Before long, Jing Hengbo and Gong Yin emerged from the Shang King’s secret palace. Just then, Yélu Qi and Pei Shu had also finished their search. Both sides exchanged secret signals, then quietly crossed through the crowd and returned to the bombed hall, emerging from the debris pile looking “disheveled and dusty.”

Seeing everyone emerge, the Shang King looked greatly relieved, repeatedly saying how fortunate it was that the honored guests were unharmed. He mentioned they had captured the assassin who bombed the palace and ordered new accommodations to be arranged for everyone, his attitude extremely solicitous.

On the way to the new lodgings arranged by the Shang King, several people noticed troops quietly heading toward the secret palace. However, all of them were very experienced – no one had taken anything from the secret palace, and they had erased all traces of anyone having been there.

In the new accommodations, the six people compared notes. Jing Hengbo said: “On my side, I saw the defensive layout of Treasure Terrace Mountain, a registry of masters, and related arrangements.”

Yélu Qi said: “I found entrance badges for the inner mountain, though I’m not sure which type. I’ve made rubbings of them.”

Pei Shu looked rather disgruntled: “I didn’t find anything useful, but I saw some special clothing hidden in a wall compartment, so I just took it – might come in handy.” He shook out a garment as thin as cicada wings from his arm – a one-piece suit that even included shoes. The shoes were extraordinarily light and thin, with soles that gleamed with a fluorescent layer, apparently some special design.

Jing Hengbo hadn’t expected to find much under the Shang King’s nose anyway. Having such gains already exceeded her expectations. She put away the items, calculating that everything was ready except for the trip to Treasure Terrace Mountain. Once they obtained what they wanted, they could leave Shang Kingdom.

After finishing her calculations, she casually looked around and found the situation quite strange. Ji Wen sat close to Yélu Qi, but Yélu Qi turned his head to look out the window, his body leaning outward. Pei Shu and Meng Potian sat far apart, back to back. Occasionally when their gazes met, she seemed to hear a clear ringing in the air – there was killing intent!

Once matters concluded, everyone bid farewell to rest. Pei Shu immediately got up to leave, but Meng Potian rushed ahead of him to the door, nearly knocking him over with her hip. Despite Pei Shu’s explosive temper, he didn’t flare up. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and stared at Meng Potian’s retreating figure for quite a while.

Over there, Yélu Qi and Ji Wen displayed a different style. The two politely yielded to each other at the doorway, “You first please,” “No, you first please,” blocking the doorway for a full quarter hour until an impatient Jing Hengbo kicked them both out.

“Love being dramatic? Go be dramatic elsewhere and don’t interfere with sister’s romance!”

“Bang.” The door slammed shut heavily behind them. Ji Wen collided into Yélu Qi’s arms, her hand pressed against his chest, her face already red.

Yélu Qi hung his arms at his sides, gazing distantly at the gradually brightening dawn sky, sighing softly.

…

Early the next morning, Jing Hengbo brazenly dragged her “master,” the fake sage, to negotiate compensation with the Shang King. As she wished, she obtained many secret medicines from Shang Kingdom, as well as future trade conveniences. For her own convenience, all conditions were left unspecified as to which party they applied to, to avoid benefiting the Jade Department.

After negotiating the terms, they left the palace. There were still seven days until the Talent Gathering Festival. Jing Hengbo declined the Shang King’s invitation to stay in the palace until the festival – what a joke, she was still busy stealing things.

After leaving the palace, she left coded messages for the Seven Kills who had been sold to various tribes and kingdoms. Soon, the tribes fortunate enough to have purchased the Seven Kills experienced a heap of chaotic troubles. The embassy quarters became a mess, various tribes and clans were overwhelmed, Shang Kingdom’s army was exhausted running around handling disputes. Even the entire Shang Kingdom royal family was caught up in endless troubles due to the frequent incidents involving distinguished guests from various nations.

While everyone was very busy…

Those six people once again split into three groups and headed for Treasure Terrace Mountain.

Treasure Terrace Mountain had a flat peak shaped like a cosmetic terrace, hence its name. But now the entire mountaintop was covered densely with trees, and among the trees were hidden countless sentries and watchtowers. The whole mountain appeared quiet and uninhabited, but whenever eagles flew overhead, they would silently plummet.

Even birds couldn’t fly over the heavily guarded Treasure Terrace Mountain.

So the first group – Pei Shu and Meng Potian – charged straight into the outer mountain of Treasure Terrace Mountain, acting as if they had heard there were treasures here and were randomly trespassing. This drew out large numbers of guards from the outer mountain.

The two led most of the guards far away, while Gong Yin and Jing Hengbo, along with Yélu Qi and Ji Wen, took advantage of the chaos to slip past the iron gates at the mountain’s base.

Inside the iron gates was a towering mountain face with a long row of caves – some artificially excavated, some natural. Most caves had doors, and the doors had locks.

Jing Hengbo had keys to the outer mountain, but their number didn’t match these doors. There must be real and fake ones among them, and the fake ones would surely be dangerous. How could they distinguish between real and fake doors in such a short time?

Ji Wen suddenly said: “Let me try.” With that, she leaped up toward a door, pressed her ear to listen, then shook her head.

She possessed extraordinary hearing and sense of smell, able to distinguish whether there was a passage inside the door or some other mechanism.

Jing Hengbo immediately pushed Yélu Qi: “Go protect her.”

Ji Wen, testing doors one by one up the mountainside, saw Yélu Qi glide over and turned back with an elegant smile.

Jing Hengbo, hidden in the shadows, couldn’t help but sigh: “What a perfect pair.”

But Yélu Qi suddenly turned back to look at her. This glance made her heart sink, her sigh choked in her throat, feeling she was perhaps being somewhat cruel.

She could sense that Pei Shu and Meng Potian had compatible temperaments. The simple, crude yet passionate Pei Shu might not lack opportunities to love someone again.

But Yélu Qi was a truly mature, calculating man who had seen through worldly affairs and weathered all storms. He wouldn’t easily be moved, but once moved, would love deeply.

She wasn’t confident she could make him turn aside on the path forward to see the brightness that belonged to others.

She sighed softly.

Gong Yin beside her seemed to be a tapeworm in her belly, suddenly turning to look at her: “You worry about too many things.”

“If I don’t worry, then you’d have to worry.” She smiled sweetly in retort.

“Why should I worry about him?” Gong Yin said indifferently, “You alone are enough.”

Jing Hengbo found these words comfortable and pinched his fingers: “Worry well, worry thoroughly…”

Before finishing her words, she suddenly saw Ji Wen beckoning from somewhere above – it looked like she’d found the entrance. Overjoyed, she forgot what she was about to say and hurriedly pulled Gong Yin along.

Gong Yin let her pull him without speaking. Only when they were almost at that doorway did he say slowly: “Your request is a bit demanding, but I’ll manage it in the future.”

“Huh? What?” Jing Hengbo was confused. After thinking for a long while, she remembered her unfinished sentence and her hair stood on end with a whoosh.

“Damn it!” She pointed accusingly, “You fake cool guy, real rogue!”

…

If the timing weren’t wrong, she would have planned to properly settle accounts with Gong Yin over this slip of the tongue.

He was getting better and better at taking verbal advantage, but when it came to the real thing, he became loose and slack. Her resentment was already quite heavy, alright?

That needle thing in his chest – when would it finally become thin enough to disappear? Calculating the time, she’d been transmigrated for over two years, had a boyfriend early on, but had only reached second base and was still stuck there with no progress in sight.

She wondered if those three had any romantic troubles. But coming to another world to make their way from scratch wasn’t easy – surely they wouldn’t be so quick. They couldn’t have already had children, could they?

Above, the door Ji Wen found was indeed correct. The key Pei Shu had rubbed opened it smoothly. Pushing the door open revealed a slippery cave passage with no mechanisms, but at the cave’s end, countless openings appeared again, each with a door.

Jing Hengbo understood why this section of the outer mountain had no guards – because having guards would be impossible to arrange properly. Instead, guard deployment patterns would reveal which was the real door.

These identical doors were enough to confuse anyone. Walk through the wrong one and face eternal damnation. How many people had such luck to choose correctly every time?

It seemed calm and risk-free, but was actually fraught with danger.

Fortunately, they had Ji Wen.

She listened her way through without a single error. Jing Hengbo couldn’t help thanking her and asking if this ability was innate.

Speaking of which, this was also a supernatural ability.

“Of course not.” Ji Wen smiled. “Ji Kingdom borders Dong Tang, which has methods for cultivating natural talents. I learned from them.”

“Ah, there’s such a thing.” Jing Hengbo said, “Then if I went there, I’d probably be a hero with no place to use my skills.”

“Exactly!” Ji Wen said, “I heard before about a girl who went to Dong Tang. She had some heaven-granted ability and thought she’d live like a fish in water there. But every time she used it, someone would trick her. Any random cat or dog could casually wave their hand and be stronger than her. It made her so angry she kept banging her head against walls.”

Jing Hengbo listened with dancing eyebrows, thinking this person was really damn unlucky, haha.

Ji Wen continued: “That girl is famous in Dong Tang – we in Ji Kingdom have all heard of her. I heard she married three times but none succeeded, all three disrupted by the same person. In anger, she said she’d marry that person’s father just to make him call her ‘mom.'”

Jing Hengbo spat “pfft” onto Gong Yin’s sleeve and hurriedly apologized: “Sorry, sorry, damn who is this extreme character…” Gong Yin sighed and extended his sleeve to wipe her mouth, suddenly saying: “There’s a sound!”

Ji Wen, who was about to answer her question, immediately fell silent. All four flashed into corners and indeed heard what seemed like faint bell sounds from far away. After a while, footsteps came from behind that door.

Then voices followed.

One person said: “The passages change every seven rounds. Tonight they should be readjusted.”

Another said: “Has the revealing powder been sprinkled?”

A third said: “About to be done.”

The first person said: “Once the revealing powder is sprinkled, anyone not wearing special clothing and shoe covers will leave visible footprints. As soon as outsiders’ footprints appear, immediately seal the Purple Orchid Pool.”

Jing Hengbo looked down and noticed the ground beneath her feet was somewhat soft, as if covered with a layer of moss-like substance.

She stepped on it but saw no footprints. However, she was certain that once that powder was sprinkled, it would definitely reveal whether anyone had entered and how many people had come in.

In other words, even if they could break in immediately, they couldn’t prevent the Purple Orchid Pool from being sealed. Once the Purple Orchid Pool was sealed, their mission in Shang Kingdom would be futile, and her face and Gong Yin’s body would be very difficult to restore.

She had the one-piece suit Pei Shu had snatched. Presumably this item would allow one to walk without leaving traces and blend into the rear mountain. But there was only one.

She took out the one-piece suit, somewhat troubled.

She herself didn’t need this garment – as long as she determined the correct direction, she could teleport there.

Logically, this should go to Gong Yin so he could accompany her inside. But this would mean Yélu Qi and Ji Wen would have to stay outside and bear the risks, which she couldn’t bring herself to suggest.

Before she could decide, Yélu Qi suddenly reached out, grabbed the garment, and tossed it into Gong Yin’s arms.

Then he grasped Ji Wen’s hand.

Ji Wen had been in a daze, but when he grasped her hand, she immediately froze, looking down at their joined hands and quietly pursing her lips.

When she smiled, deep dimples appeared on her cheeks. So sweet that even the slightly fishy wind in the cave seemed warmer.

Yélu Qi’s voice was also very gentle, gentle yet decisive.

“Seventh Princess,” he said, “would you be willing to stroll and wander with me before this cave?”

Jing Hengbo thought it would be very difficult for any woman in the world to resist the perfect gaze and smile Yélu Qi offered at such a perfect forty-five-degree angle.

Obviously Ji Wen was already intoxicated. This clear-minded, rational, and elegant woman also showed confused ripples in her eyes as she nodded.

Jing Hengbo suspected that at this moment, if Yélu Qi pulled Ji Wen to jump off the mountain cave, she would definitely step forward.

Yélu Qi pulled Ji Wen and darted out.

The two quickly retraced their route, visiting all the doors they had passed, trampling and confusing the footprints there before heading toward the outer mountain.

At this moment, the door to the inner mountain opened, and three people filed out, all indeed wearing that special one-piece clothing, walking very lightly.

As they walked, they sprinkled a bottle of silver-blue powder. The three focused intently on the ground, their faces gradually changing color.

“Footprints!”

As the powder was sprinkled, the ground gradually showed faint silver-black fluorescence in the shape of footprints – many of them.

The three walked around the footprints, saying in amazement: “They went to every door!”

“There seems to be more than one person.”

“Shows they haven’t found the door yet.”

“The uppermost tracks head outward! They must not have found the door, then heard us talking in the passage and quickly ran outside.”

The leader hurried back near the passage, peered inside, and said: “Be careful someone might have snuck in while this door was open.”

Another person sprinkled powder, waited a moment, then smiled: “No prints, no problem.”

The three breathed sighs of relief, returned to study the footprints, and finally determined: “The final footprints all head outward. They definitely went toward the outer mountain. Notify the outer mountain to be on alert!”

“Should we notify the inner mountain to seal the Purple Orchid Pool?”

“No need.” The leader said, “As long as we’re sure no one got in. Sealing the Purple Orchid Pool is too troublesome. Besides, sealing the Purple Orchid Pool would alarm those masters. If it turns out to be a false alarm, we’ll inevitably get scolded.”

“Big brother is right.” The three closed the door and headed toward the outer mountain while making sharp whistle sounds.

In the passage behind the door, Jing Hengbo and Gong Yin jumped down from the cave ceiling. Gong Yin embraced her waist, letting her stand on his feet to avoid leaving footprints when she landed.

Jing Hengbo looked outside with some worry, saying anxiously: “The outer mountain is sounding alarms. If those two get trapped and injured…”

“So we need to quickly get what we came for and go back to support them.” Gong Yin carried her a few steps, found it inconvenient, and simply hoisted her onto his shoulders.

Jing Hengbo hadn’t been paying attention when her body was suddenly lifted high. The cave was very tall – she could only reach the ceiling by stretching her hand. Looking down at Gong Yin, she never expected the great god would actually let her climb onto his shoulders.

She suddenly remembered browsing Weibo in the modern world and seeing news about a century-best boyfriend who hoisted his girlfriend onto his shoulders to watch cherry blossoms. The four of them had different reactions at the time.

Xiao Toushi giggled, saying it looked so awkward with so many people watching – she’d be too embarrassed if it were her.

Taishi Lan scoffed, asking if that girl’s legs were broken – couldn’t she walk herself?

Little Cake Girl giggled for ages, saying let him carry her then – probably the boyfriend offended his girlfriend and was trying to make up. If it were her, she wouldn’t forgive so easily. She’d prepare a bottle of water to pour down his neck and say she accidentally peed, looking tearfully innocent while crying first.

Jing Hengbo remembered expressing that carrying or not didn’t matter – the key was the man had to be handsome. Looking at that guy’s crooked nose and slanted eyes, he deserved to be a pack mule for life. If there were a handsome guy who was 1.9 meters tall with a high nose and deep eyes, she’d be happy to carry him instead.

She remembered being despised for a long time after that, called a shameless looks-obsessed person.

Now Jing Hengbo really wanted to use telekinesis to summon all three of her friends before her and roar at them: “See? See? I really do have a super rich and handsome guy with high nose, deep eyes, and 1.9 meters tall carrying me!”

Being pampered by her boyfriend with no one to witness was like wearing fine clothes at night. Jing Hengbo felt deeply lonely at this moment. She could only sit on Gong Yin’s shoulders, patting his chest with her legs and raising both hands high toward the sky.

“What are you doing?” the person below asked.

Jing Hengbo squinted and sang: “My left hand holds flowers, my right hand holds a ring – a ten-carat pigeon egg pink diamond ring. I proudly raise my head…”

“Bang.” Her proud head struck a protruding cave wall, immediately shattering her beautiful dream. The person below said with barely contained patience: “Please pause your dreaming and watch the road.”

Jing Hengbo bent down, bringing her forehead to his ear: “Rub it for me, rub it for me.”

The great god reached up and randomly ruffled her hair like petting a small dog.

Jing Hengbo had always had low requirements for handsome men and was easily satisfied. With eyebrows dancing and eyes smiling, she hugged his neck and hummed: “Gong Yin, Gong Yin, let’s never fight, okay?”

“Just don’t fight with me.”

“Let’s never misunderstand each other, okay?”

“I will never misunderstand you in this lifetime.”

“I will never misunderstand you either.” She raised her hand in oath, but he pulled it down: “Be careful of hitting rocks.”

Their fingers interlocked tightly. Gong Yin suddenly said: “Remember your words – never misunderstand.”

“Mm.”

“Even if some things look like I’ve wronged you.”

“What are you planning now?” Jing Hengbo vigilantly straightened her waist, staring at his black hair.

“Nothing, I’m afraid you’ll overthink.”

“If you hide everything from people, don’t blame them for overthinking.” Jing Hengbo snorted, then suddenly said: “Danger ahead!”

Sitting high gave her a far view. She saw purple light flashing at the end of the passage and quickly slid down from Gong Yin’s back with a whoosh.

Fortunately, no one was approaching. The two quietly crept to the passage’s end, which was the cave exit with another door. Jing Hengbo quietly opened it with yesterday’s stolen inner door key. Before getting close, they could feel fierce mountain wind rushing in – it seemed empty behind.

The exit was clear with no ambushes, but ribbon-like objects lay across the ground, colored to match the surface. Fortunately, both were very careful and didn’t step on them.

Slowly moving to the cave mouth, Jing Hengbo quietly peeked out. Indeed, this was a mountain wall. Below, the mountain’s belly was hollow, forming a huge hall. Stalactites stood at the top – snow white at the tips, seven-colored like glass under the lights below. The bottom was flat with what seemed like a huge crystal dome at the center, flowing with pale purple precious light. The edges showed lustrous amber colors. Looking down from above, it was like a fairy pool shrouded in mist, beautiful jade creating halos – fantastically dazzling.

Jing Hengbo was mesmerized by this magnificent scenery for a while, then discovered this cliff face was completely vertical at ninety degrees, slippery with no handholds whatsoever. Countless ribbons hung in midair, extending from this cave mouth all the way to the bottom, with countless golden bells tied to the ribbons.

To descend from this cave mouth, one would have to slide down these ribbons. Moving the ribbons would make the golden bells ring urgently, alerting everyone.

Looking below, there were also countless ropes connecting to those stalactites. Anyone wanting to exit from below would have to climb up the ropes, cross the stalactites, then walk through this side’s cave – equally exposed to all eyes.

This was both a treasure land and a death trap.

Jing Hengbo’s spirits lifted, knowing they’d reached the crucial location. Thanks to thorough preparation and help from others, the journey had been relatively smooth, but what came next would likely be a hard battle.

She gestured to Gong Yin, indicating she would go down – after all, only she could teleport directly to the center without needing these ribbons and stalactites.

But Gong Yin pointed to the surrounding mountain walls.

The mountain walls had layer upon layer of what seemed like countless folds, with people hidden in each fold. According to the defensive layout they’d obtained, the deeper the guards, the higher their martial arts. Moreover, the hidden positions between these mountain walls had their own mysteries and could combine into large formations at any time.

Unless she could immediately pick the spiritual medicine after teleporting, she would be trapped in an encirclement.

Gong Yin looked up at those stalactites. The mountain belly was damp and cool, with countless water droplets condensed on the stalactites.

He flicked his finger, sending a line of white light shooting past Jing Hengbo’s temple. She felt chilling cold air and felt her whole body plunge into an ice cave.

This was just the cold air brushing past her temple, yet it already chilled her to the bone marrow. While shivering, she thought gratefully that the great god’s martial arts seemed to have improved again.

Only that cold air also contained a sinister chill that made one particularly uncomfortable.

The white light, thin as a thread, flashed like lightning past the stalactites. It seemed to have alerted the masters below – there were faint changes on the mountain walls with vague human shadows appearing.

But that white light had already disappeared among the stalactites, transforming into a sheet of misty white vapor. The white vapor grew thicker and thicker. The water droplets on the stalactites became colder and harder, finally transforming into countless ice pearls and snow flakes that rustled down.

This scene was quite beautiful – snow-white dome, seven-colored stalactites, jade pool flowing with pale purple radiance, and increasingly dense ice and snow in the space.

The snow flakes could block people’s vision. Jing Hengbo reacted quickly too, flashing and instantly reaching the bottom.

She had originally planned to avoid that patch of flowing purple precious light and quietly approach from the side. Who knew that beautiful purple expanse, which looked like crystal glass from afar and seemed solid, was actually just a layer of light. She went straight through and fell into the pool with a splash.

Jing Hengbo was startled and rolled reflexively, curling up her body to avoid being contaminated if the pool was poisonous. Before this lazy donkey roll was complete, she heard a scream and roar from above, with someone shouting: “This flower-destroying slut!”

Jing Hengbo looked down – damn it! Below her were all flowers and plants, planted in snow-white crystalline soil that looked jade-like but wasn’t jade, obviously very high-class. Her roll had caused these precious flowers and plants to break and wilt over a large area.

“Oh no, such a sin, such a sin.” Jing Hengbo’s heart ached as she trembled continuously. She quickly took out her prepared bag and swept all these good and bad plants into it, not bothering to identify what was what. Looking up, in the heavy snow, human figures flew about – half charging up, half falling down, already engaged in combat.

Some masters headed straight for her. Jing Hengbo, carrying a large bag, stuck the Fire Bud Grass that could ripen Purple Orchid Vine (which Yélu Qi had snatched) into the ground.

Visibly, plants flourished – buds sprouted, flower cores bloomed, branches grew lush. Under the flying snow and pale purple precious light, spring appeared again.

Jing Hengbo, carrying her large bag, flashed here and there, picking mature flowers and plants whenever she saw them. Several human figures shot toward her like lightning, shouting: “Where did this flower thief come from!” They desperately tried to intercept her, but no one’s lightness skill could compare to the elusive Jing Hengbo. These people also knew these rare flowers and plants were each worth a fortune and couldn’t bear to trample them recklessly like her. Therefore, despite many attempts to catch her, they only grasped her ethereal afterimage. Sometimes they clearly felt they’d caught her sleeve, but she’d already be on the other side.

While darting about, Jing Hengbo watched Gong Yin’s battle situation above while searching for the most crucial medicine – Purple Orchid Vine. Where was that thing?

Suddenly she smelled a strange fragrance.

The scent was very peculiar – hard to say whether it was pleasant or unpleasant, but it made one feel dizzy, intoxicated, ethereal, and seductive. Like after traveling long in the desert, then smelling the distant sweet scent of fruit.

She swallowed, suddenly feeling somewhat thirsty, then felt the purple light flowing like silk. The human figures around her had become unclear.

Someone exclaimed: “Purple Orchid Vine has ripened early!”

With this cry, figures flashed continuously. Whoosh – the master guards who had been relentlessly pursuing her suddenly all disappeared.

Jing Hengbo was baffled. Wasn’t Purple Orchid Vine ripening early a good thing? Why did these people flee as if they’d seen ghosts?

There was a subtle sound behind her, as if something was approaching. She spun around abruptly.

Then she was struck speechless.

Behind her, where the purple light had been concentrated, it suddenly became much fainter. But in that flowing pale purple mist, a human figure vaguely sat up.

Jing Hengbo rubbed her eyes. She clearly remembered when she came down, this was just a garden area with no human presence whatsoever.

Moreover, that figure was petite, definitely not one of those burly men from before.

The figure slowly sat up, becoming clearer and clearer. Jing Hengbo saw a transparent face, round shoulders, crossed legs, and a large protruding belly…

Uh, a pregnant woman?

Looking more carefully, that “person” didn’t really look human. The form was small like a child, skin too transparent, the whole person like a crystal being. But no internal organs or bones were visible – only purple meridians, very eerie.

Jing Hengbo’s gaze fell on that “person’s” lower abdomen and she drew in a sharp breath.

Inside that transparent lower abdomen was actually a sprout-like object – three purple buds slowly and gracefully blooming.

Jing Hengbo nearly bit her tongue.

Why hadn’t anyone told her that Purple Orchid Vine grew inside a human body!

How was she supposed to extract it?

Should she skin and dismember this “person”?

Jing Hengbo’s head immediately began throbbing painfully. She really hadn’t expected this thing to grow this way. She couldn’t bring herself to skin and dismember such a human-like being, nor could she carry this thing away. But if she did nothing, all previous efforts would be wasted.

That thing had completely sat upright, with downcast eyes and an expression of solemn dignity on its transparent face.

Jing Hengbo also felt that chubby little face looked somewhat familiar. Thinking carefully, she felt it actually resembled Wen Zhen a bit.

This made her even more devastated.

She couldn’t bring herself to be so cruel to such a “person” that looked like both a child and a pregnant woman while also resembling Wen Zhen!

A figure flashed above, with Gong Yin’s angry shout: “It’s already mature, why aren’t you acting!”

“Even if I could bring myself to act!” Jing Hengbo’s voice carried a crying tone as she furiously pulled at her hair.

Another figure flashed, and Gong Yin appeared beside her. Almost the moment he landed, countless swords and blades came crashing down behind him with clanging sounds and sparks flying, showing how fierce the attacks he’d faced were.

Gong Yin was also stunned for a moment upon seeing that thing, then stepped forward without hesitation. Jing Hengbo screamed: “Don’t—”

But it was too late.

Those snow-white hands with ice-crystal fingernails unhesitatingly pierced into that “person’s” skull, and with a forceful grip of five fingers, “crack.”

The sound was like a human skull shattering.

Jing Hengbo spun around abruptly, squeezing her eyes shut, unable to bear such a terrible sound.

She had killed people and seen countless corpses, but she couldn’t accept harming children or pregnant women, much less when that “child” or “pregnant woman” had a face resembling her friend.

On the treasure map of the secret palace, the position of Purple Orchid Vine showed a human figure, meaning Purple Orchid Vine didn’t grow this way naturally but survived using humans as hosts. This person had been nourished with blood, flesh, and meridians to feed this flower, causing changes throughout her bones and meridians.

Maybe she was already dead, maybe she was still alive. Jing Hengbo hazily felt she saw “her” chest skin rising and falling slightly, as if still breathing… She desperately shook her head, not daring to think further, and shouted: “Stop!”

Gong Yin completely ignored her, moving quickly. She heard clearly the sound of skin tearing.

She closed her eyes and lunged forward, grabbing his arm and shaking desperately: “Stop! Don’t do this! This is too cruel, I don’t want it anymore, I don’t want it! Let’s find other medicine instead, there must be substitutes!”

“Don’t be so soft-hearted.” Gong Yin’s voice was always calmer than hers, his hands not stopping: “This host is already dead!”

“Not dead!” She touched that body and felt its elasticity: “Dead people’s skin doesn’t have such elasticity! Gong Yin, stop, I don’t want it anymore. I can’t use something obtained this way with a clear conscience. I don’t want it, let’s find alternative medicine, okay? There must be substitutes!”

“The skin not dying is Purple Orchid Vine’s effect. Using hosts to cultivate medicinal plants is irreplaceable under heaven!” Gong Yin swept her aside. She staggered backward and heard a “splurt” – the sound of cutting open an abdomen. Accidentally opening her eyes, she saw a mass of purple vines being violently pulled out.

That pile of things trembled slightly in his hands, not looking like vines but like a tangle of human meridians congealed with blood and flesh. She turned her head and vomited with a “retch.”

Gong Yin turned to look at her, his cold gaze softening slightly. He walked over, reached out to gently stroke her shoulder, and said softly: “Don’t you…”

Jing Hengbo saw that human body had fallen to the ground, disemboweled and torn apart. She looked up at the sky – that face somewhat resembling Wen Zhen, chubby with smiling eyes, actually seemed to show a trace of bitter pain.

This trace of human expression was like the last straw on a camel’s back, making her collapse instantly.

She seemed to see Wen Zhen’s death, departing silently and permanently in some unknown corner.

She couldn’t bear any disregard and trampling of life.

“No wonder you’re lonely for life!” She wiped her lip corner, disgustedly avoiding that tangled, disgusting mass, and shouted: “I hate natural cold-bloodedness most!”

The hand on her shoulder froze.

Jing Hengbo also suddenly choked up.

In her fury, she’d spoken without thinking. Once the words were out, she knew they were hurtful.

Especially coming from her mouth, they were even more hurtful.

Having been together so long, through separations and reunions, tears and laughter, she loved him and had hated him too. But even when they’d broken at the palace gates and she’d stabbed him in the chest, she had never attacked his points of pain.

Loneliness and solitude were pains he couldn’t avoid.

He seemed to enjoy that ice-cold, remote nobility, but only she knew he longed for human warmth, longed for companionship, longed for that polar region in the depths of his heart to bloom with brilliant flowers.

She stiffened, watching his hand on her shoulder slowly withdraw, his ice-crystal fingernails now covered with another layer of frost.

She wanted to reach out and grasp that hand, to warm it. But that slow withdrawing gesture suddenly made her lose courage.

She irritably lowered her head, thrust both hands into her hair, rubbed vigorously several times, then stood up abruptly: “I’ll go divert those people.”

Without waiting for his response, she flashed away.

Because her mind was chaotic, this flash was actually aimless. She just wanted quiet time to think about how to explain her mental barrier just now. She vaguely felt she’d flashed upward and hit the mountain wall. Just before her head would be bloodied, a hand suddenly extended from the mountain wall, pulling her in like lightning.

She looked up in a daze and was suddenly stunned.