"Your martial uncle would have arrived too late, and you would have died here!"
Gu Qianying propped herself up on the edge of the bed.
Duan Xifeng reached out a hand to help her, but she dodged it. "Water, I want to drink water."
"Ha!"
Duan Xifeng laughed. He rubbed his hands together, shrugged, and got up to fetch Gu Qianying a cup of tea. The tea warmed her body slightly. Just as she felt better, she said, "Snacks, I'm hungry."
She hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch, and had spent most of the day busy developing an antidote. Coupled with not eating much the previous day, her body couldn't handle it.
"Fine, I must have owed you in my past life."
Seeing Gu Qianying being so informal with him, Duan Xifeng was at a loss for words, a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Fortunately, there were some snacks in the room. He handed them to her. She ate a few casually, and once she felt less hungry, she looked at him and asked, "Why did you come back? Was your trip to the Northern Ridge not smooth?"
Although she asked this, Gu Qianying's hands were not idle.
She took out the remaining poison powder hidden on her person, along with some silver needles that could be temporarily used as hidden weapons. After coating them with poison powder, she put them away and placed them on her person.
"Why did I come back? Naturally, I was afraid you would die here."
When he returned, he was frantic. His clothes were wrinkled, and the edges of his robes were stained with dust, but he hadn't had time to tidy up. Gu Qianying didn't notice, mistaking his words for a joke.
"Oh, I've disappointed my martial uncle. I'm fine."
Her faint reply was casual and perfunctory.
Duan Xifeng was amused to the point of anger. "Yes, you're fine, incredibly fine. That's why I'm so disappointed, alright!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his attention shifted to the silver needles coated with poison powder in Gu Qianying's hand. He frowned and asked, "What are you going to do?"
The moment he saw Gu Qianying, Duan Xifeng finally breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he judged that the step Gu Qianying was taking was part of her plan. Otherwise, the hundred disciples hidden in the dark would have already made their move.
Concern made him reckless; he was capable of such things too!
"Storm Kun Ning Palace and snatch someone!"
After preparing what she needed, Gu Qianying walked to the palace maid lying on the ground, stripped off the maid's clothes, and put them on.
Duan Xifeng, not understanding what was happening, followed her and asked, "Who are you going to snatch?"
Who was worth her abandoning her original plan, exposing herself without obtaining the Yi Ling Pearl, and even putting herself in danger, risking her life?
"Nangong Mo!"
Yes! It was him, that noble who was imprisoned in the imperial concubine's chambers by the Empress of Xia, poisoned and unconscious. It was Nangong Mo! Yes, it was him!
No one could cure the strange poison he was afflicted with, but she could. It was precisely because of this that she recognized the noble mentioned by Granny Lan as Nangong Mo!
Only Nangong Mo's peculiar poison was so unique, so much so that it constantly emitted a faint scent of bamboo, an unforgettable aroma that made her instantly recognize the man lying on the bed in Kun Ning Palace as Nangong Mo.
But why was he here?
How did he appear here?
Seeing that the Empress of Xia seemed to know him, how did they know each other?
Her mind raced with countless thoughts and doubts,
But at the moment, she couldn't afford to consider anything else; she only wanted to snatch him away.
"What? Ninth Prince Nangong Mo? He... how could he be here?"
"I don't know!" Gu Qianying's answer was crisp, which also made Duan Xifeng very annoyed. Glancing at the hidden sentinels in her other hand, Duan Xifeng swept past her, turned around, and blocked Gu Qianying's path. He asked, "So... you're planning to perish together? Do you want all of us who came out with you to die here?"
Beneath his sharp gaze, his previously flippant expression was gone.
Gu Qianying was stunned.
Her reason returned, and she calmed down.
Yes!
There were still these people with her.
At this moment, she couldn't act impulsively!
"I have news about what you asked me to inquire about. Take a look."
Seeing that Gu Qianying had calmed down, Duan Xifeng also felt relieved. He took out the letter hidden in his embrace and handed it to Gu Qianying.
Gu Qianying opened it and read the shocking content of the letter, remaining in a daze for a long time until Duan Xifeng waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Stunned?"
The sharp pain made Duan Xifeng flinch. He looked at Gu Qianying, whose expression was unusual. "What's wrong?"
"She's actually the Royal Consort? The Empress Dowager's own sister? How could this be?"
Duan Xifeng was equally shocked by Shi Momo's identity, but even more surprised by Gu Qianying's icy expression after her shock.
"Niece, did this Shi Momo offend you somewhere? You look so scary."
"I thought all the plans were under my control, but I didn't expect that every step of this plan would be for someone else's benefit, and we, as outsiders, have become pawns in someone else's hands! Hah! I overestimated my abilities and underestimated the opponent's cunning."
Her words left Duan Xifeng utterly confused.
Before he could ask anything, he heard Gu Qianying say, "Since they've set up such a big scheme, as participants, we must follow their pace and play along with the act!"
"What? Niece, what are you talking about?"
Duan Xifeng became even more confused.
Gu Qianying didn't explain. She simply burned the white paper in her hand, wrote another letter, handed it to Duan Xifeng, and told him, "Take this letter to the old Gu family residence. Someone will be waiting there to receive it."
"I'm not going. I'd rather die than go. I'll stay here, I..."
His words stopped when he saw Gu Qianying take out the exclusive thumb ring of the Master of the Poisonous Doctor's Holy Pavilion. He meekly shut his mouth and mumbled, "Got it, got it, I'll go, alright?"
He and Gu Qianying were fellow disciples, and Gu Qianying was the master. Naturally, he had to obey her.
As he left, Duan Xifeng, worried, cautioned her, "You are the master, and I can listen to you, but you must stay alive for me. If I come back and you're not here, I'll dismember your master, Old Bai! Do you hear me?"
His words were filled with concern, his eyes reddened, and his voice hoarse.
She was skilled in martial arts and possessed profound inner strength, but even the strongest fists couldn't fend off many attackers. This place was a foreign palace, where hidden arrows and conspiracies were everywhere. Leaving her alone, even with five hundred disciples guarding her, it was difficult to retreat safely from such a perilous situation!
He was naturally worried about her safety.
"Alright, seeing you act like this is a farewell between life and death, as if I, your master, am made of paper! Hurry up and get lost. If you delay the plan, I won't spare you!"
Gu Qianying pushed Duan Xifeng out.
Duan Xifeng looked back at her three times before leaping out the window and disappearing into the night.
Watching his retreating figure, Gu Qianying smiled.
This time, he hadn't brought her medicine. She didn't know if he had forgotten or intentionally omitted it. If it was the former, she considered it luck; if it was the latter, she would be grateful to him.
At that time, she was the one who gambled with her life, and she was the one willing to test the medicine. Even if she died in the end, it was her own choice. But now, Duan Xifeng, who was supposed to be monitoring her, had unknowingly sided with her. She was very happy because she had gained another friend in this world.
Recalling her thoughts,
Gu Qianying closed the doors and windows.
Duan Xifeng moved through the darkness. After leaving the Xia Kingdom's imperial palace, he arrived at a dilapidated temple.
Before he could enter, a figure blocked his path. "How is it? How is Miss Gu? Is she injured? You came back alone? Why didn't you rescue her?"
The barrage of questions made Duan Xifeng laugh. He looked at Yan Kuan suspiciously, sizing him up before smiling and asking, "Young Master Yan, have you fallen for our little niece, Gu Qianying?"
Yan Kuan was startled. Meeting Duan Xifeng's teasing gaze, he stammered, unable to articulate anything. "I... I haven't. I'm just very... worried about Miss Gu. I..."
"Enough, stop being so indecisive. You can like her, but you can't marry her. You're not worthy, not worthy, understand?"
Duan Xifeng bumped Yan Kuan hard with his shoulder and walked to the wooden table to pack some supplies he would need on his journey.
It would take some time to travel from the Xia Kingdom to the Eastern Sheng Kingdom, so he needed to be prepared.
Provisions and good wine were essential.
His back to Yan Kuan, he was completely unaware of Yan Kuan's reddened eyes and clenched fists, which were almost bleeding.
In the Empress of Xia's Kun Ning Palace,
Confined to her room, Gu Qianying learned from the palace maid guarding her that the "noble" in the Xia Empress's chambers had finally woken up.
However, as soon as the person woke up, they were imprisoned by the Xia Empress.
Their hands were bound with heavy iron chains, and their bones were pierced, rendering them immobile.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianying's pupils flashed with a cold light. She clenched her soft fingers in forbearance. After lingering in the room alone for a moment, she obtained a prescription. She presented the prescription to the Xia Empress through the palace maid.
As before, after careful examination by two imperial physicians, no problems were found. The Xia Empress drank the medicinal soup, and her physical condition improved significantly over two days. The five-day deadline had arrived.
On this day, the Xia Empress specifically summoned Gu Qianying and prepared a table full of delicacies for her. She said it was a farewell dinner, and she would keep her promise and let her leave.
However, she did not summon Gu Yi and Lu Zhu, who were working in the Xin Zhe Ku. She only said that she had sent Granny Lan to find them.
The Xin Zhe Ku was quite far, and delays on the road were possible.
"Miss Gu, as we part ways today, all grievances between us will be settled. I wonder, after Miss Gu leaves, will the minor ailments on my body still recur?"
Her words were filled with probing.
The Xia Empress was still somewhat uneasy.
"They will not recur!"
Miss Gu looked at the Xia Empress, her voice clear and cold.
"If that is the case, it is for the best. Such brilliant medical skills are a pity not to retain. Coincidentally, our Emperor has had a headache these past few days. I hope Miss Gu can examine our Emperor..."
"But... he will die!"