Сhаpter 324: Тhе Firе Моth Party 56
Оn thе horizon, а cloud оf dust rоsе аs bаnnеrs fluttered аnd horns blared. The largе flаg borе the unmistаkаblе сharасtеr "Zhоu."
Rеinforсements had аrrivеd.
Instantlу, the blood оf everуone оn аnd оff thе сitу wаlls boiled with ехcitеmеnt. Jing Lin rаised his swоrd and shоutеd, "Reinforсеments аre here! Еveryonе, сhаrge оut! Don’t let a singlе еnеmy еsсаре!"
Сaught bеtwеen twо fronts, thе Fire Mоth Pаrtу fоund no сhаnсе of survival and еventually surrenderеd their weaрons.
Aftеr aсhiеving a grеat victory, they returned to the city, and the news quickly spread throughout Yingzhou.
Zhu Yan, who had been tending to Shen Du indoors, couldn’t resist stepping out to see what was happening upon hearing the news.
She saw Jing Lin walking toward her, his face flushed and beaming with joy. When he reached her, he exclaimed excitedly, "The reinforcements have arrived, and the Fire Moth Party has been defeated!"
Zhu Yan gave a faint smile and extended her hand. "What about the antidote?"
It had been so long since Zhu Yan last smiled that Jing Lin was momentarily dazed before remembering the most critical matter. "She escaped," he said.
If Lai Luofu had escaped, there would be no antidote, and Shen Du’s life would soon come to an end.
Jing Lin grew uneasy, the joy of victory instantly dissipating. He stood there, head bowed and at a loss, inwardly cursing himself a thousand times over.
The atmosphere grew tense. Zhu Yan turned lightly on her heel and began to walk back. Jing Lin reached out but found himself unable to say anything.
Just then, hurried footsteps approached, and someone called out to her from behind. Zhu Yan turned weakly, her eyes widening in shock.
Jing Lin, too, wore an expression of disbelief.
"Why bother with Lai Luofu? Look what I’ve brought back!"
Pan Chi spoke and gestured toward a woman beside him.
A quintessential beauty of the Western Regions.
Her eyes were deep and captivating, her eyelashes thick and fluttering like two palm-leaf fans. Her nose was high-bridged, her lips full and slightly curved, and her skin was a warm chestnut hue, smooth and radiant.
Unlike the gentle, reserved beauty of Central Plains women, with their round faces and delicate brows, this woman’s features were striking and bold, each proclaiming her allure with unrestrained confidence. Her vibrant personality was evident even in her attire and hairstyle.
Her fiery red hair was tied in a simple bun resembling a Taoist’s topknot, adorned with an agate forehead ornament studded with lilac gemstones. A sheer veil partially obscured her face, enhancing its mysterious charm.
She wore a cropped top with tassels and bells dangling from its hem, paired with dark red wide-legged trousers patterned with intricate weaves, cinched tightly at the ankles.
As they studied her, the woman looked back at them, asking Pan Chi something in a language they didn’t understand. Pan Chi, however, remained silent.
"Weren’t you chasing Lai Luofu? How did you end up bringing back a beauty from the Western Regions?"
Jing Lin was visibly displeased but, remembering his own failure, chose not to press further.
Pan Chi impatiently pushed Jing Lin aside and turned to Zhu Yan. "I’ll explain later," he said.
Ignoring the woman’s struggles, he pulled her into the room.
Zhu Yan hurriedly followed, her heart racing with a glimmer of hope. She tugged at Pan Chi’s sleeve, her voice trembling slightly. "You found the antidote, didn’t you?"
Seeing her even more haggard than before he left, Pan Chi’s heart ached. But now was not the time for reminiscing. He nodded gently and spoke to the woman in words Zhu Yan couldn’t understand, then pointed to Shen Du lying unconscious on the bed.
The room fell silent as the woman approached the bedside, carefully examining Shen Du.
Unable to contain her anxiety, Zhu Yan asked Pan Chi again, "Who is she?"
"She is the Holy Maiden of the Wusun Kingdom, named Su Guang," he explained patiently. "She can cure this poison."Zhu Yan's expression relaxed, and she was about to say something when the Holy Maiden Su Guang inside uttered a few words. Pan Chi's previously smiling face instantly turned solemn, and he hurried to Su Guang's side, listening attentively.
Zhu Yan glanced over. The two conversed intermittently, with Pan Chi responding fluently. Only Su Guang occasionally showed signs of displeasure, seemingly dissatisfied with Pan Chi, but he always wore his habitual playful mask, leaving Su Guang seemingly helpless against him.
After conversing for a while, Pan Chi, aware that Zhu Yan was growing impatient, seized a moment to quickly explain to her: "She said this poison is called 'Vine Entwining Tree.' It is a toxin possessed by a reclusive family in the Western Regions. The poison uses many ingredients, primarily the larvae of the wood-boring moth, supplemented by toxic plants such as poison arrow wood, zinnia, and Western Regions aconite."
Zhu Yan was familiar with these—poison arrow wood, zinnia, and Western Regions aconite were common toxins—but she was utterly baffled by the wood-boring moth, sending a chill down her spine.
"How could a wood-boring moth be poisonous?" It was just a tiny moth.
Pan Chi couldn't explain either and translated the words of Holy Maiden Su Guang:
"The Holy Maiden says this poison is not passed down outside their clan. Only the Holy Maidens of their tribe can possess it."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan was filled with questions, but seeing Su Guang focused on the diagnosis and unaware of their conversation, she refrained from disturbing her.
After a brief silence, Zhu Yan spotted a discrepancy: "If it's not passed down outside, how did Lai Luofu obtain it?"
The two exchanged glances. The Lai Luozhi siblings came from Tongguan County, not far from Chang'an City, and there was no evidence of the Fire Moth Party having contact with the Western Regions. How could they possess such a potent poison from a reclusive family in the Western Regions?
Pan Chi shrugged, indicating he didn't know either, and reassured Zhu Yan to remain calm before turning back to question Su Guang.
Suspicions swirled in Zhu Yan's mind. Suddenly, she remembered: Pan Chi had once claimed he was unfamiliar with the Western Regions, so how could he speak their language so fluently?
Zhu Yan voiced her question, and Pan Chi answered honestly: "I am naturally gifted, especially in languages. I only need to stay in a place for a few days to master their language."
This...
Pan Chi's arm was struck by the Holy Maiden, causing him some pain. He grimaced and muttered a few words before turning to Zhu Yan:
"I haven't explained to you yet, have I? Su Guang is the Holy Maiden of the Wusun Kingdom, the closest Western Regions state to Yingzhou City."
So, they were speaking the language of the Wusun Kingdom.
Zhu Yan hadn't studied such matters and nodded for Pan Chi to continue. He seemed slightly disappointed but resumed his translation:
"To keep it brief, because this poison is too insidious, it was banned by the reclusive clan. However, a Holy Maiden from the clan later ran away and disappeared. Tracing it back, only this Holy Maiden had the opportunity to bring the poison out."
This news was hardly good for Zhu Yan.
Imagine, if the poison had long been banned, its antidote would naturally be hard to find. So, Lai Luofu might not have been lying—she probably didn't know where the antidote was either.
"Then, does she not have the antidote either?"
Zhu Yan said sorrowfully, digging her nails into her flesh, unsure how to react. She couldn't even bring herself to blame Pan Chi for toying with her—bringing someone but not bringing hope.
A clear tear trickled from the corner of her eye. Pan Chi knew she had misunderstood but said nothing more, exchanging a few words with Su Guang.
Su Guang looked as if she had suddenly realized something. She lowered her head, rummaged through her Western-style shoulder bag, and pulled out a small glass vial. She opened her palm, placed it there, and stepped between the two, separating them.The Holy Maiden said something to Pan Chi, leaving Zhu Yan puzzled and anxiously looking toward Pan Chi.
Pan Chi reassured her, "The Holy Maiden said this is the antidote. She researched it herself by consulting books, but since the poison was banned, this antidote has never actually been used."
Alarm flashed across Zhu Yan’s face, but she quickly composed herself. "Thank her for me."
With that, she reached out toward Su Guang, but before Pan Chi could finish conveying her words, the beautiful Holy Maiden stepped back, avoiding her hand and clutching the glass vial tightly.
Zhu Yan was confused. She glanced at Su Guang, then turned her gaze to Pan Chi.
Su Guang also looked at Pan Chi.
Under the scrutiny of both women, Pan Chi’s expression twitched uncomfortably. He exchanged a few words with Su Guang, but unexpectedly, Su Guang’s expression suddenly changed. Her deep, large eyes glared fiercely at Pan Chi, misty with tears as if she were about to cry.
Seeing this, Zhu Yan understood everything. She had previously suspected that Pan Chi and the Holy Maiden shared an unusual relationship, and now she was even more certain of her guess. She felt both amused and exasperated.
Pan Chi had clearly left a trail of romantic entanglements all the way to the Western Regions. This time, he had likely used his charm to deceive the Holy Maiden into coming here.
A Holy Maiden of a kingdom—if not for love, why would she cross mountains and rivers, traversing borders to come here?
But for now, obtaining the antidote was the priority. Zhu Yan discreetly nudged Pan Chi in the side, raising her eyebrows meaningfully. Pan Chi looked puzzled.
"Are your eyes sore from crying too much? I’ll ask Su Guang for some ointment to soothe them."
This Pan Chi—pretending not to understand and trying to cover things up.
Zhu Yan decided to stop beating around the bush and spoke plainly, "Did you do something to upset her?"
"How could I?" Pan Chi jumped up in defense. "She’s the Holy Maiden of the Wusun Kingdom. How would I dare? Do I have a death wish?"
Seeing Pan Chi’s agitation, which seemed genuine, Zhu Yan wondered—had she guessed wrong?
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