"As you are now, killing me is but a daydream. I can take your life whenever I please."
"Ah..." Madam Sun shrieked, her hand bitten fiercely by Feng Yunping. She struggled, but to no avail. A chunk of flesh was torn from her hand, blood spurting out.
Clutching her bleeding hand, Madam Sun rolled on the ground in pain. Those around wanted to help but didn't know how.
"I'll kill you!" Madam Sun roared, grabbing a dagger from the table and pressing it against Feng Yuanping's neck. A slight move would sever his carotid artery.
"You dare not kill me. If I die, you'll never get what you want. How will you report to your master if you fail to obtain it?"
Feng Yuanping, certain Madam Sun wouldn't dare, grew even more arrogant. He had long suspected someone was behind Madam Sun's actions, but he had no clue who the mastermind was.
The dagger at Feng Yuanping's neck was withdrawn. Madam Sun's eyes blazed, a fire seemingly burning in her chest, which she forcefully suppressed. She couldn't kill Feng Yuanping now, not until she obtained what she wanted. His death would be an unacceptable outcome.
"You shall live a few more days," Madam Sun warned fiercely, clutching her bleeding hand. When the time came, Feng Yuanping would die regardless of whether he spoke or not. She vowed to kill him herself then, to vent her accumulated grievances.
"You three, keep an eye on him. Don't let him escape!"
Madam Sun ordered the men to guard Feng Yuanping and then left. She felt deeply uncomfortable staying any longer in the gloomy, damp secret chamber. Unbeknownst to her, as soon as she left, two figures emerged from the shadows.
"It's Madam Sun. The one imprisoned here must be Feng Yuanping?"
"You wait here. I'll go in first."
Ling Mohan drew a dagger from his waist and handed it to Feng Jin for self-defense, then entered alone. The servants guarding Feng Yuanping blinked in surprise at Ling Mohan's appearance. Recovering their senses, they rushed towards him. They were mere household servants from the Feng manor and no match for Ling Mohan. Before they could even touch his clothes, they all collapsed on the ground, incapacitated.
Feng Jin's heart leaped with anxiety at the sounds of fighting from within. When silence fell, she cautiously stepped inside. Her eyes immediately fell upon the unharmed man, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She walked towards Ling Mohan, "Are you alright? Are you injured?"
"I'm fine, don't worry..." Ling Mohan gently soothed, stroking his daughter's soft hair. He completely ignored Feng Yuanping, who was tied to the chair. Finally, Feng Yuanping spoke, attempting to save himself, "Why have you come here?"
Hearing the voice, Feng Jin noticed the man behind Ling Mohan was indeed Feng Yuanping, who had been missing for a long time and whom they had been searching for. But why was he in such a state?
"Why are you imprisoned here?" Feng Jin asked, not freeing Feng Yuanping immediately.
"It's all Madam Sun, that wretched woman! Once I'm out, I'll kill her to appease my hatred."
Feng Jin let out a cold laugh, finding it utterly ridiculous. Weren't they in cahoots before, so close they shared clothes? Now they had turned on each other. An old saying goes, "A hundred days of marriage, a hundred days of kindness." They had been married for so many years, and now they were irrevocably broken.
"Madam Sun was someone you cherished. I find it hard to believe she would treat you this way. Are there other hidden reasons you're not telling us? If you don't tell us the truth, we can't help you. Perhaps you should stay here a while longer and see if Madam Sun will release you out of consideration for your years of marriage." Feng Jin reasoned that Madam Sun wouldn't easily fall out with Feng Yuanping. Besides, Madam Sun still relied on him, and he was a prime minister. Any harm to him would naturally raise suspicions. Madam Sun would only resort to such drastic measures if absolutely necessary. Feng Jin was increasingly convinced there was more to the story, but since Feng Yuanping wasn't being truthful, she saw no reason to rescue him at great risk.
Seeing Feng Yuanping's continued silence, showing no intention of speaking truthfully, Feng Jin's patience was wearing thin. Lingering longer would mean trouble when Madam Sun returned.
"Prime Minister Feng, if you don't tell us the truth, we will leave you here and depart on our own." With that, Feng Jin, holding Ling Mohan's hand, started to walk out. As they neared the door, Feng Yuanping's voice called out from behind, "Wait, I'll talk... I'll tell you everything..."
A smile played on Feng Jin's lips. She instructed Ling Mohan, "Help him untie the ropes. Before Madam Sun returns, let's get out of here quickly." They had already wasted a lot of time, and they weren't sure when Madam Sun would return. They needed to leave the secret chamber as soon as possible. The rest of the questions could be asked on the way.
Feng Yuanping was too severely injured, and having been bound to the chair for so long, his legs were weak. He could only be carried out by Ling Mohan. As the three of them just emerged from the secret chamber, they heard Madam Sun's noisy curses from outside.
"To your mother's courtyard, quickly!" Feng Yunping urged.
"Alright... Let's go!" At this moment, they had no choice but to trust Feng Yuanping. They were all in the same boat. Following the route from memory, Feng Jin led them forward and indeed found the courtyard where He Miaoqing had lived before her death.
"Hiding here isn't a solution. Once Madam Sun discovers you're missing, she'll search the entire manor. I truly want to know what caused two people who colluded so closely to turn against each other, reaching such a point of mutual destruction?"
Feng Yuanping was rendered speechless by Feng Jin's words, his face flushing with embarrassment. Being ridiculed by his own daughter made him lose face instantly. Angered, he coughed violently, his hand, pointing at Feng Jin, trembling slightly. "You... you unfilial daughter, do you truly... truly want to anger me to death!"
"Enough. Stop putting on airs and scolding me. This is my mother's room. Aren't you afraid she'll take you away if she knows from the underworld!"
"You... you..." Feng Yuanping was so angry he could barely breathe, yet he was helpless against Feng Jin.