The search teams split up and searched the city for a long, long time, but in the end, they all gathered disappointedly at a deserted street corner.

Xuanyuan Han asked Cheng Liang, "How is it?"

Cheng Liang shook his head helplessly and said, "The wind and rain were too strong last night. There were no witnesses on the road. Not to mention that the torrential rain washed away all the footprints, it is now past noon. The streets are full of people and vehicles, so it is impossible to find out where Miss Yi is. To this day, we have not been able to find even the slightest trace of Miss Yi's whereabouts."

Upon hearing this, heaven knows how anxious and helpless he was deep inside beneath that usually expressionless and stern face.

"Now that you've returned and even visited the Prince of Qin's residence, why haven't you seen me? If you weren't so attached to me, why would you do this? What exactly do you mean? Am I really going to lose you like this for the rest of my life?"

After a moment of silence, having finally mustered the courage to face the situation again, Xuan Yuanhan was unwilling to give up so easily. So he rallied his spirits and commanded in a deep voice, "Keep searching. I don't believe that a living person can just vanish into thin air."

The group had not gone far when Xuanyuan Han suddenly felt a beam of light shine into his eyes, so he reined in his horse and stopped.

Only then did he see a narrow path leading into the distance on his right, and asked, "Where does that lead? Is it still part of my Western Qin territory?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Liang followed the direction of the gaze and, through a lush, dense forest, affirmed, "This is indeed the territory of my Western Qin."

There was a hint of pride in his tone: "The place ahead is called Lingxi Village, a tiny village with fewer than ten households in total. It gets its name from a stream that flows in front of the village. The water is dark blue, clear and sparkling, and never freezes, as if it possesses a spirit. Legend has it that when the peach blossoms are in full bloom, you can see a kind of fish in the Lingxi River that resembles a peach blossom, with four petals, and is crystal clear. This is a rare fish unique to the Lingxi River, and people call it the Peach Blossom Fish."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan asked again, "Would you consider Lingxi Manor to be a secluded paradise, cut off from the world?"

Cheng Liang smiled and said, "No, it's nothing unusual. Traveling from Lingxi Village to the city is a common occurrence."

Seeing his master listening with a thoughtful expression, Cheng Liangdun snapped out of his reverie and said, "Your Highness, are you perhaps doubting...? But this place is already too far from the Yi family residence in the west of the city. On a rainy night, it would be impossible for a woman to cross that forest or wade across that stream to get that far."

However, Xuan Yuanhan said, "But what if someone happens to pass by and helps her?"

"Someone helped..." Before Cheng Liang could even react, Xuan Yuanhan spurred his horse and galloped straight towards the grove of trees.

"Help! Help!"

Shortly after the group entered the woods, Xuanyuan Han suddenly heard faint cries for help coming from the surrounding area.

So he ordered his men to follow the sound and investigate. Once inside the woods, they discovered that the forest was far more complex than it appeared from the outside.

Just moments before, the weather outside was bright and sunny. But once inside the woods, it was dark, damp, and shrouded in mist.

What's even stranger is that although the forest isn't large, everything within it looks the same, making it difficult to even discern directions. Unless one has extremely rich combat experience, entering would likely result in getting lost and trapped inside.

Perhaps this is precisely why Lingxi Manor has become a natural protective barrier, preventing it from being disturbed by outsiders.

Soon, the guards discovered a man lying on the verge of death at the foot of a small hill, leaning against a thick oak trunk. The surrounding weeds were so dense that they almost buried the man, making him difficult to spot without careful searching.

There were several graves under the tree, covered with green grass, and a few crows had made their nests in the tree, occasionally making "Ah! Ah!" sounds that sent chills down one's spine.

Cheng Liang hurriedly ordered someone to go down and check. Instantly, a guard rushed back and reported, "Your Highness, General, a man who claims to be a villager from Lingxi Village has accidentally slipped and fallen down the hillside, injuring his bones and unable to move."

As they were talking, two other guards brought the man up by his arms.

Upon recognizing the man's face, Cheng Liang exclaimed in surprise, "Zhao Ping'an, it's you!"

As the man spoke of "General Cheng," he also recognized the noble figure before him. Ignoring his injuries, he immediately knelt down and said, "This humble subject greets Your Highness Prince Qin, may you live a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years."

Xuan Yuanhan said coldly, "Get up."

Then, the two guards helped Zhao Ping'an up again.

Seeing his disheveled appearance, Cheng Liang asked in confusion.

"How did you get here? And why did you fall down the hillside and get injured?"

Zhao Ping'an suddenly felt a dull pain in his wound. Upon realizing this, Cheng Liang ordered the guards to bandage it for him on the spot.

Zhao Ping'an sat down on the ground and recalled, "General, you may not know this, but my home is nearby. I was late returning from delivering water to the city yesterday, and it was raining heavily. In the pitch-black night, I encountered a young woman who had fainted by the roadside on my way back. I searched for her in the city for a long time, but all the shops on the street had already turned off their lights and closed for business."

As he was speaking, he suddenly felt an unbearable sharp pain in his leg, and Zhao Ping'an couldn't help but gasp and let out a hiss.

He continued, "Having no other choice, I had to take the girl back to my home. Perhaps because of the heavy rain, she had a persistent high fever. My wife also discovered that she was three months pregnant. She could no longer take her usual medicine. So I rushed to the city to find a doctor. But, wanting to take a shortcut through this forest, I slipped and fell because of the rain that night..."

Upon hearing Zhao Ping'an's words, Xuan Yuanhan felt his mind go blank. His worst fears had indeed come true.

He couldn't hear the rest of what was said; he just stared blankly at Zhao Ping'an's mouth opening and closing.

Suddenly, Xuan Yuanhan interrupted him, asking in a deep voice, "Is the woman you saved Yun'er?"

Zhao Ping'an recalled for a moment and said, "It was too dark at night to see clearly. The girl was soaked to the bone and shivering. She was babbling incoherently, and I couldn't understand what she was saying. I just heard her repeatedly saying something like 'I'm sorry,' and 'the child.' I didn't have time to get a good look at the girl's face before I rushed out the door..."

As Zhao Ping'an was still talking, Xuan Yuanhan, who was usually so calm and composed, could no longer suppress his worries. He grabbed Zhao Ping'an, threw him onto the horse, and rode off together.

A large group of people marched through the dense forest, their hooves crossing a beautiful, sparkling stream.

The stream cascaded over the rocks, making a clear and melodious sound. A corner, seemingly forgotten by the world, nestled among the green hills and clear waters, appeared, where time seemed to stand still.

In this tranquil and beautiful time, at noon, wisps of smoke slowly rise from the chimneys of the few scattered houses.

As soon as he arrived at the village entrance, Zhao Ping'an spotted a familiar figure in the distance: a heavily pregnant woman struggling to walk with her head down.

So, he waved his hand vigorously at her while crying out in alarm, "Yu Niang, Yu Niang..."

As soon as the horse stopped, Zhao Ping'an jumped off the horse and limped forward to support his wife, saying with concern, "You're about to give birth, why are you running around like this?"

Although Yu Niang felt a little annoyed and angry, she was relieved to see that her husband was safe and sound. She then scolded, "Isn't this all your fault? Where is the doctor you called? It's been from last night until now, and it's already noon. Why haven't you brought the doctor back yet? Do you know that Miss Yi is almost delirious with fever? She is a great benefactor to our whole family!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ping'an looked at her face in surprise, then suddenly realized, "What did you say? She...she really is Miss Yi?"

"It's absolutely true, why would I lie to you?" Yu Niang nodded, then noticed the bandages on his leg and hurriedly asked, "What happened to your leg?"

Zhao Ping'an suddenly came to his senses and said anxiously, "I'm fine. I just slipped and fell while walking through the woods at night. It's nothing serious. Yu Niang, look! Who's coming?"

Yu Niang was so engrossed in talking to Zhao Ping'an that she forgot about the person behind her. When she looked up, she was stunned: "It's...it's...Your Highness Prince Qin! Yu Niang greets Your Highness Prince Qin! Long live the King! Long live the King! Long live the King!"

As he spoke, he bent his knees, preparing to kneel down before him.

Xuanyuan Han stopped him in time, saying, "You are not feeling well, so there is no need for you to bow."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

As soon as Yu Niang stood up straight, Xuan Yuanhan asked, "I ask you, is Yun'er really at your house right now?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Niang suddenly burst into tears, wiping away her tears with her handkerchief as she said, "Your Highness, please save Miss Yi! She's dying."

Xuanyuan Han's eyes widened in shock, and he exclaimed, "What did you say? Yun'er, she..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xuan Yuanhan dashed into the deep alley behind Yu Niang.

With a loud clang.

Two dilapidated wooden doors were suddenly pushed open from the outside.

Knowing that the woman he had been longing for, searching for, and yearning for was now lying in the room inside, for some reason, Xuan Yuanhan's steps suddenly became heavy.

At this moment, he placed his large hands on the door panel, one foot still outside the door, and the other foot had just stepped over the threshold and landed.

He stood there at the doorway for a moment, lost in thought. Finally, he gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and started walking again.

Inside the house, the old woman and her granddaughter heard the noise in the yard. Thinking that their son had finally brought the doctor back, they hurriedly went out to check.