Arrows never miss

The valley of the Pharmacist is filled with the fragrance of herbs.

Gu Jinghong had changed into a moon-white outfit suitable for riding, with a thin cloak of the same color over it. Her black hair was neatly tied back, making her look less gentle and graceful than a woman from the royal palace, and more dashing and aloof like a heroine of the martial world.

She was standing at the entrance of the bamboo hut where Xie Yan was recuperating.

Xie Yan had regained consciousness. He sat back on the couch, his face still pale, but his eyes had regained some of their sparkle.

He looked at Gu Jinghong, his brows furrowed slightly, but his eyes held a smile: "Ah Hong? The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was you... Could it be that you've been here these past few days, working tirelessly without sleep?"

The intermittent words spoken during the removal of the Cold Marrow were delirium; it seems Xie Yan has just awakened and has not yet been touched upon those terrible memories.

"Now that you know it was me who took care of you, why don't you get better quickly and repay me properly?" Gu Jinghong glanced at him. Although her words were still harsh, her tone had softened and become gentler.

Xie Yan chuckled softly, casually resting her hands behind her head, her phoenix eyes slightly raised: "Yes, yes, I am deeply grateful for Miss Gu's kindness. But... where has your 'hooked' prince been these past two days?"

Gu Jinghong lowered her eyelashes slightly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. When she looked up again, a faint smile curved her lips: "Xie Yan, when did your mouth become so rotten? I've never heard you utter a single human word."

Xie Yan touched his lips, feigning nonchalance, "Ah Hong, you're mistaken. So many girls have praised my lips as quite... cough, sexy and charming. How come they've become rotten in your eyes?"

Gu Jinghong, too lazy to banter with him, said seriously, "Xie Yan, my trip south to the southwest is to investigate the matter of the Southern Wind Secret Box. You are not yet fully recovered, so you must stay obediently in Medicine Master Valley and not leave without permission, do you understand?"

Xie Yan rolled her eyes: "Oh, so concerned about my life or death? If you're so concerned, why don't you wait until I'm fully recovered before going with me? You just want to follow that pretty boy of yours..."

"Xie Yan!"

Xie Yan surprisingly fell silent.

Indeed, after the cold marrow was drawn out of his body, the chilling aura around him seemed to have faded considerably.

Gu Jinghong said no more and turned to go out to find Changfeng.

On the other side of Medicine Master Valley, beneath an old pine tree at the valley entrance, Xuan Ru, dressed in plain clothes, leaned against the gnarled trunk with her arms crossed. Seeing Gu Jinghong approach, she tossed a delicate brocade pouch, which emitted a faint, bitter medicinal fragrance.

"Here, for the journey. It's to refresh the mind and dispel miasma and poison." Xuan Ru said lazily, but her gaze turned to Xiao Chengyan and his group, who were fully prepared to set off not far away.

She walked over and stood in front of Xiao Chengyan.

Xiao Chengyan raised his eyes, waiting for him to speak.

Without further ado, Xuan Ru took out another brocade pouch, which was noticeably larger, and stuffed it into Xiao Chengyan's hand.

Xiao Chengyan instinctively wanted to refuse, but Xuan Ru spoke first: "Your Highness, I know you are a busy person and I know you find the medicine bitter and troublesome. Here, I specially made it for you, it's all pills."

She pointed to the brocade pouch, a faint, sly smile playing on her lips: "It's coated with a thick layer of maltose, very sweet. As long as you don't bite it open like a bean and swallow it whole, I guarantee you won't taste any bitterness at all."

Xiao Chengyan looked at the brocade pouch in his palm, a barely perceptible glint in his eyes.

Such ingenious thinking made taking medicine, something he resisted, so easy, even... a bit like coaxing a child.

This is definitely not something Xuan Ru could come up with out of thin air.

Almost subconsciously, his gaze suddenly passed over Xuanru's shoulder and landed precisely in the direction of the valley entrance—Gu Jinghong was standing there, talking quietly with Changfeng, his moon-white robes fluttering gently in the breeze.

His gaze was incredibly fast, carrying a hint of searching and complex emotions that even he himself hadn't caught.

However, just before Gu Jinghong seemed to sense something and was about to turn around to look at him, Xiao Chengyan abruptly withdrew his gaze, as if nothing had happened.

He lowered his eyes to look at the brocade pouch in his hand, his knuckles tightening slightly: "Okay."

Xuan Ru looked at Xiao Chengyan, then at Gu Jinghong... These two...

She suddenly tiptoed and whispered a few words in Xiao Chengyan's ear.

Xiao Chengyan frowned, and after listening, he glanced back at Xuan Ru.

Xuanru waved her hand: "Alright, let's go, let's go. Medicine Master Valley doesn't keep people for meals."

The group finally set off, their carriages and horses gliding southwest, heading towards Zeyang to rejoin the main force.

Xiao Chengyan sat in the large, dark carriage, unconsciously stroking the brocade pouch Xuan Ru had given him with one hand, and taking out the strangely shaped bird made by Gu Jinghong from the carriage cabinet with the other, examining it carefully.

Legend has it that this bird led Gu Jinghong and him to safety in the desolate, frigid land.

Its appearance is different from Gu Jinghong's; it's hideous. But the enormous energy contained within this tiny bird's body, and its cold and wooden demeanor... how come it looks exactly like Gu Jinghong!

Xiao Chengyan looked at the bird, couldn't help but reach out and gently scratch its head with his finger, then carefully put the ugly mechanical bird into his long sleeve.

Although he verbally agreed to Gu Jinghong's three conditions, he knew very well in his heart that it was impossible to actually do them.

Indeed, he was a prince commanding the southwestern army, and should be true to his word. However, he was also acutely aware of the delicate balance between keeping his word and being flexible. In the current situation, a flexible approach was the best course of action.

Changfeng rode a horse to protect him on either side, while Gu Jinghong rode alone on a gentle chestnut horse, staying at a distance in the middle and rear of the group.

The carriage arrived at the entrance of Yakushi Valley.

Just then, from the path on the other side of the valley entrance came the rapid sound of horses' hooves and wheels. A richly decorated and impressive carriage hurried by.

The carriage stopped at the valley entrance, the brocade curtain was lifted, and a young man leaned out.

He was around twenty years old, dressed in a royal blue brocade robe, with a jade belt around his waist. He had a handsome face and the noble and elegant demeanor unique to scions of noble families. He was none other than Gongsun Cheyuan, the eldest son of the newly noble Gongsun family in the capital.

He was travel-worn and his face showed signs of exhaustion. Just as he was about to instruct his attendants to knock on the door, his gaze inadvertently swept over the departing carriage of the Prince Jin's mansion.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted slightly—it was the emblem of the King of Jin's mansion!

A chill ran down his spine, and he immediately stepped aside, leaving the path to King Jin.

However, as the latter part of the group passed in front of him, his gaze suddenly froze.

A lone figure on horseback stood out against the somewhat somber scene of the procession, its pale white silhouette appearing exceptionally striking.

She stood straight, her figure slender yet exuding resilience. Her profile was beautiful and aloof, the morning light casting a hazy halo around her, especially the red mole at the end of her eyebrow, which appeared particularly stunning in the light.

Unlike the noble ladies in the capital who were raised in seclusion, adorned with fine clothes and jewels, and whose words and actions followed a fixed template, she possessed an indescribable temperament—like a secluded orchid in a mountain stream, carrying a natural wildness and aloofness, and like a thin blade drawn from its sheath, concealing a sharp edge.

A few loose strands of hair were blown by the wind, brushing against her fair neck.

That focused and calm demeanor, in Gongsun Cheyuan's eyes, who was used to affectation, was like a fleeting glimpse of a beautiful woman, instantly capturing all of his attention.

The wind blowing through the valley mouth carried a hint of bitter herbs and the distant sound of horses' hooves.

Gongsun Cheyuan stood there, motionless for a long time. The fleeting glimpse of the moon-white figure had cast a deep and indelible shadow on his heart.

...

The group traveled for half a month, and the weather became increasingly hot and humid.

The main force proceeded in an orderly fashion, with Gu Jinghong riding alone, trailing behind at a leisurely pace.

At first, Xiao Chengyan ate with everyone, but later, for some reason, his three meals a day were served to him by his personal guard, Changfeng.

Those in the group privately speculated that the prince's "old ailment" had become increasingly severe.

Gu Jinghong didn't take it seriously at first, but after hearing it more often, he would occasionally peek into the carriage when Changfeng lifted the curtain.

...It was not very clear, but the person was moving, so they must still be alive.

It wasn't until noon, half a month later, when everyone was having lunch under the shade of a tree, that Xiao Chengyan appeared.

He reached out and handed a wooden box to Gu Jinghong, his voice filled with anxiety.

"Engineer Gu, this is a confidential letter from the front lines. I cannot open it myself. Please, Engineer Gu, open it."

Gu Jinghong remained seated, sizing up Xiao Chengyan.

Her beautiful eyes flickered, and she quickly made up her mind.

Xiao Chengyan is not the kind of person who would put any secret letter in public, and given that his ten fingers are clearly injured, there must be something fishy about this.

Whether it was the prince coming or some kind of "secret letter," everyone left in silence, leaving only the two of them under the shade of the tree.

Gu Jinghong stuffed the half-eaten pancake into his mouth, took the box, pressed his thumb against one of the wooden pieces, and rubbed it down hard.

With a soft "click," a dark object suddenly sprang out and landed squarely on the back of her pale hand—it was a wooden spider carving.

"Hahaha—hahaha—how is this thing I made? Isn't it terrifying? Hahaha—" Xiao Chengyan laughed so hard he was doubled over, completely unaware of Gu Jinghong's speechless expression beside him.

A moment later, the laughter stopped abruptly: "You... how come you're not afraid?"

He couldn't imagine how a woman could encounter such a large spider and not react at all. Even if she didn't move, shouldn't there at least be some fear in her eyes?

Gu Jinghong swallowed the entire biscuit in her mouth, then looked at Xiao Chengyan's ten fingers with pity: "Your Highness, is this how you make something like this?"

Xiao Chengyan: "..."

Gu Jinghong: "And then you even made it so that you couldn't eat, and had to have the Changfeng guards deliver it to the carriage... to feed you?"

Xiao Chengyan looked at Gu Jinghong with a complicated expression.

As expected, his youngest daughter did not show any unusual behavior, and he was also given a disdainful look.

He tried to defend himself, his expression quite serious: "A little trinket? It seems that Master Gu still doesn't understand my intentions. If that spider had been a poisoned arrow, Master Gu would have been poisoned long ago."

Gu Jinghong tried hard to understand Xiao Chengyan's idea, his gaze falling back on the small square box: "It has an ingenious mechanism inside. If someone opens it rashly, they will be hit by an arrow... Theoretically feasible, but your workmanship is too rough. Even if it is loaded with an arrow, it will not be able to hit the target."

...!!

Should she listen to what she's saying?

Is this something a woman can say?

Moreover, this is by no means the truth!

Long Feng, who was silently leaning against a tree in the distance, was already surprised by the prince's effeminate manner. Now, hearing Gu Jinghong's words, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

The next instant, a small pebble flew past his face, pinning an insect to the tree trunk against which Changfeng was leaning.

Xiao Chengyan looked intently at his injured finger and said confidently, "My arrows never miss their mark."