Inside the Du Clan estate, a tense atmosphere permeated the air. Servants and guards wore solemn expressions; their hands tightened firmly around their weapons as if expecting danger at any moment.

No one spoke loudly.

No one dared to relax.

It felt as though an invisible storm was gathering over the entire clan.

Within the inner courtyard, the clan elders stood in a semi-circle. Their faces were grim as they stared at the tightly shut doors of a private chamber.

"Who can tell me what is going on?" the Du Clan First Elder asked in a solemn tone.

His voice was steady, yet the pressure behind it was unmistakable.

"First Elder, we are not certain," one of the elders replied cautiously. "All we know is that the young miss has lost consciousness."

A ripple of unease spread among the elders.

Many of them frowned deeply.

"How is that possible?" the First Elder asked, his confusion deepening.

"I also heard that her protector is barely holding on," a female elder added with a serious expression.

"What?"

Several elders widened their eyes in disbelief.

Everyone knew how powerful the young princess’s protector was. She was an Intermediate Nascent Soul Stage 4 cultivator.

Such a person would not fall so easily.

Yet something had happened to her.

What kind of danger could push her to such a state?

Confusion filled every mind present.

No one could make sense of the situation.

While the elders struggled to understand what had occurred, the situation inside the chamber was far worse.

The young princess’s protector lay on the bed, her face pale and twisted with pain. Her breathing was uneven, and her entire body trembled faintly.

Standing beside the bed was the Du Clan Patriarch.

His expression was dark and heavy.

"You were not attacked by anyone and only visited that new store?" he asked in a low voice.

The protector gritted her teeth and nodded slightly.

She was in immense pain.

Inside her body, her spiritual energy was running wild through her meridians, clashing violently and causing unbearable suffering.

She struggled desperately to suppress it.

Her body trembled uncontrollably.

The pain was beyond what ordinary people could endure.

She managed to remain conscious only because of her strong willpower.

Looking at his trusted subordinate in such a miserable state, the Du Patriarch felt a deep sense of unease.

This was the first time he had witnessed something like this.

’Is it possible they were poisoned?’ he wondered silently.

However, the thought did not fully make sense.

They had not eaten or drunk anything in the store.

If the poison had been airborne, then everyone present in the store should have been affected.

Yet no such thing had happened.

"Have you determined what is happening?" the Patriarch asked as he turned toward the physician.

Standing on the other side of the bed was an elderly man. His face was full of wrinkles, yet his eyes shone with vitality and wisdom.

"My lord..." the physician began slowly.

He paused briefly to gather his thoughts.

"Based on the symptoms, my guess is that she has been poisoned," he said carefully. "I have examined both her and the young princess. They are afflicted by the same poison."

The room fell silent.

The protector’s eyes widened slightly.

’How is that possible?’ she thought.

The moment she sensed something was wrong in the store, she had left immediately without hesitation.

If the young princess had been poisoned there, she should have detected it instantly.

Yet she had sensed nothing.

"Are you certain?" the Du Patriarch asked, his expression turning even darker.

"Yes," the physician replied with confidence. "They are both suffering from the same poison."

With his years of experience, he had seen countless strange illnesses and symptoms.

He was confident in his judgment.

"How can that be?" the Patriarch asked again, his confusion growing.

The protector was equally bewildered.

From the moment they entered the store, she had continuously used her spiritual sense to scan their surroundings.

She had detected no abnormalities.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator, how could she have been poisoned without her noticing anything?

The more she thought about it, the more unsettling it became.

Slowly, the Du Patriarch’s expression hardened.

"A mere store dares to poison my child," he said, his eyes turning bloodshot.

A powerful aura erupted from his body.

As one of the most influential figures in the city, this was the first time anyone had dared to target his family in such a manner.

His anger surged like a raging inferno.

"Can you find a cure?" he asked.

Before the physician could respond, the Patriarch’s expression suddenly changed.

His brows furrowed tightly.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

He tried to steady himself, but his body stiffened.

’This... what is happening?’

His eyes widened slightly.

Inside his body, his spiritual energy had begun to run wild.

He tried to suppress it, but the more he attempted to stabilize it, the more chaotic it became.

A trace of panic appeared on his face.

"My lord, what is happening?" the physician asked anxiously.

For a brief moment, the Du Patriarch did not respond.

A heavy silence filled the room.

The protector looked at him closely, and a hint of panic appeared in her eyes.

She recognized that expression.

It was the same look she had when the poison first took hold of her.

"I think... I have been poisoned by the same toxin," the Du Patriarch said in a deep voice.

"What?"

Both the physician and the protector were shocked.

Although the protector had already suspected it, hearing it confirmed still stunned her.

How could this be possible?

How could the Patriarch have been poisoned?

He had not even visited the store.

"Ah!"

A sharp cry suddenly rang out.

The physician staggered slightly, his face turning pale and distorted.

"I... I have also been poisoned," he said with difficulty.

His voice trembled.

In less than a minute, the situation had completely spiraled out of control.

The protector, the Patriarch, and now the physician had all been affected.

The physician had believed he understood the situation.

Now he realized he had been completely wrong.

The wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen further, like cracks on an ancient tree.

Fear crept into his heart.

’The poison is spreading,’ he thought.