Mo Sigui swiftly applied acupuncture to Little Moon, calming its emotions, before returning to his quarters to gather his medicine box.

“An Jiu!” Mo Sigui urgently knocked on the door, medical kit on his back.

The door creaked open, revealing An Jiu’s serene face. “What’s happened?”

Mo Sigui handed her a medicine bottle. “This is for my cousin. Have her take it for now to ease her symptoms. I’ll remove the gu when I return.”

Typically lazy except when treating patients or preparing medicines, Mo Sigui’s anxiety was unusual. An Jiu instinctively asked, “Has something happened to Lou Mingyue?”

Mo Sigui paused, his mind suddenly clearing, though his expression remained troubled. “Yes.”

“Then go,” An Jiu pocketed the bottle. “I’ll deliver it to Mei Jiu.”

Mo Sigui patted her shoulder, wanting to say more but feeling words were unnecessary. He turned and hurried away with Little Moon.

“Mo Sigui,” An Jiu called after him, “Wei Yuzhi might be nearby. Be careful.”

“Understood,” Mo Sigui replied without looking back, disappearing into the mist.

An Jiu stood at the door for a moment, sensing Mei Yanran’s presence nearby. After a pause, she decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed.

“I’ll deliver the medicine to her,” Mei Yanran emerged from behind a rockery.

Responsible for everyone’s meals on the island, she rose early and overheard Mo Sigui and An Jiu’s conversation about Mei Jiu, unable to resist lingering.

“Aren’t you unable to leave?” Mei Yanran probed, unsure of An Jiu’s intentions.

An Jiu had never been one to shy away from danger. She had some understanding of Wei Yuzhi’s current situation in Liao. His available resources were likely limited; if they did encounter him, she might not be helpless.

However, since Mei Yanran volunteered, An Jiu saw no reason to prevent her. She tossed the medicine bottle to Mei Yanran.

“Thank you,” Mei Yanran caught it, her eyes gleaming with a smile.

After a few breaths, An Jiu replied, “You’re welcome.”

Having spent time together, Mei Yanran had gained some insight into An Jiu’s character. Though unaware of An Jiu’s past, Mei Yanran saw her as a pitiful child, and her initial resistance had gradually softened. Mei Jiu’s current situation was ultimately due to her failings as a mother, with little connection to An Jiu.

The two women regarded each other, both wishing to converse further. Yet they stood in silence, separated by mere yards that felt like an insurmountable chasm. The cold wind rustled, creating an awkward atmosphere.

“I should start preparing the meals,” Mei Yanran broke the silence. Though generally adept at socializing, she struggled to find a conversational entry point with An Jiu. She reluctantly abandoned the attempt at communication for now.

An Jiu nodded, watching her leave.

Mo Sigui left Meihua Island, riding his tiger northward with the wind whistling past his ears. His brows furrowed as his thoughts scattered like leaves in the breeze, shifting between images of the lively, cheerful Qiu Ningyu and the cold, frost-like Lou Mingyue. The two figures gradually merged into one.

Deep down, Mo Sigui knew that Lou Mingyue’s location was likely far from Bianjing. By the time he arrived, it might be too late. Yet even if only to collect her remains, he had to go personally.

The thin layer of snow on the road reflected the sunlight, forcing him to squint.

Bianjing’s winter dissipated with the melting of the last light snowfall. In a matter of days, the mountains and wilderness donned a soft, tender green.

Rumors circulated that the emperor had recovered and resumed handling state affairs. However, only a few key ministers knew that the emperor’s condition had rapidly deteriorated, his life hanging by a thread sustained only by medicinal concoctions.

For several days, the Konghe Army had been stationed at Meihua Island.

They had come to “invite” Mo Sigui.

Smoke drifted lazily as everyone on the island gathered at the dock to watch.

Through the thin mist, they could vaguely make out shadowy figures on the other side. Sheng Changying remarked, “I think they’re preparing to land on the island.”

“Should we fight or not?” An Jiu asked.

The island’s current occupants included only An Jiu, Ling Ziyue, Lou Xiaowu, Sheng Changying, Sui Yunzhu, Li Qingzhi, and the young apprentice. Mei Yanran had gone to the Hua residence to deliver medicine a few days ago and was unable to return due to the Konghe Army’s presence on the lake shore. Zhu Pianzhuan had gone to Bianjing for the regular account inspection, a trip that usually took five or six days.

Lou Xiaowu’s eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, “Let’s fight! I’ve recently developed a new type of water mine. This would be perfect to test its power!”

Ling Ziyue glanced at her, and she immediately shrank back, timidly adding, “Isn’t… isn’t that right?”

“We only have seven people…” Ling Ziyue trailed off. Of the seven, two – Sheng Changying and the young apprentice – had practically nonexistent combat abilities. Not only were they not assets in battle, but they would likely be liabilities.

Beyond that, while Ling Ziyue’s martial arts were formidable, his expertise lay in leading armies and warfare. Against professional assassins, he couldn’t leverage his strengths effectively. The remaining members – Sui Yunzhu, Li Qingzhi, and Lou Xiaowu – were of average ability within the Konghe Army. Then there was An Jiu, whose capabilities remained an unknown factor. Was this combination truly capable of facing dozens of renowned Konghe assassins?

An Jiu, arms crossed and leaning against a sturdy ginkgo tree, interjected nonchalantly, “We have eight…”

Following her gaze, the group looked towards the fat tiger yawning at the tree’s base.

Big Jiu, its maw wide open mid-yawn, noticed their stares and paused. It drew its paws in warily, wondering how they knew about the packet of poisonous seeds hidden beneath its belly.

The tiger subsisted on toxic substances. When Mo Sigui left, he had carelessly tossed a small packet of poisonous seeds. Big Jiu reasoned that if Mo Sigui couldn’t return this year, it would need these seeds to survive the winter.

Yes, nothing could happen to those seeds!

The fat tiger’s gaze grew determined, taking on a somewhat fierce demeanor.

Unaware of the context, the group felt somewhat reassured. At least this poison-filled tiger seemed marginally more combat-capable than Sheng Changying.

Fortunately, the Dream Flower was more vibrant than in previous days, allowing the island’s mist to reconstitute, which could prove quite useful.

“They’re coming,” Sui Yunzhu announced.

The sound of water splashing grew louder as the Konghe Army approached. Aware of the unusual nature of the mist surrounding the island, they halted just outside its perimeter and called out, “Is anyone on the island?”

The voice, infused with inner force, wasn’t loud but possessed a piercing quality as if the speaker stood right before them.

No one responded immediately. Everyone pondered whether to acknowledge their presence or feign absence.

Sui Yunzhu decided to have the young apprentice answer. Given the existence of spiritual power and the concentration of experts in the Konghe Army, they would undoubtedly sense multiple presences on the island.

“My master has left to attend to patients. He won’t return for months,” the young apprentice’s clear voice replied.

“Where has the Divine Doctor Mo gone to treat patients?” the man inquired.

The apprentice responded, “I don’t know. The Divine Doctor left in a hurry.”

The man continued, “His Majesty has ordered us to retrieve a certain medicine from the Divine Doctor. Allow us to come ashore. We’ll leave once we have it.”

If this were truly the case, there would be no need for such a large force. It seemed they planned to use deception first, resorting to force if that failed.

The others, unaware of the heart blood matter, assumed the emperor was on his deathbed and had sent for Mo Sigui. However, the current situation contradicted this.

“I believe this is Wei Yuzhi’s scheme,” An Jiu prepared to reveal the truth about the heart blood to the group.

Noting her expression, Ling Ziyue suggested, “Let’s discuss this inside.”

They feared the Konghe Army might overhear them here.

The group nodded, leaving the young apprentice to continue engaging with the intruders. The poisonous mist from the Dream Flower would prevent them from advancing for now.

Everyone gathered in the dining hall and took their seats.

An Jiu began, “Gu Jinghou is a medicine man raised by the Liao royal family, specifically to prolong the Liao emperor’s life. But he resented his fate and left his most precious heart blood with Mo Sigui. Wei Yuzhi’s persistent haunting is for this very reason. If it’s to save the emperor’s life, should we hand over the medicine to them?”

Personally, An Jiu was reluctant to waste Gu Jinghou’s blood to save the lecherous emperor, but given their current predicament, she sought everyone’s opinion.

Instead of answering directly, Sui Yunzhu asked, “What does this have to do with the Konghe Army?”

An Jiu explained, “I know Liao has planted spies within the Konghe Army. How else would the emperor know about the heart blood?”

“If that’s the case, even if we hand it over, it will end up in Wei Yuzhi’s possession,” Sheng Changying, more aware than anyone of the heart blood’s miraculous properties, could anticipate that Wei Yuzhi would stop at nothing to obtain it. “If he didn’t have a high-ranking spy within the Konghe Army, he wouldn’t risk this plan. If we were all loyal patriots and handed over the medicine upon hearing of His Majesty’s illness, wouldn’t his scheme fail? He must be confident that once we surrender the medicine, it will fall into the spy’s hands.”

Wei Yuzhi’s willingness to expose such a deeply embedded spy to obtain this item suggested that the new Liao emperor didn’t have many years left to live.

“We absolutely cannot hand it over,” Li Qingzhi was the first to state his position.

Ling Ziyue remained silent but agreed with this sentiment.

Though they were unwilling to serve the current emperor, they remained loyal to the Great Song. If the enemy emperor were to die early, they would certainly welcome it.

“Right, let all the Liao dogs die!” Lou Xiaowu spat venomously.

If not for that Liao woman, the Lou clan wouldn’t have been annihilated in a matter of days. Her hatred was no less than Lou Mingyue’s, which was why she had unquestioningly accepted the burden of reviving the Lou clan when Lou Mingyue entrusted it to her.

Lou Xiaowu’s growing obsession with military equipment research was deeply connected to this. Her martial arts were lacking; if she were to attempt assassinating Yelü Hangwu, she’d likely be reduced to mincemeat before getting within a thousand paces. Thus, she hoped to develop useful military equipment for the Song army, aiming to defeat Liao with overwhelming military might. Every time Lou Xiaowu thought about the enemy possessing terrifyingly lethal weapons like the blue light crossbow, she felt motivated. Her near-term goal was to develop a weapon capable of instantly neutralizing the blue light crossbow.