“You cheated – this victory is dishonorable!” Hua Fuhai’s servant was red-faced with anger, his eyes betraying anxiety.

It seemed the Bone-Shedding Pill was as important to Hua Fuhai as it was to her.

“This is called ‘in warfare, deception is fair play,'” Zhenzhu retorted righteously. “Master Hua comes from great wealth – surely in his many dealings with others, he has never employed deception?”

“We… we…” Hua Fuhai’s servant was left speechless, for of course they had. “But…”

“Stand down,” Hua Fuhai softly rebuked, then gazed calmly at Shen Xihe. “I sincerely accept defeat. Since the Bone-Shedding Pill now belongs to Miss Shen, might I copy down its formula?”

“Please do as you wish, Master Hua.” Shen Xihe handed the manuscript to Hua Fuhai.

Right there in the elegant room, Hua Fuhai had his servant grind ink and copy down the Bone-Shedding Pill formula. He returned the manuscript to Shen Xihe, then took his leave from the white-haired elder.

Shen Xihe watched as the master and servant departed, then also bid farewell. The white-haired elder didn’t try to keep her. Shen Xihe left the manuscript with Zhenzhu – she had two months to study under the white-haired elder, and it remained to be seen how much she could absorb in that time.

Zhenzhu was reluctant to part with Shen Xihe, but she knew the Bone-Shedding Pill hadn’t been thoroughly tested and might not be entirely safe. Shen Xihe needed her to learn more medical knowledge.

After returning to the inn, Shen Xihe sent someone to invite Xie Yunhuai.

“Ink Jade, send word to my brother to have people inquire about hundred-year-old golden eagles,” Shen Xihe instructed Ink Jade, then added, “Tell my brother we only need information, no need to take risks.”

This Hua Fuhai was a capable person – it was worth cultivating a favor with him.

There were many golden eagles in the northwestern desert, but in Shen Xihe’s memory, she had heard that even the longest-lived only reached about eighty years.

“Yes, my lady.”

Shortly after Ink Jade withdrew, Xie Yunhuai arrived. Shen Xihe pushed the Bone-Shedding Pill toward him: “I entrust this to Doctor Qi.”

Even though their true identities were now known, Shen Xihe still called Xie Yunhuai “Doctor Qi,” because he had said he would no longer be a son of the Xie family.

Xie Yunhuai opened the medicine box, and a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out. He took just one look before closing the lid: “Princess, this item is extremely precious…”

“No matter how precious, it’s not worth more than my life,” Shen Xihe said with a faint smile. “The elder doesn’t know how to use it, I cannot linger here too long, and he won’t travel with me. Doctor Qi, there’s no need for alarm – you test the medicine for me, I give you the formula, and we’re even.”

After a pause, she continued: “However, I must trouble Doctor Qi to accompany me to the capital. If Doctor Qi is unwilling to enter the city, you may stay in the outskirts.”

“I am grateful for the Princess’s trust. I will do my utmost to help the Princess recover quickly.” Xie Yunhuai gave Shen Xihe a respectful salute.

Precious medicines, formulas, and ancient works were invaluable to a doctor. Xie Yunhuai agreed with Shen Xihe that he would stay outside the city once they reached the capital.

After speaking with Xie Yunhuai for a while, Ink Jade returned with the white-haired elder’s old servant, who wordlessly returned the immortal sash to Shen Xihe.

“Princess, how should we handle this item?” Ink Jade inquired.

This thing had been offered to the white-haired elder in exchange for the Bone-Shedding Pill, thinking he needed it, but it turned out he only wanted to see it.

In his younger years, the white-haired elder had been particularly obsessed with difficult and unusual illnesses. Whenever he heard of strange ailments or terminal conditions anywhere, he would travel thousands of miles to investigate. When encountering diseases he wanted to overcome, he would research them so intently that he forgot to eat and sleep.

Later, because he traveled great distances to treat others’ illnesses, his wife watched helplessly as her parents died from severe injuries before he could return to save them. His wife resented him, divorced him, and refused all contact for the rest of her life.

Afterward, his wife never remarried. No matter how he tried to make amends, he never managed to help her overcome that emotional barrier.

Later, when he tasted poison to save his wife’s nephew, his hair turned white overnight. Only then did his wife give him a painting – the very image of the immortal sash that he had shown to Shen Xihe and the others earlier.

She had told him that when he found this item, it would mean heaven was allowing her to forgive him, and she would renew their bond. But in those ten years, his wife passed away before he could find it.

He wanted to be buried with his wife and had never given up searching all these years. Now that he had finally found it, his heart’s desire was fulfilled.

He didn’t know what use this item had, and didn’t dare rashly place it in his and his wife’s tomb. It would be a shame to destroy it, and his wife had only wanted to know such a thing existed in the world. Having achieved that purpose, after careful consideration, he decided to return it to Shen Xihe.

He didn’t care who had originally owned the immortal sash, he only knew who had brought it to him, so he had it sent back to Shen Xihe.

Shen Xihe’s fingertips brushed the green band of the immortal sash. Though she was very fond of this item, she decided to return it to Hua Fuhai.

“Ask where Master Hua is staying, and return this to its rightful owner.”

Ink Jade then inquired about Hua Fuhai’s lodgings from the white-haired elder’s old servant and personally went to deliver it.

However, Shen Xihe hadn’t expected that Ink Jade would return not only with the immortal sash but also with one of Hua Fuhai’s servants.

This servant was very respectful: “Miss Shen, my master says this item fell from heaven into your hands – it must be fated to be yours, so he gives it to you as a gift. Please don’t refuse. This item has no other use to my master, and if Miss Shen feels uncomfortable accepting it as a gift, perhaps you could consider it advance thanks for paying attention to the medicinal ingredients for the Bone-Shedding Pill in the future.”

Advance thanks?

Shen Xihe smiled inwardly – he was preemptively blocking her path to asking him for favors.

She had the Bone-Shedding Pill formula and knew what Hua Fuhai lacked. With Hua Fuhai’s wealth, he surely had extensive connections. He feared that one day when she encountered difficulties and happened to learn news about medicinal ingredients he needed, she might seek him out to make a deal.

Now with the gift of the immortal sash preceding any such event, even if she obtained such information in the future, it wouldn’t be proper to ask for compensation.

It would even be unconscionable not to inform him if she learned of their whereabouts.

“Please convey my thanks to Master Hua.” Shen Xihe accepted it.

She had liked this item originally, and even if she hadn’t, Hua Fuhai’s attitude made it clear that if she returned it now, it would only make him secretly suspicious of her – what would be the point of that?

When Hua Fuhai’s servant returned to the manor with Shen Xihe’s message, Hua Fuhai was standing by the window, his fingers holding a black go-stone – the very one he had taken back from the white-haired elder. The smooth stone turned between his fingers.

“Master, why give this item to Princess Shaoning? It’s of no use to the Princess. Why not give it to the Old Madame? It’s a rare and exotic plant recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.” After delivering Shen Xihe’s message, the servant gathered his courage to ask.

He had noticed Shen Xihe’s attitude earlier – she had misunderstood his master’s intention in giving her the immortal sash.

“An item resembling a lover’s knot, given to grandmother?” Hua Fuhai’s mercury-bright eyes glanced at his subordinate. “What is the meaning of a lover’s knot?”

A lover’s knot…

It’s meaning: hearts united forever.

It was also a marriage token.

“Master, you…” The servant’s brow twitched.