"Yes, my name is Yun Heng."
Since she had been discovered, Yun Heng stopped pretending.
She was slightly surprised. She hadn't expected Li Hao to trust Chu Qingze so much that he would even reveal their true identities to him.
"You want to cooperate with us. Why should we trust you?" Yun Heng shifted her attention back to Rong Zhi. She had already realized that this woman was not simple and wondered if she had ulterior motives.
Rong Zhi said, "Li Hao is poisoned with the Seven-Day Poison. I can cure it. You can wait until Li Hao has recovered before deciding whether to trust me."
"You know about the Seven-Day Poison?" Yun Heng's tone was full of doubt.
This poison was rare. As far as she knew, the Blood Drinking Pavilion had been stationed here for many years, and despite consulting numerous physicians and experimenting on many people, they had never found a cure.
This young lady looked no older than twenty, yet she dared to boast that she could cure the poison?
"Nonsense. If you could cure it, why wouldn't you just heal Li Hao directly? Why is his condition fluctuating?"
"Do you know what it means to prescribe the right medicine for the illness? Although I know he's poisoned with the Seven-Day Poison, I don't know exactly how he was poisoned, or if he's been poisoned by anything else. If I were to use the wrong medicine rashly, the properties could counteract each other in his body, possibly leading to his death. I've been using medicine to slow down the poison's progression, keeping him alive until now. Isn't that enough proof?"
Yun Heng considered this and found it reasonable.
People in Yanzi Mountain who were poisoned like this usually died within about seven days. Li Hao had been poisoned for much longer than that.
"Why do you want to cooperate with us?"
There had to be a reason for everything. No one would dare to cooperate with someone who sought nothing in return.
"Nothing else, just seeking wealth."
Yun Heng looked at Rong Zhi, appraisingly. "What, are you also coveting the Zhang Manor's vast fortune?"
"Yes, but not just for the Zhang Manor. It's better to shelter under a big tree. I believe that by following you, I will earn even more money in the future."
As soon as she spoke, a spark flashed in Yun Heng's eyes. She thought this young lady was quite similar to herself and felt a bit more favorably towards Rong Zhi.
"What's your name?"
"Lin Mo."
"Alright, in that case, I'll wait for your antidote to take effect."
Yun Heng said this while casually observing Xia Yunting.
Although this person hadn't spoken, his aura was too strong to ignore. Looking at his face, it was one that people would easily forget after seeing it.
"Then it's settled. We've already given the prescription for slowing down the poison to the servants here. As long as they administer the medicine on time, the poison won't spread too quickly. We'll produce the antidote as soon as possible."
"Good, we'll be waiting."
Thus, a cooperation was formed. As they escorted the group out, Yun Heng deliberately lowered her voice and said to Chu Qingze.
"Li Hao should have told you that our affairs are confidential. It seems you didn't keep your promise."
Chu Qingze scrutinized her from head to toe. Seeing that she was a young girl, short in stature, and with a weak aura, and considering their previous conversation, it was clear she hadn't been in the Blood Drinking Pavilion for long. She couldn't compare to the cunning and tenacious Li Hao, so Chu Qingze didn't take her seriously. He simply said, "When Li Hao was managing the Zhang family, I hadn't found the antidote yet. Now that someone can produce an antidote, you've arrived. It seems like fate!"
This was implying that Yun Heng was lucky, having stumbled upon a great opportunity and achieved a significant accomplishment right from the start.
Yun Heng thought about it and realized it was indeed the case. She couldn't help but feel a bit happier and didn't pursue the matter with Chu Qingze further.
"Hmph, sharp-tongued."
She snorted but didn't seem angry. She whistled and walked away.
Chu Qingze narrowed his eyes. The Blood Drinking Pavilion was such a cautious organization. Would they really send such an ignorant young girl? Could this girl be hiding her true abilities?
After seeing the group off, Yun Heng immediately summoned a servant and had him deliver a note to the yamen.
The servant, who had been arranged by Li Hao to run errands for the Zhang Manor, took the note and left.
Yun Heng then went to Li Hao's room.
She looked at the person lying on the bed, unconscious and weak, and fell into deep thought.
Li Hao was originally the treasurer of the Blood Drinking Pavilion. However, as the number of people stationed in Changping County by the Blood Drinking Pavilion grew, so did the expenses. Thus, Li Hao was sent to the Zhang family to provide funds for the pavilion.
But this was a simple task. Who couldn't do it? Yun Heng genuinely felt that she was much more capable than Li Hao. This was a golden opportunity. If she killed Li Hao now, wouldn't all the Zhang family's assets fall into her hands?
The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became. She couldn't help but reach out, about to choke the person on the bed. Suddenly, Li Hao erupted, grabbing her with manic strength and making a terrifying, strange sound.
"I'll kill you! Kill you! Ahhh!"
"What the hell! Li Hao, what are you doing?"
Yun Heng was caught off guard and was lifted into the air by Li Hao, her breath immediately cut off. Her face gradually turned red and then purple. She couldn't break free at all and could only struggle with her limbs.
Li Hao seemed to have lost consciousness, his eyes unfocused. He only tightened his grip, and the instinct for survival flooded Yun Heng's mind. With a surge of strength she didn't know she had, she kicked forward, hitting Li Hao's eye.
Li Hao, in pain, released Yun Heng. Yun Heng cursed and retaliated. The two immediately began to brawl, and the room was filled with crashing sounds.
Outside, the maids and servants gathered around, curious and fearful. Amidst the shoving, a servant cautiously opened the door and peeked through the gap. He saw the two inside fighting fiercely, a brutal scene.
The servant then quietly closed the door again.
Amidst this commotion, no one remembered that in another room, there was still a "deceased" Old Master Zhang.
Old Master Zhang was unconscious, Li Hao was in a frenzy, and Yun Heng was solely focused on the Zhang family's fortune. No one even mentioned the funeral.
It wasn't until midnight that Li Hao finally regained consciousness. He looked at the familiar ceiling above him and felt the soreness throughout his body. Suddenly, he felt an unprecedented clarity.
Who was he? Where was he? What was he doing?
His fragmented memories gradually pieced together. Recalling what had happened, several questions simultaneously arose in his mind.
Who had captured him and taken him to Yanzi Mountain that day? Why was he sometimes clear-headed and sometimes confused? Why did he seem to see a woman in his daze?
His first reaction was that he was hallucinating, so he couldn't help but shout outside.
"Help! Someone!"
The next moment, a figure with messy hair and a bruised and swollen face floated before him.
Li Hao's mind cleared completely from the shock.
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'm your ancestor!"
Yun Heng said indignantly and began to roll up her sleeves and clench her fists. "You dare to wake up? You got the better of me during the day, but now I'm going to get my revenge!"
She roared and charged at Li Hao. Li Hao, still injured, couldn't move well. Just as he was about to be beaten into a similar pig's head, he suddenly shouted, "Yun Heng! Are you looking for death?"
Yun Heng's hand froze in mid-air.
"You know me?"
"Nonsense. Go outside and find someone to come in, or I'll kill you."
Although Li Hao was poisoned, he was still from the Blood Drinking Pavilion, and his words were filled with threats.
The momentum Yun Heng had just built up immediately dissipated. "If you have something to say, just tell me. Why call for someone else?"
Li Hao didn't want to face this bruised face, but he grudgingly asked, "What happened while I was unconscious?"
"Chu Qingze brought a doctor who claimed to be able to cure your poison. The servants brewed the medicine according to the prescription, and then you went crazy."
Yun Heng explained concisely and clearly.
"A doctor? What was her name?"
"Lin Mo." Yun Heng tried her best to recall Rong Zhi's appearance. "She looked young, probably under 20, small and thin. A tall man was with her, with an ordinary face. I've already commissioned the hall master to investigate the backgrounds of these two, so you can rest assured and recover."
Towards the end, Yun Heng's tone carried a hint of pride.
Li Hao snorted. "I'm not dead yet, and you've already rushed over."
"I'm just taking care of you," Yun Heng said, deliberately ignoring the fight from earlier.
"There's one more thing."
"What?"
"That woman killed the old man."
"What?" Li Hao thought he misheard.
"She killed the old man. It looks like she's trying to pledge her allegiance to us in this way. I think this person is quite suitable for us."
The Blood Drinking Pavilion was a place where only the truly perverted could enter.
"Where is that old man?"
"Ah, he's still in his room."
Yun Heng was taken aback. She suddenly remembered that the corpse hadn't been dealt with yet. It was hot weather, and the body had been left in the room for a long time. Would it have started to stink by now?
As soon as she spoke, a frightened voice suddenly came from outside.
"Bad news, Steward! The Master's body is gone!"
"What? Gone?" Li Hao sat up abruptly, but due to his sudden movement, he felt a sharp pain in his heart and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong with you? Don't suddenly spit blood and scare me!"
"Quick, find the body!" Li Hao pointed outside and said to Yun Heng.
"Why are we looking for it? He's already dead." Yun Heng didn't understand.
"Who stole the body? What if he's not dead?"
These words, filled with disappointment, suddenly made Yun Heng vigilant.
Someone was playing tricks?
"I'll go look now."
And so, no one slept that night. They searched the entire Zhang Manor top to bottom, all in search of the now "departed" Old Master Zhang.
However, no matter how they searched, they couldn't find even a corner of his robe. Old Master Zhang seemed to have vanished into thin air. As they searched, Yun Heng gradually realized the seriousness of the situation.
Could this matter be related to that Lin Mo?
"Steward, what do we do now?"
Meanwhile, the missing Old Master Zhang had successfully reached the mass grave and Chu Qingze's underground herbal storage.
The effects of the medicine had worn off, and Old Master Zhang had woken up. However, after the previous ordeal, he was extremely weak. Rong Zhi gave him a few acupuncture treatments. Once his complexion improved slightly, she turned to Chu Qingze and asked, "Is it safe here? Will the people from the Blood Drinking Pavilion find this place?"
"Don't worry, my storage is very safe."
Rong Zhi glanced at the secret passage leading outside and couldn't help but sigh. As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. She hadn't expected Chu Qingze to have a secret room within his underground storage.
"Now the people from the Blood Drinking Pavilion will definitely suspect us, Xiao Mo. We should make plans accordingly," Xia Yunting said to Rong Zhi with a serious expression.
Rong Zhi agreed. "They are probably already investigating our origins. We'll deal with them as they come. If they want to find out your identity, we'll give them a fake one and make it impossible for them to investigate."
"You already have an idea?" Xia Yunting's eyes lit up, and he looked at Rong Zhi with pleasant surprise.
"Just a preliminary thought."
The two exchanged a smile. Chu Qingze, standing beside them, looked bewildered.
"What are you talking about? What identity?"