Chapter 23: The Venomous Snake's Blood Serum

  The moon was cool as water, and the icy color of the moon shrouded the entire capital city. The night at the Jun Guo Gong Fu was even more chilling, with an air of coldness that made one's hair stand on end. After a whole day of being in a state of frenzy, Xu Qinghe had finally calmed down, probably due to not having eaten for a long time and being exhausted. Xu Qinghe lay listlessly on the floor of the study, his clothes disheveled, his hair messy, and his eyes staring blankly into space, without any focus or direction.

  The guards who were guarding the door were also tired and leaned against the door, constantly yawning, and before long they all fell asleep on the ground; The door of the study also creaked open at this time, and a girl like a moon fairy quietly walked into the room.

  The girl walked to Xu Qinghe's side and knelt down beside him, her slender fingers gently tidying up the disheveled hair at his temples; her eyes held complex emotions that were hard to grasp.

  "When I first met you, you were so elegant and refined, but now you're in such a sorry state; your reputation for being filial and kind is renowned outside, everyone says you're a rare model of virtue in this world; but who among them can see the true extent of your downfall, just as they won't know that you were once ruthless enough to kill the person I loved most in this life, whom I treasured like a precious gem! Xu Qinghe, after all your efforts to gain fame and reputation by any means necessary, what's the point of it all? In the end, you'll still have to pay for the sins you've committed! Haha"

  The woman lightly laughed twice, stood up, and looked down at Xǔ Qīnghé who was lying on the ground with a confused expression. "Xǔ Qīnghé, even if you can deceive heaven and earth, what's the use? Even if you were to descend into the underworld, you would never have thought that the person who let you tyrannize like a wild beast would be the one who has been sleeping beside you for so many years! Haha!"

  "Ling Wenqing, you vicious woman!" Chu Jueyu suddenly pushed open the door and scolded loudly, pointing at Ling Wenqing who was wearing white clothes.

  Ling Wenqing looked at the group of people who walked in with Chu Jieyu, his eyes icy cold without a hint of warmth, the corners of his mouth slightly raised to reveal a chilling smile that sent shivers down one's spine. His clear and bright eyes flashed with a hint of warmth when they swept past Xu Wuyan.

  "What? Are you going to interrogate me?" Ling Wen's clear and bright teeth lightly parted, the words that came out were even more sorrowful than the moon's color.

  "Old Master!" "Mother, don't!" Xu Mo Xuan hastily pulled back Chu Jie Yu who was about to go forward and help Xu Qing He.

  "Xuaner, he's your father!" Chu Jieyu looked at Xuemo Xuan in disbelief, who was holding her back. Seeing her own biological father in such a sorry state, not only did she not go to help him, but also wanted to stop her mother. Was this the son she had raised?

  "Chu Jieyu, aren't you the one who prides herself on being a legitimate wife, married with proper ceremony and rituals? Ling Wenqing looked at Chu Jieyu with a provocative and disdainful gaze. "You, who usually emphasize etiquette, why are you not following etiquette now? As his wife, shouldn't you help your husband up? But let me remind you, Xu Qing has been poisoned by the black-headed viper's venom, and anyone who touches him is likely to be poisoned as well, with no antidote available!"

  Chu Jieyu's outstretched hand stiffened in mid-air, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at the wooden Xun Qinghe on the ground, who was completely oblivious to what was happening around him. The originally majestic and dignified Xun Qinghe now had a pale complexion, disheveled beard, and tattered clothes, his eyes dull and unfocused, lying defeated on the ground, not looking like the Duke of Jun at all.

  "Ling Wenqing, you vicious woman! How dare you bring Grandfather to this state!" Chu Jieyu glared at Ling Wenqing with fiery eyes, cursing her with venom and resentment.

  "Haha! Am I vicious?" Ling Wen's eyes turned cold, staring at Chu Jieyu, "Chu Jieyu, twenty years ago you instructed Mei Fangqian to poison my food, killing the eight-month-old child in my womb! Do you think you can get away with it unnoticed?"

  Chu Jieyu was shocked upon hearing this and her face immediately turned pale, "You...you're talking nonsense!"

  Ling Wenqing glanced at Chu Jieyu, "If you want to keep it a secret, don't do anything, but what you don't know is that Xu Qinghe has already poisoned my food before you, he doesn't want my child to be born, and even more so, he doesn't want someone else's child to become the young master of the Jun Guo Gong Fu!" Ling Wenqing said with gritted teeth, his eyes flashing like a knife towards Xu Qinghe, his hatred bursting out like a flood.

  "It's you who is unchaste and has conceived someone else's bastard! Master is doing this also for the sake of the Jun Guo Gong Fu's reputation!" Chu Jieyu shouted loudly.

  "Hum! Not chaste?!" Ling Wenqing's gaze swept over everyone in the study and drifted to an unknown place, "When he killed people and seized wives, did he ever think of the two words 'chastity'?"

  "No matter what, the fact is that Master has treated you with deep affection for these twenty years. Even though you have no children, Master has always been kind to you. Can't all these years make up for your resentment? Do you still want to harm Master with such cruel means?" Mei Fangqian said with a proper tone as a second wife, looking at Ling Wencheng who was as beautiful as a young girl; but in her heart, she thought that Master's favor towards him was also largely due to his increasingly charming appearance.

  "What if there were cherry blossoms all over the mountain? How many midnight dreams have been eroding my bones with the pain of losing my husband and child! It was Xu Qinghe, he made me a prisoner in this Houmen Zhu's house! But...” Ling Wenqing looked at Xu Qinghe, “He will never do evil again!”

  "Ling Wenqing, do you know that the black-bellied viper is a highly toxic creature? Even if you and Lord Xu have deep grievances, it's not right to use such a toxic thing to harm innocent lives! There are the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Judicial Department, so many government offices can help you seek justice, why did you resort to such extreme measures for revenge?" Shao Qian looked at Ling Wenqing and was certain that she was the one who raised the black-bellied viper. The top priority now should be to find the snake's whereabouts as soon as possible, in case more innocent people get hurt.

  Ling Wenqing looked at Shao Qian, whose words were stern and severe, with a gaze that was as clear as water, but also contained the sorrow of being an ordinary citizen. His eyes wandered and stopped on Xu Wuyan, who had not spoken up until now. A faint smile appeared on his lips, "Do you think I did something wrong too?"

  Xu Wuyan looked at Ling Wenqing, and all the thoughts in his heart were suddenly clarified. He said slowly: "The girls from Nanjiang are uninhibited and free-spirited, they like to live freely and unrestrainedly. Cherry blossoms are not a woman who is infatuated with luxury!"

  Listening to Xu's words, Ling Wenqing shed two lines of clear tears, and a heartbreaking softness floated in her eyes...

  Hu Zi and Sakura were forced apart, and the elegant young master took Sakura to a deep-walled courtyard, where she was trapped by a garden full of cherry blossom trees. Later, Hu Zi secretly visited Sakura and brought her a sacred object from their hometown, the black-browed viper, to comfort her homesickness. Afterwards, Sakura became pregnant, but the elegant young master believed the child was Hu Zi's, and ruthlessly aborted the fetus with poison. Sakura was overcome with grief, and the person she sent to gather news of Hu Zi brought back the devastating news of his unexpected death. The successive blows filled Sakura with indignation, and looking at the black-browed viper that Hu Zi had brought her, she vowed to avenge herself against those who had wronged her.

  "Is this how the story continues?" Xu Wu Yan asked in a clear voice, gazing at Ling Wen Qing's sorrowful expression.

  Ling Wenqing looked at Xu Wuyan, the surprise in his eyes overflowing, no one had ever truly entered his heart all these years, not even Xu Qinghe, yet this woman who had only met him a few times could see through him so clearly. "How did you know all this?"

  Xu Wuyan's expression remained unchanged, he walked slowly to Ling Wenqing's side, stretched out his hand and gently pulled up her sleeve, a bright cherry blossom appeared on her arm as white as jade. "You're using this to inject the venom of the black-headed viper into your body every day to maintain your enchanting and lovely appearance, and then let Xu Qing be infatuated with you, unable to extricate himself, right?"

  Ling Wenqing looked at Xu Wuyan with a mixture of shock and terror, "This is our Nanjiang's secret art, how did you know?"

  Not only was Ling Wenqing shocked, but everyone present was also stunned by Xu Wuyan's words and couldn't speak; this remark was truly unheard of.

  Xu Wuyan put down Ling Wenqing's sleeve and looked at Ling Wenqing, who was as beautiful and enchanting as a goddess in the moon. "You also know that this snake venom beauty treatment is just concentrating your beauty for a short time, but it will soon wither and wilt, and the severe poison left in your body will make every day of your future life painful to live! So you used the story of cherry blossoms to hint to me that you are the one who raises black-headed cobras. Is that true?"

  Upon hearing this, Ling Wenqing suddenly revealed a relieved smile. It seemed that she had not misjudged Xu Wuyan after all. Her intelligence and wisdom far exceeded her imagination. "You might as well tell me, how did your uncle get poisoned?"

  "The venom of the black-bellied snake has accumulated in your body, and Uncle's diet and daily life have been repeatedly checked, so you naturally don't have the opportunity to make a move; but there is one thing that Uncle cannot guard against!" Xu Wuyan looked at Ling Wenqing, this 'girl' who used her own life to avenge an enemy she had already fallen in love with. "Your...Uncle and you will consummate their marriage, and the venom will enter Uncle's body from yours!"

  "Speechless, you're indeed an exceptionally astute person! You even know about these things!" For the first time, a look of admiration flashed in Ling Wenqing's eyes. Even if she didn't give Wu Yan any hints, it wouldn't be difficult for her to uncover the truth!

  "I also know something that even you yourself don't know"

  "What's wrong?"

  Xu Wuyan looked at Ling Wenqing, "You've fallen in love with your uncle! Despite the fact that he killed Hu Zi, murdered your child, and imprisoned you within these 'house' gates!"

  "Nonsense!" Ling Wen's expression changed greatly as he sternly refuted, "He is my archenemy! How could I love him?!"

  "You can end Uncle's 'life' quickly, can't you? You deliberately see Uncle only once every few days, aren't you hoping he lives a little longer? Uncle's existence is a hateful alarm clock for you, but at the same time it has also become an indispensable part of your life! Even if he dies, you won't allow any other 'woman' to touch him, will you?"

  "Haha! Hehe! I've actually fallen in love with my own enemy! Fallen in love with my own enemy!" Ling Wenqing suddenly let out a shrill cry, his expression becoming extremely agitated! "Wow!" Suddenly, Ling Wenqing spat out a mouthful of black blood and collapsed to the ground.

  "None of your business, don't!" Shao Qian swiftly grabbed hold of Xu Wuyan who was about to help Ling Wenqing.

  "Yes! She's been poisoned to the core, more dangerous than a black viper!" Fang Zhuo Han said with a serious expression, looking at the dark blood on the ground.

  Xu Wuyan looked at Shao Qian and Fang Zhuohan, took away Shao Qian's hand, and walked slowly towards Ling Wenqing...