"My Lord, how did you know Miss Feng was aware of the poison in the tea?"
Axi couldn't hide his doubts and asked softly.
Facing the question, Si Jianye slightly lifted his eyelids, a few faint glints flashing through his eyes. "She didn't drink the tea. She vomited. A small part of her sleeve got wet."
He had been paying attention to Feng Ninghe all along and naturally noticed her small action.
Axi subconsciously glanced at Feng Ninghe's sleeve.
A small part of her sleeve was wet. If one didn't look closely, they wouldn't notice anything amiss.
Axi looked at Si Jianye with admiration, praising in a low voice, "As expected of the Underworld Lord, you can even discover this with your fiery eyes."
Si Jianye ignored Axi.
He wanted to see what interesting things would happen next.
The Princess of Lin Country was about to become the new Empress of Lin Country, yet she was poisoning Feng Ninghe at this very moment...
"The medicine is working so quickly?"
Lin Yuran, sitting on a soft chair, chuckled with a hint of amusement in her eyes. "In that case, we can make our move too."
A figure emerged from the shadows.
The man's eyes fixed on Feng Ninghe, who was lying on the ground, unconscious. "It's my turn."
Lin Yuran slightly raised her eyelids, her icy gaze slowly shifting to the unconscious Feng Ninghe. "What I want is her contracted spirit beast. Whether the person lives or not is not my concern."
The implication was that she didn't care if Feng Ninghe lived or died.
Her goal was only one: to obtain the ancient Qilin.
Ji Binyu specifically took another look at Lin Yuran. "Yuran, one night is enough for me. It's just that there are too many people who came with her, and it won't be easy to silence them."
Those who followed Feng Ninghe were all powerful cultivators.
These people were not to be trifled with.
Lin Yuran smiled, her beautiful face showing a hint of fearlessness. She turned her gaze dismissively towards Ji Binyu. "Don't worry, I've prepared everything that needs to be handled. She wasn't in my palace tonight, and no one will notice anything unusual."
She had specifically ordered people to take a detour, so not many people saw Feng Ninghe along the way.
More importantly, this was her palace, and she was the new Empress of Lin Country. On her own territory, making a woman disappear was not too difficult for her.
She could concoct a thousand and one excuses to explain Feng Ninghe's disappearance.
The female voice reached his ears, and a smile instantly appeared on Ji Binyu's face. "Yuran, I will deliver the ancient Qilin to you on time tomorrow. You can trust my methods."
He had a special way to make people willingly give up their contracted spirit beasts.
Under his torment, the ancient Qilin would become masterless.
As his gaze fell upon Feng Ninghe's face, a trace of imperceptible greed crept into his eyes.
This face was truly as renowned as it was, beautiful and captivating.
Ji Binyu's heart began to itch, and he could naturally imagine this woman yielding to him...
Lin Yuran was unaware of Ji Binyu's thoughts. A fearless expression appeared on her beautiful face, and she subconsciously lowered her gaze to the jade bracelet on her wrist.
The bright red jade bracelet seemed to flow like light, shining brilliantly under the candlelight.
A hint of disdain flickered in her eyes. "Lin Ninghe, your Qilin has escaped, and now I've obtained another one through my own efforts. With the Qilin's blessing, I'm no worse than you!"
The former Empress of Lin Country was a celestial prodigy. If she wanted to become the new Empress, she couldn't help but be compared.
Over the years, many people in Lin Country had protested Lin Yuran becoming Empress. She had no choice but to constantly disguise her true nature, making everyone believe she was a good empress.
Finally, she had gained recognition through her own efforts.
Lin Country had been without a ruler for a hundred years, and she was finally about to ascend the throne as Empress!
Thinking of this, Lin Yuran's heart pounded with excitement. She repeatedly muttered, "Lin Ninghe, I, Lin Yuran, am no worse than you. What you can do, I can do too! I am even stronger than you! Under my rule, Lin Country will only become more powerful!"
Ji Binyu did not linger. He quietly left with Feng Ninghe.
The surrounding maids were all sent away, and he encountered no obstruction along the way.
He did not notice that Feng Ninghe, slung over his shoulder, had opened her eyes.
Feng Ninghe slightly lifted her eyelids, her eyes emitting waves of icy coldness.
So, Lin Yuran had staged this whole act to get her divine beast – the ancient Qilin.
Everyone knew that the former Empress of Lin Country's divine beast was the ancient Qilin. Being able to tame the ancient Qilin was enough to prove her ability.
Lin Yuran was trying to emulate her and tame the ancient Qilin to gain the world's recognition.
However, her divine beast was not something others could covet.
To think of taking her divine beast was a pipe dream.
"Little beauty, you are truly lovely. It would be a shame to die like this," Ji Binyu clicked his tongue and sighed to himself. "It's a pity that to touch the spirit beast contract, you must die. I'll have to dote on you properly, so you won't be lonely even in death."
A peculiar fragrance suddenly filled the air.
Smelling the scent, Ji Binyu instinctively furrowed his brows and looked around with slight surprise. "Why is there a fragrance?"
Before he could take a few more steps, his vision suddenly went black, and he fell heavily to the ground, losing consciousness.
Feng Ninghe stood quietly behind the man, her indifferent eyes carrying a hint of coldness as she looked down at everything before her.
"You dare to have designs on me?"
She sneered, her eyes filled with disdain.
The next moment, she took out a small ball of flame from her spatial jade bracelet and flicked it towards Ji Binyu.
The flame was hot but did not burn, quickly consuming the man's clothes.
Feng Ninghe watched impassively as the man before her remained in a deep slumber. She snorted coldly, "The title of Protector of the Nation General was personally bestowed by me. Back then, I already suspected you and Lin Yuran were involved, and indeed, your relationship is not ordinary.
Since I have returned to Lin Country, the real show is just beginning. Let's wait and see."
With that, she strode away.
Lin Yuran and Ji Binyu had desperately disguised themselves in front of the public, gaining recognition and flourishing in Lin Country.
In the past, Ji Binyu had become famous for defending Lin Country's cities. His bravery and skill had earned him the title of Protector of the Nation General.
With his power, Ji Binyu had often used his position to assist Lin Yuran.
She intended to strip away the masks these two wore, layer by layer.
The fire on the man's body burned fiercely, the flames uniquely burning only his clothes and not his flesh...
Not far away.
Two figures hovered high above the eaves.
"Miss Feng's move was truly brilliant!"
Axi clapped his hands in admiration, a bright smile on his face. "As expected of the young lady's birth mother, such a difficult personality is indeed inherited. Anyone who dares to offend them is bound to face misfortune."