“Then let’s prepare for battle,” An Jiu said, placing a bottle of medicine on the table. “These pills are made from that blood. I use them to repair damaged meridians. They’re beneficial even for healthy people. Please, share them among yourselves.”

The group was besieged because of this medicine. An Jiu, being fair-minded, didn’t want to hoard it if they were to fight together.

Faced with such temptation, everyone fell silent.

After a moment, Sui Yunzhu spoke, “I don’t want it.”

During the attack on Piaomiao Manor, if An Jiu hadn’t saved him, he’d be long dead. Unable to repay that debt, he couldn’t possibly take advantage of the situation now by accepting the pill.

“I don’t want it either,” said Li Qingzhi, who had also been saved by An Jiu then.

Only Ling Ziyue was unfamiliar with the effects of a medicine man’s heart blood. For fairness, Sheng Changying explained before he could respond, “Legend has it this blood can resurrect the dead and regrow flesh on bare bones. It’s truly a divine medicine.”

Ling Ziyue smiled and shook his head. “If this medicine could save the Great Song, I’d fight to get it even if it weren’t offered to me. But… I’ve lost hope. I fear even this can’t save us. I don’t want it.”

Sheng Changying smiled. “I won’t waste such a rare medicine.”

Born with useless meridians, unless he could be reborn, even drinking all of Gu Jinghou’s blood wouldn’t help him.

“I don’t need it,” Lou Xiaowu had never been interested in improving her martial prowess. She believed the weapons she created would eventually become her proudest means of defense and attack, invincible against all.

If those outside, desperately scheming to obtain the medicine, knew of this group’s attitude towards it when it was within easy reach, they’d likely cough up blood in frustration.

An Jiu didn’t feign modesty. She put away the bottle, saying, “This medicine can save lives. You may not want it now, but I promise it will be available if you ever need it.”

Her sincerity was evident, and no one refused.

“If it comes to a fight, what are our chances of victory?” Li Qingzhi asked.

“Chances of victory… we certainly have some,” Sheng Changying pondered for a while, slowly raising one finger.

Li Qingzhi’s disappointment was clear. “Only ten percent?”

“Less than ten percent,” Sui Yunzhu interpreted more accurately.

Sheng Changying nodded.

Even if the Konghe Army was disorganized, it was still an organization with nearly a century of history. Given that they were on a mission to save the emperor’s life, they would surely deploy a large number of experts. If not for the island’s defenses and Lou Xiaowu’s weapons, they’d likely be utterly overwhelmed.

“Since they want to come ashore, why don’t we hide the medicine? Let them come up. If they can’t find it, they’ll naturally assume the Divine Doctor took it with him,” Li Qingzhi suggested.

Sui Yunzhu countered, “You think they’ll give up just because they can’t find it? We’ll still be bound and taken for questioning. When they discover we’re Konghe Army deserters, our fate will be even worse. We might even implicate Lord Chu!”

“I almost forgot…” Li Qingzhi scratched his head.

Not only were there Konghe Army deserters here, but also a general who should be dead, and the current head of the Lou clan! If others discovered Lou Xiaowu associating with a group of traitors, all Lou clan members within the Konghe Army would suffer!

More people might die then, and the Konghe Army, losing a major pillar, would face collapse.

“Wei Yuzhi’s plan is truly meticulous and vicious,” Sheng Changying sighed.

Having served in the Konghe Institute, Sheng Changying was familiar with countless secrets, including the name “Wei Yuzhi.” Wei Yuzhi managed most of Piaomiao Manor’s affairs and implemented all strategies. It could be said that Piaomiao Manor’s rapid rise to prominence in the Great Song’s jianghu was largely his achievement.

“This man is indeed a menace,” An Jiu believed Chu Dingjiang’s words. If Wei Yuzhi returned to Liao and clashed with Yelü Hangwu, even if one side emerged victorious, it would come at a tremendous cost.

Can one person change a nation’s fate? The answer is undoubtedly yes. Some individuals’ wisdom can indeed turn the tides of fortune.

An Jiu didn’t find it particularly impressive. The food chain is cyclical; there’s no species truly at its apex. No matter how formidable Wei Yuzhi might be, he was still just one life. As an assassin, An Jiu knew all too well how fragile human life could be.

Time was pressing. The group quickly devised a rough plan before dispersing to prepare.

Big Jiu, sensing danger, hurriedly ran to a secluded spot to dig a hole. It buried its grass seeds, carefully patting the earth with its plump paws, and finally marked the area with urine.

“Miss An Jiu! Those people are coming ashore!” The young apprentice came running, his face ashen.

While strapping on her sword, An Jiu asked, “What happened? Didn’t the Dream Flower work?”

The apprentice, having endured much “training” under Mo Sigui, managed to speak clearly despite his terror. “Several people entered the mist and got trapped. Realizing they couldn’t pass through even with masks, they sent people to swim underwater.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t be a problem for a while. The Dream Flower blooms underwater too,” An Jiu reassured him.

She had observed that the Dream Flower thrived near water, spreading across the lake surface but not onto the island. All the flower stamens faced the water, with some even drifting into it. Many fish that entered the flower patches became disoriented, floating as if drunk before dying. Big Jiu loved to fish out these dead fish to eat, as they contained toxins. From this, An Jiu deduced that the Dream Flower was also poisonous underwater.

The apprentice relaxed slightly. “That’s good.”

“Go find a place to hide,” An Jiu said, finally slinging the Subduing Dragon Bow across her back.

The apprentice nodded eagerly. “That’s what I’m best at.”

He then took off running.

An Jiu smiled at his rabbit-like retreat. Having faced such dire situations countless times, she could now confront them calmly.

She took a pill. As it dissolved, her mind cleared. Since consuming Gu Jinghou’s heart blood, An Jiu felt she had inherited his innate mental clarity. Though unable to use mind-reading, illusion, or charm techniques like him, she had achieved near-perfect control over her spiritual power. She no longer experienced the explosive outbursts of power as before.

After being scolded by Mo Sigui a few times, she carefully suppressed her spiritual power while taking medicine, following his instructions. It felt like an eternity since she had last used her spiritual shock technique!

An Jiu caressed the Subduing Dragon Bow. Its black body, tinged with a red glow, seemed to hum softly, also eager to be drawn once more.

As others gradually gathered, An Jiu refocused her thoughts.

“Let’s negotiate with the Konghe Army first!” Sheng Changying suggested.

It was a good choice, but the crucial question was who should negotiate. Everyone here had an identity that couldn’t be revealed.

“I’ll go,” Sui Yunzhu volunteered. “I’m just a nobody from the Konghe Institute. The risk of my identity being exposed is small.”

The others looked to An Jiu, hoping she’d make the decision. This situation stemmed from her and Mo Sigui; they were willing to live and die with her, entrusting their lives to her judgment.

At times like these, it was crucial to avoid conflicting opinions. Everyone seemed to understand this.

“Alright,” An Jiu decided quickly. Only she, Sui Yunzhu, and Li Qingzhi were unlikely to be exposed. She and Li Qingzhi weren’t skilled in diplomacy, making Sui Yunzhu the most suitable choice.

With the decision made, Sui Yunzhu called out, “Who’s in charge over there? Please come out to talk.”

After a brief silence, a voice answered through the mist, “What do you have to say?”

“You’d best not attempt to enter underwater anymore. It’s a hundred times more dangerous down there,” Sui Yunzhu bluffed. He had heard An Jiu mention the Dream Flower’s toxicity underwater but didn’t know if it was stronger or weaker.

Without waiting for a response, he continued, “Beyond this barrier are several more layers, all carefully cultivated poisons of the Divine Doctor. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

The other side remained silent.

Pretending ignorance of their identity and the emperor’s condition, Sui Yunzhu added, “If you’re seeking medicine, wait for the Divine Doctor’s return on the opposite shore!”

After a long silence, the voice finally replied, “His Majesty’s condition is critical. We urgently need this medicine and fear we can’t wait for the Divine Doctor’s return.”

Sui Yunzhu frowned. Now they could be certain that Wei Yuzhi’s plant in the Konghe Army held a high position. Otherwise, at a time when the Crown Prince and Second Prince were intensely preparing for succession, such information wouldn’t be carelessly revealed.

Wei Yuzhi was simultaneously besieging Meihua Island and stirring up a succession struggle in the Great Song! His scheme was even more sinister and far-reaching than they had imagined.

Ling Ziyue pressed his lips tightly together. He felt that the mighty Great Song was like a small boat tossed about in a schemer’s hands, at risk of being torn apart by giant waves at any moment. All his previous efforts seemed so insignificant, so laughable. This sudden, intense feeling of despair and powerlessness overwhelmed him, making him oblivious to the immediate danger. For him, facing the Konghe Army couldn’t rouse the same fighting spirit as battling the Liao.

Internal strife – what was the point? A bitter smile tugged at Ling Ziyue’s lips.

“If this medicine is so important, why would the Divine Doctor carelessly leave it on the island?” Sui Yunzhu made a final attempt.

In Bianjing City.

The Crown Prince and Second Prince quickly received news from Meihua Island. The Crown Prince acted first, confronting the Second Prince with a list of evidence of his alleged plots to usurp power. Although the Second Prince indeed harbored such ambitions, he had been cautious, leaving no obvious evidence. Most of the Crown Prince’s so-called proof was fabricated.

But at this moment, the truth of the evidence hardly mattered.

An Jiu, trapped on the island, could hardly imagine that the little troublemaker who dozed off in class and buried his face in women’s chests the moment his master turned away, had once again cornered the Second Prince with such lightning speed.

As dusk fell, in a dark alley outside the Second Prince’s residence, a figure stood motionless like a monument. Beside him, a man bowed slightly, reporting, “After two probing attempts, the Konghe Army has temporarily stationed themselves on the lakeshore. They’ve begun searching for weaknesses in the island’s defenses.”

The tall figure nodded slightly. “Understood. You may go. Report any developments immediately.”

“Yes!” The man vanished.

Chu Dingjiang looked up. The faint moonlight illuminated his chiseled features as he sighed, a wisp of mist escaping his lips.

Heaven was forcing him to choose again – between the Second Prince and An Jiu…

Fish or bear paw.