"What...what are these?" Ning Shiren felt that she had already accomplished a great deal since birth, but when she saw these insects, she was so frightened that her legs went weak. She pointed at the ground, trembling all over, and kept covering her mouth with a handkerchief, as if she would vomit at any moment if she did not.
Ouyang Yue was shocked by the scene; the sheer number of insects was astonishing. However, these insects seemed unable to linger. Some swam on the surface of the blood, but soon their wriggling became less frequent, showing little energy. Yet, insects continued to flow from Rui Yuhuan's body, seemingly endless, their sheer number enough to make anyone shudder.
Ouyang Yue's heart skipped a beat. Seeing a bold servant about to come over to see what was going on, she immediately shouted angrily, "Stop! Don't go any further!" The servant was startled and instinctively backed away, but Ouyang Yue had already arrived. "This thing can't be touched. I don't know if it will control me if I touch it."
Ouyang Yue remembered meeting Master Minghui before. According to Master Minghui, there are thousands of types of Gu poison in Miao territory, each with different habits and effects. Even he couldn't identify a Gu poison just by looking at an insect. However, one thing was certain: one should not get close to these Gu poisons. Some Gu worms can reproduce through human transmission, turning the human body into a host. Over time, this will inevitably lead to death from exhaustion of life force. Ouyang Yue looked at Rui Yuhuan, her heart skipping a beat. Then, looking at Old Ning, her eyes narrowed slightly. Was everything really as she thought?
Old Ning stared blankly at the group of white insects, so frightened that she took several steps back. She lost her footing and sat down on the ground with a "thud," but she seemed not to feel any pain. She just looked at the insects with a mixture of fear, disgust, and... an indescribable complex feeling.
More and more insects flowed out around Rui Yuhuan. Fortunately, these insects seemed to really like Rui Yuhuan's blood, and they basically all gathered in the flowing blood. As new insects appeared, one in front would die, so Anhe Hall had not yet become infested with insects. Although everyone found the insects disgusting and horrifying, they all stared wide-eyed at them. This scene was too strange, and they probably would never see it again in their lives. They had endless questions in their hearts. Sometimes curiosity can really kill a cat, just like the group of people in Anhe Hall.
The insect had been smoldering for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn when suddenly, Rui Yuhuan, who should have been dead, stirred. Ouyang Yue's brow furrowed, and Dong Xue clenched her fists, about to strike, when everyone's eyes widened as they saw a white insect, about the size of an infant's fist, wriggle out of Rui Yuhuan's gaping mouth. This insect was exactly the same shape and color as the previous ones, only much larger, clearly one of the group of insects. However, as soon as it emerged, it moved directly in front of one of the insects, and without even opening its mouth, swallowed the smaller insect in front of it.
"Ah, it...it ate it." Ouyang Rou's mouth was wide open, her stomach was churning, she felt extremely uncomfortable, and she stared at the big worm in disbelief.
Ouyang Yue knew that this was perhaps the ecological law of these insects—the so-called big fish eat little fish, little fish eat shrimp—this life chain also existed, except that these insects were living inside Rui Yuhuan's body. Then wouldn't that mean… Thinking of this, Ouyang Yue's heart trembled. Forgetting the deceased Rui Yuhuan, a trace of pity appeared in her eyes. If Rui Yuhuan were still alive, she might be terrified to death by this scene or thought.
"Ahhh!" At this moment, Old Ning suddenly screamed, her body collapsing to the ground and convulsing, her eyes fixed on the large white worm.
The large worm's eyes were also very red, which, combined with its white body, made it appear both eerie and alluring. However, after swallowing several smaller worms, the worm swam towards one direction, directly into the bloody water, heading straight for Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue's heart skipped a beat. She felt the worm was incredibly excited upon seeing her, and a chill ran down her spine. Dongxue immediately rushed over to stop it, but Ouyang Yue's heart pounded as she said, "Dongxue, find something to trap it first, don't kill it yet."
“Father, if I’m not mistaken, these things should be Gu worms.”
Ouyang Zhide's face also seemed a little pale, his expression gloomy: "When I was at the border, I also heard that there were some mysterious things in Miao territory that outsiders could not understand. This Gu poison is the most famous of them. Is it this thing?"
“Father, I suspect…” Ouyang Yue looked at Old Madam Ning, who was lying on the ground. She was trembling all over and her face was shaking. She seemed to be having a fit of madness, which frightened the servants of Anhe Hall so much that no one dared to go forward to help her.
Ouyang Zhide immediately understood Ouyang Yue's meaning and said in a deep voice, "Mama Xi, help the old lady inside first. Yue'er, come in with me. Everyone else, stay here or leave. No one is allowed to enter the inner hall." Ouyang Zhide was always the one to speak in the General's Mansion, so naturally no one dared to disobey him. Moreover, what had happened in the hall was enough for them to calm down for half a day. The situation was really too frightening.
Rui Yuhuan looked like a swarm of insects, her body teeming with them. The thought of it made everyone clutch their mouths, afraid to vomit, and they felt nothing but disgust towards her. Some even wanted to go over and torture her, but Ouyang Yue coldly said, "If you don't want this stuff on your body, then come forward."
Those people immediately stopped in their tracks. Before entering the inner hall, Ouyang Yue glanced indifferently at the hall and stared expressionlessly at Rui Yuhuan's corpse: "Burn both the body and the insects to death. Be careful not to let these things touch you. Dongxue, you bring the big ones in with me."
The large one was naturally the giant insect that Dongxue had just caught. Dongxue immediately carried the large Gu (a type of insect) into the inner hall. Those in the outer hall felt a chill run down their spines after hearing Ouyang Yue's words, but seeing the insects scattered on the floor, they immediately endured the cold. Someone found lamp oil and poured it all over Rui Yuhuan and the blood, then grabbed a tinderbox and threw it in. A foul, burnt smell immediately filled the hall. The insects, naturally uncomfortable with the high temperature, began to crawl out.
"Don't let them crawl out! What if they get on our bodies? Quickly kill them! Burn them with candles!" Ning Shi exclaimed, her face twitching with fear.
Not only it, but everyone in the hall had the same thought. Immediately, someone rushed out to get the item, while everyone inside the hall was like a frightened bird, afraid that the item would get on them.
"Ah, it's crawling over here, it's crawling over here!" Ouyang Yue was sitting to the side, intently watching, when a bug crawled over very fast. She screamed in terror, but at that moment, no one cared about her; everyone was focused on their surroundings. Ouyang Rou, terrified, crouched on the chair, her body curled up in a ball, completely losing her composure. However, the bug continued to crawl towards them. Ouyang Yue was terrified. "Ah, go away, go away, go away quickly!" The bug couldn't understand Ouyang Rou's words and continued to crawl. Ouyang Rou was pale with fright. "Ah, go away!" She immediately stomped her foot in fright. "Pfft!" Green liquid sprayed out around her feet. Ouyang Rou's eyes widened, her chest heaved, and her face turned even whiter.
"Ah!" Ouyang Rou suddenly covered her mouth, her stomach churning. Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer, her body spun around, and she vomited. This vomiting was bad; she felt that what she had been holding back could no longer be endured, and she collapsed onto the chair and vomited violently.
The others weren't doing any better; they kept covering their mouths, feeling like they were about to vomit if they put their hands down.
At this moment, a burnt smell filled the hall. Flames continued to rise from Rui Yuhuan's body, along with countless insects around her, constantly being roasted by the flames. In life, she was extremely proud and defiant of everyone, but in death, not only was she disgusted by everyone, but even now, no one showed her any sympathy or pity. Instead, they seemed to wish for her to be burned to death quickly. Rui Yuhuan, being dead, naturally knew nothing of this. As the insects' bodies were subjected to the intense heat, they desperately crawled outwards. Many servants and masters of Anhe Hall, armed with sharp objects, stabbed and killed each insect that crawled out.
"puff."
"puff."
"puff."
Strange, grating sounds filled the hall, accompanied by the occasional, involuntary vomiting of those present, creating an indescribable, bizarre, yet utterly disgusting stench.
Inside the room, as soon as Granny Xi helped Old Madam Ning to the bed, the old bed immediately began to convulse and tremble again. Ouyang Zhide asked, "Yue'er, how much do you know about this Gu poison?"
Ouyang Yue said, "Father, I don't know much about this either. But when I saw this big worm, I suddenly thought of something. It is said that this Gu worm can be raised. There are two conditions for raising it. One is to raise it with external things, such as human blood and a kind of poisonous insect. The other is to parasitize it in the human body. The thing that crawled out of Rui Yuhuan's body seems to be the second one."
Ouyang Zhide's face darkened as he recalled the scene before, his brows furrowing. This was the first time in all these years he had witnessed such a sight, and he would have found it hard to believe if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. The Miao people had always refrained from interfering in conflicts, as their ancestors greatly feared their unpredictable and mysterious nature. Several had once considered uniting to attack Miao and destroy their supernatural beings. The then-Holy King of Miao swore an oath as the Divine King of Miao that he would not launch attacks or participate in wars, and given the casualties among other nations, they allowed it to proceed. As for the rumors of Miao's power and influence, many people, having never experienced it firsthand, simply listened and dismissed them; without seeing it for themselves, it would be difficult for anyone to believe.
“Rui Yuhuan actually fostered these harmful things, it’s simply…” Ouyang Zhide didn’t know how to put it, he just felt a deep disgust. He hadn’t expected that bringing Rui Yuhuan back to the capital would only have brought so much trouble, he was filled with regret.
Ouyang Yue asked, "Father, do you remember what Physician Liu said after taking Grandmother's pulse not long ago?"
"You mean!" Ouyang Zhide was taken aback, then shocked. He certainly remembered what Physician Liu had said: that his mother's health was low and her internal organs were somewhat damaged. At the time, Ouyang Zhide hadn't thought much of it, assuming it was just that Old Madam Ning was getting old and her body couldn't function like a young woman's, so some damage was normal. Besides, Old Madam Ning usually looked very healthy, so there shouldn't be any problems. Now that Ouyang Yue had said this, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately had a different idea.
Could it be... thinking about what was flowing out of Rui Yuhuan's body, could it be that her mother's body was like that too?
Ouyang Yue continued, "The so-called parasitic growth within the body means that it survives by consuming the blood and internal organs of the body. Normally, nothing can be seen, but after a certain period of time, when the number of these Gu worms increases, the body's internal organs will probably be eaten up by them. If they are eaten up, the person will naturally die."
Ouyang Zhide's brow twitched, and his expression changed. Old Ning, lying on the bed, was still trembling uncontrollably, seemingly oblivious to their conversation, muttering incomprehensible words. Seeing this, Ouyang Zhide grew even more anxious: "Then... does Yue'er know a way?"
Ouyang Yue sighed, "There are countless methods of Gu poison in Miao territory, and outsiders can't possibly fathom them. I only learned about these from unofficial histories and some miscellaneous books. This Gu worm reproduces so quickly that it only flowed out through Rui Yuhuan's wounds after she died without a body to nourish it. It seems to be a very common Gu poison in Miao territory. It seems that someone in the previous dynasty used it. It takes a long time, but the results are very satisfying. It directly exhausts the body until the person collapses. Even a great immortal couldn't save them when they fall."
Ouyang Zhide clenched his fists. Ouyang Yue looked at him and said, "However, the fact that Rui Yuhuan was stabbed to death today, and that the Gu worm was the first to leave her body, serves as a warning to us. I think Rui Yuhuan herself was unaware of this." Given Rui Yuhuan's personality, if she knew about such a dangerous and cruel thing, she would never have done it herself. It's very likely that she was poisoned with Gu without her knowledge. "And now, we can only rely on this giant Gu worm to help Grandmother."
"Does Yue'er have another way?" Ouyang Zhide was overjoyed and immediately asked.
Ouyang Yue nodded, not speaking immediately. Emotionally speaking, Ouyang Yue didn't want to save Old Ning, who had previously threatened to kill her. However, all of this was for Ouyang Zhide's sake. Moreover, Ouyang Yue hadn't told him the truth; these were questions Ouyang Yue had asked after Master Minghui cured Baili Chen of the Gu poison. Her questions naturally went beyond these superficial matters; she asked many other things because she had suspected Old Ning had been poisoned by Gu, as Old Ning's behavior was indeed unusual. Although they were only basic questions, one of them involved a method to draw the Gu worms out of the body, and conveniently, she now had the necessary tools.
Most importantly, Ouyang Yue was no saint. She never hesitated to retaliate against those who harmed or disliked her. Old Madam Ning had always harbored ill will towards her, and Ouyang Yue wanted to see what Old Madam Ning would do once she was brought to her senses, and how she would react to Ouyang Yue's actions. Don't blame Ouyang Yue for a hint of schadenfreude; Old Madam Ning's repeated targeting of her had already made Ouyang Yue utterly disgusted with her. Even without Rui Yuhuan, Old Madam Ning wouldn't be the kind and benevolent grandmother she was. Before Rui Yuhuan came to the General's Mansion, had Old Madam Ning ever targeted her? Perhaps the Gu worm truly had some effect on Old Madam Ning, but Ouyang Yue believed even more strongly that if Old Madam Ning hadn't harbored such resentment towards her, things wouldn't have gone as smoothly as Rui Yuhuan had imagined.
Since that's the case, let's make Old Ning come to her senses and see the foolish things she's done. She really wants to see Old Ning's remorseful look.
“Yue’er has a way. Judging from the worm flowing out of Rui Yuhuan’s body, this should be the Gu King, the original worm that lived in Rui Yuhuan’s body. After this worm split into smaller worms, Rui Yuhuan used them to feed her grandmother. They entered her body with the food and multiplied, causing damage to her grandmother’s body. Now, to get these Gu worms out of her grandmother’s body, we need this.” Ouyang Yue pointed, and Dong Xue immediately opened the Gu lid. The Gu worm, the size of an infant’s fist, immediately flashed its eyes, twisted its head, and tried to pounce on Ouyang Yue. Dong Xue immediately closed the Gu lid and then closed it again.
Ouyang Zhide nodded, understanding the principle perfectly. Seeing this, Ouyang Yue said to Xi Mama, "Xi Mama, go outside and gather some wild grass, pick a few fresh flowers, and also bring some of the dew you usually collect."
Mama Xi immediately nodded and went to prepare. Ouyang Zhide looked at her with some doubt. Ouyang Yue said, "These Gu worms are actually very delicate. If they leave the object they live in, they will die very easily. In addition to nurturing the body and the poisonous insects, there are ways to control them. However, I have only seen this method before, and I don't know if it will work. If it doesn't work, we can only send someone to find a Gu master in Miao territory."
Ouyang Zhide's face darkened. If they truly reached the place where they sought the Miao Gu Master, he feared… Ouyang Zhide's eyes narrowed slightly. He was a border general; if he had dealings with people from other countries, and someone with ulterior motives found out, things would become very complicated. At that point, not only would he be in danger, but even if the Emperor found out, his mother might not survive.
A moment later, Mama Xi hurried in. Ouyang Yue quickly instructed several servants to put the things together, crush them, and mix them. Then she said to Mama Xi, "Mama Xi, go and get some chicken blood, put it in a basin, and bring it in. You must support Grandmother and absolutely not stop. You must not panic and make any mistakes, otherwise you will only harm Grandmother. We also need to find some calm and steady servants for this matter, so I will trouble Mama Xi to choose the right people."
Madam Xi nodded solemnly, turned and left. Soon she returned with two burly, rough-looking maids, as well as two of the four personal maids of Old Madam Ning from Anhe Hall, two women in green and blue. Their expressions were more solemn than ever before.
Ouyang Yue looked at them and said, "In a moment, the two maids will be responsible for carrying the basin. Remember, no matter what you see, you must keep your hands steady. Green-clothed, Blue-clothed, and Mama Xi will be responsible for holding Grandmother down. You absolutely cannot let her faint."
"Yes!" Everyone responded immediately. Even Ouyang Zhide looked at Ouyang Yue, since he was not clear about these matters. Even if he wanted to invite the Miao Gu Master now, it would probably be impossible. So he could only rely on Ouyang Yue and try it as a last resort.
"Alright, Dongxue, pour the mixed juice into the Gu and give it to that big worm."
"Yes, Miss."
Dongxue immediately put down the large Gu and poured the prepared liquid directly into it. The large worm, which had been trembling and trying to burrow out of the Gu, suddenly stopped, then crawled back into the Gu and began drinking the mixed liquid. It then made a very faint sound, almost imperceptible if one didn't listen carefully. At this moment, Old Ning's body began to tremble violently, even more violently than before. Xi Mama, Green Robe, and Blue Robe were stunned. Now they finally understood the Third Miss's very serious command. Because Old Ning's current state was too frightening, they almost couldn't handle it.
Just then, Old Ning's belly seemed to swell, and her body trembled more violently, as if she hated being controlled. She began to struggle frantically. Mama Xi gritted her teeth, grabbed Old Ning's arms tightly, and pressed her body back down. The two women in green and blue also held down Old Ning's shoulders firmly. Old Ning trembled wildly, but compared to the three women exerting their strength, she was much weaker.
Just then, large drops of sweat began to drip from Old Madam Ning's forehead, and she kept howling, but it was just a series of monosyllabic sounds without any real words. Her face was extremely ferocious, and she looked like a demon from hell. The two rough maids who were carrying the basins of chicken blood, who usually considered themselves the bravest in the mansion and did not believe in ghosts and gods, were so frightened by Ning's appearance that their hands trembled and they almost dropped the basins.
Ouyang Yue immediately shouted, "Don't be afraid. Grandmother and what's coming next won't hurt you. As long as you don't panic, I'll make sure you're safe. Stay calm!" Ouyang Yue's voice seemed to carry a strange power, and these people suddenly calmed down, biting their lips and focusing on their own tasks.
Old Ning was trembling excessively at this moment, but then, she suddenly opened her mouth wide and her eyes widened to the extreme. She was so stiff that she could only maintain one expression. Ouyang Yue's expression changed and she immediately said, "Quickly, lift the basin over there."
The two rough-around-the-edges mothers immediately started vomiting.
"Thump."
"Thump."
"Thump."
"..."
Then, blood droplets suddenly splattered from the chicken blood basin. The two maids gasped, seeing what Old Ning was vomiting. Old Ning didn't stop there; she continued to gag, occasionally spitting out white substances. Anyone who had been in the hall would know what these were—the Gu worms! The two maids, who considered themselves brave, felt their scalps tingle and their hearts ache at the sight. This was different from the blood flowing from Rui Yuhuan's body; it was coming directly from Old Ning's mouth, deepening their shock and horror.
However, this was extremely painful for Old Madam Ning. She felt as if her entire body was being twisted, every hair on her body like a sharp thorn, constantly piercing her skin. It felt as if a thousand swords were piercing her heart. She felt that she had no way to express the pain except to scream. The pain made her want to die, to just pass out. Old Madam Ning unconsciously closed her eyes. Ouyang Yue glared at her and immediately shouted, "We can't let Grandmother sleep. If she falls asleep, she might not wake up again. We also can't let Grandmother shut up. These Gu worms will die without a host. If the Gu worms in Grandmother's body can't get out, it will be very harmful to her body. So we must take this opportunity to force all the Gu worms out of Grandmother's body. We absolutely cannot let Grandmother become unconscious."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Zhide immediately said, "Listen to what the Third Miss said, we must not let the old lady fall asleep, or shut her up."
"This...this..." Mama Xi and the others were still somewhat embarrassed. Although they did not know exactly how much pain Old Ning was in, they knew from the roars and the uncontrollable spasms and tremors that she was in great pain. They could feel it.
The woman in green couldn't help but ask, "Then... then what about the cloth or rope used to tie the old lady's upper and lower lips?"
Upon hearing this, happy's mother said, "Let's try doing it this way and see how it goes."
Everyone sprang into action. Old Madam Ning was convulsing in pain; her only wish now was to die. Let her die! The pain was unbearable; she could hear nothing, see nothing, only see a pool of blood before her eyes, the churning pain inside her body, and her mouth agape as something gushed out. She desperately wanted to die.
She was filled with hatred. At that moment, she wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't shut her mouth, and other pains kept coming from her body.
Indeed, Old Ning was determined to die. happy Mama and the others had no other choice but to resort to underhanded tactics, pinching and twisting Old Ning's body, specifically targeting the most painful spots, hoping to use this external force to bring Old Ning back to her senses.
Ouyang Zhide watched from the side, his heart skipping a beat, but he didn't stop it; there was nothing he could do now. Although he harbored many grievances against Old Madam Ning, seeing his mother, who had raised him from childhood, in such agony filled him with unbearable pain, and he had long since forgotten the past. Seeing Old Madam Ning's contorted and trembling face, his heart trembled again and again. Of course, he couldn't help but feel some resentment towards his mother. Why had she done such a thing? If his mother hadn't spoiled Rui Yuhuan so much, perhaps things wouldn't have escalated to this point. Although he felt sorry for his mother, he couldn't help but feel angry. If it weren't for that, why would his mother be in such a miserable state now?
Sigh, it's all her fault for trusting Rui Yuhuan too much, and it's also his fault for bringing Rui Yuhuan directly to the General's Mansion for convenience, which has caused so much trouble. Ouyang Zhide felt a complex mix of emotions.
As she vomited more and more, Old Ning became increasingly distressed. Xi Mama and the others tried to pinch and twist her, but they could no longer control her. With no other option, Ouyang Zhide gritted his teeth and said, "Use acupuncture."
Everyone was stunned. Madam Xi reacted the fastest and took it. Now was not the time to think about anything else. A little pain for a life. When Old Ning was alright, she would thank them.
"tie!"
At Madam Xi's command, Green and Blue took the needles, took a deep breath, and stabbed them directly into Old Ning's body. Old Ning let out a dry howl and vomited even more.
The two rough maids carrying the basins were now deathly pale. If they hadn't had a sliver of willpower holding them together, they would have thrown the basins and run away long ago. It was disgusting and terrifying. The two women stood frozen in place, their lips trembling. They didn't know how much time had passed, but everyone in the room felt their breathing become rapid. When Xi Mama and the others were trembling as they inserted the needles, Old Ning Shi gagged more than ten times without expelling a single worm. Then, Ouyang Yue's calm voice rang out like heavenly music: "Alright, quickly burn this basin of chicken blood and all the worms in the Gu. Replace the entire Grandmother's room with new ones, hurry."
"Plop."
"Plop."
"Plop."
Exhausted, happy's mother and the others collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, their eyes rolling back as if they were about to faint.
Old Ning lay on the bed, her body still trembling instinctively. She felt exhausted, but her mind was very clear. The room was filled with the sound of everyone's tired breathing. After a while, Dongxue had already led the people to throw out all the Gu worms.
"Wow!"
A deafening scream suddenly rang out in the room, but as soon as the sound subsided, they realized it wasn't a scream, but a deafening wail. Old Ning's eyes widened, her mouth gaped open, and she burst into tears. The sound was loud, but hoarse, like the grinding of a millstone against a pebble—extremely unpleasant and horrifying. However, the expression on Old Ning's face was even more horrified than the sound itself. It wasn't directed at anyone else, but at herself; she was so terrified that she cried uncontrollably, rolling around on the bed as if trying to shake something off.
She was exhausted, but suddenly she jumped off the bed, barefoot, and headed towards a stone pillar. Ouyang Zhide was terrified and rushed over. Although Old Ning was fast, Ouyang Zhide was skilled in martial arts and caught her just as she was about to collide with him.
Old Ning struggled and cried out, "Let me die, let me die!"
☆、124、It's Aunt Ming's turn!
Old Ning's cries were extremely hoarse and painful, a heart-wrenching cry. Ouyang Zhide, holding her body, could feel her instinctive trembling, a sound that made his heart tremble and his heart ache.
"Mother, it's alright, it's alright, don't cry." Ouyang Zhide, a man and a military officer, was not good with words, and these were all the words he could say to comfort her.
Old Ning ignored him completely, or rather, she heard Ouyang Zhide's advice, but she couldn't recover at all. She cried out in pain, her voice extremely shrill. Ning and the others in the outer hall, who had just finished collecting the Gu worms and were carrying out a full-scale burning of the grave, were shocked to hear this. What was wrong with Old Ning?
After marrying into the General's Mansion, Old Madam Ning had always been incredibly strong and responsible. Even though Rui Yuhuan had damaged the Ning family's reputation, and the Ning family was considering abandoning her, Old Madam Ning, though unwilling, gritted her teeth and endured it all because she couldn't change the situation. Madam Ning had never seen Old Madam Ning so distraught before, which showed how well she understood her aunt.
From the moment she met Ouyang Zhide and fell in love with him, she tried even harder to please her aunt. Over the past thirty years, she knew very well how strong-willed her aunt was. Let alone crying, she rarely even complained about her grievances. What could be causing her so much pain? The people in the outer hall shared the same thought as Ning Shi. Although many people in the General's Mansion disliked Old Ning Shi and wished her dead, they had never imagined that Old Ning Shi would cry. It was quite shocking to them.
Ouyang Rou smiled coldly. She was huddled in the corner, preventing the insect from getting close, and she hadn't moved forward either. She was now isolated and helpless in the mansion; all she could do was bide her time and observe from the sidelines. It seemed to be working out perfectly. Whoever suffered or triumphed was none of her concern now. It would be best if they all fought to the death, then she could reap the benefits. However, under this premise, she wouldn't act impulsively again.
The sound of Old Madam Ning's weeping echoed in the inner hall for a long time, and it never faded away.
Old Madam Ning was in great pain, excruciating pain. After vomiting, she suddenly felt as if she had been struck hard on the head, and her mind cleared up instantly. She hadn't forgotten anything that had happened before; on the contrary, everything was vividly clear in her mind, even more so than before. From the events after her return to the capital—first, her attempt to intimidate Ouyang Yue, then hiring tutors for the household, and later, Ouyang Zhide bringing Rui Yuhuan back—she immediately took a liking to the girl, gradually lowering her guard and showering her with excessive affection. She remembered everything she had done for Rui Yuhuan up to this point.