"What? You mean... you're lying, that the nine-section whip isn't poisonous at all?" Chen Lu looked at Chang Lili in disbelief.

He had never really taken Chang Lili seriously, thinking she was just an unknown little girl.

He had genuinely believed Chang Lili to be a formidable figure after hearing Master Liu's words, but now he was surprised to find himself outsmarted by a mere young girl.

The fact that the substance wasn't poisonous was good news, but falling into that trap and revealing Xiao Shu'er's identity cut off his own escape route.

People around him cast all sorts of glances his way. Chen Lu looked around and met their gazes, feeling uneasy. He had the illusion that each of them was Xiao Shu'er's spy.

He tightened his grip on Chang Lili's wrist, and his dark face began to contort.

He gritted his teeth and said, "You lied to me...you actually lied to me! You've ruined me, you've killed me, you've killed me!"

His dark face flushed slightly with anger, and he looked as if he wanted to devour Chang Lili alive.

Chang Lili winced in pain and tried to shake off his hand but failed. She had a bad feeling, but the hidden arrow was concealed under the blacksmith's platform, and she couldn't get it while being held like this.

"This is all your own fault; those who do many evil deeds will surely perish!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Lu glared angrily, quickly stood up, and grabbed Chang Lili's neck with his dark hands.

Her slender, fair neck was completely held in Chen Lu's hands, and her face quickly flushed red.

Chen Lu was very strong; he was truly desperate.

Chang Lili was able to speak at first, but after a short while she couldn't even say the word "let go," and her flailing and struggling hands became increasingly weak.

At first, I could still hear Chen Lu shouting, "I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!"

But gradually, a buzzing sound began to ring in her ears, and she could no longer hear clearly.

She vaguely saw that the other people in the military workshop looked panicked, and several experienced craftsmen also gathered around.

Although some of them still disliked Chang Lili and some were very jealous of him, they dared not imagine the consequences if something happened to her, and they all rushed forward to try to stop Chen Lu.

A group of people rushed forward to pull him away. Chen Lu, like a mad dog, was no match for the strength of so many people, and Chang Lili finally caught her breath.

In the struggle, Chen Lu refused to let go of Chang Lili's neck, leaving shocking red marks on her fragile neck.

She teetered on the brink of suffocation, her heart gradually enveloped in despair.

Suddenly, the crowd scattered, and a man rushed over in three steps, delivering a vicious chop to the back of Chen Lu's neck.

Chen Lu suddenly lost all strength and fell to the ground, and the pair of black hands finally left Chang Lili's neck.

But Chang Lili couldn't support her body any longer. Her face turned as pale as paper, and she collapsed weakly into a warm and solid chest.

"Li Li? Li Li?" Meng Yuxiu called out in a panic, his brows furrowed and his hands trembling as he reached for her breath. When he felt her weak but warm breath through his fingers, he breathed a sigh of relief, and the panic on his face subsided.

Chang Lili weakly opened her eyes, saw that familiar silhouette, and heard that familiar voice. A little color returned to her pale face, and she even managed a weak smile, calling out, "Meng Yuxiu..."

Meng Yuxiu carefully stroked the shocking red mark on her neck with his fingers, his face showing pain, and pulled her into his arms. His expression was cold and murderous: "Lock Chen Lu in a cell and wait for me to interrogate him personally."

Everyone else in the military workshop quickly returned to their own forging stations and quietly went about their work, afraid of getting involved.

Ke Shou brought his men over and waited to the side. Upon hearing Meng Yuxiu's instructions, he glanced solemnly at Chang Lili in Meng Yuxiu's arms before leading the men away.

Meng Yuxiu looked down at the person in his arms. She was still pale, leaning weakly against him, and seemed dazed.

He carefully picked her up and carried her towards the gate of the military workshop.

But after taking only a few steps, the weak person in his arms seemed to have a final burst of energy before death, struggling to say, "Meng Yuxiu, my things, the weapons I made are still there, I have to keep them safe..."

She almost lost her life, and now she's half-dead, but she's still thinking about the weapons she made.

Meng Yuxiu was a little annoyed, but could only sigh helplessly: "I will have Ke Shou pack the things and take them back to the manor, so you don't need to worry."

Chang Lili then weakly lay back in Meng Yuxiu's arms and said softly, "That's good."

His embrace was warm and reassuring, and in no time, it dispelled the fear and despair that had been lingering in Chang Lili's heart.

Chang Lili was somewhat reluctant to leave this feeling. Sitting in the carriage, she leaned against Meng Yuxiu's chest, hoping that this moment would never end.

The carriage moved slowly forward, and Chang Lili gradually felt her strength returning. Her bright eyes darted back and forth in their sockets.

Meng Yuxiu's slightly deep voice came from above: "Are you feeling better?"

Chang Lili could feel a slight tremor in his chest when he made a sound.

She realized she was sitting on one of his laps, nestled in his arms like a child—a position that was undeniably too intimate.

She coughed twice and began to struggle to get off him: "Much better."

Meng Yuxiu leaned forward slightly to block her, then moved closer without any hesitation.

Chang Lili looked at Meng Yuxiu, who was approaching, with surprise in her clear eyes. She noticed that he was carefully examining her neck and making no other movements.

Her heart was pounding so hard it was like a drumbeat, and she figured Meng Yuxiu could hear it.

He was so close, his handsome face with its distinct features shimmering in the light and shadow of the swaying carriage, yet his expression remained focused.

His warm breath sprayed onto her neck, making her feel a cool and comfortable sensation on her burning neck. At the same time, she felt her limbs go weak and her heart felt itchy. She subconsciously stepped back.

"It seems this red mark won't go away anytime soon. We'll need to apply some medicine. What's wrong?" He asked, noticing her movements.

Chang Lili blushed and smiled shyly, saying, "Is it a little itchy?"

Meng Yuxiu raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "So, you're ticklish?"

"That's right... Haha... What are you doing... Let go... I'm hurt... Hahaha, I'm injured..."

Before Chang Lili could finish speaking, Meng Yuxiu's hand unexpectedly reached under her armpit and then moved restlessly to her waist.

Before she could even react, Chang Lili was already grinning from ear to ear: "No... hahaha..."

She tried to push Meng Yuxiu away, but her hands were too weak to move.

After a while, Chang Lili was laughing so hard she was almost limp, and Meng Yuxiu finally stopped and carefully picked her up.

"It seems you've truly recovered. All we need to do is apply some medicine to your neck," Meng Yuxiu said with a hearty laugh.