"I'll go right away!" Liu Ya said urgently.

"It's too late." Jueming wiped the blood from his lips, then suddenly tore open the front of his monk's robe—the black lines had spread to his collarbone. "Go to Qingxin Zhai immediately, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood and knelt on one knee.

"The poison has taken effect!" Liu Ya rushed to help, but Jue Ming pushed her away.

"Let's go!" Jueming gritted his teeth, took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom, poured out the last three pills, and swallowed them.

Liu Ya dared not delay any longer and leaped onto the bamboo tip.

Jueming struggled to his feet, but his vision blurred.

The symbiotic poison was burning his internal organs like a raging fire.

Every step felt like walking on a knife's edge.

The Crown Prince must be feeling terrible right now, so how could Jueming still have the mind to laugh?

However, Qi Huaiyu's words made him think a little more.

It turns out that this person already knew.

On the second floor of Qingxinzhai, Xin Jiuwei was pinned to a table by two burly men.

Qi Huaiyu slowly loosened his belt, his eyes flashing with a mad light.

"I'll ask you one last time," he said, gripping Xin Jiuwei's chin, "whether you agree or not?"

Xin Jiuwei spat at him: "Dream on!"

"Fine! Very well!" Qi Huaiyu laughed angrily, "Then don't blame me..."

"Bang!"

The door to the private room was suddenly kicked open. Qi Huaiyu turned around and saw a man in black standing there with a sword, blood dripping from the tip—it was Liu Ya.

"You..." Qi Huaiyu's expression changed drastically, "Where are the Second Prince's men?"

Liu Ya sneered, his sword flashing like lightning. A burly man fell to the ground, blood gushing from his throat. Seeing this, the other man jumped out of the window and escaped.

Qi Huaiyu retreated hastily, knocking over the coffee table in the process: "You can't kill me! Second Prince..."

A flash of cold light, and Qi Huaiyu had a bloody gash on his shoulder. He screamed in agony and, like Qi Huaiyu, jumped out of the window.

"Is Miss Xin alright?" Liu Ya asked anxiously.

Xin Jiuwei shook her head, enduring the burning pain in her throat: "Where is Master Jueming?"

Liu Ya's expression darkened: "Your Highness's poison has flared up..."

Before the words were finished, a commotion suddenly erupted downstairs. Liu Ya peeked out and his expression changed drastically: "The Second Prince's men! Let's go!"

Xin Jiuwei grabbed the broken hairpin from the table and followed Liu Ya down the back window. When she landed, her legs went weak and she almost knelt down—the suffocating feeling from before hadn't completely subsided.

"This way!" Liu Ya helped her up and led her into a small alley.

After turning a few corners, Xin Jiuwei suddenly grabbed Liu Ya: "Wait! Where is His Highness?"

"The bamboo grove outside the city," Liu Ya hesitated, "but you now..."

"Take me there," Xin Jiuwei said, her voice hoarse but firm. "Immediately."

Deep in the bamboo forest, Jueming leaned against an old bamboo stalk, his face ashen. The dark line had spread down to his chin, and each breath felt like a thousand needles pricking him.

He heard footsteps approaching and forced himself to open his eyes.

Through his blurry vision, Xin Jiuwei was running towards him, her hair disheveled, and there were obvious marks on her neck.

"You..." He had just opened his mouth when another mouthful of black blood gushed out.

Xin Jiuwei knelt beside him, frantically taking out a small jade box: "The antidote! Take it quickly!"

Jueming shook his head: "Not enough..." He grasped her hand with difficulty, "Listen to me... The Second Prince already knows my identity... Your mother's matter... is related to the palace coup back then..."

"Take your medicine first!" Xin Jiuwei shoved the pills into his mouth without saying a word.

The medication would take time to take effect. Xin Jiuwei felt her heart breaking as she looked at Jueming's pained expression. This usually composed man was now as vulnerable as a child.

"Why..." she asked softly, "Why use internal energy?"

Jueming smiled weakly: "I was worried about you..."

Those three simple words brought tears to Xin Jiuwei's eyes. She carefully lifted Jueming's head and let him lean on her shoulder.

The bamboo leaves rustled, as if witnessing this life-or-death moment of mutual support. The faint sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, and Liu Ya instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword.

"I know a place," Xin Jiuwei suddenly said. "Come with me."