"Framed? When you people were trying to poison me dead, why didn't you say 'framed'? I, Hua Qiyue, won't be so stupid as to allow a former murderer a way out." Hua Qiyue raised her brows mockingly. In her previous life, she had been too kind and considerate. She did not care how Zhou Zhicheng had treated her and allowed him a harem of wives and concubines. She even allowed him to marry her own maidservant.

What did her great generosity lead to?

Only endless betrayals and resentments. Heartlessly hounded upon and tortured by those mistresses!

How could Hua Qiyue ever forget her previous life, when she had been tortured to death and Tianci made a mute through poison?

Hua Mengshi heard her and her tears continued to stream down, like strings of beads slipping off her exquisite face, one after another. They were like pearls falling off a jade plate.

"Eldest Sis... think about how hard my mother has worked for Hua's Mansion... I beg you to let her live. We are one family!" Hua Mengshi spoke, weeping at the same time even more piteously.

Caining and Caiqing stared at each other, their eyes full of disdain for Hua Qiyue.

After all, Hua Mengshi was the goddess of their hearts. The stature of a goddess could not be so easily replaced. Besides, Hua Mengshi had an extraordinary knack for acting.

"One family? If we are one family, why did she lie to the Emperor to get me dead? Hua Mengshi, if you respect me 30%, I will respect you 70%. If you try to harm me, I will avenge myself 10 times over! Don't come weeping and complaining here. I won't save a viper who had once tried to bite me to death!"

Hua Qiyue said her piece and waved her sleeve angrily. Her ethereal figure was about to re-enter the courtyard when Hua Mengshi quickly grabbed her legs. "Elder Sis, I'm begging you, I'm begging you..."

Hua Mengshi's tears were falling like large soybeans. Her voice was hoarse, sounding honest and pitiful.

Hua Qiyue narrowed her eyes and saw the two secret guards looking resentful. She sighed lightly. Hua Mengshi's allure was so irresistible. Even the two guards from the Emperor were leaning to her side.

The moans she made were pitiful, the sentences she uttered plaintive. They would draw tears from everyone. Together with her small, exquisite and charming face, no one would be left unaffected.

Hua Mengshi wept for a while and suddenly discovered the unmoved Hua Qiyue rooted to the ground. Her body shivered and she slumped down.

Surou started to scream and quickly helped her up. "Miss? Miss... What happened? Miss, please wake up..."

Hua Qiyue pressed on her temple without a word. Alright, let's grant that Surou's performance was also exceptional. No outsider could tell that she had betrayed her mistress.

The contempt on Caiqing and Caining's faces were now even more evident.

Lv Xin, who had accompanied them, gave a dissatisfied snort. "First Miss, what's the expression on those two secret guards' faces? They seem to think that you are bullying Second Miss. Are you doing Second Miss wrong and making her faint? Don't they know that you are their Mistress, not Second Miss?"

Hua Qiyue smiled indifferently. "Second Sis is weeping so wretchedly. They will not be men if they remain unmoved."

Caining and Caiqing heard her and their faces instantly turned black. Caining was about to step out when he was pulled back by Caiqing.

"Don't be rash. Don't forget Hua Qiyue is our mistress. If we disrespect her, we are disrespecting His Majesty as well..." Caiqing muttered quietly. They were, after all, Qi Artists sent by the Changlong Emperor to protect Hua Qiyue. How could they oppose their mistress?

Caining bit his teeth, staring at Hua Mengshi in Surou's arms. Tender pity arose in his heart.

"Oh dear, there's a mouse here... Surou, quick, it's creeping into Second Sis's skirt!" Hua Qiyue suddenly yelled. She sounded really terrified!

Hua Mengshi, you aren't the only one who can act. I can too!

"Ah!" A hideous shriek rang out. Hua Mengshi jumped up forcefully like a leaping salmon from Surou's arms. "Where's the mouse... where?"

Hua Mengshi's face was full of panic. One could tell that she was really scared of mice. Surou and the others stared open-mouthed at the scene. Everyone knew that there was no mouse, only First Miss shouting wildly.

Quick unexpectedly, her yell had managed to trick Hua Mengshi!

Hua Mengshi finally realized that something was amiss. She immediately calmed down and retracted all her sweeping glances. There were no mice. She quickly realized that she had been duped!

Damn it!

Hua Mengshi cursed secretly. A mournful expression reappeared on her face. "Eldest Sis..."

Hua Qiyue smiled lightly. "Second Sis, weren't you unconscious? The mouse has disappeared. You can continue to sleep!"

Then, she turned nonchalantly and headed for the courtyard. Hua Mengshi stood where she was, her fists tightly clenched. Green veins appeared on her forehead. If it weren't for Caining and Caiqing, she would have thrown herself forward and stabbed Hua Qiyue to death with her sword. Although she, too, knew it was impossible...

Caining and Caiqing had fossilized. They could not recover for a long time. Their goddess... was just pretending?

Her goddess-like image had suddenly collapsed...

—

In the Queen's chamber.

"Crash...!"

A teacup was swept brutally from the table, dashing into pieces on the floor.

"Hua Qiyue is really cunning! She has escaped her ordeal! So she hung a counterfeit painting in the hall to be burgled... it was all deliberate!" The Queen bellowed angrily. Her eyes were bloodshot with rage.

"Your Majesty, please don't get angry. Cool down. We have another way!" Queen Liu's personal maidservant, Xiaohuan, muttered.

Queen Liu sat on her long couch, panting with anger. Her delicate body was still quaking. She was storming mad but saw no way to deal with the offender.

Xiaohuan got the Queen's personal maids to sweep up the pieces on the floor. Then, she moved close to the Queen's ear. "Your Majesty, it's not possible for us to send Qi Artists to kill Hua Qiyue openly. After all, she's already at the lower levels of the Dragon Diagram Realm... Besides, the Emperor values Qi Artists greatly. But Qi Artists aren't immune to one thing..."

Queen Liu's blood-red eyes, slanted like a phoenix's, sparkled with a cold glitter. "Poison?"

"That's right. We have to ask Master Shui Qianruo to act!" Xiaohuan smirked coldly.

Empress Liu lifted her handsome brows lightly. She already knew she had to poison her. Yet Shui Qianruo, the master poisoner, was still the Emperor's man. Would he be willing to kill Hua Qiyue for her?

"Has Your Majesty forgotten what Shui Qianruo most wants?" Xiaohuan asked quietly.

Queen Liu recalled Shui Qianruo's every movement. She spat out two words from her lips coldly. "Princess Huiya!"

Xiaohuan gave a faint smile.

Shui Qianruo was indeed in love with Princess Huiya, but Princess Huiya did not like his type: sinister and lifeless like the dead.

Shui Qianruo had asked the Emperor to arrange their marriage, but the Changlong Emperor doted on Princess Huiya too much. He respected her wishes and did not give her to Shui Qianruo.

Shui Qianruo was the most powerful poisoner in the capital. Countless states wanted to lure away this "poison buddha", with gold, silver or pretty women.

Unfortunately, Shui Qianruo had only fallen for Princess Huiya and would not leave Changjing Kingdom. Although he would resort to every means to be by her side, the Princess gave him no opportunity at all.

"Now that things have come to a head, this is our only way out. Chongxiao, invite Shui Qianruo here. Get someone else to trace where Xuanji is. It'll be more convenient if he isn't around!"

Someone in black suddenly darted in from the darkness. The face was masked, leaving only a pair of handsome eyes. "Yes, madam!"

Then, the person streaked off like lightning, disappearing at once.

Xiaohuan was thoroughly astounded. "So, that's a Qi Artist at the middle levels of the Dragon Diagram Realm! So fast!"

Queen Liu heard her and smiled faintly. A somewhat complicated expression came into her eyes.

—

When Hua Qiyue returned to the courtyard, Youshui had already brought Tianci to the bathtub. She made Lv Xin fetch her two flasks of the 50-year-old Plum Blossom Wine from the kitchen, and get for her a few famous dishes and two roast chickens.

Lv Xin saw Hua Qiyue lock herself in the study. She was depressed. Ever since First Miss returned from Hanyue Temple, she had acted differently. Every other day, she would ask for a lot of dishes and wine. How could she ever finish? Each time Lv Xin cleaned the room, she could not find any trace of the remaining bones.

Was Miss hiding someone in the study?

Lv Xin was shocked by her thoughts. She quickly stopped her wild imaginings.

Caining and Caiqing in the dark were thinking the same thoughts.

After Hua Qiyue brought the food and wine into the Mysterious World, she discovered Tianpi lying under the Soaring Tree. Patches of light fell on him and his handsome face, and his jade-like countenance looked even more dashing.

However, Hua Qiyue found him rather pale.

"Master?" Hua Qiyue placed the food and wine on one side and whispered.

Tianpi was still keeping his eyes quietly shut. A tinge of worry was on his diabolically handsome face.

Hua Qiyue stopped for a while. Tianpi was a very proud person and his cultivation was very strong— so strong that she did not know what level he was at as a Qi Artist.

Besides, he was also a Spirit Summoner. If he left this Mysterious World, he would probably be No. 1 outside...

So why was there a tinge of worry on his face?

"Master?" Hua Qiyue gently called him again. Like a dozing bird, Tianpi was roused from his sleep. He opened his large, pretty eyes. Those profound pupils reflected the blue of the sky with a pellucid beauty.

Hua Qiyue was stunned. Tianpi had always appeared before her with his most diabolically handsome, charming face. He carried with him the ancient air of heretical allure. No one in the outside world could match his heretical handsomeness. How did such pellucid beauty appeared in Tiapi's pupils...

"Why? Are you bewitched by me?" Tianpi's lazy laughter resounded. By the time Hua Qiyue came to herself again, Tianpi had regained his former devilish air.

"Master, did something happen?" Hua Qiyue could not help but ask.

If nothing had happened, why was there worry on his face? He was someone who probably wouldn't care if the sky fell down! Could it be something endangering his life?

Tianpi blinked his eyes, looking playfully unconcerned. "Why? How do you know Master is in trouble?"

"Our hearts are closely linked."

"Oh... but which parts? Nothing's wrong, nothing. If there's something, I will let you know. Oh, so there's roast chicken to gnaw again! And wine!" Tianpi saw the food and wine at his side and his eyes sparkled. He scrambled over madly, his dashing, cultivated demeanor all gone.

Hua Qiyue pressed her forehead speechlessly.

Since Tianpi would not tell her, she would no longer ask. If he could resolve the problem himself, he wouldn't let her know, would he?

Hua Qiyue had almost forgotten to ask Tianpi why he had taken her in as his disciple.

---------------

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