Chapter 16: Shi Yunhai Returns

"Fine, let’s go then!" Mo Qianqian let out a laugh of pure disbelief. He grabbed Shi Muyao’s hand, ready to leave.

These people hadn’t even grasped the situation. They didn’t know who this clan meeting was actually for, yet they were trying to kick out the very person in question right from the start.

"Enough!" Patriarch Shi slammed his hand on the table and roared, instantly silencing the room.

He then looked toward Shi Yan.

Shi Yan said bluntly, "From now on, I am withdrawing from the medicinal herb business!"

"What?" The crowd was stunned.

The Shi family’s medicinal herb business had always been managed by Shi Yan. Why was she suddenly withdrawing?

"From now on, the Shi family’s medicinal herb business will be managed by Shi Muyao!" Patriarch Shi announced.

"What???" The crowd was shocked once again.

What was going on? Hadn’t Shi Muyao just been stripped of her authority over the medicinal herb business recently? Why was it suddenly handed back to her?

Yang Lan and Shi Ping were also dumbfounded, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Father..." a middle-aged man began to speak.

"This matter is not open for discussion. Meeting adjourned!" Patriarch Shi slammed the table again. His tone was authoritative and heavy as he walked straight out of the hall.

"Yaoyao, you can manage the medicinal herb business from now on?" Yang Lan walked over to Shi Muyao with an excited face. "I knew it. I knew my Yaoyao was meant for great things."

Mo Qianqian was speechless. She had just been cursing at them moments ago, and now her attitude had taken a complete 180-degree turn.

Shi Muyao didn’t say much either. She just pulled Mo Qianqian along and left.

Meanwhile, back in his room, Shi Gong was furious. He angrily said, "We’re just going to hand it over to them like this?"

"Of course we won’t let them have it that easily!" Shi Yan replied. "Ultimately, Cousin Yunhai is the one who calls the shots in the entire Shi family. When Shi Muyao had her accident back then, Cousin Yunhai was involved too. No matter how much she struggles, she won’t be able to make any real waves!

"For the sake of the business, we’ll endure it this time. Cousin Yunhai will return in less than a month. When that time comes, he will deal with her personally!"

"I almost forgot about that. With Yunhai around, Shi Muyao is nothing but an insignificant clown!" Shi Gong nodded. Suddenly, remembering something, he asked, "By the way, why is Shi Ming missing? Doesn’t he like Shi Muyao a lot?"

"Huh?" This reminded Shi Yan of Shi Ming. "Shi Ming is a prodigal who loves to play around, but he would always attend the clan meetings no matter what. He hasn’t been seen for days and missed two meetings in a row. Where did he go?"

"Could something have happened to him?" Shi Gong asked.

"It would be even better if something did happen!" A cold smirk appeared on Shi Yan’s lips. "I’ll send people to look for him right now! It just so happens that a small merchant guild is renting out a Red Spirit Dog. I’ll go get it and secretly investigate Shi Muyao first."

She paused, a chilling light flashing in her eyes. "If we really find something out... Hmph, I’ll send the news to Cousin Yunhai and have him return early. No matter who is backing Shi Muyao, she will die!!!"

That same day.

Shi Muyao went to find the Wanling Pavilion Master and smoothly finalized their cooperation. The Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion resumed its partnership with the Shi family.

After hearing some news, Shi Muyao returned to the Shi family estate. She entered the room and approached Mo Qianqian, who was currently refining an alchemical pill.

"The news of Shi Ming’s disappearance has already spread. Be careful these next few days. If..." Shi Muyao cast an unreadable look at Mo Qianqian and continued, "If you want to leave, leave as soon as possible. Go as far away as you can."

"Don’t worry, it’s fine. I won’t leave you behind either," Mo Qianqian replied.

What was bound to happen would happen. The fact that Shi Ming was missing would be discovered sooner or later, but whether or not they could figure out who did it would depend on the Shi family’s own abilities.

As for worrying about Shi Yunhai? That was completely out of the question!

Shi Muyao wanted to say something else but stopped herself. She let out a sigh and remained silent.

Meanwhile, rumors spread across the city.

"What? Shi Ming is missing?"

"Could it be the Chen family’s doing? I heard the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion is supporting the Shi family again."

"Shi Ming is Shi Yunhai’s younger brother, and Shi Yunhai is now a disciple of the Cloud Void Sect. If something really happened, the Chen family might not be able to withstand Shi Yunhai’s fury."

"Not necessarily. It’s not like the Chen family doesn’t have backers. Besides, if the Chen family really did it and they have Shi Ming in their hands, would Shi Yunhai dare to act recklessly?"

"Is it possible that Kong Mingcheng did it? His manhood was crippled, so maybe he wants to take revenge on the Shi family?"

"That’s not out of the question. Word is that Kong Mingcheng has connections in the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion’s Central Earth Headquarters."

The news spread throughout Qingcheng, and various speculations and discussions echoed through every street and alley.

Soon after, the Chen family released a statement denying any involvement in Shi Ming’s disappearance. However, no one believed them. Coupled with the Shi family’s search parties scouring the area, Shi Ming’s disappearance became the talk of the town in Qingcheng over the next few days.

On the fifth day after the news of Shi Ming’s disappearance broke.

Inside a courtyard room at the Shi family estate.

WHOOSH!

Having refined two alchemical pills, a faint aura emanated from Mo Qianqian’s body. His Physical Body Realm had impressively reached the First Realm Fourth Level!

"First Realm Fourth Level!" Mo Qianqian was delighted. His physical cultivation had broken through another level!

At this moment, he could feel a powerful surge of strength surging within him.

"Shi Muyao! Mo Qianqian! Get out here right now!!!"

Just then, a booming female voice echoed throughout the entire courtyard. It was Shi Yan’s voice.

CRASH!

Immediately after, the loud sound of a wall being smashed came from the direction of the backyard.

"Hmm?" Mo Qianqian frowned. He stood up and quickly walked out of the room.

Shi Muyao also hurried out from another room.

When they arrived at the backyard, Mo Qianqian and Shi Muyao saw Shi Yan, her father, Patriarch Shi, and a large group of Shi family members striding in through a gaping hole in the destroyed courtyard wall. Shi Muyao’s parents were also present. Some of the Shi family members were even carrying shovels.

"Shi Yan, what are you doing?" Shi Muyao demanded, her face looking extremely grim.

She felt a wave of panic. Shi Yan had brought her grandfather and a furious crowd, smashing straight through the wall. They even brought shovels. It was highly likely that they had discovered the truth about Shi Ming’s murder.

"Shi Muyao, did you kill Shi Ming?" Patriarch Shi interrogated her with a dark tone.

"Shi Muyao, you’ve got a lot of nerve to murder one of our own clansmen! And of all people, you killed Shi Ming, Cousin Yunhai’s own younger brother!" Shi Yan chimed in loudly.

Shi Muyao’s body trembled. Their killing of Shi Ming really had been discovered.

"Impossible! My daughter could never kill Shi Ming. You guys must be mistaken!" Yang Lan argued from the side.

"Hmph, we already borrowed a Red Spirit Dog to investigate. Shi Ming’s body is right here in this backyard, buried right beneath that tree!" Shi Yan pointed at an ancient tree. She glared at Shi Muyao and Mo Qianqian, a mocking and cold sneer lifting the corners of her mouth.

"Dig it up!" Patriarch Shi ordered deeply, his eyes fixed coldly on Shi Muyao and Mo Qianqian.

Several Shi family members stepped forward and began digging next to the ancient tree.

"You..." Shi Muyao’s face paled. She didn’t know whether she should try to stop them or not.

"Go ahead and dig! Let’s see what you have to say when you don’t find a body! Slandering our Yaoyao and smashing through our courtyard wall—if you don’t give us a proper explanation today, this won’t be over," Yang Lan cursed angrily.

But soon enough, Yang Lan’s face completely froze. Because inside the dirt pit they had just dug out beside the large tree, a corpse came into everyone’s view.

The body was already somewhat decomposed, but its general outline could still be made out. Next to it lay a severed head. The corpse had been decapitated.

"What... is that Shi Ming’s body?"

At this sight, all the Shi family members present were utterly dumbfounded.

Shi Ming was really dead? And he was buried right in Shi Muyao’s backyard?

Originally, they had harbored some doubts, finding it hard to believe that Shi Muyao would kill Shi Ming and bury his body. Yet, the corpse had actually appeared right here? Had Shi Muyao and her husband really murdered Shi Ming?

Even Patriarch Shi’s face was etched with shock. Although he had believed Shi Yan, seeing the body here with his own eyes still deeply astonished him. Shi Muyao had actually killed Shi Ming and buried his body in the backyard.

Upon seeing the corpse, a look of delight emerged on Shi Yan’s face. Since Shi Ming died here, Shi Muyao was completely finished!

"H-How is this possible?" Shi Muyao’s father, Shi Ping, panicked, his face a picture of pure disbelief.

"How could this be? How could Shi Ming die here? This... this has nothing to do with us! Someone else must have killed him and buried him here. Yes, that must be it! Someone is trying to frame us!" Yang Lan also grew frantic.

Someone killed Shi Ming and then buried him here? Not a single person present believed that.

Shi Muyao trembled, at a total loss for what to do. With the corpse lying right in front of them, she had no way to explain herself.

"Shi Muyao, what do you have to say for yourself?" Patriarch Shi roared in absolute fury, his voice incredibly deep and heavy.

"Shi Muyao, Shi Ming was your cousin, too! How could you be so utterly ruthless!" Shi Yan took the opportunity to pile on.

"Shi Muyao, murdering a clan brother is a crime punishable by death ten thousand times over!"

"Shi Muyao, you vicious woman! You will answer for Shi Ming’s death with your own lives!!!"

Shishan and a group of others chimed in with furious shouts.

"I..." Shi Muyao’s face was rigid.

"I was the one who killed him. It has nothing to do with her!" At that moment, Mo Qianqian stepped forward from the side, his expression completely calm.

"Right, right, right! Mo Qianqian killed him! It must have been Mo Qianqian! How could my Yaoyao ever murder someone?"

Yang Lan immediately yelled out. She glared fiercely at Mo Qianqian and cursed, "Mo Qianqian, you absolute curse! You haven’t even been with the Shi family for half a month, and you’ve already brought ruin to so many people! I can’t believe you actually killed someone! You really have some nerve!

"Mo Qianqian, pay for this with your life right now!"

Yang Lan’s berating voice echoed throughout the entire courtyard.