Wu Hen withdrew his hand, his gaze filled with an indescribable anger. "Feng Qing's meridians are shattered. Prolonged starvation has weakened his body..."
Xue Xing Yue suddenly interjected, "I understand. These words are not to be spoken to Feng Qing."
"Yes, Your Highness. Your subordinate obeys!" Wu Hen replied.
Xue Xing Yue nodded, then turned to Feng Jiu. "Go inquire outside. If everything is normal, we will leave Xifeng Pass tomorrow." This was no place to linger. She couldn't guarantee that Zhao Xuan wouldn't send troops to search, so leaving was the safer option.
Feng Jiu received the order and departed.
Xue Xing Yue noticed Wu Hen's hesitant expression and couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"
Wu Hen said, "Your Majesty, I should not speak of this, but I must still remind Your Highness not to readily place your trust in Feng Jiu."
Xue Xing Yue froze, her gaze slowly chilling. "Wu Hen, what do you mean by that?"
Wu Hen suddenly knelt on one knee. "Your Highness, I mean no disrespect, it's just..."
"That's enough, rise. I understand." She knew Wu Hen's temperament well. It was possible that during her absence, Wu Hen and Feng Jiu had some unpleasant encounter. However, she was still reluctant to doubt any of the Feng Wei guards. These were people she had fought alongside, people with whom she had shared life and death. But she wasn't a fool either. Having experienced the matter of her imperial brother's death, she now knew that sometimes, the ones who betrayed and deceived you in the end were the ones you trusted the most.
Master Li was very happy to hear that Feng Qing had been rescued. As he was about to go see Feng Qing, he saw Hong Cha run in, tears streaming down her face.
"Hong Cha, what's wrong?" Daoist Li asked with concern.
"Master, I don't like Sister Xue and her cousin. Can you make them leave?" Hong Cha looked at Master Li tearfully.
Master Li was taken aback. He looked at Hong Cha and his tone grew cold. "Hong Cha, can you tell Master why?"
Hong Cha hesitated, bit her lower lip, and turned her head away. "I don't like them."
"Hong Cha, they saved your Senior Brother. Are you not going to repay this life-saving kindness? Do you want Master to be an ungrateful person?" Master Li said.
"But, giving them some money would be enough, wouldn't it? Besides, Senior Brother wasn't saved by them, it was Junior Brother Second who saved him. They're just good with words!" Hong Cha said indignantly.
"Hong Cha, what are you saying? Are you implying that they saved your Senior Brother incorrectly?" Master Li was a little angry. He usually indulged Hong Cha as much as possible, as only he knew she was his biological daughter. Hong Cha's mother had died early, and he had acted as both parents to raise her, so he always wanted to give her the best, which had resulted in her somewhat spoiled nature.
But he knew that despite her spoiled nature, Hong Cha was kind-hearted. This was why he hadn't strictly monitored her. After all, a girl at fifteen years old was already preparing for marriage, so he indulged her as much as possible. However, he never expected to spoil her to this extent. He was somewhat disappointed.
Seeing Master Li's increasingly cold face, Hong Cha bit her lip and said, "Master, please don't be angry. Hong Cha was wrong."
Master Li sighed. "Hong Cha, I would indulge you in other matters, but not this one. We cannot. Miss Xue saved your Senior Brother, and Master has no way to repay her. How could I drive them away? If I did that, what would be the difference between me and those ungrateful wretches?"
"Yes, Master. Hong Cha understands. It was Hong Cha being foolish," Hong Cha said dejectedly, lowering her head.
"Silly child, Master is happy that you know your mistake," Master Li said with a smile.
Hong Cha lowered her head, a shadow of gloom passing through her eyes.
Feng Qing felt as if he had a dream. He dreamt that His Highness had come to save him. But he knew he missed His Highness too much. His Highness was already gone, how could she come to save him? He wanted to die, so he could accompany His Highness, but he was not reconciled. He wanted to find out who had harmed His Highness.
Therefore, he had endured, until he saved that assassin. The assassin said he was from the Assassin's Pavilion and that he had participated in the extermination of the royal family of Xingchen Kingdom. He was shocked. He had always thought Xue Tian Yue usurped the throne, but he never expected that the foremost assassin organization in the world had also acted. The matter was complicated, and he couldn't continue like this. He had to solve this mystery for His Highness.
However, later, the assassin was captured, and he was also implicated by the assassin. To prevent his master and junior sister, who had raised him since childhood, from suffering, he took all the blame. In the end, he was sentenced to exile. Although the process was arduous, he never gave up hope. Even when he encountered things that made him extremely angry, even when good cellmates died before his eyes, he endured because he knew he had to live. He had to avenge His Highness.
But until that day, he knew he was truly tired, unable to hold on any longer. He saw His Highness; she had come to pick him up. He wanted to give up.
Suddenly, a familiar voice reached his ears, a voice he could never forget. "Feng Qing, wake up quickly. Wake up quickly."
Who was it? Who could it be? Was it His Highness? Could it be?
Wu Hen saw Feng Qing's eyelids twitch by the bedside and shouted excitedly, "Feng Qing, he's awake! He's awake!"
Xue Xing Yue, who had stayed up all night and was resting outside, heard the commotion and quickly entered. She went to the bedside and saw Feng Qing's eyelids move, then slowly open.