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Глава 121

Just as Lian Zhao was about to enter the house, the soldiers stopped him somewhat timidly, saying, "Young Master, Miss Zuo instructed that no one should disturb you, so as to avoid any mishaps in your work."

Lian Zhao was slightly disappointed, but still nodded and said, "Okay."

He gave a few more instructions and prepared to leave, but in the end, he turned back with lingering affection, looking at the figure seen through the window.

However, he noticed something amiss after only a moment. The two figures sitting cross-legged must be Wen Su and Luo Yuanqing, and the one who poured the tea should be Xiao Xiao. But no, her figure was clearly different. Putting aside her elegant movements, her height alone was different.

As Guijiu just said, no one has entered or left this place except for Shen Yuan. Could it be...?

Thinking of this, he turned around and walked back quickly.

...

...This is the dividing line representing "I am the biological mother of the lotus seed" = =+...

Xiao Xiao really hadn't expected that sneaking out in Shen Yuan's clothes would be so easy. Haha, actually, this trick of switching clothes isn't that hard to learn!

What surprised her even more was that Shen Yuan was actually one of her own. Previously, upon hearing that Shen Yuan and Lian Zhao had come together, she had been worried. Given this young lady's pure and kind nature, defying the court and committing crimes would be incredibly difficult. Deceiving Lian Zhao would be even more challenging. But now, she had unhesitatingly exchanged clothes with her and even described the entire Shennong family's territory in meticulous detail. She even said she would contact the music hall for backup… Wow, truly, a woman's appearance changes drastically in just three days… no, it's more like a woman who has been away for three days. In short, it was utterly astonishing…

But who doesn't change? Hasn't he changed a lot too? He's become deep and cold, no longer the warm and approachable person she first met… And her? Perhaps she hasn't changed. From beginning to end, she's repeatedly used and deceived him. This time, after stealing the antidote, there's no going back…

Her master once said that everything in the world changes, but the only thing that never changes is memory. Now, these remaining memories should be enough for her to cherish for a lifetime.

She let her mind wander for a while before realizing she still had things to do. She shook her head, banishing those strange thoughts from her mind. Then, following Shen Yuan's directions, she arrived at the Shennong family's pharmacy.

Four disciples of Shennong stood guard at the entrance of the pharmacy.

Xiao Xiao figured it was still early, so she found a quiet corner to hide in, waiting patiently for the right moment to make her move. She crouched down, stretched out her finger, and sighed.

Four people? When she wasn't injured, she could only manage to defeat three at best. Four? How could she possibly do that? And she couldn't alert anyone else; that's just too difficult. Even with four people, a sneak attack was highly unlikely to succeed.

As she was thinking this, she felt another wave of tingling numbness in her arm. Tears welled up in her eyes; her future seemed bleak!

She spoke, silently telling herself, "You are Zuo Xiaoxiao, the Three-String Heroine. You are blessed with good fortune and divine assistance. What is there to fear?" She looked up at the sky again, "Master, if you are watching over me from heaven, please protect me!"

She closed her eyes and waited quietly for another half hour. Then she took a deep breath, leaped forward, and rushed out.

Now, her only chance of winning lies in that set of "must-learn" grappling techniques and her acupressure skills. She wasn't confident she could pinpoint the acupressure points through her clothes, but at this point, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and try.

The four disciples reacted immediately upon seeing a figure flash by. Xiao Xiao struck, targeting their Dazhui acupoints on the backs. Her movements were nimble; the surprise attack subdued two in the blink of an eye. The remaining two, seeing the situation was dire, prepared to call for help. She grabbed one man's wrist and twisted it around his throat. The other, fearing for his companion's life, immediately rushed to his aid. Xiao Xiao abruptly released the former, spun around, and struck the latter squarely on the Dazhui acupoint.

However, this small gap gave the last person a chance to call for help.

His small arms were almost numb, and he was already powerless. Seeing him cry out, all I could do was panic.

However, before the man could finish uttering the word "come," a dark shadow swept past and instantly knocked him unconscious, silencing him completely.

Xiao Xiao was stunned. When she saw who it was, a mixture of joy and worry overwhelmed her, leaving her unsure whether to laugh or worry.

That simple black attire was all too familiar. His face was veiled with a black cloth, not a single hair showing to prevent recognition. The weapon in his hand was an ordinary longsword, without even a tassel…

Xiao Xiao stared at him, stunned for a moment, before finally managing to speak, "It's...it's you..." She thought for a moment, then added, "My benefactor..."

The man nodded, gesturing for her to enter the pharmacy.

Xiao Xiao steadied herself and slipped inside.

The pharmacy was pitch black; given the special circumstances, lights couldn't be turned on. Xiao Xiao closed her eyes for a moment, barely able to see with the few rays of moonlight filtering in. The various medicinal smells mingled together, confusing her sense of smell.

Since it was an antidote, it must be a prepared medicine. She abandoned the medicine cabinet and went directly to the cabinet containing many porcelain bottles. She took out the antidote she was carrying, held it to her nose, and smelled it. Then she picked up another porcelain bottle and smelled it. She repeated this process.

At this moment, the man in black also entered and began searching with her.

When she realized he was walking up to her, Xiao Xiao stopped unconsciously, looked up, and stared at him blankly.

The man in black noticed her gaze, so he stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her.

The moment their eyes met, an inexplicable silence filled the surroundings. Within that silence lay a restless, intense unease, ready to erupt at the slightest touch. And yet, this fragile silence seemed impenetrable, so heavy it was suffocating.

Suddenly, Xiaoxiao felt something brush against her hand. The cold, slippery sensation sent chills down her spine. The next instant, when she saw the object in reality, she gasped in surprise.

The man in black, quick-witted and agile, reached out and covered her mouth.

Xiao Xiao, tears welling in her eyes, fell silent and pointed tremblingly at something on the shelf.

Following her finger, they saw a snake over a foot long with a triangular head, clearly highly venomous. The man in black frowned, about to draw his knife, but after a moment, he suppressed a laugh.

He reached out, grabbed the snake, and waved it around.

Xiao Xiao then realized that the snake was already dead; it was just a medicinal herb placed on the shelf. She wondered how Shennong had preserved it, as its skin was still as fresh as if it were a live snake.

Xiao Xiao let out a sigh of relief and laughed helplessly.

Once the laughter started, it wouldn't stop.

The two laughed joyfully in the dark pharmacy, their emotions surging and unable to subside. Xiao Xiao laughed until tears streamed down her face. Looking at the person in front of her, she felt a sense of ease, just as she remembered.

After a while, the two calmed down and continued searching for the antidote.

After about a quarter of an hour, Xiaoxiao finally found the porcelain bottle with the same medicinal scent. She nodded to the man in black. The man in black understood, pulled her up, and was about to push open the door to go out.

Suddenly, a cold gust of wind swept past, carrying a hidden weapon. He nimbly dodged it and saw several needles with a faint bluish glow stuck in the ground in front of him.

"You audacious thief! How dare you steal medicine from the Shennong family!" The one who administered the needles was naturally the young master Xi Yuan. Although her words were filled with anger, her expression carried a hint of smugness.

Leading a group of Shenxiao Sect disciples, she shouted sternly, "Take them down!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone immediately took action.

Xiao Xiao was feeling utterly helpless when she felt something being placed in her palm. A familiar voice rang in her ear, "Let's go."

Before she could react, she was lifted up by a force and propelled out of the crowd. The moment her feet touched the ground, she knew there was no time for hesitation or doubt; all she could do now was run!

She gripped what she was holding tightly, and with all her might, she ran. Only two words remained in her mind: Lian Zhao.

...

Speechless

Shen Yuan and Luo Yuanqing waited in the room for more than an hour, their anxiety growing stronger.

"It's been too long..." Luo Yuanqing said softly.

Shen Yuan nodded, "However, Miss Zuo will definitely be alright."

Luo Yuanqing frowned and said, "Stealing the antidote and releasing a wanted criminal—even the young master of the Lian family wouldn't tolerate her every time, would he?"

Shen Yuan was about to say something when she heard a weak and indifferent voice.

What did you just say?

Luo Yuanqing was startled. When she looked up, she saw that Wen Su had already woken up and was frowning as she looked at them.

"She went to steal the antidote?" Wen Su asked, then asked another question.

Luo Yuanqing said, "She went..."

Before she finished speaking, Wen Su got out of bed and prepared to leave.

Luo Yuanqing caught up with him in a few steps, stopped him, and said in a low voice, "You can't go out! If you go out, her whereabouts will be exposed!"

Wen Su looked at her, his expression still indifferent.

“Ultimately, she did all this for you, didn’t she?” Luo Yuanqing continued.

Wen Su was slightly startled, and slowly began to realize something. The pain in his body had lessened, and his breathing had become much smoother. No matter how he thought about it, only the Shennong family could have done this. But, given his status and position, how could he possibly ask Shennong for help...?

"What exactly happened? Why am I here?" Unable to find the answer, he could only ask.

Luo Yuanqing sighed, "You should have asked these questions in the first place."

Shen Yuan stepped forward and said, "Please don't stand at the door, be careful..."

She was about to say, "Be careful the guards outside don't notice anything amiss," when the noise outside made her stop.

Before the three could even react in surprise, the door was suddenly flung open.

The person who rushed in was none other than Xiao Xiao.

"Miss Luo, take the antidote!" Xiao Xiao tossed the antidote to Luo Yuanqing and shouted urgently.

As she spoke, a large group of soldiers swarmed over and surrounded the group.

Without further thought, Luo Yuanqing opened the box and swallowed the antidote. To restore her internal energy, she still needed to regulate her breathing. She looked at the many soldiers in front of her, her brows furrowed.

Xiao Xiao was standing outside the door, surrounded by a large group of soldiers, and had no time to protect himself.

Seeing this, Wen Su took a deep breath. He leaped forward, using his momentum to knock down the soldier at the front. He snatched the soldier's knife, quickly cut down several other soldiers, and broke through the encirclement.

"Wen Su!" Luo Yuanqing exclaimed in surprise, stunned.

At this moment, Shen Yuan didn't hesitate at all. She picked up the stool next to the table and threw it away with all her might. Then, she grabbed Luo Yuanqing and walked out.

Luo Yuanqing suddenly realized what was happening and gave a self-deprecating laugh. She mimicked Wen Su, snatched the soldier's sword, and charged forward. Even without internal energy, her techniques and speed remained unaffected; they were just soldiers, she should be able to handle them!

By this time, many disciples of the Shennong family had already gathered around.

Xiao Xiao struggled through the crowd. She had no strength left to attack, and even defense was becoming difficult. At this moment, Wen Su, wielding his sword, rushed into the encirclement and stood beside Xiao Xiao.

When Xiaoxiao saw him, a smile appeared on her face. "Uncle-Master."

Wen Su nodded, but before he could say anything, several soldiers attacked. He pulled Xiao Xiao behind him and drew his sword to meet them.

Xiao Xiao was extremely nervous. How could Wen Su's body withstand such an action!

Sure enough, within a few days, Wen Su knelt on the ground, panting weakly.

Xiao Xiao squatted down and helped him up, "Uncle-Master!"

Wen Su shook his head, "I'm fine..."

Seeing this, the soldiers were about to attack when Luo Yuanqing rushed over with her sword, knocking the men aside, and said, "Miss Zuo, take Wen Su and leave first."

"Hmm." Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao helped Wen Su up and prepared to escape.

Luo Yuanqing gripped the knife, feeling his internal energy gradually recovering, and a smile appeared on his face.

However, at that moment, a cold, emotionless voice rang out from outside the crowd.

"Miss Zuo, what are you doing?"

Everyone was startled to see Ishimitsu standing outside the crowd, with Oniusu and Kanoko beside her. Her expression was cold as she quietly scrutinized the small group.

“It seems that Miss Zuo does not wish to cooperate with me,” Shi Mi said.