The old clan head had spent her whole life finding two pairs of Yin-Yang Gu for the Yuliu clan.

But some time ago, one of those closely guarded pairs had gone missing.

Precious as the Yin-Yang Gu were, losing a pair wasn't a disaster in itself. They could take their time tracking it down.

Then, at the worst possible moment, Ning Chen had shown up with a Yin-Yang Gu in him.

He was the Great Xuan's Prince Regent, and the man of two women emperors in two countries.

It no longer mattered whether the Yin-Yang Gu in Ning Chen was the pair the Yuliu clan had lost.

If word of this ever got out, the Yuliu clan was finished.

The old clan head's voice was grave. "You all know how serious this is. If we want our Yuliu clan to come through it unharmed, there are only two ways left.

First, we find the missing pair of Yin-Yang Gu and prove our own innocence.

Second, there's..."

She didn't finish. Instead she looked at Mu Zhaozhao and sighed.

Mu Zhaozhao kept her head down and said nothing.

Mu Yuanxin spoke up, his voice low. "Clan head, absolutely not... Zhaozhao is the future head of our Yuliu clan, and the Wu Kingdom's High Priestess besides. How could she give herself to an outsider?"

The old clan head let out a long, heavy sigh.

"But as things stand, if we want to save the Yuliu clan, either we prove our innocence or we cure Ning Chen... Otherwise the whole clan, every one of our few hundred people, will die."

Mu Yuanxin pressed the point. "Even so, we can't sacrifice Zhaozhao's innocence."

The old clan head said, "Then put more people on it and get that missing pair of Yin-Yang Gu back... I'll find some way to stall Ning Chen.

But I can't stall him for long. That brainless lout at his side has a vicious temper, and he's a real handful... If it drags on and he gets suspicious, things will get out of hand.

They didn't bring many soldiers this time, but…