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Wen Guangun climbed onto Wen Qiao, wanting to go with her.

"Alright, let's head back to the imperial city together," Wen Qiao didn't object, "I assume the family competitions have already started by now."

This time, Ning Yuzhou intended to take a group of cultivators from Dongling, first starting with the disciples of the four major families, followed by those from other second and third-tier families and smaller clans. As for the rogue cultivators, in a place like Dongling where the major families dominate, it's already an achievement for them to reach the Yuanming realm, as their talents are generally not high.

The priority went to young disciples with good potential, as the four major families were still trustworthy.

Although they were taking people away from Dongling, not everyone would be taken; some had to stay back to guard Dongling. As for the specifics of this operation, Ning Yuzhou had already made arrangements, and Wen Qiao didn't inquire further.

A month had passed by the time they returned to the imperial city.

The imperial city was lively, with more cultivators on the streets than usual, and the Lingxu Pavilion saw a large influx of cultivators every day.

Because the competition was set to take place in the imperial city, any cultivator who heard the news had set off for the imperial city, drawn by the generous rewards, hoping for a lucky win.

The group returned to the Seventh Prince's residence discreetly and quietly.

Since Shi Wuming had previously spotted some suspicious individuals and marked them, and with Wen Qiao's swift actions, after handing them over to Hu Shuangyan, Hu Shuangyan had already handled these suspicious individuals during the month they were away.

Therefore, when they returned, they were no longer being watched by those with ulterior motives.

The formation in the courtyard was still active, and Wen Qiao realized that Ning Yuzhou and Emperor Chenghao were still in the space and did not disturb them.

Upon hearing of their return, Hu Shuangyan rushed over to pay his respects.

"Miss Wen, I've almost eliminated those cultivators with ulterior motives, but as for the mastermind..." Hu Shuangyan showed a look of shame, "When I followed the trail to find him, I found out he had accomplices. Although I was lucky enough to catch one, that person self-detonated before I could interrogate him thoroughly."

Wen Qiao wasn't surprised at all by this outcome, as the other party had been lurking in Dongling for decades. If they were so easily uprooted, they wouldn't have remained hidden for so many years.

"It's fine, you've done well," Wen Qiao said, "The competition in Dongling has started, keep an eye on it and don't let them take advantage."

Hu Shuangyan's face broke into a smile, "Miss Wen, rest assured, I've already asked my brother to keep watch."

Wen Qiao nodded and let him leave.

Ning Yuzhou and Emperor Chenghao were in seclusion within the space, and Wen Qiao and the others didn't disturb them, deciding to lay low for the time being and wait for the right moment to act.

Shi Wuming said, "Then I'll continue to wander around Dongling, and if I find anything unusual, I'll notify you promptly."

Wen Qiao nodded to him, "Thank you, Brother Shi."

"We're family, no need to be so formal."

After Shi Wuming left, Wen Qiao and Wen Tuti stayed at the Seventh Prince's residence.

However, Wen Tuti had rarely taken human form and looked like a child, so even if he went out to play, he wouldn't attract the attention of those lurking in the shadows. Wen Qiao didn't restrict him and let him go out every day.

A few more days passed, and Wen Qiao, having nothing to do, decided to visit Lian Yue again.

Lian Yue's family were all mortals, and her two children didn't have spiritual roots, so they were fated to have no connection with cultivation. Therefore, apart from giving them some Spirit Restoring Pills that could prolong the life of mortals, Wen Qiao didn't give them anything that would make others covetous. She would protect Lian Yue, allowing her to live a peaceful and smooth life, and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Arriving at Wuliu Town, Wen Qiao headed straight for Lian Yue's home.

Seeing her, Lian Yue was indeed very happy.

The former master and servant had a good chat, and it wasn't until the lanterns were lit that Wen Qiao finally bid farewell to Lian Yue.

In the darkening Wuliu Town, the temperature slowly dropped.

In what seemed like an instant, the temperature dropped to its extreme, and snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Wen Qiao walked quietly on the silent streets of Wuliu Town. Due to the extreme cold, the doors and windows along the streets were tightly shut, with only a few lights spilling out, adding a touch of life to the scene.

As if she didn’t feel the cold, Wen Qiao walked calmly through the snow-covered streets, making her way toward the town's outskirts.

Yet, after walking for a long time, she still hadn’t left the small mortal town.

Wen Qiao stood on the long street, looking ahead. Snow settled on her brows and lashes, blurring her vision.

Suddenly, amidst the wind and snow, a sharp, murderous sound rang out.

Chapter 357

With a clang, the long whip struck down a hidden weapon that had come flying through the snow.

Wen Qiao focused her gaze and saw that the hidden weapon was actually an ice blade, gleaming with a cold light, clearly sharp.

The sound of slicing air came again, and this time, there were many ice blades, attacking her from all directions. Wen Qiao stood still, reaching out her hand, and three puppets materialized beside her, with her standing in the middle.

The gleaming ice blades clattered against the puppets. Although the ice blades were numerous, they clearly couldn’t harm the puppets, which had the defensive power of the Yuanchuang Stage.

The puppets protected her in the middle, deftly knocking down the hidden weapons coming at her.

The snowstorm raged too fiercely, making it impossible to see where the enemy was hiding.

Wen Qiao remained calm and composed, her expression cold as her spiritual awareness extended around her.

Every detail of the world became clear.

However, no matter how she searched, she couldn’t find any trace of the enemy. There wasn’t even a hint of their presence, as if the entire Wuliu Town had disappeared before her eyes, leaving only this world of raging wind and snow.

Of course, she doubted anyone could pull her into another space unnoticed. It had to be an illusion.

This illusion was so real that it was difficult to find a way out. One might even instinctively believe that Wuliu Town was simply experiencing a snowstorm, unaware of the anomaly, and silently dying in the snowstorm.

Wen Qiao lowered her gaze, masking her thoughts.

It seemed that those who were secretly watching her really wanted her dead. Back then, because she was frail and sickly, destined to die before the age of twenty, they paid little attention, even relishing her suffering from illness and eventually dying in agony.