Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 129 Questioning the Master (End)

Cui Yuan stayed in the Dali Temple for the whole night and did not leave as she wished. She thought that the Cui family would send someone to redeem her, but the result disappointed her.

After the incident at Xiao Muchen's wedding banquet, not only did Cui Yuan develop a vicious reputation in Luoyang City, but even the Anping branch of the Cui family was deeply affected.

Cui Yi and his sons didn't even dare to go out of the door again. Because of the previous Cui Ying case, hatred arose between the Cui family's main branch and the Anping branch.

For the first time, Cui Yuan felt isolated and helpless. It felt like she was not loved by her husband in the Xiao family and was ridiculed by everyone.

Now she has become the one who is ridiculed and despised.

"Madam Cui, you still don't want to tell the truth?" Lu Shiyilang came to Cui Yuan with a confession, "But your maid has confessed everything. She said that you asked her to pour poisoned wine on the handkerchief that poisoned the two messengers. At that time, she was at the table, and when she was serving the wine, she accidentally spilled some wine on the handkerchief.

What a brilliantly executed scheme! Madam Cui has used this method to kill people more than once, right? I heard you once used this method to stealthily kill a merchant in order to secure a South Pearl. Then, under the guise of a philanthropist, you took over their business, leaving their children in awe.

Madam Cui, your methods are truly beyond the reach of those murderers!"

Cui Yuan glared at Lu Shiyilang with wide eyes: "You are talking nonsense, who told you that? Let me go back quickly, otherwise..."

"Otherwise, the people behind you will attack us, right?"

Lu Shiyilang said, "The Internal Guard has already started investigating your Anping branch of the Cui family, especially the manor you're in charge of. They say they've imprisoned many slaves to serve you, right?"

After a night of endless interrogation, Cui Yuan's energy had been exhausted to the limit. She became even more excited and shouted nervously, "Inner Guard House? Are you talking about Xiao Muchen? He dares!"

"Why wouldn't he dare? The Inner Guards are directly under the command of the Sage. It's their job to monitor all officials and eliminate corrupt officials. You should be thankful that he didn't file a false accusation like you did, accusing your Cui family of treason..."

Cui Yuan was suddenly terrified and screamed, "Let him come to see me, let him come to see me, I have something to tell him, I will tell him everything he wants to know."

……

When Cui Yuan opened her eyes again, she was in a dark cell where there was no sunlight. Only the flickering candlelight allowed her to see the person sitting in front of her.

Xiao Muchen with white hair and white clothes.

Just one glance made her feel the indifference and danger of keeping strangers away. The child who once made her extremely disgusted has now grown into a snow wolf that can eat people at any time, making people afraid to approach him.

"Xiao Muchen, why is your hair turning white again?"

"I am here to investigate the case. If anything you say is untrue, don't blame me for being ruthless."

After Xiao Muchen finished speaking, he gestured for Xuan Yu to take out a medicine bottle.

Under Cui Yuan's horrified gaze, Xuan Yu pinched her mouth open and poured the liquid in the bottle directly into her mouth.

The smell of blood made her feel nauseous and she wanted to vomit. She asked fearfully, "What is this? What did you give me to drink?"

Xuan Yu then said, "This is the poisonous blood that was forced out of my husband. You were the one who fed him this poison, right? Now I'm giving it back to you. How do you feel about it?"

"you--"

"First, tell me who you are. Why did you inform on the Xiao family and General Heichi Changzhi?"

Cui Yuan laughed a little crazily: "Even if I didn't inform on you, wouldn't your Xiao family and Heichi Chang's family have been framed by the cruel officials?"

"Xiao Muchen, you should know who your mother is now, right? And you should also be able to guess why you are valued by the saint and why you are still alive and well after the death of other members of the Xiao family."

"I, Cui Yuan, once had dreams too. I was once the most noble lady in Chang'an City, a talented woman handpicked by the Empress Dowager. Of all the talented young men in Chang'an, I only had my eye on your father. But he repeatedly ignored me and eventually abandoned me. Later, Helan Minzhi found me. He was the one who discovered your mother's identity and asked me to inform the Empress Dowager."

"Later, your mother finally passed away under the coercion of the Empress, and I had the opportunity to marry into the Xiao family. Even then, I thought I could impress your father with my sincerity, but he was very wary of me and didn't even bother to look at me."

"So I asked Helan Minzhi to help me get rid of you, his only beloved son. But you were lucky enough to escape during the spring hunt in Mangshan. After that, I found several opportunities to poison you before I succeeded."

"However, your father eventually found out about this matter. But what does it matter if he did? I just want him to feel the pain and blame himself. I want him to know that his wife's departure and his son's suffering from the cold poison were all due to his disdain for me."

"He later discovered my dealings with Helan Minzhi, learning that he was buying off children and training assassins. He also uncovered a wealth of evidence linking Helan Minzhi to the Kings of Wei and Liang. Finally, he wrote a secret letter, intending to expose them before the Sage!" At this point, Cui Yuan let out a teasing smile. "Do you think the Kings of Wei and Liang will let him go?"

"So, you betrayed him?"

"That's right. I want him to pay the price for his ignorance. Can't he see clearly what the current world situation is like? The Wu family has the world, and he still wants to denounce the two Wu brothers?"

"However, I never imagined at the time that the Saint would spare your life even though you were charged with treason. But then I realized that, aside from your master's plea for mercy, the Saint's intention in letting you live was nothing more than a form of torture."

At the mention of the word "Master", Xiao Muchen's spirit tensed up and he asked, "You actually know my Master?"

"Oh, you still don't know who he is, right?" Cui Yuan said with a smug smile, "He's the man most beloved by the saint, a counselor who combines witchcraft, physiognomy, and the great art of magic. Ming, Chong, and Yan!"

The three words "Ming Chongyan" made Xiao Muchen stand up suddenly, and he stared at Cui Yuan in disbelief.

"But Ming Chongyan died in the fourth year of Yifeng!" "Who can tell whether it's true or not? His death is a mystery, a setup to help the Saint suppress Li Xian. It's Ming Chongyan's death that gives the Saint reason to hold Crown Prince Li Xian accountable. But how could the Saint bear to let him die?"

"Escape is just a simple trick!"

Xiao Muchen still had some doubts in his heart and asked again: "How do you know he is Ming Chongyan?"

"He told me personally that your master is a superb chess master. He plays everyone in the palm of his hand. This includes the death of General Heichi Changzhi. In fact, it was he who asked me to report it. The deaths of Helan Minzhi, Hong Xian, and Xue Huaiyi were also planned and controlled by him."

"Including your life, all of it is written in his hands."

"He is the god of death from hell!"

Hearing this, Xiao Muchen was already filled with deep anger. Although he had never doubted his master's character, and had never thought that his master was kind to him for other purposes, what he had done to Ah Huan had already made him begin to waver.

What kind of person is the master?

What was the purpose of all he did?
"It's hard to believe, isn't it? Xiao Muchen, you asked me to tell you, so this is the truth you wanted! Is it scary? Someone who was so good to you turned out to be the one who pushed you into the abyss, hahahaha..."

"What about you? Who are you?"

Cui Yuan sneered a few times, then suddenly lowered her head and whispered, "Perhaps I am also a chess piece on his chessboard, a chess piece that was accidentally put into it against its will, just like you all."

"Finally, let me ask you one more question: where is the antidote?"

……

Xiao Muchen couldn't fall asleep the whole night. In order to keep Murong Huan awake at all times and not be occupied by Li Linghuan's soul, he would often talk to her, and that night was no exception.

After Murong Huan fell into a deep sleep, he got up, put on his robe and went to the backyard.

The moonlight was quiet and the stars were dotted. The rockery and pond in the mansion were shrouded in mist. Occasionally a few birds flew by, and the snow raccoon would occasionally run to his feet, stretch out its front paws, and stick its head out.

Just as he was strolling to the end of a bluestone corridor, he suddenly heard a slow and ethereal flute sound, as if coming from the sky, pleasant but unreal.

He walked closer again, and through the thin mist, he saw a slender black shadow standing like a green pine.

The black shadow played the flute, with long flowing hair and a white mask on his face. Although his face could not be seen clearly, he looked as distant and mysterious as a god.

"Master—" Xiao Muchen said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "You are finally willing to come and see me!"

"From the day you saved me, were all these things planned by you?"

Xiao Muchen asked sternly.

"And the soul in Ah Huan's body, it was because of you that she came into Ah Huan's body, right?"

"Yes!"

He was a little surprised by the master's frank answer, but it was precisely because of this frankness that he felt extremely disappointed and heartbroken.

"Why did you do this? You spent six or seven years with Huan. You taught her skills, and she respected you as her master. We've been master and disciple for many years, yet you have the heart to use her body to resurrect a dead person?"

"Zicheng, Murong Huan was born because of Li Linghuan. It was she who made a deal at the Fountain of Samsara that allowed for Murong Huan's birth. They both share the same roots, so you can also consider them the same person."

"I don't understand. Then why do you know all this, Master? And who are you?"

The man in black didn't answer.

Xiao Muchen suddenly drew out a soft sword from his waist and stabbed it fiercely at the masked man in black.

"I'm sorry, Master, I'm offended!"

I must see today, who are you?

The sword light reflected the moonlight and shimmered brilliantly, instantly illuminating the eyes of the man in black.

Very familiar eyes!
While the man in black was blocking the sword light, Xiao Muchen tried to take off his mask, but he suddenly stepped back and was three feet away from him.

But at this moment, the white mask on the man in black suddenly cracked.

The mask fell to the ground, Xiao Muchen raised his eyes, and in an instant, there was a look of extreme horror in his eyes.

Because it was a face that looked exactly like his.

"You are not Ming Chongyan, who are you?"