After rebirth, she became the favorite of the powerful minister.

The muffled thunder continued, and there was a kind of empty and dull aftertaste in the mountains, echoing one after another.

The wind and thunder were roaring like rage. Birds and beasts trembled and hid in their caves. There was no sound at all. However, dozens of black shadows flew quickly through the woods. Their bodies were light and erratic, like ghosts.

On Zhixuan Mountain, the interrogation was still going on, but as Zhan Hongchang himself said, he was old and would not be able to withstand severe torture. The interrogation methods in the imperial prison that were so painful that people had to endure it were obviously not allowed to be used. Zhan Hongchang himself knew that, apart from anything else, the fact that he secretly brought the remains of the plague victims up the mountain was a death sentence.

There was no need to travel thousands of miles to Shengjing City, just knowing that no one on Xuan Mountain would let him live - besides, at this point, the plague was almost a foregone conclusion, and there was a high probability that he would not survive. He curled up in a corner with his head drooped, and for a long while, he pulled the corners of his mouth and silently squeezed out a bleak expression, "Don't ask... The things were delivered to the courtyard of the great elder a few days ago, it's too late... Instead of looking for it, it's better to go down the mountain now, far away, maybe there is still a way to survive."

Plague...Which plague throughout history was not a catastrophe?

Xu Chengjin hit him on the head with his fan, not hard, but not lightly, making his head buzz. However, Xu Chengjin seemed unsatisfied and hit him twice more before saying, "Don't you understand the current situation? You are no longer the chief steward of the Third Elder. You are a prisoner and a criminal! Just answer me now, why are you talking so much nonsense!"

"If I don't tell you, I'll die. If I tell you, I'll die too." Zhan Hongchang seemed to have aged several years in an instant, and he looked exhausted. He smiled bitterly with his head down, "It's a capital crime. When the great elder Tianming knows that it was me who did it, it will save you the energy of interrogating me. I have followed the Third Master all my life, and now I have one foot in the coffin. How could I ruin his plan at this critical moment? Besides, I'm not a fool. Only if I keep my mouth shut can I save my life for the time being."

"Aren't you afraid of death?" Song Wenyuan waved to let Yanhuo in, while looking down at Zhan Hongchang, who seemed to have expected that they could not do anything to him. His face, slightly pale in the candlelight, showed no expression at all. "It's better to spare half of your life so that you can see with your own eyes how your master was captured. Then I will tie you up and keep you company on the road to the underworld. It can also be regarded as the relationship between you two as master and servant."

Zhan Hongchang, who had been hanging his head and not caring about anything, suddenly looked up and said, "You——"

Lord Song was unusually gentle and good-tempered. He patiently explained to the other party, "Don't you think... I came all the way to Zhixuan Mountain to investigate the case without any help? I might as well tell you that there are dozens of people in the mountain searching for your master... Manager Zhan, how about I make a bet with you? Do you think your master will escape successfully or come back here to accompany you?"

Zhan Hongchang was suddenly startled, but he felt that dozens of people were not too many. The Third Master was a meticulous person and had been planning for many years. Naturally, he was very familiar with the terrain in the mountains. It was not difficult for him to find a cave to hide and avoid searches, but... the Third Master was clean and particular, so he was afraid that he would be in trouble.

So he sighed, remained silent, and looked at the two guards who had just come in. The young man in the lead was young, with a stern face but looked very impressive. He also looked familiar. He had seen Song Wenyuan several times. At this moment, he was holding a basin of water and soaking paper in it, one sheet at a time, with slow movements, which seemed quite out of place here... Zhan Hongchang frowned slightly, and for a moment he didn't understand what the two guards were doing...

Song Wenyuan looked back at the sky in the courtyard and gently told Yuan Ge, "You and Chengjin should go out first. Don't worry, go back to the house and rest for a while. No matter what happens, you have to wait until dawn to discuss it. Don't disturb their sleep... Then you can ask the old man and Senior Feng. Although it happened many years ago, the teacher is good at medicine and may know something."

Zhan Hongchang was stunned. Teacher... Feng Qingtan has a strange temper. He is not hospitable and difficult to get along with. In recent years, only Yuan Ge and Nan Yin are allowed to call him teacher. In the past, there was a student in the front mountain. After listening to Feng Qingtan's classes, he called him "teacher" and was severely reprimanded in front of everyone. After that, who dared to call Feng Qingtan "teacher" in front of others? Song Wenyuan called "teacher" in a familiar way... Feng Qingtan didn't curse this time? Zhan Hongchang lowered his eyebrows. For some reason, he felt uneasy.

Yuan Ge looked at the basin of water in which the paper was soaked, and knew that Song Wenyuan did not want him to see the interrogation, so he nodded, said okay in a gentle voice, and went out with Xu Chengjin.

The two of them went out and stood in the yard, watching the yellow leaves blown up and down by the wind. They looked at each other in bewilderment for a while... Rest? Of course they couldn't take care of it. How could they sleep at this critical moment? But Yuan Ge had been in the mountain for so many years and had never heard of any plague down there. The teacher had only been in the mountain for fourteen years, so he might not know much... The old people down there might have heard something, but they didn't dare to go down there rashly to ask around.

"We still have to start from the relics." Yuan Ge raised his head and sighed softly, "Zhan Hongchang also said just now that the things have been sent to my grandfather's courtyard. The scope is much smaller. We just have to see what's added to the courtyard in the past few days..." After saying that, he sighed again, his face full of worry.

Xu Chengjin lowered his eyes to look at her, wanting to persuade her not to be anxious, but he also understood how she could not be anxious? This is her home, where she has relatives who are truly related by blood, and teachers who love her, protect her and educate her. How could she not be anxious? The hand that had been raised again and again finally landed on her shoulder, patted it silently, and then said, "Okay, let's go, don't wait until dawn, let's go directly to the Great Elder to check it out, the sooner we find out, the sooner we can prescribe the right medicine. Don't worry, the best doctors in the world are here!"

This is the truth, albeit a bit shameless.

Yuan Ge pulled the corners of his mouth, wanting to laugh, but in the end he couldn't. Finally, he sighed with a heavy heart and walked quickly towards his grandfather's yard.

Tonight she had been thinking, if she had been more low-key, would Zhan Yanfeng not have resorted to such extreme means for revenge? She knew he would take action, poisoning, assassination, and she arrogantly blocked these avenues for him to see, forcing him to take the risk even if he would rather cut off his left and right hands... She regretted a little, regretting her arrogance.