The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

Led by Bai Jianan, Jian Yue arrived smoothly at the mansion of the city lord of Xuanzi City. The mansion was silent and deserted, with not a single person in sight. The entire mansion was so clean that not even a single leaf was left, which made it look desolate.

As she walked along the corridor, her heart grew heavier with each step. In the end, she could only continue walking by being supported by Bai Jianan.

"right here."

As Jian Yue spoke, Bai Jianan nodded in agreement, then stepped forward and pushed open the door.

This house is located in the northeast corner of the city lord's mansion, which is more deserted than other places. However, compared with other places, there are many more Gu worms that hover on the ground and linger for a long time.

The door creaked open, the sound not loud, but it made Jian Yue's heart race like a drum.

She blinked slightly, her eyelashes trembling, like a child afraid to see her parents. Bai Jianan felt a pang of heartache seeing her like that.

The door was fully opened, and Jian Yue looked up abruptly, only to be stunned by the person smiling at her.

"Yueyue, you still came after all. I knew my daughter would be exceptional."

Jian Yue's eyes were filled with tears. She opened her mouth, but her voice trembled and she couldn't utter a sound. On the other hand, Shangguan Linglong smiled and turned to Bai Jianan, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."

Bai Jianan nodded and said, "This is what I should do."

Shangguan Linglong nodded, her eyes filled with satisfaction, and sighed, "You came here because you wanted to see her, but unfortunately, she's not here."

Bai Jianan remained silent for a moment before saying, "Whether she sees him or not is entirely up to her. If she chooses not to see him, it means she has already decided what to do. After that, whether they fight each other or reunite with their families is her choice."

At this moment, Jian Yue couldn't hold back any longer. She stepped forward, her eyes full of questions: "Why? Mother, what exactly is going on?"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Linglong suddenly smiled, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes. She looked at Jian Yue, stretched out her withered hands as if to embrace her, but put them down before they were fully open.

She lowered her eyes, looking at her arm that was no longer human, gently stroking the wrinkles on it, and said with a bitter smile, "What else could it be? I just want you all to live well. Even if it's barbed, I don't regret it."

Yueyue, you are my daughter, and Yu'er is also my daughter. For both of you, I would have persevered even if it meant clinging to life. But things are far more complicated than I imagined. If I could do it all over again, I would never have done such a heinous thing. The best choice would have been for the three of us—mother and children—to die together.

Jian Yue shook her head, disagreeing with Shangguan Linglong's vague answer. She continued to press, "What exactly did you do? Tell me."

"What's the point of telling me? Can you solve this problem now?"

Shangguan Linglong smiled and gave Jian Yue a helpless look. She said, "Yueyue, you are not strong enough yet. So, the best thing you can do is to obey everything. Start from zero and work your way up to one hundred. Only then will you find a way to solve all of this."

What I'm doing today isn't exactly out of desperation, but it's also a matter of having no other choice. All I can do is tell you that the root of all this is not as simple as you think.

"The Miao region, the Shen clan, the Qingyan Marquis's mansion, the Murong family, and our Shangguan family—all the people, all the events, all the origins are intricately intertwined. If you want to unravel the mystery and find hope for survival, you must learn all of this."

Shangguan Linglong still didn't reveal the reason why she did all this, or whether the events in Xuanzi City were related to her. Jian Yue persisted, but just as she was about to ask again, she suddenly saw Shangguan Linglong collapse.

Bai Jianan's eyes changed, and he rushed over to help Shangguan Linglong up. But after glancing at her, he shook his head at Jian Yue.

Jian Yue stood rooted to the spot, her legs seemingly nailed to the ground, unable to move an inch. She watched as her mother, having escaped her suffering, suddenly left her.

His gloomy complexion, slightly upturned lips, and the lingering smile in his eyes, along with the ever-present, intense longing he held for her, pushed Jian Yue to the brink of a breakdown.

She suddenly fell to the ground, and then saw Shangguan Linglong's hand fall down abruptly, and another jade seal rolled out of her palm.

When Qiu Lingyu arrived, Jian Yue was kneeling on the ground, head bowed, silent, while Bai Jianan knelt in front of Shangguan Linglong, helping her straighten her clothes and closing her eyes that were not closed.

Seeing this, Qiu Lingyu smiled sarcastically and said, "She was on your side until the very end."

Jian Yue suddenly looked up and saw Qiu Lingyu had already walked over, squatted down, picked up the seal, looked at it for a moment, and said, "The other one and the blood coral are in your hands, right? Give them to me."

Jian Yue was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked at Qiu Lingyu: "For you?"

"Yes, give it to me. I told you, I didn't come to help you without a purpose. I know you will carry this with you. Hand it over, and you can leave here safely."

Jian Yue shook her head, her face still showing confusion, but she was already on guard. She slowly stood up and asked, "Why?"

Qiu Lingyu raised an eyebrow: "Why? Why do you think it is?"

"But the armored soldiers are already in your hands, so what use do you have for them?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Lingyu smiled slightly and said, "You don't need to worry about that. In short, what happens afterward is none of your business. All you need to do is be a dutiful daughter and see her off on her final journey."

As Qiu Lingyu spoke, she reached out to Jian Yue, but Jian Yue suddenly shook her head, a bitter smile spreading across her lips. She said, "You knew I would come, and you knew she would die before my eyes, didn't you?"

“I also know she will give this seal to you, and I know she will only give it to you. Otherwise, why do you think I brought you here?”

Jian Yue's pupils suddenly contracted, and she asked sharply, "Did you capture my cousin?"

Qiu Lingyu shrugged, looking indifferent, and said, "Yes, but don't try to claim kinship with people randomly. He's just your cousin, while I'm someone he's wary of. But don't worry, people from your Yue Kingdom don't recognize relatives, but I, Mo Bei, am not like that. At least, the Shangguan family gave me my life, and I will definitely not kill him."

"Hand over what I want, and he'll go home safely. Otherwise, I can't guarantee he'll be alright."

"You're shameless! The blood in your veins isn't all Mo Bei's. You're not a real wolf; you're a human. How could you do this!"

Jian Yue was at a loss for words. All she could say was that she was furious beyond measure. At that moment, she suddenly realized that Qiu Lingyu seemed to have used some means to sever the connection and understanding between the twins, and she had no idea what she was going to do.

Qiu Lingyu approached Jian Yue with a cold smile. Bai Jianan wanted to go over when he saw this, but was stopped by Lu Zhe, who had been standing quietly. He said with a smile, "If you stay here, they won't do anything to you, but if you make a move, you are no match for me."

Bai Jianan clenched his fists, but he was powerless. He could sense that the person in front of him was on the same level as Hei Feng. Even though he had undergone special training, he was no match for him.

Qiu Lingyu approached Jian Yue, reached out and stroked her face, and sighed, "This face is indeed exactly the same as mine, but so what? You are not me after all. We are destined to be one in the clouds and one on the ground. So, what you are meant to be is the one on the ground, while I am destined to fly to the clouds."

So, what use is that blood-red coral to you? It's just an ornament at best. If you like it, I'll give you more someday. For now, give it to me! We're still best friends.”

Snapped!

A slap landed, shocking Qiu Lingyu and causing the two men watching to widen their eyes. Jian Yue withdrew her hand, looking at Qiu Lingyu with a cold smile, and said, "You want my things, yet you're so arrogant. Do you really think you're a phoenix in the clouds, able to get whatever you want?"

As she spoke, Jian Yue suddenly moved, her strange gait startling Lu Zhe, who quickly said to Qiu Lingyu, "Be careful."

But it was too late. Jian Yue had already put her hand on Qiu Lingyu's shoulder, twisted her arm, and forcibly snatched the jade seal from her palm. Then, with a quick movement, she was at the door, quite a distance away from Qiu Lingyu.

Only then did she smile and say to Qiu Lingyu, "See? This is what you meant by one in the clouds and one underground."

Qiu Lingyu was immediately enraged. She slapped her waist and instantly pulled out a steel wire, which she used to lash out at Jian Yue. Jian Yue remained unmoved, her footwork subtly shifting, preventing Qiu Lingyu from getting close. Lu Zhe frowned slightly and said softly, "She can actually do that too."

Taking advantage of the moment, Bai Jianan suddenly attacked Lu Zhe, but Lu Zhe didn't even lift his eyelids. He casually threw a pebble, which hit Bai Jianan in the waist, causing Bai Jianan to fall backward in pain.

Lu Zhe said, "Trying to scheme under my nose? You should see if I'm someone you can handle. Didn't Hei Feng tell you about me?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Jianan suddenly smiled, clutched his waist, looked up, and said, "No matter who you are or what you want to do, what does it have to do with me?"

Lu Zhe sneered: "Such an arrogant tone, but can you still be arrogant now? Once the living Gu surge in, you will all die. Why are you still struggling like this in your death throes?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Jianan didn't answer but instead asked, "Then why didn't you help her? Instead, you let the two sisters fight and waste time. What exactly are you planning?"

Lu Zhe shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. He stepped forward, picked up Bai Jianan with one hand, and casually tossed him toward Jian Yue, saying as he did so, "Too smart people aren't lovable."