Are you angry?
Qiao Qiu's voice was calm, and because she was good at controlling her emotions, He Qixie didn't detect anything amiss.
"No."
With a tone laced with gunpowder, even a ghost could tell that she was being hypocritical. Qiao Qiu tugged at the corners of her mouth, but couldn't manage a smile. "Hypocritical. You never admit to anything that goes against propriety with me, not even feelings."
I have no feelings for you.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Qiu paused in disbelief for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Fine, He Qixie, you'll remember what you said today! From now on, whether I, Shen Junbai, live or die has nothing to do with you!"
He Qixie regretted saying those words as soon as he did, but when he heard Qiao Qiu's words were so harsh, he didn't turn back and just snorted coldly.
Qiao Qiu turned around and walked back step by step, her figure unsteady. The hem of her dark blue dress fluttered in the cold wind. Her hand holding the mask seemed to have lost its strength, and the iron half-face mask slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. She didn't seem to hear it and just kept walking forward.
He Qixie clenched his fists, his mind racing with questions: Why? Why did Shen Junbai betray him? Why was Shen Junbai with that man? He knew his feelings for him, so why did he always have to tell him? Did these things really have to be said? They were both men, after all.
He didn't turn around when he heard the mask fall behind him, nor did he turn around when he heard Qiao Qiu's footsteps on the fallen leaves getting farther and farther away. Only when the footsteps were no longer audible did he roar, draw his long sword, and start hacking and slashing wildly at the tree in front of him.
Ten minutes later, he stopped, his knife stuck in the ground, panting heavily. The tree trunk, as thick as a plate, was chipped in pieces and almost broken.
He took a few steps back, turned around, and leaned against another tree, his gaze inadvertently falling on the mask on the ground.
Suddenly, something occurred to him. His eyes widened, and he lunged forward, picking up the mask. Shen Junbai had used martial arts when he brought him here! Hadn't he been warned countless times not to use martial arts?
He Qixie looked around anxiously, but Shen Junbai was nowhere to be seen.
He Qixie smacked his head in frustration. How could he have been so foolish?
"Junbai can't have gone far, I'm going to find him right now!" He Qixie jumped up and chased after Shen Junbai in the direction he had left.
...
After Qiao Qiu moved out of He Qixie's sight, she sent a message to Liu Yibu via a flying eagle.
Originally, He Qixie was in charge of her safety, but now it seems that she still cannot completely entrust her life safety to the person she likes.
Once a conflict arises, that will be her most fatal moment. If someone were to assassinate her now, there's a high chance they would succeed.
The elixir the emperor prepared for her had not yet been successfully made, so she could not relieve the pain in her feet.
The last time she used martial arts, the pain lasted for about five hours. During those five hours, she could not use any martial arts again, otherwise the pain would intensify and she would not be able to bear it.
Now she must find a safe place to wait for her people to arrive.
Qiao Qiu looked around and spotted a cave a few dozen meters away. Her eyes lit up; this was a good place.
Despite the pain, Qiao Qiu walked step by step to the cave entrance. She peered inside. It was a series of interconnected caves, each with its own chambers, and the further she went in, the darker it became, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
"There's actually such a place here. It's a pity the location isn't secluded enough, otherwise, it would be great to explore it."
Qiao Qiu went inside and sat down on a flat stone.
On the other side, He Qixie followed the route he had guessed, but found no one. Anxiety gradually overwhelmed him, and at this moment, he no longer cared whether Qiao Qiu had anything to do with other men.
Meanwhile, Qiao Qiu, completely unaware of the situation, was in the cave trying to stop the pain. Her first thought was to use her internal energy, but unfortunately, the flow of internal energy would only compress the injury and make the pain worse.
Suddenly, she heard voices outside, which made her tense up. She picked up a brick from the ground with her inner hand, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy at any moment.
The person who spoke walked in, and their voice carried with them. The familiar voice made Qiao Qiu frown, but when she saw the familiar figure, she breathed a sigh of relief and dropped the brick.
"Young master, be careful!" A guard stepped in front of one of the men.
The man peeked out; it was the Emperor. Seeing it was Qiao Qiu, he immediately pushed the guards aside, squatted down in front of her, and noticed she wasn't wearing a mask but looked quite disheveled. The Emperor looked at her face and asked, "Did you use martial arts again?"
"Weren't you in the prefect's residence? How did you end up here?" Qiao Qiu asked weakly.
The Emperor dismissed the guards and then said to Qiao Qiu, "It's all for your sake. As a doctor with a conscience, I don't want to see you suffer like this year after year. The elixir should be prepared as quickly as possible, so after you left, I immediately took a shortcut to gather herbs here. Who knew that when I got to this area, I smelled a faint fragrance of gardenias, and following the scent, I found this place."
"I have no way to repay Your Majesty's kindness."
The Emperor smiled and said, "You have contributed to the country with your actions, and you are also my subject and my friend. I cannot stand by and watch you suffer without helping you, both for the public good and for personal reasons. Take off your shoes, and I will use silver needles to stop your pain first."
"Alright." Qiao Qiu didn't say anything more polite. Facing such an emperor, any polite words would only become a joke.
The Emperor administered a few acupuncture treatments to Qiao Qiu, and she found that her pain had indeed lessened. This Emperor is certainly skilled.
After administering the acupuncture, the Emperor removed the needles and said, "I cannot completely eliminate your pain; I can only temporarily seal your pain with silver needles. You cannot use martial arts for two hours, otherwise your internal energy will break through the sealed acupoints, and you will suffer twice the pain."
Qiao Qiu nodded. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"No need to be so polite." The Emperor stood up, slung the medicine basket over his shoulder, and said, "I still have to go gather herbs, so I can't take you back. I'll have Guard Gao escort you back later."
"Your Majesty, let Guard Gao accompany you. I have already notified my men, and they will come to pick me up soon."
"In that case, you must be careful here." As the emperor spoke, he seemed to remember something, reached into his sleeve, pulled out a bamboo tube, and handed it to Qiao Qiu. "This is a hidden weapon. Inside are tranquilizer needles. You just need to press the button at the bottom, and it will fire ten needles. It can only be used three times, so you must use it carefully."
Qiao Qiu took it, looked at it, and nodded. "I've got it."
"I will not stay any longer. By the way, I hope you can take care of your personal matters before undertaking any important tasks."
Qiao Qiu was stunned for a moment, watching the emperor leave the cave, but she didn't say anything.
The Emperor knows about her affair with He Qixie. Is this considered a warning to her?
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