Su Muyu strode out of the Golden Tower, with Mu Yumo following closely behind. She lowered her voice and asked, "Why leave so quickly? We haven't reached any conclusion yet."
"Tang Lingkui can't give us any answers. He wasn't the main figure from the Tang Sect tonight," Su Muyu replied calmly.
Mu Yumo frowned. "Then who was?"
Su Changhe walked up beside them and stretched lazily. "That young man pouring the wine."
"Him?" Mu Yumo's brows furrowed further.
"He actually disguised himself quite well, but some people's brilliance simply can't be hidden," Su Changhe said with a chuckle. "He must be Tang Lingzun, one of the Four Heroes of the Tang Clan."
"But he looks so young," Mu Yumo said, puzzled. "How could he be Tang Lingzun?"
Su Muyu answered, "Tang Lingzun is the Tang Clan's Inner Chamber Master, highly skilled in the Medicine Stone Art. Maintaining a youthful appearance is no difficult feat for him."
Back in the Golden Tower, the young man who had been serving wine earlier twirled his cup idly and glanced at Tang Lingkui. "Do you think they saw through my identity?" he asked lightly.
Tang Lingkui hesitated but remained silent.
"They probably did," the young man mused with a smile. "The Su Family head must have noticed when he kept talking to me. Surely he didn't strike up a conversation just because he found me good-looking, did he?"
Tang Lingkui and Tang Lingluo exchanged a glance, both seeing the resignation in each other's eyes.
"But that Su Family head is truly handsome, isn't he?" The young man's expression suddenly brightened. "I expected someone more ghostly and sinister, yet he carries himself like a refined gentleman, gentle as jade."
Tang Lingkui and Tang Lingluo still didn't respond. At first, Tang Lingkui had been too afraid to speak; now, he simply couldn't be bothered.
"What were his terms again?" the young man suddenly asked.
Tang Lingkui finally spoke up. "He wanted you to reveal yourself."
"That's hardly an issue," the young man nodded.
"And he also demanded Mu Xuewei," Tang Lingkui added.
The young man stood up. "Lingluo, you handle it."
Tang Lingluo was taken aback. "But... Mu Xuewei is currently with Master Ye Ya. Master Ye Ya—"
"This is the Tang Sect. Do we need to cater to the whims of someone from Medicine King Valley?" The young man shot Tang Lingluo a cold glare. "Go to him and say this: if he still has unfinished business, he has three days to wrap it up. Then, he must return Mu Xuewei unharmed. If he has any objections, tell him to take them up with me."
"As... as the Master commands!" Tang Lingluo conceded reluctantly.
"Then why are you still standing here? Go find him. That pervert—if you're even a moment late, Mu Xuewei might already be dead." The young man snapped.
With a quiet sigh, Tang Lingluo turned and left.
The young man then turned his gaze back to Tang Lingkui. "What did you think of that masked fellow earlier? Could it have been Su Changhe?"
Tang Lingkui shook his head. "It shouldn't be Su Changhe. If it were truly him, he wouldn't be so conspicuous—otherwise, hiding his identity would be pointless."
"It seems we still don't understand these Dark River people well enough," the young man remarked with a faint smile.
Inside a secret chamber of the Tang Sect...Ghost Doctor Night Crow sat on a wooden stool, facing Mu Xuewei, who was bound in chains. Mu Xuewei's body was covered in bloodstains, as if she had endured considerable torment. Beside Night Crow, Xin Baicao was also tightly bound with heavy chains. Though Xin Baicao bore no visible wounds, his eyes burned with fury, yet he couldn't utter a single word.
"Senior Brother, oh Senior Brother... This is the Poison Puppet Master once mentioned by our teacher. I’ve scoured the world and never encountered one, yet I never expected to find her here in Jincheng," Night Crow murmured eerily. "Imagine pairing this Poison Puppet with the Art of the Medicine Man—what a terrifying existence that would be."
Xin Baicao clenched his fists but remained voiceless.
"Hahahaha! In terms of medical skill, Senior Brother, you are indeed far superior to me. But when it comes to the dark arts beyond medicine, our teacher could never match me." Night Crow chuckled and waved his hand. Two Medicine Puppets appeared before him and Xin Baicao. "These two Medicine Puppets were once masters of the Vajra Mortal Realm in life. After being refined into Medicine Puppets, they became unkillable and unbreakable. Now, using the deadly poison from this Poison Flower, I’ve reforged them into Medicine Puppets drenched in venom. A single strike from them... and anyone below the Carefree State won’t last longer than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
"I... spit on you." Mu Xuewei slowly regained consciousness and managed to curse weakly.
"Master Night Crow." Tang Lingluo pushed the door open and entered.
Night Crow tilted his head slightly and flicked his wrist, sending Xin Baicao tumbling into a hidden door behind him. "Deputy Envoy, what brings you here so suddenly? Weren’t you hosting a banquet today for the Dark River’s family heads to discuss an alliance?"
Tang Lingluo nodded. "The negotiations have just concluded. The Dark River has presented their terms."
"Terms?" Night Crow glanced at Mu Xuewei before him. "It seems these terms concern me."
"They demand the return of Mu Xuewei," Tang Lingluo said gravely.
"And what if Mu Xuewei is already dead?" Night Crow sneered.
Tang Lingluo sighed softly. "The Dark River is not an easy party to negotiate with. I hope Master Night Crow can understand."
"Without me, could you have subdued Tang Linghuang?" Night Crow toyed idly with a bead in his hand. "And now you ask for my understanding? Is the Dark River truly so fearsome? Once, I nearly killed the head of the Su Family. He has a glaring weakness, you know."
"Weakness?" Tang Lingluo frowned.
"He is a kind man," Night Crow said slowly. "A killer who is kind—that is a fatal flaw."
"But the Chief Envoy has made it clear he does not wish to provoke conflict with the Dark River at this time," Tang Lingluo replied evenly. "Thus, he has stated that in three days, he expects to see Mu Xuewei returned unharmed. Within these three days, Master Night Crow may complete whatever you wish to do."
"Fine." To Tang Lingluo’s surprise, Night Crow did not refuse. He stood and gently traced his fingers along Mu Xuewei’s face. "Three days. If, within these three days, I turn you into a poison-free person, tell me—will you thank me? Or will you hate me?"
"A poison-free person?" Tang Lingluo frowned."Hahaha. If given a choice, who would willingly become a Poison Flower?" Ye Ya turned to Tang Lingluo. "Go report to the Chief Envoy. In three days, I'll return Mu Xuewei to him safe and sound."
The barely conscious Mu Xuewei murmured, "Can you remove the poison from me?"
"I might not be able to," Ye Ya replied, glancing at the hidden door. "But working together with someone, perhaps we can."
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