The forest was tranquil and secluded.

The air was filled with the warm, fishy smell of fresh blood. On the wild grass beside the flying spring, the splashing dewdrops had turned crimson red.

Lu Tong desperately pressed against the sharp muzzle lunging toward her. The gray hound was as vicious as a hunting leopard or jackal, howling as it knocked her rolling to the ground.

Her throat felt sweet, and her whole body seemed about to be shattered.

The vicious dog excitedly pounced at her again, this time aiming for her neck. Lu Tong instinctively blocked with her arm, and the dog’s mouth bit down on her arm. Its sharp canine teeth penetrated her skin, easily tearing a bloody gash.

Lu Tong’s face instantly turned pale.

“Qinhu, well done!” On the other side, Qi Yutai dismounted from his horse and watched from afar as the dog and person rolled on the grass, his eyes red with excitement.

In the past, Grand Tutor Qi Qing loved raising and fighting birds, placing two birds in a large birdcage to make them fight each other, calling it “rolling cage combat,” continuing until one bird’s feathers fell out and its head was bloodied to death.

Qi Yutai had watched bird fighting several times before, but at this moment, he felt that the combat before his eyes was far more thrilling than any bird or beast fighting.

The female medical officer was truly weak, being tormented at will under Qinhu’s claws like a white rabbit.

Yes, a white rabbit!

Like the white rabbit that Qinhu had bitten to death when they first went up the mountain—beautiful, delicate, gentle, and obedient.

Beautiful women, without powerful backing to support them, were like wild rabbits in these forests, ready to have their throats bitten off by the strong at any moment. Speaking of which, this woman was beautiful in appearance. Similarly beautiful, his sister as the legitimate daughter of the Grand Tutor was precious as gold and jade, like a jade branch or celestial pearl, so noble that common people dared not even look at her. But Lu Tong was just a lowly servant. The same beauty on her was disaster, sin, and burden.

Such a fine beauty—who told her to upset his sister? She could only turn into a pool of rotting flesh in the beast’s mouth.

Thinking of that scene, Qi Yutai sighed. What a pity.

The hunting dog let out excited barks. Under the trees, Lu Tong covered her head and face, curled up and rolling on the ground.

The hunting dog was relentless, charging up again to bite and tear. She heard Qi Yutai’s voice coming from not far away: “Bite her tight, don’t let go!”

The hunting dog, having received its master’s command, became even more excited. It bit Lu Tong’s leg and refused to let go. It must have been specially trained by Qi Yutai to see her as prey. Lu Tong suddenly remembered what Lin Danqing had told her at the foot of the mountain about this mad dog once biting a farm family’s little daughter, saying the mad dog had eaten half the girl’s face. Now, struggling here, she understood that little girl’s pain—in this vicious dog’s mouth, she was like tender flesh and bone, left to be torn and bitten at will.

She desperately fended off the sharp fangs before her, her gaze falling on the medical kit that had fallen beside her during the struggle.

There was poison powder in the medical kit, and needles…

She gritted her teeth and forcefully kicked away the hunting dog pouncing on her, struggling to stand up and stumbling toward the medical kit.

Her hand had just touched the medical kit and hadn’t had time to open it when the hunting dog leaped from behind and bit down on her shoulder. Lu Tong let out a muffled groan and her hand loosened—

The medical kit fell with a sound, rolling and tumbling down the slope over the cliff edge.

“Thud—”

It disappeared without a trace.

…

The grass path was deep and secluded, with the soft rustling sounds of horse hooves stepping on fallen leaves.

In the quiet mountain corridors, the Dragon Martial Guards’ cavalry was heading down the mountain.

Without the thrilling excitement of the upward hunt, the returning procession seemed much calmer.

Duan Xiaoyan rode on his horse and turned to ask the young man on the horse beside him: “Brother, are you really not going to treat your wound first? Why don’t we see if there are any medical officers going up the mountain who could take a look…”

“No need.” Pei Yunying interrupted him.

The feathered arrow had hit his left shoulder. The arrow had been pulled out, and on the mountain they had found some clean water to wash the wound and sprinkled some golden wound powder on it. It seemed fine on the surface. But Duan Xiaoyan still felt uneasy.

Crown Prince Yuan Zhen was eager to get down the mountain and didn’t want to delay even a moment on the mountain, so naturally the Dragon Martial Guards had no reason to linger.

“Alright, it’ll be the same to have a medical officer look at it when we get down to the camp,” Duan Xiaoyan suddenly remembered something. “Have Medical Officer Lu take a look! I saw her at the hunting ground camp entrance this morning, but I was with the guards then and couldn’t go over to greet her.”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhufeng looked surprised: “She came too?”

There weren’t many spots for medical officers accompanying the hunt, and most were veteran medical officers. The young medical officers were mostly from good family backgrounds—such good opportunities were unlikely to be given to commoners.

Pei Yunying glanced at both of them: “Since you care so much, why don’t I treat you to a meal together when we get down the mountain?”

“Great!”

Duan Xiaoyan didn’t catch the sarcasm and happily clapped his hands: “Then I’ll go back and change clothes first, but Medical Officer Lu is afraid of Zhizi, so we can’t bring Zhizi along…”

Speaking of this, Duan Xiaoyan looked up at the empty grass field ahead: “Hey, where did Zhizi run off to again?”

Zhizi had been extremely excited on this mountain trip, but having lived well-fed and comfortable in the Palace Guard Command for too long, he had no interest in hunting. He had been running around wildly for most of the day, chasing butterflies and smelling wildflowers, not catching even a single mouse. This made Duan Xiaoyan rack his brains for excuses to protect him: “Zhizi is getting old, and he’s had children. Having children ages you—it’s very common!”

This made Xiao Zhufeng sneer coldly in response: “Doting mothers often raise spoiled children.”

Just as they were talking, they saw a black dog suddenly appear from behind the forest in the distance, nimbly running toward the three of them who had fallen behind the cavalcade, carrying something in its mouth.

Duan Xiaoyan was delighted and quickly sat up straight: “Zhizi’s back! What did he hunt? It looks pretty big! Good Zhizi, let me see quickly—is this a badger or rabbit? It looks like a white fox!”

The black dog swift as wind bounded to the three men in a few leaps, rushing to the horses’ hooves and frantically wagging its tail to show off.

The three men were stunned.

What was in its mouth wasn’t any white fox—it was clearly a white medical kit!

Duan Xiaoyan blinked: “Zhizi, whose medical officer’s kit did you steal?”

The black dog continued excitedly wagging its tail. Pei Yunying looked at the box held in the dog’s mouth.

The medical kit was an ordinary one, much the same as those used by old doctors in market medical shops and medical officers from the Medical Bureau, showing no particular difference. However, there was a circle of hibiscus flowers embroidered on the strap, with fine and delicate stitching that added a touch of grace to the old medical kit.

Pei Yunying’s expression changed slightly.

The medical kit looked somewhat familiar.

Lu Tong would go to the Palace Guard Command every few days to treat the guards. Even though it was nominally just a duty assignment, she performed it very carefully. That medical kit was different from ordinary ones—the strap was embroidered with hibiscus flowers all over. He’d heard it was because the original strap had worn thin and might break midway, so Yin Zheng had reinforced it for Lu Tong.

He remembered very clearly that the hibiscus flowers on the strap were white, but now the hibiscus flowers before his eyes had turned a pale red, as if stained with blood.

He suddenly reined in his horse, dismounted, and walked up to Zhizi. Seeing his master approach, Zhizi wagged his tail frantically and obediently loosened his grip—

“Smack”—the medical kit hit the ground.

The medical kit had probably been dropped once before. The box was covered with bumps and scratches all over, and after being chewed by Zhizi all the way, with this final drop, the medical kit’s lid finally couldn’t withstand the abuse and cracked open in the middle. A whole box of bottles and jars scattered all over the ground.

A silver ring rolled “clink clink” to the edge of his boot.

Pei Yunying stopped in his tracks, his gaze involuntarily falling on that ring.

It was a very ordinary silver ring.

The color was blackened, the craftsmanship crude—placed in any jewelry shop, no one would give it a second glance.

But it was also so different, as if it had magic power, making it difficult for him to look away.

The young man stared fixedly at that silver ring, then suddenly bent down and picked it up from the ground.

The silver ring rotated slightly at his fingertips, revealing the inner surface of the ring face. As he rubbed it, shallow indentations passed by, seemingly forming the character “一” (one).

Pei Yunying’s hand trembled, and the silver ring at his fingertips nearly fell.

In an instant, many scattered images flashed through his mind.

Snowy night, bitter cold, temple lamp flames.

Execution ground, winter snow, a bonfire made of broken wood gathered under the offering table.

The girl wearing a face covering, holding that shabby medical kit, nervously and clumsily stitching up his wound.

That wound was rough and simple, like their first hurried and careless meeting, yet it stubbornly, persistently remained on his body for many years.

He seemed to hear her slightly disdainful voice in his ears.

“The General Commander’s favor isn’t worth much—it’s not as solid as silver.”

All the scattered fragments suddenly became complete at this moment, gradually piecing together into a clear picture.

Xiao Zhufeng walked up from behind and saw him staring blankly at the silver ring in his hand, wondering: “This ring is…”

Pei Yunying suddenly gripped the silver ring tightly and asked the black dog in front of him: “Where is she?”

Zhizi barked happily once, then leaped far away with a “whoosh,” running toward a certain direction in the forest.

The young man mounted his horse and turned the horse’s head around.

Xiao Zhufeng blocked his path: “Where are you going? The Third Prince hasn’t come down the mountain yet…”

Pei Yunying flicked the reins, and the horse galloped away, leaving only his flying robe corners creating cloud-like shadows in the forest.

“You protect him. I have urgent business.”

…

“Good! Qinhu, bite well—”

On the grass in the forest, dog and person rolled together in a tangle. The hunting dog’s vicious roars easily enveloped the woman’s weak screams, drowning them in the sound of the nearby waterfall’s splashing.

A trace of regret flashed in Qi Yutai’s eyes.

Too weak.

The reason bird fighting was exciting was because the “rolling cage combat” birds were evenly matched, going back and forth, creating a beauty of bloody combat.

But if the strength was too disparate, becoming one-sided slaughter, the interest would be greatly diminished.

The current situation between Lu Tong and Qinhu was exactly like this.

This woman had tried to resist earlier, struggling desperately to kick, bite, and escape when she had the chance. However, this place was a “fighting arena” that he had specifically had his guards find—spacious and quiet, with wild grass everywhere and not even a sharp stone. After running a few steps, she would be caught from behind by the hunting dog and knocked down to be bitten, repeating this cycle countless times.

Her persistent resistance surprised Qi Yutai, mixed with a few traces of inexplicable delight.

Although it was a contest with a predetermined outcome, a fierce, evenly matched battle was far more exciting than a boring, predictable one-sided fight.

But as time gradually passed, the prey’s struggles slowly weakened. The blood stains from rolling on the grass became more and more numerous. This battle was nearing its end, approaching the final stage of the hunt—

Biting through the prey’s throat.

He shook his head and decisively gestured to the distance: “Kill her—”

The hunting dog roared excitedly and charged forward again, viciously pouncing toward her neck!

Lu Tong was completely knocked flat on her back, feeling as if a thousand pounds were pressing on her. The beast’s fangs were very close to her head and face. Her arm was stuffed into the hunting dog’s sharp mouth, forcibly preventing it from moving forward.

The hunting dog also sensed that the person before it was gradually weakening. Unwilling to let go, it howled and bit down with force. She was drenched in cold sweat, using all her strength to desperately resist, unable even to make a groaning sound. After struggling with the hunting dog for so long, it had torn bloody wounds all over her body, and the smell of blood made the wild beast even more excited.

Lu Tong felt her strength rapidly draining away, and her body was gradually growing cold.

As a doctor, she knew very clearly that continuing like this was a sign of approaching death.

Strangely, even at this point, she still didn’t feel much pain, only felt disheartened, with a deep fatigue rising from the bottom of her heart.

So tired.

Really too tired.

She really wanted to have a good sleep.

In those past years, when she was at Luomei Peak, she had also had times of exhaustion—when searching for corpses in the mass grave, when testing new poisons for Yunniang, when Wu Yun died in the storm…

Each time she thought she couldn’t make it through, yet she would miraculously wake up in the end.

But this time was different.

Her eyes were covered with something warm—blood from the wound on her forehead had dripped into her eyes. That bright red color was exactly like the plum blossoms covering the mountains and valleys of Luomei Peak. She seemed to see Yunniang’s shadow, sitting under a tree with a medicine bowl, smiling at her.

“Little Seventeen,” she said, “come here.”

Lu Tong closed her eyes.

Legend said that before death, people would have a final burst of clarity and would see the people they most wanted to see in life.

She had seen many dying people like this, calling out to deceased family members to come guide them, dying with no regrets and a smile.

But if she was about to die, why couldn’t she see anything?

Why wouldn’t they let her see her parents and siblings? Why leave her still so alone?

Did they also blame her, blame her for not returning home sooner? If she had returned home earlier, perhaps the Lu family could have escaped this disaster?

Or perhaps they saw that her hands were stained with blood, that she was cold-hearted and unfeeling, and didn’t want to acknowledge her, so even at the end, they were unwilling to look at her?

The hunting dog’s sharp fangs were deeply embedded in her arm. Tears moistened the corners of Lu Tong’s eyes.

In her mind arose the second day after Scholar Wu’s incident, when the scholars on West Street spontaneously burned paper money at street corners to appease the wandering spirits. Blind He walked through the long street with a bamboo staff, scattering yellow paper while singing: “Ten thousand injustices fill the world… Seeking a long ladder to question Heaven… Don’t blame Heaven for lacking justice… Life after life, it’s all predestined karma…”

Ten thousand injustices fill the world, seeking a long ladder to question Heaven…

Yes, if there really was a long ladder in the world, she too would want to climb up and question Heaven.

Why were there always so many injustices? Why always so much unfairness?

Why them specifically? Why the Lu family specifically!

When young and studying, books always said: “Though the cruel may be wealthy and noble in this life, they will inevitably fall; though the kind may suffer temporary humiliation, they are destined for prominence.”

She had also read: “Families that accumulate good deeds will surely have abundant blessings; families that don’t accumulate good deeds will surely have abundant disasters.”

In the end, it was all false.

The cruel remained wealthy and noble, and unkind families had no disasters either.

And she was about to die.

Lu Tong looked up and caught a glimpse of golden sunlight through the gaps in the trees. That bit of sunlight looked warm but very distant. When it fell on a person, it also carried a layer of icy coldness.

Her strength was gradually draining away. The surroundings seemed to suddenly become especially quiet. Qi Yutai’s conversation with his guards carried on the wind to her ears.

“It’s a bit of a waste to just kill her like this, but who told her to upset my sister?”

“As her brother, I naturally have to stand up for my sister.”

Stand up for his sister?

Lu Tong, lying in the forest, was bewildered for a moment, then suddenly understood.

So it was this.

So it was for this reason.

No wonder Qi Yutai would suddenly move against her. Even though she had been planning carefully for so long and hadn’t yet found the best opportunity to act, he had already taken her life first. With his status, it would be effortless for him to move against her, and this motive was to stand up for Qi Huaying.

Even someone as inhuman as Qi Yutai would genuinely care for his sister and regard her as his only weakness.

How laughable, how tragic.

When a sister suffered grievances, the brother should naturally stand up for her.

Lu Tong thought in confusion that if Lu Qian were still alive and knew she was being bullied like this by others, he would also stand up for her.

She was also Lu Qian’s weakness.

Only those with beloved ones would have weaknesses, but she no longer had any beloved ones.

She had no weakness!

Fierce light suddenly burst from her eyes. Not knowing where the strength came from, Lu Tong suddenly shoved her arm deeper into the dog’s mouth in front of her, almost stuffing her entire arm in. The hunting dog was momentarily stunned by being stuffed so full, and she rolled over, sat up, and pounced on the gray dog in front of her, biting down on the gray dog’s throat!

That bit of weak strength was completely unable to bite through the opponent’s throat, but it could make the beast feel pain too. The gray dog frantically tried to shake off her teeth, but Lu Tong clung to the dog like she had grown onto its body, holding tight and not letting go. Her other hand fumbled to the hairpin on her head.

That hairpin—she had sharpened the flower needle of that hairpin to be sharp and fine. Countless nights, she had contemplated possible situations that might arise, gripping the hibiscus flower branch and swinging at enemies in her mind, just like now, aiming at the dog’s head and stabbing down fiercely—

“Pfft—”

There seemed to be an extremely soft sound from all directions.

The hunting dog cried out in agony and desperately tried to shake her off.

But she only held tightly to the dog, like grasping her own ethereal, lowly fate that didn’t know where it was drifting, refusing to let go no matter what. Like dragging corpses in the mass grave at Luomei Peak, the tiny hairpin tip, though sharpened, still felt laborious when striking the wild beast’s body. Like using an insufficiently sharp knife to cut the cold hearts and livers of corpses, chopping up flesh and bone—the sensation was so familiar, each stab splashing blood, yet that blood was warm, feeling no trace of pain.

In extreme madness, she found a kind of pleasure, like a drowning person in a mud pit grasping the only piece of driftwood nearby, yet not wanting to use this driftwood to swim to shore, only wanting to drag it down to sink together.

“Pfft—”

“Pfft—”

“Pfft—”

Neck vessels, Heaven’s Gate, lung points, heart points, navel center, hundred meetings…

She rode on the vicious dog, stabbing down madly again and again, hot blood splattering all over her face.

The hunting dog and person tore at each other, impossible to distinguish whether it was the dog or the person crying out, until blood dyed the wild grass red all over, and neither human nor dog moved anymore.

A long wind blew through the forest vegetation, diluting the bloody smell somewhat.

Qi Yutai stepped forward two paces, staring dumbfounded at the carnage before him. On the grass, the gray dog lay on its side, its fur covered in blood, not moving at all. Qi Yutai felt something was wrong and tentatively called out: “Qinhu?”

Lu Tong suddenly raised her head.

Qi Yutai immediately froze, not daring to move.

The woman was covered in blood, her light blue medical officer’s robe stained with blood beyond recognition. Under her disheveled hair, a pair of eyes glowed red and fierce, flashing with savage light.

At this moment, she looked more like a mad dog than the beast on the ground with its rows of fangs and robust, agile body.

A wounded, terrifying, cornered…

Mad dog.