A strong gust of wind swept in, and the man in black's sharp eyes turned cold. He did not dodge, but instead raised his hand to exchange a palm strike with Dongfang Heng. Relying on the thrust generated by Dongfang Heng's internal force, he was propelled into the air, his figure graceful as he quickly retreated. His icy reminder floated from mid-air: "Qin Junhao, don't linger in the fight, let's go."
The man in black deliberately changed his tone, his voice becoming low and hoarse. As he passed over the lotus flowers, he reached out and grabbed Li Youlan, who had fallen into the water and was in a sorry state. He then lightly touched the water's surface with his feet and moved forward rapidly.
Qin Junhao frowned deeply. He was unwilling to return in defeat, but he was already at a disadvantage. If he did not leave now, he would lose even more miserably!
A gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years. He can teach Nangong Xiao a lesson when he finds the right opportunity.
Thinking of this, he leaped off the ground, dodging Nangong Xiao's attack, and flew towards the man in black. Before leaving, he didn't forget to threaten, "Nangong Xiao, don't be too happy yet. I will soon avenge these two blows."
"This young master will be ready to welcome Crown Prince Qin at any time." Nangong Xiao did not chase after him. He opened his folding fan with a whoosh and gently shook it, a smug smile spreading across his handsome face.
Qin Junhao snorted coldly and was about to move forward when he caught sight of Shen Lixue on the small boat. His eyes turned cold, and he flicked his finger, sending a small black arrow flying straight towards her. He had come to the lakeside for Shen Lixue, and he was seriously injured. How could Shen Lixue be unharmed?
"Watch out!" Nangong Xiao and Lin Yan's expressions changed instantly when they saw the small black arrow. Just as they were about to rush forward to rescue him, a strong gust of wind suddenly surged and hit the small arrow. The arrow instantly changed direction and flew back. Qin Junhao was shocked and had no time to dodge before the small arrow pierced his chest.
"Pfft." Qin Junhao spat out a mouthful of blood, his face deathly pale. He turned around, clutching his chest, and ran forward without looking back. How could he forget that Dongfang Heng was now free? He had plotted against Shen Lixue right in front of Dongfang Heng; it was no wonder Dongfang Heng would let him off easily.
"Damn it, how dare they launch a sneak attack!" Nangong Xiao snapped his fan shut and was about to give chase when Qin Junhao, who was in mid-air, took out something and sprayed out thick smoke, blurring everyone's vision. The pungent smell made everyone cough repeatedly.
Covering their mouths and noses, they waited for the thick smoke to dissipate. The world was empty, and there was no trace of the man in black, Li Youlan, or Qin Junhao.
Dongfang Heng gently landed beside Shen Lixue. Looking at her unharmed, a hint of helplessness flashed in his sharp eyes: "Don't leave the manor so casually anymore."
"Hmm." Shen Lixue nodded. Dongfang Zhan wanted to turn the tide and would stop at nothing, using all sorts of methods. The capital city appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents were surging and extremely ruthless. Even if Dongfang Heng hadn't reminded her, she wouldn't have left the mansion so easily anymore.
"When did you arrive?" Zi Mo had a special connection with the guards of the Holy King's Mansion, but the Holy King's Mansion was far from Qing Shui Lake. When they were in trouble, Zi Mo sent a signal, and Dongfang Heng couldn't have arrived so quickly.
"I arrived a long time ago and have been watching from a distance. When I saw the fighting break out here, I rushed over to rescue you." The situation in the capital was tense, and Dongfang Heng had long anticipated that Shen Lixue's departure from the mansion would not be peaceful. He secretly followed her to Qingshui Lake. The appearance of Li Youlan, Qin Junhao, and the man in black was not much different from what he had expected.
Shen Lixue was captured by the men in black. He was worried about her safety, so he appeared to rescue her. His men formed the largest encirclement and annihilated all the men in black. Dongfang Zhan suffered another loss.
Shen Lixue blinked. No wonder Dongfang Heng only sent Zi Mo with three guards to protect her. It turned out he had a backup plan and came personally, not worried about her safety: "That man in black just now was Dongfang Zhan. Why didn't you chase after him?"
Even if he is the Azure Flame King, he cannot be killed indiscriminately. He can be secretly detained first. Once the situation in Azure Flame is stable and the Crown Prince ascends the throne, even if he has extraordinary abilities, he will be powerless to reverse the situation. He should not take advantage of the chaos to cause trouble again.
“Dongfang Zhan is very clever. Since he plotted to capture you, he would have arranged for backup nearby.” Dongfang Heng’s sharp eyes narrowed as he looked in one direction.
Shen Lixue followed his gaze and saw a light cloud of dust rising from the shore. This was the kind of dust that rises when a large group of people passes by. Dongfang Zhan had indeed arranged for people to meet them. If they had rashly chased after them just now, they would have fallen into an ambush.
"His Majesty trusts Dongfang Zhan very much and protects him very much. If he goes missing, His Majesty will do everything in his power to find him, even if it means digging three feet into the ground. If you want to deal with him, you must not be too hasty."
Dongfang Heng gazed at the distant horizon, his dark eyes unfathomable: To defeat Dongfang Zhan, he must first make the emperor lose his trust and protection...
"Cough cough cough." A gust of wind blew by, and Chu Youran shivered from the cold, coughing softly.
"Are you alright?" Lin Yan squatted down and helped her tighten the outer robe she was wearing. His eyes showed a hint of concern. Even now, wearing only a white inner garment, he was still so handsome that it was hard to look away.
"I'm fine!" Chu Youran's face flushed slightly as she looked up at Shen Lixue, her beautiful eyes filled with guilt: "Lixue, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have invited you to Qingshui Lake."
"Don't blame yourself. If Dongfang Zhan is determined to capture me, he will risk it even in the Holy King's Mansion." Through their exchange just now, Dongfang Zhan knew that Dongfang Heng's power was unfathomable. He dared not make any rash moves in the short term. They could also use this time to think about how to deal with Dongfang Zhan.
"Cough cough cough." Shen Lixue didn't blame her, and Chu Youran breathed a sigh of relief. She coughed again, her lips were slightly pale, but her face was faintly red, which was a sign of catching a cold.
"You Ran, I have dry clothes in my carriage. Go and change quickly. Wearing wet clothes and being exposed to the cold wind can easily make you catch a cold." They were standing on a small boat, quite a distance from the shore. Chu You Ran didn't know martial arts and couldn't fly across the water, so she needed someone's help.
As expected, Chu Youran stood up, only to find herself surrounded by water, unable to get ashore. What to do? In her haste to think of a solution, Lin Yan grabbed her arm: "I'll take you there."
As they spoke, the two of them took to the air, stepping on the water and running towards the shore. Their flowing clothes fluttered in the air, tracing graceful arcs.
Nangong Xiao raised an eyebrow. Lin Yan had actually gotten there before him, sending the beauty to the other side without giving this playboy a chance. No matter, there was still a great beauty here: "Shen Lixue, I saved your life, how do you plan to thank me?"
"How about I invite you to dine at Zuixianlou?" Shen Lixue asked with a smile.
Three black lines instantly appeared on Nangong Xiao's forehead: "Your life is only worth a meal?" He gave up the comfortable soft bed and ran to the chilly Qingshui Lake to save people, only to get a meal in return. It's too much of a loss.
"Let me help you think of a plan for the Yunnan Prince's Mansion to get rid of its hostage status?" Shen Lixue's cold eyes flashed, and she added another condition.
"That's more like it." Nangong Xiao shook his folding fan, a graceful smile curving his lips. His biggest headache was the matter of the hostage from the Yunnan Prince's Mansion. He had racked his brains but couldn't come up with a good solution. With Shen Lixue and Dongfang Heng helping him think of a solution, things would be relatively simpler.
"Heng, are you secretly plotting against Dongfang Zhan?" Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Heng. He was unfathomable and hard to understand. He appeared calm on the surface but had secretly arranged everything. Until the very last crucial moment, no one knew what he was doing. What just happened was a good example. She never expected that he would secretly follow her to the Qing Shui Lake and set a big trap for Dongfang Zhan to fall into.
"This..." Dongfang Zhan coughed a few times, his gaze darting around, "I didn't mean to hide it from you... Dongfang Zhan is too cunning, so..."
"Dongfang Zhan will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, so you must be careful." Shen Lixue's beautiful eyes were full of concern. She was pregnant and could no longer help him. Dongfang Zhan was a great threat to them and had to be eliminated. No matter what Dongfang Heng did, it was for their future. She would not criticize him or interfere.
Dongfang Heng had expected a barrage of complaints from Shen Lixue, but to his surprise, she not only didn't blame him but also showed concern for his safety, which immediately put him in a better mood: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing..." The plan to eliminate Dongfang Zhan had been secretly underway, and when the time was right, it would be revealed to the world...
As the sun set, a large expanse of red sunset appeared in the sky. It was almost dinner time. Nangong Xiao looked at the two people who were deeply in love, raised the corners of his mouth, and gently rubbed his sore chest: "It's getting late. Let's go ashore and hold on tight."
As she spoke, Bai Yu waved her hand, unleashing a powerful burst of internal energy onto the water's surface. The small boat, propelled by the water's force, sped towards the shore like an arrow released from a bow. Dongfang Heng gently embraced Shen Lixue, and under the glow of the sunset, they resembled a pair of celestial beings, reflected in the green lake—sweet, happy, peaceful, and serene.
In contrast, the situation at the Zhan Prince's mansion was bleak. Li Youlan was injured and chilled. After soaking in hot water and drinking ginger soup, she lay weakly on the bed. At first, she was fine, and her body slowly warmed up. Gradually, her face turned rosy, her mouth became dry, and waves of intense itching seeped from her bones, instantly reaching her limbs and raging wildly along her nerves and flesh.
She suddenly opened her eyes, turned over and sat up, her lips were terribly pale, and two lines of blue snot were running from her nose. Her small, pale hands trembled slightly as she reached for the top-grade antidote pills by the bedside. Her tired eyes flashed with anger and resentment: she had not caught a common cold, but had been poisoned by poppy.
Over the past few days, she had suffered from the poison many times, and each time she would become extremely disheveled. If anyone saw her like this, she would be too ashamed to face anyone again. She had to find the antidote for the poppy as soon as possible and end this living hell.
She stuffed top-grade antidote pills into her mouth, but they had no effect whatsoever. The unbearable itching on her body grew wildly in her nerves, ravaging her relentlessly. She wailed as she collapsed onto the bed, writhing in agony. She wanted to scream, to shout, but she was afraid of being heard. Her jet-black hair was disheveled and draped over her shoulders. Her teeth were clenched so tightly that beads of blood seeped from her lower lip. Her fingers gripped the blankets so tightly that she seemed to want to tear a hole in them.
Looking at Qin Junhao again, he was in a luxurious bedroom, beads of sweat on his forehead, reclining on the soft bed, his clothes half-open. Smelling the faint fragrance emanating from the incense burner, he quickly applied ointment to the wound on his chest with trembling hands. The cool sensation seeped into his skin, and the burning pain instantly subsided by more than half.
"Squeak." The slightly closed door opened, and Dongfang Zhan slowly stepped across the threshold. A strange medicinal fragrance wafted over. He looked up at the medicine bottle in Qin Junhao's hand and asked with concern, "How are your injuries?"
"The arrow pierced my chest, but it didn't hit any vital organs. I won't die." The ointment completely covered the wound, stopping the bleeding. The cool sensation seeped into my skin, treating and relieving the injury. Qin Junhao put down the medicine bottle, picked up the white cloth strip next to him, and carefully wrapped it around the wound.
Dongfang Zhan glanced at the small black arrow on the table. The tip of the arrow gleamed with a dark light under the illumination of the luminous pearl. His gaze sharpened: "The arrow is poisoned!"
“That’s right, it’s a poison I made myself. Only I can cure it. If Shen Lixue had been hit by the arrow, she would have died without the antidote within twelve hours. It’s a pity she escaped.”