Qin Zhiyan’s gaze focused intently, as if a mirror lake had frozen over, revealing not the slightest ripple.

Qing Xia gazed steadily at him, slowly extending her hand to caress his handsome face, saying softly: “You’re afraid I’ll leave with Chu Li, aren’t you?”

Qin Zhiyan looked into Qing Xia’s eyes, so gentle and peaceful, even carrying a trace of childlike compassion. Finally, he faintly lifted the corners of his mouth, nodded slightly, and said: “Yes, I’m afraid. Afraid he’ll steal you away. Afraid you’ll leave with him just like that time in the desert lands. I can’t stop you, can’t force you, can’t use force to keep you here, so I can only hope to have more bargaining chips, more things to make you linger, more memories to make you feel are worth cherishing. Yima’er, I shouldn’t use scheming on you, but I still did.”

Qing Xia stared at Qin Zhiyan’s peerlessly handsome features, suddenly feeling that soft inch in her heart being gently touched.

Qin Zhiyan, transcendent and ethereal as you are, do you also have things you fear? Although she had already anticipated everything, hearing him personally admit all this still made Qing Xia’s heart tighten with a sour ache. She smiled faintly while caressing Qin Zhiyan’s face, stroking his handsome brows, straight nose, and thin lips, finally laughing softly: “Fool.”

“Yima’er,” Qin Zhiyan embraced Qing Xia’s shoulders, saying in a low voice: “From when I was very young, I told myself I must never develop attachment to anything. If something can’t be forced, the one who gets hurt is always oneself. But this time, I really hope I can keep you, no matter what method I use, I want to try my hardest.”

Qing Xia buried her head in Qin Zhiyan’s embrace, her voice muffled as she said: “Qin Zhiyan, don’t be so good to me.”

“No, Yima’er, I’m not good enough.” Qin Zhiyan smiled faintly, his smile carrying indescribable bitterness. His brows and eyes seemed shrouded in layers of light gauze like distant mountains, making them impossible to see clearly.

“I’m a selfish person. I’m gravely ill, originally someone with no future. Back then outside the imperial mausoleum, I could use this reason to let you travel far, but now, I selfishly want to keep you. Yima’er, just let me take good care of you for the rest of my life, until the day I can no longer watch over you, alright?”

“Nonsense!” Qing Xia’s brows suddenly furrowed tightly. She bit her lower lip, extending her slender arms to tightly embrace Qin Zhiyan’s waist: “Nothing will happen to you, and I won’t allow anything to happen to you.”

“Mm.” Qin Zhiyan’s smile emanated from his chest. Qing Xia’s small head pressed against his body, holding him tightly.

She could no longer allow anyone around her to leave, never again. Qin Zhiyan, you’re like an immortal who walked out of a landscape painting. I can’t see you clearly, can’t discern you clearly. I know nothing about you, not even as much as I understand about Chu Li. But why does intuition make me choose to trust you? I’m willing to believe every word you say, willing to believe everything you do. For all the causes and consequences of everything, I don’t want to rack my brains thinking, considering, and speculating anymore. Qin Zhiyan, I don’t know what result this reckless trust will bring. I only know that after trudging for so long, being cautious and careful step by step in this strange and turbulent environment until today, finally, I’m tired.

In this flashy and tumultuous mortal world, only your embrace has ever given me warmth. Just let me recklessly abandon reason and trust you once. From now on, I won’t fear darkness, won’t fear bloodshed, won’t fear war, human hearts, conspiracies, or calculations. As long as you’re by my side, I won’t fear anything.

“Qin Zhiyan, I’ll stay with you.” Deep breathing sounded in her ear. The woman’s gaze was like a gentle river. She softly kissed Qin Zhiyan’s lips, smiling as she said: “I’ll stay with you.”

The sun hadn’t risen, the earth was still immersed in complete darkness. Qing Xia leaned in Qin Zhiyan’s embrace, yet felt the warmth of sunlight caressing her face.

The next day before breaking camp, Qing Xia went to Elder Cangxu’s room to get medicine. Just as she was about to reach out and lift the curtain, she heard a rustling sound, and a woman dressed entirely in gray fur robes walked out, nearly colliding with Qing Xia. Seeing Qing Xia, she seemed slightly stunned, stopped in her tracks, furrowed her brows, and said sternly: “Who are you? How can there be women in the Yan Battalion?”

Sharp hostility immediately pressed forward. Qing Xia’s eyebrows rose slightly, the smile that had been on her face gradually faded, and she said in a cool tone: “Aren’t you a woman? Move aside!”

The gray-clothed woman had a snow-white complexion, sunken eye sockets, and very deep features. She didn’t look Han Chinese, but rather like a barbarian woman. Hearing Qing Xia’s words, she stood motionless in place, coldly staring at her, her eyes full of hostility.

Qing Xia sneered inwardly, suddenly reached out her hand, and pushed forcefully on the woman’s shoulder. The gray-clothed woman grunted, her body swaying to the side, her hand forming a claw as she fiercely grabbed toward Qing Xia’s wrist.

This grab came with whooshing wind sounds, clearly showing its tremendous force. If caught, Qing Xia’s hand would be crippled if not broken. Seeing her attack so viciously, Qing Xia’s heart immediately flared with anger. Her eyes flashed sharply, and she executed a reverse splitting grappling move, using both hands like scissors to grab the opponent’s wrist.

The woman was unexpectedly restrained, immediately startled. She heard Qing Xia sneer coldly, then turn her body and use force to drag her entire body from the ground. With a semi-circular swing and borrowing force, she threw her aside with a bang.

The gray-clothed woman’s form twisted, barely managing to stand steady without falling embarrassingly to the ground. When she turned to look at Qing Xia again, she had shed her previous contempt and condescension, becoming wary and respectful.

Qing Xia glanced at her coldly, then turned and walked into Elder Cangxu’s tent, leaving her alone standing in the cold wind outside.

Elder Cangxu chuckled as he handed Qing Xia a box of pills, saying: “These are Fragrant Snow Pills made from twin lotus flowers. This old man obtained the prescription years ago from a wandering disciple of the Shangqiu sect. They have miraculous effects on His Highness’s illness. It’s just that twin lotus flowers have always been rare and precious, and my stores weren’t sufficient. Now this is good.”

A light medicinal fragrance immediately wafted over. Qing Xia accepted the box, frowning as she said: “Elder, what illness does His Highness have? Can you tell me?”

“What specific illness it is, this old man can’t say clearly.” Elder Cangxu shook his head, habitually rubbing his hands as he said: “Back then, the head of the Xi Linyu family, Xi Linyu, and Southern Border witch doctors all concluded it was poison from Southern Border insect venom, but after so many years of treatment, even the most toxic thousand scorpion venom should have been cleared. In my opinion, it might also be the white witchcraft used by the white barbarians under the northern frozen abyss.”

“White witchcraft?” Qing Xia frowned slightly. What was white witchcraft? From her knowledge, even Southern Border head-lowering insect venom was merely a sophisticated use of bacteria, not any supernatural force. Even if strange and sinister, there were always methods to break it. As long as medicine was appropriate and relying on modern chemical knowledge, it wasn’t necessarily incurable. But if supernatural forces were involved, things would become somewhat troublesome. Although Qing Xia was an atheist, she was well-traveled and experienced, knowing some things couldn’t be dismissed by scientific theory. She asked sternly: “What is white witchcraft?”

“Legend has it that beneath the northern frozen continent, there’s a frozen abyss where white barbarians with pale skin and blue eyes live. They’re skilled in witchcraft, identical to the Southern Border, but instead of focusing on fire poison and venomous insects, they primarily use ice poison. They’re cruel by nature, and those afflicted must die. Even if there are lucky escapees, they suffer lifelong torment from ice poison, fearing cold, with extremely short lifespans.”

Qing Xia frowned, asking sternly: “Nothing more detailed?”

Elder Cangxu said: “No, the white barbarians are inherently mysterious, rarely setting foot in the Central Plains. This information was told to me by that Shangqiu disciple I once met.”

“Then do you have no method for a complete cure, Elder?”

Elder Cangxu smiled bitterly: “I’m merely a military medic, not His Highness’s personal physician. Before His Highness personally went to White Deer Plains this time, five witch doctors kept in the prince’s mansion all diagnosed him together, guaranteeing one month without attacks. Otherwise, with my abilities, how would I be qualified to treat His Highness? However, in my view, even if Southern Border witch doctors have superior medical skills, they’re powerless against this white witchcraft. If you want a complete cure, you can only seek descendants of the Shangqiu lineage. If you could find the current head of the Shangqiu lineage, there might be a glimmer of hope.”

Qing Xia nodded and thanked him. Suddenly, she glimpsed a green wooden box at the corner of the table, exactly the box he had used to present the twin lotus flowers to her. Puzzled, she opened it to find two pristine white twin lotus flowers lying inside, looking crystal clear like ice and snow, much larger than the one she had found.

“Elder, where did these twin lotus flowers come from?”

“Miss Mulian sent them. She went north for over a month specifically to find herbs for His Highness.”

Qing Xia raised her eyebrows, asking sternly: “Miss Mulian?”

“Yes, she just left. Didn’t you see her?”

“Oh.” Qing Xia nodded, greeted Elder Cangxu, and walked out.

She saw the Yan Battalion methodically packing supplies, preparing to break camp. Qing Xia walked toward her own tent, lifted the curtain to see Li Xian organizing her luggage, and smiled as she went forward to greet him.

“Li Xian, do you know a woman called Mulian?”

Li Xian was startled, saying: “How did Sister Qing hear about her?”

Qing Xia said: “You know her?”

“Who wouldn’t know her?” Li Xian sat on the felt mat, responding: “She’s a famous traitor among the Xiongnu people. She was once the daughter of the previous Mulian tribal chief. After the chief died, she was sent by her brother to our Qin state as a spy, working as a songstress in the Yingge Pavilion, stealing many of Qin’s classified documents from high officials in power, causing several border cities to be breached, leaving border families destroyed and casualties severe. Later she was discovered too, and to survive, she betrayed the Second Prince, leading the Northern Xiongnu army into a Qin ambush. The Northern Xiongnu suffered devastating losses in that battle and haven’t recovered for years. Also because of her, the Xiongnu people expelled the Mulian people from their tribes. Having no choice, the Mulian people hid in the northern lands, forming their own faction.”