Tang Lici listened as Bai Suche slowly recounted the bloody battle of that night. The more he heard, the paler his face became. "How did you get this silver note?" he asked.
Bai Suche replied, "When Yu Konghou snatched Zhao Zhen's remains from his hands, he stole it back from Yu Konghou." She bit her lip. "At that time, he was powerless to stop Yu Konghou from doing anything to him, so he could only retrieve this silver note. I had him imprisoned and called a physician to treat his injuries, but Yu Konghou wouldn’t let him stay lucid for long—he would surely drug him again soon. Once his wounds healed, he could be used as a medicine person. He understood this well himself, so he said..." She took a breath. "He said, 'Return this silver note to you.'"
"Did he not ask you to seek my help?" Tang Lici asked.
Bai Suche was silent for a moment before answering softly, "I wish I could say yes, but he didn’t. He only said to return it to you." She spoke slowly. "With his abilities, he could have escaped Piaoling Mei Yuan unscathed, but he... he did it for Zhao Zhen's remains..." She bit her lip again. "He took the risk alone and fell into enemy hands. That was his mistake."
Tang Lici pressed his fingers to his forehead. "What about Ren Qingchou? Was he also captured?"
Bai Suche lowered her voice. "He broke through the Iron Prison and took Wen Hui away. I found it strange—despite his severe injuries, he still had such strength."
Tang Lici didn’t respond. He paced the room a few steps. "The poisonous flowers used to make the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill have been destroyed, but a large stock of the pills must be hidden elsewhere. That’s why Dissolute Shop isn’t in a hurry. Next, the first priority is to obtain the antidote for the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill as soon as possible. The second is to locate where Dissolute Shop has hidden those pills. The third is to break into Piaoling Mei Yuan and rescue Xue Xianzi."
Bai Suche nodded and stood up. She turned away. "I should go."
"Miss Bai..." Tang Lici's voice sounded faint, lacking its usual strength. "I regret having Xue Xianzi guard Liu Yan, leading him to this state."
Both Bai Suche and A Shui were slightly startled—it was rare to hear Tang Lici speak so gently. Bai Suche murmured, "It wasn’t your fault. You knew he could escape, and he truly could have. It’s just that he himself was too..." She trailed off. "I couldn’t help him much."
"I will save him," Tang Lici said calmly.
Bai Suche let out a cold laugh. "I know. I only hope... you won’t save him the way you saved Chi Yun."
A Shui’s heart skipped a beat. She knew the incident with Chi Yun had wounded Tang Lici deeply. Bai Suche’s mocking words, given Tang Lici’s extreme temperament, would surely provoke him again. But outwardly, there was no sign of it. Tang Lici merely smiled. "I hope so too."
Bai Suche’s chest rose and fell. "I’m leaving." She turned and walked away. After four or five steps, she suddenly asked, "Is something wrong with you?"
Tang Lici smiled faintly. "What do you mean?"
Bai Suche said coldly, "Everything you’ve said today doesn’t sound like you." Without waiting for his reply, she pulled on her white veil and vanished like a bird in flight.
A Shui and Ziyun watched Tang Lici. He looked exhausted as he sat down in the chair beside A Shui, resting his forehead in his hand and closing his eyes."Young Master Tang?" A Shui asked softly, "Are you feeling unwell?" Ziyun's expression grew even more concerned, her body trembling slightly. Tang Lici's gaze swept past A Shui's room and landed on the white jade beauty vase placed on the bookshelf. He raised a finger to point at it. Ziyun hurriedly fetched it for him, and Tang Lici poured out a pill, swallowing it without water.
"What... what kind of medicine is this?" Ziyun couldn't help but ask. She had served Tang Lici for some time now, and though he had suffered many injuries, he almost never took medicine. Tang Lici didn't answer. A Shui sat silently for a while before asking, "What do you plan to do?" A thin layer of cold sweat had formed on Tang Lici's forehead. "Plan? I will send troops to Bodhi Valley to besiege Piaoling Mei Yuan!" A Shui shuddered and bit her lower lip. "But... Yu Konghou could return disguised as Peach Girl at any moment, and we still haven't obtained the antidote for the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill. Is now really the right time to attack Piaoling Mei Yuan?" Tang Lici smiled faintly. "I was joking. Why take it so seriously..." He looked genuinely exhausted, lightly rubbing his temples with his fingers. "I don't care when Yu Konghou returns to Good Cloud Mountain. As soon as the antidote for the Ape-Demon Nine Heart Pill appears, I will send troops to Bodhi Valley."
"But—I fear Senior Xue Xianzi... may not be able to wait that long." A Shui's voice trembled slightly. "By the time you send troops, he might already have been refined into a medicine person by Yu Konghou. Could you really bear... to sit here and watch him become Yu Konghou's killing weapon?" Tang Lici's fingers lingered on his temples. "Piaoling Mei Yuan is a crucial stronghold of the Dissolute Shop. Entering it recklessly is practically suicide. I won't send anyone to rescue him. He won't die now. If I want to save him, my only hope is that someone can cure the poison of the medicine person. If someone can cure it, not only will Xue Xianzi be saved, but Zhu Yan could also awaken. Once Zhu Yan regains consciousness, Yu Konghou will have another formidable enemy to contend with." A Shui exhaled slightly, as if seeing a glimmer of hope, though it was faint and uncertain. "Who... could cure the poison of a medicine person?"
"If Liu Yan was involved in creating the potion used in the String Plucking Soul Snatching technique, perhaps he could cure it. Additionally, the 'Golden Physician of the Bright Moon' Shui Duopo, Imperial Physician Qiyang, Qiyang's wife Shen Xin, or even Senior Wenren He from Azure Fall Palace—as long as there's a sliver of hope, I will try my best." Tang Lici gave a faint smile. "The martial world is vast. There will always be someone capable of doing what others cannot."
Today, he seemed unusually gentle, devoid of that venomous, serpentine aura. Yet A Shui felt deeply uneasy, her gaze fixed intently on Tang Lici's face. "Are you... very tired?"Tang Lici closed his eyes. "I haven't slept for two days and nights either. Many new talents have arrived at Good Cloud Mountain, and I must meet each one. Some have too much of a martial world temperament, constantly embroiled in disputes. It will take time to mold these people into usable talents."
Ziyun suddenly knelt with a thud. "Young Master, please let Ziyun stay by your side! Even if it's just to serve tea or ask after your well-being, having someone to attend to you... This servant... This servant truly cannot rest easy..."
Tang Lici did not open his eyes, replying indifferently, "I'm exhausted, and seeing you only makes me more irritated."
Ziyun froze, his words striking her like a heavy blow. "I... I..."
A Shui's heart sank. "Miss Ziyun..."
Tears welled in Ziyun's eyes, yet she still kowtowed. "I don’t want to serve Miss A Shui. Ziyun... Ziyun only wishes to serve Young Master alone. I only beg to be allowed to prepare your meals and see you a few times each day—only then can I be at peace..."
Tang Lici lightly massaged his temples with his fingers. "A Shui, Ziyun is in your hands now. If after three days she is still weeping and clinging like this, don’t blame me for turning ruthless."
A Shui frowned slightly as Tang Lici stood and pushed the door open to leave.
Ziyun crawled forward two steps. "Young Master—"
A Shui grabbed her hand, and Ziyun could only watch helplessly as Tang Lici strode away, his sleeves flicking dismissively.
"What... What did I do wrong? Why won’t he let me serve him? I have no improper thoughts, I just..."
"Miss Ziyun," A Shui said gently, "stand up."
Ziyun staggered to her feet, utterly heartbroken, covering her face as she wept. A Shui guided her to sit.
"Stop crying. If Young Master Tang doesn’t want you by his side, no one can force it. Begging further will only make him think even less of you."
Ziyun's face was streaked with tears. "Is it a crime to love him? Why does he look down on me just because I care for him? I don’t even dare hope to stay by his side forever—Ziyun asks for nothing, just to see him once a day."
"He doesn’t want to give you even that one glimpse." A Shui's brow furrowed. "Miss Ziyun, there are many in this world who wish to see Young Master Tang. Most of them carry fantasies, reverence, admiration, or even infatuation for him. If one assumes their feelings are harmless and imposes them regardless, how much trouble would that cause Young Master Tang?"
Ziyun was taken aback. "Trouble?"
A Shui sighed. "Yes, trouble. Since you claim to have no extravagant hopes, then don’t burden the one you love with distress. He doesn’t want to see you—if you insist on forcing your presence daily, do you think Young Master Tang, with his temperament, would tolerate such demands?"
Her voice remained soft and patient. "He is not a gentle man. He would never force himself to endure discomfort, isn’t that so?"Ziyun stared blankly at A Shui, looking utterly perplexed. A Shui smiled faintly, "What's wrong?" Ziyun murmured in confusion, "I feel like... you understand Young Master Tang so well, while I don't at all." A Shui shook her head, "I don't understand him." She lowered her lashes and said softly, "The more time I spend with Young Master Tang, the less I feel I know him. But he is a good person." She raised her eyes and gazed gently at Ziyun, "Though he has a terrible temper, enjoys tormenting people, and has heavy blood on his hands, I believe his heart is kind toward others—it's just that his ways of showing kindness are... peculiar." She suddenly laughed, "Even though he claims to dislike you, refuses to let you stay by his side, and threatens to turn cold and ruthless toward you, if you were ever in danger, he would undoubtedly save you. That's just how Young Master Tang is..." She shook her head again, "Don't hold hatred for him. If you ever find yourself in trouble, the one you can rely on most is still Young Master Tang."
"Miss A Shui, won't you go see him either?" Ziyun's tears slipped down her cheeks. "Aren't you worried?" A Shui sighed lightly, "I don't know." Ziyun's overwhelming infatuation left her feeling somewhat unsettled as well. Feng Feng watched them intently, her dark eyes round and bright, before suddenly declaring, "I want meaty meat."
Ziyun laughed through her tears, "I'll go fetch some from the kitchen right away."
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