After being reborn, I locked up all the scumbags and bitches in one nest.

Xiaoqing pinched the hem of her dress. "Miss, isn't Xiaoping your maid? She actually... she actually tried to kill you."

Qin Wanyou stared at Xiaoqing, "She is my maid, but I am not her only master, and I am not her real master."

Xiaoqing was surprised again. "You can do that?"

Looking at Xiaoqing's confused yet suddenly enlightened expression, and her reaction when asked to call for reinforcements, Qin Wanyou concluded that it shouldn't have been arranged by the Right Prime Minister's residence. "How did you end up there yesterday?"

Xiaoqing was taken aback for a moment when she heard Qin Wanyou's question. "Oh, I am from Qingshan Village, a hundred miles west of Yandu City. I live in the mountains with my maternal grandfather and my mother, and we make a living by collecting and selling medicinal herbs. Not long ago, the heartless man who abandoned my mother came looking for her, but my maternal grandfather did not believe him and drove him away."

But my mother believed him and persuaded my grandfather to let him stay. Little did I know that in the end, he was stealing my grandfather's life's work of medical books to please his new lover.

After discovering the truth, my mother was heartbroken and devastated, and she committed suicide together with that unfaithful man.

His new lover, after learning of his death, brought people to find my grandfather. She took a fancy to me and wanted to buy me into her household. My grandfather, of course, disagreed and made me leave Qingshan Village.

Then they killed my grandfather, and while his body was still warm, they even tried to drag me away.

I ran for my life, but they caught up with me. With nowhere to run and no desire to escape anymore, I resolved to die. That's when I met the young lady.

After listening, Qin Wanyou asked, "Don't you want revenge?"

Xiaoqing was filled with rage, her eyes blazing with hatred. "Of course I want revenge, but my martial arts skills are weak. I only know a few moves and I'm no match for them. What can I do to take revenge? All my relatives are dead, and I don't want to live anymore."

Qin Wanyou spat out two words at her, "Stupid!"

Xiaoqing looked at Qin Wanyou through teary eyes.

Qin Wanyou stared at Xiaoqing, "Remember, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. If you die, who will avenge your grandfather? The enemy will not only suffer no losses, but they might even be happy to celebrate. You should hide yourself, strengthen yourself, learn your skills, and take revenge when you have the chance."

Xiaoqing knelt down and kowtowed to express her gratitude, "Thank you for your guidance, Miss."

"Do you still want to die?" Qin Wanyou asked again.

Xiaoqing looked at Qin Wanyou, thought for a while, and shook her head, "I don't want to think about it anymore."

Qin Wanyou, feeling a bit tired, coughed and shifted her position. "Would you like to work for me? Or do you want to leave? If you want to leave, I won't stop you."

After thinking for a few breaths, Xiaoqing immediately stated her decision, "I am willing to stay by your side, Miss. Please take me in!"

Qin Wanyou stared intently at Xiaoqing, "Then I'll remind you, staying by my side means you're not allowed to betray me, or I'll make you wish you were dead. You need to think this through."

"I have thought it through, and I will never betray you, Miss. If I do, may I die a horrible death," Xiaoqing vowed.

Just then, the sound of someone pushing open the door came from outside.

A short while later, there was a knock on the door. A young monk brought Qin Wanyou the medicine prescribed by Master Yun.

Xiaoqing accepted the gift and thanked her young master.

The little monk smiled shyly, and seeing that nothing was wrong, he ran off.

Xiaoqing smelled the medicine but didn't detect anything wrong. She told Qin Wanyou about it and then went to find a pot to brew the medicine.

When Master Yun returned to his residence, he saw Murong Xiao waiting in the courtyard.

Seeing that his master's expression was not right, Murong Xiao hurriedly asked anxiously, "Uncle-Master, are you injured?"

Master Liaoyun waved his hand, "It's alright, I just need to rest for a while."

Murong Xiao asked casually, "Is that young lady seriously injured?"

Master Liaoyun shook his head, still angry for Qin Wanyou. "I don't know who was so vicious to her before, trying to cripple her and make her suffer immense pain."

After finishing speaking, Yun suddenly looked at Murong Xiao with a meaningful look in his eyes, as if to say, "So that's how it is."

Murong Xiao was puzzled by his uncle's gaze, so he explained, "Because there were rumors that Miss Qin had been poisoned and had lost all her spiritual arts and martial arts, I saw her helping her today. It was inconvenient for the women to visit her in the women's quarters, so I ate a little more."

Liao Yun nodded.

Then he went straight to the tea room.

Murong Xiao, with keen insight, lit a flame, poured water into the teapot, and began boiling water to brew tea.

Master Liaoyun sat in meditation to the side.

After the tea was brewed, Master Liaoyun opened his eyes, took the tea that Murong Xiao had brewed, took a sip, and said, "Give me your hand."

Murong Xiao did as instructed, extending the hand that was suppressing the Gu worms to his martial uncle.

Liao Yun closed her eyes and quietly took her pulse.

After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes. "The poison has been temporarily suppressed, but it can only be suppressed for up to half a year. Who was the expert who helped you suppress it?"

Murong Xiao shook his head. "That expert did not reveal his name. I am already very grateful that I have not had to suffer from the Gu poison for half a year. Granny has returned to Chu Yue to look for a way to break the curse. Hopefully, she can find one."

Liao Yun sighed, "You still need to work hard to cultivate your spiritual arts during this time, hoping to prolong the suppression period."

Murong Xiao nodded, "Yes, Uncle-Master."

The two discussed the assassination attempt again and decided to report to the imperial court that Huguo Temple had been attacked by assassins, but they did not specify who was to be assassinated.

Upon hearing this, the emperor was furious and immediately ordered a thorough investigation, causing everyone in the court to feel insecure once again.

When the people heard that Huguo Temple had been attacked, they were all filled with righteous indignation and kept cursing the assassins.

This was an era that believed in gods. The assassination and destruction of Huguo Temple was tantamount to destroying everyone's faith. Ancestors would not rest in peace, and future generations would not have any peace.

At this time, the Empress Dowager's anger in Yongci Palace had not subsided. The old imperial brother-in-law and his son Liu Ming comforted the Empress Dowager, "Your Majesty, our people have gone to Black Wind Village to carry out a siege. They will soon find the lost money and treasures. Please calm down and take care of yourself."

The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table. "Black Wind Stronghold must be wiped out. I don't care whether it was their people or not. They must be eliminated, or I will not be able to quell my anger."

The old emperor's brother-in-law quickly tried to appease her, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This old minister has already followed your instructions and instructed people to bring back only the valuables, and to make the rest of the people disappear from this world, so that they will know what they can and cannot take."

The Empress Dowager nodded. "What's the reaction from the Regent's Palace?"

The old imperial brother-in-law hurriedly responded, "According to the information gathered by our people, Murong Xiao is still recuperating at Huguo Temple, and we haven't detected any other movements."

But is that really the case?

At this moment, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold was still admiring and enjoying the spoils of war that he had recently plundered, his eyes lingering on the jade jewelry in his hand. "The people of Yandu City are indeed rich!"

At this moment, a subordinate came to report, "Boss, we have spotted a large group of what looks like an army heading towards our mountain stronghold."

The leader of Black Wind Stronghold didn't care much. "The imperial court has come to besiege us several times. They all returned empty-handed. Our stronghold is not a place that a few government officials can come and go as they please."

Another subordinate rushed in to report, "Boss, our stronghold is surrounded!"

The gang leader dared not be careless this time. "Everyone, come with me to take a look. You guys quickly tell the second and third gang leaders to get off the brothel."

His subordinate replied that he would run down immediately.

Meanwhile, in a secluded spot on the outskirts of Black Wind Stronghold, Mo Nan and Gu Siyuan, along with their men, observed the situation on both sides.