CHAPTER 859: CHAPTER 704

Meng Qianqian was, of course, surprised.

Her mother had long passed away, so why could she see her so clearly now?

Even though she had some suspicions before, they were merely guesses, things that even Si Snake couldn’t confirm.

She stared at the other as if trying to see every single hair on her face clearly.

Zhongli Yuan gently touched her cheek, "Let mom have a good look at you."

Meng Qianqian felt the familiar warmth from those familiar fingertips, "Mom, is it really you?"

Zhongli Yuan said, "It’s me, sorry, so many years have passed, and only now have I truly returned to your side."

Meng Qianqian asked, choking, "Where did you go?"

"Mom..."

Zhongli Yuan’s eyes slightly moved, hesitant to speak, and after a moment, said with shame, "Mom was also powerless."

Meng Qianqian said, feeling wronged, "Powerless? Why powerless? What happened? All these years I kept thinking... kept thinking..."

Zhongli Yuan looked at her with gentle eyes, "Thinking what?"

Meng Qianqian lowered her gaze, "Thinking you didn’t want me anymore."

"Silly child, you are mom’s flesh and blood, of course mom wouldn’t want to abandon you."

Zhongli Yuan softly caressed her cheek, "Now, are you still angry with mom?"

Meng Qianqian shook her head.

Zhongli Yuan gave a light smile, tucking her stray hair behind her ear, "How about mom takes you away from here? Leaving Capital City, away from all the disputes and troubles, and if you wish, Lu Yuan and Zhaozhao can come too, our family together forever."

Meng Qianqian said nothing.

Zhongli Yuan asked, "What’s wrong? Does Little Nine not wish to leave these troubles with mom?"

Tears brimmed in Meng Qianqian’s eyes, almost spilling out.

She held back the ache in her throat, "I wish to, I dream of it, just being able to see mom again, even if it means going to Purgatory, I would do it."

Zhongli Yuan held her hand, "Then what are you hesitating for?"

Meng Qianqian lifted her gaze, looking firmly into her eyes, "You, are not my mom."

Zhongli Yuan’s eyes narrowed.

Meng Qianqian struck her with one palm.

Zhongli Yuan stepped back, the edge of her garment torn by the palm’s force.

Meng Qianqian did not continue the fight but instead pulled out the hairpin from her head and stabbed it towards her own heart.

Zhongli Yuan screamed, "No—"

Unexpectedly, Meng Qianqian only made a feint, and in Zhongli Yuan’s moment of shock, her hairpin pierced the mural behind her like a light.

Bang!

In her mind, something heavy collapsed, and after a wave of intense headache, she woke from the nightmare.

This time, she truly awakened.

After regaining her senses, she realized she was staying at the official residence where envoys are entertained.

And this room, unsurprisingly, should be Ayimulan’s private chamber.

The mother she had just seen was not Zhongli Yuan, but Great Zhou Princess Consort Alina.

Alina slumped on the ground, panting, drenched in sweat.

Her eyes full of concern, but also tinged with guilt.

Ayimulan stood calmly in the room, her indifferent gaze sweeping over the haggard Alina.

Alina murmured, "I’m sorry, Princess Consort, I failed."

At this point, Meng Qianqian couldn’t help but understand what was going on.

Alina was also a Witch, and she’d fallen under the opponent’s witchcraft.

As for when she fell under it, it must have been during the time Meng Qianqian treated Alina in the Imperial Palace.

It turned out that was also a scheme against her.

Ayimulan’s methods were indeed more clever and complex than Prime Minister Xun or Gongsun Yanming.

Step by step without any excess.

However, she miscalculated Alina’s conscience.

Because she had treated Alina, when Meng Qianqian was about to harm herself under the witchcraft, Alina stopped her, unintentionally glancing at the mural behind her.

She speculated that the formation’s eye was there.

"I truly didn’t expect you to be a Witch, I underestimated you."

Meng Qianqian said lightly to Alina, then looked up at Ayimulan, "I wondered why you would place someone useless in the palace? Last time was just a Blinding Technique, making me think it was a diversion, but actually, you’d long set up a plan to kill two birds with one stone."

Who could have guessed that scheming against the matriarch wasn’t her ultimate goal, beneath this layer of plot lay another calculation against her?

If she had agreed to "Zhongli Yuan’s" request, she might forever be controlled by her witchcraft, becoming a puppet in their hands.

"Ayimulan, you are indeed a worthy opponent."

"How did you see through it?" Ayimulan glanced at the fallen Alina, "Where did she slip up?"

"You guess."

Meng Qianqian wasn’t going to tell her.

Ayimulan had investigated her, so the "mother" played by Alina was Yu Family.

No matter how much she could imagine all of Zhongli Yuan’s gentleness, those words were never something her mother would say.

Family together forever?

Ayimulan didn’t even know who her family members were?

"Ah, is it that little girl Tan’er, or Chen Long?"

Ayimulan asked.

Meng Qianqian didn’t answer her.

"You disappoint me, Alina."

Ayimulan sighed.

Alina’s body quivered.

Meng Qianqian said, "This small witchcraft cannot actually harm me."

Ayimulan told Alina, "Since she pleads for you, you may leave."

Alina left the chamber with a relief.

Only three remained in the room.

Meng Qianqian, Ayimulan, and the watchful Mo Yi.

Since the parting at Weiyang Building, this man’s aura had grown stronger again.

What had been said at Yucheng Building was true, he had practiced some kind of Evil Skill, experiencing near-death once, he advanced once.

"Princess Consort, your plan to defeat the enemy without fighting has failed."

He spoke.

Meng Qianqian raised her brow, "Oh? So that was your plan?"

Ayimulan spoke with ease, "Yes, but not entirely."

Meng Qianqian asked, "Then you were expecting to trick me while under the spell?"

Ayimulan replied, "Unfortunately, it didn’t work."

Meng Qianqian gave a faint smile, "Going through all this trouble, don’t you find it tedious, I find it exhausting, why not just speak directly, maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll tell you everything."

Ayimulan slowly asked, "Are you also a Witch?"

Witch?

Meng Qianqian was stumped by Ayimulan’s words.

She had such suspicions, but was never sure.

She hesitated for a moment, then said calmly, "You don’t even know if I’m a Witch, yet you dare use witchcraft on me?"

Ayimulan unleashed her aura fully, "Whether you are or not doesn’t matter, I offer you two ways, either, submit to me."

Meng Qianqian interrupted her words, "I choose neither."

Ayimulan: "I haven’t finished speaking."

Meng Qianqian: "No need to speak."

Mo Yi said coldly, "Princess Consort, since she is obstinate, why not kill her and be done with it!"

Ayimulan squinted her eyes, "Seems like you don’t wish to save the Shang Family’s hostage."