Just as he had expected.
His guess had been almost exactly right.
How could Cheng Yao, that sly, fox-like woman, have made such a childish move of her own accord? She had merely taken advantage of Shao Yutong’s jealousy and foolishness to accomplish some purpose—perhaps to test the defenses of the Hundred Herb Garden.
Or perhaps she had simply wanted to make Shao Yutong uncomfortable.
And Shao Yutong… Beneath that face resembling Xiyue’s was a mind so shallow, hot-tempered, and narrow-minded.
With only a few provocative words, she had lost all reason, brazenly wreaked havoc in the Hundred Herb Garden, and destroyed the fruits of his years of painstaking work.
A heavy disappointment, laced with irritation, settled over Gu Wangchuan’s heart like a dark cloud.
He had initially thought that finding this substitute would at least soothe some of the emptiness and obsession in his heart.
But now it seemed that a counterfeit was ultimately a counterfeit. It possessed only the appearance, while inside it was nothing but rotten refuse.
“Leave.” He waved his hand, his voice carrying a trace of weariness.
The hidden guard withdrew without making a sound.
Before long, the cautious voice of a maidservant came from outside the door. “Valley Master, Miss Shao is waiting outside. She says she personally stewed a nourishing soup for you.”
Gu Wangchuan furrowed his brows. A trace of impatience flashed through his eyes as he said coldly, “I’m not seeing her. Tell her to go back. Without my permission, she is not to come to the study and disturb me again.”
He did not want to see that face now. It only made him feel more miserable.
Instead, Cheng Yao—with her unfathomable thoughts and countless hidden secrets—was far more interesting to him.
The next day.
Constable Wang urged the group to set out before dawn.
The sky was overcast along the road, and a bitter wind howled.
Everyone had left without even eating breakfast. Cold and hungry, they moved sluggishly.
And knowing that Cheng Yao was no longer with them, everyone felt as though something was missing. Their hearts were strangely empty, and they could not muster much energy.
Meanwhile, Cheng Yao slept until the sun was high in the sky at Unfeeling Valley. After eating her fill under the attentive care of the maidservants, she went to chat with Physician Wu and bask in the sun.
Gu Wangchuan arranged for people to reinforce the formations and was too busy to pay her any attention.
And so, her three days of leisure and comfort passed just like that.
However, she discovered that she truly did miss Zhan Haoting a little.
That night, she used the space to teleport back to the vicinity of the exiles’ encampment without making a sound.
Hidden in the darkness, she took one look toward Zhan Haoting’s side, and her heart clenched.
He was surrounded by four or five runners, some sitting and some standing. The surveillance around him was even stricter than before!
It seemed Constable Wang was determined to keep a close eye on him and prevent him from making any trouble.
After all, she had been missing for so long. He had probably guessed that Zhan Haoting was running out of patience.
What was she going to do?
Just as Cheng Yao was growing anxious, Song Ze appeared beside her like a ghost.
“Madam.”
“Song Ze, how has he been these past two days?”
Cheng Yao pointed toward Zhan Haoting.
Lowering his voice, Song Ze recounted how Zhan Haoting had ordered them to intensify their surveillance of Unfeeling Valley and had actively begun preparing a plan to force their way in and rescue her.
Cheng Yao fell silent for a moment, her emotions complicated.
He was worried about her.
But how many soldiers did he even have? How could he dare to clash head-on with Unfeeling Valley?
Idiot!
Cheng Yao’s heart warmed at how much he cared about her, yet she was also worried that he intended to charge into Unfeeling Valley by force.
The valley was protected by layers upon layers of formations, its experts were as numerous as clouds, and its people were skilled in the use of poison. A direct assault was absolutely the worst possible strategy!
She instinctively wanted to enter the space again and write Zhan Haoting a letter explaining the situation in detail and urging him to be patient.
Seeing this, Song Ze hurriedly reminded her, “Madam, perhaps you don’t need to go to such trouble. Although the master is being closely watched, there are always times each day when he needs to relieve himself.
Young Master Haochen accompanies him to a secluded place, where the runners cannot follow too closely. You may be able to use that opportunity to meet the master briefly.”
Cheng Yao froze. Her eyes instantly lit up.
That was right!
How had she not thought of that?
It was such a simple and reasonable excuse! She had truly been too worried about him. She had only been thinking about using the space to deliver things and had forgotten that she could simply meet him in person!
“Thank you for reminding me!” Cheng Yao cast Song Ze a grateful glance.
“You’re welcome, Madam.”
A short while later, in a secluded spot surrounded by thick bushes on the outskirts of the encampment, Zhan Haochen slowly approached with Zhan Haoting on his back.
As Song Ze had predicted, several runners merely followed from a distance. They stopped several dozen paces away and turned their backs to the brothers.
They ultimately did not dare offend Zhan Haoting too severely, so they left him a small measure of privacy.
The moment the brothers stepped into the grass, Cheng Yao emerged from the shadows nearby.
“Haoting!” Cheng Yao called softly as she hurried toward him.
The instant he heard her voice, Zhan Haoting’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
He raised his head and looked at her in the sparse moonlight.
After several days apart, she did not appear haggard at all. Instead, her eyes were bright and clear, and a healthy flush colored her small face.
You little heartless thing. You’ve clearly been doing just fine.
But when Cheng Yao saw what Zhan Haoting looked like, her heart suddenly clenched, and she was startled.
He looked even more haggard than when she had left!
His face was pale, his eye sockets deeply sunken, and a bluish shadow of stubble covered his jaw. His entire figure exuded an indescribable sense of desolation and fragility, as though he were a flickering candle in the wind.
He must have been eating poorly and sleeping badly. Along with his recurring injuries and his worry over her, it had tormented him into this state!
Heart aching, she reached out to touch his cheek.
But Zhan Haoting turned his head slightly, avoiding her touch.
He lowered his lashes, his voice filled with undisguisable grievance and jealousy as he muttered, “Unfeeling Valley is blessed with beautiful scenery, and you even have… a valley master who is like ‘the Banished Immortal’ to keep you company. Isn’t that a hundred times better than staying with a fallen prisoner like me? Why would you… bother thinking about this cripple?”
The thick jealousy and self-mockery left Cheng Yao stunned for a moment. Then she was both amused and pained.
This man was still jealous over such things at a time like this!
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Cheng Yao chided, glaring at him.
Seeing that Zhan Haochen and Song Ze had both turned away, she did not bother saying anything more. She simply grabbed Zhan Haoting’s hand.
“Let’s go!”
Zhan Haoting felt a familiar, faint dizziness. In the blink of an eye, the scene before him had completely changed.
They were no longer in the wilderness beneath the night sky. Instead, they were in that gray, murky space that was both familiar and strange to him.
The air was filled with an even richer and purer medicinal fragrance than before.
The moment Cheng Yao entered the space, she seemed to return to her own territory. She immediately released Zhan Haoting’s hand and ran excitedly toward the herb garden beside the spiritual spring like a cheerful little bird.
“Wow! They’ve grown so much!”
She crouched beside the spiritual spring, staring in delight at the medicinal herbs she had transplanted from the outside world.
The aged poria and dendrobium had spread their leaves, their spiritual energy swirling around them. They were now several times larger and stronger than when she had first dug them up!
The caps of the few purple lingzhi had grown thicker and fuller, their deep violet color gleaming as though streams of light flowed within them. They looked extraordinarily mystical.
But what excited her most were the two Seven-Leaf Flowers.
They were no longer as thin and fragile as before. Their stems were sturdy and jade-like, while their seven uniquely shaped leaves were crystalline and translucent, as though carved from the finest jade.
At the very center, the flower buds had swollen until they were full and plump. Seven-colored light shimmered between the petals, as if they would break free of their confines and bloom proudly at any moment.
Judging by their appearance, they would be fully blossomed in no more than a day!
“Wonderful! It’s about to bloom!” Cheng Yao rubbed her hands together excitedly, her eyes shining with an almost frightening intensity.
At the thought of all the other rare and precious herbs in the Hundred Herb Garden of Jueqing Valley—the ones that made her practically drool—she felt her mouth water.
They were all her targets! Not a single one could escape her!
Just as she was immersed in the joy of an impending harvest, a muffled “thud” suddenly rang out nearby—the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.
