She knew?

So that was why she’d avoided it, why she hadn’t been poisoned—how was that possible? Even the beastfolk clan leader couldn’t easily enter that valley; one could only imagine how deadly that poison truly was!

Hearing Ziqing say this, virtually no one believed her, but Situ Haonan’s head snapped up to look at her, his heart pounding wildly. He’d known it—he’d known this woman couldn’t possibly be that careless, that foolish!

At the very least, she clearly understood the situation unfolding around her!

Still, even Situ Haonan was puzzled, having no idea what explanation Ziqing could possibly offer to answer everyone’s suspicions.

“You knew? Then you…” The beastfolk clan leader looked stunned, forgetting protocol entirely before quickly correcting himself. “Princess Consort of Prince Yao, then how did you end up poisoned and still come out unscathed? And… you even obtained the antidote?”

Just then, a voice drifted up from below the cliff—seemingly detached, yet somehow pedantic. “As the ancients say, at home rely on your parents, abroad rely on your friends. Since the Princess Consort of Prince Yao considers this young master a friend, how could this young master possibly refuse to save her?”

At these words, several people leaned over to look down, and there they saw a scholar in white robes, a thick stack of books cradled in his arms, ambling forward with an air of leisurely self-satisfaction.

Who else could this fellow be but Baili Weisheng?

Only then did Ziqing let out a quiet breath of relief. That had genuinely been far too close a call.

She truly had no idea what had been happening at the top of the mountain—even hearing the commotion, she’d simply assumed someone had come looking for her, with no idea at all about the python’s poisonous fumes.

Just as she’d been about to fly up, someone had suddenly yanked her into the bushes—and that someone had been Baili Weisheng.

She was genuinely astonished. Though she’d long suspected there was something unusual about Baili Weisheng’s identity, she’d never imagined he could make his way into Nanzhao so easily, let alone infiltrate this place!

The area surrounding the beastfolk’s hunting grounds was guarded entirely by tamed, ferocious beasts—slipping in undetected should have been utterly impossible!

No matter how she pressed him, Baili Weisheng refused to reveal his true identity, or how he’d managed to get here.

He only told her that the valley held venomous python fumes, and warned her to be careful.

“You… you knew that I—”

“There’s nothing under heaven this old master doesn’t know!”

Baili Weisheng answered her the same way he always did, and helped her the same unconditional way he always did too.

“Why do you always help me!”

“Don’t tell me we’re still not friends! You’ll break my heart. My parents raised me from a young age to always help a friend in need.”

“Did your parents ever tell you that being friends requires understanding each other first?”

“Don’t you understand me?”

“I don’t.”

“That’s fine. We’ll come to understand each other the longer we spend time together.”

…

Unable to out-argue Baili Weisheng, Ziqing gave up. She couldn’t afford to linger, so she’d gone up ahead first.

Baili Weisheng hadn’t told her anything else—just that there was poison here—and everything else had clicked into place for her.

Ziqing glanced briefly at the Second Beast Young Master, who was currently delighted that she’d made it back alive, but her gaze didn’t linger there for long, betraying nothing.

But in her heart, she had already completely written him off.

Ever since the Second Beast Young Master had appeared, everything had unfolded so conveniently, so seamlessly, that it was almost suspicious in its very smoothness!

Without asking, she was certain he’d have plenty of ready explanations for why he hadn’t known about the poison here.

But Ziqing wouldn’t believe a single one of them.

This coincidence was simply too convenient!

Ziqing had never been someone who believed in mere coincidence—except when it came to Jun Beiyue. Though even then, she didn’t consider meeting him a coincidence at all, because that had been fate.

Coincidence wasn’t fate. Only what was destined could be called fate.

The Empress of Eastern Qin remained utterly composed. If Ziqing still hadn’t figured out the truth behind the Second Beast Young Master’s sudden appearance by now, then she truly would have been hopelessly naive.

The Second Beast Young Master’s schemes weren’t particularly sophisticated—what was truly masterful was the disguise he’d maintained since childhood, one so convincing it had fooled not just the people of Nanzhao, but even the Medicine Clan’s own leader.

As everyone watched Baili Weisheng saunter up at his leisurely pace, most were still utterly baffled, completely at a loss. But the beastfolk clan leader let out a huge sigh of relief, visibly unburdened.

Stroking his white beard, he sighed again and again. “No wonder, no wonder! I said it couldn’t possibly be that the Princess Consort escaped unpoisoned! Ah… Princess Consort, you truly are blessed—to have met such a noble benefactor!”

Ziqing smiled faintly, just as puzzled as everyone else about Baili Weisheng’s true identity.

The Second Beast Young Master exclaimed with delight, “Princess Consort, you really are so fortunate!”

But the moment he caught the beastfolk clan leader’s glare, he immediately lowered his head, looking sheepish.

What the clan leader said next left Ziqing utterly stunned. “Everyone, allow this old man to make an introduction. This young master Baili is a distinguished guest of our beastfolk clan, our chief consulting veterinarian!”

At this announcement, everyone burst into murmurs.

“So that’s who he is!”

“I’ve heard his name before—they say he fears none of the beasts in the hunting grounds!”

“No wonder, with him around, who’s afraid of a giant python’s poison!”

…

Listening to the murmurs around her, Ziqing couldn’t help the corner of her mouth twitching. So Baili Weisheng really was… a veterinarian!

In response to the murmurs, Baili Weisheng cupped his hands together in a courteous bow, smiling with exaggerated modesty, even though barely anyone had bothered to greet him first, saying “a pleasure, a pleasure” several times over regardless.

Xuanyuan Zhaoxi was the least able to contain herself. Such a perfect, meticulously laid plan, and just as it had been on the verge of succeeding, it had been ruined by this smelly bookworm, this smelly veterinarian—she wanted nothing more than to tear that infuriating smile right off his face.

The Second Beast Young Master and the Empress of Eastern Qin were true masters of the game—their expressions had barely shifted throughout. The Empress’s lips still curved with her signature arrogant, cold smile.

The Second Beast Young Master, meanwhile, hurried to exclaim with joy, “Wonderful, wonderful! Princess Qianqian can be saved—you should all stop misunderstanding the Princess Consort now!”

“Hm… misunderstanding what?” Before Ziqing could even speak, Baili Weisheng beat her to it.

The Second Beast Young Master had been hoping someone would ask exactly that, and he hurried to explain with excitement, “Earlier, they mistakenly believed the Princess Consort had some grudge against Princess Qianqian and had deliberately tried to kill her!”

Ziqing glanced briefly at Yelu Qianqian’s guard before walking over. The physician was still working to draw out the poison, with no telling how long it would take to finish.

“How is she doing?” Ziqing asked seriously.

“With the antidote, there’s nothing to fear, but…” the physician hesitated.

At those words, Ziqing’s expression changed instantly. She understood better than anyone present just how badly things could spiral if Yelu Qianqian didn’t wake up soon to clear the matter up.

“But what?” the Medicine Clan leader asked, equally concerned. Though the matter had been somewhat defused for now, it certainly wasn’t fully resolved yet.

“Princess Consort, Clan Leader, this arrow wound on Princess Qianqian… it’s truly…” the physician hesitated again.

A quiet unease stirred in Ziqing. Earlier, wary of the poison on the arrow, she hadn’t dared examine Yelu Qianqian’s wound closely in front of the Second Beast Young Master. But now, looking at it up close, she realized just how precisely, how deliberately, that arrow had struck.

“Well, what is it exactly?” the beastfolk clan leader pressed anxiously.

The physician glanced timidly at Ziqing before lowering his voice. “Forgive my bluntness, but this arrow’s aim was extraordinarily precise, grazing close to the heart meridian. Though the poison has been cured, Princess Qianqian won’t wake for at least ten days to half a month.”

At these words, everyone understood at once—how could aim so precise possibly be an accident?