"Buqu, what’s your perspective on this matter?" The Lord of Emperor Hong City was cunning indeed. He intended to have Yuan Shahu take Xuan Wuji’s place in death, yet he didn’t disclose his true intentions, instead asking Yuan Buqu in pretense. Just like Yuan Shahu, both father and daughter seemed amiable on the surface, but in reality, they possessed an incredibly unyielding character. It was reasonable that Yuan Shahu being the killer of Xuan Wuji, should pay with her life. Yuan Buqu closed his eyes in anguish, speaking with a trembling voice. "Buqu, I’m sorry. Guards, in seven days, bury Yuan Shahu alive!" Madam Yuan returned to the Yuan Residence distraught, where the waiting Yuan Bupo and her second sister Yuan Shanshan hurriedly gathered around. "Mother, how did it go? Did you see elder sister?" The three members of the Yuan family shared a close bond, and both were anxious upon hearing that their eldest sister had killed Xuan Wuji. "The City Lord said... your elder sister is to be buried with him," Madam Yuan said, choking up. "What?! Such a beast like Xuan Wuji deserved death many times over. How dare he demand sister to be buried with him!" Yuan Bupo was furious, having earlier requested to accompany his parents, but his father Yuan Buqu, fearing his impulsiveness, refused to let him go at all costs. "That’s right, they can’t just bury our sister alive. What era is this, to still practice live burial! If anyone is to be buried, it should be those women of Xuan Wuji," Yuan Shanshan expressed with a face full of anger. Xuan Wuji was no good man at all. After their elder sister left, he had used his drunken stupor as an excuse to harass her a few times, only to be chased away by her younger brother. In Yuan Shanshan’s eyes, Xuan Wuji deserved his death. "But what can we do now? Your elder sister did kill Xuan Wuji. That child, why is she so foolish? It’s been so many years and yet she can’t let go," Madam Yuan wiped her tears away. "I heard Yun Cang Lang was present at the time. I think elder sister must have done it for him," Yuan Bupo said from the side. Eldest sister was very stubborn. When she left Emperor Hong City, it was to leave behind all grudges and emotions. Her actions this time, needless to say, were also for Yun Cang Lang. "Eldest sister is so foolish," Yuan Shanshan sighed, "Is it worth it for her to do this for that man?" When the Great Elder returned, he also brought news that Yun Cang Lang had made a breakthrough, becoming the New Martial Saint of Great Zhou. With her appearance ruined, the other party would surely not want her anymore, yet she honestly invested herself, for his sake willing to shoulder the blame for treason. "No, I must save elder sister," Yuan Bupo said, frustrated. He could not stand idly by and watch his elder sister being buried alive. "Bupo, don’t act rashly. Your current position is quite precarious. You can’t afford to be impulsive anymore. With Xuan Wuji dead, you are very likely to inherit the position of City Lord. If anything happens to you, the people of the City Lord Mansion will surely use it as leverage," Madam Yuan dabbed the corner of her eyes, her love for her eldest daughter notwithstanding. The relationship between the Xuanyuan Clan was particularly special. Though they appeared closely bonded, the internal strife between the two clans has been substantial in the hundred-year history since the founding of Emperor Hong City, especially regarding succession to the City Lord’s position, which was full of deception and rivalry. Back in the day, both Xuan Sitian and Yuan Buqu were hot contenders for the City Lord’s position. However, Yuan Buqu fell in love with Madam Yuan, of common birth, while Xuan Sitian abandoned his childhood love to choose Madam Bi, a woman of higher status, thus successfully snatching the title of City Lord. For many years, this matter has been a thorn in Madam Yuan’s heart. Now with Xuan Wuji dead and Yuan Bupo becoming the favored candidate, Madam Yuan did not wish for her son to get into trouble at this critical juncture. Yuan Bupo opened his mouth to say something, but his second sister Yuan Shanshan shook her head at him, and he understood her silent message. At night, the Yuan Residence was quiet, and after Yuan Buqu returned from the City Lord Mansion, he discussed matters with Madam Yuan. Madam Yuan wept softly: "It’s all my fault, if not for back then..." If it weren’t for Yuan Buqu giving up the opportunity to marry the noble Madam Bi from the city, and instead marrying her, he would have been the City Lord by now. He wouldn’t have had to endure living under Xuan Sitian’s whims, and Shahua wouldn’t have ended up in her current predicament. "Look at you, what are you saying? Without you, where would Shahua come from? This was also the child’s own choice, and no one else is to blame. The dungeon is gloomy, with only the drainage entrance as a means of escape. In a few days, go visit the dungeon and consider it a last glimpse of the child," Yuan Buqu consoled his wife, his gaze drifting indistinctly past the window. Outside the window, Yuan Bupo and Yuan Shanshan held their breath, crouching down and slipping out of the residence. The Yuan siblings had earlier feigned compromise just to appease their mother. Upon hearing what their father had just said and realizing the City Lord Mansion had resolved to execute their sister, they decided to take advantage of the night and rescue Yuan Shahua. For Yuan Bupo, he didn’t care about the position of City Lord. As long as he could save his elder sister, he was ready to leave Dihong City if it came to that. In Yuan Bupo’s mind flashed a smiling face, the woman’s dimpled smile shining like the brightest star in the sky, causing him to be lost in reverie. "Third brother? What are you daydreaming about?" Yuan Shanshan saw Yuan Bupo in a daze, and couldn’t help feeling agitated, giving him a shove. Lately, the little brother was acting peculiar. He used to carry a cool and handsome demeanor, but recently, he would occasionally space out, as if his whole being had gone silly after leaving Dihong City once. "Second sister, are you sure the drainage entrance of the Water Prison is on the west side of the City Lord Mansion?" Yuan Bupo’s handsome face blushed as he collected his thoughts. "Do you doubt your second sister?" Yuan Shanshan looked confident, although she herself didn’t know how a map of the City Lord Mansion’s dungeon had mysteriously appeared in her room. But with lives at stake, she didn’t have the luxury to investigate, focusing instead on rescuing their elder sister. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 The siblings were top-notch when it came to their abilities in the city. Despite the tight security of the City Lord Mansion, they still managed to infiltrate it successfully. The dungeon was dark and damp with the smell of moisture. Anyone who entered the dungeon would have their fighting spirit and mana sealed. With their elder sister’s frail health, in such an environment... The two saw their elder sister bound to the scaffolding in the dungeon. Her long hair was disheveled, and her clothes were stained with blood, with heavy shackles binding her hands and feet. Next to her, there lay a blood-stained whip and a bucket of water. Yuan Bupo felt a surge of rage, as Yuan Shanshan hurriedly cut the shackles and released their elder sister, Yuan Shahua. Yuan Shahua had already passed out, and after a while, she finally regained consciousness. "Was it Madam Bi? That vile woman!" Looking at his elder sister’s tormented state, Yuan Bupo realized that they had dared to torture his elder sister. The Yuan Family was a noble family in the city. According to the city’s laws, even if a serious crime had been committed, such severe punishment should not be applied. Clearly, it was Madam Bi who had inflicted punishment in private. Burying his elder sister alive was not enough; she had to endure humiliation before her death. Yuan Bupo stood up intending to confront Madam Bi, but was held back by Yuan Shahua.