Ye Liuyun had no idea that Lin Xiaoxiao’s mind was racing with so many thoughts. He went on to explain the origins of various seasonings, making her enjoy the meal even more.

Meanwhile, his spiritual senses detected that Lin Moyu and his group had already landed. The experts Lin Moyu had brought with him were now closing in on their position.

Lin Moyu himself was carrying a food box, walking straight toward them. Ye Liuyun remained composed, continuing his conversation with Lin Xiaoxiao about the seasonings.

Soon, Lin Moyu approached, and Lin Xiaoxiao finally noticed him.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, clearly annoyed.

"Cousin," Lin Moyu replied hastily, "I heard from the Commandant that you were coming here to hunt beasts. I was worried you hadn’t brought any food, so I went to a restaurant and ordered some of your favorite dishes to bring to you!"

"You came all this way just to deliver food?" Lin Xiaoxiao scoffed, not buying his excuse for a second.

"Well... you know how I feel about you," Lin Moyu admitted with a forced smile. "I just wanted to see you."

"More like you’re here to spy on me," she shot back. "Stop saying things like that—there’s nothing between us, and there never will be! Go back. What I do is none of your business!"

Lin Xiaoxiao didn’t mince words, outright rejecting him and exposing his ulterior motives.

Lin Moyu seethed inwardly, cursing, *"Lin Xiaoxiao, you ungrateful wretch. Now that you’ve found someone else, you treat me like this? Just wait—I’ll make you pay!"*

Outwardly, however, he maintained a wounded expression.

"Fine... I’ll leave," he said with feigned resignation. "But at least try some of the food I brought. It’s all your favorites."

He set the food box down and turned to leave without another word.

Lin Xiaoxiao watched him until he was completely out of sight before turning to Ye Liuyun. "That guy won’t leave me alone. There’s nothing between us—don’t misunderstand."

Ye Liuyun simply smiled. "Let’s see what’s in the box. Might as well add some dishes to our meal. No sense in wasting it."

"Alright," Lin Xiaoxiao agreed, curious despite herself. Had Ye Liuyun not suggested it, she might have just kicked the box aside without a second thought.

The food box indeed contained an array of dishes. With just a glance, Ye Liuyun sensed they were all lightly poisoned—not enough to kill immediately, but sufficient to weaken him. He guessed Lin Moyu merely wanted to incapacitate him rather than deliver a fatal blow.

Turning to Lin Xiaoxiao with a casual shrug, he suggested, "Since you can’t stand him, you probably don’t want his food. How about you stick to the roast meat, and I’ll take these dishes?"

Lin Xiaoxiao had initially eyed the offerings, but at his words, she waved them off. "Fine by me. Your roast *is* way tastier anyway."

With that, Ye Liuyun gathered the dishes and began eating, fully aware of Lin Moyu’s lingering presence nearby. The latter watched with smug satisfaction as Ye Liuyun took the bait. As for Lin Xiaoxiao? Her negligible strength made her irrelevant in his eyes.

A sharp gesture from Lin Moyu summoned his entourage, who fanned out to encircle the pair. He himself strode forward, his earlier retreat now a deliberate advance.

Lin Xiaoxiao spotted him first. "Back so soon? What do you want now?" she called out, suspicion lacing her voice.

Lin Moyu’s reply was a venomous chuckle as he closed the distance. "Just because I’ve indulged you, Lin Xiaoxiao, doesn’t mean I’m toothless."

Her breath hitched at the malice twisting his features. Instinctively, she retreated until her shoulder brushed Ye Liuyun’s. "W-what are you planning?"

*Ask him if he poisoned your lion,* Ye Liuyun’s voice murmured in her mind.

Her eyes widened. "What?" The idea had never crossed her mind. Despite her frequent annoyance with Lin Moyu, she’d never imagined him capable of harming her. In her worldview, he was the ever-obedient lapdog, content to heel at her command.

Swallowing hard, she demanded, "Did *you* poison my lion?"

Lin Moyu didn’t dare get too close, fearing there might still be ferocious beasts guarding Ye Liuyun. He stopped at a safe distance.

With a shameless grin, he admitted, "Since you’ve already figured it out, I might as well come clean. Yes, I poisoned your brown lion. And it’s the same poison that’s in this wine and food right now!"

"What? You despicable— The food is poisoned too? Mr. Ye, are you alright?" Lin Xiaoxiao gasped, first shocked about the lion, then immediately concerned for Ye Liuyun as the realization hit her.

At that moment, over a dozen martial artists at the second level of Heavenly Realm emerged from the shadows, blades drawn.

"Boss, this little miss is quite the looker. Would be a shame to kill her, no?"

Though dressed in civilian clothes, their military jargon betrayed their origins. Being low-ranking soldiers, they remained oblivious to Lin Xiaoxiao’s true identity.

"The woman stays with me. Kill the man," Lin Moyu commanded coldly.

"How dare you! My father is Lin Fengzhi, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards!" Lin Xiaoxiao threatened, her voice trembling with outrage.

The soldiers hesitated, exchanging nervous glances and sending urgent mental messages to Lin Moyu for confirmation.

"Relax," Lin Moyu reassured them with a dismissive wave. "I’ll handle her. If things go south, I’ll take care of her before we leave. No blame will fall on you lot."

Only then did the soldiers advance toward Ye Liuyun, blades glinting ominously.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoxiao helped Ye Liuyun to his feet, her hands shaking as she checked for signs of poisoning.

Truth be told, Ye Liuyun hadn’t even bothered standing earlier—not because he was pretending to be poisoned, but because these opponents weren’t worth the effort.

"I’m fine," Ye Liuyun reassured her with a calm smile. "This petty poison is nothing to me." The toxins he’d ingested had long been converted into poison essence within his system.

"Stop the act, Ye Liuyun!" Lin Moyu sneered. "I may have used a light dose for slower effect, but this poison could kill an elephant within minutes!"

"Beg on your knees and sign a master-servant contract with me, and I might just spare your life and give you the antidote. Otherwise, you won’t escape being hacked to pieces today!" Lin Moyu declared with unwavering confidence, his voice dripping with menace as he threatened Ye Liuyun.

Lin Xiaoxiao instantly believed him.

"Lin Moyu, have you lost your mind? Hand over the antidote now, or I’ll report this to Father—you won’t get away with this!" Still oblivious to the gravity of the situation, she tried to intimidate him.

Lin Moyu burst into laughter. "Lin Xiaoxiao, you ungrateful wretch. After all I’ve done for you, you still pine for this outsider. But today, you’ll become mine. I’ll take my time taming you. Once the deed is done, I’ll be Lin Fengzhi’s son-in-law—what can he possibly do to me then?"

"Ugh! Keep dreaming! I’d rather die than be yours!" Lin Xiaoxiao spat back, her face flushed with fury.

"Hah! That’s not for you to decide!" Lin Moyu roared with laughter before waving his hand, signaling his men to strike.