Chapter 11 The Mud Palace Pill

During this process, Ruan Yaoyao finally fulfilled Xu Lianghan’s hope: she reached out and touched “Yu Xiangqiao,” seeing the full picture above her head—the real Yu Xiangqiao was crushed into a corner, forced to watch her beloved husband love another woman. She screamed madly: “Husband, it’s not me! It’s not me…”

【She was in unbearable pain. Her daughter, carried for ten months, was killed by her own son.】

【Her husband became someone else’s husband, murdered by others.】

【Her three foolish sons were brainwashed into becoming killers for someone else.】

【And someone even used her body to marry her enemy, achieving family unity.】

…

Anyone would go insane in such a situation. Especially Yu Xiangqiao herself, trapped by Cao Manhui in a corner, unable to move. She only found relief after Cao Manhui, using her body, aged and died.

As these events unfolded, Ruan Yaoyao finally realized one thing—body takeover comes with a price.

Cao Manhui’s price was that she could only exist in Yu Xiangqiao’s body for the rest of her life. If Yu Xiangqiao forced her out, her soul would instantly dissipate, vanishing into the void.

So, how could they force Cao Manhui out?

Ruan Yaoyao searched for a long time but found no clues.

Beside her, Xu Lianghan, who had been listening to her thoughts, grew anxious: Mom, keep looking! Maybe if you keep searching, you’ll find a way. This is your daughter-in-law, your granddaughter’s mother—you have to save her…

【Huh?】

Ruan Yaoyao paused in confusion. She realized she might be seeing her daughter-in-law’s soul—tiny, glowing white, semi-transparent, like Thumbelina—trapped somewhere resembling the Mud Palace (Niwan Palace).

Yu Xiangqiao was bound and unable to escape because her limbs were tied with black lines.

So, could simply untying the black lines solve it?

As Ruan Yaoyao thought this, her will moved slightly—and the black lines around Yu Xiangqiao’s soul moved as well, as if touched.

Ruan Yaoyao was shocked: 【I can touch it?!】

Xu Lianghan: Mom, touch what? Hurry up and tell me! Don’t just say half of it, I’m freaking out here…

Ruan Yaoyao could hardly believe it. She concentrated on the sensation, but controlling her will was still challenging.

Especially for someone with zero experience. After several attempts, she gradually figured out the method: she stared at the black line and chanted in her mind: 【Unbind!】

【Unbind!】

【Unbind!】

…

Her will sprouted as if it had tentacles. Like untying a shoelace, a pull on the end loosened the black line binding Yu Xiangqiao’s soul.

Sensing the movement, Yu Xiangqiao struggled desperately.

Thus, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law worked together—one unbinding, one struggling—and soon the black lines were completely loosened.

The freed black lines floated lightly like a wisp of wind, drifting straight toward Ruan Yaoyao.

Frightened, Ruan Yaoyao could only watch as the lines entered her body.

It seemed slow, but in the blink of an eye, Ruan Yaoyao was stunned and couldn’t react.

At the same time, the “Yu Xiangqiao” on the other side changed as well. She screamed and clutched her head.

“Help!”

“Xu Lianghan, save me!”

“Save me—”

Ruan Yaoyao clearly saw two souls fighting within one body.

Yu Xiangqiao, long filled with rage, struck fiercely—pulling hair, choking, poking eyes—relentless.

Cao Manhui was unprepared, caught off guard, and it was Yu Xiangqiao’s home turf…

Before long, she screamed and was expelled from the body.

Freed from bodily constraints, her soul shattered into fragments of light and vanished into the air.

【Holy—】

【Her soul really dissipated?!】

Xu Lianghan: Who? Whose soul dissipated?!

Yu Xiangqiao, having reclaimed her body, fainted from the exertion, eyes rolling back.

Xu Lianghan quickly caught her, glancing anxiously at Ruan Yaoyao, wanting to know if the soul left behind was truly his wife.

“Mom, how’s Xiangqiao… is she okay?”

Ruan Yaoyao replied irritably: “How would I know? I’m not a doctor.”

Her well-behaved granddaughter had also been woken up, crying loudly. Ruan Yaoyao, not able to handle anything else, carried her granddaughter out, soothing her softly:

“Shh, shh, don’t cry…”

“Mommy’s fine, Mommy’s fine, Xiao Lingxuan, don’t cry!”

“Don’t cry! Don’t cry!”

…

What pleased her most was that the words above her granddaughter’s head had returned—Beloved Heiress.

【Her granddaughter, of course, was the family favorite.】

As she soothed Xu Lingxuan and left, Xu Lianghan finally relaxed holding his wife.

It was a relief she was still his wife—he almost lost her.

Yu Xiangqiao regained consciousness hours later.

Seeing Xu Lianghan by her bedside, she burst into tears and clutched his waist.

“Lianghan… I thought I’d never see you again! You have no idea what I went through…”

Xu Lianghan stroked her head: “I know, I know everything. I’m sorry—it’s my fault I didn’t recognize you immediately.”

Yu Xiangqiao blinked, tearful: “How did you know?”

Right! No wonder he suddenly knelt and said those strange things—could he really have sensed it then?!

Her pupils widened, and she clutched him tighter. She didn’t expect her husband to be so incredible, to “recognize” her so quickly.

“Husband, how did you know…” she asked, overwhelmed, searching for words to describe her emotions, “how did you know that wasn’t me?”

Xu Lianghan felt slightly guilty, but considering she had spent a month in postpartum confinement—and if not for her multiple births, she would have just finished it—plus the recent bizarre events, she needed psychological reassurance. So he partially revealed the truth.

It was as if he had become the male lead of a fantasy novel, possessing the “golden finger” ability to hear his mother’s inner thoughts.

With that, he “saved” his almost-swapped daughter and “rescued” his nearly body-taken wife…

Yu Xiangqiao was stunned and asked: “Did you ever think… maybe the one with the golden finger isn’t you, but Mom?”

Holy—!

Her mother-in-law was that powerful? She saved the whole family?!

She suddenly wanted to rush to Ruan Yaoyao and burn incense to properly worship her.

Now she no longer minded her mother-in-law’s coldness; all she wanted was to honor her, offering three sticks of incense morning and night, just to keep her family safe.

Ahhh… folks, I need to save my drafts; life is unbearable without saved drafts!