"Miss Pei, be careful!"
Ning Yuwang was about to fend off Chu Dong with a flick of her finger. But Lu Jin moved a step ahead. He formed hand seals, and a faint black mist gradually emerged.
When Chu Dong leaped in front of Pei Yunlu, Lu Jin instantly launched the black mist in his hand.
The black mist had initially been just a small cluster. When it first landed on Chu Dong, it was like a living thing, gathering and thickening. It even roamed all over his body and devoured him ruthlessly.
"Ah!"
Amid the thick mist, Chu Dong wailed and cried in pain. But the three of them only saw a swaying black shadow.
In just a moment, Chu Dong turned into a blood mist and completely merged into the thick black mist.
On the ground, only a tattered and blood - stained robe remained.
Lu Jin's pupils dilated, and a trickle of fresh blood suddenly dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The technique he had just used was a life - saving spell taught to him by his master.
However, before his master taught him the spell, he had been required to swear that he would never use it on ordinary people. Otherwise, he would surely suffer the backlash of the oath.
But at that moment, he was really worried about Pei Yunlu getting hurt. In the heat of the moment, without thinking about the serious consequences, he had used it directly.
Lu Jin really thought that the life - saving spell was just an ordinary attack to temporarily block Chu Dong's movements. He didn't expect that the black mist would completely devour Chu Dong and take his life on the spot.
"Miss Pei, I've killed someone!" Lu Jin murmured. Overwhelmed by guilt and the backlash of the spell, he fainted for a moment.
"Mr. Lu!"
Pei Yunlu was also stunned by the scene in front of her. She covered her chest and took several deep breaths before gradually calming down.
Lu Jin had always been honest with Pei Yunlu and had always told her everything he knew. She even knew that he had learned spells before.
And Lu Jin trusted Pei Yunlu extremely. He had even mentioned the weakness of the spell backlash many times. Therefore, Pei Yunlu was not surprised that he had spells.
On the big ship, when Chu Yuanyuan's poisonous snake died inexplicably, Pei Yunlu had guessed that it was because Lu Jin had used a spell. But after all, the poisonous snake was just a brute!
And Chu Dong was a living person!
In an instant, he had turned into a blood mist, with no trace of his body left. It was really incredible and terrifying!
With great difficulty, Pei Yunlu managed to calm herself down. She supported the unconscious Lu Jin. "Mr. Lu... Lu Jin, are you okay?"
She had fought with Chu Dong for a while, so her hands and feet were weak. And as a delicate woman, she couldn't carry Lu Jin at all.
Just as she was frowning in distress, Ning Yuwang happened to enter the room.
"Sister - in - law, please save Mr. Lu quickly!"
Lu Jin had suffered the backlash for Pei Yunlu's sake. Pei Yunlu had feelings for him originally, and now she was even more touched. If it weren't for Ning Yuwang's timely arrival, there would probably have been tears in her eyes.
Although Lu Jin was unconscious, his eyelids were turning blue - black, and the fresh blood at the corner of his mouth kept flowing.
Ning Yuwang reached out to feel his pulse. "He has suffered the backlash of the spell. But it seems to be the first time he's used it, so the backlash won't be life - threatening. He'll recover after a few months of rest."
"Sister - in - law?"
Pei Yunlu lowered her eyes. She wanted to look at Ning Yuwang but didn't dare to. "Sister - in - law also knows spells."
Ning Yuwang knew that she was suspicious. "When I was begging in the capital, I once met a Taoist priest. He taught me a few moves. But I knew I couldn't be his disciple, so I never mentioned it to others."
She knew all about the original body's experiences before the age of fourteen. Only the year when she had been a wandering beggar was difficult to trace because she had been constantly on the move. Therefore, she attributed the unclear things to that year. No one would suspect her.
Pei Yunlu must have secretly investigated her life. A look of guilt flashed across her eyes. She even worried that her question just now might have hurt Ning Yuwang's feelings and made her recall the unhappy past.
"Sister - in - law, I'm sorry."
"It's okay. It's all in the past."
Ning Yuwang shook her head, then frowned with her eyes downcast. "Let's move Lu Jin to the bed first."
It was still the same day. If Lu Jin kept lying on the cold ground, he might get even sicker.
Pei Yunlu just nodded, having calmed herself down.
On the ground, although Lu Jin seemed to be in a deep sleep with his eyes closed, he could clearly hear the conversation between Ning Yuwang and Pei Yunlu, including Pei Yunlu's address to Ning Yuwang: "Sister - in - law."
His eyebrows twitched, and his fingers trembled slightly, as if he wanted to wake up from the nightmare. But the darkness suddenly enveloped him and completely covered him.
Ning Yuwang and Pei Yunlu worked together to place Lu Jin by the window. But when they turned around, neither of them noticed the strange phenomenon on Lu Jin's body.
Thick mist filled his seven orifices, looking extremely eerie.
Lu Jin also looked extremely painful. Cold sweat was pouring down his forehead, and the veins on his neck were bulging. But when Ning Yuwang and Pei Yunlu looked again, the strange phenomenon on him gradually disappeared. It was as if it didn't want to be discovered by them.
Ning Yuwang was lost in thought. She seemed to feel a familiar aura on Lu Jin's body, the same as that of someone she had recently met. But when she tried to investigate further, that aura disappeared.
Unconsciously tapping her fingers on the table, Ning Yuwang concealed a hint of suspicion.
Beside her, Pei Yunlu couldn't leave because Lu Jin was unconscious. She had to break her appointment with Yan Zhao.
When Ning Yuwang was about to leave, she still heard the little girl nervously saying, "I hope brother won't be angry with me."
In the past, Pei Yunlu's world had only consisted of the Pei Mansion and Yan Zhao. Although they seemed unfamiliar on the surface, they actually had an appointment once every half - month in private. But recently, there had been Lu Jin by her side, and she hadn't seen Yan Zhao for two or three months. If it weren't for the invitation from Chu Nian'an to enjoy the snow, she might not have had time to see her brother for a while.
Fortunately, Yan Zhao was still dealing with Chu Yuanyuan's matter. He couldn't leave for a while.
The atmosphere in the North Courtyard was even more quiet and cold.
Rebuked coldly by Yan Zhao, Chu Yuanyuan was filled with anger and resentment. "I, the princess, don't have hysteria!"
Her fingers trembled violently in anger. "My guard can also prove that there were indeed poisonous snakes attacking in the North Courtyard! Chu Nan, quickly tell the princess that what I said is true!"
Among the guards she had brought, apart from Chu Dong who had tried to assassinate, only Chu Nan was still alive.
And Chu Nan was from the Huainan Prince's Mansion. He was a guard personally trained by her father.
Chu Yuanyuan believed that Chu Nan would surely stand behind her. But to her surprise, Chu Nan lowered his head, looking embarrassed. "Princess, just let it go."
A bad feeling welled up in Chu Yuanyuan's heart. "Let what go? Chu Nan, what are you talking nonsense about?"
"There were no poisonous snakes in the North Courtyard at all! The princess holds a grudge against the Young Master Yan, so she came up with this scheme to frame him!"
"You bastard! You're talking nonsense!"
Chu Yuanyuan never expected that Chu Nan would betray her.
Furious with shame, she flipped her palm and was about to slap Chu Nan on the head.
Yan Zhao reached out to stop her and then opened Chu Yuanyuan's palm. A silver needle fell to the ground.
"Your lie has been exposed, and in front of the princess, you still want to kill someone to cover up your crime?"
There was a frosty look in Yan Zhao's eyes. "Chu Yuanyuan, you're so bold!"
Chu Nian'an clenched her fist. Her eyes were full of disappointment in Chu Yuanyuan.
"Chu Yuanyuan, you've caused trouble again and again, telling one lie after another and ruining my mood. From now on, I don't want to see you again!"