"Miss, I'm just worried about your health..." At this moment, the young lady's eyes were bloodshot, and Xiao Cui felt a sudden sense of fear.

Of course, Xie Yuyan didn't want to do anything to Xiao Cui right now, after all, she would need her help in the future! She suppressed her anger before speaking sharply.

"Go find Fei Peng quickly, and don't tell him about my situation yet." She wasn't stupid; she was trying her best to calm down and think of her next move!

If you say that Qin San Niang didn't do this, she'd rather die than believe it! That bitch must have poisoned her because she refused to apologize or pay five hundred taels of silver! Xie Yuyan wasn't one to be manipulated! No one had ever gotten the better of her in her entire life!

Completely bewildered, Xiao Cui nodded repeatedly upon hearing her master's instructions, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped into the snowstorm. Suddenly seeing the silver-clad landscape outside, she had no time to appreciate it; she quickly tightened her collar to prevent the snow from getting inside, which would only make her colder!

Fearing that Qin San Niang might have a backup plan, Fei Peng and the others took turns keeping watch last night, doubling the number of officers on duty. Everyone was exhausted. They all cursed inwardly, thinking, "That Xie family's illegitimate daughter is such a troublemaker!"

Upon seeing the maidservant of the illegitimate daughter approach, the tall guard asked irritably, "Miss Xiao Cui, what brings you here so early in the morning? My captain was on guard until the wee hours of yesterday and has only just fallen asleep!"

It was barely dawn, and even if they set off, it would take some time. They needed to have a hot meal before continuing. Besides, it was snowing today, so they'd probably have to travel a bit further, and who knew when they'd get their next meal! The tall guard, having endured the north wind all night, was now seething with rage!

Normally, Xiao Cui would definitely have snapped at the guard for his unfriendly tone, but she couldn't care less at the moment. Even if he scolded her, she would have to endure it!

"Brother Fei Hu, our young lady has something important to discuss with Captain Fei Peng! Please go and wake him up quickly." Xiao Cui stepped forward and curtsied as a greeting, emphasizing the word 'important'.

Hearing her say that, Fei Hu didn't dare to refuse. Even if Xie Yuyan was unreliable, she was still a young lady of the Xie family. Although she was a concubine's daughter, she was still half a mistress and had her own mistress to teach her. It wasn't the guard's place to discipline her!

Feihu cupped his hands in agreement.

Before long, Fei Peng, having heard the report, quickly moved to Xie Yuyan's carriage, wondering to himself, "Just how important is this matter?"

"Miss, what's wrong with you?" Fei Peng, who had been repeatedly asked to enter the carriage, couldn't help but ask in surprise when he saw Xie Yuyan's face!

To be fair, Xie Yuyan was quite pretty; while her face wasn't exactly breathtakingly beautiful, it was still quite attractive! And now, overnight, her face was disfigured! Fei Peng thought to himself, this is indeed a serious matter! He just didn't know what disease this rash was. Was it smallpox? Or measles?! Both could be fatal!

Thinking of this, Fei Peng deeply regretted entering the carriage, but it was too late now! He had probably already contracted the disease.

That bitch dared to scheme against me!

Fei Peng gave Xie Yuyan a sharp look.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yuyan merely glanced at him indifferently. What a joke! How can I expect you to help me without letting people up here?!

"What does Miss need me to do?" Even knowing her purpose, Fei Peng couldn't afford to turn against her. For now, he could only resolve the immediate predicament. Since Xie Yuyan dared to lure him here, she must have a backup plan. He could only suppress his discomfort and listen to her thoughts before speaking.

"This face must have been done by that slut during the day, trying to extort money from the Xie family. It's true what they say, 'Bad people come from poor and remote places!'"

Not wanting to listen to her cursing, Fei Peng's face flashed with displeasure. "So, in your opinion, when exactly did that woman poison you? Or do you know what kind of poison it is?" As he said this, a glimmer of hope rose in Fei Peng's heart. If so, then the poison was not so scary.

“It must have been the poison they used when they kidnapped me, but I don’t know what kind of poison it is yet. I’ve heard my mother talk about the witchcraft of the Southern Frontier. It can enter the human body without anyone noticing, and even if the person who casts the spell is dozens of miles away, they can precisely control the onset time and the severity of the symptoms.”

Xie Yuyan pondered for a long time about how Qin Sanniang poisoned her, and finally determined that it was when the two were closest to each other, when the soft whip was used to lock her neck. However, apart from the red marks on her neck, there was nothing wrong with her. Only then did she remember what her mother had mentioned about witchcraft. To break the spell, the person who cast the spell had to be killed.

Hearing her say this, Fei Peng's face turned even uglier. "Then does Miss know of any way to break this Gu poison?"

"Only the person who cast the curse can be freed. To put it another way, even if it is not a curse, but some other kind of poison, only Qin San Niang has the antidote. Capturing her and forcing her to give up the antidote is not a bad method."

"I've heard my father say that Captain Fei Peng's martial arts skills are second to none in the Xie family. He should have no problem dealing with a few peasant women," Xie Yuyan flattered at the opportune moment.

Mother once said that what men like most is a woman's flattery and adoration, and no matter what kind of man he is, he can't escape this law. Sure enough, when he heard her say something nice, Fei Peng's expression improved a lot, but he hadn't been completely led astray by Xie Yuyan.

"Miss," he said, "in my opinion, this woman is only demanding compensation. If we give her the money, it should cure the poison." They were almost at Jiangzhou City, and the journey hadn't been smooth. They were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and he didn't want any more trouble. If money could be used to settle things, there was no need to resort to force! Besides, it wasn't him who was paying for it!

Xiao Cui looked worriedly in her mistress's direction. Others might not know, but she knew perfectly well that her mistress was most fond of money and reputation. That woman's demands were precisely these two things—this was practically a death sentence for her! In the past, anyone who had crossed those lines had been thoroughly dealt with by her mistress in various ways, not only failing to get their money but also losing their reputation. Thinking of this, Xiao Cui couldn't help but shed a tear for Qin San Niang! Then, remembering how those peasants had humiliated her, she felt they deserved it, that they deserved to be tormented by her mistress!

“Captain Fei Peng, I shouldn’t interrupt my master, but I heard that woman say that she would not let us off easily and would make us lose everything. Even if Miss raises enough money and apologizes to her, she will not give us the antidote. Moreover, this poison spreads very quickly, and I’m starting to itch.”