Go deeper.
It's a bit dark.
It's a narrow path.
Zhao Shuning steps on the dried fallen bamboo leaves.
A rustling sound comes.
However.
Since there's no one guarding here, this slight sound doesn't attract any attention.
At the end of this path.
There's a small courtyard.
Zhao Shuning gently pushes open the courtyard gate, making a creaking sound.
She doesn't think much of it.
But the woman in the room, upon hearing this sound, has her eyes filled with humiliation and despair.
The small cottage.
It's just around the corner.
Under the eaves, there are several big lanterns. But these lanterns full of festive atmosphere look extremely eerie here instead of bringing any joy.
The candlelight inside is dim yellow.
Zhao Shuning looks inside through the paper window. She only feels there's someone inside, but who on earth is that person? Why is he/she just sitting there motionlessly?
While feeling strange, she also fears this might be a trap set by that bastard Lu.
It's not Zhao Shuning's fault.
After wandering in the Jianghu for so many years, she has suffered many setbacks due to her carelessness. It's always right to be more careful now.
Before finding her mother, it's the most unwise choice to tip off the enemy.
In the candlelight.
The woman is dressed in red.
With her back to Zhao Shuning.
Zhao Shuning can't see her face clearly. After detecting several times to make sure there's no other spiritual power in the room, she pushes open the door and enters.
Lin Min'er closes her eyes.
Tears slide down.
She can't move at all.
She hates.
She hates that at her age, she took the beauty - nourishing pill when she was young and wasted so many precious medicinal materials to maintain her body.
At that time, she just wanted to hold on a bit longer and see the hope of her daughter's survival.
But now.
She hasn't waited for her daughter.
Instead, she has waited for these beasts.
At this moment, Lin Min'er feels as if there are countless knives stabbing at her heart. She regrets it. She should have known that her life should have ended like everyone else's, turning into a few pieces of dry bones with the passage of time.
Before dying.
She has to suffer such humiliation.
Lin Min'er can feel the person behind her approaching step by step.
But her voice is sealed, and she can't even say a single word.
The shadow of that person grows bigger and bigger.
Completely covering Lin Min'er.
"Who are you?"
The person behind speaks softly.
Lin Min'er's body trembles.
This voice is neither that of the Heavenly Master Lu nor that of Yang Hun. Then who is he?
Seeing that the woman doesn't answer, Zhao Shuning probably realizes something. She quickly steps forward and turns the woman's body towards herself.
The candlelight flickers.
The makeup on the woman's face.
Has already been wet by tears.
When Zhao Shuning sees the woman, her eyes suddenly become moist.
Lin Min'er doesn't respond.
Zhao Shuning reaches out and touches.
Sure enough.
She has been bound by the spiritual power of an alchemist. Not eating, not drinking, not speaking. They must be afraid that her mother would bite her tongue and commit suicide.
Zhao Shuning reaches out her hand and quickly releases the forbidden spell for her mother.
Zhao Shuning originally thought.
Her mother should be very happy to see her.
But Lin Min'er isn't.
As soon as she is released from the restraint by the person in front of her, before Zhao Shuning can say a word, she immediately pulls out a gold hairpin from her hair and points it at her own neck.
Zhao Shuning is really scared by Lin Min'er's action.
Lin Min'er looks at the person in front of her.
Her eyes are full of hatred.
But her remaining rationality tells her that there are no good people in this manor. They are all just waiting for those two old lechers to finish playing with her, and then they can torture her.
Before dying, she wants to take a chance.
"You—"
Zhao Shuning steps forward.
But Lin Min'er suddenly points the gold hairpin at Zhao Shuning.
Having not eaten for many days.
Lin Min'er doesn't have much strength.
But she still uses all her strength to stab at the person opposite.
Zhao Shuning is no ordinary person.
Naturally, she easily dodges.
But she is afraid that the gold hairpin will hurt her mother. After dodging, her right hand smoothly touches her mother's wrist holding the gold hairpin, and then exerts a little force.
The gold hairpin makes a "ding" sound.
And falls to the ground.
Seeing that the matter is already exposed, Lin Min'er thinks there's no need for her to live on.
She makes a move.
About to bite her tongue.
"Mother—what are you doing?"
The situation is urgent.
Lin Min'er has stayed in Jiangning for the past few months and has lost all will to live. Now that her assassination has failed, she naturally won't stay to be humiliated by these people one by one.
Zhao Shuning quickly puts her hand in.
She could have pinched her mother's jaw. With a little force, her mother's chin would be dislocated, and she couldn't do such self - harming behavior.
But Zhao Shuning can't bear it.
That would make her mother very painful.
Lin Min'er bites very deeply. She is determined to die.
Zhao Shuning's brows suddenly wrinkle tightly.
It hurts.
It really hurts.
Blood slowly flows down her hand.
At this moment, Lin Min'er is in a crazy state and has no rationality at all.
Zhao Shuning knows.
In this situation, they can only wait for her mother to calm down first, and then discuss other things.
Maybe Lin Min'er is also tired.
She slowly calms down.
These people won't even let her die.
"Mother, I'm here. Don't be afraid."
The gentle voice of the person behind comes.
Lin Min'er trembles all over.
But smiles coldly.
"Mother? You're really ridiculous. Zheng Ge and I only have one daughter. When did we have such a beast - in - human - form son like you?"
What kind of trick are Yang Hun and the others playing this time?
Hearing what her mother says.
Zhao Shuning then notices herself.
Just now, in order to blend in with the crowd with Luo Qiu, she transformed into a man's appearance and was also wearing a Taoist robe. She didn't immediately think that the person in the room was her mother, so she didn't transform back immediately.
Now reminded by Lin Min'er.
She quickly pinches a magic seal with her hand and mutters a spell.
When she speaks again.
Her voice is completely different from before.
"Mother, it's me. I'm Shuning."
Shuning.
The two words "Shuning".
It's like a bell ringing from a thousand miles away. It takes a long time to reach Lin Min'er's ears.
Just these simple two words.
Lin Min'er's body trembles uncontrollably.
Zhao Shuning hugs her mother.
"You're lying to me. You're lying to me."
Lin Min'er's tears pour out, and her whole body is shaking uncontrollably.
When she speaks.
The words can't even form a sentence.
Zhao Shuning just hugs her mother and says softly, "Mother, it's me. Look up at me. I'm Shuning. I'm back."
This voice.
How could Lin Min'er not be familiar with it?
She has woken up in countless nights, always in tears. When she wakes up, her mind is full of her daughter's voice.
She is too familiar with it.
So at this moment.
She is so scared.
She is afraid.
This is still just a dream of hers.
She is afraid.
If she raises her head and reaches out to touch the daughter in front of her, will Shuning disappear like before?