"She's a girl, how can you not know how to cherish a lady?" Shen Lixue glanced at the unconscious Li Youlan and scolded her, her eyes sparkling, but there was no hint of reproach in her tone.
The moment she saw Dongfang Heng, she knew that nothing had happened between him and Li Youlan.
"In this lifetime, I will only cherish one woman!" Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue, a beautiful smile curving his lips. The woman before him was the one he would protect for the rest of his life, and his tenderness was reserved only for her.
Shen Lixue felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and contentment. She smiled slightly and tightly grasped Dongfang Heng's jade-like fingers.
Feeling something warm and sticky in his large hand, Dongfang Heng frowned, lifted Shen Lixue's small hand, and saw that blood was still seeping from the wound on her fingertip. His expression changed instantly: "Your hand is injured?"
"Just a few tiny needle pricks, nothing to worry about!" Shen Lixue originally intended to prick herself with a dagger to stay awake, but she was afraid of injuring her arm and not being able to help pick the cold stone flowers anymore, so she pricked her finger with a silver needle. The wound was small and not a big deal, and the pain lasted for a short time. She pricked herself many times in a row to stay awake until the sun came out.
Dongfang Heng had also experienced the Black Mist's allure, and knew its power. He also understood the reason for the wound on Shen Lixue's finger.
A sharp glint flashed in his deep eyes. He quickly took out a small medicine bottle, opened the cap, poured out the medicine, and evenly applied it to her fingers, his careful movements as if he were guarding a rare treasure.
The medicine was cool and refreshing, with a faint, exotic fragrance. After being applied, the blood beads stopped seeping out instantly.
Dongfang Heng carefully grasped Shen Lixue's wrist, his gaze deep and unfathomable, and said softly, "Let's go find the medicine!"
"Okay!" Shen Lixue nodded with a smile. Being with the one she loved made everything she did a happy and joyful experience.
Bathed in the warm sunlight, the two of them didn't even glance at Dongfang Zhan or Li Youlan again, and walked hand in hand forward.
Zi Mo and the guards of the Holy King's Mansion followed closely behind.
Dongfang Zhan watched the two figures walking hand in hand, his gaze deep and unfathomable. When Dongfang Heng saw Shen Lixue, he didn't question her, nor did he suspect in the slightest that something had happened to her. He truly trusted her.
"Hmm!" Li Youlan groaned softly, slowly opening her eyes. Above her head, a familiar, handsome face came into view. Startled, her hazy gaze instantly cleared, and she abruptly sat up: "Cousin!"
"She's awake!" Dongfang Zhan glanced at her indifferently. "If she's alright, let's get going!" Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue had already gone to find medicine, and he didn't want them to get there first.
"Yes!" Li Youlan replied in a low voice, her eyelids drooping as she quickly straightened her clothes. This cousin of hers was gentle and kind, always smiling, but she felt that his smile was always on the surface and never reached his eyes. That smile was indifferent, distant, and arrogant, making people afraid to get close to him.
As the sun rose higher and higher, the thin mist dissipated completely. Shen Lixue reached the mountaintop, facing the gentle breeze, and carefully examined one cliff after another. Suddenly, her cold gaze sharpened: "Dongfang Heng, look over there, isn't that a Cold Stone Flower!"
Dongfang Heng looked up and saw a white flower growing on the pristine cliff, standing alone in the gentle breeze.
Nestled on a cliff, growing among the rocks, its flowers have five petals, pure white and flawless!
The characteristics described in the book all match that flower.
Dongfang Heng looked at the pattern of the Cold Stone Flower, which was exactly the same as the flower on the stone wall.
"Cold Stone Flower! There really is a Cold Stone Flower here!" A surprised female voice rang out. Li Youlan arrived at the mountaintop, and Dongfang Zhan and the guards of the Zhan Prince's Mansion also arrived one after another.
Shen Lixue frowned. The medicine they were looking for was indeed the Cold Stone Flower.
Dongfang Zhan glanced at the cold stone flowers on the cliff and smiled meaningfully: "Prince An, do we really have to rely on our own abilities to pick the cold stone flowers?"
Dongfang Heng gave a cold laugh: "I'm afraid even if this king and the Prince Zhan wanted to exert their strength, they wouldn't be able to!"
A deep abyss separated them from the mountain peak they stood on. To pick the stone flowers, they would have to use their lightness skill to fly over. The cliff was high above the rocks, teetering on the verge of collapse, and could not support too much weight. Even if Dongfang Heng and Dongfang Zhan had excellent lightness skills, the cliff would not be able to support them. If they flew over to pick the flowers, they would surely die.
If a woman is lithe and possesses exceptional lightness skills, and is extremely careful, she might be able to pluck the Cold Stone Flower and return unharmed.
Dongfang Zhan's gaze sharpened as he looked at Li Youlan: "With your lightness skill, can you fly to the cliff?"
Standing atop the mountain, Li Youlan quickly estimated that the peak was five or six meters from the cliff, with a bottomless abyss in between, offering no foothold. If she used all her strength and proceeded with extreme caution, she could manage to pluck the Cold Stone Flower. However, if something went wrong, she might...
"Dongfang Heng, what are you doing?" Seeing Dongfang Heng slowly walk to the edge of the mountain, Shen Lixue hurriedly reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Pick the Frost Flower!" Dongfang Heng answered simply and succinctly, his sharp gaze fixed on the Frost Flower on the cliff.
“You are a man, too heavy. The cliff can’t support you. Let me go!” Shen Lixue stepped forward.
Dongfang Heng held her shoulders tightly: "I can't let you take any risks!" The mountaintop was too far from the cliff, and Shen Lixue's lightness skill was not yet mature. Picking flowers was dangerous. He would rather take the risk himself than let Shen Lixue get into trouble.
Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Heng seriously: "If I go to pick the flowers, there's still a glimmer of hope. If you go, there's absolutely no chance of success!"
"Cousin, I'm going to pick the Cold Stone Flower!" Li Youlan smiled at Shen Lixue and Dong Zhuheng, her hesitant thoughts instantly settled.
The two of them were so close, caring for each other and worrying about each other, that it was annoying. It was an eyesore to her. The Cold Stone Flower was also very useful to her, so of course she couldn't let them have their way!
“Miss Li, there should be a first-come, first-served order in everything. I discovered the Cold Stone Flower first, so I should be allowed to pick it first!” Shen Lixue said coldly, looking at Li Youlan.
"You can't take the risk!" Dongfang Heng said with a gloomy face, pushing Shen Lixue several meters away from the edge.
Shen Lixue glared at Dongfang Heng: "You'll die if you go to pick the Cold Stone Flower!"
Li Youlan frowned and sighed helplessly, "Princess, it's not that I don't want you to pick it first, but you and the Prince disagree and are hesitant to act. If we delay any longer, it will get dark. I urgently need the Cold Stone Flower to save my life, and there's no time to wait any longer. I'm sorry!"
After speaking, Li Youlan smiled proudly, leaped into the air, and flew towards the cold stone flower on the cliff.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow, a strange smile playing on her lips. It might not be a good thing to rush to pick the Cold Stone Flower!
Li Youlan's lithe body, aided by the mountain's strength, instantly flew to the edge of the cliff. Her slender fingers gripped a small section of the cliff face, suspending her body in mid-air. A slight smile played on her lips as she swiftly reached out with her other hand to pluck a flower.
"Hiss!" A large, blue python suddenly darted out, its long tongue flicking out, and bit down hard on Li Youlan.
"Ah!" Li Youlan was startled and leaned back sharply, barely avoiding the giant snake's attack. A layer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, her heart was pounding, and she was still in shock. How could there be a giant snake on the smooth stone wall?
Shen Lixue blinked. Ancient medical books recorded that top-quality medicinal herbs growing on cliffs are guarded by extremely ferocious animals, and it was indeed true.
Does Li Youlan, who studies poisons, not even read medical books? Rushing to pick the Cold Stone Flower is just rushing to her death.
A white robe fluttered past her eye. Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Heng. His gaze was deep and indifferent. He was not surprised at the appearance of the giant python, as if he had expected things to turn out this way.
With the Cold Stone Flower within reach, Li Youlan focused her gaze and quickly reached out to pick it. She thought to herself that by picking the Cold Stone Flower, she could avoid the python, fly back to the mountaintop, and dampen the arrogance of Chen Lixue and Dongfang Heng.