Willow swept a glance at Riyo, disagreeing with Riyo joining them. "You stay in the palace to protect His Majesty," she said. "I have enough people with me."
"No, Your Majesty, I cannot rest easy if the Empress leaves the palace. If anything happens to Your Majesty, I cannot report back to His Majesty. There are many imperial guards in the palace, and the leader of the martial arts alliance, Zhan Yun, is also here to protect us. Please don't worry, Your Majesty."
"Fine, since you insist on accompanying me, we will leave tomorrow. However, you must disguise yourself so no one recognizes you," Willow instructed, feeling a bit tired. She turned and walked back to her sleeping quarters. Riyo responded, "I obey."
After a night of snow, as dawn broke, Willow rose and donned men's attire. Dressed as Zhong Li Yu Xiu, her every movement exuded a commanding aura, a peerless, elegant young gentleman. Because the weather outside was too cold, Hong Xiu draped a white cloak of fox fur over her, which only enhanced her extraordinary charm.
"Let's go," she said. Her attendants nodded in unison, "Yes."
Exiting Weiyang Palace, the area outside the palace was a world draped in silver. The cold wind howled, and icicles hung from the eaves like silver fish, neat and orderly. As far as the eye could see, it was a world of white, save for the single branches of plum blossoms extending from the corners of walls, adding touches of blood-red, enchantingly beautiful.
Willow decided to head to Lishong Mountain, as Lishong, the master of A'Bao, lived there. Master Lishong was already over a hundred years old but still full of vigor. His medical skills were superb, making him one of the few divine physicians in the world.
Lishong Mountain was far from the capital, nestled amidst remote, rugged mountains and dense forests. But for Feng Xie, she would brave any difficulty. Willow looked back at the tall, majestic city gate as she rode, murmuring, "Feng Xie, I will definitely bring you the antidote. You must hold on. Let's persevere together." With that, she turned, tugged the reins, and galloped forward. The biting cold wind felt like knives slicing across her cheeks, yet she felt no pain. Her heart, however, was warm, knowing he was waiting for her.
The troop of people behind her followed close behind, flicking their reins as they left the capital for Lishong Mountain.
The group traveled day and night without rest, both exhausted and hungry. Yet their mistress was like a madwoman, pushing onward relentlessly. Seeing her like this, her attendants felt heartbroken, but she paid no heed to their words. After half a month of continuous travel, they were finally not far from Lishong Mountain. Coincidentally, they encountered a small town, and everyone refused to go further. Most importantly, their mistress had lost a lot of weight; her usually radiant face was as pale as a ghost. Already suffering from the蛊毒 (gu poison), coupled with days of arduous travel, even an ordinary person would be unable to endure it. Thus, they were determined not to rush any longer and insisted on staying at an inn.
The last rays of the setting sun illuminated the small town with over a hundred households, its walls green and roofs red, with snow piled on the tiles. The streets were sparsely populated. A gust of wind blew, kicking up falling snow that swirled in the air, fluttering onto their bodies and faces. Several people couldn't help but laugh simultaneously.
"Mistress, look, you've become a white-haired person."
Hong Xiu wanted to ease the atmosphere, teasing her mistress. The tension on their mistress had been too high these past few days; it was time to relax. Lishong Mountain was within reach, and they could ascend tomorrow. Their mistress could finally rest easy.
"You all are too," Willow said, knowing her attendants' intentions. She forced a smile, feeling a bit weary, and led her horse towards the town. Indeed, everyone had been exhausted these past few days. They would rest for one night and then head to Lishong Mountain in the morning.
"Dai Mei, find an inn for us to stay."
"Yes, Mistress," Dai Mei replied, obeying. She mounted her horse and galloped away. The rest of them, leading their horses, ambled down the street, drawing attention. In this ghastly weather, few dared to venture out, so they found it curious. Many peered out, but Willow swept them a cold glance. She was clearly a beautiful young man, yet the killing aura emanating from her made people immediately shrink back. Then came the clanging sound of doors slamming shut. The people in these small places were always timid, fearing trouble.
Dai Mei returned, dismounted, and cupped his fists respectfully. "Mistress, there's an inn ahead. Let's go there. This weather is terribly awful," Dai Mei said, blowing on his hands, clearly cold. Willow nodded. "Alright, let's mount our horses."
The group mounted their horses and followed Dai Mei towards the inn, leaving behind a trail of hoofbeats.
Soon, they arrived at a modest inn. There was no one in sight. The innkeeper and the waiter were dozing inside. Feng Guai Wu Lang Jun, known for his temper, walked over and slammed his hand forcefully on the counter, his voice booming like thunder. "Immediately arrange rooms for us!"
Startled by his voice, the innkeeper and waiter stared at the group before them. After a moment, they realized these people were here to stay and became ecstatic. They hadn't seen any guests for days. Besides a beautiful young man already residing there, there were no other guests. To their surprise, another handsome young man appeared. The innkeeper grinned, revealing a mouth of yellow teeth. A flicker of disgust crossed Willow's eyes as she turned and walked into the dining hall, finding a clean spot to sit.
"How many rooms do you require, honored guests?" the innkeeper asked, surveying the group from head to toe, unsure of their needs. Feng Guai Wu Lang Jun, whose temper was already poor, slammed the counter again. "Are you blind or what? How many people, how many rooms!"
"Yes, yes, we will prepare them immediately," the innkeeper said cheerfully. It seemed these were wealthy patrons, but the one before him appeared difficult to deal with. He quickly instructed the waiter to prepare rooms for the guests. Willow glanced at everyone, feeling cold and hungry. Rooms could wait. She said calmly, "First, bring us some hot wine, and then some good dishes."
"Yes, honored guest, please wait," the waiter said with a smile, turning to go inside to prepare the wine and dishes. Soon, they were served.
After drinking some hot wine and eating some hot dishes, their fatigue lessened considerably. The waiter had already prepared the rooms and led their horses to the back for feeding. Full of wine and food, everyone rose to go upstairs to rest. Willow led the way but was blocked by guests coming from above. She couldn't help but feel annoyed, radiating a cold aura. Her devilish eyes swept over the approaching person, only to freeze in surprise upon the first glance.
The person before her wore a pure white robe, his hair bound by a jade hairpin. His radiant face was dusted with a heavenly glow, and a hint of astonishment flashed in his crystalline eyes, a fleeting smile gracing his lips. He spoke with a pleasant demeanor, "Willow, how is it that you are here?"
"Nangong Yue, what are you doing in this small town?"
Willow's voice was filled with immense joy, first because she had encountered a familiar face in such an unexpected place, and second, because Nangong Yue's medical skills were indeed remarkably high.
Upon seeing him, Willow felt as if she had found hope. She reached out and grasped Nangong Yue's hand. Nangong Yue's fingertips trembled, and a fiery warmth spread throughout his body. The woman who caused such trouble for others was completely unaware.
"I feared being reminded of painful memories, so I left the capital and have been wandering," Nangong Yue said meaningfully. Willow blinked, understanding his implication, and quickly released his hand, offering a sheepish smile.
"No wonder I couldn't find you at your residence. I was a bit worried about you. Actually, with your high martial arts skills, you wouldn't suffer anywhere."