His words seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
Nan Shiying didn't quite grasp them and shifted her position, leaning back. She turned her head to look at Ji Hong and retorted, "Otherwise?"
"Since that's the case, then I won't touch you. After all, in a few more days, your fellow disciples will arrive in the capital." Ji Hong finished speaking, slowly stood up, and turned to walk out of the prison.
He stopped halfway and suddenly asked, "Is Ji Jinmo gravely ill?"
Nan Shiying was still pondering his previous sentence. When he suddenly asked, she wasn't caught off guard. She even managed to force a smile and replied mockingly, "I'm afraid Your Majesty will be disappointed!"
Ji Hong's eyes seemed to flicker with anger, or perhaps nothing at all. He didn't say another word, merely ordered the guards to watch Feng Luan carefully and left the celestial prison.
Nan Shiying rubbed her chin. People from Medicine King Valley were coming to the capital?
Why?
For what purpose?
She wasn't concerned about her own status. Although she hadn't formally joined Medicine King Valley, she possessed the inlaid jade ring of the Poison Elder. In terms of seniority, she was considered a third-generation direct disciple of Medicine King Valley, her status far surpassing that of ordinary disciples. What she cared about was who was secretly helping the Miao疆 and the Longevity Sect, or collaborating with those two factions.
Were any of them among the people Medicine King Valley was sending?
She needed to notify Ji Jinmo to strengthen the protection of Tongji Pharmacy. Last time it was people from the Longevity Dao; this time, it would likely be people from Medicine King Valley.
Nan Shiying leaned against the cold, hard wall. Moss on the wall emitted a faint scent of mildew, and rats and cockroaches scurried fearlessly around her feet, as if offering a warm invitation.
This was truly…damned!
...
Lian Lan Palace.
Zou Yun'er, having already removed her hair ornaments and pins, sat before the bronze mirror in a thin inner garment, staring blankly at her reflection.
Among the generals guarding the city gate today was her cousin from the second branch of the Zou family.
Her cousin had brought news from home.
"Your Majesty!"
Cai Wei looked worried. Ever since Her Majesty heard the news of Lord Zou's death, she had been sitting by the mirror in a daze. It had been a long time, and she remained silent, neither crying nor making a fuss, as if her soul had departed with Lord Zou.
Hearing the sound beside her, Zou Yun'er seemed to awaken as if from a dream. Her eyes, bloodshot, immediately welled up with tears, which streamed down uncontrollably, torrentially, like a breached river.
After the initial shock and the subsequent bewilderment faded, a heart-wrenching pain spread from within her chest. She clutched the front of her garment, her cries as desolate as a cuckoo's mournful call.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
The maids who had accompanied her from the Zou manor cried in unison, their collective weeping piercing the night sky.
"Your Majesty, please temper your grief. Do not weep yourself into illness!"
Cai Wei knelt at Zou Yun'er's feet, holding the hem of her garment. Her voice, choked with sobs, was full of concern and worry, yet her lowered eyes held not a single tear, nor even a trace of warmth.
Overwhelmed by her grief, Zou Yun'er fainted.
...
Late at night.
Nan Shiying heard the rustling of footsteps. Her eyes snapped open, a sharp, cold glint like a drawn sword flashing within them. A human silhouette appeared in the darkness. Before she could discern who it was, she heard a low chuckle.
Hearing the familiar voice, the frost in Nan Shiying's eyes completely melted away, and her tensed body relaxed. The dry straw did little to alleviate the hardness of the ground, and after dozing off for a while, Nan Shiying felt sore and pained all over. She sat up, leaning against the wall. Thinking that her current predicament was inseparable from the person before her, she couldn't help but glare at him.
Ji Jinmo took out a flint, lit a lamp, and inserted the lamp holder directly into a crack in the wall. Soil rained down, startling the sleeping rats and cockroaches, and the rustling sounds started again.
"Why didn't you sprinkle some medicine?"
Ji Jinmo placed the food container on the ground, then took out a soft cushion from his pack for Nan Shiying to lean against. He frowned, looking at the surrounding rats and cockroaches.
His question was like asking a beggar why he wasn't eating – utterly pointless.
"Do you think I would carry insect repellent with me?"
Nan Shiying retorted sarcastically to Ji Jinmo, but her hands deftly opened the food container. The dishes inside were prepared by the chef in the front courtyard's small kitchen, looking and smelling delicious.
Ji Jinmo handed her a handkerchief. Nan Shiying wiped her hands clean before picking up her chopsticks and bringing the food to her mouth.
The rats and cockroaches, as if drawn by the aroma, grew bold enough not to fear people and tentatively approached the food container. Nan Shiying picked up a piece of meat and tossed it to the corner of the wall. The rats and cockroaches surrounding the container immediately scrambled away.
Ji Jinmo said, "I'll bring you some insect repellent tomorrow!"
Nan Shiying paused, her chopsticks holding the dish. After a moment's thought, she decided not to throw the food at him, but instead chewed the food in her mouth with force. "Bring more medicine."
Ji Jinmo replied with an "Alright!"
Nan Shiying added, "Oh, right. People from Medicine King Valley will be arriving in the capital soon. I don't know if there are any among them who collude with the Miao疆 and Longevity Sect, so we need to strengthen the guards at Tongji Pharmacy."
"And also..." Nan Shiying glanced at Ji Jinmo. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't ask them, instead bringing up Zou Chengyi's death. "You know, I was mentored by the Poison Elder."
Ji Jinmo grunted, signaling her to continue.
"I was quite skilled in poisons before. Now, I've taken a detour and learned medicine to about sixty to seventy percent. Zou Chengyi's injuries… they weren't fatal, were they?"
Ji Jinmo understood what she meant and nodded. "None of the wounds on him were fatal."
"Then how did he die?"
Ji Jinmo pursed his lips. "He didn't die!"
Hearing that Zou Chengyi was still alive, Nan Shiying wasn't surprised. The reason she had stayed by Zou Chengyi's side that day was to prevent any mishaps. If no one was there to protect Zou Chengyi after she left, and someone delivered a finishing blow, his feigned death would become real death.
"Who gave him the medicine?" Nan Shiying asked.
Zou Chengyi had stopped breathing that day. The only way to achieve such an effect was by taking a fake death pill.
Ji Jinmo shook his head. "Ji Hong!"
Nan Shiying said "Oh," and then, "So what did Ji Hong send him to do after faking his death?"
Ji Jinmo didn't hide it. Or rather, since she had already guessed much and merely wanted a confirmation, Ji Jinmo wouldn't lie. "Yunan Commandery!"
"Yunan Commandery?"
Nan Shiying was slightly taken aback.
"Yunan Commandery is now controlled by remnants of the Miao疆!"
"So, what can one Zou Chengyi do?" Nan Shiying wasn't looking down on Zou Chengyi; she was stating a fact.
Ji Jinmo looked at Nan Shiying with a peculiar expression and said, "If you had escaped, you would now be on the same boat as Zou Chengyi."
Nan Shiying: "..."