Jiu Yue glanced back at Sima Qing, but he ignored her and strode off in the opposite direction.
...Fine then.
She hurried into the thatched cottage.
Outside, a crowd had gathered without her noticing, all staring curiously as she entered Doctor Tang’s house accompanied by Nangong Xun.
"Who is she?" The burly man with a red scarf rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"The honored guest the young master mentioned... He even called her 'senior sister' just now," the hammer-wielding man observed carefully. "As far as I recall, there’s only one person the young master would willingly address that way."
"Hiss... Is it really her? We haven’t heard anything about her in ages." The other men’s eyes lit up. "Can I spar with her? The young master wouldn’t mind, right?"
These were Nangong Xun’s men.
"She, she, she..." Feng Qi had tugged Fei Tong’s braid several times already. "Isn’t that Jiu Yue?"
Fei Tong pinched his arm expressionlessly, making him grimace in pain. Hearing her laugh, she said, "Seems real."
The two exchanged excited glances but didn’t dare approach Sima Qing for confirmation, instead frantically signaling Mo Jin with their eyes.
Several others from the training camp soon gathered, and after Mo Jin’s nod, the group erupted in astonished murmurs.
These were Sima Qing’s men.
Apart from these two groups, another party stood off to the side.
They had been recruited separately.
A pretty woman frowned in displeasure. "So this little girl is the one we’ve been waiting for?"
"I can’t even sense any profound internal energy in her... Are we really supposed to follow her?"
"Doesn’t seem reliable at all," the scar-faced scholar chuckled softly, his tone oddly delicate. "Can you imagine us charging into battle against the Luocha Gang with this kid leading the way?"
The pretty woman couldn’t help but laugh. "The Luocha Gang would probably die laughing."
A black-clad man twirled a flute in his hand, his voice cryptic. "Her strength will reveal itself soon enough."
"Well said." The woman licked her lips playfully, a red thread flickering between her fingers. "I’ll test her first then. Gotta admit, she’s quite the delicate little thing—just my type."
"I’ll go second," the scholar said with a refined smile, though his left sleeve suddenly split open, revealing bulging muscles beneath.
"Aren’t you all being a bit too harsh?" someone interjected, sounding uneasy.
The black-clad man smirked, tilting his head toward the speaker. "Harsh? If she wants to lead, she’d better prove she’s worthy. Otherwise, why should we follow?"
"Exactly. Rules are rules. What, are you new here?" The scholar gave him a patient look.
The man hesitated but said nothing more.
Such was the way of the martial world.
If they were to follow her willingly, this girl would need to show she had what it took.
...
Inside the house.
Jiu Yue remained blissfully unaware that her "delivery orders" had piled up.
She had just met Doctor Tang and was about to greet the old man warmly when he suddenly rapped her on the head.
"Didn’t I warn you to be careful, again and again? How did you still end up poisoned?" Doctor Tang scolded, pressing her onto a stool while checking her pulse irritably.
Jiu Yue: "..."
She rubbed her head, pouting innocently. "It was unavoidable! Who’d expect someone to lace plum blossoms with poison?"
"You never listen to a word I say." Doctor Tang sighed, stressing once more, "You’ve got to be more careful!"
Jiu Yue offered an ingratiating smile. "It wasn’t even a strong poison... See? I’m perfectly fine."
The pulse beneath his fingers was unusually vigorous—stronger than even the burliest men outside. Doctor Tang: "..."
With a resigned huff, he withdrew his hand and studied her for a moment before letting it go.
"Well, as long as you’re unharmed." He shook his head, finally relieved.
Jiu Yue quickly poured tea and got to the point. "Nangong Xun said you’re being hunted. What’s going on?"
"Don’t listen to him." Doctor Tang waved it off, then gave her a meaningful look. "With you drawing all the attention, Jin Ge has no time to bother with me."
Jiu Yue blinked. "Jin Ge?"
Doctor Tang’s expression turned serious. "Yes, Jin Ge—the current leader of the Luocha Gang. Back then, your master only took to the martial world because of his influence."
"So, Consort Ning’s backer is him." Jiu Yue connected the dots. "The expert in Consort Ning’s palace is Jin Ge!"
"Correct." Doctor Tang took a sip of tea, sighing. "Your master was originally sent by Jin Ge to assist Consort Ning, but... he didn’t follow the script."
Jiu Yue fell silent.
"Still, Jin Ge isn’t my main concern. With our numbers, we can handle him. What you really need to watch out for is Consort Ning."
Doctor Tang’s face darkened. "I only realized later—the infamous 'Poison Mistress' vanished from the martial world years ago, and soon after, Jin Ge became immune to all poisons. I believe Consort Ning is that Poison Mistress."
Recalling what Yan Lingshuang had told her, combined with her recent poisoning, Jiu Yue nodded firmly. "It’s her, no doubt."
Doctor Tang warned, "Those who excel in poison are the most treacherous."
Outside.
Nangong Xun was discussing plans with Sima Qing.
"As for Muzhou..." Nangong Xun stroked his chin. "How long do you plan to stay in Jin Yu Ridge?"
Sima Qing replied, "About three months."
"Then we might have time to make a move. But once you enter Muzhou, the Luocha Gang’s spies will be everywhere. Won’t you risk alerting them?" Nangong Xun sounded hesitant.
Sima Qing lowered his gaze, thinking briefly. "We’ll split up."
"Consort Ning is already losing composure. With Emperor Yan pressuring her, they can’t afford another decade-long wait." Sima Qing said coolly, "This time, the gang leader will surely deploy his top guardians."
Nangong Xun flicked his teacup lid, smirking. "Without those guardians, raiding their Muzhou stronghold will be as easy as catching turtles in a jar."
"Keep the commotion minimal." Sima Qing narrowed his eyes, speaking deliberately. "Even if he escapes by some fluke, his first instinct will be to flee to Muzhou. Be ready for that."
Nangong Xun sipped his tea, amused. "So this is what they call 'no escape even with wings.' And the one in the palace?"
Sima Qing answered indifferently, "Leave her to me."
