"And several times, they died in the special passage."
"So, all in all, this old servant probably sent out ten groups of people, but it seems only one group successfully reached the capital of Mo Kingdom."
"It was this group, who arrived in Mo Kingdom's capital after great hardship, that sent me messages twice, saying that another group of people had also arrived in Mo Kingdom's capital, seemingly also intending to harm your family."
"However, it's a pity that the group I sent out subsequently vanished without a trace, as if they were eliminated by someone in Mo Kingdom's capital. No more information came back." The old man finished, then glanced at the expressionless Qiao Mu again. He gritted his teeth and said, "This old man means..."
"I know, you want to say Jing Minyao was just a scapegoat. The real culprit might still be hidden behind the scenes." Qiao Mu said coldly. "Jing Minyao also said that Qiao Lin was thrown to her by a man in black. Who was this man in black?"
The old man's eyes flickered slightly. He shook his head and said, "This old servant does not know."
Qiao Mu gave him a cold stare. "You're saying all this, what do you want?"
"Respected Crown Princess." The old man suddenly adopted a fawning attitude, bowing and saluting. "This old servant tells you all this purely because..." He rolled his eyes and chuckled, "This old servant is also an old member of the Pangu Tribe. Regarding all matters of the Pangu Tribe's past, if not completely familiar, then at least very much so..."
"Get to the point," Qiao Mu interrupted him coldly, her gaze mocking.
"Crown Princess, if the Pangu Tribe could be entrusted to this old servant's management..."
A Desperate Request
No sooner had he spoken than cheers erupted from the Pangu Tribe members nearby, likely indicating that the new patriarch had already been chosen. Qiao Mu looked at him with a scornful gaze. "You heard them. You've lost your chance."
Jing Gu gritted his teeth unwillingly, but still said with a fawning smile, "Then in that case, please grant this old servant a small request. I was originally the caretaker of the Soul Gathering Bell."
"I have an extraordinary sense of affinity for the Soul Gathering Bell." He sighed and continued, "Now that the Soul Gathering Bell has been destroyed, this old servant requests that the fragments of the Soul Gathering Bell be returned to me for safekeeping, to finally put an old yearning to rest."
"I ask for nothing else," he pleaded. "Please, Crown Princess, grant this old servant this small request."
Qiao Mu scrutinized him, then turned to Mo Lian. "After the Soul Gathering Bell shattered, were there any other items besides the fragments?"
A Hidden Secret Revealed
Jing Gu's heart churned like stormy waves when he heard the little Crown Princess ask this, though he tried his best to maintain his composure. He wished he could lunge forward and bite the Crown Princess to death. This little girl was too intelligent. He hadn't said anything, yet she could connect these dots from his few words?
Mo Lian, with a curious expression, retrieved the white silk cloth that had previously wrapped the Soul Gathering Bell fragments from his inner world. He unfolded it, poked through the fragments with his fingertip, and pulled out a small black key, no bigger than a pinky finger. The key's color was indeed very similar to the fragments, which was why His Highness the Crown Prince hadn't noticed it before.
Crown Prince Mo glanced at the old man Jing Gu with a half-smile, a slight curve on his lips. He held up the small key with his fingertips, a hint of a smile in his eyes, and said, "Thank you very much." This was, of course, a thank you to Jing Gu for providing such reliable information.