“Ninth Imperial Uncle, what are you doing?”

Having been carried directly out of Butterfly Valley by Zhan Qingcheng and back to the group, Feng Jiu’er frowned and glared at him.

She still had many things to do. Now that they had finally identified which of the Gu worms was inside him, they could begin researching how to eliminate the Gu Poison from his body.

Moreover, she had clearly sensed just now that Madam Butterfly had something in mind.

These people who had lived so close to the Southern Wilderness for so many years — when it came to cultivating and dispelling Gu worms, they very likely had their own unique insights.

Perhaps Madam Butterfly had already thought of a method — there was no telling!

“Ninth Imperial Uncle…”

“Yu Jingfeng.” Zhan Qingcheng set her down but still held her hand, unwilling to let go.

Yu Jingfeng came forward, and Emperor Ji had Leng Yue push his wheelchair over as well, bringing him to stand before Zhan Qingcheng.

Having gone inside for no more than an hour or so, His Highness’s complexion had visibly improved considerably. That Butterfly Pool truly was a sacred place for cultivating one’s martial arts and inner energy.

Emperor Ji looked at Zhan Qingcheng. “A’Jiu, what has happened?”

“Take her away from here. Set out immediately for Phoenix City to aid the City Lord in repelling the enemy.” Zhan Qingcheng tossed Feng Jiu’er toward Yu Jingfeng.

Yu Jingfeng instinctively caught Jiu’er — His Highness had thrown her with such force that even he had nearly failed to catch her.

“Your Highness…”

Zhan Qingcheng, however, turned his gaze to Emperor Ji and said in a low voice, “Foster father, you escort her there.”

“A’Jiu, what on earth has happened?” Neither Emperor Ji nor Yu Jingfeng could make sense of it — why had His Highness suddenly grown so urgent?

He rarely displayed such urgency. Though in truth, Zhan Qingcheng’s face still showed not a single expression, everyone could tell his complexion was poor.

To be in such haste to send Feng Jiu’er away — what was the reason?

Zhan Qingcheng naturally would not answer that question, and even Feng Jiu’er did not know the reason. But it seemed someone did.

Emperor Ji looked at Mo Bai: “What has happened?”

Mo Bai pressed his lips together, seeming to want to speak but stopping himself. In the end, he only gave a quiet shake of his head and said nothing.

Mo Bai must know the reason!

Feng Jiu’er thought it over, and it seemed she understood — the Ninth Imperial Uncle was guarding against Madam Butterfly!

Madam Butterfly surely knew how to remove the Gu Poison from the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s body, but the method Madam Butterfly had in mind likely involved her.

In truth, they could still think of other approaches. Now that they knew which kind of Gu worm it was, given a little more time, she was sure she could come up with a method.

If nothing else worked, they could use Madam Butterfly’s way — she would do everything within her power to both save him and protect her own life.

But the Ninth Imperial Uncle simply would not give her the chance.

Mo Bai looked at Zhan Qingcheng, hesitating, before finally saying: “Perhaps she could serve as a medicinal catalyst, or…”

Suddenly, Zhan Qingcheng raised one slender finger. No one saw how he moved. They only knew that the slender figure before them collapsed in an instant.

In the moment her eyes closed, Feng Jiu’er’s gaze was filled with a sorrow he could read clearly, along with unease.

But Zhan Qingcheng remained utterly expressionless, not a trace of feeling in the depths of his eyes.

He caught Feng Jiu’er as she fell, his long fingers sweeping across her brow — creased with despair — trying to smooth away her fear.

But somehow, he could never quite smooth the furrow from her brow.

He understood this girl’s feelings, but the more he understood them, the more his heart ached for her.

She was anxious — yet had she ever considered that he was anxious too?

Even to save his own life, he would never allow her to be harmed in the slightest!

“Foster father, I am entrusting my person to your care. I hope you can protect her safely and deliver her to the Longqi Army.”

Even Yu Jingfeng — he no longer fully trusted him now, because he knew better than anyone how loyal these men were to himself. And that was precisely why he could not.

He placed Feng Jiu’er into Emperor Ji’s arms, letting her sleep against his foster father’s chest, then swept a glance at Long Twelve and Long Eleven. “Escort her to Phoenix City. Anyone who defies this order will be executed.”

Long Eleven and Long Twelve seemed to have already vaguely sensed something. Did sending Jiu’er away mean that His Highness’s Gu Poison could not be removed?

But the Prince’s command could not be refused. A military order was absolute.

“Yes!”

Long Eleven and Long Twelve accepted the order together. Before Leng Yue could react, they were already pushing Emperor Ji’s wheelchair away.

This time, they truly left. Long Eleven pushed the wheelchair; Long Twelve carried the bundle. Leng Yue was left standing in place.

Qiao Mu had not said a single word from beginning to end. Though no one had told her exactly what had happened, even she seemed able to guess something of it.

With Feng Jiu’er gone, the Ninth Prince’s illness would likely only become harder to treat.

Yet the Ninth Prince would rather render Feng Jiu’er unconscious than allow her to remain — which meant this place was truly dangerous for Feng Jiu’er.

She glanced once more at Zhan Qingcheng’s cold and austere figure, then Qiao Mu inclined her body slightly and chose to follow after Emperor Ji and the others, quickening her pace to leave.

Though she was reluctant to part from the Ninth Prince, she had come out this time to protect Feng Jiu’er.

Jiu’er was a person of warmth and loyalty — at a time like this, she had no way of abandoning Feng Jiu’er.

As she was leaving, she could not help looking back one more time at the Ninth Prince.

That figure in plain white stood in the wind, watching as Emperor Ji and the others departed, his gaze so deep it was utterly impossible to read.

Yet in his eyes, she glimpsed two words — rare and precious: cherish well.

Feng Jiu’er was, at the very least, truly fortunate. To receive such tenderness and regard from the Ninth Prince — under all of heaven, there was no luckier woman than her.

Qiao Mu finally drew her gaze away, set her jaw, and went after them.

Leng Yue still stood at a distance, watching Zhan Qingcheng, biting her lip: “My Lord!”

It seemed everyone had already quietly understood something, though no one had spoken it aloud.

But Zhan Qingcheng had no desire to hear any of it. Watching as Long Eleven and Long Twelve walked farther away, until even Qiao Mu at the rear had passed out of sight, he turned and walked away without looking back.

Mo Bai too watched those several figures disappear in the distance, let out a silent, quiet sigh, and followed in the Prince’s footsteps.

He had never seen His Highness be so urgent for anyone’s sake. Was this, in the end, a good thing or a calamity?

Yu Jingfeng knew he had been set aside — His Highness had chosen Eleven and Twelve over him, unwilling even to trust him.

But in truth, even he himself could not be sure he trusted himself.

If there were truly no other way, would he — somewhere along the escort route — bring Jiu’er back?

If only Jiu’er’s blood could save His Highness… had Madam Butterfly been eyeing Jiu’er’s blood?

In the end, he gathered the Feilong Shi’er Qi and followed in Zhan Qingcheng’s footsteps as well.

Whenever His Highness came to Butterfly Valley, he always stayed for several days. In truth, there were many things here that His Highness was fond of — or rather, things that allowed His Highness to pay tribute to those who had gone before.

So each time His Highness came, he never left easily.

This time His Highness had arrived while injured, and even Mo Bai was here with him. If possible, it would be best to remain and recover here until he was fully healed. So all of them would need to stay behind to tend to His Highness. As for Leng Yue…