Her knees!

Her knees!

The bone-deep pain felt like an iron hook dragging through the gaps in her kneecaps, slicing downward in one vicious stroke, splitting her entire shinbone apart in an instant—and the pain didn’t stop there, but repeated over and over, as though that same iron hook kept dragging down, again and again, without end!

Atop the horse, Ziqing’s small frame was rigid with tension, drenched in sweat that had soaked through Jun Beiyue’s embrace. He asked nothing, and she said nothing—his handsome face stern and icy cold, her jaw clenched tight, her eyes shut firmly.

She had no idea how fast he was riding; she only knew the wind rushing past her face was sharp enough to cut her skin.

In her mind, scene after scene from her past life as a mercenary came rushing at her like the oncoming wind, relentless and unyielding.

At ten years old, trapped with thousands of beggar children her own age in a circular arena, forced into bare-handed combat for three days and three nights—she alone crawled out, covered in countless wounds, leaving behind a trail of blood stretching for miles.

At twelve, on the African savanna, surrounded by wild beasts and venomous creatures, she fought through massacre after massacre, emerging as one of the finest in the mercenary world.

At fifteen, months spent in a hail of gunfire in the jungle—she killed her own employer, formed her own mercenary company, and made a name that shook the entire military world.

Battle, bloodshed, struggle, brushes with death, the fight to survive—scene after scene surged over her in relentless waves.

This kind of pain was familiar, yet it had been so long since she’d felt it—it had been many years since she’d been wounded this badly.

Suddenly, the wind stopped abruptly, and the memories vanished in an instant.

Ziqing’s eyes snapped open. They had arrived at Prince Yao’s military camp. Just as she was regaining her senses, the arm Jun Beiyue had wrapped around her waist tightened abruptly, and he swept her up, leaping through the air and bursting into the camp!

“Someone, summon Physician Gu at once!”

His voice was cold—cold enough that it actually frightened her. She stared at him, stunned, his fury palpable, uncertain what to do. In the end, there was no hiding it from his eyes any longer. He had discovered the truth.

She was set down on the couch. He didn’t ask, didn’t even look—he simply grabbed hold of her trouser leg and was about to tear it open when she immediately reached out to stop him with her hand. Despite the sweat drenching her, despite her face drained of all color, despite the pain cutting to the very bone, piercing straight to her heart, she still managed to say flatly, “Your Highness, what are you doing?”

Jun Beiyue’s head snapped up, his deep eyes sharp as blades. Even as she tried to stop him, with a sharp hiss he ripped her trouser leg apart in one violent motion.

Such fair, shapely, elegant legs—but her knees! Her knees had turned completely bruised!

The bruising was so severe it was nearly black, a horrifying sight. Anyone with even a little experience would know at once that this kind of injury, though it drew no blood, was several times more serious than an open wound.

“What happened?” he finally spoke, his voice icy cold.

“I accidentally bumped into something the other day. It’s left me a bit weak,” she explained calmly, her manner docile and obedient.

To her surprise, his large hand immediately pressed down and squeezed hard!

Sweat poured down beneath her clothes like rain, the pain so intense her mind nearly went numb, and yet she only furrowed her brow slightly, letting out a soft, delicate whimper. “Your Highness, that hurts…”

He gave a cold snort inwardly—just how stubborn was this woman?

Did she really have to push things this far?

Even now, after everything, could she still keep up the act? Still refuse to be honest with him?

This was clearly an injury sustained from close-combat fighting, and moreover, from her signature move.

He remembered perfectly well—the last time, in the back courtyard of the Lin residence, this very woman had used her knee to strike him. Fortunately, he’d managed to block it in time.

Given her level of skill, for her to be injured this badly—who exactly had she fought this time?

“Who did this to you?” he asked coldly, his gaze boring straight into her eyes.

“This servant was careless, I bumped into the corner of a table, and combined with pushing too hard during the horse race just now, so…”

She remained calm as a mountain, still explaining, when Physician Gu arrived. Jun Beiyue cut her off immediately. “Examine her carefully and determine whether this was caused by intense combat!”

He deliberately emphasized the words “intense combat,” his gaze cold and unrelenting. She looked at him with feigned innocence and confusion. “Your Highness, I simply bumped into something—I truly didn’t think it was serious…”

He said nothing more, his eyes fixed on her, scrutinizing every detail. She kept her brow furrowed, the very picture of innocence.

Physician Gu’s heart pounded with anxiety—could his lord really be intending to strip away Her Highness’s disguise at such a critical moment? After all, the second contest was set to begin shortly!

He hurried forward to examine her. Ziqing kept her head lowered, a trace of impatience hidden beneath her composed, cold gaze.

She was genuinely grateful to this man for buying her some time to rest—but if he thought he could use this moment to force her into submission, he had another thing coming.

In front of Chu Feiyan, they were allies. Between themselves, they were, at most, husband and wife in name only.

Physician Gu gently tapped her knee, and the instant he touched it, Ziqing immediately cried out in pain—such dark, severe bruising should indeed hurt at the slightest touch.

But the real pain?

She endured it, concealing it without a trace.

She had endured far worse on horseback—this was nothing compared to that.

“Your Highness, please bear with it a moment,” Physician Gu murmured, gradually increasing the pressure. Ziqing gritted her teeth, her outward display worlds apart from what she truly felt—these knees ached even without being touched, let alone under such probing.

Physician Gu didn’t dare press too hard, turning instead to tap her calf. This should have provoked an even sharper cry, and yet, to his surprise, Ziqing actually relaxed slightly.

“Does this hurt?” Physician Gu asked again.

“No, this is much better—it’s just my knees that hurt,” Ziqing answered quietly.

Physician Gu glanced suspiciously at Jun Beiyue, then carefully lifted Ziqing’s calf, straightening it, and asked again, “And like this?”

Ziqing quickly clutched at both her knees, brow furrowing slightly. “It’s just my knees that hurt.”

Physician Gu bent her calf again and asked once more, “And this?”

“Still just my knees,” Ziqing said softly, cradling her knees, looking utterly pitiful.

Physician Gu was full of suspicion. Based on his experience, the injury to Her Highness’s knees genuinely appeared to be a bone injury. But if it truly were a bone injury, the pain caused by those movements just now would have been unbearable even for a great ox, let alone a woman.

Physician Gu, of course, knew Jun Beiyue wouldn’t simply take his word for it. He lifted Ziqing’s left leg and repeated the same movements—yet Ziqing’s reaction remained exactly the same, precisely as though it were nothing more than a surface bruise.

“Well?” Jun Beiyue asked.

“Your Highness, based on this, it does appear to genuinely be just a surface bruise,” Physician Gu reported.

“Is that so… Very well, you may go,” Jun Beiyue said flatly, his gaze never once leaving Ziqing throughout, watching her like a hunter studying his prey, an increasingly dangerous air radiating from him.

He had, without quite realizing it, grown more agitated than she was. When had Jun Beiyue ever shown such patience toward a woman before?

She still wanted to keep up the act, did she? Very well—he would play along until the autumn hunt was over.

He reined in his emotions and asked flatly, “Do you know how to shoot incense sticks?”

Ziqing shook her head. “I’ve heard of it, but never tried it. I confess I’m quite apprehensive.”

She truly didn’t know the technique, but ever since she’d first picked up a firearm on the battlefield, she’d never once missed a shot. As for archery, she had genuine confidence in her own skill!

As for why she’d fought so desperately to win the first round—it wasn’t just about a complete victory. She only intended to compete in two rounds; if the third round combined riding and archery together, her legs truly wouldn’t be able to bear it!

So for the second round, she absolutely had to win!

“Come here, this prince will teach you,” Jun Beiyao—no, wait, this should be Jun Beiyue—said coldly, turning and walking away without asking another word about her legs.

Since she wanted to keep up her act, then she would need the skill to carry it through to the very end, wouldn’t she?