Sicherheit

Kapitel 54

They exchanged a knowing smile and nodded simultaneously. No matter what, they couldn't risk the lives of millions of people. Court intrigue was inherently dirty, but the countless lives of the people were truly innocent.

Xiang Ju and the others were quickly brought into the hall. However, they were not the only ones who came with them. Yao Tianlin and Qing Li herself had also gone to find Qing Li to "reminisce." The two of them did not look very relaxed, as they had also received an urgent report from the front line.

Before Xiang Ju could speak, Qing Li hurriedly began to speak eloquently.

"The Qing Kingdom's envoy has arrived. They request that the Great Ling envoy proceed to the Qing Kingdom's capital to discuss the return of the Ling Kingdom's third prince. Also..."

"Did your father say he was going to issue an edict to directly appoint you as the crown prince, so that you could rightfully inherit the throne, and therefore wanted you to return to Qing Kingdom with Yu Xiang?" Feng Xinglie asked calmly, placing his right hand on the table and lightly touching it with his index finger. His brows were furrowed. What was bound to happen had finally arrived.

Qingli was taken aback, then smiled bitterly: "Xinglie is still as clever as ever. Indeed, my father's tactic of feigning indifference to lure us into a trap was truly ingenious. His imperial edict of investiture has thrown my formation into disarray, causing our troops to lose their composure and leaving us unsure whether his actions are genuine or not. If I return, I will be in a predicament. My father can easily change the world again with just one act of deposing and installing emperors. If I do not return, I fear my reputation in Qing Kingdom will plummet."

It wasn't that Qingli cared about his reputation, but if he wanted to establish himself as king, he needed a reason and a moral justification. Like Feng Xinglie, Qin Han had wronged her first, so even if she rebelled, it was out of necessity and somewhat believable. But with the Qing King's decree, if he recklessly attacked without considering the facts, he would be accused of patricide and treason, and would be condemned by the world!

If such a person were to appear before the king, the court officials would likely be the first to object. After all, Qingli's power base was not deep. If he had a group of confidants, he could simply rebel. However, these court officials were not yet within his purview. If he insisted on his own way, it would only have the opposite effect.

"Could his actions be genuine?" Feng Xinglie felt a wave of dizziness and discomfort. He frowned, but didn't pay much attention. He was only focused on analyzing Qingli's words and sneered, "If he sincerely wanted to pass the throne to you, why didn't he send any message after receiving the battle report during your three months of hardship? Don't tell me he's a weak ruler who needs time to recover. I think he's simply waiting for an opportunity! Why didn't he choose another time, but instead chose to speak out when the King of Qin was in trouble? I think he's determined to stir up trouble in the world so he can profit from it. As for you, as soon as you enter the capital, you'll probably be captured on the spot."

Xiang Ju, who had been anxiously waiting for an opportunity, finally managed to interject: "King Feng, I believe you already know the details. After all, you were once the King Feng of Great Qin. Those people were also your subjects. Please, for the sake of the people, save Great Qin!"

Xiang Ju's words stirred up Feng Xinglie's unease, causing her unusually confused state of mind. She also wanted to save Qin, but Feng Xinglie wasn't the kind of person who would sacrifice herself for anyone. Besides, she absolutely didn't want to leave Ling Yuxiang at this moment, and she couldn't allow him to be dragged into an awkward position. She absolutely couldn't become the King of Qin! She also couldn't touch Qin's politics, otherwise, things would truly become unmanageable.

But could Huai Dao simply stand by and watch the world descend into chaos? Though she never admitted to being a good person, her heart was clear. She couldn't bear to leave the people of the world, nor could she bear to leave behind the countless lives lost.

Feng Xinglie smiled sarcastically. He used to always put others in difficult situations, but he never thought that she would have such a day! Feeling extremely anxious, Feng Xinglie stood up, bit his lip, and looked up to ask Yao Tianlin.

"Can you cure the poison of the Green Gu?"

Yao Tianlin was slightly taken aback, then shook his head and said, "It can't be cured. This kind of strange poison is very special; it contains more Gu than poison. It wouldn't be used unless the poisoner hated that person to the core. Because it's a Gu poison that kills you or me!"

Xiang Ju and the others turned pale. A large part of their reason for coming here was hoping that this number one divine physician could save Qin Han. However, upon hearing the world's greatest healer's calm reply, their hopes were instantly shattered. In their eyes, Yao Tianlin's words were tantamount to a judge; if he said there was no hope, they believed no other physician in the world would dare to say Qin Han could be saved.

Feng Xinglie was startled and asked a rather strange question: "You die, I die?"

“Not bad.” A glint of light flashed in Yao Tianlin’s eyes. “This Green Gu poison is actually nurtured by the blood essence of the Gu user. The Gu worms are twins, one connected to the user’s own heart meridian, and the other released. When the poison is broken, the Gu user will be devoured by the Gu worms, dying in the same way as the Gu master. To cure the Green Gu poison, we only need to capture and kill the poison user. Once the source of the poison is gone, the Prince of Qin will be fine. But Ren Hai, this person…”

In the vast sea of people, where can we find this person? Xiang Ju and the others' last hope has vanished, leaving only despair. They all look to Feng Xinglie for help.

Feng Xinglie was stunned upon hearing this, his mind wandering elsewhere.

"Lie, are you alright?" Noticing that something seemed off with Feng Xinglie, Ling Yuxiang nervously walked to her side, frowning as he reached out to check her forehead. He found it icy cold and her body trembling slightly. His heart raced, and his voice tightened with anxiety: "Lie! What's wrong?"

With her brows relaxed, Feng Xinglie waved her hand frantically to him, indicating that she was fine: "I was just distracted for a moment, it's nothing serious." Ignoring Ling Yuxiang's anxiety, she turned to Yao Tianlin and asked in a somewhat harsh tone: "Then... do you have any way to control the Gu in his body?"

Yao Tianlin looked at her for a long time before slowly replying, "There is a way, but the medicinal herbs are all quite strange and precious. If you can find the herbs I need, I have a way to suppress the poison in his body, but I can only extend his life by three months. During this time, he can still remain conscious. If you can find the person who put the poison on him within these three months, perhaps he will survive."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ju and the other Qin envoys were overjoyed and hurriedly said to Yao Tianlin, "We can provide as many medicinal herbs as you need. Thank you for your generosity, Medicine King!"

Yao Tianlin gave a light snort and flicked his sleeve: "I'm only doing this for Xing Lie's sake. Otherwise, do you think I would care about Qin Han's life or death?" Although he spoke very bluntly, it was the truth. The name Yao Wang was known throughout the martial arts world for his eccentric personality. He didn't care about kings and generals and only did what he wanted.

Xiang Ju and the others dared not object. Since he had a way to extend Qin Han's life by even one more day, he would have no choice but to call him "ancestor" even if they wanted to. They respectfully handed him paper and pen, then quietly asked for the prescription.

Feng Xinglie gasped for breath, her heart suddenly pounding wildly for some unknown reason. She felt a sudden surge of panic and nausea, her stomach churning, and a wave of discomfort washing over her. She felt as if she were about to vomit. Startled, she forced herself to suppress the discomfort and tried to step forward to inquire whether Qingli's plans were in order. But she discovered that the entire scene before her was spinning.

She was horrified, her heart filled with even greater panic. The figure before her suddenly blurred, and she was enveloped in a chilling coldness, feeling extremely uncomfortable, as if every inch of her skin had been plunged into an ice cellar. It was as if she were buried in snow. This fear made her tremble more, her breathing became heavy and disordered, and she only heard a few screams in her ears before everything went black, and she was instantly plunged into darkness as the world spun around her.

"Xing Lie!" Yao Tianlin, who was in the distance, saw that her expression was not right. When he saw her fall, his face changed drastically. He shouted and was about to step forward to help, but another person beat him to it.

Ling Yuxiang, standing beside Feng Xinglie, had been watching her face closely. Her complexion grew increasingly pale, alarming him, but the crowd made it inconvenient for him to ask her questions. He planned to ask her what was wrong after the crowd dispersed, but he never expected her to suddenly faint! The instant her clothes fell to the ground, Ling Yuxiang's heart leaped into his throat. It felt as if a heavy stone had been placed on top of him, leaving him suspended in mid-air, terrified and unable to land.

"Lie!" Ling Yuxiang cried out in panic. Had his premonition really come true?

Why was her face so pale? Why was her breathing so weak? Why was her body so cold? Ling Yuxiang was filled with unbearable pain. He couldn't understand how she had suddenly become like this. Heaven knows how much it pained him to see her so lifeless! If he could, he would rather it was him lying there instead of Feng Xinglie!

"Xing Lie!" Qing Li and Xi Suifeng exclaimed in surprise and rushed over. The four men surrounded Feng Xing Lie, preventing anyone else from getting close.

Feng Xinglie's eyes were tightly closed, and he was held in Ling Yuxiang's arms, as if he had completely lost his life.

"Brother Yao, quickly check what's wrong with her!" Although Ling Yuxiang was extremely anxious, he had to calm down. Suppressing his anxiety, he grabbed Yao Tianlin and said.

Before he could speak, Yao Tianlin had already taken her wrist and, with a pale face, tried to calmly take her pulse. He first frowned, then looked horrified, his face growing increasingly ashen, until finally his entire face turned pale.

"She...is alright..."

Ling Yuxiang and the other two were quite frightened by his expression. Upon hearing this, they were taken aback. They first breathed a small sigh of relief, but then felt that his stiff face was still strange. They frowned and asked incoherently one after another.

Is she sick?

What's wrong with her?

"Brother Yao, please tell me quickly!"

Chapter Ninety-Three: Unexpected Joy

"Brother Yao, don't try to reassure us with comfort. Has she really contracted some kind of illness? Didn't you say that after Lie fell into a coma again the other day, even you couldn't figure out what the symptoms were? Has that strange illness relapsed?" Ling Yuxiang asked anxiously, firing off a barrage of questions. The unease in his chest was making him lose his composure, fearing that Feng Xinglie would leave him like this, something he absolutely could not accept!

How shrewd is Ling Yuxiang?

Actually, after hearing Yao Tianlin recount the events in the cave that day and learning Feng Xinglie's true identity, he had gradually pieced together the clues and made a fairly good guess. It wasn't that he wanted to scare himself; Feng Xinglie sometimes did indeed have strange expressions. He wouldn't suspect her, but a knot of unease still lingered in his heart.

That's why he's been feeling uneasy lately, just like before and after the Battle of Parkway, when he felt something was going to happen.

Xi Suifeng's eyes were deep and focused, but his hands trembled slightly. His white hair hung down in front of his chest, and he stared at Yao Tianlin with unwavering determination.

Qingli, needless to say, patted Yao Tianlin on the shoulder, determined to get him to give a straight answer immediately.

Yao Tianlin's face, ashen and almost purple, revealed his terrible mood. He glanced around at the group of bystanders in the room, then glared angrily at Ling Yuxiang and the other two: "I said it's nothing, so it's nothing! Would I joke about her life? What are you all standing there for? She's slightly chilled, why don't you take her back to her room and light the charcoal stove? Do you want her to continue freezing in this cold place? Even if she's not sick, you'll make her sick!"

After saying that, he glared fiercely at Ling Yuxiang, his face full of frustration and ugliness.

Is Ling Yuxiang out of his mind?

The people in this room represent various factions, and Feng Xinglie cannot let them know everything about him, whether he is in trouble or not. Ling Yuxiang is usually very calm, but when it comes to Feng Xinglie, he completely loses his composure and rationality! Doesn't he realize that he cares too much about Feng Xinglie? To show this in front of others is to openly tell them that Feng Xinglie is Ling Yuxiang's weakness.

Ling Yuxiang, reminded by him, calmed down and hurriedly picked up Feng Xinglie. To save time, he leaped out of the hall. Qingli and Yao Tianlin, disregarding political affairs, rushed to Feng Xinglie. Xi Suifeng had no choice but to stay behind to clean up the mess. He gave Xiang Ju and the others a thorough explanation, not even having time for pleasantries, and settled them in the west wing of the city lord's mansion before using his lightness skill to fly to Feng Xinglie's room in the east wing.

He eagerly pushed open the door and entered, only to find Ling Yuxiang and the other two busily working, lighting the stove, adding charcoal, fetching hot water, and simmering ginger soup. These three men, who were once influential figures in the martial arts world, were now behaving like very dutiful maids, taking care of everything inside and out. Xi Suifeng couldn't help but chuckle.

It's hard to say whether these men were unlucky to encounter Feng Xinglie or whether Feng Xinglie was simply unfortunate.

She had never liked to be entangled in favors, but the four men, including him, had already given up too many precious things for her. They were willing to throw away face, dignity, status, and even their lives, and they were completely oblivious to it, as if they were under the influence of an addictive drug, without having any thought of losing out.

This is Feng Xinglie's personal charm! Those who truly understand her are drawn to this charm and would give their all without regret.

Inside the room, Yao Tianlin lit some fine sandalwood incense to calm the mind and focus the spirit. The two men calmed down and, seeing Yao Tianlin's leisurely and unhurried manner, understood that he must be confident. That's why they listened to his instructions and let him do as he pleased.

Xi Suifeng casually entered the room and walked to the bedside. He immediately saw her pale, bloodless face and couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in his chest. He grabbed Yao Tianlin, who was still silently wiping and applying ointment to each of the gold needles with a dark face, and did not allow him to continue to dodge.

"Brother Yao, now that there are no outsiders left, you should tell us what illness Xinglie has."

The two men who were being ordered around and doing chores nodded their heads so hard they looked like they were about to dislocate their joints, their six eyes fixed on Yao Tianlin. If he didn't speak up, the three of them would probably attack and chop him up right now.

"She...she is..." Yao Tianlin began to speak, but hesitated, his usually calm and composed face flushing red. He gritted his teeth with a hint of hatred, and glared angrily at Ling Yuxiang again, his face turning ashen: "Ask him!"

"Ask me?" Ling Yuxiang was completely baffled. He pointed to his nose, utterly confused. "Why would you ask me? What can I do? I didn't do anything!"

"Didn't do anything? It was clearly you who did it! How dare you say you didn't do anything!" Yao Tianlin paced back and forth, his face dark, before forcefully flinging a handful of golden needles. With a soft thud, the needles embedded themselves completely in the wooden table, demonstrating Yao Tianlin's fury. If it weren't for the possibility of Feng Xinglie waking up and going berserk, those needles probably wouldn't have been stuck in the wooden table, but in Ling Yuxiang's body.

Seeing his anger, they figured he wouldn't be talking nonsense. Although Yao Tianlin had an eccentric personality, he never liked to lie, so it must be true. Xi Suifeng and Qingli immediately turned their gazes to Ling Yuxiang with hostility.

"Brother Ling, let's not beat around the bush. Tell me honestly, what did you do to Xing Lie?"

"Brother Ling, you said you would cherish Xinglie, how come you've turned him into this state in the blink of an eye? If you don't give me an explanation today, don't blame me, Xi Suifeng, for not letting this go!"

Ling Yuxiang was filled with questions and felt extremely wronged. He shouted in protest, "I love her so much, how could I possibly do anything to her? Brother Yao, you need evidence. You can't wrong an innocent person without cause!"

"Wrongfully accuse you? You've already borne fruit, how could I wrongly accuse you?" Yao Tianlin couldn't help but turn around and shout angrily at him, pointing at Feng Xinglie on the bed with his face almost contorted: "Pregnancy! Pregnancy! It's true that you're the one who hammered the nail into the bed, if it wasn't you, then who was? And you still dare to say it has nothing to do with you?"

Yao Tianlin's furious roar, unusually, failed to elicit a rebuttal from the other three. Their ears were stunned by the sudden outburst, their minds went blank, their lips parted slightly, their eyes glazed over, making them look like three idiots…

Not a sound could be heard. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The sparrows outside the door were startled by Yao Tianlin's shout and flew away. Only when they started chirping again did the eyes of the three wooden sculptures inside the house move strangely, regaining a little of their senses.

The aroma of sandalwood rose gently from the room, and Ling Yuxiang felt as if he had entered a fairyland amidst the mist.

Xi Suifeng and Qingli mechanically turned their stiff necks, simultaneously glaring at Ling Yuxiang.

The latter, however, seemed to be under a spell, completely oblivious, her eyes rolled upwards, as if she were still considering the matter.

Possibility and authenticity.

"Hope...hope...hope...hope pulse?" After a long silence, Ling Yuxiang finally blinked, still looking dazed.

Fortunately, Xi Suifeng had a conscience. Seeing Ling Yuxiang's stunned expression, as if he were about to be scared to death, he couldn't bear it and said, "Brother Ling, this... congratulations..."

Qingli was first stunned, then shocked, and then, like Yao Tianlin, her face turned ashen. She stamped her foot unwillingly, flicked her long, elegant blue sleeve, and sighed, "Hey! You rascal...you..."

Ling Yuxiang finally came to his senses, his breath filled with barely concealed excitement. A wide smile spread across his lips as he hurriedly grabbed Yao Tianlin's sleeve, his voice trembling with joy and surprise, and asked, "Brother Yao, there's absolutely no mistake, right? This...this is real?"

Yao Tianlin's face was as dark as Bao Gong's, yet he still had to answer him. His mood had truly reached its lowest point. He snorted angrily, "The facts are right in front of us. It's been more than two months. Do you dare to deny it? Be careful when Xing Lie wakes up and we tell her. Let's see how she settles scores with you!"

Upon receiving his affirmative reply, Ling Yuxiang's handsome face blossomed into a radiant smile. He burst into laughter, leaping three feet high, as excited as a child who had found the most precious treasure in the world. He was happier than if he had won a lifetime of battles, joy flooding every inch of his heart. He laughed wildly and shouted, "Haha! That's wonderful! That's really wonderful!"

"Good for you, head!"

The three men, already in a terrible mood, turned even more pale in the face of this madman. Xi Suifeng and Qingli grabbed Ling Yuxiang's arms from either side, while Yao Tianlin shoved him through the mouth from the right, dragging him out of the room and into the courtyard. They were all itching for a fight.

"Do you want to disturb Xinglie's rest? She can't take any shock right now. If she gets frightened and falls ill, will you take responsibility?"

"Brother Ling, I've long wanted to learn from you, and I'm sure you won't refuse now."

"Prince Ling, I thank you on behalf of our leader, with my fists!"

The three of them surrounded Ling Yuxiang and beat him mercilessly, finally venting their extreme dissatisfaction! What else could they do? Apart from being unwilling to accept defeat, they seemed to have no other emotions to express, so they could only beat Ling Yuxiang up to vent their anger!

Ling Yuxiang was completely absorbed in Feng Xinglie, and was extremely excited and happy. He didn't care about these people at all. He was being beaten while laughing happily. The person beating him was ashen-faced, while the person being beaten was grinning wildly. If someone were to walk by, this strange thing would probably be called the number one wonder of Fengcheng.

Seeing Ling Yuxiang's unusual behavior, Yao Tianlin and the other two lost their interest in fighting. Instead of venting their anger, they were further enraged by his happy expression. They kicked him and turned away to avoid looking at him and getting annoyed.

But they didn't leave with peace of mind. Instead, they accompanied Yao Tianlin to buy medicinal herbs to prepare a pregnancy-stabilizing medicine. They also took the opportunity to find Yun Fei and other local women to ask about any precautions they should take. They were angry with Ling Yuxiang, but they were concerned about Feng Xinglie. It was pitiful that these three arrogant heroes had become Feng Xinglie's personal caretakers.

As soon as they left, Ling Yuxiang couldn't wait any longer. Without even wiping the shoe prints off his clothes, he rushed into the room and stood guard by Feng Xinglie's bedside. He held her fair hand and pressed it against his cheek, doting on her. The tenderness in his heart turned from a trickle into a vast ocean, and his whole face beamed with joy.

She's pregnant...with theirs...

He gently kissed the back of her fair hand, the sweetness filling his heart. His tender gaze carefully swept over every inch of her face, her beautiful features impossible to look at enough! Now, Ling Yuxiang finally felt at ease.

Yao Tianlin's choice of words truly captured his heart: "Blossoming and bearing fruit!"

Feng Xinglie groggily opened her eyes and saw a handsome face grinning foolishly, almost drooling. Startled, she stared wide-eyed, nearly jumping out of bed in fright! A gasp escaped her lips: "My God! Who is this?"

Ling Yuxiang was still immersed in joy when he saw her wake up. He was even happier and pulled her into his arms. He frowned and said, "Why don't you even recognize me? You don't really have some strange illness, do you? We'll have to ask Yao Tianlin to take a look at you later. This is something we can't be careless about."

Feng Xing shifted slightly, feeling the familiar embrace, before finally stopping. His meticulous care warmed Feng Xinglie's heart and deeply moved her. However, she still remembered the scene from before and raised her delicate eyebrows: "You're the one with a strange illness! That person just now was definitely not you! You scared me to death! How could my handsome and intelligent Yu Xiang show such a smile? He's such an idiot!"

"You lawless bastard, how dare you call your husband a fool!" Ling Yuxiang laughed and scolded, then grabbed her and bit her smooth, sweet lips. But halfway through, it turned into a doting lick and kiss. Once he tasted it, he couldn't help but go deeper and kiss her solidly until he was almost breathless before licking her lips again, stopping her passionate and forceful counterattack.

"Lie, don't get so excited, you're not feeling well." He gazed at her with eyes full of tenderness, offering her a concerned reminder.

"You'll know if I'm weak or not if you try!" Feng Xinglie bared his teeth and claws in dissatisfaction, intending to retaliate. She was fine after waking up, but Ling Yuxiang treated her like a fragile porcelain doll, how could she stand it!