Chapter 16: The Roar of the Dragon

Inside the hall, Aunt Qing stood motionless with blood streaming from her closed eyes, not daring to move. Her face had turned a dark bluish-purple from the radiant light, her hands no exception.

Hearing the master's voice and realizing he had arrived, she could no longer stand firm. Her hands flailed aimlessly as she tried to reach the door. "Master! Help me! Save your servant!"

At this moment, Xiao Junwang had entered a trance-like state, a transparent barrier forming around him. Chanting the Dragon Beast spell, he controlled the poison within Mo Liuli, completely unaware of the arrival of Mo Yuan and the others or the changes around him.

"What is this?" The senior elder, who had arrived first, voiced his suspicion, halting in place to watch the dazzling scene before him. He paid no heed to Aunt Qing’s cries for help. He had never liked Mo Yuan’s concubine—her background was mysterious and suspicious. Mo Yuan was stubborn and single-minded, yet she was the only concubine favored among them all!

The third elder soon arrived as well. He cast a cold glance at Aunt Qing, who looked neither fully human nor ghostly, showing no interest in Mo Yuan’s attempts to soothe her. Instead, he focused on Xiao Junwang inside the barrier, ignoring Mo Liuli floating midair.

"This kid must be the source of the power fluctuations," the third elder said, leaning close to the senior elder, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Xiao Junwang.

Nearby, Mo Yuan was shocked to see Aunt Qing’s pitiful state. She felt disdain for the latter’s current disgrace but had no choice but to comfort her.

"Master, you must stand up for me! It was this suddenly appearing woman who hurt me. She insulted the Crown Princess with arrogance, completely disregarding the Mo family! I still don’t know where that crazy girl came from... sob," Aunt Qing sobbed incoherently. Mo Yuan believed her, her breaths growing rapid as she glared angrily at the woman hovering in the air, vowing to tear her to pieces no matter where she came from. How dare she scorn the Mo family, especially while the three elders were present!

"Silence!" the senior elder snapped harshly. He had clearly seen that the woman in midair was none other than Mo Liuli, who had been missing for nearly a month as Mo Yuan had reported. Mo Yuan had only told the elders about Mo Liuli’s disappearance and the substitution marriage arranged by Mo Ruyan, withholding the facts that Mo Liuli was pregnant and had lost all her spiritual power.

To his eyes, Mo Liuli was still a treasured gem, the Mo family’s hope for the future. How could this lowly concubine be allowed to insult her? Without restraint, the senior elder slapped Aunt Qing across the face. "Are you blind? You can’t even recognize your own young mistress!"

"Y-Young mistress?" Aunt Qing repeated in disbelief. That woman was the young mistress? How could she possibly recognize her? Perhaps only a privileged few in the mansion could. Feeling wronged, Aunt Qing raised her bloodshot eyes toward the master. "M-mast—"

Every sound around her reached Mo Liuli’s ears. At that moment, her closed eyes opened coldly, her gaze turning sideways toward the elders’ direction like a flash of lightning, sending chills through their hearts.

Such a cold look! The elders and Mo Yuan shared this unspoken thought.

Mo Liuli’s hair began to drift upward, her long locks forming elegant curls. Her cold eyes shone with a strange brilliance, and the small black insect that had been on her neck was nowhere to be seen. The dragon roar pattern on her abdomen continued to spin, emitting a series of low, suppressed roars. She gently raised her hand to soothe her belly. "Xiao."

With a deep, flowing voice, Xiao Junwang slowly opened his eyes, his body rising into the air. He cast a cold glance at the stunned onlookers, then turned and embraced Mo Liuli, disappearing into the radiant light.