Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

"Xiao Ba, you just said... the eldest brother of the twins is actually colluding with the Demonic Sect?"

Liu Yunshu squatted down and gently scratched Xiao Ba's fluffy chin.

"Yes, yes!"

Little Eight squinted comfortably, its little ears twitching.

"Breaking news! They're making their move in three days; their target is to assassinate Mu Yunling!"

Liu Yunshu snorted coldly: "A bunch of grown men, all they know how to do is prey on weak women, how despicable and shameless!"

Xiao Ba nodded in agreement, his round eyes filled with disdain.

A sly glint flashed in Liu Yunshu's eyes:

"I remember Xiao Hanxing was skilled in using poison, while his younger brother Xiao Luochen was proficient in medicine, right?"

"That's right! Does Big Brother have any good ideas?" Xiao Ba asked curiously as he leaned closer.

"Does the store have a medicine that appears to cause a strange poisoning, but after the first layer of poisoning is neutralized, it actually triggers…?"

Liu Yunshu lowered her voice, "The effects of the aphrodisiac?"

Little Baba's eyes lit up, and it excitedly clapped its little paws.

"Yes, yes, yes! 'Drunken Spring Breeze' fits the bill perfectly! Its symptoms are exactly like 'Beauty's Intoxication'."

"His lips were bright red and his breath was weak; anyone who saw him would think he had been poisoned by a rare poison from the Western Regions."

"But once the antidote is taken, it will cause internal heat within half an incense stick's time, which can only be completely relieved by the union of yin and yang!"

Little Ba shook its little head, its smile particularly sly.

Liu Yunshu tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, a calculating smile playing on her lips:

"I'll use this! I'll pretend to be injured in the chaos and then secretly take the medicine."

"Han Xing will definitely entrust me to Xiao Luochen for treatment. After all, the palace is the safest place, and Xiao Luochen is the person he trusts the most."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Three days later, the council hall of the Liu Family Manor was brightly lit with candles.

The leaders of various sects sat around a table with a map of the Western Regions spread out on it, discussing a plan to launch a surprise attack on the Altay stronghold in conjunction with the old forces of the Western Regions.

Mu Yunling stood beside Shen Run, lightly tapping the glacier marker on the map with her fingertips, and quietly recounted the escape route they had taken back then.

Ule was on the side replenishing the troop deployment, the atmosphere was solemn yet orderly.

Suddenly, the rapid sounds of clashing weapons rang out from outside the hall, mixed with the disciples' cries of alarm: "The Demonic Cult is attacking!"

With a loud crash, the wooden door of the council hall was kicked to pieces, and masked men in black, wielding sharp blades, swarmed in.

The leader rushed straight at Mu Yunling, the blades gleaming with a ghostly blue poisonous light.

"Protect Princess Lingyue!"

Shen Run drew his longsword, its light flashing like a bolt of lightning, and shielded Mu Yunling behind him.

Xiao Hanxing followed closely behind, sweeping his Xuan Tie sword to force back several men in black, and said in a deep voice:

"Esteemed sect leaders, today we will ensure these evil spirits and heretics never return!"

The melee spread from the council hall to the drill ground, with dust flying and the deafening sound of clashing swords.

Liu Yunshu, with her sharp eyes, spotted a man in black silently striking Xiao Hanxing in the back of the chest.

Xiao Hanxing was entangled by several other men in black and was completely unaware of this.

"Watch out, Hanxing!"

She lightly touched the ground with her toes, her figure flashing like a startled swan to Xiao Hanxing's side. With a twist of her slender waist, she forcefully took the vicious palm strike for him.

The palm strike, carrying a bone-chilling cold, invaded her meridians. Liu Yunshu groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, her face instantly turning deathly pale.

"Yun Shu!"

Xiao Hanxing's pupils contracted sharply, and he used his Xuan Tie sword to slash down the two men in black in front of him.

Before the blood-stained sword was even sheathed, the man had already rushed to her side and reached out to steady her.

Noticing her disordered pulse, Xiao Hanxing's heart tightened, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent.

He settled Liu Yunshu in a safe spot by the pillar, then drew his sword and charged back into the fray.

The black iron sword danced like a dark whirlwind, and wherever it passed, the men in black fell to the ground.

Liu Yunshu leaned against a pillar and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, put the "Drunken Spring Breeze" she had prepared into her mouth.

The next moment, her face grew even paler than paper, but her lips were subtly tinged with a rosy red due to the effects of the medicine.

It truly looked just like someone poisoned by a rare poison from the Western Regions.

She forced herself to stay conscious until she saw Xiao Hanxing kill the last man in black.

Then everything went black, and she collapsed limply to the ground.

"Yun Shu!"

When Xiao Hanxing saw her suddenly fall to the ground, his heart clenched, and he jumped down to the corridor to pick her up without hesitation.

His fingertips touched her cold skin, and then he checked her pulse. The pulse was erratic, like a sparrow pecking, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, which was a unique sign of the strange poison from the Western Regions.

His face instantly darkened.

He immediately picked her up and carried her quickly toward the main hall.

As soon as Liu's mother came out of the main hall, she saw Xiao Hanxing carrying her unconscious daughter and rushed forward, exclaiming, "My son! What happened?"

Her voice trembled uncontrollably, and she reached out to touch her forehead, only to find it ice-cold.

Upon seeing the bloodstains on her daughter's lips and the abnormal bright red color, her vision blurred and she nearly fainted.

Xiao Hanxing continued walking without stopping, and said in a deep voice:

"Auntie, it's my fault for not protecting Yunshu. She took a blow from the Demonic Sect for me and was also poisoned by a rare poison from the Western Regions."

At this moment, Master Liu also rushed over upon hearing the commotion, his usually composed face instantly losing all color.

He strode forward, looking at his daughter's lifeless appearance, his knuckles clenched until they turned white.

"A rare poison from the Western Regions? Hanxing, Yunshu, she..." Before she could finish speaking, her throat tightened with emotion.

The leaders of various sects rushed over upon hearing the commotion, and upon seeing Liu Yunshu's appearance, their expressions turned solemn.

Master Kongji stepped forward, checked her breath, and then carefully examined her strange lip color. He said in a deep voice:

"The pulse is floating and rapid, indicating that the poison is spreading extremely quickly, and ordinary detoxification methods are probably ineffective."

Abbess Jingxuan frowned deeply: "The demonic sect actually uses such a vicious substance; they are truly utterly devoid of conscience!"

Xiao Hanxing gently placed Liu Yunshu on the soft couch, and placed his palm on her back to channel his internal energy to temporarily alleviate the effects of the poison.

He felt that the poison in her body was strange and difficult to deal with, sometimes like ice blocking his way, and sometimes like fire burning him, which was very different from the usual poison techniques of the Western Regions.

Cold sweat beaded on Xiao Hanxing's forehead, and his fingertips felt slightly cool as he withdrew his palm.

"This poison is a mixture of cold and heat, causing disordered pulse. I can only temporarily slow its spread, not eradicate it."

Master Liu paced back and forth anxiously, "What should we do? Is there anyone in the martial world who can cure this strange poison?"

Xiao Hanxing raised his eyes and said, "Uncle, my younger brother is skilled in medicine. I will arrange for someone to send Yun Shu to him right away."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Hanxing had already instructed his trusted aides to prepare the fastest carriage and personally carried Liu Yunshu into the carriage.

As the carriage curtain fell, he gently stroked her pale cheek, his voice unusually hoarse: "Yun Shu, wait for me, I will definitely avenge you!"

The carriage wheels rolled over the bluestone road, speeding towards the imperial city.

After three days and three nights of travel, the carriage finally arrived at the north gate of the imperial city.

"Who goes there?"

The commander of the guards stepped forward, holding his spear across the front of the carriage, his tone authoritative.

The escorting guards brandished Xiao Hanxing's alliance leader token and said in a deep voice:

"The martial arts alliance's leader, Xiao, is escorting the eldest daughter of the Liu family manor to the palace for medical treatment. Please inform them!"

The commander of the guards had obviously been notified in advance. After confirming the mysterious pattern on the token, he immediately raised his hand to let them pass.

The carriage entered the imperial city, and the majestic palace walls unfolded like a screen, with the vermilion palace gates slowly opening.

The palace servants settled Liu Yunshu in the Zhaixing Pavilion.

Not long after, Xiao Luochen, who had just finished the morning court session, rushed over.

He wore a bright yellow dragon robe, with gold threads flowing in the morning light, which made his face look like jade and his eyes and brows exude the majesty of an emperor.

As he stepped into the Star-Picking Pavilion, his robes billowed in the wind, and he went straight to the inner room.

When his gaze fell on Liu Yunshu on the soft couch, his brows furrowed instantly.

"Your Majesty," the palace servant bowed respectfully, not daring to disturb him.

Xiao Luochen raised his hand to indicate that there was no need for formalities, and walked straight to the couch.

Before even taking her pulse, I noticed the undried bloodstains on the corner of her lips and her abnormally bright red lip color.

His eyes darkened, and he took out a plain white silk handkerchief from his sleeve, placed it on her wrist, and pressed it lightly with three fingers.

The pulse is a mixture of floating and rapid, sometimes like frozen ice, sometimes like a raging fire burning the meridians.

The symptoms were exactly the same as those of the strange poison from the Western Regions described in Xiao Hanxing's letter.

However, Xiao Luochen had read through numerous medical books and had never seen such a complex and confusing case of toxicology involving both cold and heat, and between deficiency and excess.

He applied slight pressure with his fingertips, then switched to the other wrist, his brows furrowing more and more tightly.

"She took a blow for Han Xing, and then fell unconscious from the poison?"

Xiao Luochen's voice was low, his gaze still fixed on Liu Yunshu's pale face.

The escorting guard bowed and replied:

"Yes, before Miss Liu collapsed, she exchanged several blows with the members of the Demonic Sect. The Alliance Leader said that the black-clad man's palm strikes were insidious and vicious, likely coated with a secret poison from the Western Regions."

Xiao Luochen slowly withdrew his hand, the silk handkerchief fluttering to the side of the bed. He turned to the accompanying imperial physician and gave instructions:

"Bring me my golden needles and herb box, and prepare a bowl of warm water."

The imperial physician dared not delay and quickly prepared all the necessary items.

Holding the golden needles, Xiao Luochen's fingertips were as steady as a rock as he inserted them into Liu Yunshu's three acupoints in sequence: the center of her eyebrows, the center of her chest, and the Yongquan acupoint.

When the golden needle is inserted half an inch into the acupoint, a faint wisp of black energy can be seen slowly oozing out from the end of the needle.

After the three acupuncture points stabilized the poison, Xiao Luochen took the antidote pill he had made and dissolved it in warm water.

He gently pried open Liu Yunshu's lips with a silver spoon and slowly fed her the medicine.

In less than half an incense stick's time, Liu Yunshu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Those eyes, which were once as bright as stars, were now veiled with moisture, carrying the bewilderment of someone just waking up.

When she saw Xiao Luochen clearly, her eyes suddenly lit up: "Hanxing! Are you alright?"

Xiao Luochen paused slightly and explained gently, "Miss Liu, I am not Han Xing, but his younger brother."

The confusion in Liu Yunshu's eyes deepened.

She stared intently at the person before her—the twelve symbols on the bright yellow dragon robe swirled in the morning light, and his eyebrows and eyes were almost identical to Xiao Hanxing's.

However, the majesty and restraint etched in his eyes were completely different from Xiao Hanxing's carefree and unrestrained nature.

"Your Majesty? You are Hanxing's younger brother?" She secretly raised her eyes to look at him.

Xiao Luochen was also sizing up the woman whom his brother cared about.

Her face was as pale as paper, yet her lips were a vibrant red.

The still-wet bloodstains stood out starkly against the backdrop of snow, like plum blossoms adorned with snow, delicate yet vibrant.

Although his brows showed signs of illness and weariness, his eyes still held an undiminished sharpness.

Unlike the timidity of ordinary young ladies, she exudes the unique agility and stubbornness of a woman from the martial arts world.

The panic from mistaking him for Xiao Hanxing when she woke up had not completely subsided.

Her eyes, glistening with moisture like autumn water, inadvertently revealed a touch of naivety.

Although her plain clothes were stained with dust, they could not hide her graceful figure.

Even though he looks frail now, he still exudes an unyielding pride.

No wonder his unruly older brother was so concerned about him.