Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

At this moment, inside Chanyi's room.

She took off her gloves, brought over a basin of cold water, and repeatedly scrubbed between her fingers, not even sparing her fingernails.

The Black-tailed Cicada-winged Green-mane Snake is extremely venomous.

Let alone being bitten, as soon as your skin brushes against its black scales, the poison will pierce into your flesh like fine needles, causing your skin to quickly die and rot. If it is not removed, the poison will spread.

It's incredibly poisonous.

When Chanyi first put the snake into Yu Luoning's room, she used a bamboo basket and wore gloves, but she still dared not be careless.

Her father worked at the alchemy institute and had repeatedly given her instructions.

So as soon as she got back, she washed her hands immediately.

Today, she deliberately sprinkled colorless and odorless snake-attracting powder on Yu Luoning.

The Black-tailed Cicada-winged Green-tipped Snake is most attracted to this scent; it goes crazy as soon as it smells it.

As for why such a snake would appear in the young master's courtyard?

That's even simpler.

This snake is a medicinal ingredient used in alchemy and is always kept in pharmacies.

There had indeed been instances of snakes escaping from their cages before, but no one suspected her.

Moreover, the young master is currently in seclusion.

During his seclusion, nothing in the courtyard, big or small, could disturb the young master. If a maid died, no one would care.

By the time the young master emerges from seclusion, even if an investigation is launched, the evidence will have already been destroyed.

Surely the young master wouldn't go to such lengths for a mere maid?

As Chanyi thought about it, a hint of pleasure crept onto her lips.

Just as she was about to dry her hands, there was a sudden thud inside the room.

She turned her head and saw a snake lying in front of her.

A black-tailed, cicada-winged, green-spotted snake!?

Chanyi's pupils contracted sharply, and her mind went blank for a moment.

This snake... wasn't it in Yu Luoning's room?

How could I... end up back here?

Suddenly, the snake sprang forward and lunged straight at her face.

Chanyi was at the second level of Qi Refining, so her reaction was not slow. Almost instinctively, she spun to the side and barely dodged the attack.

But she was ultimately a step too slow.

The snake flicked its tail, grazing her cheek.

The next instant, a piercing pain exploded, making her vision go black.

Chanyi covered her face, and her palm immediately got a little bit of the substance on it, turning it purple instantly.

She stared at the snake in disbelief.

How is that possible?

Yu Luoning!

That woman who looked like a total coward actually turned around and sent the snake back?

I underestimated that bitch.

Chanyi felt a chill run down her spine.

The snake lunged again.

She gritted her teeth, forcibly channeled her spiritual power, and drew her short blade, engaging the snake in a fierce battle for several breaths inside the house.

I narrowly escaped being bitten several times.

Finally, enduring the pain of the scales rubbing against the back of her hand again, she slashed down with her sword.

The snake's head rolled off.

The snake twitched twice, then finally stopped moving.

Chanyi was panting heavily. When she looked down, her face was completely drained of color.

At this point, the areas on her face and hands that had been wiped had turned black, and it wouldn't be long before they rotted and festered.

"ah--"

A piercing scream tore through the night.

On the other side, Yu Luoning was completely unaware.

She was still shaken and didn't dare to sleep all night, hugging her legs and huddled on the table.

/

"It was her! She released the snakes! Chieftain, you must avenge me!"

Inside the main hall of the Li family, the clan head, the chief steward, and several clan elders were all present, their faces grim.

This matter is not the same as the previous false accusations; it was just a minor incident.

The black-tailed cicada-winged green-tailed snake is extremely venomous.

If even a servant can easily release snakes, wouldn't the lives of these masters be in constant danger?

"Clan leader, look at Chanyi's face... her life is ruined!" Chanyi's father said, tears streaming down his face, pointing at the female doctor beside him.

The female doctor was cleaning Chanyi's wound with trembling hands.

The flesh corroded by the venom was an eerie dark green, oozing pus—a horrifying sight.

Even with medication, her once beautiful face couldn't be saved; she could only resort to cutting away flesh to survive.

Chanyi screamed in despair, "It's her! It must be her! No one else would hate me this much!"

She targeted Yu Luolin not only because Yu was the only woman the young master had brought back, but also because she feared Yu would become Li Yunyu's woman and threaten her.

Those from aristocratic families who cultivate themselves, in order to ensure the continuation of their lineage, have always had a thriving household.

Chanyi always harbored a sliver of unrealistic longing in her heart.

But now, even her hope of becoming the prince's concubine is gone, and she hates Yu Luoning to death.

Standing beside her was her father, who suddenly knelt down, his knees pounding loudly.

"Clan leader! Elders! My family has served the Li family since my father's generation, tending the pharmacy and serving them faithfully! We have earned our respect through hard work, even if we haven't made any great contributions!"

He raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, his voice hoarse:

"My daughter's face has been disfigured by snake venom; her life is ruined! I beg the clan chief to give her justice! Give my daughter justice!"

Yu Luoning stood below the hall, rolling her eyes as she listened.

She was truly terrified at that moment.

So that snake venom was really that potent.

If it weren't for her ability to travel through the air yesterday, she would probably be the one kneeling in the hall today.

What disgusted her even more was that

Chanyi is indeed a vicious woman.

If one plan fails, they immediately switch to another, turning the tables and pinning the blame back on her.

Chanyi covered her face, her voice shrill:

"Clan leader! That black-tailed, green-winged snake with cicada-like wings was clearly put into my room last night. I only have a grudge against Yu Xiaoguai. In the entire Jixue Pavilion, only she hates me; she wants to disfigure me!"

Yu Luoning stepped forward. "Gentlemen and ladies, I did have a quarrel with her, but how could a mere Qi Refining Level 1 maidservant possibly obtain the medicinal herbs and spirit snakes from the Alchemy Institute?"

"I implore the clan elders to investigate this matter thoroughly and give me justice."

Chanyi: "Stop pretending! You just hate me! You're trying to deny it without any evidence!"

Yu Luoning retorted, "Just because there's a grudge doesn't mean I'm the one who did it?"

"I also have a grudge against the young master of the Feng family. Can he also come and accuse me of releasing snakes to harm him?"

Upon hearing this, the noisy crying and wailing in the main hall came to an abrupt halt.

The elders exchanged glances, their expressions changing drastically.

The portrait of the young master of the Feng family searching for someone across a thousand miles is still posted at the city gate, although the person in the portrait has been drawn as a fleshy ball.

The person in the head seat never expected that she was the woman Li Yunyu had brought back.

She was slender and slim, quite different from the person in the portrait.

Remembering that Li Yunyu had personally declared before going into seclusion, "I will not associate with anyone from Jixuexuan."

Clan Chief Li Qingcheng spoke.

"Since we're talking about snakes, all the Green-Light Snakes are kept by the Pill Refining Institute for the purpose of making pills and poison pills. Each snake has a number. Go to the Pill Refining Institute to check the usage records, and then ask the page who guards them."

The faces of Chanyi and her father turned deathly pale instantly.

Especially the Chanyi.

She never expected that these usually aloof clan elders would actually use the records of the Pill Refining Institute for the sake of a maid.

There are some things that everyone pretends to be ignorant of, even when they know the truth.

They thought that with their three generations of relationship with the Li family, the clan elders would also speak on their side.

But when the clan leader spoke, it was clear that he wanted to protect Yu Luoning.