Noticing Ning Wanwan still sitting beside her, Grandmother Ning asked, “Won’t you go take a look?” Ning Wanwan replied, “Wanwan has never liked such excitement. I’ll just stay here and chat with Grandmother.” Grandmother Ning smiled and nodded, glancing at Xu Manmiao sitting stiffly at the other end of the room.
After noticing Grandmother Ning’s gaze, Xu Manmiao quickly stood up and said to Ning Wanwan, “Sister, Manmiao will go see the excitement.”
Ning Wanwan nodded slightly. After Xu Manmiao left, Grandmother Ning asked, “Why did you bring her along?”
Ning Wanwan, sensing Xu Manmiao’s strange behavior and desire to get close, suspected she might take some action and wanted to observe her. However, not wanting to worry Grandmother Ning, she casually replied, “I thought she seemed pitiful being alone in the mansion, so I brought her out for a change of scenery.”
Grandmother Ning was perceptive enough to notice Ning Wanwan was hiding something but didn’t press further. They chatted for a while, and soon it was noon. The temple master had lunch delivered to the meditation room.
While they were eating, Si Zhan came from the palace after his classes to join them, and the three of them shared a meal together.
Meanwhile, Xu Manyao hurriedly got up, accidentally rolling the fire stick to the ground. When she turned her head, she saw Ning Wanwan staring at her fiercely. Frightened, she instinctively wanted to run outside but stepped on the fire stick and fell, knocking herself unconscious.
Ning Wanwan glanced at Xu Manyao, then quickly jumped out of bed to help Old Madam Ning off the bed and carry her out the door. Thankfully, the door was not locked.
Fu Yi, Zhan Xiang, and Nanny Chang, who lived next door, heard the commotion and rushed out without putting on clothes. They saw Ning Wanwan carrying Old Madam Ning out of the room engulfed in flames.
Everyone hurried to support Old Madam Ning. Nanny Chang asked nervously, “What happened to the old madam? How did the room catch fire?”
Ning Wanwan replied, “Grandmother is fine, just asleep. Nanny Chang, please help grandmother to a safe place and wash her face with warm water.”
Nanny Chang nodded and left with Fu Yi, supporting Old Madam Ning.
Ning Wanwan stood outside, her eyes coldly watching the fire grow larger, with Xu Manyao lying motionless on the ground.
She narrowed her eyes. Why did Xu Manyao set fire to their shared room? Was her target not Si Zhan, but herself?
She had to bring Xu Manyao out. After all, they had been plotting for so long to lure the snake out of its hole. If the snake died in the hole, more might come next time.
By now, people in the courtyard had discovered the fire, shouting, “Fire! Fire!” Zhan Xiang anxiously awaited help to put out the fire when she suddenly saw Ning Wanwan rush in, panicking, “Ah, Your Highness, why are you going in?”
After calling for a while and not seeing Ning Wanwan come out, Zhan Xiang was about to rush in when someone grabbed her arm, asking, “Where is Her Highness?”
Zhan Xiang recognized the voice and exclaimed, “Your Highness, you’re here!”
“Where is Her Highness?” Si Zhan asked again.
Zhan Xiang pointed to the room engulfed in flames, “Her Highness went in again.”
Si Zhan rushed in without hesitation.
“Master!” Yuan Bi, following closely, also rushed in.
The room was filled with thick smoke, making it hard to see. Si Zhan shouted inside, “Wanwan! Where are you?”
“Cough cough… Brother Zhan… We’re here…” Ning Wanwan, carrying the unconscious Xu Manyao, walked out.
Si Zhan rushed over, pushing Xu Manyao aside and picking up Ning Wanwan.
Ning Wanwan said, “I’m fine, I can walk, but Xu Manyao…”
“Cover your mouth and nose, let’s go,” Si Zhan instructed.
Yuan Bi then carried Xu Manyao and followed Si Zhan out.
People in the courtyard had brought water buckets to put out the fire.
Si Zhan carried Ning Wanwan to a quiet corner and hurriedly checked her for injuries.
“Cough cough… I’m fine, just choked on some smoke,” Ning Wanwan reassured him.
Just as Si Zhan was about to speak, he suddenly heard a violent coughing sound nearby.
“Cough cough…”
Xu Manyao, leaning against a tree, slowly awakened, her brain still seeming confused as she looked at the scene before her.
At that moment, Ning Wanwan and Si Zhan exchanged a quick glance. Si Zhan knelt on the ground with his back to Xu Manyao, trying to hide his disgust toward her.
Ning Wanwan pressed Si Zhan’s palm, and he nodded back at her.
“Oh! Brother Zhan, how did your arm get injured?” Ning Wanwan exclaimed, grabbing Si Zhan’s arm in panic. His sleeve had a large tear, blood visible through the fabric.
Hearing this, Xu Manyao quickly turned her gaze to Si Zhan’s arm.
“Just a small injury, don’t worry,” Si Zhan said, slightly turning to display the ‘wound’ to Xu Manyao.
Xu Manyao’s dark eyes flashed. Noticing no one was paying attention, she discreetly removed a black ceramic tube from her sleeve, flipped open the cap, and began to mumble something as small insects crawled out and rushed toward Si Zhan’s back.
Just as the life-controlling insects were about to climb onto Si Zhan’s back, a black leather boot suddenly appeared, stomping on them. Xu Manyao looked up in horror, seeing Yuan Bi with a grim expression.
Si Zhan stood up, supporting Ning Wanwan, and coldly said, “You finally made a move, Witch… Yao Saner!”
Yao Saner, shocked, leaned against the tree trunk as Yuan Bi quickly stood in front of her, gripping her neck tightly. Her face turned red, and she tried to pull at his wrist.
“Tell me, what were those things on the ground?” Si Zhan asked.
Yao Saner coughed and managed to say, “They were insect spells.”
Yuan Bi loosened his grip, allowing Yao Saner to lean against the trunk, coughing violently.
“What kind of spell?” Si Zhan pressed.
After catching her breath, Yao Saner glanced at Si Zhan and Ning Wanwan, her eyes evasive, and remained silent.
“What’s a gu?” Yuan Bi’s grip tightened again, lifting her slightly.
“The… the life-linking gu…”
Ning Wanwan was intensely shocked upon hearing this. Life-linking gu are mother-child life-linked gu, where the child gu controls the host, and the mother gu controls the child gu.
Once the mother gu dies, the child gu inevitably dies, along with the host controlled by the child gu, hence the term life-linking gu.
The Empress Dowager’s ultimate goal was to have Xu Manyao place a life-linking gu on Sihan.
Chapter 53: Turning Sides
No wonder the Empress Dowager went to such lengths to bring a witch from Miao territory, hiding her identity. She never intended for Sihan to safely go to Qian Nan.
Fortunately, they had secretly investigated Yao Saner’s true identity and remained vigilant.
Miao territory witches were skilled in witchcraft and gu techniques. Since learning Yao Saner’s identity, they had prevented her from using her powers.
Ning Wanwan, who had read medical books, knew that gu could only be controlled through the mouth or wounds. They deliberately created a fake wound on Sihan’s arm to lure Yao Saner into action and catch her red-handed.
They had been setting a trap to provoke Yao Saner into making a move. They had assumed her target was Sihan and guarded against her harming him. Unexpectedly, she set fire to their room and ultimately knocked herself out.
Ning Wanwan was speechless. If she hadn’t rescued Yao Saner, she would have become a charred corpse. She couldn’t understand Yao Saner’s intentions.
That was a mature child-parasite, originally existing, but it was added to the first greeting tea for the prince and accidentally knocked over by him. These few were later obtained by the empress dowager at a high price and have not been fully cultivated.
Ning Wanwan’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned to look at Sihan, whose gaze at Yao Saner was fierce.
