He could almost picture Cheng Yao as she drew the picture, wearing that mischievous, calculating little smile of someone whose scheme had succeeded.
So she hadn’t simply been suffering and being mistreated in there. She had even set her sights on Heartless Valley’s treasure vault!
That bundle as huge as a mountain!
Was she planning to empty Heartless Valley completely?!
And she had even told him to “be patient”?
That little imp was clearly enjoying herself and couldn’t bear to leave!
She said she “missed him so much,” then immediately turned around and started plotting how to strip someone else’s family fortune bare. What an ungrateful little thing!
The corners of Zhan Haoting’s lips lifted, and the taut string in his heart finally relaxed.
She still had the energy and presence of mind to plan all this, and even the ability to carry out her grand moving operation. Her situation couldn’t be too terrible.
When she told him to “be patient,” she was hoping he wouldn’t act rashly and would wait for her to return with a full haul.
Helplessness, amusement, worry, pride… All kinds of emotions mingled in Zhan Haoting’s heart before finally turning into a barely audible sigh.
He carefully stacked the three drawings back together. Treating them as though they were priceless treasures, he solemnly tucked them against his body, right over his heart.
“Song Ze.” He gathered his thoughts, and his voice returned to its usual cold sternness.
“This subordinate is here.”
“Send more men outside Heartless Valley and keep a close watch on everything happening inside. Pay particular attention to whether Madam sends out any special signals or whether anything unusual occurs.”
He paused, then emphasized, “Remember, concealment comes first. You only need to keep watch. Unless absolutely necessary, you must not reveal yourselves, and under no circumstances are you to clash with Heartless Valley’s hidden guards. Everything is to be done with Madam’s safety as the top priority.”
“Yes! This subordinate understands!” Song Ze accepted the order.
After dealing with official matters, Zhan Haoting thought once more of the comics.
He looked at Song Ze, his brows drawing together slightly, and asked the question that had been circling in his mind. “Just now… since she had already returned, why didn’t she come see me?”
Song Ze lowered his head as he replied, “My lord, the men Constable Wang arranged had remained by your side the entire time. Madam must have been worried that revealing herself would expose her whereabouts and cause unnecessary trouble, so she did not show herself.”
Zhan Haoting fell silent for a moment. His gaze swept over the two constables in the distance. Although they had kept their distance, their eyes continued to drift toward him from time to time. He then looked at Song Ze and asked in a voice devoid of emotion, “What about now?”
Song Ze froze, then answered instinctively, “Now… You used the excuse of stepping out for some air, so naturally the constables couldn’t follow you so closely…”
The moment the words left his mouth, Song Ze abruptly stopped. In an instant, he realized what he had missed, and his face filled with profound shame!
He dropped to one knee and spoke with deep self-reproach. “This subordinate was foolish! I never thought of that! When Madam returned earlier, if I had made the necessary arrangements in time, I could have used this excuse to give you and Madam a chance to meet! This subordinate has failed in his duty! Please punish me!”
He had been so focused on delivering the items and reporting back that it had never occurred to him to exploit this seemingly insignificant loophole!
He had truly been far too careless!
Zhan Haoting looked at Song Ze kneeling before him, his expression darkening slightly.
The situation had been urgent, and Cheng Yao had come and gone in a hurry. She might not have had time to arrange a meeting.
But as the leader of the hidden guards, Song Ze had indeed failed to think things through. It was a dereliction of duty.
“Your reaction was too slow, and your considerations were incomplete. You will run thirty miles tonight carrying a weight. Begin immediately.”
Zhan Haoting’s voice was calm, but left no room for argument.
“Big Brother!” Zhan Haochen couldn’t help speaking up from the side. “Heartless Valley is fraught with danger. Sister-in-law must have hurried away because she was afraid of creating complications. None of us thought of this method either. You can’t blame Song Ze alone.”
Song Ze cupped his hands and said, “Thank you, Second Young Master, for pleading on my behalf. Military discipline is absolute. If I was at fault, then I was at fault. I willingly accept the punishment.”
As a leader, one had to keep one’s word. Authority could not be challenged.
Moreover, Song Ze himself had said this, so Zhan Haochen could say no more.
Meanwhile, Zhan Haoting’s thoughts drifted far away.
That little woman was having the time of her life in Heartless Valley, plotting to empty someone else’s treasure vault. Could it be that she… was truly enjoying herself so much that she no longer wanted to leave?
After all, Heartless Valley was a place of breathtaking beauty, filled with countless rare treasures. It was a thousand times more comfortable than this road of exile.
And Gu Wangchuan…
Since he could become the Valley Master of the greatest medical valley in the world, he was surely no ordinary man. As for his appearance and bearing…
Zhan Haoting glanced at Song Ze, who had just risen after receiving his punishment, and asked as casually as he could, “Have you ever seen Gu Wangchuan, the Valley Master of Heartless Valley? What does he look like?”
Song Ze did not understand why he was asking, but answered truthfully anyway. “My lord, this subordinate has seen him from a distance several times. Gu Wangchuan is indeed an extraordinary man. His appearance is rarely seen in this world. He usually wears moon-white robes, and his features are refined and elegant. His bearing is cool and otherworldly, like an immortal descended to the mortal realm.”
With every additional word Song Ze spoke, Zhan Haoting’s face darkened another shade. By the time phrases such as “rarely seen in this world” and “like an immortal descended to the mortal realm” were uttered, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot—three shades darker than the already heavy night!
Refined and elegant? Cool and otherworldly? An immortal?!
Then he thought of himself as he was now: seriously wounded and not yet recovered, paralyzed, pale-faced, dressed in tattered clothes, stranded on this road of exile, unable to care for himself and forced to be carried everywhere on someone else’s back. He was a complete mess…
An unprecedented and intense sense of crisis, along with a surge of jealousy, erupted like a volcano and instantly overwhelmed Zhan Haoting!
No wonder that little imp had refused to return immediately!
So that was why she had drawn that picture telling him to “be patient”!
Perhaps she had been dazzled by that “immortal” of a Valley Master and was truly lingering in Heartless Valley, reluctant to leave!
He clenched his fist so hard that the pain in his palm went unnoticed. All he could feel was the nameless fire in his heart rising higher and higher.
“What are you still standing there for?” His voice carried a restlessness and ferocity he himself did not notice. “Go carry out your punishment! When you return, discuss a plan with Uncle Xiao. Find out the layout of Heartless Valley as quickly as possible! I want to see a rescue plan for her in the shortest time possible!”
Song Ze was startled by his sudden fury and hurriedly answered, “Yes! This subordinate obeys!”
He turned and swiftly vanished into the night, going to complete his thirty-mile weighted run.
Zhan Haoting gazed toward Heartless Valley, his eyes sharp as an eagle’s.
Gu Wangchuan? An immortal?
Hmph! Once he stormed Heartless Valley, even a true immortal would be dragged down from his celestial pedestal.
Then he would capture that heartless little woman and bring her back. He would see how he dealt with her!
Inside Heartless Valley, in the study.
Gu Wangchuan dismissed everyone else, leaving behind only the hidden guard who was as silent as a shadow.
His fingers tapped unconsciously against the rosewood desk, producing a dull sound that broke the silence of the room.
“Tell me in detail what happened in the Hundred Herbs Garden today.” His voice was flat, revealing none of his emotions.
The hidden guard knelt on one knee and recounted everything that had happened that day in painstaking detail: how Shao Yutong had gone to the Hundred Herbs Garden; how Cheng Yao had provoked and incited her with words; how Shao Yutong had lost control and chased after her in a rage; how the two of them had trampled the precious medicinal herbs; and how Cheng Yao had fallen into a trap and been rescued by him.
At the end, the hidden guard added, “Based on this subordinate’s observations, Miss Cheng did indeed appear to be deliberately provoking her with words, but she remained on the defensive throughout, doing nothing but evade her attacks. Miss Shao, on the other hand, failed to keep her composure. She acted too impulsively and was lacking in tolerance.”
After listening, Gu Wangchuan closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. For a long time, he said nothing.
