The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 121 - 120

Chapter 120

After receiving confirmation from her people, Mu Yingying, anxious to uncover the mastermind behind the attack, decided to personally oversee the interrogation of the captured assassin.

Before heading to her secret base, she stopped by her sister’s quarters to request a poison for extracting the truth from the criminal. Since physical torture hadn’t worked, poison was the only option left...

Inside Mu Qingxuan’s quarters, just as she was preparing to go to bed as usual, the voice of a maid interrupted her.

"Miss, the Seventh Young Miss is here."

"Ying’er?"

Mu Qingxuan repeated the name with curiosity. She rose from her bed, grabbed a light robe to put on for modesty, and walked out of her bedroom.

When she reached the guest room, she saw the small figure of a young girl already sitting on a daybed. A gentle smile appeared on her beautiful face.

"Ying’er, coming to see your elder sister so late, it can’t be just because you miss me, right?"

Mu Yingying, who had been lost in thought, turned towards the voice and smiled broadly.

"That’s part of it, Sister."

"You mischievous child, stop flattering me. What’s the real reason you came to see me?" Mu Qingxuan shook her head slightly with affection and walked over to sit next to her younger sister, asking with curiosity.

"I really do have something to ask of you, Eldest Sister. Recently, my people captured an assassin. I need to extract some truth from him, but he refuses to say a word. No matter how my people torture him, they can’t get any information out of him."

Mu Yingying paused for a moment before continuing, "...So I thought I would come and ask for your poison, Eldest Sister."

When Mu Qingxuan heard this, she pondered the situation, analyzing it carefully. "From what you’ve told me, it seems that person has been thoroughly trained. Physical torture might not be effective because he might have been subjected to substances that dull his pain."

"...That could be it. If he were an ordinary person, he wouldn’t be able to withstand such pain. No wonder my people couldn’t get a reaction out of him, no matter how much they tortured him," Mu Yingying nodded in agreement.

"If my guess is correct, only a poison that affects internal organs can cause enough pain to make the criminal talk. He might be desensitized to external pain, but certainly not internal pain,"

Mu Qingxuan shared her thoughts before getting up to search through a drawer where she kept her collection of medicines. After rummaging for a while, she pulled out a green porcelain bottle and handed it to her younger sister.

"This is Bone-Melting Poison. Once ingested, it will cause excruciating pain, as if the bones inside the body are being corroded into dust. The effect lasts for two hours before it wears off."

Mu Yingying’s eyes lit up upon hearing the properties of the poison. If she used this poison, she might finally extract some crucial information from the criminal!

"Thank you, Sister."

Mu Qingxuan observed her sister’s excited and happy demeanor with a smile before asking curiously,

"Judging by your reaction, the information you need from the criminal must be quite important, right?"

At her sister’s words, Mu Yingying’s smile faded. Seeing the curiosity in Mu Qingxuan’s peach blossom eyes, Mu Yingying sighed and decided to tell the truth.

Though she was reluctant to bring it up now, as it risked making her sister recall painful memories, her sister would know it eventually, so it would be better to let her sister know and prepare for what was to come...

"The truth is, earlier today, the Empress Dowager’s procession was ambushed on the way back from Tai Lin Temple."

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingxuan’s heart raced. Her eyes grew serious as memories from their past life resurfaced.

"The Empress Dowager was ambushed...did someone help her?"

"Yes."

The more she heard, the colder Mu Qingxuan felt. In their previous life, the Empress Dowager had also been ambushed on the way back from Tai Lin Temple, and it was Mu Luofei, their sworn enemy, who had come to her aid!

She hadn’t expected that even after changing so many things in this life, the Empress Dowager would still be ambushed. And worse, someone had helped her again!

She desperately hoped that the person who saved the Empress Dowager wasn’t who she feared it might be...

Mu Yingying noticed the turmoil in her sister’s eyes and could guess her emotions and thoughts, having felt the same way earlier after hearing the news. She took a deep breath and decided to reveal the crucial detail.

"The one who helped the Empress Dowager was Mu Luofei."

Upon hearing Mu Yingying’s words, Mu Qingxuan felt a chill run down her spine. Despite all the changes they had made, why did the past still repeat itself?

If Mu Luofei was the one who saved the Empress Dowager, then in this life, she would again be granted the title of Lady Ping An!

Could this be a destiny that cannot be defied...

Mu Qingxuan pondered, lost in her chaotic thoughts. Mu Yingying extended her small hand to hold her sister’s backhand and gently comforted her,

"Don’t worry too much now, Eldest Sister. After all, we are not the same as we were in the past life."

"But we have changed so many things. Why is history repeating itself now? Doesn’t this mean that the future might repeat the past too?" Mu Qingxuan bit her lip, her beautiful face showing signs of stress and unwillingness.

"In truth, I don’t think this is history repeating itself."

"What do you mean?"

"In our previous life, whether Mu Luofei’s intervention to help the Empress Dowager was by chance or intentional is unclear. But in this life, it definitely wasn’t by chance," Mu Yingying stated her thought coldly, her big, round eyes dimming slightly.

"In this life, we drove the three of them out of the manor when we were in Qingyun City. But suddenly, they disappeared without a trace, which means they were hiding very well. But then out of nowhere, they reappeared during the assassination attempt on the Empress Dowager and intervened to save her."

"...If we say it’s a coincidence, don’t you think it’s too much of a ’coincidence,’ Sister?"

Mu Qingxuan thought it over and couldn’t help but share her sister’s suspicions. For a woman and children, who had vanished without a trace, to suddenly reappear so conspicuously—it indeed seemed extraordinary.

"Could those three have something to do with the assassination attempt on the Empress Dowager?"

"I’m not sure, but in my opinion, it’s highly likely. If you consider the number of assassins and the Empress Dowager’s guards at the time, killing her wouldn’t have been difficult. Yet the assassins let her escape until she met Mu Luofei, who just happened to be passing by," Mu Yingying explained her thoughts truthfully and then fell silent for a moment.

"From another perspective, what benefits would Mu Luofei gain from helping the Empress Dowager? Firstly, she would be known as the Empress Dowager’s benefactor and would eventually gain immense favor. Secondly, helping the Empress Dowager this time would be a chance for the three of them to make a grand return to the Mu family in greater strength."

"Given the benefits those three would gain, if an opportunity presented itself, why wouldn’t they seize it?"

Mu Yingying lowered her eyes slightly to hide their icy glint. Her words were not born of prejudice or excessive pessimism but were a strategic consideration for the worst-case scenario.

If things were as she suspected, it meant the three had a backer!

Three women alone couldn’t have orchestrated such grand events. Their disappearance and sudden conspicuous return suggested someone was pulling the strings from behind...

Upon hearing her sister’s speculations, Mu Qingxuan couldn’t help but show a tense expression. If what she said was true, then the return of their enemies this time was certainly not ordinary.

"That’s why I have to interrogate the captured assassin myself to get some useful information for our preparations. From now on, you must be very careful, Eldest Sister. Our enemies are close by, and we also have hidden enemies yet to reveal themselves. We can’t afford to be careless anymore,"

Mu Yingying warned, her concern evident. Hearing that, Mu Qingxuan nodded in agreement and responded, "You too, be cautious wherever you go or whatever you do. If you need any help, just let me know."

"Yes, Sister."

Mu Yingying nodded before saying her farewells and heading to her secret base to interrogate the captured assassin personally.

Her secret base was the basement of Ma Jun Tea House, a spacious underground hall with a tunnel extending beyond the capital city’s territory for escape or emergency travel.

After secretly arriving at the basement, Uncle Wang led his little mistress to the prison area where the assassin was held. When Mu Yingying reached the front of the cell, she saw the wretched condition of the young man inside. His body was covered with wounds and bruises, bloodstains smearing his entire frame, indicating severe torture.

The condition of the man inside was barely distinguishable from a corpse.

Just by looking, it was clear he had endured extensive torture but hadn’t revealed any information, earning a grudging respect from Mu Yingying for his endurance.

"Why are you so stubborn? You can’t return to your master now. What good does enduring this pain serve?"

Mu Yingying asked in a flat voice, her face devoid of emotion and her big, round eyes cold. She stared at the figure in the cell, waiting for a response, but there was no movement.

"Loyalty, is it?"

"Do you think your master will believe that you wouldn’t spill any information if captured by the enemy?"

"If you think so...I’ll tell you it’s utterly foolish!"

Seeing that the prisoner still didn’t respond, she sighed. Initially, she thought of reminding him to know how to flow with the situation to spare him further pain. She didn’t enjoy seeing others suffer, especially when they weren’t her sworn enemies. Watching someone endure such torment because of her was disheartening.

But since he refused her well-intended and she needed information to plan against their hidden enemies, she had no choice but to resort to using poison for the interrogation...

"Mix this medicine with water and pour it into his mouth,"

Mu Yingying turned and handed the green porcelain bottle to her subordinate, giving the order in a cold voice. While waiting for the preparation, Uncle Wang, who was standing beside her, spoke up to persuade her.

"Miss, would you prefer to wait upstairs? Let this old man handle it."

Uncle Wang persuaded her because he wanted to shield his little young miss from witnessing such brutal torture firsthand. Despite her rebirth, in Uncle Wang’s eyes, the Seventh Young Miss was still a noble and cheerful girl who shouldn’t be tainted by such acts.

Understanding Uncle Wang’s concern and care, Mu Yingying replied with a gentle smile, "It’s alright, Uncle Wang. This matter is very important. If I don’t question him myself, I won’t be at ease."

Seeing her determination to stay, Uncle Wang stopped trying to persuade her and instead stood guard by her side.

Meanwhile, Mu Yingying’s men returned with a small bowl of clear liquid, which they brought into the cell. The assassin was chained at the arms and legs, unable to escape.

"This is Bone-Melting Poison. When ingested, it feels as if your bones are being corroded into dust. The pain is excruciating..."

Mu Yingying’s voice was chilling, causing the chained assassin to shiver involuntarily. His dark eyes wavered with fear in his heart, yet he still clenched his mouth shut.

Seeing this, Mu Yingying immediately gave the order, "Let’s see how long you can stay silent. Force him to drink it!"

Upon her command, two men held the assassin’s head up while a third poured the poison down his throat. Despite his struggles, he couldn’t resist. After forcing him to drink the entire bowl, the three men retreated to the corner of the room.

Soon, the assassin began to convulse uncontrollably. The excruciating pain from within his bones spread throughout his body, causing his muscles to twitch. He gritted his teeth, trying to endure the pain as he had during previous tortures.

However, it wasn’t long before his eyes widened in sheer agony, as if they were about to pop out. The searing pain spread throughout his entire body, feeling as if thousands of insects were gnawing at his bones and internal organs.

"Arghhhhh!"

His horrific screams filled the air continuously. His eyes rolled back, showing only the whites, and his body convulsed as if performing a grotesque dance. Blood seeped from every pore, including his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

His current condition was so gruesome. Even Mu Yingying felt a shiver of fear at the sight. Her big, round eyes flickered like trembling flames, and her hands turned ice-cold uncontrollably.

Mu Yingying bit her lip and closed her eyes, unable to watch the horrific scene any longer. The mere sound of his screams caused her heart to clench repeatedly.

If she didn’t do this, she wouldn’t get the information she needed from him.

If she didn’t obtain the information from him, she would have no way of knowing the enemy’s plans and preparing accordingly for the future. This could lead her and her siblings to be at a disadvantage against the hidden enemies, potentially facing the same tragic end as before!

Mu Yingying knew well that the assassin was just a pawn following his master’s orders. However, due to their different statuses and standing on opposite sides, she had to resort to such painful torture to extract the necessary information from him. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Even though her conscience felt heavy with the cruelty of her actions, she had to proceed!

If she didn’t act selfishly, ruthlessly, and mercilessly, it would be her and her family who might face the enemy’s cruelty in the future...

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