jdhmnovel Chapter 177 is Toxic
Chapter 177 is Toxic
Both of them were startled.
Unexpectedly, Madam Qiao looked so relaxed and at ease, as if nothing had happened.
Qiao Qingqiao's heart skipped a beat. She thought to herself, how could her grandmother be so cold-blooded? This was only because her eldest sister was in trouble. If it were her, an unloved concubine's daughter, who was in trouble, her grandmother probably wouldn't even ask a question.
Qiao Qingle also felt that her grandmother's behavior was somewhat abnormal. Although she spoke without thinking, she still knew the implications.
Why was Grandmother so nonchalant, as if it were none of her business?
Qiao Qingqiao spoke first,
"Grandmother, my eldest sister is in such a dangerous situation..."
The rest of her words caught in her throat. What she wanted to say was, "Your elder sister is in such a dangerous situation, how can you still have the mind to eat bird's nest here, Grandmother?"
But she knew she had no right to ask, so she didn't dare to say the rest of the sentence.
Qiao Qingle, however, spoke too quickly and blurted it out.
"Grandmother, how can you still have the appetite? My eldest sister's fate is unknown."
Qiao Qingle was really clueless; she just said whatever came to mind and didn't think it was offensive at all.
Moreover, her tone was gloating. She wasn't trying to criticize her grandmother, but rather to tease Qiao Qing for being unpopular and uncared for.
Madam Qiao was not angry when she heard this. She simply pushed away the bird's nest she had finished eating and slowly wiped her mouth.
"Since the matter has been reported to the authorities, how could I, a paralyzed old woman, possibly get up and help her? Of course, all I can do is pray to Buddha for her protection. As for whether she can survive, that depends on her fate."
Indeed, with Madam Qiao now bedridden, how could we expect her to do anything?
Even if she wasn't putting in any effort or in a hurry, she shouldn't have looked so happy and cheerful. Qiao Qingqiao's brows furrowed imperceptibly.
Thinking about the current situation, the soldiers should have already gone there, and the second master had also gone there, but she was still worried.
She pondered for a moment, then seemed to have thought of something, and immediately rushed out the door.
Qiao Qingle shouted behind her,
"Where is Second Sister going? She's in such a hurry."
Madam Qiao waved her hand dismissively,
"Let her go, she won't cause any trouble."
Qiao Qingqiao boarded the carriage and went straight to the Bai family. When she got off the carriage, she met the third master of the Bai family who came out to see her off.
Qiao Qingqiao immediately rushed over and explained the attack on Qiao Qingshu. Bai Zhining had drunk a few glasses of wine with her colleagues and was a little dizzy.
However, Qiao Qingqiao's words startled him sobered up immediately, and he hurriedly prepared his horse and men to head to Wanshou Mountain.
The preparation of the horse alerted Shen Wenying, who was the daughter of a military officer. Upon learning that Qing Shu was in danger, she immediately mounted her horse and offered to go with her.
When Bai Zhining and Shen Wenying arrived at Wanshou Mountain at top speed, they saw that a large group of people had already gathered at the top of the mountain.
The bandits were all captured, and their leader, a bearded man, was bound hand and foot and forced to kneel on the ground.
The official, brandishing his whip, angrily rebuked,
"Give me a straight answer! If you dare to tell a single lie, I'll have your head chopped off."
The man was bound hand and foot, but his face remained defiant.
"How many times do I have to tell you before you believe me? That man and woman jumped off a cliff together and committed suicide. What does that have to do with me? I even advised them that everything can be discussed, but they wouldn't listen to me. The man jumped first, and the woman followed."
Qiao Jizhou, who had been listening for a long time, stepped forward and kicked the man hard, roaring.
"My daughter came out to buy things for the wedding, how could she possibly come here to commit suicide with Xiao Xiaosanye? Stop talking nonsense!"
"They were clearly kidnapped by you, and you cornered them, which is why..."
Qiao Jizhou also choked up a little, clutching the piece of Qing Shu's clothes he had picked up on the edge of the cliff. His mind was buzzing.
Bai Zhining and Shen Wenying, who were not far away, understood the gist of the situation, and Bai Zhining felt a rush of blood to her head.
He drew his sword from his side and pressed it against the man's neck, his eyes bloodshot.
"If you still don't tell the truth, I'll kill you with one blow!"
The man shrugged indifferently.
"You can ask a hundred times and it will be the same: the couple fell off the cliff."
The officials, Qiao Jizhou, and the Bai family all fell silent for a moment.
It was Qiao Jizhou who started crying first. He collapsed to the ground, slapping his thighs and sobbing uncontrollably.
"My Qingshu! My good daughter! Why is your life so miserable!"
The officer standing nearby whispered to Bai Zhining,
"Third Master Bai, this mountain is a hundred feet high. If you really fall off the cliff, you will definitely die. Moreover, there are ferocious beasts roaming around Longevity Mountain. Even if you don't die from the fall, you will probably be eaten by the beasts."
Bai Zhining simply couldn't accept this outcome; he exuded a chilling aura.
"Find them! Split up and search! No one is allowed to leave tonight. Go to the foot of the cliff immediately and find them! You must find them!"
Bai Zhining was thinking that not a single second could be wasted. Perhaps they really had fallen off the cliff, and if they could be found in time, there might still be a chance of survival.
He won't let any opportunity slip by!
The officials already knew the Third Master Bai, so they naturally cooperated with his orders.
The Bai family members and the officials immediately split into two groups, taking a shortcut down the mountain to search for the person.
Bai Zhining immediately turned to Shen Wenying and instructed her to go back and bring more people, to make every effort to find them.
Qiao Jizhou, on the other hand, was somewhat at a loss. He had only brought three or five servants from the outer courtyard with him when he went up the mountain, and now he seemed a little helpless.
Qiao Jizhou stood there rubbing his hands for a long time before finally rushing forward and grabbing Bai Zhining's arm.
"Good brother-in-law, take me with you, I'll go with you to search."
At this point, having multiple people approaching her meant having multiple opportunities, so Bai Zhining didn't refuse.
Qiao Qingshu was awakened by the pain.
She opened her eyes and, using the moonlight, wiped her lower back, then pulled hard, tearing a branch from her waist.
The branch pierced her waist, but fortunately it was positioned off-center; if it had been in the middle, she certainly wouldn't have woken up.
A cold wind whistled across her face. Qiao Qingshu looked around by the moonlight and realized that they had landed on a soft sandy beach.
There was a large patch of branches and leaves beneath them; if they hadn't fallen on them, they would have certainly died.
Not far away was a bright, clear lake, shimmering silver in the moonlight.
Lying next to her was Xiao Zhijie, who was still unconscious.
She bent down to check on Xiao Zhijie's condition; the huge, heavy animal trap had probably been lost during the fall.
His left foot was covered in blood, but it was no longer restrained.
Looking closely at his neck again, the silver needle was still there!
Qiao Qingshu's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately reached out and pulled out the silver needle. The tip of the silver needle was black, so it must be poisonous!