If the poisonous flower had not been discovered, General Ling's army would have suffered heavy casualties. If Shuizhou further added fuel to the fire, the situation would have turned, and Lizhou would have been in danger.

"Why is there only this one?" Ji Xingzhi asked puzzledly.

In this tense situation, Ji Xingzhi was troubled by this problem.

However, Zhou You frowned and thought for a long time before answering Ji Xingzhi's simple question: "At that time, we saw that this flower looked very similar to the one you drew and asked us to find, so we were about to pick it. Suddenly, a group of men in black appeared and snatched the flowers away. In a moment of desperation, Su Cheng snatched one from their hands, and was severely injured by them."

After a pause, Zhou You continued, "It's strange. We were fighting with the man in black, and Nian stabbed him with his sword, but he suddenly disappeared for no reason."

At this point, Zhou You’s expression became very serious.

Nian took over the conversation, frowning as he continued, "They were clearly physical entities, but when my sword wounded them, not a single drop of blood was stained. The man in black who I stabbed in the heart vanished in an instant. It was so strange, so we didn't continue the fight. The man in black also had no intention of fighting us and didn't chase us. Instead, he took the flowers and left."

Ji Xingzhi's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this. She had encountered these men in black before, severely injured by them and bedridden for many days. She had assumed they were targeting Hua Yihen, but now they were coming after Ling Lan. Who were they? What was their motive? What secrets lay hidden within the blue Clivia? Who was Uncle Qin, exactly? What was the conspiracy behind Uncle Qin's actions?

It seems that all these mysteries have to start with the blue Clivia, but after searching for so many years, I only got one...

Ji Xingzhi couldn't help but think about it and had a headache. After a while, he asked, "How is Su Cheng's injury?"

Nian hesitated for a moment and replied, "The situation is not optimistic."

"Isn't Tong by her side?" Ji Xingzhi frowned.

Upon hearing this, Nian fell silent, his face heavy, his lips slightly opened, then slowly closed, as if he didn't know how to start.

Seeing this, Zhou You stepped forward and answered for him, "Su Cheng was not only wounded by the sword, but also poisoned. He remains unconscious."

"Poisoned? Because of this flower?" Ji Xingzhi suddenly remembered that many years ago, when she went to steal Hua Yihen's Clivia, Hua Yihen had warned her that blue Clivia was poisonous. Zhou You had also warned her that the flower was poisonous. Su Cheng had grabbed the flower in a desperate situation, so he must have taken it with his bare hands.

Zhou You nodded silently.

Ji Xingzhi handed the flowers to Zhou Zheng behind her and asked in a low voice, "Where are Su Cheng and the others now?"

"Su Cheng's injuries are too severe for him to travel. He is now recuperating in a mountain village near Mixia Valley. The villagers are very kind and will surely not make things difficult for him. In addition, Tong left two petals for Su Cheng to develop an antidote." Zhou You replied.

After hearing Zhou You's words, Ji Xingzhi felt a little relieved.

Ji Xingzhi did not stay in Wuzhoumen for long, but immediately returned to the palace to study the antidote.

That night.

The imperial capital of Lizhou was brightly lit, as bright as day, and the streets were crowded with people. Judging from their attire, there were people from all the states and countries. They must have heard the news that the leaders of the four states would gather in Lizhou, so there were always people coming to watch the fun.

Therefore, this year's Lizhou Imperial Capital is exceptionally cold and few people are out and about during the New Year. It has just been spring and although the weather is not as severe as in the past, it is much colder than in previous years.