"Xiaoman, let's go for a walk."
Looking inside, you can see that there are quite a few people sitting there.
After counting the heads, I was somewhat surprised. I really didn't expect that such a small carriage could fit so many people.
What surprised me even more was that there was a person lying on a bamboo mat in the center of the hall. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Zhiyu.
Just as I was about to ask what was going on, I heard hurried footsteps behind me. I instinctively pulled Xiaoman behind a pillar to hide. If he saw me running around again, he would definitely glare at me.
Xiaoman was confused, so I gestured for her to be quiet. Although she was somewhat reluctant, she didn't dare to go against my wishes.
Fortunately, I was so surprised that I forgot to go in, and everyone inside was focused on Zhiyu and didn't notice the outside. Luckily, I hid quickly enough, and before I could even stand firmly behind the pillar, Nangong Ling and the protector appeared from around the corner.
The Martial Venerable, seated in his armchair, appeared unchanged, yet seemed listless. His usual arrogance was gone, and he looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant. He merely glanced at his youngest disciple before continuing to drink his tea. Meanwhile, He Xiuqi was squatting in a corner, rummaging through his bamboo basket. He Mengyan stood beside him, cradling the still-sleeping He Mengshi in his arms, his face still expressionless and aloof. I wasn't surprised by these people's presence; the key was the other two.
One is the young Marquis Li Yu. He clearly had someone with him before, but now he's all alone. I wonder what happened. The other person is someone I've never seen before. He's dressed in fine silk and beaded jewelry, clearly someone of high status.
When Nangong Ling entered, everyone else reacted coldly and indifferently, but the woman I didn't recognize, wearing a feathered headdress, had a terrifying glint in her eyes.
"Still unconscious?"
Hearing that the tone was not good, He Xiuqi stopped what he was doing and remained silent for a long time.
"If I hadn't arrived in time, this young lady probably wouldn't have survived to this point."
Upon hearing this, Nangong Ling glanced at her and asked, "Your royal brother is quite comfortable with you coming alone?"
"What's there to worry about? I'm not that delicate."
"Very well." He nodded, a slight smile playing on his thin lips, his expression surprisingly devoid of sarcasm. "What did you gain from your trip to the Imperial Palace?"
As if she had hit the nail on the head, the woman with the feathered headdress immediately put on an expression full of righteous indignation.
"That Xiao Lianjue is really too ruthless. It's one thing to have no pity for women, but when Master saved Miss Zhiyu from Xiao Lianjue that day, he couldn't even feel her pulse."
Hearing this, I gripped Xiaoman's hand tightly. Could it be that I pushed her to Xiao Lianjue and ran away like I did? You, Zhiyu, are a disciple of a Martial Venerable, yet you can't even beat a pampered Crown Prince? Or am I overestimating you, or underestimating Xiao Lianjue? While pondering this, I suddenly became curious about this person. That damned twin An had said a lot of irrelevant things before, whether it was about the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, or Li Mu and Li Yu, I just let it go in one ear and out the other, not really interested. Perhaps it was because he only told half the story after such a long preamble. Now, seeing Zhiyu injured like this, I suddenly felt a surge of interest. Xiao Zongjiu has been on the throne for so many years; logically, his son should be the Crown Prince now. But Xiao Lianjue is still occupying the Crown Prince's position. How can that be right?
"Fortunately, my master's inner strength was so profound that he transferred a breath of true energy to her, preventing her from dying on the spot. At that time, life was at stake, so my master didn't fight Xiao Lianjue. But Xiao Lianjue was the kind of person who wouldn't give up until he had eliminated the threat completely. He sent people to surround and chase them, forcing the master and disciple into the Yeting Mansion. It can be said that he made a mistake, or perhaps he was too confident and didn't send anyone to follow them in, so I had an opportunity. He probably didn't expect that I had planted spies in the Yeting Mansion." At this point, she became proud, and her not-so-pretty face immediately became radiant. "It was also because Miss Zhiyu was not destined to die. When I rushed over, I happened to meet Young Master He. Later, I learned that he was the famous Medicine King. If I hadn't been able to bring his daughter, who had been separated from them and captured in the Yeting Mansion, out with us, he wouldn't have wanted to come back with us."
That's right, who is He Xiuqi? How many people could possibly be on his side? The reason he gave me some face was purely by chance. Besides Shuangzi'an and me, probably no one else knew about the fire that burned You Song Mountain back then. It was quite a coincidence; if I hadn't wandered into the cave to get a closer look at the burning bandit's den, I wouldn't have discovered He Mengyan, who had been stabbed by the bandits and dumped inside. When we carried him back, the doctor said he had lost too much blood and was beyond saving. But I still had an unyielding stubbornness; I thought that since I had saved him, how could I let him die in front of me? Otherwise, I might as well not have brought him back. So I thought of the Medicine King. Later, when I learned about their relationship, I was truly shocked for a long time. From then on, he generally wouldn't refuse me anything I asked, at most he would just ask me to help manage his overly large medicinal herb garden.
"Back then, Li Mu went back on his word and sided with the emperor, which resulted in the loss of two of your cavalry battalions. Now that he's partnered with Xiao Lianjue, has he learned his lesson and knows to use covert tactics?"
The woman pouted, seemingly both angry and somewhat disdainful.
"The people of Xiling are incredibly cunning and two-faced; they're utterly wicked! That Li Musheng has such a serious face, but he's full of evil intentions..." She was already gritting her teeth as she said this.
Nangong Ling pursed her lips and smiled—a simple smile born of genuine amusement, devoid of any ulterior motives. I was stunned, and suddenly felt a pang of unease.
What's so funny?
"You must be tired from your journey. I'll have someone take you to rest."
"Um!"
He nodded so hard it was almost like he was about to flick off the jade feather on his head, and he smiled so brightly, as if he wanted everyone to know he had a set of white teeth.
That dead man, Nangong Ling, only knows how to talk to young girls, and he doesn't even pay attention to his own senior sister and master. It's a pity that your master loves you so much. Look at this, what is called unfilial piety!
"Found it." He Xiuqi, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, and at the same time, a handful of dry grass appeared in his hand without anyone noticing.
"What?" The woman turned back with a curious look on her face.
“Changkucao.” He Xiuqi stood up, pointing at Zhiyu with one hand, “Yan’er, crush it up and give it to her.”
"Why did you feed her this poisonous herb?" Qionghua finally had a chance to speak.
“She hasn’t woken up because she’s been poisoned by the Heart-Shattering Palm.” He paused. “I heard that the Heart-Shattering Palm has reappeared in the martial arts world, so I went to Changbai Mountain this time for this Changku Grass.”
Isn't this Heart-Shattering Palm the signature move of Bai Wuyan, the leader of the Hundred Days Sect? How could a prince like him have dealings with the Demonic Sect?
"I used up half a packet of medicine on the way, twice a day, crushing it and taking it orally. I also used half a packet of herbs with snow lotus to nourish her body and remove the poison. I didn't have much snow lotus with me, so I limited her medicine. Otherwise, if the poison attacked her heart and her body was too weak, she probably wouldn't be able to withstand it."
"Heart-Shattering Palm? What's that?"
"From a young age, one practices martial arts by ingesting poison and gathering the poisonous energy in the dantian. Over time, one becomes immune to all poisons, and it is said that even venomous snakes will avoid one. Although it sounds simple, very few people can actually gather the poisonous energy in the dantian without it leaking out. Those who practice it either die from poisoning or suffer from qi deviation, so the number of people practicing it gradually decreased."
He patiently and slowly explained it to her with a smile. Yes, it was still the dead Nangong Ling.
Chapter 111
Holding my breath, I gestured to Xiaoman to quietly retreat! Those people inside were all experts; any noise would give us away. I first directed Xiaoman to retreat to the corner to avoid accidentally stepping on flowerpots and making noise. Being from Shuitian, her skills naturally made retreat easier than mine. I slowly took a deep breath, but before I could even step out, I felt a weight on my waist and fell backward.
"Madam!" Xiaoman cried out, her face turning pale.
I steadied myself by holding onto the window frame and glared at Xiaoman. "Did you have to yell so fast and so loudly?!"
I could guess the expression on the person behind me without even turning around—a cold face, as if I owed him money. He was all smiles and pleasantries towards that young girl, but a cold shoulder towards me. What a jerk!
"Fine, you're not coming in, but why are you running around like this?"
Sure enough, he knew all along that I was hiding, and he was turning a blind eye by not accusing me. He also knew that I was uncomfortable being cooped up in the house.
"...I ate too much for breakfast, so I came out for a walk to help digest it." I wanted to slap myself as I said that; it was so lacking in confidence.
There seemed to be a sighing sound from behind, "Come on over."
Why do you always make me go over there? I tugged hard at my sleeve to stop myself from turning around and going over.
I thought that person would come over, but after waiting for a long time there was no movement. When I turned around again, there was no one there!
I stood there, unsure whether to leave or not, unable to swallow this anger no matter what I said.
"Madam, it seems that Miss Zhiyu has woken up." Xiaoman whispered from the corner, close to the window.
I was stunned for a moment, and by the time I realized what was happening, I was already at the door. Let me make it clear first, I came here for Zhiyu. After all, I was the one who pushed her to Xiao Lianjue that time.
Before I could even enter, a dark figure rushed towards me. Before I could even feel the sharp sword energy rushing towards me, I heard a crisp sound—the sound of a longsword being snapped in two by hand.
A slender figure blocked my view, preventing me from seeing his expression, yet a familiar chill ran through me. Looking closer, I saw the old Martial Venerable, holding a broken sword, staring expressionlessly at his young apprentice.
"Get out of my way."
"Put the sword down."
"You worthless wretch! She sold you out and you're still protecting her?!"
"I told you it has nothing to do with her."
"Nothing to do with you? Then where did you get the injury on your shoulder? And who was responsible for your senior sister almost losing her life?"
"It was Rong Cheng who injured me, and it was Xiao Lianjue who severely injured my senior sister. If you want to vent your anger, please choose your targets carefully."
The old man angrily threw down his sword and stormed out the door. The man turned to watch his master walk away, his expression indescribably complex.
"Junior brother... don't take Master's words too seriously. He's upset because of what happened in Anting..."
“…I know. Qiongying, take good care of my senior sister.”
He was about to leave when he said that. Zhiyu didn't even look at me properly. After seeing her junior brother nod, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep, completely ignoring me.
Okay, so you, Nangong Ling, are very charming. Everyone is on your side. Even if you're wrong, there must be a reason and a hardship.
I bit my lip, holding back my anger. When I saw the woman with the feather headdress following him around like a puppy, I was furious!
"Rong Lian, do you have time? Could you carry this basket of medicine to the medicinal cuisine hall for me?" He Xiuqi said flatly, his old face pressed against his chest.
I turned around and glared at him, but I couldn't lash out, because I didn't want Qionghua and the others to laugh at me.
"What are you looking at? Yan'er has to take care of her sister and the patient, she doesn't have time."
"Sir, your wife is pregnant and needs to rest."
After looking around, Shao You is still the best. He always helps me out. I must reward him properly later.
Before I could even feel smug, He Xiuqi gave me a strange look, as if to say, "Oh my god, what kind of good child could this be?"
"Oh..." After a strange tone in his voice, he carried a basket in each hand and walked so lightly, he didn't seem to need any help at all.
Seeing that the crowd had gradually dispersed and there was nothing more to see, Qionghua fanned herself a couple of times and left with a sleepy-looking Xiao Jinse and a sweaty Cang Zhe, looking like three local bullies. After walking a few steps, Qionghua suddenly remembered something and turned back; she had forgotten about the young marquis.
After they walked away, a feeling of unease burned brighter and brighter in my heart.
"Xiaoman!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice changing completely.
The only response I received was the incessant chirping of cicadas filling the courtyard, which only made me more irritated.
I didn't eat lunch at all. I went straight to Qingyu Residence, the most secluded place in the inner city and closest to Phoenix Mountain. Anyway, no one paid any attention to me or cared about me. It was more lively watching the moon worship on the other side of the mountain.
Later, I actually fell asleep while watching. When I woke up again, it was already dusk. I was no longer on the recliner in Qingyu Residence, but on the golden silk couch in Xianglong Pavilion. I blinked a couple of times, not quite understanding what was going on.
I rolled over and my face was almost touching the other person's. I was so stunned that I forgot to breathe. Even though I didn't make a sound, the other person woke up as soon as I touched them.
The blood-red setting sun shone through the gauze curtains onto his eyes, making his dark pupils appear as if they were coated with a layer of golden glass.
"Have you had enough sleep?"
His voice was a little hoarse, which made my heart clench, and I lost all my temper.
"Get up and eat something, then I'll take you out to release lanterns."
I pursed my lips and snuggled into his arms, hugging his waist to prevent him from getting up.
"How many days have you gone without sleep again?"
"About two days."
"Two days? Your voice would have become so hoarse in less than three or four days?"
He didn't say anything, but simply put his arm around me and sighed softly.
"We're not going to release lanterns today."
"Hmm? Oh." He let go of me and tried to get up again.
"Don't move! I've got you all tonight, you'll do whatever I say."