Jiang Yan’s expression darkened. After a moment of thought, he waved his hand, his voice tinged with helplessness. “After all, I knew the late emperor personally, and he treated the Jiang family well.
“Ah, if my son-in-law were still alive, then no matter how angry I was, I truly couldn’t bring myself to act against them for the late emperor’s sake.
“Unfortunately, your father is gone now… With a life between us, even if we choose not to pursue the matter, they may not be willing to let it go.”
At this point, Jiang Yan’s expression grew even more troubled. Clearly, he was deeply conflicted.
Jiang Yanyan: Grandfather, do you even hear yourself? They certainly didn’t show any mercy when they struck.
The original host’s father had died because of them. If Jiang Yanyan hadn’t crossed over, her grandfather likely would have met with disaster this time as well. And then there were the original host, her younger brother, and her mother.
Oh, right. Grandfather didn’t know about that.
Jiang Yanyan rubbed her forehead helplessly and called out to Eighteen in her mind. “Eighteen, is there any way to let Grandfather clearly see what happened to everyone in the Jiang family in the previous life?”
【There is, Host. The Dream-Entering Talisman you obtained from a previous sign-in can do that. It’s still in the system space, and there’s a whole thick stack of them. You can set the dream’s contents yourself, or directly input all of the original host’s memories and let the target experience them.】
“Good. I’ll arrange it for Grandfather tonight.”
If he still clung to the same ideas tomorrow, she would do it a few more times.
Jiang Yan seemed to have fallen into memories of the past. He paid no attention to whether his granddaughter was responding and continued muttering to himself.
“We’ll simply be more cautious from now on. The household has already been purged, and the army will be thoroughly investigated as well. Anyone with questionable loyalties will be dismissed, leaving no opportunity for outsiders to take advantage.
“Mo Yun City is the northwestern gateway of Qi. I’ve guarded this place for half my life. I absolutely cannot allow it to fall into the hands of outsiders, nor can I let it become a pawn in the royal family’s struggle for power.”
Jiang Yanyan: I understand. If I have to act in the future, I absolutely, absolutely can’t let Grandfather find out.
As Jiang Yanyan listened to her grandfather ramble on and recalled his past experiences, she was filled with mixed emotions. Before long, her head began to ache.
Emperor Mingzheng had indeed been a charismatic man. He had never considered himself superior to the other soldiers and had always integrated himself with the entire army, earning countless devoted followers.
The current Emperor Changping, however, possessed neither his father’s breadth of mind nor his skill in handling people.
Jiang Yanyan stayed with her grandfather for a while longer, saying nothing more than that he should rest and recover peacefully. Steward Li was keeping an eye on the affairs of the residence, and the veteran generals in the army were all trustworthy. There was no need for him to worry about everything personally.
Seeing the weariness deepen between her grandfather’s brows, Jiang Yanyan rose to take her leave. After leaving the main courtyard, she returned to her own quarters.
In Zhusheng Court, Chuntao and Chunxing were chatting beneath the veranda. When they saw Jiang Yanyan return, they hurried over to greet her.
“You may all leave.”
Before long, only Jiang Yanyan remained in the room. With a thought, she entered the system space and searched for a moment before taking out a stack of Dream-Entering Talismans. She asked Eighteen in her mind:
“Eighteen, how exactly do I use these Dream-Entering Talismans? Do I need to be near the target? How do I infuse them with spiritual energy? And how do I bind the original host’s memories to them?”
【Host, simply input the original host’s memories, supplement them with the corresponding incantation, and select the target in your mind. Then activate the talisman with a small amount of spiritual energy…
As long as the target’s cultivation is lower than the Host’s, the talisman can be used from within a thousand-mile radius, and the target will not sense anything.】
Having learned how to use it, Jiang Yanyan turned and returned to her bedroom. She closed the door, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began circulating the Soul-Refining Art. A strand of divine sense extended directly toward the main courtyard. When she sensed that her grandfather was already fast asleep, she took out a Dream-Entering Talisman and infused it with spiritual energy.
She set the dream to show the destruction of the Jiang family as recorded in the original host’s memories. With a single thought, the Dream-Entering Talisman transformed into a streak of light and sank into Jiang Yan’s brow.
In the middle of the night, Jiang Yan abruptly awoke from his dream. Cold sweat covered his forehead, and his chest heaved violently. Supporting himself against the edge of the bed, he sat up and stared at the murky darkness outside the window as scene after scene from the dream flashed through his mind.
Everything had felt so real.
He had been ambushed, grievously wounded, and poisoned. Under the torment of both injuries, he had eventually died.
His son-in-law had fought desperately to hold back the enemy amid the chaos of battle so that he could escape, only to die in combat.
His granddaughter and young grandson had been secretly poisoned and died when the poison took effect.
His daughter, Jiang Yun, had already been frail. After suffering the loss of her father and husband, and then losing both of her children, she had followed them in death.
The scenes had been far too vivid. Jiang Yan raised a hand to wipe away his cold sweat, but his fingertips continued to tremble.
Dreams were the opposite of reality. None of this was true.
Yet the fear in his heart refused to subside. He looked at his still-powerful hands and thought of his well-behaved granddaughter and his young grandson’s soft voice. His chest tightened painfully, but he still refused to believe that the dream could come true.
Using her divine sense, Jiang Yanyan observed her grandfather’s reaction clearly. She knew that a single dream was nowhere near enough.
He was still bound by the so-called principles of loyalty and the proper order between ruler and subject. It would likely take him some time to make up his mind.
She rubbed the Dream-Entering Talisman hidden in her sleeve and made a decision. For the next several days, she would send her grandfather into the dream every night until he completely came to his senses.
Over the next few days, Jiang Yanyan activated a Dream-Entering Talisman every night after dark.
The same dream played out in Jiang Yan’s mind again and again. He went from initially comforting himself, to growing increasingly alarmed, and finally becoming grave and silent. Jiang Yanyan watched every change in him.
At last, when Jiang Yan woke once more, all hesitation had vanished from his eyes.
He ordered Steward Li to double the guards throughout the residence, surrounding Zhusheng Court and Chunxi Hall so completely that not even a drop of water could pass through.
He summoned Jiang Yanyan and Jiang Xiao to him and repeatedly warned them never to leave the residence alone. They were to have guards accompanying them at all times.
Food, tea, and anything else they consumed had to be treated with particular caution.
He secretly summoned his trusted subordinates in the army. Anyone planted by Prince Yong or the imperial family was expelled from the Mo Yun Army without exception.
Jiang Yan sat motionless for half a day, not saying a word. The air around him was cold and heavy.
The next day, there was no longer any panic in his eyes—only an unfathomable darkness.
On the morning of the seventh day, Jiang Yan awoke from the dream and sat silently on the bed for a long while. After dreaming the same dream for seven consecutive days, he had no choice but to believe it.
If he continued clinging to that small remnant of affection and to the rigid rules of loyalty, retreating step by step, then the horrors of the dream would sooner or later become reality.
He immediately sent for Steward Li. After dismissing everyone else, Jiang Yan said in a deep voice, “Spread the word that the latent-mechanism poison in my body remains unresolved, my old injuries have flared up again, and I’m now at death’s door with only a few days left to live.”
Steward Li was puzzled, but he did not dare ask too many questions. He accepted the order and immediately began making arrangements.
Within half a day, the news that Jiang Yan was gravely ill and on the verge of death had spread throughout Mo Yun City. From the streets and alleys to the teahouses and wine shops, everyone was discussing it.
The spy Prince Yong had planted in Mo Yun City was overjoyed when he heard the news. He immediately found a secluded place and released a carrier pigeon, sending the information back to the frontier military camp.
At the frontier camp, Murong Xun received the secret letter and breathed a sigh of relief. His face was filled with wild delight.
Fortunately, nothing had gone wrong.
He had waited far too long for this day. Once Jiang Yan died, the Mo Yun Army would become a scattered force.
No matter how unwilling those generals were to submit, without their backbone, they would have no choice but to fall in line.
He immediately called in his most trusted subordinate and said, "Pick another group of deathsworn, meet up with the previous batch, and no matter what methods you use, you must take the lives of Jiang Yanyan and Jiang Xiao."
As long as these two stumbling blocks are gone, the Moyun Army will be mine sooner or later.
The trusted subordinate accepted the order and turned around immediately to gather the manpower.
As the night deepened, the entire Moyun City was shrouded in darkness, with only a few lanterns in the city lord's mansion flickering with faint light in the night.
The patrolling guards were making their rounds along their assigned routes, and after their footsteps faded away, a group of figures clad in black slipped over the back wall of the city lord's mansion without a sound.
This group of people were all deathsworn carefully trained by Murong Xun, plus highly skilled martial artists from the jianghu that he had gone to great lengths to recruit. They were extraordinarily agile, and acted with ruthless, clean efficiency.
Having long since memorized the layout of the city lord's mansion, they easily avoided the patrolling guards along the way, then split into two teams: half headed for Chunxi Hall, while the other half made straight for Zhusheng Courtyard.
Inside Zhusheng Courtyard, Jiang Yanyan was sitting under the lamplight flipping through a medical book. A quick, casual glance at the hour made her instantly sense something amiss.
She immediately set down the book, raised her voice just enough to say, "Chun Tao, Chun Xing, take Xiao'er, get him dressed, and go to the main courtyard to my grandfather right now. Go at once."
Chun Tao and Chun Xing did not dare to delay after hearing her order. They hurried to the east side wing to wake Jiang Xiao up. Though Jiang Xiao was still rubbing his sleepy eyes and had no idea what was happening, he was well-behaved, letting the maids dress him, then took Chun Tao's hand and quickly walked out of Zhusheng Courtyard, heading for the main courtyard.
The team that had headed for Chunxi Hall slipped into the courtyard, only to find a few night-shift servants there, not even a shadow of Jiang Xiao.
The lead deathsworn swore under his breath, and immediately ordered the rest to head to Zhusheng Courtyard to regroup. The ten of them turned and hurried toward Zhusheng Courtyard at a fast pace.
At that very moment outside Zhusheng Courtyard, dark figures had already climbed up the courtyard wall, preparing to slip inside.
The two old women guarding the gate inside the courtyard were sitting on a stone dozing on a stool, completely unaware of the approaching danger.
One of the intruders saw that, and raised his hand to strike at the back of one of the old women, his palm carrying a sharp, fierce gust of wind that was clearly meant to kill.
Just then, two silver needles shot out from inside the courtyard at high speed, nailing precisely into that deathsworn's wrist and knee. He let out a muffled groan and crashed heavily to the ground with a loud thud.
"Who's there?" The lead man snapped in a low voice. He peered into the courtyard through the dim moonlight, and saw a petite figure standing under the corridor, none other than Jiang Yanyan.
After sizing her up for a moment and confirming her identity, the lead man's eyes were full of disdain. He waved his hand and ordered, "Go, kill her."
The rest of the men responded immediately, and charged at Jiang Yanyan with their blades drawn. The glint of swords and knives carried a piercing, icy killing intent.
Jiang Yanyan shifted her light feet, moving nimbly to dodge the attacks. At the same time, she flicked her fingertips repeatedly, sending several more silver needles piercing through the air. Three more black-clad men fell to the ground right away, their wrists pierced through by the silver needles, their long knives clattering to the ground as they groaned in pain.
The remaining black-clad men did not dare to underestimate her any longer. They all pulled the flexible swords from their waists and struck out with their palms in unison, swatting away all the silver needles Jiang Yanyan had fired. The needles embedded themselves in the tree trunk and the courtyard wall behind her, making a series of thudding sounds.
Jiang Yanyan reached into her sleeve, pulled out a packet of medicinal powder, and flung it backward. The powder scattered through the air, turning into a cloud of white mist that drifted toward the black-clad men.
"Childish trick," the lead deathsworn snorted coldly. He amplified the gust of wind from his palm with a powerful surge of energy, blowing the entire cloud of white mist away. He looked at Jiang Yanyan, his face full of mockery. "All you know how to use are petty poisons and hidden weapons. Those are all cheap, unrefined tricks, and you dare to show them off in front of me?"
Jiang Yanyan raised an eyebrow, looking at the deathsworn before her, and slowly began to count, "Three."
All the deathsworn froze, exchanging confused glances, not understanding what she meant. A strange, unplaceable sense of unease crept over their hearts.
"Two."
The moment Jiang Yanyan's voice fell, the lead deathsworn felt a sharp cramp in his abdomen. His limbs began to tingle and go numb, and a wave of debilitating weakness spread through every part of his body.
"One."
Right after the last word left her mouth, a string of muffled grunts rang out across Zhusheng Courtyard. The rest of the black-clad men collapsed to the ground one after another, completely unable to stand up again.
Jiang Yanyan stepped forward and looked down at the lead deathsworn lying on the ground.
"Whether it's poison or hidden weapons, as long as it can take you down, that's all that matters.
Did you really think that blowing away the powder with your palm gust would keep you safe? That medicinal powder dissolves the moment it meets wind, so you all still ended up poisoned."
The deathsworn lying on the ground was so furious his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He tried to scream curses, but all he could make were gurgling, hoarse noises, not even able to utter a single complete sentence.
Jiang Yanyan turned to look at the two old women at the courtyard gate. They had cowered behind the stone stool, trembling all over from fright. Jiang Yanyan said, "Hurry to the front courtyard and call the guards. Tie all these people up and lock them in the dungeon."
The old women snapped back to their senses immediately after hearing her order, and scurried out like rolling tumbleweeds to call for help.
Before long, the other team of black-clad men who had headed for Chunxi Hall also arrived at Zhusheng Courtyard. They had barely slipped through the gate when they saw the entire group of deathsworn lying all over the ground. Jiang Yanyan was sitting calmly on a chair under the corridor, sipping tea, completely unruffled.
The whole group of black-clad men was shocked, realizing that things had gone terribly wrong. They immediately spun around and tried to run.
But just as they reached the courtyard gate, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Dozens of guards armed with long knives had already surrounded the entrance, blocking every possible escape route.
"Charge!" The head of the guards yelled, and was the first to rush forward. The two sides immediately clashed, and the crisp clashing sound of metal against metal tore through the quiet night.
These guards were all top-tier fighters that Steward Li had transferred over from the Snowy Twilight Villa. They were extraordinarily skilled, and held a clear advantage in numbers. Meanwhile, the deathsworn were panicking and disoriented, so in less than half an incense stick's time, every last one of them had been subdued.
During the fight, three guards were unfortunately injured, with cuts across their arms and shoulders from the blades. Though their wounds were only minor, they still held the deathsworn beneath them firmly, refusing to let go no matter what.
Jiang Yanyan set down her teacup and walked over to the guards. She said, "All of you have performed your duties well to protect the manor this night. Each of you will be rewarded with thirty taels of silver. Those who were injured will get an extra twenty taels. Go to Steward Li later to collect your reward.
The injured guards should go see the manor physician to get medicine, rest properly for a few days, and don't come back to duty until your wounds are fully healed."
All the guards bowed respectfully after hearing her words. "Thank you, Miss, for the reward. This is all part of our duty as your subordinates."
Jiang Yanyan waved them off, then shifted her gaze to the twenty deathsworn lying on the ground. She said, "Search every inch of their bodies. Strip away all their hidden weapons and weapons, then pry open their mouths to check if they have hidden poison pills, so they can't kill themselves before we get answers."
The guards accepted the order immediately and stepped forward to conduct a thorough search. Sure enough, they found deadly poison pills hidden between the teeth of several deathsworn, and pulled them out right away.
Covered by the sleeve of her robe, Jiang Yanyan took out a white porcelain bottle and tossed it to the head of the guards.
"Inside this bottle are pills. Feed one to each of them. This medicine will cripple all their internal martial arts power. Without my antidote, they will never be able to recover their skills for the rest of their lives."
This was a reward she had previously obtained from a sign-in system, and she only had three bottles of it. But she had already worked out the full prescription herself, so she could make more at any time later.
The head of the guards took the porcelain bottle, pulled out the stopper, poured out the pills, and arranged for his men to feed one to every single black-clad intruder.
The medicinal pills dissolved as soon as they touched their tongues. Before long, all the deathsworn collapsed limply on the ground. When they tried to channel their internal energy, they felt their meridians were completely blocked, their entire bodies drained of all strength. Their eyes filled with utter despair.
Without the antidote, their martial arts power was gone for good. All the years of hard training that had built their formidable skills had been wasted forever.
Jiang Yanyan said, "Tie all these people up securely, escort them to the dungeon, and guard them strictly."
"Yes, we obey your order, Miss," the guards responded in unison. They fetched hemp ropes, bound the death warriors so tightly that they could not move an inch, then called over a few more servants to form teams of two, each pair hoisting one of the captives and heading toward the dungeon.
