Bai Ran rubbed her temples. The princess was truly terrifyingly naive.
Murong Chen, standing by, finally couldn't help but speak.
"Everything you know, Murong Jin told you, right?" Murong Chen's expression was dark.
"Murong Yun'er, you are truly beyond hope!"
Murong Yun'er was angered by his words. She moved her hand and felt around her hair for a long time, but found nothing.
Where was the divine artifact?
It was gone!
Murong Yun'er's expression was panicked as she frantically felt her hair, searching for something.
"What are you looking for? Is it this?" Bai Ran dangled a hairpin.
Murong Yun'er looked up, her body stiffened.
The divine artifact! How could it be in her hands?
"What is this?" Murong Chen asked, confused.
It was just a hairpin, wasn't it? Why was she so anxious?
"The divine artifact you were looking for," Bai Ran dangled the hairpin and then inserted it into her hair.
With a point of her fair hand, Bai Ran suddenly vanished into thin air!
Murong Chen stood frozen, his face full of disbelief.
This small hairpin was the divine artifact he was looking for?
No wonder his master said not to search anymore; they would never find it even if they searched for eternity!
Murong Yun'er's body trembled. Without her trump card, she was like a fish on a chopping block, at the mercy of others.
Suddenly, her shoulder was tapped.
"Our poor princess, you still don't know the truth, do you?" Bai Ran's voice sounded softly, like a phantom.
"Everything Murong Jin told you is false."
Upon hearing this, Murong Yun'er lunged at the air, but touched nothing.
"Impossible! Second brother wouldn't lie to me!"
Murong Chen looked at the frantic Murong Yun'er and sighed. Fate played cruel tricks.
The eldest princess, once cherished by their father and known for her innocence and kindness, had fallen to this state.
However, it was precisely their father's excessive protection that had led her to this point.
"She's right, Murong Jin lied to you," Murong Chen said, and began to undress, revealing a back covered in horrific scars.
"These are all Murong Jin's doing."
Murong Yun'er looked at his scarred back and trembled.
Impossible...
"He colluded with Father since childhood, bullying and suppressing me at every turn. I had no choice but to rebel. Father and Mother committed suicide; I did not lay a hand on them."
Impossible...
Absolutely impossible...
Murong Yun'er clutched her head, trembling violently.
Then what was everything she had done...
What was it for?
"Hahahaha," she laughed maniacally.
Was the truth really like this?
Murong Jin!
You had such a clever plan!
Bai Ran removed the hairpin, revealing her true form. She looked at Murong Yun'er, her expression calm.
"How do you plan to deal with her?" Bai Ran asked.
Murong Chen lowered his head, unsure how to answer.
If it were before, he would have killed her without hesitation, for she had betrayed the Vermillion Bird Kingdom.
But now, it seemed Murong Yun'er was merely a pitiable pawn, used by others.
"No matter how pitiful, it cannot excuse her treason," Bai Ran said, staring at Murong Chen.
Murong Chen clenched his fists, understanding Bai Ran's meaning.
He gritted his teeth. "Guards! Drag Murong Yun'er away and execute her tomorrow!"
"Hahahaha," Murong Yun'er laughed madly as the guards dragged her away.
Inside the room, the two stood in silence.
"Master, there's one more thing," Murong Chen's eyes were filled with exhaustion.
"The Qin family's legitimate son was severely injured while resisting the demonized people. He may not have long to live."
Bai Ran frowned. Qin Mu Bai?
"I know. I'll go take a look," Bai Ran said and left.
After Bai Ran departed, Bai Yang entered.
"Your Majesty, won't you see her off? Your subordinate feels that Miss Bai might be leaving for a long time this time."
Murong Chen gazed in the direction Bai Ran had left for a long while.
"No, I won't. I fear I would be reluctant to part."
Bai Yang looked at the sorrowful Emperor and inexplicably asked,
"Your Majesty, what kind of person is Miss Bai to you?"
Murong Chen was startled and looked at Bai Yang. Bai Yang knew he had taken Bai Ran as his master, so why would he ask such a question?
He lowered his head and pondered for a long time before speaking softly.
"She is a good teacher, a dear friend, and more importantly, the person I admire."
Having received his answer, Bai Yang withdrew. He looked up at the blue sky, feeling a sense of melancholy.
Your Majesty, your feelings are likely destined to be unrequited.
On the other side, Bai Ran and her party arrived at the Qin family.
"Bai? Miss Bai?" Qin Mu, seeing the visitor, was startled.
Bai Ran bowed to the Qin family head. She still remembered that day when the royal family had framed her family, and only the Qin family head had stepped forward to seek justice for the Bai family.
This was also why Bai Ran had come; this favor had to be repaid.
"May I see Young Master Qin?" Bai Ran asked.
Hearing this, Qin Mu seemed to age considerably.
"Very well, he would be happy to see you one last time."
Fang Tianhui waited in the main hall. Bai Ran, led by Qin Mu, wound through several corridors and finally arrived at Qin Mu Bai's room.
As soon as Bai Ran entered, she smelled a strong scent of blood.
"Don't be afraid, child."
Qin Mu looked heartbrokenly at Qin Mu Bai, who lay on the bed, unrecognizable.
"You two talk, I'll step out." As Qin Mu turned, Bai Ran clearly saw a crystal tear fall.
She slowly approached Qin Mu Bai and sat down.
"Bai... Ran..."
The person on the bed spoke, his voice trembling.
Qin Mu Bai's left hand had been bitten off by a demonized person, and his body was covered in wounds of various sizes, looking utterly terrifying.
Bai Ran, however, grabbed his hand. "Stop the nonsense. If you want to live, shut up."
Qin Mu Bai gasped as he was pulled, the pain searing.
But his eyes were brighter than ever before.
"Bai Ran... it's no use."
"To... see you one last time... I'm very happy."
Bai Ran felt his pulse and was relieved.
Fortunately, it was only fatal external injuries; his dan tian and meridians were undamaged.
"I said you will live, and you will not die."
She took out the Nine Twists Life-Taking Needles, released the Vermillion Bird Divine Fire from her left hand, heated them, and inserted them one by one, quickly and steadily.
Then she took out a seventh-grade Bone Melting Pill and crushed it on Qin Mu Bai's left hand.
A moment later, Qin Mu Bai's left hand began to itch intensely, but his body was covered in needles, preventing him from moving.
His eyes widened as he watched his left hand gradually regenerate.
His left hand!
It had grown back?
Was he truly salvageable?
Seeing the wrong expression on his face, Bai Ran slapped him.
"If you cry, the wounds on your face will fester. Bear with it."
Qin Mu Bai was stunned by the slap. He blinked, and suddenly, he no longer felt like crying.
She took a pill from her spatial storage and fed it to him.
Qin Mu felt a tickling sensation all over his body as she began to withdraw the needles one by one.
His wounds were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye!
"Alright, you can cry now," Bai Ran stood up.
Seeing her about to leave, Qin Mu Bai forgot about crying and grabbed her arm.
"That, that..."
"Can you take me with you?"
Bai Ran looked at the aggrieved Qin Mu Bai, her beautiful eyebrows knitted.
Did she look like a shelter for strays?
At this moment, Qin Mu pushed the door open. His eyes were red, as if he had just been crying.
The next moment, he froze, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.