Rescued by others

If Sui Zhixu knew what he was thinking, he would definitely think Xi Yushao was a mad dog.

Unfortunately, Sui Zhixu showed no interest in investigating; she kept a close eye on Jiang Li's movements.

Whenever the Gu worm was mentioned, Jiang Li's face would light up with unparalleled pride, while Sui Zhixu concealed the darkness in her eyes. It was because of this that she could not find any other way to save Jingzhou and save him.

Jiang Li manipulated the Gu worms, cutting off the mother Gu's supply to those that couldn't survive, throwing the corpses aside, and leaving only those that could survive.

During her seclusion, she conducted countless deductions and studies, and could cure diseases even with her eyes closed.

The Gu worms that had puzzled him for so many days were nothing more than a thought from Jiang Li.

He couldn't help but give a cold laugh.

She then directed the Tianque Tower guards protecting Xi Yushao to go into the water and rescue the people at the bottom of the river.

Those on the shore became bewitched, while those who were conscious entered the river to save themselves. After coming ashore, they seemed to regard Jiang Li as their savior, bowing and scraping three times and nine times.

Sui Zhixu also saw the Sui family's secret guards. She walked to Jiang Li's side, smiling but with an inexplicable mockery, "They seem to regard you as their benefactor."

Unexpectedly, Jiang Li uttered a phrase in Miao language, "Ga yang ga meng, zhe yang zhe meng. (Life is unpredictable)."

She didn't speak, and the family's secret guards, having received her warning, quietly hid.

Fortunately, there were still quite a few people left, which was much better than they had imagined by catching them all in one fell swoop.

The corpses piled up like mountains. Who were they? They never dreamed in their entire lives that they would die like this.

Among them were good people, bad people, women, men, and even underage children.

Some of them may never have left their village in their entire lives.

Along the way, I saw that even in this peaceful and prosperous world, there was still much suffering. Learning about my mother's past made me hate her even more, as she tried her best but could only do so little.

As the young mistress of the Sui family and the daughter of a prominent clan in Jingzhou, she was guilty of causing their deaths unjustly.

Jiang Li stepped forward and gently covered her eyes, "Don't look."

Sui Zhixu took a breath, "What do you plan to do about the other people in Jingzhou who have been poisoned by the Gu?"

“I will cut off the supply of the mother Gu, so the offspring Gu will not regenerate. The remaining Chi Laotou can handle it.”

Sui Zhixu nodded casually, an unreadable emotion flashing beneath her clear, peach-blossom eyes. "Is it the same on Zi Rong?"

"It's different. The Love Poison can grow on its own and doesn't need a mother Poison to supply it."

She took Sui Zhixu's hand and said gently, "Ah Ling, Ah Niang assures you that Zi Rong's situation was truly an accident. Someone from Sima Xian's side sent a letter asking for the Love Potion. I didn't know if it was for Zi Rong or for that person."

I...I didn't mean to hurt you.

Jiang Li grasped her hand, enveloping her fair and delicate fingers. Xu pretended to try to break free a few times but then gave up.

A look of desolation flashed in her eyes. "But isn't that the truth? You indirectly caused Zirong's death. He's lying in a hospital bed now, saying goodbye to me every day like he's on his deathbed. I really don't want to hear his last words. We've missed enough time already. I don't want to be separated from him by death."

"He couldn't even protect you back then. If I hadn't dug you out of the coffin in time, I would never have seen you again. He was so useless, he couldn't protect you, and he even caused you grief..."

Jiang Li took in A Ling, who had supposedly died of illness, and consequently, she disliked Fan Lingzhang. However, noticing A Ling's affections, she tried to find someone to transfer those affections to her, but to no avail. Therefore, she disliked anyone who tried to seduce A Ling, deeming them all unacceptable.

Sui Zhixu frowned and retorted, "He didn't."

"Alright, alright, Ah Niang is wrong." Seeing her dissatisfaction, Jiang Li immediately changed her tune.

Sui Zhixu lowered her head. She was surrounded by people from Tianque Tower. She needed to find the right opportunity.

Jiang Li patted her head affectionately, "Don't worry, it's simple for him. I'll send someone to give the antidote to Old Man Chi, and he'll be fine in less than three days."

I was careless; Jiang Li had arranged everything perfectly.

It seemed that as long as she returned to Miao territory, Jiang Li would grant her any request.

She looked up and saw Jiang Yun and Jiang Li's eyes meet, stirring a corner of her memory.

Like a dream that came out of nowhere.

Miao region

When she was little, she heard someone call out "A-Niang" and ran to call out "Jiang Li A-Niang".

"How could I be your Ah Niang when I'm not even married yet?"

As a child, he only learned half of what he was saying, and his speech was a mix of Miao and Central Plains dialect. "Who else could you be but Ah Niang?"

"Forget it, I can't be bothered to talk to you. Go home and eat. Didn't I tell you not to wait for me at the door? You'll starve to death."

"I won't starve. My aunt will give me food when I pass by."

The silver ornaments on the young girl's chest jingled as she took Jiang Li's hand, revealing her white teeth on her youthful face.

A white mist rose at the edge of her memory, blurring the images in her mind. All she could see was them holding hands and walking together toward a place farther away from her, until they disappeared from sight.

The faint taste of blood that had just filled his mouth returned. Sui Zhixu pushed away Jiang Li's hand, staggered backward, and said, "Don't use Gu on me!"

Jiang Li's fair and slender hands wrapped around the ribbon on her clothes. She smiled with her lips pursed, showing no remorse whatsoever.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to see what happened before? I won't use any other spells on you."

Sui Zhixu's face darkened. "Don't give me that. I'm not interested in your Gu and insects."

"All right."

After saying that, a red light flashed in Jiang Li's eyes, gradually overlapping with his black eyes and turning into a dark red.

“Even though I didn’t like it before, I’ve never been this resistant to you.”

Her voice was very soft, and her whispered words did not attract Sui Zhixu's attention, or rather, she heard them but did not respond.

A silent atmosphere permeated the two of them, beneath the intimacy lay a feigned distance and estrangement.

"When we get back to Miao territory, the wisteria will be in full bloom, and the swing under the trellis will still be there. I'll have someone fix it up, and when it gets dark and the evening breeze comes, I'll push you on the swing."

"Um."

...

The spring breeze along the mountain path brushed against the hibiscus earrings by her ears, and the silver chain swept across her neck, again and again, tickling her heart.

Jiang Li's concern for her seemed genuine, and once they left the village, Jiang Yun was able to escape smoothly.

The newly liberated Zao Village did not have time to wallow in grief; they had to rebuild their homes.

Sui Zhixu refused their attempts to keep her. It was all so ridiculous. How could they have known that the person they were trying to keep was the very person who had caused their family's ruin?

"Shouldn't the young master be leaving soon?"

Faced with her unfriendly expression, Xi Yushao smiled faintly and said in a gentle tone, "No rush, we can go to Miao territory together."

"What did he arrange for you?" Jiang Li, who was walking in front, turned to look at him upon hearing this.

"There are indeed some things, but Madam Jiang, don't worry. The King is doing this for your own good."

Xi Yushao smiled broadly, especially towards Sui Zhixu, as if Sui Zhixu's kick was a reward for him, making him shamelessly gravitate towards him.

His gaze lingered on Sui Zhixu, settling on the hibiscus jade pendant by her ear, a hint of dissatisfaction and jealousy flashing in his eyes.

He casually mentioned, "Please take good care of my wife. The king has always been concerned about her safety and specifically told me before he left that if I encounter her on the road, I must protect her."

“When we return to Miao territory, Wang Cai will not worry. Jiang Niangzi will definitely take good care of you, and you don’t need to be attached to any one thing.”

Xi Yushao was cunning and quick-witted. After observing him a few times, he knew that Jiang Li cared most about Sui Zhixu. Sure enough, Jiang Li was very happy after hearing this and found him much more agreeable.

Given Xu's listless expression, protecting her? They probably treat her like a prisoner.

She tugged at Jiang Li's sleeve, her clear, peach-blossom eyes softening. "You promised me you wouldn't want anyone else."

Jiang Li was completely mesmerized, talking non-stop and waving for Xi Yushao, Chu Jiu, and the others to leave.

As the ninth day passed, Sui Zhixu noticed the five-emperor coins around his neck, and she felt they had become even brighter.

"A medium for acquiring fortune."

A familiar voice entered his mind, and Sui Zhixu raised his eyebrows, "Age in months!"

"Hmm... I'm a bit dead. When did you walk right into my trap? If you really run off to Miao territory, I can't save you. I'm just a lowly cultivator, I don't have that kind of power."

"Things are complicated, but don't worry, I've prepared a backup plan."

"You only have one life, so watch out so you don't die."

Xu Zhixu's gaze was fixed on the Five Emperors Coins around Chu Jiu's neck. No wonder Sima Xian sent people here to harvest his fortune.

Even if you drive the people from Tianque Tower away, she still can't escape?

As Xu pulled Jiang Li along, Xi Yu Shao Yan, wearing a purple robe, wrapped a soft blue shawl around his fingers, the shawl outlining different shapes on his hands.

Before him stood a slender figure in gray-black, and when he gestured with his hand, it appeared to be no more than a palm's width away from him.

His chest heaved as he enjoyed the fantasies she evoked in him.

Trying to run away?

That's really something to look forward to.

He thought of what Miao Jiang Sima Xian wanted him to do, and a smile appeared on his lips. How could he possibly escape?

As he ran down the mountain to the town, he glanced back and realized they hadn't followed.

They're quite sensible, at least.

Jiang Li's gaze fell on their clasped hands and her face, which appeared expressionless but was actually relaxed with relaxed brows and upturned eyes.

She smiled indulgently, "My lovely little wife."

As Xu Zhixu calculated her route in her mind, Jingzhou was her territory; how could she possibly not be able to escape?

She found an inn, used the excuse of changing clothes to go upstairs, closed the door, and deliberately made rustling sounds.

When Jiang Li hadn't heard a sound for a while, Sui Zhixu had already run away.

Before coming to Zao Village, she memorized the route overnight; she even knew all the dog holes in the town.

Sui Zhixu went out through the small door of the kitchen in the backyard of the inn, first peeked out to observe, and after confirming that no one was around, quickly blended into the crowd.

She put away the hibiscus earrings, threw away the blouse embroidered with withered lotus flowers at the inn, and even changed her hairstyle.

Jiang Li sensed something was wrong and immediately pushed open the door. The withered lotus-patterned blouse fell to the ground, and the red beads from her forehead ornament were scattered everywhere, even rolling to Jiang Li's feet.

She picked up the red bead, her eyes as cold as ice. "How could Ah Ling deceive Ah Niang time and time again?"

She walked to the window. The street was crowded with people, and countless women passed by, but none of them were her.

No wonder they coaxed her to get rid of the Gu worms in Jingzhou and drove everyone away; they had been prepared all along.

Jiang Li's palm landed on the windowsill, and in an instant, a piece of the window was knocked off, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

She turned and left, the jade hairpin falling to the ground and shattering into pieces, the crisp sound of the jade striking each other lingering in her heart.

She casually tossed a silver ingot to the servant boy going upstairs and said coldly, "Check, please!"

"Hey!"

After Jiang Li paid the bill, she bumped into Xi Yushao with a smile as soon as she stepped outside. Anger welled up in her heart, "The person is missing, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and find them!"

"Lady Jiang, please wait. There is another, more important matter that you need to know."

Jiang Li suppressed her anger. "What is it?"

After Xi Yushao finished speaking with a smile, Jiang Li gave him a cold glance and said, "Why are you only saying this now?!"

"How could I possibly know that my wife ran away halfway?"

"Stop talking nonsense and get back to Miao territory right now!"

As Jiang Li's skirt fluttered, red fish swam around. Her hurried departure and fiery demeanor caused pedestrians to make way for her.

Xi Yushao walked calmly behind her. What was the point of capturing her? He wanted her to walk right into his trap.