Zhan Qingcheng immediately let a drop of blood seep from his fingertip. Feng Jiu’er took his large hand and placed it over the crystal plate.

She squeezed out three drops of blood, which fell onto the crystal plate.

Afterward, Feng Jiu’er immediately cleaned the blood from Zhan Qingcheng’s finger, then fixed her gaze on the three Gu worms without blinking.

Everyone’s eyes fell on the three Gu worms on the plate.

Strictly speaking, these three Gu worms had virtually no difference in size or appearance. Only their heads had the slightest variation, just enough for one to barely distinguish their respective attributes.

The three Gu worms had been completely still, but once the fresh blood dripped down and they caught the scent of it, all three began to move, slowly inching toward the blood drops.

Sure enough, they were all bloodthirsty little creatures! But these Gu worms were so black and dark — they truly looked unsettling.

Just imagining one of these worms landing on a person — what a terrifying thing that would be.

Though they were not large in size, they were still worms!

Feng Jiu’er instinctively tightened her grip on Zhan Qingcheng’s large hand, watching the worms inch forward, her heart stabbed again and again with sharp pain.

Just thinking that the Ninth Imperial Uncle had such Gu worms inside him made her heart ache unbearably.

Those worms had been living inside him for so many years. How had he endured all this time?

Finally, all three Gu worms had moved toward the blood drops.

Mo Bai and Feng Jiu’er immediately leaned in closer. In truth, neither of them knew whether this method would work, but since the Ninth Prince happened to be right here, it was worth trying regardless.

The heads of the three worms had already drawn near the blood drops, but because the heads were so tiny, it was very difficult to see where their mouths were.

That was why both of them leaned in so closely — afraid they might miss something.

As for Zhan Qingcheng, who sat beside Feng Jiu’er, his brow furrowed, and a flash of displeasure crossed the depths of his eyes.

This girl was leaning so close to Mo Bai — had she not even noticed?

He wanted to pull her back, but she was watching so intently. Pulling her away now seemed a little unreasonable.

Feng Jiu’er had no idea how close she and Mo Bai currently were. Was she not earnestly studying the Gu worms? She had no mental energy to spare for such thoughts.

Though she could clearly sense a certain coldness from the person beside her, she truly had no extra attention to give to that.

On the side, Madam Butterfly was watching Zhan Qingcheng’s strikingly handsome brow, her gaze flickering with a complex expression in her eyes.

A’Jiu could actually show such a childlike side!

Having known him for so many years, she had never witnessed this before.

Today, the expressions that had passed across A’Jiu’s face seemed to be more than all those she had ever seen on him put together throughout the years.

What kind of presence was this girl Feng Jiu’er, exactly, to A’Jiu?

“This one!” Suddenly, Mo Bai and Feng Jiu’er cried out together in surprise.

Looking back at the three Gu worms, sure enough — two of them had already absorbed the blood drop into their bellies. Only the last one, after touching the blood drop, had moved its body and retreated.

“Are you certain it’s this one?” Madam Butterfly asked with a frown. Was it not a bit too hasty to confirm it based on this alone?

“Gu worms have a natural aversion to their own kind. If there is the toxin of their own kind in the blood, they will not touch it.” Mo Bai explained.

“I have one more method.” Feng Jiu’er took a deep breath, looking at Mo Bai. “If it’s confirmed that there are more of the same kind of Gu worm, would it be all right if this one died?”

“Yes.” Mo Bai had no idea what she intended to do, but it was clearly related to the experiment.

Before coming here, they had already discussed this matter. Feng Jiu’er was only making one final confirmation now.

After all, this matter could not be handled carelessly.

She raised her own finger, then suddenly bit down and broke the skin with her teeth.

Zhan Qingcheng’s expression darkened. Feng Jiu’er immediately said, “Don’t be angry — just a tiny bit, really.”

It really was just a tiny drop of blood!

She placed her finger over the Gu worm and let her blood drip onto it.

Something extraordinary then happened. After Feng Jiu’er’s blood touched the Gu worm, the worm began to convulse, as if it had been poisoned.

Its entire body curled in on itself, as though it were in tremendous pain!

Even Mo Bai was stunned by the sight.

He stared at Feng Jiu’er, his face disbelieving: “Your blood… your blood can suppress its toxicity!”

“Yes. Before this, I had also given the Ninth Imperial Uncle some of my blood to drink, and it did have an effect.” Feng Jiu’er nodded.

Mo Bai was still reeling from the shock, but a spark of delighted surprise flickered in Madam Butterfly’s eyes: “In that case… A’Jiu is saved.”

“Find another way!” Suddenly, Zhan Qingcheng shot to his feet.

“Ninth Imperial… mmph! Ninth Imperial Uncle, what are you doing?” Feng Jiu’er was snatched up directly by him, as if he were lifting a little chick.

Madam Butterfly’s Butterfly Pool had an excellent restorative effect on his physical condition — after soaking in it for just a short while, his vitality had improved considerably.

Lifting Feng Jiu’er now was truly no different from lifting a small chicken.

Being lifted like this, Feng Jiu’er’s two feet kicked about below her, and she found she could not reach the ground at all.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle was going too far. She was, after all, a beauty — a refined young lady! Being carried out like this — was it not utterly humiliating?

But in this position, she could not even speak comfortably, bent as she was with her head nearly hanging downward. It was terribly uncomfortable.

Mo Bai snapped out of his astonishment and immediately stood up, inclining his head toward Madam Butterfly. “Madam, I will go check on His Highness first.”

With that, without even taking the Gu worms, he turned and followed after them.

There were more of the same Gu worms elsewhere in Butterfly Valley. As for this particular one, after being touched by Feng Jiu’er’s blood, its vitality had already dropped so low that it had little further research value.

Madam Butterfly only stared outward, watching the retreating figure of Zhan Qingcheng as he walked away, the depths of her eyes filled with a complex expression, her brow knitting faintly.

“Madam, by the looks of it, this Feng Jiu’er is the legendary woman for whose sake His Highness suffered such grave injuries.”

Hu Shuang had never truly believed that there existed such a woman in this world who could make His Highness stake his life for her sake.

But now it was plain to see — the feelings His Highness held for Feng Jiu’er were likely far deeper than any of them had imagined.

Madam had never witnessed this side of His Highness — and had she, Hu Shuang, ever seen it either?

Around Feng Jiu’er, he became gentle, compliant. When he saw Feng Jiu’er leaning close to Mo Bai, he grew angry — he became… jealous!

A Ninth Prince like this was beyond anyone’s imagination, let alone something anyone had ever seen with their own eyes.

Madam Butterfly said nothing. She only watched that retreating figure in plain white, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

The sight of the two of them walking together felt, somehow… so warmly tender, so serene and tranquil, it put one’s heart at ease.

Hu Shuang spoke again: “By the looks of it, Feng Jiu’er’s blood truly can save His Highness. Madam, what do you think…”

“Let us first hear what the Divine Physician Mo Bai has to say.” Madam Butterfly gave a light sweep of her long sleeve, her face showing not a single trace of emotion — her bearing as composed and graceful as ever. But where her sleeve had just swept past, the white jade had shattered completely into pieces, leaving nothing but ruin in its wake…