“I can walk on my own,” You Yuji immediately said.
Si Que did not put her down right away, nor did he continue forward.
You Yuji couldn’t help but look up at him, only to be greeted by his terrifying blood-red mask. She quickly averted her gaze and spoke softly again, “Put me down, I can walk on my own.”
Si Que noticed the determination in her eyes and set her down. When they continued, he slowed his pace. You Yuji followed about three steps behind him.
The plum forest seemed ownerless, growing wildly and unchecked on the mountain. They walked for a long time, one after the other, before finally emerging from the forest and descending the mountain. At the foot of the mountain was a small creek, but given the cold weather, the water had long since stopped flowing and was covered with a thin layer of ice.
Seeing the Poison Pavilion Master stop and sit on a pile of stones by the creek, You Yuji let out a sigh of relief. She was too tired to continue.
She sat down on another pile of stones by the creek, keeping some distance from the Poison Pavilion Master.
Thinking about the past three days of hardship, she habitually looked down at the ice surface to tidy her hair, but when she saw her reflection in the ice, she gasped.
She widened her eyes in disbelief, staring for a long time. She gently touched her face with her fingertips, slowly coming to terms with the reality.
Yes, there were red spots on her arms and legs. She should have expected that her face would have them too…
You Yuji’s downcast expression caught Si Que’s attention, and he couldn’t help but speak, “They will fade.”
You Yuji tugged at her hood to cover her cheeks a bit more.
The cat, Baisui, turned over in her arms, and You Yuji felt a pang of worry. She suppressed her anxiety and asked politely in a calm tone, “Master, may I ask what kind of poison this is? Will…will it be contagious to others, or even to my cat…”
“It’s not contagious. With regular medication, it will heal quickly. It’s just a minor poison,” he replied casually, making it sound like it was truly nothing serious.
You Yuji lowered her head, gently stroking Baisui’s neck, and didn’t speak further.
After a while, the Poison Pavilion Master stood up and said, “Wait here. I’ll go get a horse.”
You Yuji nodded. She watched him walk away on the wooden bridge and then surveyed her surroundings. From the wild plum forest they had emerged to this small frozen creek, she could see the silhouettes of houses in the distance on the other side of the creek, suggesting a small village nearby.
Si Que walked a considerable distance, then turned onto a country path. Only when he was sure You Yuji could no longer see him did his steps become heavy. He continued forward, his steps gradually becoming unsteady until he reached a tree and supported himself against the trunk. He removed his mask, revealing an extremely pale face.
The blood-red mask fell to the ground.
He panted heavily, trying to alleviate the suffocating feeling in his chest. He loosened his collar and then, with trembling hands, took two silver needles and pierced the acupuncture points on his neck.
The suffocating sensation gradually subsided, followed by a rush of blood in his mouth. He pulled out the needles and spat out a mouthful of black blood.
He had deceived You Yuji.
He spoke to You Yuji in a light tone, saying that the poison was just a minor one. In truth, the poison was called Thousand Sores Powder. The toxin spread rapidly through the body, and once it reached the vital organs, the entire body would decay into sludge in an instant, beyond even the aid of divine intervention.
You Yuji needed to change her medication every hour for three days straight. During this time, Si Que stayed by her side, carefully tending to her without a moment’s rest. He had stopped his own medication for too long and was already weak. The exertion of caring for her further worsened his condition.
Si Que leaned against the tree for a long time before he began to feel slightly better.
Tingyun led a horse from the distant village. Seeing Si Que’s pale face from afar, she hurried her steps to reach him.
“Your Highness…”
Si Que tiredly rubbed the corner of his eye and spoke in a hoarse voice, “Who put such a chaotic poison in the resting chamber?”
“I will investigate immediately!” Tingyun hesitated for a moment, “Once I find out…”
“Throw them into the poison pool.” Si Que closed his eyes. His voice, scorched by fire, was emotionless but sinister and terrifying.
“Yes.”
Tingyun hesitated, then knelt down to plead, “Your Highness, Zhanxue only touched the sleeping spider to help me create a sleep Gu. She is not skilled in poisons and made a grave error. As her master, I am willing to take the punishment for her.”
Si Que’s lips twitched, and his cold gaze fell upon her from above, “By that logic, should I take the punishment for you?”
“I wouldn’t dare!”
Si Que ignored her, put on his mask, grabbed the horse’s reins, and walked back to fetch You Yuji.
—
Yi Yuhuan sat in the carriage, occasionally poking her head out of the window, looking back anxiously as if someone were chasing her.
“Miss, are we really fleeing the capital like this?” Her maid, Chuntao, looked worried.
“What else can we do?” Yi Yuhuan cursed angrily, “With such heartless parents, what choice do I have but to run away? Do they expect me to actually marry that useless man and become his second wife? I won’t do it, I absolutely won’t! I’m going to find my grandmother. She loves me and will definitely help me!”
Chuntao glanced at Yi Yuhuan’s crippled hand and hesitated to speak.
In the past, it would have been unthinkable for Yi Yuhuan to marry such a man as a second wife. But now, with her hand crippled, it would be difficult for her to find a good match.
Chuntao wanted to advise her but knew that her mistress had high aspirations. She couldn’t accept losing her hand and being forced to marry someone like that, especially since the young lady already had someone she cared for. At this moment, with her mistress in such a rage, Chuntao dared not say a word.
The carriage traveled a long distance, and the horses gradually tired, slowing down.
“Why are we slowing down?” Yi Yuhuan asked impatiently.
The driver explained from the front, “Miss, we’ve been running for a long time. The horses need to rest and eat some grass.”
Yi Yuhuan understood but couldn’t help but complain, “Such a bother.”
The carriage stopped, and she sat in it, sulking. Chuntao poured a cup of water and handed it to her. Yi Yuhuan instinctively raised her right hand, but seeing her bandaged stump, her face changed, and she slapped the cup away. The water spilled all over Chuntao.
“You did it on purpose to provoke me!”
“This servant wouldn’t dare!”
Yi Yuhuan angrily got off the carriage and walked ahead, letting the cold wind blow on her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, her eyes reddening.
Until she saw a purple figure in the distance.
Yi Yuhuan stopped, looking in surprise at the woman by the creek. The woman sat alone by the water, dressed in luxurious satin, looking like someone from a wealthy family, yet she had no servants with her.
Curious, Yi Yuhuan continued walking forward, gradually recognizing the person sitting by the creek as You Yuji.
“You Yuji?” she called out, her voice tinged with confusion.
You Yuji looked up, equally surprised to see Yi Yuhuan in such a desolate place.
“I wasn’t mistaken, it’s really you?” Yi Yuhuan exclaimed.
Then Yi Yuhuan noticed the red spots on You Yuji’s face.
“What happened to your face?” She walked closer to get a better look.
You Yuji frowned and pulled her hood to cover her face a bit.
“Are you disfigured? Hahaha…”
Yi Yuhuan suddenly burst into laughter, startling the cat, Baisui, in You Yuji’s arms. The cat quickly turned over and watched the laughing woman warily.
You Yuji immediately noticed Baisui’s distress, gently stroking its neck to calm it down.
“Did your disfigurement make you mute? Say something.” Yi Yuhuan laughed with glee. “It’s great that you’re disfigured. Let’s see how you can use your face to seduce men now.”
You Yuji’s gaze shifted past Yi Yuhuan to the distant carriage, guessing why Yi Yuhuan was in such a remote area. She gently petted Baisui and calmly said, “Miss Yi, did you escape alone this time? You should be more careful.”
“You!” Yi Yuhuan’s smile vanished immediately. No matter what, an unmarried girl fleeing with her maid was highly improper. She could already imagine the rumors in the capital, with people saying she had eloped.
She wished she was eloping with her lover…
But the man she cared about had never reciprocated her feelings.
Taking a deep breath, Yi Yuhuan forced a laugh, looking at You Yuji with schadenfreude. “You should worry about yourself instead of me. Did you disfigure yourself while eloping, and the person abandoned you? What are you going to do in this wilderness alone? Be careful not to get eaten by wild animals!”
The more she talked, the happier she seemed, as if mocking You Yuji could relieve her own frustration.
“What a beauty of the Si Kingdom—look at that face. How can you still be called a beauty? From now on, you should be called an ugly girl…”
The sound of hooves grew closer. Yi Yuhuan thought it was her carriage coming to pick her up and didn’t pay it any mind, continuing to mock You Yuji’s disfigurement.
You Yuji looked past Yi Yuhuan to the approaching rider, the Poison Pavilion Master.
“Let’s see how beautiful you are.”
A sharp, piercing voice rang out from behind, sending a chill down Yi Yuhuan’s spine. She turned around and screamed in fright at the sight of the blood-red mask, even stepping back in fear.
Si Que leaned down, his long fingers pinching Yi Yuhuan’s chin, lifting her face.
“What are you hiding from? Let me take a good look at that pretty face of yours.” He spoke as he gently stroked Yi Yuhuan’s face with his fingertip.
“How dare you! Who are you? Let go of me! Release me! Chuntao! Someone, help…” Yi Yuhuan felt as if a cold snake was crawling on her face. She screamed in terror, reaching to grab Si Que’s hand, trying to push him away.
Then she heard a sinister, low laugh coming from beneath the mask.
In the next moment, Si Que released his grip.
Yi Yuhuan staggered back, staring at Si Que as if she had seen a ghost.
Si Que did not spare her another glance. Instead, he extended his hand towards You Yuji. After a moment’s hesitation, You Yuji placed her hand in his, and he pulled her up onto the horse, seating her sideways in front of him.
Si Que wrapped his arms around You Yuji’s waist, gripping the reins and turning the horse around.
“My face! Ah—” Yi Yuhuan screamed.
You Yuji turned her head slightly to look back at Yi Yuhuan. She stood there in a daze, her hands continuously touching her face.
You Yuji watched in shock as Yi Yuhuan’s face visibly aged at an alarming rate. She blinked, doubting her own eyes, and then looked again to confirm she wasn’t mistaken.
In moments, wrinkles spread across Yi Yuhuan’s face. This girl, who was not yet twenty, now had the face of an elderly woman.
The horse continued to move forward, and Yi Yuhuan gradually faded from sight.
You Yuji was once again amazed by the Poison Pavilion Master’s skill with poisons. She couldn’t help but sneak a glance at his hand. This hand had easily caused a woman to age. Yet, she had just handed her own hand to him. It must be psychological, but she found herself gently squeezing the hand she had placed in his palm.
The horse jumped over a log, causing a sudden jolt. You Yuji, already sitting unstably, instinctively hugged Baisui tighter with one hand and grabbed onto the Poison Pavilion Master’s arm with the other.
Could his arm also have some strange poison on it?
You Yuji frowned and discreetly pulled her hand back. She adjusted her grip, holding Baisui with one hand and using the other to better steady herself on the saddle.
Si Que did not notice her small actions; he was still thinking how fortunate it was that she was safe.
