A faint, familiar fragrance tickled Rong Zhi's nose, and her eyes suddenly lit up. This was...
Without a second thought, she employed her lightness skill and pursued the person.
The wind whistled past as the figure ahead maintained a consistent, not-too-close distance from Rong Zhi, clearly waiting for her. Rong Zhi allowed herself to be led out of the General's manor and into the desolate wilderness.
The person stopped, his silhouette appearing particularly bleak under the moonlight. He had suppressed his murderous aura, giving him the air of a mysterious, reclusive master. However, a green plum blossom tattoo on his exposed right wrist hinted at his identity as an imperial guard.
"Who are you? Why were you lurking in the General's manor?" Rong Zhi's voice trembled slightly. The familiar scent had belonged to an old acquaintance, but she suppressed her excitement, unable to reveal her identity.
"Zhi'er."
The voice sent a tremor through Rong Zhi's heart. She hadn't heard that address in over a decade.
"Have you mistaken me for someone else, sir?" Rong Zhi attempted to keep her tone steady.
"I am the best Plum Blossom Guard in the palace. Even that Xia Yunting cannot detect my movements, yet you could follow me. Besides the Imperial Wind Technique of the former Medicine King Valley Master, what other skill could be so formidable?" The man did not turn around, but his voice suggested profound sadness.
Rong Zhi let out a soft laugh. "This is the first time I've seen someone praise themselves so indirectly."
She felt a pang of regret. In her haste, she had forgotten how exceptional her lightness skill was, unmatched by few in the world. If it had been someone familiar, they would have recognized her instantly.
"Since you are the Emperor's Plum Blossom Guard, your presence in the General's manor must be at his command. In that case, I cannot interfere."
Rong Zhi slowly backed away. "Farewell."
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past her. Rong Zhi's heart tightened, and she prepared to dodge with her lightness skill, only to be precisely grasped by the arm and pulled into a cold embrace.
She looked up to see a weathered face, appearing to be at least fifty years old.
The man's gaze was piercing, fixed on Rong Zhi, his eyes alight with a fervent emotion, like a burning flame. "It is you! Zhi'er, I knew it. You are not dead."
Rong Zhi found his gaze intense. "Who exactly is your acquaintance? I believe we are strangers. You must have mistaken me for someone else."
"I have not mistaken you. You are Rong Zhi, the former Master of Medicine King Valley. I would recognize you even in death."
"Master of Medicine King Valley?" Rong Zhi scoffed. "That person died more than twenty years ago. What is your relationship to her? You must be consumed by longing, to have forgotten time. If she were alive today, she would be an old woman." Rong Zhi tried to break free from his embrace but failed.
A flicker of confusion crossed the man's eyes, then he scrutinized Rong Zhi as if trying to see through her.
"I refuse to believe there are two identical people in this world. Your medical skills are divine; how could you have died from the Seven-Day Deadly Poison? There must be some hidden story."
"Let go of me!" Rong Zhi seized the moment of his distraction and pointed a finger at a pressure point. The man was forced to release her.
"If you truly wish to find your friend, please find some evidence. I grew up in the imperial city and cannot possibly be the person you seek."
The man narrowed his eyes, a glint of sharp intelligence appearing. "If you are not her, then how could you have neutralized her uniquely formulated Poison Butterfly Incense?"
Rong Zhi's lips twitched. She had forgotten about that.
The scent from earlier was indeed Poison Butterfly Incense. An ordinary person who inhaled it would ooze black blood. In her previous life, Rong Zhi had been involved in a conflict between martial arts sects and had used this poison. As a precaution, she had taken the antidote beforehand.
In this life, she had idly made all the antidotes she remembered from her past life, consuming them for preparedness. When she inhaled the Poison Butterfly Incense just now, her body naturally showed no reaction. She had found the scent familiar and was eager to investigate, forgetting that she should have been poisoned.
"This poison was concocted by her own hands. I never told a third soul. How could you possibly know?"
Rong Zhi's eyes darted, and she devised a plan. "When I was young, I was poisoned, and my master gave me an antidote. Since then, I have been immune to all poisons. I don't know what your medicine is, but it's useless against me."
The man looked skeptical, clearly not believing her story.
"Believe it or not, I am not her." Relying on his lack of proof, Rong Zhi became obstinate.
"Very well, if you say you are not, then you are not," the man said, his tone softening, as if coaxing a child.
"You are currently staying at the General's manor. Are you here to protect that young brat?"
Rong Zhi knew he was referring to Xia Yunting.
"I have a matter to discuss with the General, and I'm lending a hand. It's merely a transaction."
"That's good. I thought you had taken a liking to him."
Rong Zhi felt a touch of unease at the relief in his voice.
"May I ask what offense he has committed to warrant surveillance by the Emperor's personal guard?"
"There are rumors that he unauthorizedly activated the Imperial Advisor's Soul Reviving Array, incurring the Emperor's grave displeasure. It's a miracle the Emperor spared his life. I am ordered to remain at the General's manor to find evidence. If the evidence is sufficient, he will be executed."
Such a straightforward answer surprised Rong Zhi.
"In that case, have you found any evidence?"
The man shook his head. "He is very cautious and has left no loophole."
"Then why aren't you leaving quickly?" It was because he was there that Xia Yunting was constrained and couldn't even tell her the truth.
"Zhi'er, it's been so long. Why are you so cold to me?" His tone sounded mournful.
"I've told you, I am not your acquaintance. I simply believe you should conduct your business professionally."
"Don't worry. Since you intend to protect him, he will be fine."
His assurance was unwavering, just as it had been years ago. At that moment, Rong Zhi almost lost control of her emotions.
"I can't defeat you anyway. Do as you please!" To avoid revealing any weakness, Rong Zhi stopped talking to him and turned to leave. As she walked away, she could still feel a pair of intense eyes watching her from behind.
Upon her return, Rong Zhi suddenly felt that the oppressive atmosphere in the courtyard had lessened considerably.
When she reached her room, Zhang Can, lying on the bed, let out groans of pain. Rong Zhi quickly moved forward and sealed his acupoints.
Before the medicine arrived, someone had to be by his bedside constantly. She had only been gone for a short while, and Zhang Can's condition had already worsened slightly.
After sealing his acupoints, Rong Zhi channeled some internal energy into him to sustain his life.
Soon, the pained expression faded from Zhang Can's face, and his breathing gradually calmed.
At this moment, Rong Zhi couldn't help but recall the man from earlier.
A name surfaced in her mind—Xiao Jianli, once the sect leader of the Twin Wonders Sect. While traveling, Rong Zhi had witnessed numerous conflicts among martial arts sects, with countless bloody battles and wiped-out clans. The Twin Wonders Sect was a small sect that, during a struggle with another sect, was poisoned, leaving only a handful of survivors. Rong Zhi happened to pass by and saved them.
Although the few survivors were rescued, the sect's numbers were greatly reduced, and the sect collapsed. The survivors dispersed, but the former sect leader became fixated on her, insisting on marrying her.
Rong Zhi, at the time, was solely focused on traveling and treating the illnesses of common people, with no intention of marriage. He had pestered her for some time.
Later, when the Tianque Kingdom intended to recruit Medicine King Valley, they sent troops multiple times, using both persuasion and force. Xiao Jianli defended Medicine King Valley and repelled the invading forces.
After her death, she heard that Medicine King Valley had been incorporated into the Tianque Kingdom. Rong Zhi had not had the chance to inquire about the fate of this old acquaintance. She never expected him to become one of the Emperor's personal guards.
Just as she was lost in thought, a soft voice called out from beside her, "Xiao Mo." A warm hand rested on her shoulder.
Rong Zhi turned to see Xia Yunting with a complex expression.
"General, why are you up so late and coming to my place?" As she spoke, Rong Zhi felt a weight on her body. The man had embraced her, pressing against her shoulder, making it difficult for her to breathe.
"Are you finally going to confess to me?" Rong Zhi's tone softened, and she heard a low reply in her ear.
"The person watching has left."
Rong Zhi frowned. She could sense that the person had not truly left, merely moved further away, though the distance would no longer pose a threat.
"What exactly happened?"
She pushed him away, looking him in the eye with a hint of accusation. If he hadn't been so evasive, she wouldn't have suffered those lashing.
Xia Yunting remained silent for a moment, seemingly deliberating where to begin.
"Do you know of the Imperial Advisor?"
Rong Zhi nodded. He was a legendary figure, said to have retired and never reappeared in public. Everything about him had become legend, with tales claiming he could commune with spirits.
"He is my master."
Xia Yunting's words startled Rong Zhi. The great general who had campaigned for years and the Imperial Advisor being master and disciple was utterly unexpected.
"Years ago, my father passed away, and my mother followed him. My father was upright and just, offending many. I was subsequently hunted. By chance, I escaped to the Imperial Advisor's residence. He drove off my pursuers and offered to take me as his disciple. After teaching me some rudimentary skills, an accident occurred. The Emperor ordered him imprisoned, and I went to the border. But I never forgot how my father and mother met their tragic end."
"I secretly gathered a group of people and, following my master's instructions, constructed an array, hoping to see if he truly possessed the ability to revive the dead. This has always been a secret. I never expected it to be discovered recently and reported to the Emperor."
This must be the Soul Reviving Array Xiao Jianli mentioned, Rong Zhi realized the full sequence of events.
"So you are currently under surveillance."
"Precisely." Xia Yunting's expression was wary. "That person's martial arts are formidable. I am no match for him, which is why I pretended not to recognize you earlier."
Rong Zhi said, "Is that why you beat me until I was covered in bruises?"