Chapter 314: Bribed the Rival, but He’s an Idiot
Stunned, Yu Yao didn’t just wait to be captured. She quickly dodged the guards and demanded sharply, "Fourth Uncle, what are you talking about? How could I possibly try to murder Father!"
Yu Shouye snorted coldly. "Who knows why you’d want to murder the Family Head? But you were the one who brought back the Snow Flower. The Family Head fell into a poisoned coma after drinking the medicinal soup that had the Snow Flower in it. If it wasn’t you, who was it?!"
"Guards, seize her!"
Yu Yao’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, so she was no match for the guards and was quickly captured.
Yu Shouye waved his hand. "Take her away."
As she was being escorted out of the room, the Yu Family’s Great Elder arrived with his men. "Shouye, what are you doing? Release the Young Master at once."
"We haven’t even uncovered the truth behind the Family Head’s poisoning, yet you’re already pinning the crime on the Young Master. When the Family Head awakens, I’d like to see how you explain yourself!"
A flash of disdain crossed Yu Shouye’s eyes, but his expression remained grave. "Great Elder, I’m locking Yu Yao up to prevent the Family Head from being harmed again."
"It’s not just Yu Yao. I’ve locked up everyone suspected of poisoning the Family Head."
The implication was that he wasn’t targeting Yu Yao alone.
The Great Elder said in a low voice, "But the Young Master has the least reason to harm the Family Head. You’re acting indiscriminately..."
"Great Elder, you’re mistaken," Yu Shouye said righteously. "The Young Master is only one step away from the Family Head’s position. Besides Yu Yao herself, who knows if she’s tired of being the Young Master and wants to take that final step?"
He glanced at Yu Yao, who was gagged and glaring at him. "The Family Head is in the prime of his life. He could hold his position for several more decades, or even longer."
"After all, Yu Yao herself once declared that if she were in the Family Head’s position, the Yu Family wouldn’t be playing second fiddle to the Tian Family. That makes her highly suspicious."
Yu Yao’s face darkened.
Her father, the Yu Family Master, was too conservative, and she had only made that comment out of frustration, hoping to spur him on. She’d just said it offhandedly and never thought someone would take it seriously.
Yu Yao didn’t know whether to be furious or speechless. She met the Great Elder’s gaze, and they both saw the helplessness in each other’s eyes.
’Is this Yu Shoucheng really that stupid, or is he just pretending to be?’
They quickly exchanged a look. The Great Elder stopped trying to block them, merely reminding Yu Shoucheng not to go too far.
"Don’t worry, Great Elder," Yu Shoucheng said with a smile. "Of course I won’t. I’ll have someone take good care of her. There will be no torture before the investigation is complete."
’You’re even thinking of torture?!’
The Great Elder barely suppressed his anger. He waved his hand, signaling for them to leave quickly before he lost control of himself.
Once Yu Shoucheng was a good distance away with his men, the Great Elder cleared his throat and ordered a trusted subordinate to investigate who Yu Shoucheng had been in contact with recently.
Yu Shoucheng was a man of little ability who held an idle post in the family.
For him to suddenly cause such a scene, he couldn’t have come up with it on his own. Someone must have been guiding or instigating him from behind the scenes.
It was publicly announced that the Family Head was gravely ill, but he had actually been poisoned—and poisoned at home. Only someone close to him could have administered the poison.
They had been secretly searching for the culprit. Could it be Yu Shoucheng?
If it were him, he should have been quietly clearing his name of suspicion, not making a big show of arresting people.
The Great Elder couldn’t figure it out.
Moreover, the Family Head being poisoned a second time was even more baffling to him.
The Snow Flower was fine, the physician wasn’t suspected of being bribed, and the pot used to brew the medicine had been checked again and again. Where exactly had things gone wrong?
Yu Yao was thrown into the Yu Family’s dungeon. As soon as the door closed, Yu Shoucheng waved his hand, motioning for the guards to withdraw.
"My dear niece, don’t blame your uncle for being cruel. The suspicion that you poisoned the Family Head is just too great. I have to take precautions."
Yu Yao rolled her eyes at him and sneered, "I think you’re the one who poisoned Father, Fourth Uncle. You usually act so dull and foolish. I never realized you were so conniving."
"You were behind Father’s first poisoning too, weren’t you? You’re his own brother! Father trusted you completely and granted your every request. To think he raised an ungrateful snake!"
A look of shame and anger crossed Yu Shoucheng’s face. "Shut your mouth! What do you mean, ’that Yu Jiye took care of me’? I have talent and ability! It’s because he never gave me a chance that I’ve been unable to realize my ambitions!"
He practically roared these words. Yu Yao heard him and was stunned for a full three seconds.
’Wh-what? He just came out and said it?’
’The mystery of who poisoned her father... was solved just like that?’
As Yu Yao was questioning her very existence, Yingyi, who was hidden in the shadows, also fell silent.
The last time, he had been controlled by Tian Fu on the Divine Mountain. He later managed to regain his senses and, when Tian Fu wasn’t looking, escaped back to the Upper Realm.
He was Master Tian’s trusted confidant. After recovering, he was sent to Earth Geography City.
Before this, the Tian Family’s spies in Earth Geography City had already made contact with Yu Shoucheng. Yingyi had given the poison to Yu Shoucheng, telling him to poison the Yu Family Master.
The plan was to then pin the blame on Yu Yao, causing the father and daughter to destroy each other. Without Yu Yao, their carefully groomed Young Master, the Yu Family would take a long time to recover, even if they weren’t completely devastated.
But...
’Whose idea was it?! Of all the Yu Family Members they could have approached, why did they have to pick this idiot, Yu Shoucheng!!!’
’And what’s more, after just a few words from Yu Yao, he’s already being led around by the nose! You’ve already locked her in a cell, so just do it already!’
Yingyi couldn’t take it anymore. He flicked a small stone at Yu Shoucheng’s calf to remind him to hurry up and act.
As long as she was dead, it wouldn’t matter whether or not the Yu Family could uncover the truth.
Besides, with Yu Shoucheng as the murderer, it would throw the Yu Family into chaos, making everyone fear for their own safety.
Yingyi was dying of anxiety, but unfortunately, Yu Yao carried the Yu Family Master’s spiritual power imprint. It was specifically designed to defend against the Tian Family; any attack would be reflected back at double the strength.
It only targeted the Tian Family. The imprint wouldn’t activate if anyone else attacked.
A jolt of pain shot through his calf, and Yu Shoucheng finally snapped back to his senses. He took out a knife and slowly approached her.
Yu Yao’s wrists were bound in iron chains that suppressed her spiritual power, leaving her defenseless.
She slowly backed away, her face a mask of disbelief. "So, it really was you who poisoned Father? Fourth Uncle, how has Father ever wronged you!"
There were only the three of them there, so Yu Shoucheng dropped the act. "Wronged me? My aptitude is clearly better! On what grounds did that Yu Jiye get to inherit the position of Family Head, and not me?!"
"No one can cure Yu Jiye’s poison; he can only wait for death. Once you’re dead too, the Yu Family’s Head position can only be mine!"
Yingyi remained expressionless.
’Fine, let him say whatever he wants. Besides the three of them, there’s no one else here.’
’Once Yu Yao is dead, none of this will matter.’
Yu Yao pressed her lips together, her face deathly pale.
She looked as if she wanted to say something more, but Yu Shoucheng was done talking. Just as he backed Yu Yao into a corner and was about to strike, the dungeon door was suddenly kicked open!
Yu Shoucheng instinctively looked over, but when he turned back, a handful of sand was thrown in his face.
"Who’s there— AHHH!!!"
He clutched his eyes in pain, and the next second, a sword was pressed against his neck.
A large crowd of people swarmed in from outside, led by the Great Elder.
He snorted coldly. "Yu Shoucheng, you colluded with outsiders to harm the Family Head! Surrender now!"