Suddenly, a shriek echoed from the adjacent room, followed by several piercing screams.
Startled from her sleep, the sleeper stirred abruptly. Without a second thought, clad in white undergarments with her dark hair unbound, she moved with swiftness, darting into the main hall of the neighboring room.
It had sounded like Wanwan's cry earlier.
In the main hall, led by Wanwan, several maids who served in Xinxiangyuan were running wildly, their faces etched with panic, screaming as they fled.
As Wanwan darted past, Liuxing and Zhuiyue also appeared. The three stood together at the doorway, peering inside.
They saw that several wild rats had somehow appeared in the hall, their mouths agape, darting about erratically.
These wild rats were unlike house mice; they did not fear humans. Instead, they would attack people when startled, which was why Wanwan and the maids were screaming their heads off.
Yun Xiao's expression darkened. How could wild rats appear here? They had stayed for many days without seeing any. Yet, after the eldest Miss Mu returned yesterday, such creatures appeared today. It made one suspicious.
A hint of a smile played on Yun Xiao's lips as she coldly ordered Liuxing and Zhuiyue behind her.
"Kill these rats. Be careful not to touch their teeth or fur."
"Yes, Master."
Liuxing and Zhuiyue were men, and their martial arts skills were formidable. They felt no fear towards these wild rats. With a flash of movement, the soft swords on their backs were unsheathed. Sword energy radiated outwards, and with several flashes of cold light, the wild rats were killed.
Remembering Yun Xiao's words, Liuxing and Zhuiyue did not touch the rats. They used their swords to flick them out into the air and then unleashed a palm strike, completely obliterating the rats.
The two returned to stand before Yun Xiao.
They saw their master's face was grim and stern, her entire aura emanating a chilling cold. It was clear these rats were no accident.
However, what she was concerned about now was something else.
"You two, come here."
With a command from Yun Xiao, Liuxing and Zhuiyue moved closer. Yun Xiao's clear, cold voice instructed, "From now on, unless I command you, you are not to reveal yourselves."
"Yes, Master."
The two exchanged glances, bowed with cupped fists. They did not understand their master's intentions, but since it was an order, they would obey. In a blink of an eye, they vanished.
The reason Yun Xiao gave this instruction was that she had thought of something.
Mo Ruyan, within Yunshui Villa, had seen Liuxing and Zhuiyue protecting her when she attempted to assassinate her last time.
If Mo Ruyan were to see these two again, and connect the dots, she would undoubtedly guess that she was Leng Yue from the Peony Medical Hall.
Now, she needed to enter the palace under the name Leng Yue to steal the Dragon Talisman, so not a single flaw could be revealed.
Yun Xiao dealt with the matter and turned back to look at the flower hall. She saw Wanwan's pale face, beads of cold sweat on her forehead. As for the maids, they had fainted as soon as the three of them appeared. Only Wanwan was still standing on a chair.
Fortunately, these maids had fainted. Otherwise, it would have been troublesome.
Yun Xiao walked over and extended her hand, signaling Wanwan to come down.
"Alright, it's over."
Women were naturally afraid of mice. Even she, with her extensive medical knowledge and fearlessness in the face of corpses, had been very afraid of mice for a period. It was only when she accompanied the medical team to the countryside that she completely overcame this fear.
Wanwan let out a sigh of relief, wiping her sweat with her sleeve, still nervously glancing around, afraid that more mice might appear from anywhere.
Yun Xiao helped her down and gently comforted her, "It's alright, it's alright."
Wanwan nodded, finally feeling at ease, but still patting her chest with lingering fear, "How did mice get here, and such big ones too?"
Wild rats were much larger than house mice, resembling newborn kittens. Their teeth were sharp, and they were often bitten by venomous mites, so their fur and teeth contained poison, making them very dangerous.
Yun Xiao's cold eyes suddenly glinted with killing intent.
"Mu Rong Yingxue, was this your idea, or Mo Ruyan's? You're so impatient. Do you think I will let you off easily? Very well, let's see who is more formidable."
A cold smile curved Yun Xiao's lips. Fearing Wanwan's fright, she did not say much to her, only comforting her softly.
Heavy footsteps sounded from outside the door. Though they were still ten paces away, they reached the doorstep in an instant. Leng Shi's voice rang out.
"What happened?"
His white brocade robe, like a wisp of light smoke, or more like a wisp of white cloud, drifted to Yun Xiao and Wanwan's side in an instant. He extended his slender, jade-like hands, taking Yun Xiao's, and checked her over. Only after confirming she was unharmed did he raise his eyes and scan the surroundings.
Yun Xiao spoke faintly.
"Nothing much, just a rat in the hall. Wanwan and a few maids were scared."
She looked up and gave Mu Rong a faint smile, easing his worry.
Today, Mu Rong was supposed to take the dragon talisman drawings, painstakingly drafted by his father, down the mountain to have a replica crafted. To ensure no trace was left, he was handling it personally. Yun Xiao did not want to cause him any unease, and she could handle these matters herself.
A mere Mu Rong Yingxue, and Mo Ruyan, she could manage them.
"Rats."
Mu Rong Chong's sharp brows furrowed, his expression tightening. How could he not know that Yunshui Villa not only had many secret passages and mechanisms but was also teeming with poisonous flowers and insects?
Let alone rats, even mosquitoes were rarely seen; they were killed by the fragrance of the plants and flowers. The sudden appearance of rats was, naturally, the work of someone with intent.
"Insolent!"
Mu Rong Chong let out a cold snort and was about to go out to find Mu Rong Yingxue.
Yun Xiao reached out and held his wide sleeve. The cuff was embroidered with a few flowing clouds, light and smooth. The fine touch indicated the clothes were still of superior quality, well-tailored, accentuating his graceful, jade-like bearing. Even with his face covered, his charisma remained.
"Mu Rong, leave this matter to me."
Since she liked this man, she would not allow anyone else to covet him. More importantly,
She wanted to deal with these detestable women with her own abilities, rather than hiding behind Mu Rong like a caged bird. She was not, and did not wish to be, that kind of person.
They should be equals, walking side by side.
Mu Rong Chong turned to look at Yun Xiao. He saw her smiling charmingly, her beautiful eyes bright, her entire being enveloped in a layer of confidence.
A confident woman is the most beautiful; this was what he had felt the first time he saw her. This little girl, regardless of time or place, was never threatened and was always full of confidence. Good, since she said she could handle it, he believed she could.
Mu Rong Yingxue deserved to suffer some hardship. She was always so haughty and willful. What would become of her in the future? When she became ruthless, she completely disregarded the feelings of others.
In the past, he could turn a blind eye, because others were irrelevant to him, and he was rather cold-blooded.
But Xiao'er was the person he liked. If he continued to indulge her misbehavior, she would become increasingly lawless.
How many servants in this villa had suffered because of her in the past. Mu Rong Chong's gaze suddenly darkened. He hoped that after receiving his slap last night, she had sobered up somewhat and would cease her malicious schemes. This would be considered him fulfilling his intentions.
If he hadn't slapped her last night and continued to let her act out, Xiao'er would likely not have let her off. Mu Rong Chong reached into his sleeve and took out a drawing, handing it to Yun Xiao.