The Nanjiang Miao people’s control and research of parasitic insects and bacteria remained an unsolvable mystery even in later generations. When Qing Xia had undergone training in the military, she had specifically taken courses on this subject. To deal with various venomous insects and poisonous creatures in tropical rainforests, they had even specially invited masters of venomous insects and bacteria from Nanjiang to give lectures. There were too many things in this world that humans could not explain. Qing Xia thought she had long since developed a heart as hard as iron, but she never expected that when directly facing this scene, her heart felt as if it were being torn apart. She covered her mouth tightly, yet still could not conceal the miserable scream that escaped from her lips.

Chu Li’s face was gray and white, as if he had instantly lost all his strength. With a thud, he knelt on the ground, his eyes vacant as he looked toward Qing Xia being held in Qin Zhiyan’s embrace.

“Chu Li!” Qing Xia shouted loudly, tears streaming down from the corners of her eyes.

“Let me go!” Qing Xia shrieked hoarsely, her voice miserable like a ghost’s wail. She punched and kicked, pushing away Qin Zhiyan’s restraint and stumbling desperately toward Chu Li.

Qin Zhiyan stood behind Qing Xia as large streams of fresh blood flowed from his arm. His face was deathly pale, not even inferior to Chu Li who had been poisoned by the parasitic insects, yet he stood so upright, his spine straight like a stubborn pine tree.

“Chu Li!” Qing Xia embraced Chu Li’s body that was about to collapse, nervously examining the wounds on his arms and shoulders, analyzing the toxicity of the venomous insects. “How are you? Are you alright?”

“Qing Xia,” Chu Li suddenly reached out and tightly gripped Qing Xia’s palm. His eyes held the tenacity and stubbornness of high mountains as he spoke word by word: “Come back to Shengdu with me!”

“How are you feeling? What sensations do you have? Is it numbness, or pain, or aching, itching? Where do you feel uncomfortable – your stomach or your heart?” Qing Xia seemed not to hear, only asking a series of anxious questions.

“Qing Xia!” As if using all his strength, he gripped Qing Xia’s hand tightly, his eyes blood red with enormous hope and despair: “Come with me, back to Shengdu!”

Qing Xia’s tears fell with a whoosh. Looking at Chu Li’s pale cheeks, blood-stained face, and disheveled hair, heart-piercing pain stabbed down into her heart. Finally, she couldn’t bear it and heavily nodded her head: “Alright, Chu Li, as long as you don’t die, I’ll go back to Shengdu with you.”

Chu Li smiled weakly and collapsed onto Qing Xia’s shoulder. In the last moment before losing consciousness, he looked distantly at the lightly-armored man standing behind Qing Xia. Originally such a magnificently talented figure, upon hearing Qing Xia’s final words, he seemed to suddenly age several decades.

The two armies had separated and taken their positions. Qing Xia held Chu Li, half-kneeling on the wilderness. Finally, she slowly turned her head back.

Qin Zhiyan still stood upright there, behind him masses of Qin soldiers with banners flying and iron armor cold as frost. Under the reflection of the flowing fire filling the sky, the iron armor flowed with colors and cold light flickered. Like a strange painting under the pitch-black night curtain, it carried thick killing intent and fierce intimidation.

“Is this your purpose?” Qing Xia suddenly asked in a deep voice, her gaze ice-cold. Her petite body leaned beside Chu Li as she looked firmly and coldly into Qin Zhiyan’s eyes. “Well, now you’ve achieved it. If you want to finish us off completely, I won’t let you have your way.”

“Impudent! How dare you speak to our lord this way!” A personal guard standing beside Qin Zhiyan who didn’t recognize Qing Xia suddenly shouted sternly.

Qing Xia’s eyebrows turned cold. With a swoosh, a snow-bright cold light immediately pierced above that person’s head. The sharp dagger penetrated the cold helmet but stopped steadily at the distance just before piercing the skull. The personal guard was terrified, his face instantly turning snow white like a dead person, no longer daring to say another word.

“Qin Zhiyan, Chu Li’s death would bring you no benefit. The Black Guards have already suffered heavy casualties. Your purpose of severely injuring Chu Li has been achieved – it’s time to stop. Fighting to mutual destruction benefits no one.”

Qin Zhiyan’s face was pale, instantly seeming to become that sickly youth from before again. He looked distantly at Qing Xia’s ice-cold face and cruel words, feeling bone-chilling coldness suddenly strike him. That woman who had tugged at his sleeves in the darkness, that woman covered in blood in the snake den crying out his name, that woman who had slept sweetly on his back, that woman standing in the bamboo grove in the Greenwood Great Hall with clothes like snow and a smile like flowers – had she really gone so far away like this?

“Yima’er, I’m sorry. This was not my intention.” Finally, he couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Qing Xia coldly turned her face away and said slowly: “Many times, many things are not our intention, but the results they cause cannot be changed. In my actions and conduct, I’ve always only looked at results, never asked about intentions. I’m going to take him away now. If you want to stop me, go right ahead.”

Placing Chu Li on the horse’s back, Qing Xia gracefully leaped onto the warhorse, let Chu Li’s head rest on her shoulder, and lowered her head, staring tightly at Qin Zhiyan’s pale face. Traces of desolate feeling rose from her heart, sorrowful sensations surging to her eyes. Chu Li had been severely injured by Qin Zhiyan for her sake – how could she turn a blind eye and deaf ear to it? Looking at that pale man standing on the wilderness with battle robes flying and sword-like eyebrows, his eyes were lonely and desolate like the setting sun of the world, revealing approaching death qi.

Qin Zhiyan, you are the sun in the sky, naturally meant to shine brilliantly and be dazzlingly fierce. Why bind your steps for someone like me, a passerby you met by chance?

She casually threw down a yellow pill, which fell onto the yellow sand with a whooshing wind sound.

The bright yellow bead flashed dazzling brilliance in the air. Through the crystal outer shell, one could still see inside a small, green insect that had already died.

This was the dust-avoiding bead taken out in the imperial tomb that night. After it was lost, it had never been found. The night before last, Qing Xia had risked great danger going to Xi Linyu and Xi Lin Yuqiao’s room to search, finally finding it beside Xi Linyu’s pillow. Now she casually threw it on the ground, turned her head, and led the remaining Black Guards away with a crack of her whip, roaring off.

Xi Linyu followed at the rear, looking thoughtfully at that yellow bead before spurring his horse to catch up.

Heavy footsteps sounded on the deathly silent wilderness. Qin Zhiyan slowly stepped forward, his heavy armor covered with yellow mud and bright red liquid. His face was pale, lips ice-cold. Finally, step by step, he walked to the yellow bead and reached out his equally pale hand to pick up the bead from the ground.

The small dust-avoiding bead was warm, not having been invaded by the cold wind in such cold weather, still retaining Qing Xia’s warm body temperature. A faint fragrance drifted up softly. Qin Zhiyan gripped that bead, gripping it fiercely. Suddenly, with a crack, the bead shattered into powder. Yellow flying ash scattered everywhere, and even the dead insect inside became a wisp of green smoke.

With a muffled “puff,” a mouthful of fresh blood instantly sprayed out. Qin Zhiyan staggered forward two steps and thunderously half-knelt on the vast wilderness.

“Your Highness!” All the Great Qin soldiers cried out in alarm, swarming forward.

Qin Zhiyan raised his hand to stop everyone from helping him up, only looking distantly at the group of iron-armored soldiers gradually disappearing in the distance.

The torrential rain continued falling, constantly washing away the bloody pollution and stench on the ground. Carrion eagles circled and cried in the sky, countless despairing death spirits danced through the air, scattering the enormous wailing sounds of death.

The cold wind continued blowing fiercely. Qin Zhiyan pressed his lips tight and slowly stood up, finally walking slowly to his warhorse’s side. He leaped up and rode off toward the north in Great Qin’s direction.

The war in the east was already approaching its end. The Nanjiang people and the elite soldiers of the Seven Great Families clashed together, engaging in brutal slaughter under the deliberate orchestration of these two leaders, Qin Zhiyan and Chu Li. From now on, the political powers of Great Qin and Nanchu would be reshuffled, and a new round of life-and-death power struggles was about to unfold.

At the horizon, clouds hung low in complete darkness.

“Prepare hot water, wound medicine, alum, licorice, ground beetles, frankincense, angelica, realgar, sweet melon seeds. Dry the ground beetles, soak the angelica in wine, two qian of each of the rest. Quickly summon all military physicians to the tent. Order the three armies to strictly guard the remaining troops of the Great Families – at the slightest movement, execute immediately without reporting. Also, send people to guard all four camp gates. Whether entering or leaving, stop everyone. Those who resist will be executed without mercy. Do you understand?” Le Song furrowed his brows and nodded: “Miss, rest assured.”

“Good, go then.” Qing Xia’s eyes were sharp. She turned her head and said to Xu Quan, who was covered in blood beside her: “Send people to guard the main command tent. Even if the sky falls, don’t let any unrelated person enter.”

Xu Quan naturally understood the gravity of the situation and nodded, answering in a deep voice: “Yes!”

Qing Xia calmed her breathing, not yet having time to change out of her blood-stained clothes, and turned to walk back into the large tent. Xi Linyu stood beside Xu Quan and the others, his clothes torn and bloody, with a long wound on his left arm that was bleeding profusely, hideous and terrifying. However, he paid no attention to his own injuries. Listening to Qing Xia’s series of commands, he was somewhat lost in thought. Seeing Qing Xia turn to go back to the tent, he quickly called out: “Miss, let me go in.”

Qing Xia raised an eyebrow and slowly turned back, looking up and down at this man who was the only survivor among the Seven Great Families today, her expression full of cautious care and deep probing.

“Let me go in. I’m skilled in medicine – perhaps I can help.” Xi Linyu quickly said.

Qing Xia tilted her head slightly, only then remembering that the Xi Lin family of Heng City were a medical family, and the famous physician of Nanchu was most renowned for Xi Lin Yu, the family head of the Xi Lin clan. Thinking of this, she glanced faintly at Xu Quan beside her, raising her eyebrows inquiringly. She didn’t understand the situation here very well and could only ask Xu Quan. Seeing Xu Quan nod almost imperceptibly, Qing Xia stepped aside slightly and said lightly: “Come in then.”