Chapter 800 The Fall of the South Manor

Si Teng, Qin Mu, and Hui Ji carried the coffin, moving in silence. The three old men, with a combined age nearing two hundred, managed to haul the coffin up the mountain and buried it on the back of the second peak.

Si Teng handed a letter to Nan Shiying. This was a letter written by the Poison Elder during their last return to the mountain, which he had entrusted to Si Teng for safekeeping. It was also due to the Elder's prior instructions that no one in Medicine King Valley questioned her about the Poison Elder's death.

The contents of the letter were the same matters the Poison Elder had mentioned before his death. He had written this letter out of fear that he might not be able to speak of these things before he passed, having known long ago that his time was running out.

Nan Shiying tucked the letter away, placing it in her embrace. She sat before the newly mounded grave, listening to the chirping of insects and birds and the rushing stream, staying there from dawn until it was completely dark. Qing Zhu and Qing Yuan brought her two meals. Seeing that she ate, they said no more.

Qing Ning brought Nan Shiying some dried, then re-cooked, dried mushrooms. She squatted in front of Nan Shiying and held the dried mushrooms up to her face. "Try them, they're delicious!"

Nan Shiying snapped back to attention. She glanced at the dried mushrooms before her, then looked at Qing Ning. She reached out and grasped Qing Ning's neck. Her reddened eyes, like an eagle's, fixed on Qing Ning's face. Qing Ning's complexion instantly turned ashen. The hand on her neck had clearly defined knuckles; though seemingly slender, it choked her, making it impossible to breathe.

"Tell me, who do you serve?"

Her voice, like a demon's low murmur, fell upon Qing Ning's ears, raising goosebumps all over her body.

"You, serve... serve you!"

Qing Ning couldn't utter a complete sentence; her voice was hoarse and cracked.

Nan Shiying suddenly released her grip. Qing Ning fell to the ground, the dried mushrooms scattering. She couldn't spare them a thought now, tilting her head back and gasping for air.

"Where is Nan Feng Luan's body?"

"Sunk in the river."

Seeing Nan Shiying's disbelief, Qing Ning quickly added, "Really, it was really sunk in the river!"

Years ago, when the Valley Master and Qin Qing intended to use the Empress's body for medicine, to prevent them from desecrating her, Qin Ning's maternal grandfather, Hui Ji's master, had the Empress's body sunk in the river.

Nan Shiying asked no further questions. Since it was sunk in the river, let it rest in the deep sea forever.

Nan Shiying stood up and walked back. A figure stood before the wooden house on the second peak, bathed in moonlight. Hearing the movement behind him, the person turned his head. Nan Shiying then saw his face.

Hui Ji!

Hui Ji looked at the girl before him, whose face was both familiar and strange. He opened his mouth, his expression a mix of excitement and timidity.

"Ying, Ying'er?"

He called out.

Nan Shiying frowned. She was not accustomed to Hui Ji's current demeanor, which gave her a bad premonition.

"Uncle, is something the matter?"

"Yes... oh no, no... I just wanted to ask, have you been well all these years?"

Nan Shiying smiled. "Yes, quite well. When I was young, I would fight with dogs for a mouthful of food. To survive, I ate anything, the foul or the rotten, even swill."

As Nan Shiying spoke these words with a smile, Hui Ji's heart felt as if it were being fiercely squeezed, pain flooding his entire being.

"But, but that's not what I heard!"

Nan Chaoyin had clearly said that he had hidden Ying'er away and raised her well.

But what had they said? Yes, they had said Ying'er was the Regent's Consort, Nan Chaoyin's daughter.

If not for this face, Hui Ji would never have imagined that Nan Chaoyin could be so shameless.

"What did you hear? That I lived in luxury? That I lived in a large house, served by many maids and servants? From childhood, I only had a wet nurse to care for me, yet in the end, to force me to join the Regent's estate, they turned the wet nurse into a human pig! Uncle, you say I want to slaughter the entire Nan household; is that considered wicked?"

"No, not wicked!"

"You do it, no, I'll do it!"

Hui Ji stood up. He dared not look into Nan Shiying's eyes. Filled with rage and hatred, he turned and left.

Nan Shiying watched Hui Ji's receding back and slowly lowered her gaze.

The reason she spoke so much to Hui Ji was not for herself, but for the deceased Nan Shiying. Regardless of the relationship between Hui Ji and the original Nan Shiying, solely based on his foolishness in believing the other party based on a letter, he deserved no sympathy.

It was they, together, who had killed the former Nan Shiying.

After staying at Medicine King Valley for two days, Nan Shiying set off to return to the capital. On her way back, she heard of a major event.

Shen Zhong had been murdered.

He died in his study.

The Emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation.

On Nan Shiying's first day back in the capital, the Xuanjia Army surrounded the Regent's estate.

On Nan Shiying's second day back, the Demon Hunting Army and the Xuanjia Army were in a standoff, and the entire capital was filled with an atmosphere of impending storm.

On Nan Shiying's third day back, the Emperor ordered the confiscation of the Shen estate.

Everyone was shocked.

The Shen estate?

After reading the letters, Ji Jinmo and Ji Hong had Shen Man return them to their original place. Soldiers searched Shen Zhong's study in the Shen estate for his correspondence with remnants of Xiliang and Miao Jiang. Among these, they found numerous treasonous letters detailing his conspiracy with the current Prime Minister, Nan Chaoyin, to plot against the current Prince and instigate discord between the Emperor and the Prince.

Instantly, the court was thrown into an uproar.

The Emperor, enraged, directly ordered the arrest of Nan Chaoyin and his associates, pending trial.

Soldiers went to the Nan estate to apprehend the culprits but discovered that Nan Chaoyin had already fled.

"This..."

Liu Wanjun and others were dumbfounded. Such an action directly confirmed his guilt. Lord Nan was truly foolish!

The Prince's estate dungeon.

Nan Shiying looked at Nan Chaoyin, bound to a cross-shaped wooden stake, and subtly curved her lips.

"Lord Nan, it has been a long time. How have you been lately?"

Nan Chaoyin stared fiercely at Nan Shiying and cursed her venomously, "If I had known you would collude with Ji Jinmo one day, frame loyal officials, and rebel, I would have strangled you the moment you were born!"

"Clap, clap, clap~"

Nan Shiying applauded. "It is truly admirable, Lord Nan, that even now, you possess such acting skills. I am truly impressed. But Lord Nan, you, a remnant of the Xiliang royal family, what kind of loyal official are you? And the latter part is even more amusing: strangle me? If I were to die, how would you account for yourself to Hui Ji?"

"You..."

"I kept you around for so long precisely to probe your depths and round up you and those Xiliang and Miao Jiang remnants. Now, I must thank you. Your hidden guards indirectly helped us find where that old scoundrel Shen Zhong hid his letters. And the personnel you mobilized during this period due to the changes in the Shen estate, Xiling Commandery, Yu Nan Commandery, and the border war, have also allowed us to uncover all your dealings."

"Do you know? I have wanted to turn you into a human pig for a very long time."

"No, you cannot, His Majesty is..."

"His Majesty?"

Nan Shiying interrupted Ji Hong with a smile, turning and shouting outwards, "Your Majesty, Lord Nan is calling for you."

Ji Hong emerged from the dark corner, walked to Nan Shiying's side, and stood shoulder to shoulder with her, looking at Nan Chaoyin.

"Lord Nan, what is it you wish to speak toζœ• about?"