Because she had spent several hours at Liyuan, by the time Feng Jiu’er returned to the Heavenly Mechanism Hall, it was already the early morning of the following day.

She had barely stepped through the rear entrance when someone came rushing up to her, seized her by the hand, and made to drag her along.

“Yanu, why such urgency? Has someone else been…” A pang of alarm seized Feng Jiu’er’s heart. The matter of Feng Yinan was still vivid in her mind, and she was already starting to dread.

Yanu could not explain anything, but gripped her sleeve and made plain that he wanted her to follow him.

Feng Jiu’er did not dare delay and immediately fell into step behind him.

What she had not expected was that this time, Yanu led her to the west wing where Tuoba Keyan resided.

“Xiao Yingtao, what are you doing?” Xiao Yingtao was standing right in front of Tuoba Keyan. Tuoba Keyan lay on the ground and was struggling to rise.

Feng Jiu’er stepped quickly forward and placed herself in front of Tuoba Keyan, intercepting a palm strike from Xiao Yingtao.

“Jiu’er, do not stop me!” Xiao Yingtao was seething with fury, her eyes fixed on Tuoba Keyan behind her. “I do not believe this person’s martial arts are truly gone. He must have used some method to conceal his abilities.”

“Xiao Yingtao, it was I who took his pulse. Are you saying you doubt me as well?” Jiu’er said in a firm voice.

Xiao Yingtao bit her lip, unable to extinguish the flames of rage burning in her eyes.

She glared at Jiu’er and pressed on in a hurry, “I am not doubting you, but some masters are capable of concealing their internal power so thoroughly that you would not detect it even by taking their pulse!”

“Jiu’er, trust me on this — this person’s martial arts are absolutely not gone. He must have hidden them. The one who injured Yinan last night was definitely him!”

Xiao Yingtao was convinced. So long as he suffered a little more, she was certain he could be forced to show his true colors and bring his martial arts to bear. Once he used them, everyone would know that he had truly been concealing them all along, and that Feng Yinan’s injuries were absolutely caused by him.

“Xiao Yingtao, calm down!” Feng Jiu’er turned to glance at Tuoba Keyan. “Where is Xue Gu?”

“She… went out to find medicine.” Tuoba Keyan gave a light cough, a sharp pain stabbing through his chest, and a surge of blood qi nearly rose in his throat.

Indeed, Xue Gu was not here. No wonder Xiao Yingtao had stormed into this place without Xue Gu appearing to stop her.

Xue Gu must have gone out to find medicine. When Feng Jiu’er had been leaving last night, she had told Xue Gu about the medicinal herbs needed to purge the poison from Yinan, and it seemed Xue Gu had gone out to search for them at once.

She must have wanted to help Feng Yinan recover as quickly as possible, so as to clear Tuoba Keyan’s name.

Xue Gu truly did care deeply about Tuoba Keyan.

Feng Jiu’er looked at Xiao Yingtao and softened her voice. “Xiao Yingtao, until Yinan has recovered, please do not act impulsively in this matter. What if we were to harm an innocent person?”

“Do you believe Yinan truly still has a chance to recover?” Xiao Yingtao’s eyes grew hot with tears, and in an instant they had turned red.

“He is in such a state. He did not wake at all throughout last night. If I had not sensed his breath, I would have wondered whether he was…”

Xiao Yingtao bit down hard on her lip and did not continue. She could not bring herself to say it.

In Feng Yinan’s current condition, he was completely without any awareness of the outside world — or perhaps he had some, but he simply could not open his eyes, could not give anyone even the slightest response.

Not even Jiu’er knew when Feng Yinan might wake. Given the severity of his injuries this time, could he truly still wake? Who could say?

Who could guarantee it? Not even Feng Jiu’er herself. Was that not so?

Xiao Yingtao was nearly in despair. The fact that she had held herself back until now before going to find Tuoba Keyan was already the limit of her endurance.

“Trust me — I can make him wake up.” Feng Jiu’er was truly exhausted at this point and did not know how to offer comfort. Or perhaps more accurately, she was so worn through that she no longer had the energy to.

“I absolutely cannot allow you to harm him now. If you want to hurt him, then hurt me first.”

“Jiu’er, I cannot understand — you know perfectly well that he is not a good person. Do you know how many people he killed in the past? Why do you still stand up for him?”

Xiao Yingtao’s eyes were red, yet she saw that Feng Jiu’er was still standing unmoved before Tuoba Keyan. She understood — Jiu’er was not going to allow her to continue pressing him.

She simply truly could not understand why, when Tuoba Keyan was so obviously a villain, both Xue Gu and Jiu’er would go to such lengths to protect him.

Xiao Yingtao bit down hard on her lip, then let out a cold snort and turned to leave.

Feng Jiu’er let out a quiet breath of relief. Once Xiao Yingtao had walked far enough away, she turned to look at Tuoba Keyan. “Are you alright?”

Tuoba Keyan shook his head. The surge of blood qi rose again, and he coughed twice more, the distinct taste of blood now unmistakable in his mouth.

“Let me have a look.” Feng Jiu’er turned and went inside. “Yanu, prepare something to eat for me — right now I am so hungry I could eat an entire ox.”

Yanu said nothing, turning at once and heading in the direction of the kitchen.

Jiu’er had been worn out through the entire day yesterday, and then had gone out again during the night. Only now was she back.

How exhausted Jiu’er was, Yanu understood better than anyone.

Feng Jiu’er and Tuoba Keyan went inside. “Sit down,” she said. “Let me take your pulse.”

“I am fine.” Tuoba Keyan did not sit, but only fixed his gaze on her. “Do you truly believe me?”

“No.” At this point, she did not dare say she truly believed anyone.

Tuoba Keyan pressed his lips together and said nothing. Perhaps he could make sense of Feng Jiu’s thinking, yet even so, his heart was still unsettled.

“I was a great villain in the past, wasn’t I?” He had heard every word Xiao Yingtao said just now with perfect clarity. He was not merely a villain — he was the sort for whom no sin could be forgiven.

“I harmed many people, including all of you?” Otherwise, why would Xiao Yingtao despise him so deeply?

Feng Jiu’er sat in the chair and looked at him. “I told you — all of that is already in the past. Come, let me take your pulse.”

“No need!” Tuoba Keyan turned and walked away.

Feng Jiu’er did not make much of it. Over these recent days he had been moving about on his own for quite some time, sometimes even going into the streets for a walk.

After everything that had happened, and with Xiao Yingtao having just been blocked by her, at this moment she likely would not push forward and go after Tuoba Keyan again.

What was more, Xiao Yingtao was not a cruel person at heart. When she had struck at Tuoba Keyan just now, she had actually held herself back.

She was afraid of wrongly accusing an innocent person herself, but seeing Feng Yinan in such a state, she simply could not keep her temper under control.

Feng Jiu’er stretched lazily and walked out of the room.

Tuoba Keyan was not in the courtyard. He had probably gone out to clear his head, given his poor mood.

She truly did not have much energy to go after him right now. She was genuinely exhausted, genuinely drowsy, the sort of weariness that made her feel she could collapse at any moment.

Returning to the east wing, Yanu had just finished bringing the food over.

Feng Jiu’er ate a little, gave herself a quick wash, changed into fresh clothes, and fell into bed and was asleep.

She slept straight through until mid-afternoon.

Upon waking, Yanu had already prepared the midday meal. Jiu’er asked, “How is Yinan doing? Has Xiao Yingtao been causing any more trouble?”