Evil spirits attacked, and the two old men rushed over after sensing the aura, but it was still a step too late.
When they arrived at the bamboo house, Nangong Li and Meng Qinghua were both injured, and their Lord Lian Di had also vomited blood after the Evil King.
"Lord Lian Di, are you alright?" Old Man Jia supported Nangong Mo and took his pulse. His expression immediately changed.
"Not good, the master's internal injuries have worsened!"
As Old Man Jia spoke, Old Man Wu also became anxious, "What should we do?"
"Now, that girl Zi Ling has not been found yet. Since these evil spirits appeared, the spiritual energy on that girl has been well hidden. Old Man Wu, have you not calculated the location of that girl these past few days?"
Old Man Jia gently supported Nangong Mo, letting him lean against a tree to recuperate. Nangong Mo had not spoken since.
Old Man Wu did not look at Old Man Jia. He lowered his head and shook it, "With the invasion of evil spirits, the positions in divination have changed across the myriad realms, making it impossible to investigate or locate Zi Ling."
His voice was as usual, with no change, but beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Old Man Jia did not notice. Nangong Mo, who was adjusting his breathing, glanced sideways at Old Man Wu, but said nothing.
The sudden appearance of the two old men greatly surprised Nangong Li and Meng Qinghua, especially when they heard the frequent mention of "Lord Lian Di" from their mouths. They clutched their wounds and supported each other as they walked over, wanting to ask for clarification on who Nangong Mo truly was.
However, as they approached, Nangong Mo suddenly looked at them coldly and said, "Activate the Forgetfulness Curse!"
The order was given.
Nangong Li and Meng Qinghua were still in a daze.
Old Man Jia and Old Man Wu exerted their strength simultaneously. Involuntarily, a faint red flame ignited above the heads of Nangong Li and Meng Qinghua.
Pain! It was a soul-piercing pain!
Nangong Li and Meng Qinghua clutched their heads with both hands, the veins on the backs of their hands bulging.
After a short while, both of them collapsed softly to the ground, their eyes closed.
While they were unconscious, Nangong Mo had finished stabilizing his breathing. He stood up, hands behind his back, and looked at the two lying on the ground. He turned to Old Man Jia and Old Man Wu and instructed, "Evil spirits have been here and have seen them. You two send people to hide in the shadows and protect their safety. If anything happens to them in the future, you will answer with your heads!"
Nangong Mo was usually a man of few words, but he spoke so much now, clearly showing his concern for Nangong Li and Meng Qinghua.
"Yes, your subordinates obey." The two old men accepted the order.
A moment later, Nangong Li and Meng Qinghua woke up. They were both slumped over the stone table as before, with empty wine jars placed beside them. All the furnishings in the bamboo house had been restored to normal, except for a few bamboo trees that had fallen in the courtyard, with green bamboo leaves covering the ground. Strangely, some of the bamboo leaves were black, and the bamboo forest also seemed to have been disturbed.
However, the reason given by Xiao Linzi, who was cleaning up nearby, was that Nangong Li and Meng Qinghua were both drunk and had a sparring match outside.
"Xiao Linzi, are you sure that Meng Qinghua didn't hit me on the head? Why is my head hurting so much?"
Nangong Li clutched his head with one hand, a hint of confusion in his heart.
Why did he not remember anything from when he was drunk? And why did his head hurt so much?
Meng Qinghua shared the same doubts as Nangong Li. He also remembered nothing of what had happened earlier, and his head hurt terribly. Was it true, as Xiao Linzi said, that he and Nangong Li had fought outside?
Despite his doubts, he could not find an answer.
In the early morning, Duan Xifeng arrived, looking for Gu Qianying. However, Gu Qianying had already left the bamboo house.
As Duan Xifeng was leaving after failing to find her, the Scarlet Rain poison in his body flared up, and he fainted outside the bamboo house. Nangong Mo, disguised as Xiao Linzi, saved him.
Meng Qinghua, the master of the Poisonous Doctor's Pavilion, was naturally skilled in medicine. However, no matter how skilled he was, he could not cure someone who was beyond help, like Duan Xifeng at this moment.
Fortunately, Nangong Mo transferred some of his internal cold energy to Duan Xifeng, temporarily suppressing the Scarlet Rain poison with his cold energy poison.
Of course, this action came at a price. The letter that Duan Xifeng was supposed to deliver to Gu Qianying was snatched by Nangong Mo, with the excuse that since Duan Xifeng was injured, it was inconvenient for him, and he would deliver the letter in his stead.
Duan Xifeng refused vehemently and was eventually knocked unconscious by Nangong Mo with a punch.
This caused Nangong Li, who was watching from the side, to silently retract the hidden weapon from his folding fan.
In the palace,
Jiuhua Palace.
After drinking with Nangong Xuanning all night, she was slightly tipsy. In the morning, Lu Zhu prepared some hangover soup, which both Gu Qianying and Nangong Xuanning drank, making them much clearer-headed.
On this day, neither of them left their rooms. They played chess, chatted, and dined indoors. By the end of the day, Nangong Xuanning's mood had improved significantly.
At dinner, the head eunuch by Nangong Qi's side came to deliver an imperial decree: "Imperial Consort, His Majesty's imperial decree is that tonight the Imperial Consort will serve him. His Majesty is currently handling memorials and will come shortly. Please prepare yourself well."
After the chief eunuch croaked out his announcement, he turned and left, leaving behind the golden silkworm thin skirt bestowed by His Majesty. Beneath the thin garment, only three small pieces of pink triangular cloth covered the essential parts. If this dress were worn, everything would be visible, with glimpses of spring that held a unique charm.
"How detestable! Who do you think you are? A famous courtesan from Chunfeng Tower? To send such filthy and indecent attire! Even if he is the Emperor, he shouldn't bully people like this!"
Looking at the gold-embroidered skirt in the box, Nangong Xuanning wished she could smash it on the spot.
Lu Zhu was also sharpening her blade, "Miss, let Lu Zhu go kill that dog emperor!"
When Miss said she was suited to use a knife, she replaced her sword with a knife. After getting used to it, she found the knife to be extremely useful.
There was no one else inside or outside the Jiuhua Palace, not even a serving maid except for Lu Zhu. Therefore, they were not afraid of eavesdropping.
"He must have investigated the true cause of Gu Mingyue's death." Among those present, Gu Qianying was the most composed.
As soon as she said this, Nangong Xuanning's face instantly lost its color. She looked somewhat nervous, her whole body trembling, "What should we do? Will everyone in the world know about my affairs?"
Reputation was extremely important for women, and even more so for royal children.
Gu Qianying looked at Nangong Xuanning, walked over, and pressed her hands down, calming her, "Don't worry, with me here, no one will know. Even if he does know, he wouldn't dare to publicize it, unless he doesn't want his throne anymore!"
For some reason, with Gu Qianying by her side, Nangong Xuanning could indeed feel much more at ease.
"But tonight, he wants you to serve him... what about you?"
With her heart settled, Nangong Xuanning began to worry about Gu Qianying again.
Seeing Nangong Xuanning no longer as happy as before, Gu Qianying's heart ached. The former Nangong Xuanning was arrogant, bold, and happy. How could she be like this now, living so cautiously? She had ultimately failed to protect her well.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. It's not suitable for you to stay here now. I'll have Lu Zhu escort you back and have her guard you closely."
"But..."
Nangong Xuanning was still a little worried, but Gu Qianying smiled and rubbed her head, telling her not to worry, as she had her own ways of dealing with it.
Seeing Gu Qianying's confident demeanor, Nangong Xuanning reluctantly left.