The situation started when Yue Jinghua suddenly returned to the mansion.
It wasn't long before the incident of Yue Jinghua disciplining the house guards was reported to Lie Chang'an's ears.
Lie Chang'an was first taken aback by Yue Jinghua's unexpected performance in front of others, and then he thought that even Yue Jinghua, the waste, had returned to Lie Family Mansion. Why hadn't his precious grandson Lie Meng returned home yet? Not to mention him, even the thousand-mile sparrow he carried with him had not sent any news.
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed wrong, Lie Chang'an ordered someone to inquire at the Xuanji Academy, only to encounter the tragic news from another major family in the city, the Su family.
The Su family was engaged in the jade business. This time, their only heir, Su Chun, carried a sensing spiritual jade when participating in the trial. If the owner of the Jade encountered danger, it would shatter. Now, the piece of spiritual jade has already broken into two halves, and Su Chun just so happened to be in the same group as Lie Meng.
Shortly after Hongling came back to report, Lie Rou showed a few traces of concern. She knew her uncle's temperament well; if Lie Meng returned safely this time, the matter might still be settled down, but if anything happened to Lie Meng, Lie Chang'an would certainly vent his rage on Yue Jinghua.
In just a short moment, Lie Chang'an, accompanied by a group of house guards from the third branch, furiously made his way to confront them.
The moment he entered, he saw Yue Jinghua merrily chatting and laughing with Lie Rou about her journey, Yue Chen fiddling with the potted plants in the hall, and Hongling standing by with a face full of vigilance.
"Lie Rou, such a good daughter you've raised," Lie Chang'an did not mince words and immediately started scolding.
Lie Rou's face paled as she hesitantly spoke, only to see her daughter secretly gesturing to her, signaling not to worry.
"Third Grandfather, I am not aware of what my mother did wrong to provoke your anger," Yue Jinghua said mockingly, sizing up Lie Chang'an, the current second in command of Lie Family Mansion.
Lie Chang'an was about fifty years old, with a thin and long horse-face, and his Dark Energy cultivation was not inconsiderable, having reached the Perfect Realm of Dark Earth.
"Lie Meng is still missing, and since you were his travel companion, you cannot be absolved of involvement," Xuanji Academy had already tallied the results; this time during the trial, most of the interns had returned, but only Yue Jinghua came back from Lie Meng's team.
"Third Grandfather, Yue Jing is but a weak woman; that day, after I got separated from cousin Lie Meng, I had a hard time trying to find him. Hundred Beast Mountain is so vast, and I am no more than a waste with obstructed Dark Energy. I was worried about encountering bandits again and shaming the Lie Family, which would truly be an even greater crime," Yue Jinghua sneered, throwing Lie Chang'an's previous words back at him without any politeness.
Lie Chang'an's old face turned red with ridicule, and he stammered, "Don't think you can easily deceive me. How could you, alone, manage to escape unscathed, and how could you return to Polo City without a scratch? If you don't tell the truth, be careful, I might invoke family law to deal with you."
"Family law? Third Grandfather is really holding a chicken feather as a command arrow. Before, it was only natural for cousin Lie Meng not to search diligently. Yue Jing, seeking self-preservation and returning to the mansion alone, commits a heinous crime. May I ask, Third Grandfather, what kind of family law are you planning to apply to me?" Yue Jinghua spoke sharply, infuriating Lie Chang'an on the spot.
"Third brother, what is the matter that calls for such a loud quarrel," while speaking, Lie Sisi came in with a slightly older man with a face seven or eight points similar to Lie Chang'an.
"Second Brother, look at this wretched girl. I'm merely inquiring about Mengmeng's whereabouts, yet I've been subject to her mockery," Lie Chang'an fumed.
"Third Elder, leave this matter to me. I have already sent a few of our family's experts with Mengmeng's usual clothing, and borrowed several Rui Wolves from the palace to rush towards Hundred Beast Mountain. As long as there are any traces of Mengmeng and the others, we will definitely be able to find them," Rui Wolves are mid-level Dark Beasts that are best at tracking people.
Lie Changshun carefully observed Yue Jinghua while he spoke. Although there didn't seem to be any change in appearance, as shrewd as Second Young Master Lie was, he had noticed that Yue Jinghua was very different from when she had left the Lie Family Mansion earlier.
Hearing about using Rui Wolves to track people, Yue Jinghua sneered inside. Lie Meng's body had long been completely devoured by the cannibalistic Pu, even if they found the ends of the earth, what could they do? However, these two old rogues of the Lie Family were in cahoots, very cunning indeed.
"Jinghua, you have also had a hard journey, and it's only normal to feel some resentment in your heart. But you must know, the fact that you were captured can only be blamed on your insufficient skills. How did you manage to escape, and who was it that saved you?" Lie Changshun appeared amiable on the surface, but his expressionless tone and gaze betrayed his prejudice towards Yue Jinghua, which was no less than that of Third Master Lie.
As he asked, Lie Changshun paid close attention to Yue Jinghua's reactions. His eyes, craftier than a fox's, were confident he could immediately discover any discrepancy in Yue Jinghua's words.
"It was truly a stroke of luck. That day I was taken and fell into unconsciousness, thinking the odds were against me, only to wake up and find myself rescued, and the thugs were all killed," Yue Jinghua recounted, her face showing lingering fear.
"Nonsense, who could single-handedly kill such formidable thugs? Mengmeng mentioned in his letter that those bandits were not ordinary—every one of them a Dark Practitioner with the cultivation of fourth or fifth level of Dark Human. What kind of person would take such a big risk to save someone they have never met?" Third Master Lie was even more incredulous upon hearing this.
"The person wore a mask on his face so I couldn't see clearly, but he left this token," Yue Jinghua took out a token from her bosom and respectfully handed it to Lie Changshun.
Upon seeing the token, Second Young Master Lie, who was initially skeptical, showed a change in his expression, "A palace disciple's token from the Divine Judgment Institute?"
Once Divine Court was mentioned, Third Master Lie's face immediately changed as well. Looking at the token in Second Young Master Lie's hand, even with their keen eyesight, they could tell that it was not a counterfeit. Palace disciples would not give out their tokens for no reason; this only indicated that for some reason, Yue Jinghua had been taken into the Divine Court.
Taking into account what Yue Jinghua said, the credibility of the whole incident increased a few points.
The two masters of the Lie Family exchanged glances, their faces showing a mix of vexation.
"Since it's an act of the Divine Court, this matter can be justified. This token is of extraordinary significance; you must preserve it carefully," Second Young Master Lie did not ask further, and ordered Third Master Lie to leave Jingxin Courtyard with him.
"Mother, do you know the origins of the Divine Court?" The reason why Yue Jinghua's words just now did not reveal any flaws to Lie Changshun was because she was well-versed in the art of lying. With truths and lies in equal measure, coupled with her outstanding acting skills as a former female spy in her previous life, even if another Second Young Master Lie came along, she would still be more than capable of dealing with him.
"Mother spends her days in the mansion, how could she hear of such things. According to what you said just now, not only did people from the Divine Court save you, but they also helped you find a Second-order Profound Pill. That really is like meeting a noble person upon stepping outside, our ancestors must be looking out for us. After dinner, accompany mother to burn a stick of incense," Lie Rou listened, trembling in fear but continuously praying for the blessing of the immortals.
Yue Jinghua smiled, but then noticed Yue Chen sizing her up, his eyes filled with disbelief. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she must have seen wrong. Could it be that her lie was seen through by this autistic little boy?
On closer inspection, Yue Chen had returned to his previous state of digging in the soil, and it seemed it was just Yue Jinghua's misperception after all.