Chapter 55: Sudden Poisoning of the Song Family

Song Shilan lay miserably on the ground, struggling even to raise her head.

There was not a single uninjured spot on her entire body, and some areas were already rotting away.

Filled with extreme resentment and unwillingness, she dared not show the slightest trace of it. "Elder sister, you've misunderstood me. I didn't do such a thing."

Had Third Master Wang betrayed her?

Seeing her refusal to admit it, Song Shiwei let out a cold snort. "Third Master Wang, step forward and tell everyone what she asked you to do earlier."

Third Master Wang walked over ingratiatingly, rubbing his hands together. "Yesterday afternoon, Song Shilan came to see me..."

"Shut your mouth!" Song Shilan screamed. "This is slander! Pure slander!"

"Father," she cried, looking toward Father Song, "are you just going to let them frame and wrong me?"

Father Song looked at her with eyes filled with deep disgust. "If you were innocent, why would you interrupt Third Master Wang?"

"There is no better proof of guilt than the way you are acting right now."

He was completely and utterly disappointed in this daughter.

They were all family, and they were currently on the road of exile, yet instead of thinking about how to save her own skin, Song Shilan spent every day plotting how to harm Shiwei.

In pain, terrified, and consumed by resentment, Song Shilan cried out, "Father, I really didn't do this. Eldest sister is trying to frame me."

Father Song only asked one question: "Why would your eldest sister want to frame you?"

Song Mingting chimed in with a sarcastic tone, "Song Shilan, in what way are you better than Shiwei? Are you more favored than her? Or do you have money that makes Shiwei want to target you?"

Song Shilan opened her mouth to retort, but the words stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single syllable.

Ever since they were children, Father and the rest of the family had always favored Song Shiwei more than her; only her grandmother had ever protected her.

"See? You can't say a word. So why would Shiwei want to harm you?" Song Mingting let out a dry laugh. "You interrupted Third Master Wang because you were terrified he would spill the truth."

He needed to talk to his eldest sister about getting rid of Song Shilan as soon as possible.

Keeping such a toxic scourge around would only bring endless trouble and danger to the family.

"Everyone, Song Shilan wanted me to find a way to humiliate the eldest Miss Song," Third Master Wang blurted out in a panic, terrified that disaster would befall him.

"Song Shilan said that Madam Song was forcing the eldest Miss to marry. She told me that as long as I humiliated the eldest Miss, Madam Song would definitely be forced to marry her off to me."

"By then, even if I demanded the eldest Miss to be my concubine, Madam Song would obediently agree."

As soon as these words fell, everyone turned their gazes in unison toward Madam Song.

The collective stare made Madam Song's brow twitch, and she subconsciously took a few steps back. "I—I—I didn't mean that. I—I never thought about harming Shiwei. Everything I did..."

"You never thought about it?" Father Song looked at her with a hint of disgust.

"If you hadn't forced Shiwei into marriage, would Song Shilan have come up with such a venomous scheme?"

Madam Song was left speechless.

Deep in her heart, she still believed that everything she had done was for the good of her daughters and the family.

Seeing her expression, Father Song knew she still felt no remorse.

Once they reached the next town, he would have to execute the plan Mingxuan and the others had discussed.

"You had better pray that Shiwei doesn't suffer any mishaps along the way because of your words, or else I will make you pay dearly."

Suddenly, he spat out a large mouthful of black blood and fell straight backward.

"Father!!"

"Master!!"

Panicked, Song Shiwei and the others rushed over.

Song Ming轩, who was closest, caught Father Song and slowly knelt to the ground, letting him lean against his body.

"Father?"

He reached out to test the breath beneath Father Song's nose.

The warm breath allowed the heavy rock in his chest to settle slightly. "Father is still alive, but this condition..."

"It's most likely poison." Acting as if she were drawing it from her sleeve, Song Shiwei retrieved a medicinal pill from her spatial dimension and fed it to Father Song.

Just as she was about to explain the pill's purpose, she saw Song Mingxuan and the others collapsing to the ground one by one, vomiting black blood.

Only she, Song Shilan, and a few bailiffs like Zhang Huai remained completely unharmed.

Song Shiwei snapped her gaze toward Song Shilan, her icy eyes laced with murderous intent. "Song Shilan, what have you done?"

Song Shilan seemed to feel she had turned the tables.

Lying there on the ground, she smiled with arrogant triumph. "What have I done?"

"This poison was fed to Father and the others by your very own hands."

Song Shilan's brow knitted tightly as she demanded angrily, "What nonsense are you spewing!"

Song Shilan burst into hearty, triumphant laughter. "On the second day after Father and the others caught a chill, you were the one who brewed and gave them their medicine."

Hearing this, Song Shiwei instantly understood what had happened. "Slow-acting poison!"

"It's been several days before the toxicity finally flared up. You certainly know how to wait!"

Song Shilan tried to prop herself up into a sitting position, but failed.

Instead, she simply adjusted herself into a more comfortable posture and glared at her with venomous hatred. "Song Shiwei, you now have two choices."

"First, you quietly kill yourself, and I will save Father and the others."

"Second, if you refuse to do as I say, I won't save Father and the rest of them."

After waiting for so many days, she had finally lived to see the poison take effect in Father and the others.

Let's see how she tortures this wretched bitch Song Shiwei now.

Song Shiwei walked over to her with a completely expressionless face.

"What are you going to do... Ah!" Song Shilan screamed in agony.

Without saying a word, Song Shiwei grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head directly into the ground.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Each impact was louder than the last.

Each strike was heavier than the previous one.

Song Shilan tried to struggle, but she lacked even the strength to crawl, let alone fight back.

"Song Shiwei, if you dare treat me like this, I won't save Father and them!"

She shrieked malicious threats. "Father and the others were killed by you! You are the sinner!"

Song Shiwei's movements did not pause for a single second, and the murderous intent in her eyes toward Song Shilan only deepened.

Very soon, Song Shilan dared not issue any more threats, reduced entirely to miserable screams and desperate pleas for mercy.

"Eldest sister, I was wrong! It wasn't me who wanted to harm Father and the others, the Qin family forced me to do this!"

"Eldest sister, please spare me, won't you?"

Only then did Song Shiwei release her grip.

She stood up, her dark, profound eyes hiding any trace of emotion. "Song Shilan, do you truly believe you will survive this?"

"Our family has been exiled, but that does not mean anyone can simply slaughter us."

"If our family dies, you will simply become the scapegoat."

"If you don't believe me, feel free to test the people sent by the Qin family."

Song Shilan refused to believe it. In her mind, as long as she eliminated Father and the others, the Qin family would arrange a legitimate identity for her, allowing her to become the true legitimate daughter of the Qin household.

"Eldest sister, I really know I was wrong. Please forgive me this once," she sobbed and begged.

Ignoring her entirely, Song Shiwei turned and walked back to the side of Father and the others.

"Eldest brother, are you feeling any better?" she asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

Song Mingxuan, his two brothers, Song Shiyue, and Concubine Liu were conscious, while the others remained unconscious.

Weakly, Song Mingxuan replied, "I'm... I'm all right."

"Eldest sister, we cannot let Song Shilan off. If we keep her around any longer, our family is bound to face disaster."