re you""I…"Feng Ling Xi's words pierced Du Gu Cheng's heart. Looking at Xi Er with completely unfamiliar eyes, his heart was torn apart."Miss, he is...""I'm a guest here for the banquet. I saw you fai...Su Yue, upon hearing this, her eyes remained composed. "My lady, what are you saying I have always been by your side. How could I have gone out in the middle of the night"

"Do you have a number in mind"

Wan'er glanced at Dugu City, "Sometimes people really shouldn't be self-righteous, always thinking they control everything and treating others like fools. Suyue, I know you are sincerely protecting my safety and sincerely teaching me, but you are from Luoli. I won't walk with you."

"My Lady, the Clan Chief is your master. He's fallen ill like this, and you refuse to see him. He only feels better when he sees you..."

Before Su Yue could finish her words, Wan'er interrupted her.

He did want to see me, that's for sure. He just wanted to make sure I was still alive and kicking. If anything happened to me, his whole plan would be ruined. Do you really think I don't know what it means to be made the chieftain of the Yao clan

Wind Ling looked at Wan'er in astonishment. How did she know

"Wǎn'er, you..."

"I understand now. The idea of me becoming the tribe leader wasn't genuine. They wanted to bring me back so that when I turn ten, they would sacrifice me to the heavens."

Waner clenched her fists, her small face filled with anger. "Suyue, go back and tell Luoli, I'm not a sacrifice, I'm a person!"

"Wan'er."

Feng Ling rushed over and hugged Wan'er's small body. These were all secrets that shouldn't have been known to her, yet she knew them all.

Su Yue's face turned as white as paper. Looking into Wan'er's angry eyes, she took a few steps back. "County Princess, was it you who made the noise in the grass that night It wasn't some cat meow at all."

"Yes, it was me."

Wan'er looked at Su Yue, "Since your mother has already made things clear to you, I will also be straightforward. Go back to Luoli, I no longer need you here."

Feng Ling Xi only then remembered, the last time Si Qi had told her that Wan'er would run out at three in the morning when she slept. It turned out Wan'er had been following Su Yue! This silly girl, how could a child do something so dangerous If she were discovered, wouldn't she be finished

"So you knew all along"

Su Yue looked at Wan'er, her face growing increasingly ugly. "As expected of the disciple taught by the clan leader, you are indeed intelligent beyond compare. Your subordinate admits defeat."

"I won't have you admitting defeat, Sumi. Go away."

Su Yue was driven away by Wan'er, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. She had followed the county princess for five years, and now she was asked to leave, and what's more, she had long discovered her meeting with her clan.

"Princess, take care of yourself. Su Yue will not be able to accompany you from now on."

Su Yue suddenly knelt down and kowtowed three times to Wan'er. She got up, leaped into the air, and disappeared into the back garden of Lu Mansion.

"Wan'er, why haven't you come to see your mother"

Feng Ling Xi looked at the forbearance in Wan'er's eyes, and with compassion, she hugged her. "However, don't be afraid, mother will protect you well, no one can take you away."

"Mother, Wan'er is not afraid."

Waner pushed away Feng Lingxi, a smile appearing on her face. "Waner knew that she didn't tell you these things because she didn't want to worry Mother, but it seems now that Mother already knows."

Feng Lingxi nodded, "Mother only found out a few days ago and hasn't had the chance to tell Wan'er yet. But my Wan'er already knows everything." Looking at the smile on her child's face, Feng Lingxi truly felt heartache.

"Mother, actually you tell me, Wan'er can understand and comprehend."

Wan'er's words were too heartbreaking. Feng Lingxi reached out and touched her cheek, squeezing out a smile, "Then mother will have a good talk with you about this."

"Father, come with us too. There's no need to keep this from you."

Wan'er's voice calling him "Father" brought tears to Dugu City's eyes. He bit back his tears, unable to let them fall. This one word, "father," he had waited so long to hear. His Wan'er had finally forgiven him.

"He knew too, what his mother had told him, that everything we were doing now was to find a way to keep you here, not let them take you away."

Wan'er responded and proactively took hold of Dugu City's hand. "Actually, let me tell you this, even if they take me to the Yao Clan, before I turn ten years old, even if they imprison or confine me, I won't be in any danger."

"You even know this"

Feng Lingxi heard her daughter's words, her heart ached. These things shouldn't have been known to her, but she already knew them all, and had to find a way to face them herself.

"There's no helping it, who am I to be so clever and quick-witted Sūyuet does things without keeping anything hidden."

Wan'er feigned a casual shrug and led Feng Lingxi to sit down aside. Looking at her father and younger siblings, she softly comforted them, "Alright, don't look at me like that. I'm not some poor pitiful thing. I think it's better to know than not know, at least I won't be sold and help count the money. It's just…"

Wan'er's eyes suddenly dimmed, her gaze filled with struggle.

"Wǎn'er, just say what you have to say."

Dugu Cheng reassured her, saying he would definitely make it happen for her.

"Father and Mother, do you know that actually my master is quite pitiful too, he…"

Wan'er bit her lip, looking as if she wanted to say something but didn't. Feng Lingxi frowned, remembering what she and Dugu Cheng had heard from Luoli and Li Wuyan that day, and said softly, "Do you want to say that actually, your master isn't as bad as we imagined He just wants to help us"

"No."

"Wan'er looked into her mother's gentle eyes and explained, 'He wasn't trying to help us; he just wanted to break free from the Yao Clan's control as quickly as possible. He claims to be the clan leader, but that's just a facade. He's like me – controlled. The only difference is, he's not a sacrificial offering. But Master did many things out of necessity.'"

"You... how did you know"

Could this also be what Wan'er overheard in the dead of night

"My master would mutter to himself when I was asleep as a child. From a very young age, I knew that my master was actually very good to me. He himself was quite conflicted. I felt sorry for him, and I really wanted to tell him that I understood how difficult it was for him. But his temper has been getting worse, and I'm afraid to speak up, afraid he'll get angry."

Dugu Cheng and Feng Lingxi were hearing so much about Luoli from Wan'er for the first time. It was then that they realized their daughter had known about Luoli doing many things he didn't want to do. Thankfully, she only recently found out about being a sacrifice. If Ran hadn't grown up in such an environment, her heart would be even more suppressed.

"Then why did you tell Sumyue today that you were going to sever your master-disciple relationship with Luoli Doing this wouldn't it hurt Luoli even more"

Wan'er’s eyes darkened, "Mother, if I sever ties with him, perhaps Master wouldn't struggle so much. He might even be more serious about doing what he wants to do."poke, only three words, and Feng Ling Xi could no longer contain herself."Yu Mo, wait for me next door, I have something important to discuss with the landlord."Feng Yu Mo cast him a doubtful glance....