“Who did you say?” She blurted out, her voice changing tone.

Zhongli Zhi seemed very pleased to see her in such a state, laughing breathlessly: “Who else could it be… your lover, right… came to the island seeking you through great hardships. Qiu Jinfeng needed someone to provide true energy to save Yelu Qi, and he actually agreed. Tsk tsk, that true energy expenditure… When I escaped from under his nose, he couldn’t do anything to me. You tell me, at the end of his strength like this… what will happen when he meets the Heavenly Net Army… hahaha…”

“Bang.” He suddenly fell backward, his entire head knocked askew. He opened his mouth with an “ah,” and several teeth flew out bright and clear.

Jing Hengbo, having viciously finished kicking, had already stood up. With an iron-blue face, she said to Zuoqiu Mo: “The Heavenly Net Army squad at the bottom of the cliff is yours to handle. Use whatever method—completely annihilate them. Then you all take this bastard and board the ship first to wait for me!”

Without waiting for Zuoqiu Mo’s answer, she flashed away in an instant.

The mountain forest flew past her eyes in straight lines as she pressed her hand to her heart, suppressing the wildly beating heart, not daring to think much, running at full speed.

Gong Yin! Yelu Qi! Don’t let anything happen to you!

…

In the secret chamber, Qiu Jinfeng was hastily applying disguises.

He came from a secret clan in Falling Cloud, and his clan possessed some strange arts. His disguise technique wasn’t too refined, but the face molds were very realistic.

Today’s disguise actually wasn’t very difficult. The Heavenly Net Army was landing on the island for the first time and hadn’t seen Qiu Jinfeng. They had only briefly met Zhongli Zhi once or twice at night. Noble Consort Yun had originally held high status, living deep in the palace for long periods—these soldiers had no reason to have seen her. Even if they had, after years of serious illness, losing her appearance would be normal. So he only needed rough dressing to look like a woman.

Qiu Jinfeng gritted his teeth as he applied woman’s makeup to himself, let down his long hair, and randomly found a white robe—after all, everyone on this island wore the standard white robes of Falling Cloud tribes that made gender indistinguishable.

Gong Yin put on black clothes. Zhongli Zhi himself had a cold temperament, so Gong Yin didn’t need to learn anything to be completely authentic. When he let his long hair fall loose, there was a kind of desolate and distinguished bearing that made Qiu Jinfeng shake his head in dissatisfaction repeatedly, feeling this person’s temperament was too outstanding. Zhongli Zhi was also considered a cool and temperamental youth, but compared to him immediately appeared crude. He wanted to tell him to look more wretched, but then didn’t want to indirectly praise Gong Yin, so simply messed up his hair a bit and mixed some blue pigment to make him look more miserable.

As for Yelu Qi, playing Qiu Jinfeng was even easier—that graceful air of an otherworldly divine physician was more Qiu Jinfeng than Qiu Jinfeng himself, making Qiu Jinfeng’s expression increasingly ugly.

The Heavenly Net Army had long since entered the courtyard. Finding nothing in their search, they didn’t leave—they had solid intelligence confirming Qiu Jinfeng was here, possibly with important figures beside him. After carefully searching the house three times, an officer somewhat versed in mechanisms opened the door to Qiu Jinfeng’s secret chamber.

The three people inside raised their heads—one lying down, one holding a silver tray, one taking a pulse and administering treatment. The one taking the pulse suddenly looked up, first angrily saying: “Didn’t I say not to disturb…” then in alarm: “Who are you people! How dare you break into my secret chamber!”

Hearing this, the Heavenly Net Army soldiers said: “Are you Qiu Jinfeng?”

Glancing at the silent man in black beside him, the Heavenly Net Army had seen Zhongli Zhi before, but in the middle of the night how could they distinguish clearly? Naturally they assumed this was the insider left on the island and didn’t ask further. Their eyes unconsciously swept to the bed, where they saw a woman in white robes, half her face disheveled, breathing weakly, long hair scattered loosely down.

The soldiers’ gazes focused.

With Gong Yin and Yelu Qi’s wisdom, seeing this expression, they knew there must be something fishy. Earlier, Gong Yin’s choice to have Qiu Jinfeng disguise as Noble Consort Yun was just thinking that woman’s status was special—after all, she was the Floating Water Great King’s pillow companion. If they made up some secrets, it might interest the Heavenly Net Army enough not to kill but take prisoners first. Now seeing the Heavenly Net Army’s expression, they clearly recognized this woman and had originally been seeking her.

Since it was a lucky coincidence, what kind of people were Gong Yin and Yelu Qi? Yelu Qi immediately frowned angrily: “You’re Floating Water troops? What do you intend on my island? These people are already pitiful—why must you eliminate them completely?”

Gong Yin made eye contact with the leading officer and pointed at “Noble Consort Yun.”

That officer nodded slightly and shouted sternly: “Arrest them all!”

Soldiers immediately rushed forward. Qiu Jinfeng just had to pretend to be unconscious. Yelu Qi put up symbolic resistance a few times but had no strength to struggle. The soldiers saw he was indeed weak, naturally having no more doubts. The intelligence the Heavenly Net Army received said Qiu Jinfeng only excelled in divine eye techniques and wasn’t skilled in martial arts.

As for Gong Yin, he had the best fate—he was disguised as Zhongli Zhi, the Heavenly Net Army’s tacitly understood insider, so naturally they went easy on him, symbolically shackling him with chains and pushing him out first.

After leaving the secret chamber, that leader followed out and asked quietly: “Is that Noble Consort Yun inside?”

Gong Yin nodded.

“What about the other one?”

The Heavenly Net Army was referring to Dong Chi. In the Floating Water royal family’s orders, Dong Chi and Noble Consort Yun were the two people whose lives needed to be spared for further probing.

Gong Yin didn’t know about Dong Chi, but it didn’t prevent him from answering calmly: “Didn’t watch him closely—he suddenly ran away.”

“Did he suspect something?” The Heavenly Net leader frowned deeply.

“In my opinion, the woman inside is most important,” Gong Yin said composedly. “After observing for so long, it should be related to her.”

Having long held great power and being expert in reading people’s hearts, he naturally knew what to say at this moment. This sentence could fit any situation. Sure enough, the Heavenly Net leader nodded: “The higher-ups think the same. Then let’s take her back first. Dong Chi can’t escape—I’ll leave a squad to search. What’s wrong with this woman? We deliberately spared her earlier and didn’t harm her. How did she suddenly faint?”

“She fell down a cliff when she came out calling for help. Should be nothing serious, just hit her head. Don’t know when she’ll wake up,” Gong Yin said flatly. “Is the general preparing to leave? There are still outsiders on this island—how to deal with them?”

“Right, there are others on the island. One is Zuoqiu Mo, and another I’m not sure who it is,” that leader said. “Earlier in the ghost courtyard, someone manipulated corpses to attack us. Zuoqiu Mo shouldn’t have such abilities. You’ve been on the island so long—do you know who it was?”

Gong Yin’s heart settled slightly—Jing Hengbo was fine.

“Oh, speaking of which, it’s strange,” he said. “This person came to the island recently seeking medical treatment, reportedly infected with plague. Usually keeps head and face tightly covered. To prevent contagion, eating and sleeping are kept far from us. I still don’t know the background. But I advise the general not to bother with this person.”

“How so?”

“This person’s background seems very mysterious. I personally witnessed her wandering the island at midnight. Wherever she passed, all things flew about and vegetation died. I fear she’s a poisonous person who cannot be approached…” Gong Yin’s tone was cold and sinister, seeming to carry the chill of bloody moonlight.

Hearing this tone, that leader’s face changed slightly. The earlier bizarre scene of corpses running amok flashed before his eyes, sending a chill from his heart. But being naturally arrogant and unwilling to admit defeat, he snorted coldly and was about to speak when suddenly he saw Yelu Qi being pushed out by soldiers. Hearing the last sentence, Yelu Qi laughed: “How could such a thing be? That person just has a slight cold that’s almost recovered. Under this great doctor’s hands, is there any illness that can’t be cured?”

He laughed smugly, exactly like Qiu Jinfeng’s expression when he had the upper hand, but his eyes flickered with cunning light. Seeing this, that leader sneered: “Doctor Qiu has such deep schemes! Saying this deliberately to trick our brothers into fighting that poisonous person, hoping we’d catch serious illness and be completely annihilated!” Without paying attention to Yelu Qi, he turned to order his subordinates: “Leave one squad to search for Dong Chi. Everyone else follow me immediately. Pass the order—if you encounter anyone with elusive movements who’s good at manipulating objects, absolutely do not approach!”

“Yes!”

Lying on the stretcher, Qiu Jinfeng looked at Yelu Qi and Gong Yin, then at that leader full of smugness and self-perceived wisdom, secretly rolling his eyes at the sky.

Sigh, the Floating Water army encountering such a pair of scoundrels who cooperated seamlessly—how many days could they expect to see the sun?

…

When Jing Hengbo flashed to the island’s eastern end like lightning, she saw from afar a group of people boarding a ship by the island’s shore.

A large group of soldiers with what seemed to be prisoners in their midst, but from the distance she couldn’t see clearly. She was still a step too late—the other side’s support ships had arrived. Watching that group all board the ship, the vessel had already started up. It was too late to pursue.

She stood straight, trying to see clearly whether Gong Yin and Yelu Qi were among them and whether they had been harmed. Vaguely she seemed to see a stretcher, making her more nervous as her entire body leaned forward.

Suddenly someone shouted sternly: “Who’s there!”

Jing Hengbo turned her head to see a squad of soldiers charging from the side. In the bright daylight, she could clearly see they were Heavenly Net Army.

Without thinking, she waved her hand, sending a large wave of broken branches and scattered leaves whipping down at those people.

Then she prepared for battle or flight, but who knew those people, seeing objects falling from the air, immediately turned pale with terror, screamed, turned and ran, their faces as if they’d seen ghosts.

Jing Hengbo watched those people flee without fighting, also standing dumbfounded as if seeing ghosts. According to Dong Chi, the Heavenly Net Army was quite elite and fierce—how could a few leaves scare them away?

She naturally didn’t know that Gong Yin and Yelu Qi, even while being captured, hadn’t forgotten to help her remove obstacles. At this time, how would the Heavenly Net Army soldiers dare fight her, fearing they’d catch the plague? In this era, plague was more terrifying than demons.

Jing Hengbo stood stunned watching those people run away, then looked at that large ship which had already left the lake-heart island. She bit her teeth and first went to Qiu Jinfeng’s place to look. She only saw chaos everywhere, the secret chamber door open, with many things obviously taken from the shelves. In the center of the room was a table covered with white cloth, and the silver tray beside the table was scattered with many delicate instruments that seemed to have been boiled in wine, giving off a strong wine smell. Nearby were many clean white cloths, while in a basket on the ground was a large basket of bloodstained white cloths. When Jing Hengbo rummaged through the basket, her expression changed.

In this basket, she saw things she thought she’d absolutely never see in this lifetime.

For a moment she almost thought Little Perspective had arrived, then remembered Qiu Jinfeng also had perspective eyes and could see through ailments. But she never expected Qiu Jinfeng could actually perform surgical operations.

This was major surgery—had it succeeded?

The room still retained cold air. In this ancient time lacking all conditions, how much true power had Gong Yin expended to maintain this surgery? Could Yelu Qi withstand such severe trauma?

Moreover, they had encountered the Heavenly Net Army during the surgery!

The blood on the white cloth made Jing Hengbo’s vision blur and darken. Her heart hadn’t stopped racing wildly since seeing that basket, making her nauseous for a while before remembering that as a pregnant woman, emotional calm was essential.

She closed her eyes, placed her hand on her lower abdomen, silently recited a few words, and relaxed her tense emotions.

What was done was done—worry and urgency were useless and would only cause harm. Until she saw Gong Yin and Yelu Qi’s corpses, she couldn’t panic.

At Qiu Jinfeng’s place, she found and took the medicinal pills he had prepared for her, then returned to where Zuoqiu Mo and the others were. Zuoqiu Mo was wiping her blade, the blood stains on it dark. Seeing her, she said: “Mission accomplished.”

Dong Chi and Noble Consort Yun had already boarded the small boat with the barely breathing Zhongli Zhi, waiting for her.

“Let’s board,” Jing Hengbo silently glanced once at the lake-heart island.

“Where are we going?”

Jing Hengbo sneered coldly.

“To completely erase the filthiest tribe in Dahuang from Dahuang’s map.”

…

Ten days later.

Dawn mist still lingered hazily between heaven and earth. On the yellow earth road leading to Floating Water’s royal city, there were usually no people at this hour.

Suddenly the mist stirred as a figure broke through the morning fog, staggering out and rushing forward several steps before seeming utterly exhausted, stumbling and falling to the ground.

When this person fell, hands desperately stretched forward. Not far ahead were the royal city gates, still tightly closed at this hour, offering no response to that person’s pleading posture.

With face pressed against the cold yellow earth, she desperately closed her eyes, waiting to be dragged back. Then next time, this kind of mad running and chasing would be repeated. Every time she thought she had a chance, every time she would be despairingly dragged back to hell…

Suddenly a clear whistle pierced the dawn. She opened her eyes and vaguely saw the city gates opposite suddenly open!

There was still an hour before the royal city gates would normally open.

The person lying on the yellow earth stared wide-eyed, hope flashing in her gaze. But then she heard light laughter behind her.

That laughter made her feel as if she’d fallen into an ice cave. She shook and buried her face, not daring to show any expression that might bring disaster upon herself.

“Ge Lian,” the voice behind said lazily and coldly. “Next, it depends on your performance. If you perform well, perhaps I’ll give you one chance to live.”

The person on the ground raised her face, laboriously wiping the yellow mud from her face. She didn’t dare look behind her, only stared unblinkingly at the city gates.

Though she had reached desperate straits with an abyss ahead, as long as people like her had breath left, they always fantasized that life’s next step would be a turning point.

The city gates opened as galloping horses’ airflow parted the thick fog. A group of riders vaguely charged out of the city. Those who could leave the city early at this hour either bore important military orders or held special status in the royal city.

Jing Hengbo was dressed as a Falling Cloud soldier, sitting high on horseback, seemingly casually tapping her riding whip while her eyes stared intently at Ge Lian on the ground and the figures at the city gates ahead.

Behind her were a group of people in the same uniform, looking like a Falling Cloud army squad executing a mission. However, beneath those helmets and head wrappings were Pei Shu’s dark shining eyes, Qisha’s cunning smiling eyes, Tian Qi’s wandering eyes, Zuoqiu Mo’s stern vigilant eyes. Even Meng Potian and Ji Wen were there… gathered were all the trusted friends Jing Hengbo had brought out from Di Ge.

In the very center of the group, two with hat brims pulled especially low were those two fallen Floating Water royal exiles, Dong Chi and Noble Consort Yun. At this moment both stared intently at Floating Water’s city gates, their eyes flickering with light—the excitement of long separation and reunion, the melancholy of remembering the past, the sorrow of examining the present, and more than anything, irrepressible hatred and rage.

Jing Hengbo’s expression was very calm.

Ten days ago, she had left the lake-heart island but immediately lost track of the Heavenly Net Army. She then sent out signals, and soon her subordinates and friends who had been scattered nearby searching for her quickly gathered.

At the border between Falling Cloud and Floating Water, Jing Hengbo learned somewhat troubling news. With Falling Cloud in chaos, Floating Water had strengthened control of checkpoints throughout their territory. Above the border fortress between Falling Cloud and Floating Water, soldiers remained at the ready around the clock. The fortress was brightly lit day and night with heavy troops massed, refusing entry to all non-Floating Water people.

This clearly targeted her, fearing she would enter Floating Water territory.

Jing Hengbo tried teleporting into the fortress, but was immediately discovered upon entry. To avoid alerting enemies, she had to withdraw and seek other methods.

Fortunately, Zuoqiu Mo produced a person who gave her inspiration.

Ge Lian.

Before going to the island, Jing Hengbo had guessed Zuoqiu Mo was nearby, so she hadn’t bothered with Ge Lian, deliberately leaving her for Zuoqiu Mo.

Zuoqiu Mo had originally intended to kill Ge Lian immediately, but because Ge Lian spoke of secrets from her Zuoqiu army, she temporarily abandoned killing her, wanting to extract more secrets. So she only crippled her limbs and hid her deep in a cave, blocking both entrances with large stones.

Since this person was still alive, Jing Hengbo immediately wrote to Ge Shen, telling him Ge Lian had fled toward Floating Water. She was willing to help Ge Shen eliminate this woman, but wanted Ge Shen to provide her and her followers with a foolproof identity that wouldn’t be rejected or suspected by Floating Water for entering their territory.

Ge Shen’s hatred for Ge Lian was bone-deep, and he also deeply feared Jing Hengbo. People have a psychology of “if I’m unlucky, I hope you’re unlucky too.” For Jing Hengbo murderously wanting to enter Floating Water, he was happy to see it happen.

He immediately sent people with his personal guards’ regulation uniforms, identity badges, secret documents for the Floating Water Great King, and even thoughtfully sent relics of Floating Water’s Second Prince Wu Weiyan to facilitate Jing Hengbo finding excuses anytime.

Floating Water and Falling Cloud had always been closely related. For the Floating Water Great King, he wouldn’t want to show an attitude of harboring Ge Lian and make enemies with the Falling Cloud tribes at this time. When Jing Hengbo told the Floating Water fortress that she was following Floating Water King’s orders to pursue the domestic traitor Ge Lian and requested entry, she indeed met no obstruction.

When passing through the fortress, this squad of dozens underwent strict inspection, but no one expected that the person this squad was pursuing was among their ranks.

Jing Hengbo brought Ge Lian into Floating Water and headed straight for Floating Water’s royal city. The Heavenly Net Army was directly under the Floating Water Great King’s jurisdiction, with their base inside the royal city.

Having come this far, Jing Hengbo suppressed her uneasiness and focused only on rushing toward Floating Water’s royal city. She had thought it through clearly—best if nothing happened to Gong Yin and the others, but if something had already happened, then revenge.

That cruel, tyrannical, shameless and filthy royal family should use their own blood to soak every inch of their territory that hid white bones and stench.

Now she was outside this city gate.

According to Noble Consort Yun, Floating Water’s National Uncle—the Floating Water Queen’s brother—was someone who appeared particularly concerned with health cultivation but had a heart full of tyrannical tendencies. His favorites were the fresh air of Lushan suburbs in early morning and beautiful women who suffered abuse, especially those of good birth.

This National Uncle would go to Lushan to drink from ice springs and taste clear tea at intervals. He always left the city early, having the city gates opened at dawn because the turbid air from common people leaving the city after the gates opened would pollute the air he breathed.

At that time, the city gate guards who hadn’t slept enough would be particularly lax, letting only this group pass through the gates and eager to return to catch up on sleep. At other times, non-residents entering or leaving Floating Water’s royal city in groups over ten required documents personally signed by the Grand Chancellor.

Jing Hengbo believed that the National Uncle’s dawn procession, encountering a pitiful beauty calling for help, would definitely be interested enough to stop and inquire.

The National Uncle’s departure days were uncertain, so the drama of having Ge Lian collapse on the road calling for help had been performed twice by today.

Jing Hengbo stared at the slowly opening city gates in the distance, feeling the second attempt had succeeded—very good luck.

That group slowly advanced, their procession magnificent and elaborate from afar.

Jing Hengbo’s riding whip slowly slid in her palm as her lips revealed a charming yet cold smile.

Whether she could quietly enter Floating Water’s royal city and approach the Floating Water royal family at maximum speed—success or failure depended on this moment.