"Of course. In that case, I’ll take the liberty of calling you Wan Ning."

Mo Rou did not speak immediately. Instead, she picked up the teapot and poured herself a cup of tea.

Song Wanning wasn’t in a hurry either, a smile playing on her lips.

In the end, it was Mo Rou who couldn’t sit still any longer. She was truly curious why Song Wanning had suddenly sought her out.

"Wan Ning, you had Sect Leader Song send me a message and specifically asked me to come here. It can’t be just for a simple cup of tea, can it?"

Her gaze was sharp as she stared at Song Wanning, wanting to know what she was plotting.

"It’s a long story."

Song Wanning sighed softly. "Regarding the last beast tide, I’m sure Aunt Mo has heard that a traitor appeared in our Song Family, nearly causing the innocent deaths of our disciples."

"That disciple’s Divine Soul later self-destructed, and we never found the mastermind. However, in the course of our investigation, we discovered some very interesting things. I wonder if Aunt Mo is interested in hearing about them?"

Her eyes held a profound meaning, making Mo Rou’s heart skip a beat.

Especially upon hearing about the mole, she instinctively had a bad feeling.

Her face grew stern as she nodded. "I’m listening."

"Yesterday, I saw the Mo Family’s Merfolk..."

Song Wanning only said half of her sentence before stopping.

Sometimes, saying too much can make others think you have ill intentions.

’Besides, this is something I know from my past life. Strictly speaking, it’s completely baseless. The more I say, the more flaws will appear.’

’It’s better to let people figure it out for themselves.’

As expected, Mo Rou was startled. "There’s a problem with the Merfolk?!!"

Mo Wentian’s people did interfere at one point, but she and her second brother had inspected it carefully and found no issues.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have dared to keep and use the Merfolk.

Song Wanning simply smiled without speaking, looking quite mysterious and profound.

The more she remained silent, the more Mo Rou’s heart sank. She stopped addressing her intimately as Wan Ning and instead adopted a negotiating posture.

"Tell me this, what is your objective?"

She didn’t believe that a single meeting in their childhood would be enough to make Song Wanning risk getting involved in the Mo Family’s internal conflict just to inform her of this matter.

Hearing this, Song Wanning suddenly sat up straight and leaned closer to her.

"My objective is very simple. I hope that when the Song Family needs help in the future, the Mo Family Master will stand with us."

Mo Rou’s brow furrowed at her words. After a moment of thought, she said, "For just a piece of information, Song Dao You is asking for a bit too much."

’To think she can trade one piece of information for the Mo Family’s allegiance... she’s being far too naive.’

’Besides, we were already on guard against Mo Wentian. While this information has some value, it’s far from enough.’

’She really is young. She can’t compare to the shrewdness of her father.’

Mo Rou’s tone had a hidden edge, but Song Wanning’s expression didn’t change. She only leaned in a little closer and gave her a playful smile.

"What if I said I could help you get rid of that big trouble of yours?"

After speaking, Song Wanning leaned back slightly against her chair, her expression calm and composed.

But her words were like a depth charge, exploding in the depths of Mo Rou’s heart.

Her pupils contracted. With a hint of disbelief, she asked, "You mean... him?"

Mo Wentian was a great power at the Nascent Soul Peak. He had been at that level for over fifty years and was now stuck on the verge of breaking through to Divinity Transformation. He was far beyond what a newly advanced Cultivator like Song Wanning could compare to.

Besides, even if Song Wanning was exceptionally talented and could defeat Mo Wentian, the higher one’s Cultivation, the harder it is to fight to the death.

Mo Rou didn’t believe Song Wanning could kill Mo Wentian.

So, she quickly calmed down. "Song Dao You, you shouldn’t joke about such things."

"The Mo Family Master only needs to answer this: if I succeed, what will the Mo Family’s choice be?"

Seeing how serious Song Wanning was, a sliver of hope inexplicably rose in Mo Rou’s heart.

This poisonous tumor, Mo Wentian, had been festering in her heart for over two hundred years, tormenting her every moment.

’If he could really be uprooted, what would be so bad about siding with the Song Family?’

’Besides, the Song Family is already a good choice. It would be a win-win situation, and I really have no reason to refuse.’

"If Song Dao You can truly do it, the Mo Family will definitely not stand idly by!"

"Good!"

That was the sentence Song Wanning had been waiting for.

Mo Rou was known to be a person of her word. Since she had agreed, she wouldn’t go back on it.

But just in case, the two of them still made a Heart Demon Oath.

After all, people can change in an instant. No one could guarantee whether these agreements would hold in the future.

Only a Heart Demon Oath was truly reliable.

That night, Song Wanning disguised herself as a Mo Family disciple and entered the Mo Family estate.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Mo Rou first sent a disciple to an inn; the person who emerged in the disciple’s place was Song Wanning.

Because she had cultivated to the Divinity Transformation realm and was wearing a Magic Artifact that could alter her appearance, it was impossible for anyone to detect her disguise.

Just like that, she successfully infiltrated the Mo Family.

In Mo Rou’s hall, the Merfolk was locked in a room.

She couldn’t speak, and her eyes were filled with a mesmerizing, illusory light.

A single tear that fell would become a precious pearl in the mortal world.

Seeing her continuously observing the Merfolk, Mo Rou grew even more curious about what exactly was wrong with it.

But since Song Wanning didn’t say anything, she felt it wasn’t her place to ask, and could only size up the Merfolk herself.

Yet the Merfolk just sat listlessly on the floor, looking innocent. Its spirits were low, as if it knew its fate and had already lost the will to resist.

She scanned the Merfolk inside and out with her Divine Sense again, but she still couldn’t find any problem.

"Family Head, the Third Elder is here to see you."

A disciple entered the hall to report, but before Mo Rou could even respond, an imposing figure strode in through the doorway.

Mo Wentian was well over six feet tall, powerfully built with a rugged face. The deep furrows between his brows indicated he had a bad temper.

He stormed in aggressively. "Family Head, I heard the Second Elder obtained a Merfolk. Might I have a look?"

With that, he walked directly toward Mo Rou, his gaze fixed on the Merfolk in the room.

Song Wanning stood by Mo Rou’s side and could clearly feel the shift in Mo Rou’s emotions.

Mo Rou’s hatred for Mo Wentian was carved into her very bones, reaching the point of a visceral, physical revulsion.

The mere sight of him was enough to make her feel unwell.

She looked at Mo Wentian. The way he was looking at the Merfolk was quite intriguing.

"What has the Third Elder come here for?"

Mo Rou also looked at Mo Wentian, slightly worried he might notice Song Wanning. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to sense anything amiss, his attention focused solely on the Merfolk.

She let out a small sigh of relief, though her expression was still grim.

"I came to ask the Family Head if she would be willing to give the Merfolk to me."

A wild, arrogant smile played on Mo Wentian’s lips. He didn’t show Mo Rou the slightest bit of respect.

"Hah. The Third Elder has no old injuries. What use would you have for this Merfolk?"

Mo Rou’s face darkened. She said with displeasure, "The Third Elder knows full well about my old injury. You should be more considerate of my difficulties."

"Isn’t that right?"

As soon as she said this, the air between the two instantly filled with tension.

Standing to the side, Song Wanning silently lowered her head, trying to make herself less conspicuous.