"My little Fifth..." High Goddess Vivian cried again, choking up as she said, "A child who dies young can't be buried in the ancestral tomb. Just lay her to rest under the peach tree behind my room... So she won't be too far from her parents and get scared."
Lucy Luan nodded, then joined Ethan Lu and Ryan Lu to bury the child.
Once High Goddess Vivian's emotions had calmed a little, Lucy sat beside her and asked, "Mother Goddess, my little sister didn't die naturally—she was killed by a deadly poison! But I checked every single thing you used that day, and I couldn't find any trace of toxins."
"Then how was I poisoned?" Vivian asked.
"Did you notice anything unusual at the time?" Lucy asked. "Like, maybe something stung you or bit you?"
Vivian thought back and shook her head. "No, nothing strange at all! I just suddenly felt a stomachache. I hadn't even eaten much that day."
"That's really odd..." Lucy frowned, puzzled. "This kind of poison couldn't have been administered in advance—it must've happened right then. But how?"
After thinking it over, she said, "Mother Goddess, can I take a look at your body?"
Vivian nodded.
So Lucy carefully examined her mother from head to toe.
Then, on Vivian's back, Lucy found a tiny red dot.
The spot was minuscule, barely bigger than the tip of a needle.
But on Vivian's jade-white skin, it stood out starkly.
Lucy reached out and gently touched it. "Do you feel anything here?"
"No sensation at all. What's wrong with that spot?" Vivian asked.
Lucy cast a spell to investigate. "Right here—there's evidence something bit you, and I can detect faint traces of poison."
"I didn't feel a thing," Vivian said.
Lucy frowned. "Who prepared the clothes you wore today?"
"My clothes today... I changed by magic myself," Vivian replied. "No one else came near me."
Lucy frowned again.
Peach Blossom Haven is filled with spiritual energy and auspicious aura—no poisonous insects have ever gotten inside.
Lucy couldn't shake the feeling that this was no coincidence.
She searched every nook and cranny of her mother's room, but found nothing.
Her brother questioned all the servants, but also came up empty-handed.
Aunt Tanya Lu stayed by Vivian's side at all times, comforting her and making all sorts of nourishing soups and tonics.
Watching her bustle around, Lucy couldn't help but feel something was off.
Normally, when Aunt Tanya visits Vivian, she can barely be bothered to lift a finger.
Now, she's acting totally out of character.
Suddenly, Lucy remembered—Tanya has been raising Hex Worms.
Could it be related to her?
But what would she gain by harming Vivian's child? Whether the family has one more or one less kid doesn't affect her at all...
Still, Lucy kept her suspicions in mind and watched Tanya closely.
She even hid herself to spy on Tanya's activities.
On the surface, Tanya seemed perfectly normal—except she still wore the Sanctuary Hemp Robe underneath, proving she was still raising Hex Worms.
Days passed, and Lucy found nothing concrete. But on the night of the fifth day after her sister's death, she finally caught a clue.
That night, she received a call from Sean Shaw on her Messenger Charm.
Sean asked, "I heard something happened to your Mother Goddess. Are you okay?"
A strange ache welled up in Lucy's chest. "Not really," she admitted.
"Is your Mother Goddess alright?"
"She's heartbroken," Lucy said. "My Divine Father is devastated too—he's barely holding it together, only pretending to be strong for her sake."
But Sean fell silent.
Lucy grew a little annoyed. "Weren't you calling to comfort me? Why aren't you saying anything?"