their suffering with a cold smile. This was not even half of the torment she and her siblings had endured. Why should she pity those women?

Mu Yingying had previously planned to bring the three women back to the capital to face their retribution of their past lives fully. However, before she could act, the three had already desperately sought ways to help themselves, fulfilling their desire...

The letter reported that since their arrival at the family temple, the three women had been neglected and faced considerable hardship. Three months after their arrival, Mu Luofei overcame her terror and returned to a semblance of normalcy. Yet, she grew even more ruthless than before, often capturing small animals like rabbits and birds around the temple to torment and kill for amusement.

It seemed that the previous incident where Mu Luofei was captured and tortured by bandits had a significant impact on her psyche.

As for Mu Qin Shuang, although she had improved and was no longer as manic as before, she still showed signs of fear when encountering large groups of people, becoming a timid and reclusive child.

Later, Mu Yingying had been preoccupied with matters concerning the Su family and her eldest brother in the capital, so she had not paid much attention to the three women. Many of her people, who had been sent to monitor the enemies, were called back to assist with these tasks, leaving only a few to keep an eye on them. Unable to observe closely, they could only watch from a distance without knowing the exact details.

Two months ago, it was reported that the scars on the faces of Mu Luofei and Mu Qin Shuang had completely healed, as if they had never existed. Moreover, Mu Luofei’s leg injury had improved significantly, all thanks to a middle-aged man residing on a nearby mountain.

According to the report, the three women had become quite close to this middle-aged man, as if relying on each other. However, when Mu Yingying’s people tried to investigate his identity, they could not find any clues, suggesting that he was no ordinary person...

The most shocking thing was the incident that happened seven days ago, which was urgent news her people had hurriedly sent a report: the family temple had caught fire!

All the temple boys, monks, and nuns had perished in the blaze!

When Mu Yingying’s people investigated, they did not find the remains of the three women, implying that they had escaped.

However, Mu Yingying had a strong premonition that this terrible incident was connected to the three women and the mysterious man!

There were quite a lot of people in the whole temple. Why had no one else survived?

Why were the three women the only ones missing as if they had never existed? If not for her people finding no evidence of their deaths after inspecting, Mu Yingying and others who heard the news would have assumed Bai Lijun and her daughters had died in the fire.

"Is something wrong, Miss?"

Lu Jiu asked worriedly, never having seen her so tense. Without a word, Mu Yingying handed him the letter to read.

After reading it, Lu Jiu’s expression darkened, mirroring Mu Yingying’s concern. His usually cold demeanor became even grimmer, and his eyes filled with an icy menace. He now knew why his young miss looked so serious.

"This time, I underestimated our enemies," Mu Yingying sighed deeply, the light in her big, round eyes clearly dimmed.

"I thought they wouldn’t recover so quickly, but I misjudged them. Their hatred has soared and driven them to do the unthinkable."

“I think there’s a three in four chance that this arson was their doing, to fake their deaths and provide a perfect excuse to return to the capital. If they were truly innocent, those who escaped the fire would have shown themselves to testify to the authorities. Yet they disappeared as if they never existed...”

Thump, thump, thump.

Mu Yingying tapped her fingertips on the table absentmindedly as she pondered. The atmosphere in the room immediately grew tense. Both remained silent, Mu Yingying had lost in her thought, Lu Jiu was also pondering.

“Three women alone couldn’t have orchestrated something this grand. It must be that mysterious man aiding them,”

Lu Jiu voiced his thoughts, analyzing the situation further. “It appears their goal was to hide, making others believe they perished to avoid our surveillance. I fear that mysterious man must have realized our people were watching the trio and devised this plan.”

“To commit such a ruthless act, he must be far from ordinary. Moreover, those three women must have changed significantly,”

Mu Yingying added. The enemies she feared were not the cunning ones, but merciless, inhuman, and twisted beyond comprehension.

“I’ve heard of a strange method that can restore a disfigured face. However, it involves enduring immense pain as the poison erodes bones and skin from within, gradually healing the face as if nothing had happened.”

“But this poison must be consumed monthly. If not, its effects will fade, and the pain will return tenfold. Each month, the person must endure excruciating agony. It’s a torturous treatment.”

He had researched various remedies for his own face and knew about this poison. Reading the report about Mu Luofei and Mu Qin Shuang’s sudden recovery to their beauty made him think of this poison.

Mu Yingying frowned deeply. “Are you saying Mu Luofei consumed this poison to restore her face?”

Considering Mu Luofei’s vanity, Mu Yingying could accept this truth as she found it plausible. Given her ambitious nature and obsession with her appearance, it wouldn’t be surprising if Mu Luofei could endure such pain monthly for her beauty.

“Then where did she get this poison? I don’t think that this poison is something easily obtained.”

“I suspect it’s connected to that mysterious man. It’s best if you remain cautious of them,”

Lu Jiu warned with a serious expression. He wouldn’t have worried about the three women alone, but the involvement of the unusual mysterious man made the situation worrisome.

“I understand. I’ll be more vigilant,” Mu Yingying replied with a faint smile, knowing that Lu Jiu was more concerned about her than anything else.

“It seems we must hasten our journey to the capital to prepare for those three women. Since our people haven’t found them, there’s no need to continue searching. They are surely heading towards the capital.”

“In that case, I will call our people back,” Lu Jiu responded promptly.

Mu Yingying remained silent for a moment before speaking softly, her big, round eyes reflecting guilt. “Additionally...send someone to arrange proper funerals for those at the temple. If any of them have relatives, assist them fully. They didn’t deserve such an end.”

If she hadn’t neglected those three women and had sent more people to monitor them, if she hadn’t underestimated her enemies, innocent people wouldn’t have suffered so much...

After finishing their discussion, Lu Jiu left the room. Using his lightness skills, he slipped out of the Mu manor, heading towards the outskirts of Qingyun City to issue orders to Mu Yingying’s private forces at their hideout.

However, along the way in the darkness of the forest, two figures suddenly appeared, blocking his path. Both knelt before him respectfully.

“Your Highness.”

Lu Jiu narrowed his eyes at the two with a cold gaze, exuding a murderous aura that made them sweat under the pressure. His icy voice rang out.

“Didn’t I tell you not to bother me unless it’s something important...?”

“We deserve to die! But please, Your Highness, listen to me first. The royal court is in chaos, unrest is rampant. After finding you, the loyal ministers of the former Empress share the same view. They wish to invite you back to the region.”

The man in black quickly reported the important news, bowing his head even lower in fear. Who would have thought that this prince, missing for over five years, would appear more terrifying than any prince in the royal court?

“Hmph! It was you who sent me to risk my life back then[PL1] , and now you ask me to return?”

Lu Jiu let out a mocking laugh, that laugh filled with scorn.

“Dream on!”

“Your Highness, this matter concerns the region. If you do not return quickly, I’m afraid even the former Empress’s grave may not be protected!”

Lu Jiu’s body stiffened momentarily. Those words struck him like a lightning bolt to the heart, intensifying his oppressive aura, making it hard for the two men in black to breathe.

Lu Jiu glanced at them with a cold gaze, his voice chilling them to the bone.

“You’re saying...they plan to desecrate my mother’s grave?”

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