Bai Ling'er forced a smile, her lips twitching slightly. The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang had already spoken; if she didn't let Shen Lixue examine her wounds, they would all suspect her. That old codger, at this crucial moment, actually sided with outsiders…
“Princess Li Xue, look carefully!” Bai Ling’er said coldly, pulling up her white sleeve to reveal her jade-like arm, which was as white as cream. A dark red cinnabar dot stood out against her delicate skin.
The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang turned around. Although he was an elder, he was still a man, and his apprentice was already a young woman, so there was a difference between them.
Bai Ling'er quickly tore off the white cloth strip, revealing the wound. The wound was horizontal, running through half of her arm. Due to the heavy impact just now, it had split open and was slowly oozing blood. Judging from the marks at the beginning and end of the wound, it was caused by a herbal knife!
"Now you believe I was injured by the herbal knife, right, Princess?" Bai Ling'er's beautiful eyes were filled with tears, looking pitiful.
"That herbal knife is as sharp as a sword blade. Even a light touch can cut the wound so deeply!" Shen Lixue looked at the bleeding wound and smiled meaningfully.
Bai Ling'er was startled, let out a soft hum, quickly turned around, took out a bottle to apply medicine and bandage herself, her mind filled with thoughts. Had Shen Lixue noticed something?
"Ghost Doctor, Miss Bai needs medicine, so I won't disturb you any longer. Farewell!" Shen Lixue turned around, and under Bai Ling'er's resentful gaze, walked a distance before suddenly stopping.
Bai Ling'er's gaze sharpened, and she became fully alert. Why hadn't Shen Lixue left? Had she noticed something amiss?
Shen Lixue suddenly turned around, her cold gaze like a sharp arrow, piercing Bai Ling'er: "Miss Bai, take good care of yourself. If another assassin comes and you happen to be injured, it won't make sense!"
"Thank you for your concern!" Bai Ling'er spat out these words through clenched teeth, her gaze icy. She was furious, gritting her teeth. Shen Lixue couldn't find anything wrong with her, so she humiliated her. What a bitch.
"No need to be polite!" Shen Lixue smiled slightly and walked slowly out of the pharmacy. Even after walking a long distance, she could still sense Bai Ling'er's resentful gaze. A mocking smile appeared on her lips. Bai Ling'er really couldn't hold back.
The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang stroked his beard, shook his head and sighed. Shen Lixue and Bai Ling'er had a conflict, but Shen Lixue didn't call anyone to teach Bai Ling'er a lesson. As an elder, he couldn't use his seniority to suppress the younger. The affairs between girls are simple in some ways and complicated in others. Let them resolve it themselves. Outsiders can't interfere.
"What did you find out from Bai Ling'er?" Dongfang Xun stood in the living room, carefully examining the precious medicinal herbs he had taken from the storeroom. When he saw Shen Lixue walk in, he didn't even look up and asked softly.
"Are the guards who went to the Southern Frontier to invite the Ghost Doctor still in the manor?" Shen Lixue asked, seemingly unrelated to the question.
"They're all on duty in the manor, why are you asking them?" Dongfang Xun asked softly, her delicate hands busy arranging the herbs.
Shen Lixue smiled and said, "Call them here. I have something to ask them!"
A moment later, three guards stood in the center of the living room. Shen Lixue's cold gaze swept over the three of them one by one. They carried long swords, had stern faces, and breathed heavily. It was clear at a glance that they were highly skilled in martial arts and had profound inner strength. They were the elites of the Holy King's Mansion: "The three of you escorted the Ghost Doctor of the Southern Frontier all the way from the Prison of the Earth to the capital?"
"Yes!" The guards replied simply and concisely.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened slightly: "Did you encounter anything unusual on the way?"
The guards exchanged glances, and the one in the middle gave a slight bow: "Your Highness, we were chased all the way. Of the dozens of people who went with us, only the three of us returned safely. We changed our route many times, but we were still easily found..."
Dongfang Xun abruptly stopped examining the medicinal herbs and looked up at the three guards. He had no idea that they had encountered such a situation.
Shen Lixue nodded thoughtfully, her eyes deep in thought: "You may all leave!"
"Yes!" The guards clasped their hands in a fist salute and quickly left the room.
"What's going on?" Dongfang Xun glanced at the guards leaving the courtyard, his eyes narrowing.
"What else could it be? There's a mole among our group!" Shen Lixue said casually, rubbing her dry throat and pouring herself a cup of tea.
"The guards of the Holy King's Palace will not betray us!" The guards of the Holy King's Palace were trained by Dongfang Xun and Dongfang Heng together, and they are absolutely loyal.
Shen Lixue took a sip of tea and glared at Dongfang Xun: "I didn't say that the mole was them."
"You suspect... Bai Ling'er?" Dongfang Xun was slightly taken aback, his sharp gaze looking through the window towards the pharmacy.
Among the group, besides the guards, there were only the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang and Bai Ling'er. The guards were fine, and if the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang didn't want to treat patients, he could simply not come. That left only the suspicious Bai Ling'er, but she was the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang's apprentice. Why would she do this?
"If I told you that Bai Ling'er cut herself with a herbal knife to cover up her sword wound, how would you feel?"
Shen Lixue had experienced countless battles in the modern world and had seen countless wounds. Bai Ling'er's wounds were cleverly made, and most people would not be able to see the clues. But Shen Lixue had crawled out of piles of dead bodies, so how could she be deceived?
"Then why didn't you expose her?" Shen Lixue had just gone to see Bai Ling'er and returned safely. Nothing earth-shattering had happened in the manor, and the two of them had been safe and sound.
Shen Lixue smiled, her cold eyes unfathomable: "Bai Ling'er is the disciple of the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang. I have no evidence. If I rashly expose her, not only will I not be able to punish her, but the Holy King's Mansion will also create a rift with the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang, hindering Dongfang Heng's treatment, and it will also alert the enemy."
"You mean, someone is behind Bai Ling'er?" As clever as Dongfang Xun was, he understood her meaning with just a few words.
“That’s right!” Shen Lixue put down her teacup, her gaze deep: “You also witnessed the martial arts of those men in black last night. They were all specially trained, and there must be someone behind them!”
Dongfang Xun gazed at Chen Lixue. Ruan Yanluo's Xiang skirt flowed smoothly to the ground, exuding strength and independence, showing no trace of the fragility often associated with daughters of prominent families in the capital. Her stunning beauty was proud yet not arrogant, and her calm, deep-well-like eyes were full of confidence, easily touching one's heartstrings: "What are you planning to do?"
Shen Lixue smiled slightly, like a hundred flowers blooming, but the chilling aura gathered in her eyes was terrifying: "It's simple, lure the snake out of its hole!" Bai Ling'er was ruthless before, so don't blame her for showing no mercy.
A guard rushed into the living room: "Princess, the Prince has woken up!"
"Really?" Shen Lixue was startled. She quickly stood up, gave Dongfang Xun a brief greeting, and hurried outside. "How long has he been awake?"
The guard followed closely behind Shen Lixue: "Just now, seeing that the princess wasn't there, he kept asking!"
"Didn't he used to sleep until noon? Why did he wake up so early today?" Shen Lixue rubbed her forehead, secretly lamenting. She wasn't there when Dongfang Heng woke up last night. When she returned, his lips were swollen from being kissed. She had to use medicine to reduce the swelling, but they still hurt a bit. She was sure she would be punished when she returned this time.
"This... I don't know!" The guard looked at Shen Lixue's depressed appearance and wondered to himself, "The Prince and the Princess have a very good relationship, so why is she so afraid of the Prince waking up?"
Dongfang Xun stood inside the door, watching Shen Lixue's hurried departure. A slight smile appeared on his lips, and a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. She had always been confident and resourceful, and this was the first time he had seen her so flustered and anxious. The person she cared about was Dongfang Heng, his younger brother.
His eyelids drooped slightly, and his pupils were tinged with dust.
After leaving the living room, Shen Lixue hurried along the bluestone path to Fengsong Courtyard.
"Li Xue!" A familiar voice suddenly rang out, soft and gentle, captivating the heart.
Shen Lixue suddenly stopped in her tracks, sighing helplessly in her heart. Dongfang Heng had come looking for her on his own, and things were definitely not going to end well. Judging from his calm and collected voice, his eyes must be cold enough to freeze a person.
Shen Lixue slowly raised her head and looked in the direction from which the voice came. In the octagonal pavilion, Dongfang Heng's ink-black hair fluttered lightly, his clothes fluttered, and he exuded an aloof and noble aura. He was so handsome that he seemed otherworldly. He elegantly put down his brush, gently picked up a painting, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He beckoned to her in a good-natured manner: "Lixue, come and see this painting!"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. After Dongfang Heng woke up, he came here to paint?