As for the fact that Hei Xiao was a prince of the previous dynasty, Shang Beiyu already knew about it. He hadn't brought it up before because he was considerate of the little bandit's feelings and didn't want to hurt her too much.

However, it has now been confirmed that the little bandit and the Ninth Prince have a deep bond, and if they are to be separated, the little bandit will inevitably get hurt.

Shang Beiyu thought:

No matter how badly the young female bandit was injured, he would do his best to make amends, spending his entire life trying to do so, until she forgot all those passersby and finally lived happily ever after with him.

The fact that the Ji family had a long-standing feud also caught Shang Beiyu's attention.

Only families with a strong foundation and deep-rooted influence are qualified to provoke such feuds.

It's strange that a gang of bandits would have a blood feud.

Lin Shuang knew little about this matter; she had only heard Ji Fengyao and Ji Fengming mention it in bits and pieces and couldn't give any more details. Shang Beiyu had to investigate it himself.

Shang Beiyu also kept in mind the fact that the little female bandit seemed to have been poisoned and was searching for various medicinal herbs everywhere.

The young female bandit is highly skilled in alchemy. If it were ordinary poison, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths. It's very likely that it's a poison she brought from her previous life, one that can affect the soul.

This is no small matter; if he wants to have her, he must help her get rid of the poison.

Therefore, upon returning to the palace, Shang Beiyu immediately gave orders to collect medicinal herbs that were beneficial to the soul.

Lin Shuang exchanged information about the little bandit girl and the Ninth Prince for four hundred low-grade spirit stones from Shang Beiyu, and her feelings were very complicated.

But overall, she was still very happy.

If she stayed by that bandit's side to show her loyalty, she didn't know when she would get so many spirit stones.

Besides, the spirit stones in the bandit's hands were all obtained from the Gu family, and it seems that there were no more than four hundred in total.

She intends to make good use of these four hundred spirit stones to cultivate diligently throughout the year!

She refused to believe that, with the aid of these things, she could still surpass that bandit in cultivation.

If her cultivation level is higher than that of the bandits and the Ninth Prince when they return, she might be able to take advantage of their inattention and subdue them unexpectedly.

At that time, the initiative will be in her hands. Whether she cooperates with the Emperor or the Empress, she will have a bright future.

As Lin Shuang thought this, a gentle and comforting smile finally appeared on her lips again.

If you can be your own master, why do you have to be someone else's slave?

No one in this world can stop her!

Nobody can!

Ji Fengyao had been sneezing for the past few days. She wondered if Lin Shuang knew they had left the capital and was missing and worried about them.

Ji Fengyao still felt somewhat guilty about leaving Lin Shuang alone in the capital.

That evening, they set up camp at the foot of a mountain to rest.

Ji Fengyao took out the set of clothes that Lin Shuang had given her to examine, thinking to herself:

If Lin Shuang truly shows remorse upon returning this time, she will forgive her.

Black Owl and Ji Fengming finished setting up their tents and came over, where they saw the new clothes in Ji Fengyao's hands.

"Oh, little sister, this outfit is so bright and beautiful. I've never seen you wear it before." Ji Fengming reached out and lifted the bright red hem of the dress, praising, "The embroidery is exceptionally exquisite, almost as good as Mother's. Did Bailu make it?"

Bai Lu, who was busy preparing dinner, replied with a smile, "I don't have such skills. That was a birthday gift that Sister Lin Shuang prepared for the Princess."