With that cry of "I'm back," a huge weight was finally lifted from Su Qingcai's heart.

He pulled Su Xiaoning into his arms again, as if he were holding a lost treasure that he had found again.

"It's good that you're back... From now on, whether you're someone chosen by the lucky koi or an ordinary person, as long as you're alive, I'll be at ease..."

Su Qingcai choked up slightly, unsure of how to express his current excitement.

All the unspoken words melted away in this embrace.

The two embraced quietly, as if nothing in the world mattered to them anymore.

Meanwhile, in the capital city...

Qin Yunyun stared in disbelief at the back of her hand, which was clean and bare, as if the koi fish mark that had appeared earlier was just an illusion.

She walked angrily into the yard, wanting to grab the old man and demand an explanation, but unexpectedly the old man coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

Qin Yunyun was stunned by the sudden turn of events, standing there at a loss. Su Qinghe walked over from the side, looked at Qin Yunyun's smooth hands, then at the old man lying on the ground, barely alive, his expression extremely gloomy.

"Cough, cough, I'm sorry, Your Highness..." The old man coughed violently a few more times, blood staining his chest. "It's all fate! I am destined to die here today. After all, how can human power compare to that of the gods... I could only foresee that the Ninth Prince and that woman's fates were already intertwined. If things are to succeed, they must be separated..."

Su Qinghe's expression turned slightly angry, and he growled through gritted teeth, "How could this be! Su Qingcai... is his luck really that good...?"

"It's my fault..." The old man shook his head, his eyes slowly becoming cloudy.

Qin Yunyun was terrified. She rushed forward, crying and pleading, "Please, don't die! If you die, who will help me get the koi fish mark back? Please help me! If the koi fish mark can't be returned, I really don't know what I'll do..."

"You...you don't have to worry..." The old man struggled to open his eyes. "You'll have another chance to reclaim the koi fish mark later. You'll naturally have a way to deal with it then..."

After saying that, the old man suddenly let out a few frightened "hoarse" sounds. His eyes widened as if he had seen something terrifying. He kicked his legs and then fell silent.

"Ah!" Qin Yunyun screamed, threw the old man's body aside, and hurriedly crawled to Su Qinghe's feet.

"Your Highness, you heard it too. He just said I still have a chance to reclaim the koi fish mark. Since there's a chance, please let me stay in the palace for now. I will definitely serve Your Highness well..."

Qin Yunyun had had enough of the days when she was starving and never had enough to eat. No matter what it took, she was determined to stay in the Prince's mansion.

Su Qinghe's face was extremely ugly. He originally wanted to kick Qin Yunyun away, but considering the value of the koi fish mark, he ultimately held back.

He grabbed Qin Yunyun from the ground and said with a gloomy face, "You just stay in the palace and don't try to cause any trouble. When the time is right, I will help you get back the Koi Carp Mark. Do you understand?"

"I understand, I understand..." Qin Yunyun shrank back, only daring to echo her words repeatedly.

"Hmph, they're all trash!"

Su Qinghe didn't even glance at Qin Yunyun again, let out a cold snort, and turned to leave.

...

Su Xiaoning was out of danger and the most suitable antidote was found. After taking the antidote, Su Qingcai also recovered quickly.

It wasn't until he had fully recovered that he realized this drunkard with medical skills was no ordinary doctor, but the famous "Drunken Immortal Doctor" in the martial arts world.

Upon learning Bai Hua's true identity, Su Qingcai immediately found him much more agreeable, and some ulterior motives began to take shape in his mind.

More people mean more strength. If he could bring Bai Hua under his command, he would have more protection in dealing with Su Qinghe.

With this in mind, Su Qingcai went directly to Bai Hua and, as always, got straight to the point and stated her purpose.

"To be honest, my true identity is the Ninth Prince of the palace. Not long ago, I was framed by my enemies and ended up in Carp Village. That's when I met Su Xiaoning. Soon I will be taking Su Xiaoning back to the capital. Why don't you come with us? If you are willing to work under me, I will guarantee you wealth and honor."

Upon hearing Su Qingcai's true identity, Bai Hua didn't react much. He chuckled and poured himself another glass of wine.

"Wealth and glory? Ridiculous. Do I lack such things? I don't have any other hobbies. My favorite thing in life is drinking. But no one in Carp Village knows how to brew good wine. If someone could go to town and get me a few jars of good wine, I might consider it..."

Bai Hua's meaning was quite clear, and Su Qingcai quickly understood.

He immediately stood up and walked out, saying as he went, "Wait here, I'll get you some wine right away, and don't forget what you said!"

In order to get the best wine, Su Qingcai took a day-long carriage ride to a relatively large town, and after careful selection, chose ten jars of the best wine to bring back.

As soon as the seal on the wine jar was broken, the aroma of the wine filled the air, completely captivating Bai Hua.

Without saying a word, Bai Hua grabbed the wine jar and started drinking, emptying all ten jars.

He lay contentedly on the bed, a blissful expression on his face, seemingly still savoring the delicious taste of the fine wine.

Afraid that drinking too much would bring back memories, Su Qingcai hurriedly approached Bai Hua and asked expectantly, "You've drunk this wine too, so you should come to the capital with us, right?"

"The capital? What capital?" Bai Hua looked surprised, as if Su Qingcai had never mentioned this before.

Su Qingcai was stunned. He pointed at Bai Hua, not knowing what to say. "Didn't you say that you would consider it if you could get a few jars of good wine?"

"Yes, I have considered it." Bai Hua put on a serious expression. "I've thought about it, but I still don't think it's suitable! But thank you for the wine anyway, it tastes really good! Hahaha..."

"You!" Su Qingcai realized that Bai Hua had tricked him, and his face turned green with anger. He wanted to question Bai Hua angrily, but unexpectedly, Bai Hua simply tilted his head and fell fast asleep.

Looking at Bai Hua sleeping soundly, Su Qingcai lost his temper. He sighed and had no choice but to swallow his anger.

Su Xiaoning found out about this the next day. Su Xiaoning was definitely on Su Qingcai's side. Considering Su Qingcai's feelings, she prepared a delicious meal and took several jugs of fine wine to find Bai Hua that very night.

Su Xiaoning did not intend to mention her purpose at the beginning, and the two simply ate their meal normally.

Just as she was about to speak, unable to hold back any longer, a feathered arrow suddenly flew in with a "whoosh," grazing Bai Hua's head!