Zhan Qingcheng offered no further explanation, and Feng Jiu’er asked nothing more.
She was not sure how long it would take to reach Butterfly Valley — she was still not very familiar with this part of Desolate City’s surroundings.
But for some reason, she had a persistent feeling that upon arriving at Butterfly Valley, another difficult battle awaited.
So she quickly settled her mind, and fell asleep on the cushioned padding.
Half-awake and half-asleep, jolted along by the carriage over the road — she did not know how much more time had passed before the carriage finally came to a halt, and Feng Jiu’er opened her eyes.
Butterfly Valley. They had arrived.
On the flat ground at the valley’s entrance, a group of people stood waiting. In the center, a woman seated upon a tall chair was being carried by four attendants and was heading toward their advancing party.
As Feng Jiu’er stepped down from the carriage and looked up, she suddenly recalled: the procession that Hu Shuang had brought last night had seemed to be entirely composed of young women.
And now, the line of people before her — each and every one of them was a white-robed woman, without exception. Not a single man among them.
The one seated upon the tall chair before her was the legendary Butterfly Lady.
Feng Jiu’er could not sense her presence at all. There was no peculiar sensation from her whatsoever.
She had often heard it said that a person with no discernible presence was either someone who never engaged in combat — or someone whose martial prowess was so profound it simply could not be measured.
Of course, there was no need to wonder which. Butterfly Lady was certainly the latter.
She turned and glanced back. Yu Jingfeng lifted the carriage curtain, and Feng Jiu’er immediately turned forward again, ready to help Ninth Imperial Uncle: “Ninth Imperial Uncle, we’ve arrived.”
The person inside did not stir. He looked out from the parted curtain, his gaze falling directly on the woman seated in the tall chair.
Then, all of a sudden, a powerful wind swept through the valley — from no discernible source — and in an instant sent every person’s robes and hair billowing.
“Qingcheng, come. Auntie will take you inside.”
Butterfly Lady on her tall chair had not even shown her face, yet the carriage in which Zhan Qingcheng sat began to rise with the wind.
With a sharp crack, the two ropes connecting the carriage to the horses snapped. The carriage descended in an instant beside Butterfly Lady.
Four white-robed women appeared from nowhere, each taking a corner of the carriage and lifting it, then turned and walked into the valley.
Ninth Imperial Uncle had actually gone with them just like that!
Leng Yue moved to give chase — and was stopped by Emperor Ji.
Feng Jiu’er stepped forward two paces. Hu Shuang said: “Everyone, please.”
Feng Jiu’er glanced at Yu Jingfeng. He gave a small nod. His Highness had of course gone willingly — otherwise, who could have made him move so easily?
Jiu’er had no choice. She could only follow the others and walk deeper into the valley.
Since Butterfly Lady was the junior martial sister of Ninth Imperial Uncle’s birth mother, she could be considered an elder.
Moreover, given how long Ninth Imperial Uncle had been on campaigns, he had passed through Desolate City no small number of times — perhaps they were already quite familiar with one another.
In any case, for now, it truly seemed there was no real danger.
“I hear you are His Highness’s personal physician?” Hu Shuang led them into a large hall deep in the valley, then turned to look at Feng Jiu’er. Her manner was relatively warm and courteous. “Does Miss Feng have any insight into the poison afflicting His Highness?”
“No comment,” Feng Jiu’er said calmly. “Unless you allow me to see the divine physician Mo Bai.”
To her surprise, Hu Shuang was not the least bit irritated. She seemed to have been expecting exactly this: “I will take Miss Feng there at once.”
…
Mo Bai was a young man with a tall and elegant build — though in truth not particularly towering. By rough estimation, one meter seventy-five or thereabouts.
Among Yu Jingfeng and the Twelve Riders, his height was the shortest. Yet his features were clear and refined, his manner courteous, and his overall appearance warm and pleasing.
Having been brought to Butterfly Valley, Mo Bai seemed entirely unconcerned. According to Hu Shuang, these past days Mo Bai had been doing nothing but studying a set of Gu insects — every day given solely to that, with nothing else to occupy him.
Which was to say, nothing else he was willing to do.
When Feng Jiu’er and Yu Jingfeng entered, Mo Bai was standing before several glass jars, writing notes in a small handbook with a fine-haired brush.
Seeing Yu Jingfeng come in, his eyes brightened: “His Highness has arrived?”
His voice was not especially deep or resonant, but warm and smooth as jade — pleasant to the ear all the same.
Everything about him, truly, was like a piece of jade — gentle as a breeze, wholly unlike the rugged bearing of Yu Jingfeng and the Twelve Riders. “Butterfly Lady is entertaining His Highness.” Yu Jingfeng replied coolly, then glanced at Feng Jiu’er and said: “Miss Jiu’er — this is the divine physician Mo Bai. Mo Bai — she is the one I mentioned in my letter, His Highness’s personal physician, Miss Jiu’er.”
Mo Bai’s gaze settled on Feng Jiu’er — not particularly warm, but not distant either. Altogether like the air about him: gentle, not easily approached, yet not overtly repelling of others.
“Hello.” Feng Jiu’er almost reached out her hand out of habit, before catching herself just in time — this was ancient times, and they were all people of ancient times.
Handshaking was most likely not in fashion here.
Mo Bai looked at her, nodding lightly: “Miss Jiu’er. A pleasure to meet you.”
Feng Jiu’er nodded in return, her eyes settling on the glass jars arranged on the shelf before him. Her expression shifted subtly as she immediately stepped over.
“Mo Bai, are these the Gu insects you found? Do you know which kind belongs to the same type as the one in Ninth Imperial Uncle’s body?”
“I don’t know yet. But I am certain it is one of these three.”
Both being healers, the two of them came together without any of the arrogance healers sometimes showed toward one another. In fact, within a short while, they were already deep in discussion.
This astonishing speed of rapport left Yu Jingfeng thoroughly dazzled.
He had originally worried that, since both were treating the Ninth Prince, their approaches might differ — and he had wondered whether they might end up arguing.
He had not expected them to not only refrain from arguing, but to immediately zero in on the crux of the matter.
“Perhaps we could try using Ninth Imperial Uncle’s blood.” Feng Jiu’er had already thought through several approaches before coming. “But Mo Bai…”
“Just call me Mo Bai.”
“All right — Mo Bai. Where did you find these Gu insects? If you needed to gather more of them, would it be difficult?”
“Not at all. Deep within Butterfly Valley, near the hot springs — quite a number are still being kept there.”
Mo Bai did not mind sharing with Feng Jiu’er what he had done so far.
“I’ve been here for nearly half a month. I brought back Gu insects and showed them to Butterfly Lady. She immediately sent people into the Southern Wilds and had more than ten of each type retrieved for me.”
Mo Bai understood what Feng Jiu’er was suggesting. He said: “If you want to use them for testing, feel free. Even if some are killed in the process, there are more in reserve.”
“Then there is no time to lose — let us bring Ninth Imperial Uncle here at once to try it!” Feng Jiu’er’s eyes lit up. She turned to Yu Jingfeng: “Where is Ninth Imperial Uncle now? Take us there quickly.”
Yu Jingfeng nodded: “He should be at Butterfly Pond. I saw them heading in that direction just now. Only…” he looked at Mo Bai, a note of hesitation in his voice: “You should know — Butterfly Pond is forbidden to all men. In all these years, the only man ever permitted inside has been His Highness.”