Han Xuan, jolted awake by the cold water, became much more compliant.
Gu Qianying wiped her hands with the handkerchief Lu Zhu handed over.
She looked at Han Xuan, her voice icy, "Speak. What is your true purpose in approaching Song Yu'er?"
The cold water was bone-chilling.
Han Xuan shivered uncontrollably from the cold.
Facing the woman before him, this viperous beauty's interrogation.
Han Xuan no longer dared to conceal anything.
"The items in the Song family ancestral hall."
Upon hearing this.
Gu Qianying tossed the soiled handkerchief onto the ground.
She turned her gaze towards Han Xuan.
Her delicate brows furrowed, "The Song family ancestral hall?"
Back then, she, along with Song Wuji and others, had infiltrated the Song family ancestral hall. Aside from subduing the Gao Tian Beast within, they had found no other peculiar treasures.
And the Han family's persistent desire to enter the Song family ancestral hall, was it truly just for the "treasures" that were rumored to be there?
Now, it seemed, it was not merely that.
"What exactly is in the Song family ancestral hall that your Han family desires?"
From the way Han Chenglin had raised ghost armies through special methods, she knew that Han Chenglin was no simple man.
And the Han family was no ordinary household.
"The Mei Hu Ling. There is the Mei Hu Ling in the Song family ancestral hall."
Under Gu Qianying's chilling gaze, Han Xuan revealed the truth.
"What is the Mei Hu Ling?"
Gu Qianying frowned.
She had never heard of such an item.
"It is... it is a token for summoning Yin ghosts. With this token, one can summon thousands of Yin ghosts, and then, through seven to nine days of refinement with Yin blood, a new generation of ghost armies can be cultivated."
Han Xuan recognized the beautiful woman before him as a formidable character.
Therefore, to save his own life, he dared not conceal anything further and confessed everything he knew.
Mei Hu Ling?
This item, during her time at the Song residence, she had entered the Song family ancestral hall numerous times but had never found it.
And from the beginning, she had always believed that what the Song family protected within their ancestral hall was what was described in the book held by the Baili family.
But now, it seemed that was not the case.
"If that's the case, then the ghost army from back then was..."
Before Gu Qianying could finish her sentence, Han Xuan interrupted her, "It was Old Master Song, Song夫人's father, my father's master."
Hearing this, Gu Qianying's eyes widened in astonishment.
Lu Zhu, following behind her, was equally surprised.
"How is that possible? If this ghost army was Old Master Song's conspiracy, then why did it end up with your Han family, and why has your father been raising it all this time?"
Mentioning this, Han Xuan chuckled, "Back then, after my father uncovered Old Master Song's conspiracy, he was almost silenced by Old Master Song. To protect himself, my father then acted against Old Master Song. And my father had followed Old Master Song (the former City Lord) for many years, so he naturally knew how to control these ghost armies."
"But to make these ghost armies obey only him, he had to kill the former City Lord (Old Master Song). Only then could my father truly become the master of those ghost armies. It's a pity that that old immortal, Old Master Song, ultimately left a contingency."
"He hid the Mei Hu Ling somewhere in their Song family, which is why my father has not found it all these years."
"Although these ghost armies are immortal, they also have a lifespan. If one wants to continue creating these ghost armies, one must possess the Mei Hu Ling."
As he finished speaking.
Han Xuan looked at Gu Qianying, "Divine Doctor Gu, you are all outsiders. You don't truly understand the grievances between our three families. Do you really think the Baili family, Old Master Baili and his wife, were just honest people? Haha, you are mistaken. Back then, it wasn't just my father who wanted the Mei Hu Ling."
"With a ghost army, one can conquer surrounding nations, be it the Northern Ridge Kingdom, the Southern Yi Kingdom, or other smaller states. Tell me, what army do they have that can compare to this ghost army? The ghost army fights on the battlefield, and only enemy soldiers die."
"The ghost army is invincible, unbreakable. Who wouldn't want to possess such an army?"
Han Xuan revealed something that greatly surprised Gu Qianying.
"Are you implying that while the Han and Song families were fighting, the Baili family was the ultimate victor?"
And that Old Master Baili was the manipulator behind all of this?
Listening to Gu Qianying's words, Han Xuan chuckled again, "Hahaha, it seems Divine Doctor Gu has been terribly deceived by the Baili family. Song Panyang, in his pursuit of the City Lord position, injured his elder brother and framed Baili Jingxuan, then captured Baili Jingxuan. Do you truly believe Song Panyang did all this merely for revenge against the Baili family?"
Gu Qianying looked at him without speaking.
Han Xuan continued, "He merely wanted to lure out Old Master Baili, so that through the chaos of war, the citizens within the city could see Old Master Baili's true face. This way, he would lose his guise of being a 'good person.' When Old Master Baili collaborated with Song Wuji, he was merely portraying himself as a good person in front of Song Wuji."
"In reality, Old Master Baili is just as wicked as my father. Do you know, little beauty, this person also cultivated evil arts like my father? They are both responsible for the death of the former City Lord."
Han Xuan paused at this point.
Then, he continued, "The former City Lord was also not a benevolent person. He took my father, Old Master Baili, and Song Gang as his disciples, merely to use these three as swords in his hand. They were all the former City Lord's wives."
"However, he disdained Old Master Baili's humble origins, so he made him a steward in the Song manor. Of course, the former City Lord would tell Old Master Baili how much he trusted him, which was why he kept him by his side. Haha, this kind of psychological manipulation, this young master learned it from childhood."
Listening to Han Xuan's words.
Gu Qianying fell into deep thought.
She had never imagined that the relationship between the Baili, Song, and Han families was like this.
She had also never imagined that among these three families, the most adept at disguise was not Song Gang, nor anyone from the Han family, but Old Master Baili.
This steward whom Song Wuji had trusted so much since childhood!
"Where was Baili Jingxuan taken?"
Gu Qianying took the sword from Lu Zhu and directly pressed it against Han Xuan's head.
She didn't care about the entanglements between the Baili, Song, and Han families at this moment.
What she cared about were her close friends like Baili Jingxuan and Song Wuji.
With the sword pressed against his head, Han Xuan dared not refuse to speak.
"He was... he was taken by my father and handed over to that person."
That person?
Gu Qianying's gaze turned cold, "Handed over to whom?"
"My father calls him Mr. Luo, but none of us from the Han family, including my father, have ever seen this person's true face."
Listening to Han Xuan's words.
Gu Qianying glanced at Lu Zhu.
As Lu Zhu stepped forward, nodding.
Gu Qianying retracted her sword.
Following that, Lu Zhu forcibly pried open Han Xuan's mouth and stuffed a black pill into it.
"You've taken my poison. If you dare to lie, I will make you die a poisonous death!"
The sword in her hand moved casually.
The ropes binding Han Xuan instantly fell away.
Han Xuan immediately knelt on the ground, clawing at his throat, trying to force out the swallowed poison.
However... the pill had already entered his stomach, how could it be so easily expelled?
If her previous impression of Gu Qianying was merely that of a ruthless woman, then now, Gu Qianying's impression on Han Xuan was that of a viperous, ruthless, and venomous being.
He felt a sense of dread towards her.
Just then, a maid entered from outside.
She reported to Gu Qianying, "Mistress, Miss Song is here."
Gu Qianying and Lu Zhu exchanged glances.
Gu Qianying gave Lu Zhu a look, and Lu Zhu, understanding immediately, stepped forward, grabbed Han Xuan, pressed his acupoint to render him mute, and dragged him behind the screen.
Following that, Gu Qianying waved her hand to the maid behind her, "Bring her in."
"Yes, Mistress."
Song Yu'er practically ran in.
As soon as she entered, she grabbed Gu Qianying's wrist, her expression hurried, "Qianying sister, Yu'er knows you are capable. Can you help Yu'er find someone?"
"Don't panic, Yu'er. What's wrong?"
Gu Qianying soothed Song Yu'er, urging her to sit down and speak slowly.
"Sister, please help me find someone, okay?"
"Alright, alright, Yu'er, don't rush. Who do you want me to find?"
Unsure of what Song Yu'er intended, Gu Qianying agreed first.
She could tell that Song Yu'er had something urgent to discuss.
"Qianying sister, Li Feng is missing. Can you help me find him?"