Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 371 has only one condition: the more miserable the better.

“I went to Ci’en Temple with my mother. I heard that Master Liaochen recently returned to Beijing and my mother wanted to visit him.”

"Hmm," Mu Yun Chu nodded in understanding, which meant he wouldn't be able to see his little girl for several days.

Half an hour later, at the Prince Li's residence.

"Master," Mu Dong's voice rang out from outside the study.

"Is the Princess Consort alright?" Mu Yun Chu put down the commemorative document in her hand.

Mu Dong was covered in dust and looked somewhat haggard. "Before I rushed back, the Princess was in the woods at the foot of Ci'en Temple."

Since returning to the capital, Mu Dong has been secretly following and protecting Gu Qingyue. He naturally knows about what happened to Gu Qingyue at the foot of Ci'en Temple.

Mu Yun Chu frowned. "Something happened?"

"Madam Gu has been kidnapped, and all her guards have been captured," Mu Dong said, glancing at Mu Yun Chu. His expression was beyond dark and gloomy.

"Who did this?" Mu Yun Chu stood up abruptly. "Is the Princess Consort injured?"

"The princess is well and unharmed..."

Before Mu Dong could finish speaking, the person in front of him had vanished.

He immediately darted after him.

In the forest below Ci'en Temple.

Gu Qingyue sat motionless on the tree branch. The spring night was no longer cold, but cool and comfortable. She felt a little stiff after sitting in one position for a long time, so she changed her position.

"Master, Jiang Luo is back," Yu Mo's voice came from a large tree not far away.

Gu Qingyue perked up immediately upon hearing this, "Quickly tell me, where did they take Madam?"

Jiang Luo was completely shrouded in black, with only his bright eyes visible. "Master, we've tracked them down. They've taken Madam to a manor in the mountains."

"What villa?" Gu Qingyue asked curiously.

"I went to check it out. The manor is very large. While I was searching the area, I happened to encounter a horse team coming out of the manor."

The horse was carrying many sacks, probably grain, and the subordinates followed the caravan into a very secluded mountain valley.

"It's very secluded there. There are rows of caves near the mountainside. Judging from the noise, there are quite a few people inside. There are also patrols outside the caves. They look very well-trained. I didn't dare to approach," Jiang Luo said, bowing his head.

Gu Qingyue stroked her chin thoughtfully. A cave? Lots of people? Could it be another private mine?

Where is our "madam"?

"The man in gray handed the lady over to the manor's steward, but the steward seemed somewhat annoyed," Jiang Luo recalled what he had secretly witnessed.

"But I feel that the gray-clad man looks familiar. His figure and voice are somewhat similar to the expert I saw at the Liu family's place," Jiang Luo guessed that the man had disguised himself, but his voice and figure were very similar.

"Anything else?" Gu Qingyue asked.

"And..." Jiang Luo hesitated for a moment, but still forced himself to say it simply, "That man in gray is in charge of 'treating' the lady well, torturing her for a while longer, preferably making her serve the servants in the manor. There is only one condition: the more miserable the better."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyue clenched her fists tightly, and a chilling aura silently spread around her, making people tremble involuntarily.

It seems to be pretty much what I expected.

Their plan was to kidnap Qin Shi, then replace her with a fake "Madam" and take her to Ci'en Temple, where the real Qin Shi would be tortured and humiliated to death in a place where no one knew.

What exactly is the grudge?

Not only did Liu want to kill Qin, but she also wanted to make her suffer endless torment and humiliation!

Very well, she roughly understands what Liu is trying to do. In that case, Liu doesn't need to stay any longer.

Whether she had someone sell her out or had someone poison Qin Shi with a curse, there's no need to investigate the reasons anymore.

With just this one thing right now, she's determined to make sure he dies a horrible death!

"Yu Mo, you stay here and keep an eye on Ci'en Temple. If they want to have fun, play along and have a good time! If necessary, get rid of that woman in the temple," Gu Qingyue turned to Yu Mo and gave her instructions for the next steps.

"Yes," Yu Mo waved his hand into the darkness, and with a whoosh, a group of men in black appeared in the woods. They were the guards who had been captured during the day. "Go up the mountain."

Gu Qingyue had already laid an ambush before they arrived in the mountains during the day.

The capture of the 'guards' during the day was merely a test of their infiltration into the tiger's den.

After the gray-clad leader left, the Moon Shadow Pavilion youths who were lying in ambush nearby rescued everyone, leaving none alive.

Gu Qingyue and Jiang Luo stood at the edge of the woods watching Yu Mo lead a group of men in black swiftly into the forest, heading towards Ci'en Temple.

She turned and whispered a few words to Jiang Luo, who immediately sent the message away and followed Gu Qingyue in another direction.

Nearly an hour later, Gu Qingyue and Jiang Luo squatted outside the villa.

"You stay behind to provide backup, I'll go in and check first."

"No, Master, I'll go in and investigate. You wait here," Jiang Luo said in a low voice.

Of course, it's their subordinates who do these dangerous things. The masters always like to be at the forefront, which annoys them. They always feel that they are not competent enough.

"That's settled then, just wait," Gu Qingyue said, and then flew into the woods ahead.

As they approached the outer perimeter of the manor, Gu Qingyue, to be honest, preferred to act alone and enjoy her freedom.

Gu Qingyue had just landed on a large tree when she saw the back gate of the villa open.

A dozen or so men in black carrying torches filed out, and she immediately composed herself.

This is the back gate of the villa. According to what Jiang Luo said earlier, these people should be heading towards that hidden place.

Gu Qingyue hesitated, wondering whether to follow them to check out the hidden mountain valley first or go to the villa to find the people.

Suddenly, a familiar presence drew near, and Gu Qingyue felt a warmth behind her as she nestled into a warm embrace.

"Ah Yue," the man's deep voice sounded in my ear.

"Why are you here?" Gu Qingyue tilted her head slightly, still startled.

This guy's ability to conceal his presence is getting better and better. I don't know how he found himself in such a dark place.

Mu Yun Chu wrapped one arm around the woman's waist and pulled her into his arms. "I heard something happened to you."

Gu Qingyue felt a warmth in her heart and waved her hand, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Everything was arranged in advance, and everything was as expected."

"That's good. Where is this?" Mu Yun Chu looked at the huge villa with scattered lights in front of him, and he had a bad feeling.

Gu Qingyue lowered her voice and carefully recounted what had happened that day and what Jiang Luo had discovered.

Mu Yun Chu seemed to be deep in thought.

"I need to go in and bring my men out. Or, why don't you go and follow those guys to check out that ravine?"

Looking at the flickering candlelight and patrolling guards in the manor, Gu Qingyue began to frown and ponder a way to save the people.

"Together," how could Mu Yun Chu let her go on an adventure alone, even though he knew she was strong enough?

Gu Qingyue only thought for a moment before agreeing.