Farmer Girl Reborn: I Play the Pig and Eat the Tiger in the World of Immortal Cultivation

The night deepened, the Murong Mansion ablaze with lights, yet a surging undercurrent could not be concealed. Yan Yuewan declined Murong Hai's offer of a guest room, opting instead for a secluded courtyard within the mansion. Naturally, Nong Jin followed her closely, ostensibly to protect her, but in reality, both of them secretly observing the goings-on in the Murong Mansion.

The next morning, Yan Yue began her investigation. Pretending to be interested in the Murong family's history, she interviewed several elders and senior members. Each had a complex and diverse approach to the spiritual ore: some desired fair distribution, while others were ambitious and sought to monopolize the resource. Their conversations seemed to conceal many unknown secrets, yet they were so deeply veiled that they were difficult to uncover.

After several conversations, Yan Yue realized that the internal divisions within the Murong family were far more serious than he had imagined. Those who supported fair distribution, led by Elder Lin, were mostly veterans of the family, emphasizing family unity and long-term development. Meanwhile, the radical faction, represented by Murong Yun, was mostly younger, eager to rapidly increase their power and extremely dissatisfied with the distribution of spiritual ore.

In the evening, Yan Yue was walking alone in the garden, trying to sort out the confusing clues. A waft of medicinal fragrance wafted over, and a slightly hunched figure appeared before her. It was none other than the Murong family's pharmacist, Qi Pharmacist.

"Master Yan," Pharmacist Qi bowed respectfully, "I have something important to report."

Yan Yue motioned for him to continue.

Pharmacist Qi lowered his voice, his expression solemn. "I've recently discovered that the spiritual energy of the spiritual mine seems to be somewhat unstable, and the output has also decreased. Moreover, I have discovered some... unusual traces near the spiritual mine."

"Unusual traces?" Yan Yue's heart moved and he asked, "What are they?"

Pharmacist Qi pulled out a stone stained with dark red soil from his bosom. "Master, please look, this soil is not from the spiritual mine, but from... a forbidden area."

The forbidden area is the restricted area of ​​the Murong family. It is said that it contains powerful power, but it is also full of dangers and ordinary people are not allowed to approach it.

Yan Yue took the stone and carefully examined the dark red soil beneath it. A flash of insight struck her. It seemed the anomaly in the spiritual ore was somehow connected to the forbidden area. This was undoubtedly a crucial clue, bringing her one step closer to the truth.

"Thank you, Pharmacist Qi, for telling me. I will handle this matter carefully." Yan Yue put the stone away and expressed his gratitude to Pharmacist Qi.

After Pharmacist Qi left, Yan Yue stood there, lost in thought. The anomaly in the spiritual mine, the secrets of the forbidden land, the internal disputes within the family... Could these seemingly isolated events hide a greater conspiracy?

As night fell, Yan Yue returned to the courtyard and told Nong Jin about his discovery. Nong Jin frowned and said, "It seems that the Murong family is more involved than we thought."

"Yes," Yan Yue sighed softly, "I always feel that there is an invisible hand controlling all this."

The two were discussing their next plan when they suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the courtyard. A hostile voice rang out from outside the door, "Yan Yue, come out!" It was Murong Yun's voice, tinged with obvious anger.

Yan Yue and Nong Jin exchanged a glance, a hint of coldness flashing in their eyes. Yan Yue pushed open the door, and Murong Yun was standing outside angrily, followed by several family members, each of them looking aggressive.

"Mr. Murong, what brings you here so late at night?" Yan Yue asked calmly, not at all intimidated by his aura.

"Stop pretending!" Murong Yun pointed at Yan Yue's nose and shouted angrily, "What are you thinking of by asking around about the spiritual mine? I'm warning you, don't meddle in other people's business, otherwise..."

"What else?" Nong Jin stepped forward and protected Yan Yue behind him. His tone was cold, and a powerful pressure instantly enveloped Murong Yun and others.

Murong Yun's face changed, and he took a step back as he sensed the powerful aura emanating from Nong Jin. But he quickly regained his composure, stiffening his neck and saying, "This is our Murong family's business, and it's none of our business to interfere! You'd better be smart and leave us alone!"

Yan Yue walked out from behind Nong Jin, staring at Murong Yun sharply. "Mr. Murong, I'm here to investigate the spiritual mine at the request of the Murong clan leader, not to interfere. You're trying to stop me, do you have something to hide?"

"You..." Murong Yun was choked by Yan Yue's words and was speechless for a moment. He was furious and was about to explode when he was stopped by an older tribesman behind him.

"Yun'er, don't be rude!" the tribesman whispered, "Master Yan is an honored guest, don't neglect him."

Although Murong Yun was unwilling, he also knew that he was in the wrong, so he could only glare at Yan Yue fiercely and leave.

After everyone left, Yan Yue sighed softly and said to Nong Jin, "It seems that the conflicts within the Murong family are more complicated than we imagined."

Nong Jin held Yan Yue's hand and comforted her softly, "Don't worry, I'm here, everything will be fine."

Late at night, the gardens of the Murong residence were quiet and peaceful. Moonlight shone like water, casting a silver glow over the flowers, plants, and trees. Yan Yue and Nong Jin strolled along the garden path, taking in the tranquility of the night.

Nong Jin gently pulled Yan Yue to his side, his arm around her waist. Yan Yue could smell his delicate fragrance, blended with the sweet scent of tuberose, which was particularly reassuring. She could hear his strong heartbeat and feel the warmth of his palm, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

Nong Jin lowered his head and whispered in Yan Yue's ear: "Yuer, do you know? Ever since I met you, my world has been filled with sunshine. You are like a shining star, lighting up my life."

Yan Yue's face flushed slightly, and she leaned gently in Nong Jin's arms, feeling his warm embrace.

"Jin..." Yan Yue called softly, her heart filled with sweetness and happiness.

Nong Jin hugged Yan Yue tighter, his voice low and magnetic: "Yuer, I love you."

Yan Yue's heartbeat quickened. She raised her head and looked into Nong Jin's deep eyes, which were filled with love. She was about to respond when suddenly, a dark shadow flashed from the darkness... "Be careful!" Nong Jin suddenly pushed Yan Yue away.

A shadow flashed, and a cold light came towards Yan Yue. Nong Jin was quick-witted and pushed Yan Yue away, blocking her way. The cold light was a poisoned dart, which pierced Nong Jin's shoulder.

"Jin!" Yan Yue exclaimed and quickly supported him.

Nong Jin groaned and pulled out the dart, black blood gushing out of the wound. "It's okay, just a minor injury." He endured the pain and comforted Yan Yue.

Before he could finish his words, the shadowy figure reappeared, brandishing a sharp blade as he charged at Nong Jin. This shadow assassin was agile, his movements swift as the wind, each strike deadly. Though formidable, Nong Jin's shoulder injury hampered his ability to subdue him, and for a moment, he struggled to subdue him. The two engaged in a dazzling display of swords and sabers under the moonlight.

Yan Yue was terribly anxious, but she knew she couldn't panic. She forced herself to calm down and carefully observed the situation. The Shadow Assassin's attacks, though fierce, lacked structure, seemingly designed only to stall for time. Yan Yue's mind fluttered. Was he trying to cover something?

Thinking of this, Yan Yue no longer hesitated. She quickly made hand gestures and muttered something. A light blue light shot out from her fingertips, transforming into countless tiny ice crystals that danced in the air, disrupting the Shadow Assassin's vision.

"A mere trifle!" The shadow assassin snorted coldly and waved his blade, trying to disperse the ice crystals.

At this moment, Nong Jin seized the opportunity, gathered all his spiritual power, and struck the shadow assassin in the chest. The shadow assassin groaned, flew backwards, fell heavily to the ground, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You..." The shadow assassin struggled to stand up, but found he was no longer able to fight. He glared at Yan Yue and Nong Jin with resentment, then disappeared into the night in a flash.

Nong Jin covered his wound, walked to Yan Yue, and asked with concern: "Are you okay?"

Yan Yue shook her head and looked at the wound on his shoulder worriedly, "Your injury..."

"I'm fine." Nong Jin smiled, "This little injury can't do anything to me."

Although he said so, Nong Jin's face was a little pale. Yan Yue knew that he was just pretending, and she became even more worried.

"Let's go back first." Yan Yue supported Nong Jin and slowly left the garden.

The night breeze rustled, the shadows of the trees swayed, as if telling a secret. In the moonlight, the bloodstains left on the garden path were particularly glaring. The sudden appearance of a shadowy assassin filled the once peaceful night with suspense. Who sent him? What was his purpose?

The next morning, Yan Yue, remembering Pharmacist Qi's mention of unusual energy fluctuations near the spiritual mine, decided to investigate. She quietly left the Murong residence and arrived near the family's secret warehouse. The area was heavily guarded, and a tense atmosphere hung heavy. Observing from the shadows, Yan Yue noticed some fresh soil on the ground around the warehouse, signs of disturbance. Her gaze fixed, and she thought to herself, "There's something fishy going on here."

"Who is it?!" A loud shout suddenly rang out, breaking the tranquility of the early morning.