As if provoked by those words, Song Ting's pupils suddenly contracted, and then she could no longer hold back.

He grabbed Chu Huaixu's hand and flipped him over—

"Young master, the punishment has been given, now please reward me..."

After saying that, he grabbed Chu Huaixu's ankle and showered him with kisses, his possessiveness surging like a tsunami in his eyes.

Chu Huaixu was startled and glared at him, wanting to kick him: "You! Stop right there!"

But Song Ting was so strong that he had no way to avoid her.

At this moment, Chu Huaixu felt as if he had been bitten by his own dog.

He tried to strike Song Ting again, but this time he failed because his hand was intercepted just as his arm swung out—

Song Ting pressed his hand against her face, rubbing it affectionately, her soft lips caressing the inside of his wrist.

These were actions they used to do often, but now they seem like they've lived through another world.

But in the few breaths that Chu Huaixu was stunned into, Song Ting had already appeared before him, staring at Chu Huaixu with a devout and obsessive gaze:

"I'm sorry, Huaixu, but I couldn't help it..."

Chu Huaixu didn't remember when he fainted, and when he woke up, he was in his own room.

My vision was still blurry, and everything in front of me seemed to be swaying.

He propped himself up on his arms, trying to sit up, but the moment he moved, his whole body ached as if it were about to fall apart. He had never experienced such pain before when he was practicing martial arts.

Originally, he intended to play a trick on Song Ting, but he ended up losing more than he gained and was bitten by the dog.

Chu Huaixu propped his forehead up and looked at himself with embarrassment.

He was clean, someone had carefully washed him, and there was still a blob of grayish-brown stuff on his wound.

It smells cool and refreshing, with a strong medicinal scent, yet mixed with a faint peach blossom fragrance.

That's "Jade Dew." A name Song Ting created himself.

The renowned commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was illiterate and couldn't think of any elegant or meaningful words, so he simply used what he had learned from storybooks.

Chu Huaixu used to dislike the smell of the medicine and didn't like using it, so Song Ting secretly figured it out and added a drop or two of peach blossom juice to it.

"..." Chu Huaixu felt a lump in his throat.

For some reason, an overwhelming sadness suddenly overwhelmed him, and tears welled up in his eyes, each drop landing on the blanket and leaving dark water stains.

But this loss of composure lasted only a short while; the torrent of tears was quickly wiped away, along with all the vulnerability and embarrassment.

Chu Huaixu got out of bed, enduring the intense discomfort in his body, and dressed himself.

It was already broad daylight outside. Chu Huaixu pushed open the door, where Xiao Wu and a guard were standing watch.

"Where are your parents?" His voice was terribly hoarse when he spoke. Huai Xu felt even more displeased.

Xiao Wu immediately sensed his feelings and said:

"My lord set off before dawn, and Qi Zhou went with him. Is the young master hungry? Shall I order a meal to be served?"

The scenes from last night in the dark Buddhist hall were already slowly replaying in Chu Huaixu's mind. He felt disgusted and ashamed of Song Ting's possessiveness.

What's even more unbearable is that beneath all that hatred and resentment, he would still feel a brief moment of tenderness and regret when he suddenly recalled those past events.

He hated himself more than Song Ting.

He was already annoyed and didn't want Song Ting to have an easy time either, but the man slipped away so quickly. This made him even more annoyed.

He also found Song Ting's subordinates' comfort extremely displeasing, looking at them with eyes that didn't look like eyes and noses that didn't look like noses, finding them utterly repulsive.

"I won't eat." With that, he pushed Xiao Wu away and started to walk out.

Xiao Wu hurried after him, wanting to stop him but not daring to, his heart pounding with anxiety.

"Where does the young master intend to go? There are many people and suspicious eyes in the temple. For the young master's safety, please do not wander around."

"Hmm?" Chu Huaixu turned around abruptly, his beautiful phoenix eyes narrowing slightly. "These are Song Ting's exact words?"

Of course not. My master cherishes Huaiyue like a precious jewel, how could he dare to say such a thing?

Before leaving, he instructed them not to let anyone get close to Huaiyue, and that if anything went wrong, they would have to pay with their heads.

"That's perfect. When Song Ting comes back, I'll have him kill you all. Kill one today, kill one tomorrow, and when he has no one left to rely on, he'll rip out his own heart."

Xiao Wu: "..."

·

Laojun Mountain is not far from Baima Temple; it would only take two hours to reach it by fast horse. However, Song Ting was injured, and the jolting on horseback made his chest wound ache unbearably.

In just half an hour, his face lost all color, and even his lips turned deathly pale.

Qi Zhou kept everything under the cover of night. He and Xiao Wu had been watching over Huaiyue day and night, so they naturally knew what had happened in that Buddhist hall the previous night—

The young master Huaiyue was carried out horizontally by the adult, his body covered by a bright red robe, obscuring his face.

The adult, on the other hand, was in a sorry state. His undergarments had been torn to shreds, revealing large scratches on his exposed chest.

You can imagine what kind of fierce battle they went through.

What's even more horrifying is that the adult's chest was pierced by the blade, and blood dripped down his face as he walked out.

But the adults looked perfectly normal, even like a wolfhound that had finally been fed, with a satisfied expression on their faces.

Xiao Wu was stunned and stood there for a long time, unable to come to his senses.

Once the person was out of sight, he said to Qi Zhou in a daze, "Brother Qi, does the master really intend to rip out his heart and give it to that person?"

The original wound had only healed for a short time when it was punctured again. Even a person made of iron couldn't withstand that.

"Sir, it's still early. Would you like to stop and rest for a while?"

Song Ting's face was deathly pale, and even his breathing was a little unsteady: "No need. I don't know if the trip will go smoothly. I'm worried about him going alone. It's better to go and come back as soon as possible."

Qi Zhou: "..."

Qi Zhou was speechless.

Including him and Xiao Wu, Song Ting had a total of twenty secret guards. Apart from the two who were always stationed at Lao Jun Mountain to monitor the Ghost-Faced Divine Doctor, Song Ting brought the rest of his men with him on this trip to the east. The purpose was not for the Empress Dowager's carriage, but for Huai Yue.

If this can be called being alone, then Qi Zhou really doesn't know what to say.

—His master is usually wise and capable, but he loses his composure whenever it comes to anything related to that person.

—For example, that night when he argued with the Empress Dowager at the imperial palace.

Now, Qi Zhou doesn't seem surprised by anything the adults do.

It rained quite heavily last night, and when I woke up this morning the sky was still overcast, looking like it could rain at any moment.

When the two finally arrived at the foot of Laojun Mountain, the raindrops began to fall sparsely.

There was only one path leading up the mountain, and Xiao Ba and Shi Yi, who were ordered to guard this place, immediately appeared: "My lord!"

Song Ting waved his hand: "Are they still on the mountain?"

"Yes," Eleven said. "That masked doctor doesn't like to go out. I've never seen him come down the mountain, but every day there are patients coming up the mountain seeking his treatment."

Powerful nobles, wealthy merchants,江湖人士 (jianghu figures), and impoverished commoners—all sorts of people travel along this mountain path, seeking help from the person at the summit.