A farmer has a shrewish wife; he's busy making money every day.

“I can’t say I know A-Miao. She probably doesn’t even remember me.”

Yunlai spoke softly, as if she didn't want to disturb something she cherished.

“My hometown is a small nomadic tribe. Because my father was dissatisfied with the barbaric behavior of the Chi tribe, he was unwilling to make peace with them.”

“My father wasn’t a reckless fool. He had the means to refuse to pay tribute to the Chi tribe, but he underestimated their ruthlessness…”

When Yunlai spoke of this, the fear in her eyes was extremely intense; this incident had left a deep shadow on her.

From Yunlai, Ye Qingxue learned the story of a small nomadic tribe on the border.

The so-called capital of this small tribe lies in the unique geographical advantages of the region. A natural barrier separates them from the outside world, and only merchants can travel to the outside world through a single secret passage that allows only one person to pass at a time, bringing back some novelties.

Beyond the formidable barrier lies a dense forest inhabited by a pack of exceptionally fierce spotted hyenas. They are friendly only to their own tribe, and anyone who attempts to force their way in will inevitably be either killed or seriously injured.

The men of the Chi tribe were naturally savage and loved to explore and expand their territory, so they quickly found the area where they lived.

The terrifying tribal chief insisted that there were resources they had never discovered inside, so he sent people to search the outer perimeter of the forest, and when the spotted hyenas weren't looking, he would also sneak deeper in.

Finally, one day, when the merchant from Yunlai's small tribe went out to do business, he was discovered by the people of the Chi tribe.

They used force to coerce the merchant into revealing information about his clan, and then poisoned him to act as a messenger between the two sides.

One side wanted Yunlai and his people to submit and be welcomed into the country, while the other side refused to compromise no matter what.

Fortunately, Yunlai's father was no pushover either. The poison was fairly common, and they were able to neutralize it without any trouble, and the merchant was never allowed to leave the house again.

They thought the matter was over and done with.

But on an ordinary winter afternoon, even from within the tribe, across a chasm, one could hear the painful howls of spotted hyenas in the distant forest.

The neighing stopped after a quarter of an hour, before the tribespeople could react. That very night, the iron hooves trampled into Yunlai's happy homeland.

First, two people pulled a rope and rushed in through the secret passage. Without hesitation, they killed the clansmen who were passing by to get up in the night, and blood splattered all over the ground.

Then, the Chi tribe members outside the chasm used the frozen spotted hyenas, one tied to the other, to stretch out a thick, stiff hemp rope across the chasm and hand it to the two intruders.

Working together from within and without, in the dead of night when everyone was asleep, they carved out a passageway for their wanton invasion.

Overnight, the Manchu people were wiped out.

The Chi tribe was treacherous and ruthless. Unlike other tribes that would openly attack and kill, they invaded silently. By the time they were discovered, large swathes of land had already been stained red.

Yunlai was startled awake from her sleep and saw her mother hiding her in the cellar with tears streaming down her face.

"Yun'er...don't make a sound, please don't make a sound!"

That terrified, disordered voice lingered in her dreams for a very long time afterward.

Her parents were kind-hearted and thought that if they kept Yunlai in the cellar, no one would find her.

Even places that are so well protected can be broken into; what can't they find in a cellar?

"There's a cellar here, open it and take a look."

"Chief! A crystal mine has been discovered!"

"Goddess, go down and take a look."

"Yes."

Yunlai thought she was going to die. She opened her eyes groggily and looked at the beautiful older sister through the gaps between her stuck eyelashes.

Her sister reached out her hand, and she closed her eyes in fear.

But all she felt was that hand wiping her eyes.

Then she turned her head and said gently, "I didn't find anything here."

"Chi tribe... goddess?" Little Yunlai murmured, squinting her eyes.

Yun Lai's memories of how she left, how she changed her appearance and blended into the crowd, and how she awakened her Qi Refining Body and joined a sect are not very clear.

The only person she remembered was that gentle and beautiful older sister.

Yunlai sniffed. She realized she had talked so much without realizing it and almost lost control of her emotions. Feeling a little embarrassed, she buried her head in her knees.

Even without her saying anything, Ye Qingxue could roughly guess what happened next.

"So, you heard that the older sister was sent to the Wu Dynasty as a hostage, so you came along? And you were even chosen by Empress Dowager Wu to be her secret guard?"

Yunlai gave a muffled "hmm".

Ye Qingxue was somewhat helpless. The usually ruthless and decisive bodyguard became like a girl next door when Chi Miaoxian was mentioned.

Lu Ningyuan was somewhat surprised: "Then why are you following me?"

Xian'er is currently in the palace. If she wants to find her sister, she should stay in the palace as well.

Yunlai gave him a strange look: "Wasn't my sister sent to you?"

Lu Ningyuan was stunned for a moment before realizing that she was referring to the beginning.

"That's true... but that was a long time ago. Xuan'er should be in the palace now... didn't you know?"

Yun Lai's mind went blank for a moment, and she straightened up, asking, "What?"

"Aren't you someone from Empress Wu's side?" Lu Ningyuan frowned as he looked at her.

Yun Lai's eyes trembled: "I...it seems that the Empress Dowager doesn't know about this either. His Majesty hasn't mentioned it to her..."

Lu Chuci: "Emperor Wu even kept it from Empress Dowager Wu?"

Ye Qingxue suddenly realized something: "She wasn't trying to hide it from Chi Miaoxian as a person, but from the fact that he was ordering people to make medicine for him."

A dark glint flashed in Lu Ningyuan's eyes: "Xuan'er's talent in pharmaceuticals is top-notch, and the Martial Emperor might actually be drawn to that."

Empress Wu was vicious and capable of using any means to coerce people.

Yunlai grew anxious and tried to stand up: "She must be in a lot of pain, I'll go back and save her right now!"

Ye Qingxue pulled her back: "Even if you go now, you can't save them."

There are definitely many ghost clan members in the palace, and there are also Golden Core experts guarding it, so there's no way Yun Lai could bring anyone out.

"But we can't just do nothing!" Her voice rose a little; she was genuinely anxious.

Lu Chuci lowered her head and thought for a moment: "Do you think Chi Miaoxian is smart?"

Yun Lai paused for a moment: "Of course I'm smart."

Lu Chuci: "Then she might be safer in the palace."

"What do you mean?" Yunlai looked at him.

“Since she is intelligent, she must know how to maneuver.” Lu Chuci slowly explained, “The medicine that the Martial Emperor seeks cannot even be made by the Ghost Clan. She has to rely on a woman from the Human Realm. It must not be an easy medicine to make. Therefore, she will be fine before she achieves her goal.”

"Even if the goal is achieved and the medicine is produced, as long as Chi Miaoxian claims that only she knows how to use this medicine, then no one can touch her."

“But…” Yun Lai wanted to say something more, but couldn’t think of anything to refute.

Perhaps he is right...

It's better for my sister to be in the palace than to run away with her.

"But I still want to save him," Yunlai insisted.

Even if she is safe, it is only temporary. Once everything settles down, it's hard to say whether the Martial Emperor will spare Chi Miaoxian's life.

Ye Qingxue looked up at her and asked, "How do you plan to save her?"

"This..." Yun Lai hadn't thought it through yet, but when she looked into Ye Qingxue's eyes, she seemed to realize something.

Sure enough, the woman in front of her curled her lips and reached out her hand.

"Since you can't make up your mind, why don't you join us?"