"Speaking of your young master, Yan Guhong is indeed no pushover. Peach Blossom Valley has long been a toy in his hands."
He changed his previous attitude and respectfully lowered his head in acquiescence.
"Either you make him come to see me himself, or I'm not going to Peach Blossom Valley or Yanwu Fort."
"Miss, Young Master..."
"Alright, do you think Yanxing Mountain is something you can just climb up anytime?" I stared at him, and perhaps my gaze was too sharp, for he took a step back. "While you were speaking, you've already been poisoned by no less than six kinds of poison. If you want to live, hurry back to your Peach Blossom Valley. The poison will take effect in seven hours, and if you don't get an antidote within three days, you're doomed. Here's a prescription; find someone to prepare the antidote for you when you get down the mountain."
He slowly shook his head, his face deathly pale, and cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"I'm sparing your life. Go back and tell Yan Guhong this, and he won't dare touch you."
To my surprise, he didn't move. I grew impatient. "You ungrateful wretch! I'll spare your life if you want to die. Just die here, and it'll save you the trouble of taking action..."
Startled by my words, he suddenly came to his senses and, before I could finish my threat, he turned around and disappeared in a few leaps.
As soon as he left, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. With Peach Blossom Valley gone, Yan Guhong wouldn't be coming after me for at least a short time.
That leaves only Poison Fairy. This woman is highly valued by Qu Haifeng, so it seems we should take this opportunity to wipe them all out.
"How can someone who can barely protect their own life have the mind to consider the safety of others?"
This is what they call "one wave after another," and when bad luck strikes, even drinking water can cause problems.
Her voice wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it certainly wasn't pleasant. She was fair-skinned and delicate, like a lotus emerging from water, and wore a gossamer-thin dress that billowed in the wind, giving her a truly ethereal air. But looking at the white gloves on her hands sent a chill down your spine for no apparent reason, as if she could casually flick a handful of poison, and you had to be constantly on your guard, lest you die without even knowing how.
"Why drag someone down with me? Besides, he's not even qualified."
"Ha, do dying people not want to leave any regrets in their words? It's nothing more than a moment of verbal gratification."
"Yes, I'm happy." I smiled at her. "I didn't expect you to escape with your life from Nangong Ling. Or are you afraid to lay a hand on Yue Linghe?"
Another sudden change in expression, "Don't mention that brat to me! If it weren't for Nangong Ling, would I have made a mistake?! I almost fell for her trick, that girl..."
"Who told you to touch the wrong person? Some people are so attached to her, it's already a miracle that you're still alive and standing in front of me."
I felt extremely uncomfortable; I couldn't tell if it was fear, anger, or a little jealousy and disappointment.
"You should be laughing all the way to the bank if you die by my hand. I'll give you a choice since I pity you. Let's see how you want to die."
Her smile was so glaring, it made you want to raise a sword and chop off her face. I told you I hate it when people say I'm pitiful!
Chapter 45
I stared straight at her, and couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
"Peacock gall isn't stimulating enough, and arsenic is too alluring, so let's go with July cherry blossoms."
She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's right, that's a brilliant choice."
"Have you considered that attacking me might lead to your death?"
"With Haifeng by my side, what am I afraid of?" Her eyes seemed to say, "What can you do without the Rong family?"
"Qu Haifeng, she still owes me her life." I casually picked an autumn peony. "Don't think you're the only one who knows medicine. Of course, there are conditions for me, Rong Lian, to save someone."
"……What's the meaning?"
"You know Mo Wenxiang, right?"
"You!" She was so shocked her eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
"She cannot smell certain fragrances. Even a little bit will make her feel tightness in her chest and make her feel uncomfortable. If the fragrance is strong, she will faint. In severe cases, it may even be fatal."
Her face looked even worse than before, and after a while she managed to force a smile.
"How could that be? She wouldn't give you the chance to poison her."
"How ridiculous! Just because she won't give it to me doesn't mean I can't create it myself. Someone who's about to die is worried about whether there's something else mixed in with the life-saving medicine?"
"What a cunning Rong Lian! ...Give me the antidote, and I'll spare your life today!"
It's awful to see myself smiling so cruelly in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, this poison was just something I asked He Xiuqi to prepare for me on a whim. I never intended to have an antidote, so... there isn't one."
She gritted her teeth, as if she wanted to swallow me whole.
"Good, very good! Where is he?"
“He went to gather herbs and won’t be back for a while. Even if you find him, it won’t help. He might not even remember the prescriptions he wrote down, let alone that it was several years ago.”
"In that case, come with me!"
That suited me perfectly, so I obediently followed her without any resistance.
Haifeng Tower isn't far from here, only about 20 or 30 li away, which takes about half a day to get there.
To the north of Xijing City stands a five-story building, its glazed tiles and bricks gleaming and exquisitely crafted.
I am standing in front of this building right now, looking up at it, and to me it is nothing to be afraid of.
There weren't many people here because Qu Haifeng doesn't like crowds. As we walked in, we only saw two people guarding the door.
People say life is unpredictable, and I never imagined that I would meet someone who shouldn't be here.
He sat there absentmindedly drinking tea, occasionally nodding and humming a few words to appease the incessantly chattering Qu Haifeng beside him.
I wasn't prepared to see him, so I stood there dumbfounded, feeling completely lost.
"You, what are you doing here?" Poison Fairy was very surprised. No one had expected that he would have any connection with Hai Feng Lou.
"...So slow." He turned his head and looked over, his eyes narrowed in a half-smile.
Something bumped into my chest. I turned my head away, not liking the feeling; it made me very uncomfortable.
"Master Qu, I've won." It had been a while since I'd heard his voice; it was still as elegant as ever, but it couldn't hide the weariness.
"Fairy, you're going to Anting to take Rong Lian's life, aren't you? Why bring her into this building?" Qu Haifeng's voice was deep, clearly indicating her displeasure.
Poison Fairy glanced at me and snorted, "We underestimated this young lady. We thought she was brainless and only knew how to act recklessly because of her powerful family, but she is actually very cunning. Master, she actually put Mo Wenxiang in your life-saving medicine when you were not paying attention back then."
"What?!" Qu Haifeng stood up, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The person next to her chuckled softly, "That's why I said no one knows her better than me. Underestimating her will only lead to big losses."
Qu Haifeng glared at him and then turned to stare at me. "I was originally going to let you go this time because you saved my life, but since you're so heartless, I don't need to be so merciful. Fairy, do as you please."
"That sounds so high-sounding, but from the moment you allowed Poison Fairy to go to Yanxing Mountain, you never intended to let me go. Why say such things now!"
"...You won't be arrogant for long!" Qu Haifeng clenched her fist and winked at the Poison Fairy.
The white gloves were removed, and her slender fingers, which had just reached my eyes, vanished in an instant. When I looked again, I saw that Poison Fairy had been struck out of the door by a palm strike from a distance. She had coughed up a mouthful of blood, her eyes half-open, and she was barely breathing. She hadn't lasted long before she fainted, and I didn't know whether she was alive or dead.
Qu Haifeng suddenly turned her head and glared angrily at Nangong Ling.
“It would have been one thing if she hadn’t succeeded in attacking Ling’er, but now she’s courting death. Rong Lian can’t touch anyone but me.”
He spoke slowly, his smile so beautiful, his slender phoenix eyes flashing with a cruel light that could be described as alluring.
Chapter 46
The first half of the journey was silent, each of us lost in our own thoughts, but in the end, I couldn't hold back any longer.
What are you doing at Haifeng Tower?
I sat on Nangong Ling's beloved horse, Tianlang. He didn't reply to me; he just led the horse forward.
"Today I was planning to give Haifenglou to Han Xuanmo, but you've ruined my plans."
He paused slightly, "...That's a pity. You're too late. Haifeng Tower is now part of Wuyue Palace. Besides, I won't give you the chance to do Han Xuanmo a favor."
"Tsk." I curled my lip in dissatisfaction. "If you have so much time to worry about me, why don't you go and watch over your Yue Linghe? She's been frightened and must be scared and needs someone to comfort her."
He stopped and turned around, his eyes somewhat misty. "Can I take that as you being jealous?"
In the past, it was common to see him only once every few years, but this time, even though we were only apart for a few days, it felt like I hadn't seen him for a very, very long time.
His eyes and brows held a hint of weariness, a languid charm tinged with an indescribable allure, yet that same captivating allure remained that of a pure youth. There are such people in the world, killing with the grace of an immortal splashing ink, eating with the relish of a concubine savoring lychees. No matter the heinous crime or the dire circumstance, they can always transform it into a unique demeanor, never disappointing you with their composure, elegance, and often a beauty so striking it seems cruel.
I looked away; this person was too dangerous.
"Silence means consent."
"...Can I believe that after I told you I needed to find He Xiuqi to save your third senior brother, you rushed back so urgently because you wanted to take over Haifeng Tower, and not because of Yue Linghe? I know that you almost instantly realized that Poison Fairy would be hostile to me, and quickly devised the best countermeasure. Since you have always disliked bloodshed, you simply took over Haifeng Tower. Keeping Qu Haifeng around would be useful for two reasons, and that way she wouldn't dare to plot against me again, right?"
He slowly raised his lips, leaped onto his horse, and wrapped his long, slender hand around me, pulling me into his embrace. A familiar, cool, and refreshing fragrance wafted around me.
"I know you can figure this out. It seems letting you go out this time was a good decision. It was an unexpected result, but it's good. Who took off your mask?"
Sirius carried me and Nangong Ling on a slow walk along the forest path, and we experienced a rare sense of peace and tranquility.
"I have to think about myself too. I don't want to die in vain. The fortune teller said I would live to be a hundred."
He chuckled, his breath brushing against the back of my neck, warm and ticklish, like a soft feather gently caressing me.
"And what was the answer you gave me?"
I was taken aback, and it took me a while to realize what he meant.
"If you dare to choke me again, I'm running away from home."
"Home?"