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Oh no! I was scared stiff by the dream! Now is not the time to be at ease! Where is Yin Xiao? Where is Li Si? And Luo Yuanqing, Ba Jitian... where are they now? Wen Su... he's still seriously injured, what if something happens to him...

Thinking of this, she ignored the soreness and numbness in her hands and feet, put on her clothes, and hurriedly got out of bed.

"Miss Zuo, the acupuncture needles are affecting the circulation of qi and blood. You need to rest and should not get out of bed."

Upon hearing this sound, Xiao Xiao was terrified and almost screamed.

Shi Mi stood at the doorway, her expression as calm and indifferent as ever. Behind her, Hiko, still carrying a lantern, followed with great pomp and circumstance.

"Sect...Sect Master..." Xiao Xiao stared at her stiffly, wondering if it would be better to crawl under the covers.

Shi Mi slowly walked to the bedside, reached out, and took her pulse, saying, "If you have internal energy, you can regulate your breathing on your own. Now, your blood circulation is poor, so your recovery is a little slow. I will prepare some medicine for you; drink it, and you will recover faster."

Xiao Xiao nodded in fear, feeling a sense of unease. Logically, she had provoked Shi Mi with her words, breaking her "Flame God's Awakening." Now, Shi Mi was so concerned about her injuries… Could it be because of Lian Zhao? But was Shi Mi really such an easy person to reason with?

As she was thinking, she heard Shi Mi say, "I have already reconnected all of your martial uncle's meridians..."

Xiao Xiao, who was still pondering, was stunned by these words.

“However, he still carries the rare poison ‘Seven Killings.’ Curing ‘Seven Killings’ will take time. His body is weak, and the process of restoring his pulse just now exhausted him; I fear he won’t be able to hold on. In my opinion, someone needs to help him regulate his internal energy and harmonize his breathing.” Shi Mi, however, remained unconvinced and continued, “The internal energy of the East and South Seas is of the Taiyin Flow, making them the most suitable candidates. If you truly wish to save him, try seeking assistance from the South Sea.”

Xiao Xiao was completely dumbfounded. What was going on? Shi Mi not only didn't retaliate against her, but she even saved Wen Su?! Why?!

At this moment, Shi Mi smiled faintly and said, "Since you are willing to do anything to save him, it shouldn't be difficult for you to do these things, right?"

Xiao Xiao suddenly realized. All those words she used to provoke Shi Mi—could it be…could it be…could it be that Shi Mi didn't realize they were meant to provoke her?! She deliberately mentioned many things about Wen Su to make Shi Mi "think," although later, those words weren't entirely false…could it be that Shi Mi, because she empathized with her,…could it be that…could it be that…could it be that…because she felt the same way, she considered Xiao Xiao a partner who could understand her?

Xiao Xiao froze completely, unable to speak.

Shi Mi's smile lingered in her eyes. "He's in the next room," she said, then turned and left.

Xiao Xiao stayed in bed for a moment, then sighed with tears in her eyes. A bad thing... is only a bad thing if the person involved understands it...

A gentle knock sounded at that moment.

She looked up and saw Lian Zhao standing in the doorway, his eyelashes slightly lowered, and he said, "You still didn't lock the door..."

That one sentence made Xiaoxiao lose her composure. Lock the door… just how many times had he reminded her to do that?

Lian Zhao walked in and asked, "Just now, I saw Shi Mi. Did she come looking for you?"

She nodded slightly.

"She...didn't do anything to you, did she?"

A small head shake.

Lian Zhao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but at that moment, he couldn't think of anything to say. He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "The affairs of the Shennong family are matters of martial arts struggle. It's inconvenient for the imperial court to interfere. Ba Jitian and Yin Xiao's group are currently imprisoned in Shennong's dungeon, and their lives are not in immediate danger..."

Xiao Xiao knew this was unavoidable, and given Lian Zhao's position, doing so was the right thing to do.

"Now..." Lian Zhao looked at her, and asked cautiously, "Are you still willing to submit to the imperial court?"

Xiao Xiao didn't know how to answer. Surrendering to the court would certainly protect herself. But what about Yin Xiao and Ba Ji Tian? Wouldn't doing so now be tantamount to betrayal? Given the current situation, exchanging her surrender for their safety was absolutely unacceptable…

"You should get some rest," Lian Zhao suddenly said.

She glanced up slightly and saw him smiling, his eyes filled with deep tenderness.

"Lian Zhao..." She hurriedly got up, wanting to say something, but she couldn't say anything at all.

Lian Zhao smiled and said, "I was too hasty, I'm sorry. You must be hungry. I've already told the kitchen to prepare something, it will be delivered shortly. I'll take my leave now. As for the matter of surrendering... we can talk about it later."

A feeling of suppressed unease welled up inside her, leaving her at a loss. She suddenly didn't know what the right thing to do was.

Seeing that Lian Zhao was about to leave, she suppressed her guilt and helplessness and said, "Lian Zhao, I... my martial uncle..."

Lian Zhao didn't turn around, but calmly said, "Gu Fen, and all your luggage, I've put them on the table..."

After he finished speaking, he walked out.

Xiao Xiao turned her head slightly and looked at the table. On the table were her sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument), account book, and luggage. The bone buckle engraved with the Lian family crest was taken out and placed neatly to the side.

Xiao Xiao walked over, picked up the bone buckle, and suddenly felt an urge to cry. This bone buckle—how solemnly he had handed it to her, even smiling as he told her: "This is a token of the Lian family. I dare not speak of the martial world, but if any officials see this buckle, they will not make things difficult for you."

With this bone charm, even if she wanted to enter the Shennong family's dungeon to retrieve someone, she probably wouldn't face too many obstacles.

She held the bone bracelet in her palm, clutching it to her chest. A slight pang of pain shot through her heart; they had drifted further and further apart… perhaps, they could never return to where they were. Yet, his incongruous tenderness made her reluctant to let go. Could she still cling to her naive dreams, continuing to hope for something?

Xiao Xiao closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Now, all she could do was what she was capable of!

She calmed herself down, took the bone clasp, and made up her mind.

...

When Lian Zhao left, the smile on his face completely disappeared, replaced by a slightly helpless and painful expression.

He walked for a while, then stopped, her hesitation uncontrollably echoing in his mind. Surrender to the court… how could she possibly do that? Hadn't he understood this from the very beginning? Now, what was he still hoping for?

"Brother Lian?"

He was startled when someone called his name, and he managed to force a smile when he saw who it was.

"Miss Shen."

Shen Yuan was also startled by his reaction, but she quickly regained her usual gentle and polite demeanor. "Brother Lian, you're out so soon?"

"Mm," Lian Zhao replied with a smile.

Shen Yuan sensed something and said, "Brother Lian, it would be better if you explained some things to Miss Zuo."

Lian Zhao was silent for a moment, then said, "No need."

"Why do you say 'no need'?" Shen Yuan frowned. "Didn't you come here for her sake? The affairs of the Shennong family are not something you want to see. If you don't say anything, wouldn't you be making yourself the bad guy?"

Lian Zhao lowered his eyes and did not answer.

In the conflicts of the martial world, right and wrong are often blurred. But back at Jiyu Manor, he had met several elders of Shennong. Their noble character as healers was admirable. And Shi Mi, however, reminded him of Ling You. If it weren't for the imperial decree, he would never have stooped to their level, much less have watched the Shennong family be so utterly destroyed. But those thoughts were merely "if it weren't for..."

"Brother Lian..." Shen Yuan called out when she saw him remain silent.

Lian Zhao raised his eyes and smiled. "Let's not talk about that. Miss Shen, I haven't had a chance to tell you this yet. After we parted ways at Jiyu Manor, I sent someone to bring Old Madam Shen out, and she's now settled in the Lian family's villa. Miss Shen can visit her anytime she wants. I also know a thing or two about what happened in the underground palace. Once things have settled down, I will report to the Emperor and clear Jiyu Manor's name."

Upon hearing these words, Shen Yuan's eyes lit up, and her face was filled with emotion.

"Thank you very much, Brother Lian." She curtsied and said gratefully.

“Miss Shen, there’s no need for such formalities. Lian Zhao bears some responsibility for what happened back then,” Lian Zhao said. “That’s only right.”

Shen Yuan smiled, "Actually, when I saw Brother Lian at 'Drunken Guest House,' I was really a little scared. You looked like a completely different person. However, along the way, I've come to understand a lot." She said earnestly, "You haven't changed. It's just that I never truly understood the real you. Miss Zuo must understand this as well."

Lian Zhao was stunned for a moment, "I..."

“Miss Zuo is the same,” Shen Yuan said with a smile. “Actually, if we could understand each other, we would find that nothing has changed.”

Lian Zhao laughed and said, "Miss Shen is the one who hasn't changed."

Shen Yuan blushed without realizing it. "Me?"

"Mm," Lian Zhao said with a smile, "Thank you."

Shen Yuan lowered her head and said, "Shen Yuan didn't do anything to deserve thanks."

“That’s enough,” Lian Zhao said. “Hearing these words, I feel a little relieved.”

Shen Yuan looked at him, and for some reason, felt a little sad. But she also knew that it was not appropriate to continue this topic. She thought for a moment and said, "By the way, Brother Lian, I have a favor to ask."

Lian Zhao nodded. "Go on."

Shen Yuan carefully chose her words, saying, "When I was imprisoned, it was Yin Xiao and Gui Mei who rescued me... I know they are wanted criminals of the court, but at least I wanted to see them once..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lian Zhao replied with a smile, "Miss Shen, even death row inmates can be visited. There's no need to ask Lian Zhao about such matters."

"Thank you," Shen Yuan replied with a smile.

Lian Zhao nodded. "I have other matters to attend to. Please make yourself at home, Miss Shen."

After he finished speaking, he left.

Shen Yuan stood there, sighed softly, and after a while, turned and left.

...

As expected, Shen Yuan encountered no obstacles when she entered the dungeon. She cautiously followed the soldiers to the cell where Yin Xiao and his group were imprisoned. She saw Yin Xiao, Li Si, Luo Yuanqing, Ba Jitian, and others imprisoned in adjacent cells. Although they looked somewhat disheveled, they did not appear to have suffered any harm.

"Oh, who do we have here? Isn't this Miss Shen?" Li Si said with a smile when she saw her.

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiao was slightly startled and looked up at the outside of the prison.

Shen Yuan stepped forward, asking anxiously, "Are you alright?"

"Aside from having her internal energy sealed, she's fine." Li Si stood up and said, "Miss Shen seems to be doing quite well. As expected of a son of an official and a daughter of a noble family, they're easy to get along with."

Shen Yuan's face immediately turned red. "What nonsense are you talking about? Brother Lian and I are just friends."

"Oh, Brother Lian, what an affectionate way to address him," Li Si continued to tease.

"Matchmaker, shut up!" Yin Xiao suddenly shouted. He stood up, walked to the bars of the cell, and looked at Shen Yuan outside. "What are you doing here?"

When Shen Yuan saw him, half of her original gentleness and politeness vanished. "I just came to see you all, is that not allowed?"

"This is not a place for you," Silver Owl said irritably.

"I can go wherever I want, it's none of your business," Shen Yuan retorted defiantly.

Yin Xiao crossed his arms and said, "I'm not interfering, I'm just worried that this place is dirty and might soil Miss's shoes."

"Thank you for your concern," Shen Yuan replied. "Shen Yuan is not some young lady; she is merely a disciple of the 'Music Workshop.'"

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiao was speechless, but Li Si laughed and said, "A drunken revelry in Lanling lasts for three hundred years."

Shen Yuan smiled and replied, "Let us share a pure dream in this world."

Upon hearing this reply, Yin Xiao paused for a moment, then turned his head away and remained silent.

Seeing his silence, Shen Yuan was slightly smug. "Although I am a woman, I know how to repay kindness. Don't look down on me."

Yin Xiao did not refute, but remained silent.

"Speaking of which, I truly admire Miss Shen for being able to enter the dungeon," Li Si said with a smile.

"I only asked Lian..." Shen Yuan paused, "...to Young Master Lian."

"Would the imperial court's lackeys be so kind?" Yin Xiao asked, his tone displeased.

“Young Master Lian is not some lackey. He is upright and kind, a true man!” Shen Yuan said disapprovingly.

"He's aiding and abetting evil, isn't he just a lackey?! If he were truly upright and virtuous, why would he stand by and watch Shi Mi overthrow the Shennong family and harm people and take lives?!" Yin Xiao roared.