For some inexplicable reason, Feng Jiu’er didn’t continue asking. Even she herself didn’t know what she was feeling — only that there was a very strange sensation stirring in her heart.

Xue Gu finished making the bed and turned to look at her: “Jiu’er, come here. Let me channel energy into you.”

Jiu’er, as before, walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, turning her back to Xue Gu and sitting cross-legged.

Xue Gu sat behind her, gathered her inner energy into both palms, and pressed them flat against her back. The rich, mellow energy surged forward, moving through her body like a nimble serpent, making its way through her meridians in a steady and orderly flow.

Before long, Jiu’er felt as though every meridian in her body had begun to move and circulate — warm and gentle, heated and at ease, her whole body suffused with a comfortable sensation.

“Xue Gu, you knew me before all this, didn’t you?” Xue Gu treated her truly well, though she said little.

Xue Gu gave a faint hum of assent. “Mm.”

“Was it because of my father, or because of my mother?” Jiu’er sat facing forward and couldn’t see Xue Gu’s expression — yet for reasons she couldn’t explain, the moment those words left her mouth, she had a feeling that Xue Gu’s expression must have changed.

And indeed, Xue Gu’s face did shift — though it settled back into composure almost at once.

“I will look after you until your injuries are fully healed. As for everything else, there is no need to probe me. What I can say, I will not conceal from you. What I cannot say, asking again would be of no use.”

Jiu’er let out a soft sigh. Xue Gu was still the same Xue Gu — so mysterious, so endlessly curious-making, and yet so exasperating in her inscrutability.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressed. I only feel that you… treat me so well, and I have no way to repay it.”

“If you are well, that is repayment enough.” Xue Gu closed her eyes and said nothing more.

Jiu’er closed her eyes too, but her thoughts were a little scattered.

How could a person be inexplicably kind to another without reason? It wasn’t possible. The one Xue Gu knew must not have been her father — otherwise, when Xue Gu first came to Feng Manor, why had she not sought out her father for even a single meeting?

Xue Gu must have known her mother, Long Feiyan. Yet about the matter of Long Feiyan, Xue Gu would not say a single word more than necessary.

What kind of person had her mother truly been? Could it be… that she had been Xue Gu’s former master?

The more Jiu’er’s thoughts ran, the more tangled they became — and there was no one who could give her an answer.

That night, after channeling energy into Jiu’er, Xue Gu lay down on the long chair and slept.

Jiu’er, however, simply could not fall asleep. After tossing and turning on the bed for nearly half an hour, she pulled on her boots and climbed down from the bed, stepping toward the door.

“Three in the morning and not asleep — where are you off to?” Xue Gu still had her eyes closed, but her brow had furrowed. “It’s cold outside. Put on an outer robe.”

Jiu’er was a little surprised — she had thought Xue Gu was going to stop her from going out, yet unexpectedly, Xue Gu was being so accommodating.

“Alright.” She nodded, went back to the bedside, retrieved an outer robe from the bundle, draped it over herself, and then headed once more toward the door.

“I’ll just be outside for a little while. I’ll be back soon.”

Xue Gu said nothing. She did not seem inclined to stop her.

In truth, over these past few days, whatever Jiu’er wanted to do, Xue Gu had almost always gone along with her — and even when Jiu’er wanted her help with something, she would lend a hand. As for Jiu’er’s decisions, Xue Gu invariably followed without a word of objection. Just as with this trip to Wuhe: when Xue Gu learned of it, hadn’t she said not one word and simply set out along with them?

Xue Gu… perhaps in the past she had truly been a subordinate of Long Feiyan. And now, she seemed to treat her as something of a master as well.

Jiu’er could sense from Xue Gu both tender concern and a kind of reverence — yet she was perfectly clear that this reverence was absolutely not on account of her own person.

Once outside, Jiu’er did not go far at all. With a leap from the corridor, she alighted on the rooftop and gazed into the distance.

That was the night sky beyond the south gate of the city. Somewhere out there, Ninth Imperial Uncle was leading his army, camped just outside, guarding the peace over Phoenix City.

She didn’t know what Ninth Imperial Uncle was doing right now. Without her there, would Ninth Imperial Uncle feel very alone — very lonely?

When he wanted to talk, was there someone who could truly understand what he meant in his heart?

When he wanted to laugh, was there anyone there to laugh with him? Yet Ninth Imperial Uncle, in front of others, was not one given to smiling.

She missed Ninth Imperial Uncle’s smile so dearly. When he smiled at you, you would feel that of everything beautiful in the entire world, nothing could surpass that moment.

Ninth Imperial Uncle… she missed him so terribly, so terribly much!

“Mmm—!” Jiu’er’s brow suddenly drew sharply together. She clutched her head in both hands, and her breathing instantly grew disordered.

Her head hurt so badly! Missing him too deeply had brought on the headache again. That wretched, heartless Gu Poison!

But she had no way of stopping herself from missing Ninth Imperial Uncle!

Before, because the distance between them had been so great, whenever she thought of him she could just barely force herself to suppress the feeling. But now — she was already in Phoenix City.

Knowing that just beyond the south gate of Phoenix City, within eyesight perhaps, lay the very ground where Ninth Imperial Uncle’s army was camped — at a distance so close she could almost reach out and touch it — how could she not think of him?

How could she not?

And yet the moment she did, it was truly agonizing, so agonizing…

Ninth Imperial Uncle — how could she possibly not think of you? How could she make the headache stop?

Jiu’er didn’t know from where she produced a small needle pouch, and gripped it tightly in her fist.

The pouch was covered in silver needles, something she had fashioned herself over these past two days — a special needle pouch with the needle tips pointing outward, so that the moment she squeezed it, countless needle points would pierce into her palm.

It was very painful — yet because of this pain, the agony in her head gradually began to ease.

Slowly… it truly stopped hurting.

She must not dwell on all the beautiful things about Ninth Imperial Uncle. She must not ache for his loneliness, being out there alone. Otherwise she feared she would not live to see Ninth Imperial Uncle again.

Having at last suppressed the searing pain in her head with great effort, Jiu’er let out a breath of relief and carefully put the needle pouch away.

Fine beads of cold sweat dotted her temples — proof enough of just how fierce the pain had been moments ago.

If she must not think of Ninth Imperial Uncle, she would think of Mu Mu instead. She didn’t know how he was doing now. As long as no one deliberately aggravated his wounds, they should be able to slowly heal.

Only that brief loss of memory — no one knew when it might return.

Jiu’er was no brain surgeon, but even a brain surgeon would have little certainty in such matters.

The most complex part of the human body was the brain, and in the brain, the most complex thing of all was memory.

Perhaps Mu Mu might suddenly recover — or perhaps he would never recall a single thing from before for the rest of his life. No one could guarantee which it would be.

If Mu Mu could recover his memory and the two brothers were fully reconciled… well, even if Mu Mu could recover his memory, whether those two brothers could truly live together without any lingering bitterness between them was something Jiu’er was honestly not certain about at all.

Still, recovering his memory was surely better than not. She just didn’t know when it might happen.

She cast one more glance toward the southern night sky. Fearing her head might suddenly ache again, she quickly looked away — and was just about to climb down from the roof.

When unexpectedly, she caught sight of a group of people passing swiftly below. The one leading them was… Mu Mu?

Jiu’er gave a start of fright and hurriedly pressed herself flat against the rooftop.

Mu Mu… surely he hadn’t seen her?