His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

"It's Madam Rong the Second!"

The entire group was shaken.

On the altar, Shen Yuheng was bound to a pillar with heavy chains. Her black witch robe was tattered, revealing her bloodstained skin underneath.

Her long hair fell loosely, covering most of her face, revealing only a pale, paper-white chin.

What everyone witnessed was like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

How could Madam Rong the Second be a member of the Witch Clan?!

She was just too good at pretending. She had a harmonious relationship with everyone and always appeared gentle and kind.

Who would have thought that beneath this seemingly harmless appearance lies hypocrisy and malice?

Rong Xuanci acted swiftly; after learning the whole truth from Mo Sangyu, he immediately released it.

The news spread very quickly.

At this moment, those who were still unclear about what was going on gradually understood through the discussions of those around them, and they were all filled with righteous indignation.

"She dared to possess the legitimate daughter and harm the mistress of the house!"

"We've been so polite to her all this time, we've let a wolf into our house!"

"These wicked witches deserve to have their souls scattered and never be reincarnated!"

Anger and curses rose and fell, all previous politeness vanished, leaving only overwhelming hatred and contempt.

Those ladies and young women who had once been on good terms with Shen Yuheng now looked pale and as if they had swallowed flies.

As they recalled their interactions with Shen Yuheng over the years, her gentle smile, and her considerate words, they felt a chill run down their spines.

This despicable witch has deceived them all for over twenty years!

At this moment, the crowd automatically parted to make way.

Feng Xingyu led Mo Sangyu out from behind the crowd.

All eyes fell on Mo Sangyu. Unlike the scrutiny during the family dinner last night, today's gazes held more heartache, sympathy, and an inexplicable sense of guilt.

Who could have imagined that this true daughter of the Rong clan was taken from her body while still an infant, and that her soul had wandered off to who knows where, not to mention the countless hardships she had endured?

What should have been a life of being the center of attention was ruined by Shen Yuheng. Anyone who hears of such a fate would feel deep regret.

Fortunately, after many twists and turns, we've come back again. It's truly thanks to the blessings of our ancestors.

Rong Xuanci walked over from the other side of the altar, his body exuding a chilling aura.

He led Mo Sangyu and Feng Xingyu straight through the crowd to the front of the altar.

Rong Xiuyuan stood at the front of the crowd, his face ashen.

He raised his head and looked at the bound woman on the altar, his eyes filled with hatred, anger, and the humiliation of being deceived for more than twenty years.

When she turned to look at Mo Sangyu, her expression became somewhat complicated, showing both guilt and regret.

After a long silence, he uttered in a hoarse voice with difficulty, "Second Uncle is sorry for making you suffer for so many years."

Mo Sangyu merely glanced at him without saying a word.

She will take back what is owed to her in her own way, without needing anyone's "apologies".

"Execute her! Execute her now! Burn this wicked woman alive!"

"Don't let her live any longer, to comfort Lady Xueyuan's spirit in heaven!"

The shouts of the crowd grew more and more intense, and everyone's eyes were filled with rage, wishing they could immediately grind this heinous witch clan member to dust.

After all, she was his wife of over twenty years, and Rong Xiuyuan finally hardened his heart, turned his back, and refused to look at Shen Yuheng again.

Shen Yuheng, sitting on the altar, was already in a state of mental confusion.

Her consciousness was forcibly invaded by Mo Sangyu, causing devastating damage. At this moment, her eyes were unfocused, and she was muttering incoherent nonsense that no one could understand. She had completely lost her former dignified appearance and was now only a mess and a madwoman.

The Grand Elder stood to one side of the altar, his face grim. Seeing the crowd's agitation, he immediately raised his hand and ordered sternly, "Light the fire!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the tribesman holding the torch stepped forward, about to throw the fire onto the pile of firewood.

"Wait a moment!"

A frightened and anxious young voice suddenly came from outside the ancestral hall, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a thin boy running towards them in a panicked manner.

It was Rong Yunqian.

He had only been away for a few days and had just returned to the Rong clan when he heard earth-shattering news.

His mother was a villain from the witch clan, and his older sister, Rong Feiyan, was not the true legitimate daughter of the Rong clan, but his deceased older sister. His mother used witchcraft to possess the body of his real legitimate sister, and she had already died.

His beloved mother had committed a heinous crime and was to be executed by burning her soul to ashes.

All of this struck him like a thunderbolt, and he simply couldn't believe it.

Rong Yunqian staggered onto the altar, grabbed Shen Yuheng's blood-stained leg, his eyes red and tears welling up instantly, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "How could this happen... Mother, how could you be a member of the Witch Clan...?"

He was only gone for a few days, why has everything changed?

He looked at his mother, who was tied to a pillar and was delirious, and then at the hateful and cold gazes of everyone below the stage. His heart sank to the bottom.

He opened his mouth, wanting to beg everyone to spare his mother's life, but faced with those angry eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say the words of pleading.

He knew that his mother had committed unforgivable crimes, taking lives and taking away the body of her legitimate daughter—all of which were unforgivable by Heaven.

But that was his mother, the one who raised him for over a decade.

Rong Yunqian trembled all over, turned to look at his father Rong Xiuyuan beside him, and then at Rong Xuanci, whose face was cold and stern.

Seeing that they were all unmoved, his gaze finally settled on the silver-haired, aloof figure below the stage.

She was the true legitimate daughter whose mother took everything away from her.

Despair and pain intertwined in his heart. He suddenly knelt down and kowtowed heavily to the crowd. His forehead hit the cold stone platform, and blood seeped out.

"I know my mother's sins are unforgivable."

His voice was hoarse, and he sobbed uncontrollably, "But she is still my mother. I beg you, I beg you to spare her life... I will pay for the crimes my mother committed. I am willing to be punished in her place, even if it means death. I only ask that you spare her a chance to live..."

No one in the audience spoke.

Rong Xiuyuan walked over, bent down, and pulled him up from the ground.

Rong Yunqian struggled for a moment but couldn't break free, and was pulled into his father's arms.

"Silly child."

Rong Xiuyuan's voice was low, gentle yet cold: "That was the sin your mother created herself, it has nothing to do with you, and no one can pay for it for her. That's unfair to... others."

"..."

Rong Yunqian leaned on his father's shoulder, crying and trembling all over.

The Grand Elder raised his hand again.

The tribesmen holding torches stepped forward and threw the fire onto the pile of firewood.

Flames leaped up, licking the dry wood and crackling loudly.

Shen Yuheng coughed violently from the thick smoke, and seemed to regain her senses for a moment.

She opened her eyes, looked at Rong Yunqian below the stage, and a glimmer of clarity finally returned to her cloudy eyes. She cried out in a mournful voice, "Qian'er..."

Rong Yunqian wanted to rush forward, but Rong Xiuyuan held him back tightly. He could only watch helplessly as his mother was burned to death. He could do nothing, and tears streamed down his face silently.

The fire burned brighter and brighter.

Shen Yuheng's witch robe was set ablaze, and flames engulfed her body.

The screams pierced through the firelight, sharp and piercing everyone's ears. The sound was extremely painful, gradually weakening, and finally dissipating in the scorching heat.

A burnt smell filled the air.

Rong Yunqian broke free from Rong Xiuyuan's restraints, rushed to the edge of the altar, and watched the figure gradually disappear in the sea of ​​fire, letting out a heart-wrenching cry.

"Mother!"

He collapsed to the ground, tears mingling with the blood on his forehead, completely broken down.

The crowd below the stage watched the raging fire, and their earlier angry shouts gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of the flames burning and the boy's desperate cries.

Some people looked relieved, while others felt a pang of regret.

Having committed numerous evils, she ultimately reaped what she sowed; this was the end she deserved.

Mo Sangyu and Feng Xingyu stood to the side, their expressions calm and indifferent.

Rong Xuanci, however, did not show much pleasure in his eyes.

Even if she died, she couldn't bring back her mother's life or the suffering her sister had endured.

The fire gradually died down.

Shen Yuheng's body turned to ashes and was scattered by the wind.

Her soul floated out of the ashes, seemingly trying to escape, but was pulled back by an invisible force on the altar and slowly sank into the ground.

A faint silver light shone through the cracks in the altar's stones, flickering between light and shadow, like something breathing.

That is the seal of our ancestors; her soul will be imprisoned forever deep within the ancestral hall, never to be reborn.

The Grand Elder stepped forward, his voice aged and solemn: "The execution is complete."

The crowd gradually dispersed.

Only Rong Yunqian remained kneeling on the altar, with Rong Xiuyuan standing beside him, silently keeping him company.

"Let's go."

Rong Xuanci glanced at them one last time, then turned to Mo Sangyu and Feng Xingyu: "It's over. Let's go back."

To be honest, Mo Sangyu quite liked her brother's clean and efficient methods.

If he doesn't take action today, then she will do it herself and will not allow Shen Yuheng to live another day in this world.

Anyone who dares to stop her, she will kill them all.

On the way back, the three of them remained silent.

Only after entering the main hall did Rong Xuanci ask, "Yu'er, what are your plans for the future?"

The implication was that he wanted to ask her if she was willing to stay.

Before Mo Sangyu could speak, Feng Xingyu said first, "Now that things are cleared up, we still need to return to the Nine Provinces Continent."

"Um."

Upon hearing this, Rong Xuanci showed no displeasure or dissatisfaction, and sincerely addressed him as "Brother-in-law."

Feng Xingyu instinctively straightened up for a moment.

"I'm entrusting Yu'er to you from now on. You must treat her well, otherwise, as her older brother, I won't let you off the hook. I'll take her back..."

"rest assured."

Before he could finish speaking, Feng Xingyu interrupted him directly: "You won't have that chance."

Seeing that the atmosphere between the two had finally become harmonious, Mo Sangyu subtly curved her lips into a smile.

Her gaze fell on Rong Xuanci's hand, where there was a wound that had been bandaged, but was clearly bleeding again. She frowned slightly: "The wound on your hand..."

"It's alright."

Rong Xuanci immediately put his hand behind his back, smiled and said, "That woman's nails are poisonous, so the recovery is a bit slow. She'll be fine in a few days."

After saying that, he immediately asked, "So when are you planning to leave?"

Feng Xingyu remained silent for a moment, then asked with some confusion, "Such a big thing happened in the clan, why didn't your third uncle come?"

"Third Uncle?"

Rong Xuanci didn't seem surprised by this. He explained, "My third uncle has never been interested in clan affairs. He only showed up at the family banquet last night because it happened to be there. In recent years, he has often been away from the clan. Sometimes it's difficult for me to even see him."

"Are you often not in the clan?"

"Yes, he has a rather eccentric personality and is hard to fathom. He doesn't like others prying into his affairs. As long as he doesn't do anything that violates the clan rules, no one dares to interfere with him."

"So... he's never married?"

"Never."

Upon hearing this, Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu exchanged a glance. Their outward expressions remained unchanged, but a strange emotion flickered in their hearts.

"Have you ever heard of anyone he liked when he was young?" Mo Sangyu asked.

"When you were young?"

Rong Xuanci shook his head: "I have never heard of such a thing since I can remember. However, he has often gone out and not come back in recent years, so it is possible that he has. But I think if he really has a girl he likes, why doesn't he just marry her openly? After all, he can choose his own marriage partner. In the clan, no one dares to disagree with whomever he wants to marry."

After speaking, Rong Xuanci looked at the two of them suspiciously: "Why are you two so interested in Third Uncle's affairs?"

"Just asking."

"Just asking?"

Rong Xuanci was displeased: "What, don't you two trust your older brother?"

Mo Sangyu turned around and sat down at the table, leaving Feng Xingyu alone to face his brother-in-law.

Feng Xingyu: "...It's about my mother. She's not dead, she's just missing. Rong Feiyan told me before she died that she knew something about my mother, so I'm wondering if..."

"Is it related to my third uncle?"

Rong Xuanci was slightly taken aback.

He then shook his head in denial: "No way, Third Uncle and Aunt Wangshu... How could that be? Speaking of which, Aunt Wangshu was originally my father's fiancée, but later, I don't know what happened, the marriage didn't happen, and Aunt Wangshu disappeared. I always thought she..."

"However, since you suspect Uncle Three, I will keep an eye out for you. When he comes back next time, I will find an opportunity to follow him and see where he went."

Thank you.

Feng Xingyu said sincerely.

"We're all family now, no need to be so polite."

Rong Xuanci looked at Mo Sangyu and brought up another matter: "However, your marriage still needs to be arranged. I absolutely cannot let Yu'er follow you without knowing the reason."

Feng Xingyu's thin lips parted slightly, as if he had some concerns, but he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He glanced at Mo Sangyu, who was holding a teacup, her eyes lowered, with an expression that said, "You decide what to do."

It was rare for Feng Xingyu not to disagree with Rong Xuanci.

"Okay," he said.

He truly owes Ayu a grand wedding.

"There's one thing I need to make clear first: I am not the lord of the Cloud Clan. Ayu can only..."

"Yu'er wants to marry you as a person, not as the Lord of the Yun Clan."

Rong Xuanci interrupted him before he could finish speaking: "Don't worry, I'm a very open-minded person. I'm the one who calls the shots in the Rong Clan, and no one dares to object. All you two need to do is nod your agreement, and I'll handle everything else."

Mo Sangyu's lowered eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Is this... what it feels like to be pampered by family?

It seems pretty good.

She calmly drank her tea, still without interrupting.

Feng Xingyu glanced at her, his eyes gentle: "Okay."

The wedding can be handled entirely by the brother-in-law, but Ayu should not be shortchanged on anything that is due to him.

"Brother, there's no rush."

Mo Sangyu realized that if she didn't speak soon, the date would probably be set. Without paying attention to herself, she blurted out "Brother" in a familiar and natural way.

After she called out, she realized what she was doing and paused for a moment.

Rong Xuanci was also taken aback for a moment, then his face lit up with joy, but he didn't make a big fuss. He simply said, "Yu'er, what are your thoughts? Speak up as soon as possible."

"Oh, well... what I mean is, let's not rush this. Let's talk about it after we find my mother-in-law."

"That's true."

Rong Xuanci thought for a moment and then said, "Then let's set a wedding date first and then make preparations slowly."

That's how it is; it's been agreed upon verbally for now.

The rest is up to Rong Xuanci to decide.

Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu stayed overnight and left the Rong clan the next day, five days before Gu Jinzhi and Wen Zhixia's wedding.

Before that, they still had two things to deal with.