"Are you alright?"
At this moment, Qing Yao remembered Wu Qing's uneven breathing earlier and asked doubtfully.
"I'm fine. Do I look like I'm not?"
Wu Qing spread his hands. He was still as beautiful as a painting, elegant and unrestrained. How could he seem unwell in the slightest?
"Mm, that's good. You're tired. Rest in the cave for a while, and we'll head back tomorrow." After speaking to Wu Qing, Qing Yao turned to Mo Chou on the side.
"Mo Chou, go and instruct Qing Feng and Ming Yue to take turns on guard duty, so that the other can rest. We still have to travel tomorrow, so don't get too tired."
"Yes," Mo Chou responded and walked out.
The group spent the night on Ling Shan until dawn, when they finally emerged from the cave.
They saw the verdant mountains, with silver cascades hanging in the distance, splashing water. Amidst the misty green, there was a clear lake, with countless small animals darting through it.
Ling Shan was truly a place of exceptional natural resources and spiritual energy. Thinking of the two old men they had met last night, each with their own disciples, they were no ordinary people.
Xiao Yu'er had already woken up. Although she didn't have much energy, her eyes were darting around, full of wonder at the world outside, and she began to offer her insightful commentary.
"This place is so beautiful. It's clearly winter, yet the entire mountain is covered in greenery. It's truly a good place, comparable to our Wu Qing Valley."
Wu Qing sat on a chair behind them, gazing at the two figures, one large and one small, with doting eyes. He slowly spoke, "Let's go down the mountain. It's time to go back."
"Okay, let's go back. No matter how beautiful it is outside, it's still not as good as home."
Xiao Yu'er exclaimed, looking up at the silent Qing Yao. A fleeting image flashed through Qing Yao's mind—the memory of coming to Ling Shan with Yin Xuan that day.
"Forget it, why think about those things?" Turning, she smiled at Wu Qing and Xiao Yu'er. "Let's go."
Qing Feng pushed Wu Qing, Mo Chou held Xiao Yu'er's hand, and the others followed behind, heading towards the foot of Ling Shan.
They had rushed here in desperation, traveling through the night. As they left, Xiao Yu'er's body was still not fully agile after her recovery from the Duanchang San, so the carriage traveled more smoothly. Since her poison was cured, they took their time, enjoying the scenery along the way, and it took them two days to return to the valley.
Upon their return.
Mo You and the other children came to visit her. Knowing that her poison was cured, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Wu Qing instructed Qing Feng and Ming Yue to pay close attention to matters in the valley and to absolutely prevent such poisoning from happening again.
"Yes, Young Master." The two accepted the order. There were not many people in the valley to begin with. Who would have thought that a pawn had been hidden there for a long time...
Xiao Yu'er only rested for a few days before she became a lively little girl again, and Qing Yao finally felt a little relieved.
Although she knew those people were connected to Wu Qing and had poisoned them because of him, she did not blame Wu Qing from the bottom of her heart. She knew that Wu Qing was the kind of person who would rather suffer himself to make her happy.
However, since their return, she had not seen Wu Qing much. She didn't know what he was busy with, or perhaps he was deliberately avoiding her.
Since he wouldn't see her, she would go see him. She also needed to thank him for saving Xiao Yu'er.
As Qing Yao was lost in thought, she heard soft footsteps behind her. Without even thinking, she knew who it was. She pursed her lips, smiled, and remained still. Sure enough, a small hand reached out to cover her eyes, followed by a pleasant childish voice.
"Guess who I am?"
"Are you Mo Chou or Xiao Tao?"
Qing Yao deliberately teased her, refusing to guess her. But Xiao Yu'er knew she was teasing, and she had known it was her all along.
Mo Chou and Xiao Tao would never dare to cover their mistress's eyes. They let go of their small hands with a laugh and walked to the side of the stone table, sitting opposite Qing Yao. They raised their eyebrows curiously.
"Mother, why are you sitting here daydreaming by yourself?"
Qing Yao looked up at Xiao Yu'er. Since suffering from the Duanchang San, Xiao Yu'er's mindset seemed to have opened up considerably. She was now fully enjoying her current life, having completely emerged from the shadows of her past life, and her relationship with Qing Yao had grown even closer.
"I was thinking. Didn't you say you were going to find Xiao Hai and the others?"
"They are all practicing. I'm the only one here, and it's very boring." Xiao Yu'er pouted, supporting her chin with her hand, looking utterly uninterested.
Qing Yao frowned and thought for a moment, then smiled faintly. "How about I give you a task? Let's see if you can complete it quickly."
"Okay!" Xiao Yu'er's big eyes sparkled as she stared at Qing Yao. She really wanted something to do.
"I want to build a small munitions factory. Draw me some blueprints. Although there aren't many detonators for hand grenades, we can still build some. Also, design blueprints for smoke and fog grenades, and any other powerful weapons that can be manufactured in this era. Draw blueprints for all of them."
Upon Qing Yao's words, Xiao Yu'er nodded enthusiastically. "Okay!" She leaped down from the stone stool, ready to leave. As she reached the small pavilion, she remembered something and stopped, turning back to look at Qing Yao.
"Mother, can I ask you a question?"
"Why are you building these things?"
Qing Yao's expression was thoughtful, her pupils dark, and a wild smile curved her lips.
"The Seven Kingdoms will be in turmoil before long, and the things we produce can be sold for a good price. Others fight each other, and we make our money. The more chaotic it becomes, the more valuable these things will be. Most importantly, even if someone unifies the Seven Kingdoms, the economic lifeline will be in our hands. Even if we don't become emperors, we will be semi-emperors. Who would dare to mess with us?"
As Qing Yao spoke, her eyes shone brightly. It wasn't just her; Xiao Yu'er's eyes were also shining. Xiao Tao, completely unaware of what they were talking about, followed the two small figures out of the pavilion.
Qing Yao sat in the pavilion, looking outward, pondering silently.
Of course, Xian Yue could have priority in purchasing all these weapons. A smile spread across her entire face, like a seductive poppy, exuding a wild, toxic aura.
Qing Yao stood up and walked out. She was going to see what Wu Qing was doing.
Outside Wu Qing's room, it was completely deserted. She wondered where Qing Feng and Ming Yue had gone. Was Wu Qing not here? Qing Yao pondered silently, where had he gone this time?
Just as she was lost in thought, a soft sound suddenly came from the room, as if something had been knocked over. Qing Yao's expression changed, and she swiftly darted inside. There was someone in the room. Was it Wu Qing?
Rounding the screen, she saw Wu Qing on the wide bed. He seemed even more haggard than a few days ago. At this moment, he was tossing and turning on the bed, convulsing, his face already showing a faint reddish hue. These were clearly bad symptoms. What was wrong with Wu Qing? Qing Yao's head buzzed, and panic seized her. She rushed forward quickly, holding Wu Qing's body.