"What are you thinking? Your little head is full of such scary ideas."
He took out a small bottle of secret medicine from the wooden box, poured some on his fingertip, and then touched my neck, saying that this was a scar removal formula specially prepared by He Xiuqi.
Actually, the knife mark on his neck was very shallow; you couldn't see it unless you looked closely.
"So what do you plan to do?"
"The Han family's land is quite nice, and my senior brother is a rare talent. What do you think about having him take Ling'er there and settle down?"
"Yes, yes, and also to show off your strength in the desert, right?"
The Han family's territory is close to the desert, and they had frequent exchanges with some prominent families living in the desert in the past. They have always relied on Han Xuanmo to enter and leave the Central Plains. Now that Han Xuanmo has been detained in the capital and the Han family has been occupied by people outside the Han family, there is bound to be some unrest among the people.
He withdrew his hand, put the cork back in the bottle, reached out and hugged me, and I heard him sigh with satisfaction.
"Everything has finally calmed down, and you're by my side. You know how long I've waited for this day..."
When he holds me, he chatters on and on, as if all the things that have been building up over the years have finally found an outlet to burst forth. There are always so many things he can't finish saying, but as he talks, his voice gets softer and softer until he's completely silent. When I look back, I see that he's fallen asleep right next to me. That's when I have to sigh. I can't move him, and I don't want to call Shaoyou for fear of waking him up.
Of course, today was no exception. I could only look up at the clouds drifting by outside the window to pass the time. Even my favorite second brother didn't get this treatment before. Yunzhi, you must have bewitched me, otherwise how could I be so bewitched?
If the days to come could pass by so calmly and peacefully, it would be the most extravagant wish of my life.
It wasn't until evening that the person leaning against me slowly woke up. Only then did he show that bewildered expression, with misty tears welling up in his dark eyes, making one's heart flutter.
"Hmm... what time is it?" Her voice still carried the lazy, hoarse quality unique to someone who had just woken up, enough to make anyone's bones melt.
I swallowed hard, feeling a bit thirsty.
It's the hour of You (5-7 PM).
He blinked, said "oh," shook his head, and rubbed against me again. After a while, he turned his head and kissed me on the cheek before finally coming to his senses.
"Are you hungry? What do you want for dinner?" He massaged my shoulders, which had gone numb.
"Meat."
"What kind of meat?"
"Your flesh."
Before he could react, I leaned in and bit him hard on the lips. After all, he always likes to bite me.
Then I saw him, after his initial shock, give a strange laugh. "How does it taste?"
"It's alright." I nodded. It was fragrant and soft, actually quite delicious.
"Oh, you should savor it carefully, not so hastily and superficially. Come, let your husband teach you properly."
I knew something was wrong halfway through the conversation, but he was always faster than me.
It looks like I won't be getting any dinner tonight, and he's naturally treating me like dinner and a midnight snack, devouring me completely.
He wouldn't let me go to sleep until dawn, and another morning was gone just like that.
I was starving when I got up. I was about to call someone when I went outside and saw four dishes, a soup, and a bowl of white rice on the table.
I smiled with satisfaction after just one bite. That person hasn't set foot in the kitchen since Yanwubao, so at least I got to taste it again today.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they went outside and saw Shao Ming following them.
"Where's Xiaoman?" Could she really have gone to receive her punishment?
"Still at Qingyuantang."
"What kind of punishment is given for failing to protect one's master?"
"At best, they'll be beaten; at worst, they'll be branded."
"There's no need for that. Go and call Xiaoman back. I still need her to take care of me."
"But……"
"Then how about you come with me to the outer city?"
His face immediately froze, turning deathly pale, probably because of the psychological trauma left by the previous incident.
Just as I was about to tease him again, he suddenly raised his head and pushed me to the ground with lightning speed, a sharp whistling sound piercing my ear.
When the sudden gust of wind subsided and I saw the current situation clearly, I felt a chill in my heart.
Three arrows shot from behind me. Two of them missed and landed on the hem of my clothes, while the third hit Shaoming on the back. The bloodstains on his green robe resembled a bewitching blood lotus in full bloom, every inch of its roots, stems, and leaves capable of killing.
Looking back, all that could be seen was the boundless sky and wind chimes swaying in the wind on the eaves; there wasn't a single person in sight, not even a ghost.
With the winter winds rising and the year drawing to a close, is it destined that things will not be peaceful?
Chapter 80
He Xiuqi tossed a prescription to He Mengyan, his face somber and his brows furrowed.
"The arrow is poisoned." He instinctively reached for his beard, but only touched a smooth surface.
"What kind of poison?" Gemini asked, holding a plate of sunflower seeds as he ate.
I saw He Xiuqi's brow twitch. "Poison Arrow Tree, commonly known as 'one-blood-sealing-throat,' its sap, when applied to arrowheads in large quantities, can kill instantly."
What about smaller quantities?
There were faint blue veins bulging on his forehead. "It could also be life-threatening. He would need to have a bowl of blood drained every three days because the blood detoxification process would lead to severe anemia. He would need to use placenta to nourish his blood."
Gemini nodded, and his eyes darted around until they landed on me.
"You're very bold and capable. Would you like to see the perpetrator's true face?"
"Just say you want to go, don't try to persuade me." Although I was also very interested, the person next to me held my hand tightly, not allowing me to nod.
Although Gemini An had reservations about Nangong Ling, his curiosity ultimately prevailed, and he couldn't stand being alone and always wanted to drag me along.
"Shaoyou, go to the medicinal cuisine hall and get a piece of Polygonum multiflorum. It must be over a hundred years old."
He Xiuqi raised his eyes, quite surprised, "The city lord is really generous."
"There are still quite a few Wuling heads in the medicinal cuisine hall. You can have them if you want, but..."
I saw the scent of conspiracy in Nangong Ling's eyes.
"..." He Xiuqi moved his lips, knowing it was a trap but still couldn't resist, "But what?"
"You shall be used by me."
"Impossible." It almost came out of my mouth.
Then Nangong Ling showed a regretful expression, "What a pity about all those medicinal herbs in the hall."
"You... Qionghua, aren't you also a healer?"
"Although it is said that the capable should do more, if there are too many things to do, he will rebel."
That's your problem.
"Hmm, not bad. Then can you give me an estimate? How much is a 10,000-year-old blood ginseng worth? Qionghua said it's taking up space and she wants to sell it."
He Xiuqi's eyes widened instantly, and he trembled with excitement.
"Sell, sell, sell what?!" The voice changed.
The person simply curled the corners of their mouth slightly, and the outcome of this round was easily decided.
"So who exactly has the ability and courage to break into the inner city, and with such a clear objective?"
Gemini An clung tightly to the murderer, as if he were the one who had been shot.
"People in the martial arts world will not make any moves for a long time. This time, many sects were involved in Jun Guan's instigation, and it can be said that they have been greatly injured and have no ability to fight back. The Rong family and the Nangong family have been destroyed. The only remaining Feng family is also unlikely to do anything with Feng Moru missing. They all need time to adapt to the major changes in the situation, so we can exclude martial arts people."
Nangong Ling smiled more broadly, signaling him to continue his analysis.
"There is another type of person who watches from the sidelines, hoping to reap the benefits."
"What kind of people are you referring to?" she asked with a smile, continuing to guide them gently.
"The ruler of the imperial city and the person in charge have always been evenly matched. From the beginning, the person in charge has been eyeing this piece of fat meat, but has never been able to get a bite out of it. However, he didn't make any big moves when the city was empty and without a ruler for a while. He probably planned for you two to lose each other, but he miscalculated. Now that he sees you as the city lord, he's starting to get anxious and envious."
"There are many skilled warriors among the Imperial Guards, but I wonder which side of the Imperial Guards was behind this. This amount of poisoned arrowwood... is it a warning?" His smile was so bright, yet I sensed a strong aura of danger. "This kind of mercy doesn't seem like the style of those two."
I said, Gemini An, since you've already guessed it pretty accurately, they're clearly after me. Do you expect me to risk my life with you? Are you just going to throw myself at them and wait to see the show?
"Yes, Rong Lian, how come you're so lucky? You're clearly a person with no virtue at all. This world is even darker than charcoal."
Enough already! It's been too long since I taught you a lesson, and you've become more and more arrogant.
“Brother Zian, have I told you that your brother is looking for you everywhere? I received a letter from him yesterday, saying that…”
Before he could finish speaking, Gemini Ann jumped to her feet, running and shouting, "Don't say you've seen me before!"
"I've never seen him run this fast before, even when we're just watching something exciting," I couldn't help but mutter to myself.
"Having offended Zhao Hequan of Xiaohe City, it took Shuangziwei a lot of effort to deal with him. If they don't settle this score with the person who caused the trouble, are they still the master of Bieyun Manor?"
That's true. But after finally calming things down, trouble came again before we could have a long period of peace. Even the New Year is not peaceful. Will there be any problems with the wedding at the beginning of the year?
I was troubled by this problem for the next few days, but things remained peaceful until New Year's Day.
After staying up late for the Lunar New Year, all the preparations were completed without missing a single step. My measurements were taken and my wedding dress was tailored. When I finally put on my bright red wedding gown and boarded the sedan chair on the tenth day of the first lunar month, I was still in a daze.
That night, he wore a ceremonial robe trimmed with gold thread. His tall and upright figure resembled a celestial being descended from heaven, his eyes gentle and kind yet exuding an irresistible air of nobility. When he smiled, I thought everyone should bow down and worship at his feet. And at that time, he was only twenty years old, just reaching the age of twenty.
He said, "The road ahead is still long, and I don't know what the future holds. There may be many dangers, and you may feel wronged. There are many things I can't easily let go of, but I will never let you leave my side."
I said, "I won't do anything to make myself feel wronged. If I'm unhappy, I'll run away, but I believe that no matter where I run to, you will bring me back."
So, for eternity, no matter how difficult the road ahead may be, we will hold hands and walk together.