Bai Su never expected someone would attack her. Luckily, her Lifebound Gu was sensitive to danger, and she sensed the threat, pushing off the ground to retreat backward. She dodged the attack. Zhao Ting missed with a strike, immediately coming at her again. The people in the small tavern saw the fight and scattered in a frenzy. The Shopkeeper and the waiter hid behind the counter, trembling, afraid of getting caught in the conflict. "Do I know you?" Bai Su asked while defending herself. She’d never seen this person before. And certainly hadn’t offended him. Zhao Ting didn’t reply, each move more fierce than the last. Meng Yao was watching; he had to make sure she enjoyed the show. After tens of moves, Bai Su was certain that she couldn’t beat this man with fists and feet alone. With a flip of her wrist, a small porcelain bottle appeared in her hand; she pulled the stopper and sprayed the contents on the man fighting her. She was spraying Parasitic Gu. They would pierce through the skin and parasitize once they made contact. Moreover, they reproduced very quickly. Not instantly fatal, but can make life worse than death. What Bai Su didn’t expect was that her supposedly successful attack failed. She couldn’t say it failed; she was sure the Parasitic Gu had been sprayed on the man, but none pierced his skin; instead, they fell off one by one. Bai Su had never seen such a thing happen. But she had heard the High Priest say that low-level Gu are suppressed by high-level ones. So, does the man in front of her also have Gu insects? "Are you from Miaojiang? Are you from Beimiao?" Because of her momentary distraction, Bai Su was already subdued. A sharp dagger pressed against her neck, and she didn’t doubt that if she moved, it would slash her throat. She knew everyone from Southern Miao. And, among Southern Miao, only women could use Gu. But it’s different in Beimiao; men can practice Gu Technique too. Meng Yao stepped forward and stuffed a pill into the woman’s mouth; shortly afterward, Bai Su collapsed weakly. "Keep an eye on her condition," Meng Yao said to the system. No one knew if she had Gu insects that could detoxify? [Rest assured, host.] Meng Yao then took out silver to pay for the drinks and damaged furniture. After seeing them leave, the Shopkeeper and the waiter trembled as they collected the silver left by Meng Yao, closing the shop and not reopening for customers. "There may be people watching around the Zhao Mansion," Meng Yao said. Zhao Ting agreed, letting Meng Yao help the person to an inn. Meng Yao booked a room, followed by Zhao Ting booking the one next door. Then, when no one was watching, he slipped into Meng Yao’s room. Meng Yao had already tied the person extensively to a chair, then took out silver needles, quickly applying a few pricks. Bai Su slowly opened her eyes; her hands and feet were tightly bound, unable to move. "What is the meaning of this? I don’t know you two, let alone offended you. Why did you tie me up, and what do you intend to do?" Bai Su tried to stay calm. The man could’ve killed her earlier. But he didn’t, so Bai Su felt they didn’t want her life. If not her life, then there was room for negotiation. "Are you one of the Grand Princess’s people?" Meng Yao asked straightforwardly. "Did the Grand Princess offend you?" Bai Su frowned, "Then why not go after the Grand Princess herself? What do you want with me? Let me be clear; I’m not one of her people." "Is it that simple? You think we would find you without reason?" Meng Yao asked coldly. "Yes if yes, no if no," Bai Su said defiantly; she disdained lying. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚑𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚑𝙣𝙚𝙩 "Look at me," Meng Yao commanded Bai Su. Bai Su instinctively looked at Meng Yao, and soon her eyes became vacant. Meng Yao asked again whether she was the Grand Princess’s person. Meng Yao exchanged a glance with Zhao Ting; did they catch the wrong person? It shouldn’t be; those people had confirmed. Meng Yao woke her up again. "Why did you put Gu on them?" Meng Yao asked. "Them? Do you mean the Nightmare Gu?" Bai Su realized, "I owed the Grand Princess a favor, so I helped her with this. Don’t worry; they won’t die; at most, they’ll feel weak when awake." "Did she tell you why she was doing this?" Meng Yao asked. Bai Su shook her head, "No." "I’ll ask you again, are you really not the Grand Princess’s person?" "Can you remove the Gu from them?" "Will you release me if I do?" Bai Su asked. "Do you have the right to negotiate?" Meng Yao sneered. "True, I’m forced; I have no choice," Bai Su sighed, "I’ll remove it." Meng Yao and Zhao Ting took her to Hundred Herbs Hall. They couldn’t see how she did it, but the slumbering people woke one after another. Other than being a bit weak, they had no issues. None understood why they were in Hundred Herbs Hall. Lu Luoxing handed each person a few medications to restore their health and politely sent them away. "The Gu is removed now. Can I go?" Bai Su asked Meng Yao. She realized this woman made the decisions. "No," Meng Yao refused directly. Bai Su wanted to accuse her of breaking her word but remembered she didn’t promise to release her after removing the Gu. "Then what do I have to do for you to let me go?" Bai Su asked. Zhao Ting and Meng Yao took her straight to the Imperial Palace. At the palace gate, Zhao Ting identified himself to the guards as a confidant of Zhao Ting, ordered to report to the Emperor. A quarter-hour later, Eunuch Shuangxi emerged. "What’s happened with General Zhao?" Shuangxi’s voice trembled. "Our General is resting at the mansion; my wife caught the one who placed the Gu, and some matters must be reported to His Majesty," Zhao Ting said. Shuangxi instantly became serious, and Bai Su was bound extensively again. Meng Yao was also brought before Emperor Jing. She knelt to pay respects to Emperor Jing. Emperor Jing gave Shuangxi a look, and Shuangxi quickly stepped forward to help Meng Yao up. "Lady Zhao, His Majesty considers General Zhao as close as a brother, so please don’t be so polite." As close as a brother? Seems accurate, right? The core is the Emperor’s brother, after all? Bai Su was somewhat nervous; why did this escalate to the Imperial Palace? Even though she grew up in Miaojiang, she was not entirely ignorant of Central Plains affairs. Was she going to be convicted? Meng Yao thanked them respectfully, not losing any decorum. It’s best to be proper before the Emperor, lest anything goes wrong. After all, Emperors like to settle scores later. "Your Majesty, the ins and outs of the calming incense event stem from her," Meng Yao said. "Who are you?" Emperor Jing asked. "I am Bai Su," Bai Su answered. "How dare you refer to yourself as ’I’ before His Majesty? You should say ’this humble citizen,’" Shuangxi instructed sharply, swinging his horsetail whisk. Bai Su felt goosebumps but obediently corrected herself, "This humble citizen Bai Su."