Chapter 231 Lu Yuan must not know about this.

Even after confirming the person she had been suspecting, Jiang Zhi showed no joy on her face, only frowning and coldly saying, "Go on."

“Yes,” the woman swallowed, her fear of Jiang Zhi deepening. “He said that this poison comes from a plant outside the Northern Border, which has a unique fragrance when it blooms and is extremely rare. This poison is extracted from the roots and stems of the plant.”

"What is this poisonous plant called, and how can it be treated?" Jiang Zhi asked.

The woman exhaled before continuing, "It's called 'Frost Balance Grass,' and the antidote is its petals. However, it needs to be picked within three hours of the flower blooming, otherwise the medicinal properties on the petals will be lost to the wind."

Jiang Zhi's heart skipped a beat. "Do you know what it looks like, or what its characteristics are?"

The woman shook her head weakly, "I only heard Doctor Xue mention it, but this is my first time in the Northern Territory, and I've never seen it before."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi turned to leave.

The male assassin repeatedly called out to her, "Wait, what about my poison?"

Poison doesn't wait for anyone.

Even if they eventually manage to pick the petals and retrieve the antidote, he will have already died from the poison.

Jiang Zhi instructed Ye Qi, "Help him expel the toxins, leaving some residual poison in his body similar to that of Lu Yuan. After we get the antidote, I want to test it on him first."

She dared not easily believe the words of these assassins.

We must ensure absolute safety before giving it to Lu Yuan.

Ye Qi immediately perked up, "Yes, Your subordinate obeys!"

He now understood why his eldest brother was infatuated with this Miss Ji.

She appears to be a sheltered young lady who rarely leaves her home, but she is decisive and efficient, and acts with shrewdness and wisdom.

They're a perfect match for their boss!

You absolutely must never offend her again in the future.

Ye Qi felt a wave of fear when he recalled how he had dared to stop Miss Ji earlier.

After leaving the dungeon, Jiang Zhi went straight to Xie Qi.

He's been in the North for so long, he should have some clues.

"Frost-resistant grass?" Xie Qi had never heard of this name before. "Zhizhi, don't worry, I'll go ask some herders who travel far and wide; they'll surely have some information."

Upon learning that Lu Yuan had been poisoned, Xie Qi frowned deeply.

Lu Yuan was poisoned because of Zhi Zhi. If something were to happen to him, wouldn't it leave an indelible mark on her heart in the future?

He wouldn't let Lu Yuan off so easily.

Before an incense stick could burn, news arrived from Xie Qi.

"I learned this from an old herdsman. Frostgrass is called 'Ice Bone Flower' by the herdsmen of the North. It grows in the crevices of Broken Bone Cliff and is extremely rare. When it blooms, it has a cool fragrance and a slightly pungent smell."

"Judging by the time, it is currently the season when the Frost-resistant Grass is in bloom."

Xie Qi showed her a painting, saying, "This was drawn by that old herdsman from memory. You can use this painting as a reference to find it."

"Thank you." Jiang Zhi took the painting, examined it carefully, and then tucked it into her clothes. After thinking for a moment, she added, "Please lend me a fast horse, Your Highness."

Xie Qi was surprised, "You're going in person?"

Jiang Zhi nodded, "Since it is currently the flowering season of Frost-Hedge Grass, and my sense of smell is very keen, following the fragrance will be much more effective. Your Highness need not worry, Ye Qi will accompany me."

Xie Qi's heart was filled with jealousy.

Damn Lu Yuan, how could he make Zhizhi so worried, and even risk her life for him!

He immediately said, "Then I'll go with you."

Jiang Zhi was overjoyed upon hearing this; it would be best if Xie Qi could go along.

She nodded. "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Your Highness."

When I came out, I ran into Ye Qi coming out of the dungeon.

"Miss Ji, the assassins have been dealt with. When shall we depart?"

Jiang Zhi said, "It's getting late now. We'll set off at dawn tomorrow, but remember not to let Lu Yuan know about this."

Otherwise, given his personality, he certainly wouldn't agree to let me go.

Ye Qi hesitated with a bitter face, "But if the boss finds out later, he definitely won't let me off the hook."

"You also want to save Lu Yuan, don't you?" Jiang Zhi's face darkened. "General Xie is going with us. If anything happens and he blames you, just say that I forced you to do it."

Ye Qi had no choice but to agree.

The next day, before dawn.

Xie Qi, along with two personal guards, led a group of five people away from Yao City, riding swiftly towards Broken Bone Cliff.

It was freezing cold, and Jiang Zhi was frail, so Xie Qi didn't let her ride a horse alone. Instead, he let her hide in his arms, shielding her from most of the biting cold wind.

Ye Qi was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.

But saving the boss is the priority right now, so we can't worry about anything else for the time being.

Broken Bone Cliff is located more than 100 miles north of Yao City. After crossing a large grassland and sea buckthorn thicket that is half a person tall, and then passing through a shallow stream, the group rested and ate some dry food halfway. After traveling for about five or six hours, the terrain suddenly rose.

Their pace slowed down as they climbed the high slope, and then they reached Broken Bone Cliff.

This place is constantly eroded by strong winds, resulting in sparse, dead trees with exposed tree roots that cling firmly to the soil.

Looking down, there are steep cliffs that seem to have no bottom, and at the bottom of the cliffs lies the Valley of Fallen Souls.

According to the old herdsman's recollection, frost grass grows on the leeward side of cliffs and prefers low temperature and high humidity. If you can find a damp rock crevice, you are very likely to find frost grass.

Arriving at the approximate location indicated by the old herdsman, Jiang Zhi dismounted and searched the surrounding area.

But the wind was howling here, making it impossible to discern any scent.

So Xie Qi ordered his personal guards to tie four ropes, each about the thickness of a forearm, securely to the tree every five zhang (approximately 10 meters) before they went down to the cliff to search.

They also agreed on a signal for communication, and would communicate by voice if any discovery was made.

Fearing that leaving Jiang Zhi alone on the cliff top might mean she wouldn't be able to rescue her in time if she encountered danger, Xie Qi bent down to let Jiang Zhi come up, and then carried her down.

The cliff face is steep and almost vertical, and the wind is as fierce as a knife.

Xie Qi held onto the rope with one hand and supported Jiang Zhi behind him with the other, descending slowly as light as a swallow.

Halfway there, Jiang Zhi patted Xie Qi on the shoulder, "I can smell that cool fragrance the old herdsman described, it should be nearby!"

Xie Qi had excellent eyesight; all he could see were bare, gray-black rock cliffs, without a trace of green, let alone Frost Balance Grass.

Xie Qi pushed off the cliff face and swung away with Jiang Zhi to search both sides, but still found nothing.

"Won't it get mixed up with other flavors?" Xie Qi asked.

Jiang Zhi shook her head, "There's only this one fragrance here, it must be coming from nearby."

Just as Xie Qi was searching inch by inch, a sharp, long howl suddenly came from above, almost piercing his eardrums.

The two looked up and their pupils suddenly contracted!

A vast expanse of dark shadow descended, swooping down upon them.

Its wings spread wide, blotting out the sun; its claws were like giant iron hooks; and its two blood-red eyes were locked on them, gleaming with a sinister cold light in the sunlight.

"It's a cliff vulture!" Xie Qi shouted, leading Jiang Zhi to avoid its swooping attack.

The cliff vulture's iron claws gripped the cliff face, and rocks tumbled down with a clatter, only to be heard with a loud crash at the bottom of the cliff after a long time.

However, before Xie Qi could regain his footing, the cliff vulture adjusted its angle in mid-air and launched its second attack in an instant!