Chapter 540: Obtaining a piece of evidence (2/2)

Although the Xie Clan would still have to bear the crime of smearing Mu Linger’s name, it was still worth it to change their permanent ban from competitions into 10 years instead.

Han Yunxi rejoiced. With this, we can protect Mu Linger. I can also give it my all to discuss terms with Lady Lianxin! By the time the trio left the prisons, it was already daylight.

The Council of Elders would start their trial before noon. The prisons were close to Lady Lianxin’s living quarters, but Han Yunxi was in no rush to see her just yet. She went to visit Mu Linger instead. When they reached the girl’s cell, Long Feiye simply crossed his arms to lean against the wall with his eyes closed.

“Not going in?” Han Yunxi posed the question to Gu Qishao, who narrowed his eyes at the door.

“Hasn’t this old man spent enough time waiting in there?”

Han Yunxi guessed that he must have spent his days stooped in the jail cell after he showed up unharmed after the convention. She laughed out loud and entered the room herself. Despite being laughed at, Gu Qishao’s mood improved vastly at the sound. He started humming a tune to himself as he leapt into a tree to sit and wait! Long Feiye cracked open one eye to glance at him before silently closing it again.

—

Inside the cell, Han Yunxi was planning to give Mu Linger a surprise by keeping quiet. She personally unlocked the door and opened it, but Mu Linger didn’t react. The girl sat on the icy ground with her back facing the entrance, her lonely figure seeming even more tiny in the darkened room. Han Yunxi felt an unexplainable unease at the sight. Her heart trembled, but she didn’t show it on her face.

Instead, she leaned lazily against the doorframe and said in a mocking tone, “It’s only been a few days, but you’re already like this. So unreasonable!”

Mu Linger gave a start before she turned around. “Han Yunxi!”

Han Yunxi darted a glance at the untouched tray of hot food, then snorted. “Don’t think I came to save you. I have terms.”

Mu Linger’s thoughts screeched to a halt at her first sentence before she raged, “You’re the one who’s unreasonable! This girl was simply too lazy to move!” As she explained, she hastily straightened out her hair and clothes while wiping a hand across her face. Her large, bright eyes had rekindled with spirit once more.

Silently chuckling to herself, Han Yunxi maintained her high-and-mighty attitude to shoot her a disdainful look. “Answer a few questions for me and I’ll restore your innocence, how about it?”

“Ask as much as you like!” Mu Linger said heroically. But Han Yunxi’s first query gave her a shock.

“Does the Mu Clan have hidden secret prescriptions?” Han Yunxi asked.

“What do you want to do?” Mu Linger grew serious. The so called ‘secret prescriptions’ meant secret formulas that weren’t available to the public eye. Every clan’s top-tier pharmacists worked together to create them and only sold the final product. They’d never share the ingredients. Half of these prescriptions usually required extremely rare ingredients, so it was uncommon to see them in use. One could say that such things were considered the most valuable treasures of any medicine family, perhaps even the source of the medical community’s confidence and poise.

“Publicize them. This is the punishment for the Mu Clan.” Han Yunxi was frank and open with her words. She didn’t hide anything, but Mu Linger didn’t even care. She even answered questions that Han Yunxi had yet to ask.

Mu Linger said, “The Mu Clan has a total of 25 secret formulas, of which 20 are available for public purchase. Five more are kept for use in reserve. The Mu Clan’s medicine fields, both public and private, combine to make up exactly 3,000 mu of land.”

Han Yunxi was only going to ask her about those two things, so she simply grinned and said, “Just wait, you’ll definitely get your freedom before nightfall today!” It was clear that she had no plans to let the Mu Clan off lightly.

Mu Linger didn’t speak, but after Han Yunxi had re-locked the cell door, she let out a heavy breath. She wasn’t remorseful at all after exposing the Mu Clan’s secret. Instead, she felt lighter than before. Although she’d committed treason, she knew she wasn’t in the wrong! In fact, she was even looking forward to a fresh start once she was free.

—

After Han Yunxi left the prisons, Long Feiye walked over to meet her. “Did you get your answers?”

Han Yunxi knew she could never hide anything from him. She smiled and nodded, but Gu Qishao was perplexed. “What did you ask?”

Long Feiye cast him a scornful look, immediately killing any sense of curiosity in Gu Qishao whatsoever. Actually, Gu Qishao wasn’t an idiot, but simply an uncomplicated man. He loved what he loved and hated what he hated. Debts of kindness were one thing, while plots of revenge were another. He was very clear on what he adored versus what he despised and acted based on his feelings. He disliked worrying about too many things and was too lazy to think too deeply into others.

—

Now that Han Yunxi had made all her preparations, she finally went to make an appointment with Lady Lianxin to talk.

But would Han Yunxi really spare Mu Yingdong for the sake of the Ten-Thousand Year old Blood Jade?