Elope? Impossible!
Gu Qishao deserved to die. Escaping was one thing, but he'd actually framed her before he left. Han Yunxi felt her courage from just then shrivel up as she replied with a grin, "Your Highness misunderstood, Gu Qishao's just joking at most."
"Joking? Does a joke include getting handsy?" Long Feiye asked coldly.
Getting handsy?
Han Yunxi thought and thought, but didn't understand where Long Feiye had thought up such a phrase. "Your Highness, is there some misunderstanding somewhere?"
"A joke? Does a joke include feeding him sweets?" Long Feiye asked again.
Only then did Han Yunxi suddenly understood. Surprised, she cried, "You've been following us the whole time!" No wonder he'd shown up so quickly and prepared so thoroughly. So he'd been secretly around the whole time and knew everything.
"Answer your lordship's questions!" Long Feiye's rage towered to the skies. Even though there was fighting all around them, he didn't pay it any mind.
"Why are you following me?" Han Yunxi asked instead. She was angry as well.
"Han Yunxi, you actually dared to poison your lordship for Gu Qishao's sake! What skills!" Long Feiye was even laughing coldly by now, his eyes filled with scorn.
Han Yunxi found the sight grating and hastened to explain. "I really have nothing going on with Gu Qishao. I only found him to help me, I…"
Before she could finish, Long Feiye cut in. "Whatever you have going on with him doesn't matter to your lordship!"
Urk…
Now Han Yunxi was shocked and confused. If none of this had anything to do with him, then why was he in such a temper now? She suddenly fell quiet and stared at Long Feiye.
This guy…could it be that he's eating vinegar?
Han Yunxi looked and guessed and suddenly felt less angry than before. After some hesitation, she said, "Long Feiye, what are you so offended about?"
At the same time, Long Feiye opened his mouth and said, "Han Yunxi, since you have the title of Qin Wangfei, I'll have to trouble you to guard your wifely virtues. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourself!"
After both of them spoke at the same time, they simultaneously fell silent. Neither of them opened their mouths again, but stared at each other while the slaughter continued around them. Assassination weapons flew back and forth through the air, but they became a quiet world unto themselves. Soon enough, Han Yunxi broke the still mood. She figured that she had to be overthinking things. Of course Long Feiye would take offense. He'd always treated her as a woman under his name, but that was all there was. His aggression and offense, even his kiss back then and that phrase, to 'not exchange for an entire country,' was only because she was under his name. She was akin to one of his possessions, something that belonged to him. He might be able to act recklessly as he wished, but he'd never let anyone else claim her. That was all.
"Your Highness really has misunderstood. There's nothing between me and Gu Qishao. I happened to run into trouble and met him by chance, so I found him for help. Your Highness knows too, without an antidote, the crown prince will die and chenqie will be hard-pressed to keep her own life." Han Yunxi was all logic as she explained. Actually, she had plenty of reasons for finding Gu Qishao. She needed him to take care of Luo Zuishan, didn't he? But she wouldn't say such things to Long Feiye because it was one of Gu Qishao's secrets. Though he'd never sworn her to secrecy, she knew that sharing this now would be a form of betrayal.
Long Feiye still didn't speak, but Han Yunxi actually made a startling declaration with her next words. "If Your Highness feels that chenqie isn't qualified for the title of Qin Wangfei, you can always divorce chenqie." She really couldn't bear being accused of defying wifely virtues.
When the empress dowager had decreed their marriage, it was impossible to divorce her then. But if Long Feiye did it now, the empress dowager and Emperor Tianhui would both heartily approve. An indistinct pang came from Han Yunxi's heart at the thought, but she still gazed at Long Feiye calmly without avoiding his gaze. She was someone who could really, really like a person, but not someone who would make herself suffer because of it. Neither would she be so infatuated as to lose her sense of self. Now that things had come to this point, she was waiting for Long Feiye to give her a clear answer.
Unexpectedly, the listless Long Feiye suddenly pulled Han Yunxi over, his arm wrapped tightly around her neck as he lowered his head to give her a fierce kiss.
"Nngh…" Han Yunxi's first reaction at the unexpected action was to struggle free, but the more she struggled, the more indignant Long Feiye turned and the more strength he used to keep deepening their kiss. It had been the same back then at the Duke of Qin's estate, but this time was even more sudden, even more intense. Forget about struggling, Han Yunxi even had trouble taking the kiss. This tyrannical man was absolutely forcing it! When she was nearly out of breath, he finally released him, but not completely. Instead, he raised her chin and gasped for breath with her.
"Han Yunxi, since you walked in the gates yourself, you can only die in the Duke of Qin's estate within this lifetime. There's no need to joke about things like divorce in the future." Though he was seductively panting for breath, he still spoke such cruel and heartless words. This man was simply a demon.
At the end of his speech, he finally released Han Yunxi and allowed her to tumble to the ground, where she stayed paralyzed against the wall. Her entire body was in shock, her lip slightly swollen against that pale white face. By now, the fighting had stopped around them. The black-robed Poison Humans were all dead or heavily wounded. Quite a few had escaped as well. From a distance, Tang Li stood watching Long Feiye and Han Yunxi in astonishment. It was only until Long Feiye walked in front of him that he recovered enough to exhale, "You…just then, you…"
Had he seen wrong? Just then, this fellow had been kissing Han Yunxi!
This chilly, fickle, ascetic fellow actually knew how to kiss a woman? And he'd kissed her for so long? Was he seriously serious about her? What did it feel like to be kissed by the Duke of Qin? Dammit. Tang Li realized his train of thought was a little inappropriate for a man like himself.
"Where's Jun Yixie?" Long Feiye asked coldly. He and Tang Li had brought along the Tang Clan Sealed Death with them to capture Jun Yixie. Of course, implicating Gu Qishao wasn't outside of the plan, either. Jun Yixie had been poisoned by Han Yunxi, then attacked by the Pear Blossom Rain Needles. Tang Li should be a match for him then.
Only now did Tang Li recover and reply in a rush, "A white-robed female rescued him. Her swordsmanship was extremely formidable. It seemed very similar to the Celestial Mountain Sword Sect style."
Celestial Mountain Sword Sect and Shu Mountain's Tang Clan were equally famous. Long Feiye's sword skills were from a teacher of the Celesital Mountain Sword Sect. Tang Li's words seem to hint at something, but Long Feiye didn't say much. He only lowered his voice and ordered, "Make preparations. We'll infiltrate the Poison Sect's territory tonight and take advantage by striking proactively."
"What?" Tang Li shouted.
Take advantage by attacking proactively? Long Feiye's meaning was that they weren't going to explore around tonight, but steal the poison beast directly? Just what was wrong with this man? Did he need to be in such a rush? After all, the Mu Clan representative hadn't even arrived with the medicine yet, so the poison beast was stil awake. Those who took the first risk were in the most danger.
When Long Feiye finished speaking, he didn't even turn around before walking off. Han Yunxi looked quietly at his retreating form, her face expressionless. Tang Li hesitated before walking to Han Yunxi's side. She lightly wiped away the questionable flavor by her lips before getting up and straightening her clothes as if nothing had happened at all. Still, her heavy gaze betrayed her.
"Cough cough…Jun Yixie was rescued by a white-robed female, more's the pity," Tang Li really had nothing else to talk about.
But Han Yunxi only said mildly, "Don't worry. Besides me, there's no one else who can cure the poison in his arm. He'll come back." Their faceoffs before had been too rushed. This time, Han Yunxi finally had enough time to poison Jun Yixie with help from the poison pond water. She'd naturally left herself a backup plan.
Tang Li was surprised. "You're no fool!"
Han Yunxi rolled her eyes at him but didn't speak, seemingly preoccupied with her thoughts. She also seemed tired as she turned to leave. Tang Li felt conflicted. Should he tell Han Yunxi about the poison beast? Though this woman was useless when it came to martial arts, her poison skills were first-rate. If Long Feiye really was going to take the risk, he'd gain one more protector if he brought her along!
But why hadn't Long Feiye told her himself just then? Was he not planning to let her come along?
Tang Li realized he was beginning to understand these two people less and less. After some internal conflict, he still couldn't work up the nerve to tell Han Yunxi and only watched her leave silently. By the time she was some distance away, a guard rushed up and respectfully reported, "Young master, Qin Wangfei used concealed weapons to kill two of our guards! It wasn't weapons from our Tang Clan, but it was extremely formidable!"
When Tang Li heard this, he felt like bashing himself against a wall. It took him a while to calm down before he murmured, "Don't let word of this spread, especially to my father. Understood?"
The guard didn't know why, but still promptly nodded his head.
—
Han Yunxi wandered aimlessly in the streets before finally returning to the medical academy. Luo Zuishan had been waiting half the day in her courtyard.
"Where's Gu Qishao?" Han Yunxi asked, extremely downcast. Luo Zuishan had longed been warned by Gu Qishao and treated Han Yunxi without any of his previous deceit or difficulties.
"He told you to wait, and that he'd definitely come to take you away before tomorrow night," Even Luo Zuishan himself felt awkward saying these words. Still, those were the exact things Gu Qishao had told him to say. Just when would that guy start acting a little more respectable?
Han Yunxi felt extremely listless. When she thought of how impossible it was to save Long Tianmo, she felt even more listless and didn't take those words to heart at all. Instead, she just carelessly nodded her head. Seeing this, Luo Zuishan didn't look into it either. In his eyes, Gu Qishao's words were a colossal joke. He didn't know that Han Yunxi had yet to cure Long Tianmo's poison, but what he had to do now was follow Gu Qishao's orders and tell Han Yunxi how Xi Yubo had planted Gu in Long Tianmo's body. Since the public consultation was already canceled, the three elders wouldn't allow news of planting Gu to spread without their permission. All they'd do was punish Xi Yubo severely.
"Qin Wangfei, guess why the Tianning crown prince's chronic ailment flared up again," Luo Zuishan wore a very mysterious smile. But right now, Han Yunxi had lost all interest in the subject. She was more concerned with whether Long Tianmo would live or die.
Tomorrow night were the last hours before her deadline came. There was no hope of curing Long Tianmo's poison before tomorrow night. Judging by the detox system's analysis yesterday, Long Tianmo would survive ten days at most without an antidote. Even if she did her best to stave off the full effects of Bone Poison, Long Tianmo would die all the same within eight days after that.
Leaving the purposely mysterious Luo Zuishan to dry on the side, Han Yunxi suddenly rose to leave. She had to find Gu Beiyue, the man who shared her fate, to discuss the matter…