Chapter 18: Life and Death
The Xiaofeng Hall is filled with the aroma of sandalwood.
The patriarch sat upright on a rosewood chair, his knuckles tapping the armrests, making a dull sound. Feng Yanyuan stepped into the hall and caught a glimpse of Manager Xu standing beside the patriarch, his cloudy old eyes gazing at him meaningfully.
"Father." Feng Yanyuan bowed, his sleeves sweeping across the blue brick floor.
The head of the family raised his hand slightly, and Manager Xu immediately understood. He led Feng Yanyuan to sit at the last seat on the right and brought a white celadon box.
"Zihuan was here just now." The patriarch's voice was steady and unhurried. "The matter of that girl has been clarified to be a misunderstanding. This is the antidote he prepared specially for you."
Feng Yanyuan's fingertips trembled slightly. When his father addressed his eldest brother by name, his tone was always gentler than he had ever experienced. The word "Zihuan" wasn't just a name, it was a warning—even if the young master had misjudged him, it was merely an "excusable" "misunderstanding."
Feng Yanyuan took the medicine box with both hands. When he opened the lid, a dark red pill lay alone on the velvet lining. His heart tightened—this dosage was barely enough to suppress the toxicity for half a month.
Feng Yanyuan raised his eyes and met his father's scrutinizing gaze. His Adam's apple rolled, and he swallowed his excuses.
The sound of rustling bamboo shadows came from outside the hall, making the hall even quieter.
The patriarch's gaze, like a frosty blade, lingered on Feng Yanyuan for a long moment. Seeing he remained silent, he slowly spoke, "Since that maidservant accidentally ingested 'Impermanence,' it must be fate that she became a Feng spy." His fingertips tapped the table. "This first dose of the antidote will save her life. Later, when the poison takes effect, even if she doesn't take the remedy, it should be enough for her to survive for two or three months." He paused, then suddenly leaned forward, his shadow casting over Feng Yanyuan. "If we want another antidote... it depends on how much value she can bring to the Feng family."
Feng Yanyuan said, "Her Qinggong skills are only passable. If she really wants to be a Feng spy, her qualifications are still a little lacking. Can you give her some time so that I can train her more..."
"Asshole! How long are you going to train a slave?! Is this medicine just to feed idlers?" The patriarch glared at Feng Yanyuan, as if he were looking at a hopeless piece of mud. Fortunately, Feng Yanyuan didn't say much, so the patriarch calmed down and said, "The spy selection will be held in a few days. If she passes the Feng spy test, she will be able to take the mission and get the antidote soon."
"Is it the young master who is selecting the spy?" Feng Yanyuan asked.
"What else?"
Feng Yanyuan frowned and said, "I didn't understand what you meant at the moment."
The head of the family snorted and said, "You have grown up now and know how to understand your father's intentions." With a cold face, he glanced at Butler Xu and turned his head away, as if he didn't want to look at this rebellious son again.
Steward Xu understood, bowing and smiling, "Don't worry, Third Young Master. The Master intends for this servant to participate in the trial. After all, she is still a member of your Yuanfeng Court. This trial will both test her background and provide her with experience. Third Young Master has never been interested in espionage matters, so this is a good opportunity to learn a little." He observed her expression and continued, "When she begins her mission, you will personally deliver the relevant files to Qianfeng Tower for filing."
The words "Qianfeng Tower" startled Feng Yanyuan. The tower housed secret files on the Feng spy's past, including his mother's past, but he was forbidden from entering due to family rules.
Seeing his expression, Butler Xu said, "In fact, the Young Master had long considered giving you the Thousand Wind Token as a coming-of-age gift. Now that you have a servant that suits your heart, and can now enter the Thousand Wind Tower, isn't this a double blessing? The Young Master has put in so much effort, and Third Young Master should understand!"
Feng Yanyuan didn't know how to respond for a moment, but then he heard the master scolding, "Don't bother talking to him about your hard work. Everything you do is just feeding the dogs to him. He treats his son like an enemy. I, as a father, am worse than a slave in his yard!"
Butler Xu hurriedly apologized with a smile and winked at Feng Yanyuan.
Feng Yanyuan stood up and knelt down, saying, "I am an unfilial son and have made my father angry again."
The master looked at him and said, "Do you have any objection to the maid's arrangement?!"
"How dare I disobey my father's sincere wishes? I will obey your orders."
These words were full of courtesy, but the head of the family's expression did not improve after hearing them. He just sighed helplessly and waved his hand to let him go.
Seeing the master staring at the direction where the Third Young Master had left, Steward Xu asked, "Master, do you really believe that the maid is innocent?"
The head of the family shook his head and said, "I don't believe it, and he might not believe it either. But if I discuss this with him, he'll have ten more to say than I say one."
Steward Xu smiled bitterly and said, "Third Young Master's temper is indeed like that. However, the Fengspy Trial is not easy. Even the first level, the Thousand-Ren Valley, only one in ten can pass it. Since Third Young Master has agreed, I can only accept it when the time comes. However..."
"Hate him if you want." The head of the family sighed and said, "He is my son after all. I can't let him follow my old path."
There was a drizzle in Yuanfengyuan.
Yun Yuan awoke from her daze, suddenly realizing Feng Yanyuan was so close, her arm tightly wrapped around his. She jerked her hand away, stumbling into the corner of the bed, clutching the quilt tightly.
Feng Yanyuan slowly stood up and looked at her frightened appearance, a flicker of helplessness in his eyes. His slender fingers stroked the quilt for a moment, then he withdrew his hand, intending to comfort her.
The antidote to the "impermanence" she was suffering from could only be obtained from the Young Master—naturally, the prerequisite was to clear her of suspicion of being a spy. Of course, he also had his own selfish motives for agreeing to the prison confrontation—he also wanted to confirm something, to see her more clearly.
But he still underestimated the young master's viciousness.
When he came to see her, she had a fever. Her pale face was drenched in sweat, her long black hair plastered to her cheeks. She tossed and turned in a nightmare, sometimes crying out, "Father, run!" and sometimes whimpering, "Mother, wake up." He leaned over to wipe her sweat, but she suddenly grabbed his wrist tightly, her slender fingers as unbreakable as an iron clamp.
This grab seemed to reassure her. She whimpered for a while as if aggrieved, and then gradually quieted down. Feng Yanyuan didn't dare to move anymore. He just lay down beside her carefully, and gently wiped away the tears on her face with his fingertips. Although he didn't control the Feng spies, he also understood their training. The thoughts of spies were strictly trained. They were numb to many emotions, and talking in their sleep was absolutely impossible. Otherwise, what would happen if the secret was exposed? Thinking about it, since she entered Yuanfeng Court, she was not much different from other girls. She was just smarter. In addition, perhaps because she was mixed up in a place where good and bad people mixed together, she also knew a lot about the world.
She wasn't a killer out to take someone's life, nor was she the young master's spy, and perhaps not a cunning spy. But was she really just an ordinary woman?
He had no answer.
But as he hugged the trembling and sobbing body, he was determined to think: he had to protect her - at least until he could be sure of the answer.
"Sir...why are you here?"
Yun Yuan moved back half an inch without leaving any trace, and her back was already against the cold bed railing.
"It was you... who grabbed me and called me 'Aniang Aye' yesterday..." He paused, his eyes slightly deep, "Do you... still remember any of your family members?"
Yun Yuan's back tensed up, and cold sweat quietly soaked through his inner clothes.
"I only remember a huge fire. My family all died in it." She weighed each word carefully. "But these memories are so fragmented, like a nightmare, that I can't tell the difference between truth and falsehood..."
Feng Yanyuan saw her pale and indifferent face, not even bothering to maintain her usual docile facade, and simply stated coldly. His heart was inexplicably confused, and he hesitated for a moment before suddenly blurting out, "That ghost grass... I've tried it."
When he returned from Feng Xiaotang, Ruyue came looking for him with a few ghost grasses, saying that Feng Jiu had found them in the back mountain at night, but they would turn into dry grass during the day. Ruyue's words were full of sarcasm, saying that Yuan'er was "devoted to the master" and asked him not to disappoint her "feelings".
He didn't know why he'd brought this up, nor had he considered how she'd respond. But at this moment, she was silent as ice, unwilling even to glance at him. That frosty indifference was definitely not what he wanted. His heart sank, and he hastily turned his face away.
"I just smelled it." Yun Yuan suddenly spoke.
This response made him feel a little excited. He quickly turned his gaze back, a smile in his eyes, "You can actually smell it?"
Yun Yuan pursed her lips. His question was strange. Hadn't she been so certain when she'd asked if she could smell the poison on Yuzhu? What was her attitude now?
Seeing that she lowered her head and remained silent, Feng Yanyuan realized that what he had just said was redundant. His throat choked and he didn't know what to say.
Silence stretched between the two.
But the heavy medicine box in his sleeve reminded him that he came to find her to give her medicine.
When he reached out to take the medicine box, he suddenly remembered that Feng Xiaoming once said that impermanence was absolutely colorless and odorless, and no one could tell that it was different.
"So...what did the poison you were fed taste like?"
"Tasteless." Yun Yuan's voice was very soft. "That was the first time in my life that I encountered a completely tasteless poison."
He took out the blue-white porcelain bottle from his sleeve and said, "This is the antidote." He handed the medicine box to Yun Yuan and said, "It can delay the onset of the poison for half a month..."
Yun Yuan took the medicine box and asked, "What about half a month later?"
Feng Yanyuan avoided her gaze and said, "If you want the antidote again, you must become a Feng family spy, exchange your life for the antidote, and be a blade for life."
Yun Yuan was slightly stunned.
Feng Yanyuan was silent for a while, then said, "You have another choice - take this medicine and leave the Feng family. I've heard that Tao Yao is good at pharmacology, and I see that you are quite knowledgeable as well..."
"But it's only limited to half a month." Yun Yuan interrupted him.
Feng Yanyuan said softly, "After taking the first antidote, even if the poison takes effect, it won't be enough to kill you within two months..."
Yun Yuan sneered: "If you can force someone to sacrifice their life in exchange for medicine, even if the poison isn't fatal, it will still hurt."
A hint of sarcasm rose in her heart. What was this? Another test? Let her escape, that was a nice thing to say. Then what? Follow the clues and find out who was behind her?
"I want to be a spy." Yun Yuan held the medicine box tightly.
Feng Yanyuan was slightly stunned, then continued, "To become a Feng spy, you must pass three trials. With your current skills, the first stage, Qianren Valley, is likely where you'll be buried. Choosing to leave the Feng family might offer you a glimmer of hope..."
When he said the last sentence, his voice became softer and softer - even he himself was not sure which one was the way to survive.
"Choice? Young Master always jokes." Yun Yuan suddenly chuckled. "Morning mushrooms grow old, ants grow old, and so on. My fate is so short, how can I choose? It's just a choice between being slowly cooked in a boiling cauldron and being burned in a blazing fire." She paused and said, "I am willing to try these three trials."
Feng Yanyuan stared at the girl's drooping eyelashes. Her clear eyes were as calm as an ancient well. He couldn't tell for a moment whether she had truly transcended life and death, or if she had already made up her mind.
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