In the capital, a small teahouse had been newly built on the former site of Xingyang Bookshop. A’Shui brought Fengfeng back to the capital after leaving Jiang Youyu’s estate. She had taken over the old site of Xingyang Bookshop and built a very small teahouse. Though the teahouse wasn’t completely finished yet, A’Shui would lead Fengfeng on quiet walks through the capital’s streets daily, walking for a while, then carrying him for a while.

Fengfeng could already take a few steps, but still needed to be carried most of the time.

The capital’s streets were extremely prosperous. These days coincided with a temple fair, and the streets were filled with shops selling embroidery, pearls and jade, brushes and ink, colorful silk caps and hats, books, paintings, medicinal herbs, rush mats and bamboo seats, saddles and harnesses, bows and arrows, and countless other goods. The people bustled about everywhere in great excitement. She looked at each shop one by one, occasionally buying something.

She knew that the largest tavern on the east side of Cross Street had originally been a branch of Wanqiao Pavilion. A wine shop behind Taimiao Street had also been property of Wanqiao Pavilion. But after Young Master Tang claimed to be the master of Fengliu Shop and publicly abducted Abbot Puzhu, the entire jianghu considered him an evil demon. To prevent Wanqiao Pavilion from being implicated, he sold it. The money obtained was used to dismiss all the people of Wanqiao Pavilion, just like her… As long as you followed Young Master Tang, whether useful or useless, at least… you could get a box of banknotes.

Young Master Tang wanted you to bow your head in submission, be grateful, repay kindness with your life, willingly… But when he established authority and bestowed favors, he would never leave you with nothing.

Was this… considered winning?

A’Shui gazed at the vast mortal world before her. Perhaps… before others became willing, you had already given everything away, or perhaps… Young Master Tang was omnipotent and could always have his wishes fulfilled.

Not far ahead, a commotion arose. A thief had stolen several ornate hairpins from a jewelry shop in broad daylight and ran into an alley. Soon several young men gave chase, knocked the thief down, retrieved the hairpins, and returned them to the merchant. The merchant thanked them repeatedly and gave the young men some steamed buns he carried with him.

A’Shui unconsciously smiled slightly, but before her smile faded, one of the young men suddenly collapsed in the street. The surrounding crowd erupted in alarm, and she was also startled. She hurried forward a few steps to see red blotches appearing on the young man’s face and hands, which quickly turned black. The youth then wailed and writhed in agony.

This was… Nine Heart Pill poison? She looked in shock at this seemingly fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth—he was just a child. Where could he have contracted such poison? Seeing the youth’s poison erupting, people around rushed to help him. In her urgency, she called out, “Wait! This child has been severely poisoned. This type of poison is extremely contagious. Please everyone step back a few paces.”

The crowd was startled to suddenly see a beautiful woman leading a young child. A’Shui led Fengfeng out from the crowd. Though she had never learned the method to detoxify Nine Heart Pills, she had picked up some basics from her time around Liu Yan. Moreover, before returning to the capital, both Liu Yan and Shui Duopo had given her some protective medicines, including antidotes for Nine Heart Pills.

Taking the antidote alone couldn’t completely cure Nine Heart Pill poisoning, but it could at least reduce the agony of the poison’s eruption. A’Shui took out a jade medicine bottle, poured out a black pill, and placed it in the mouth of the poisoned youth on the ground. The youth was in extreme pain, the black spots on his face and hands quite terrifying. The Nine Heart Pill poison he had contracted was extremely potent, different from what A’Shui had seen before. When she had previously seen Liu Yan’s distributed pills take effect, they caused red spots all over the body, not black ones. Those red spots were neither fatal nor painful.

Seeing the youth swallow the antidote, she removed a hairpin from her head and inserted it about an inch and a half into the “Outer Hill” acupoint on the youth’s calf. Fengfeng sat on the ground, watching her save the person with curious eyes. After taking the medicine and receiving acupuncture, the black spots on the youth’s body gradually turned red, and he stopped crying out in agony. Though A’Shui’s technique wasn’t comprehensive, it was effective.

Young heroes who fought injustice shouldn’t die from Nine Heart Pill poison.

He hadn’t even had time to eat the steamed buns the merchant gave him.

“Who are you?” the youth’s companion asked loudly. “How do you know that the poison Wen Yao contracted is contagious?”

Another asked urgently, “How do you have an antidote?”

“Who are you people?” The merchant, terrified by his benefactor who was covered in black spots, packed up his stall and prepared to leave.

“Mother—” Fengfeng suddenly burst into tears.

In the midst of everyone talking at once, Wen Yao, who had been “severely poisoned” on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed A’Shui’s hand, pulling out the hairpin inserted in his calf. “You are Miss A’Shui. You indeed have the antidote.”

A’Shui, suddenly grabbed, was momentarily stunned, then sighed.

She didn’t speak, nor was she particularly surprised.

After all, the probability of encountering heroic youths fighting injustice in the marketplace, with one of the young heroes suddenly succumbing to poison and needing her intervention, wasn’t very high. But whether real or fake, she wouldn’t stand by and watch a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth die from poison—she would always offer the antidote.

“I truly can’t believe that Young Master Tang actually let you go without leaving you one or two secret guards,” the seemingly fifteen or sixteen-year-old Wen Yao said with feigned surprise. “Oh, I understand now—Tang Lici has sold his properties and can barely protect himself. He probably has neither money nor time to ensure your safety.”

A’Shui gripped Fengfeng’s hand tightly without speaking.

Forgetting each other in the jianghu… this was what she had sought and received.

Who could… not harbor fantasies about Young Master Tang? Even though she was unwilling and knew there could be no result, she couldn’t help feeling pity. If he had need… A’Shui felt both pity and guilt over unpaid kindness, so she could sacrifice her life. But A’Shui was alone—her life was light as duckweed, worthless, serving only to prove that Young Master Tang could always force you to sacrifice your life in love, proving he could always win—and then—there would be nothing more.

Young Master Tang didn’t need her lifelong devotion.

He just wanted to win.

And in her life, she had never planned to have Young Master Tang.

She could lose.

She had once foolishly dreamed of having a simple-minded, warm, and interesting little cook.

But the little cook was fake—he had never existed.

All her girlish feelings had been silently shattered after encountering Hao Wenhou and Liu Yan, then extinguished again when she discovered the little cook wasn’t really a little cook. She had been cast out by Young Master Tang, both their dignities shattered to pieces, yet compared to Young Master Tang’s dignity, her little bit of dignity was worthless. She had been broken again and again, but so what—that was merely her own affair. Even whether she lived or died, no one truly cared.

However, what a person has experienced, whether anyone cares, even whom they love or don’t love, are all just parts of life.

Some people see love as life itself.

But she didn’t want to be so desolate.

She decided to live well, to forget Hao Wenhou, chose to give birth to Fengfeng, was willing to sympathize with but not forgive Liu Yan, resolved to stay away from Young Master Tang… these were all her own choices.

Everyone’s circumstances are different. Joy and sorrow, separation and reunion have nothing to do with right or wrong—they come from the heart alone.

She had taken a banknote from Young Master Tang and left. Young Master Tang avoided seeing her. From then on, their debts were settled and they would forget each other in the jianghu—this was their best ending.

Wen Yao grabbed A’Shui, feeling quite pleased—while others always suspected Tang Lici had deployed troops or secret guards around this servant girl, he had said that with Tang Lici now facing enemies on all sides, where would he have the mind to manage this girl? This girl was insignificant, but she might have read the ‘Rebirth Manual.’ Xingyang Bookshop had self-printed books—if there were still printing plates left from back then, their whereabouts would fall to A’Shui. But this matter couldn’t let A’Shui become aware—once she knew the power of that ‘Rebirth Manual,’ things would inevitably change.

Hao Wenhou had captured her with this same thought, but who knew what complications arose—he had somehow become bewitched by this girl, not only failing to discover the manual’s whereabouts but losing his life. Wen Yao was young and had never met Hao Wenhou or Liu Yan. This girl was quite lowly—capture her and torture her severely, and they would surely learn whether the ‘Rebirth Manual’ had been passed on!

Even if she preferred death to submission, delivering her to his master would be a great achievement.

While A’Shui remained silent, Wen Yao pressed several of her pressure points, bound both her and the child in her arms, and leaped up. His “good friends” who had known him for only half a day were shocked and surrounded him asking what was happening. He struck each with a palm, severely injuring them, and even the merchant didn’t escape. Then Wen Yao flew up, grabbed A’Shui and Fengfeng, and headed east.

The street erupted in chaos. Seeing both fighting and kidnapping in broad daylight, the people scattered and fled.

Only from a distant street corner did the “little thief” who had just escaped peer out from under the eaves a few times before silently retreating into the shadows.

Wen Yao took the captives through several turns in the capital’s streets before suddenly disappearing.

The “little thief” continued watching from a distance. Not long after, a carrier pigeon flew south, disappearing into the evening clouds.

That night, Tianqing Temple was brightly lit.

When Miss Hong learned that A’Shui had been kidnapped, Tang Lici had already gone to Jiang Garden. He had left too quickly and missed the carrier pigeon message.

Jiang Youyu’s subordinates discovered that A’Shui and Fengfeng had been kidnapped, but Miss Hong had doubts about this matter.

The first doubt was: Had Tang Lici truly allowed A’Shui to leave? If he had indeed let her go and felt that the mere A’Shui, a mere female servant, was unimportant, why were Jiang Youyu’s subordinates still monitoring her?

The second doubt was: Though A’Shui knew no martial arts and had lowly status, she wasn’t powerless.

Miss Hong had spent considerable time with A’Shui at Fengliu Shop, which was no tender refuge—people often died there. When Liu Yan was gloomy and mad, even she found it difficult to approach him, yet A’Shui could handle it calmly. This girl had a natural ability to calm situations. Even Tang Lici would quiet down somewhat in her presence. Would she just let herself be kidnapped like this?

Wanyu Yuedan sat beside her. After Bi Lianyi finished reading the carrier pigeon message to him, he curved his eyebrows and smiled. “A’Li is using Miss A’Shui as bait.”

Miss Hong was slightly startled, suddenly enlightened.

Indeed, Tang Lici’s allowing her departure seemed to settle their debts, but he was actually using A’Shui as bait to draw out the snake… he was fishing.

Did he love A’Shui or not? Miss Hong couldn’t tell.

Perhaps he had carelessly liked her? Obtained her then grown tired?

Whether love or not, he was using the life of a woman he had once cared about to fish openly and righteously—this person was ruthless and cruel, poisonous as a snake or scorpion.

Whether toward others or himself, he was like this.

Miss Hong sighed softly. “But he went to Jiang Garden, leaving too quickly. Since he’s not in the capital, who will reel in the big fish he’s hooked?”

Frowning slightly, she asked quietly, “Piaoleng Mei Manor has been silent for three days since Yu Konghou lost power. I suspect great changes must have occurred within. Palace Master Wanyu, do you think we should continue waiting, or—”

Wanyu Yuedan also frowned slightly.

These past few days, Cheng Yunpao had infiltrated the outskirts of Piaoleng Mei Manor while wounded, overhearing that internal changes had occurred—Bai Suche had imprisoned Yu Konghou and seized control of Piaoleng Mei Manor. But since then, Piaoleng Mei Manor had fallen into deathly silence.

Even Bai Suche had lost contact.

This shouldn’t be happening.

Cheng Yunpao hadn’t forgotten Bai Suche standing with blade in hand, saying, “Who kills people? None other than this Bai. Kill one person and be condemned by all under heaven, but kill ten thousand… and one can become a general.”

As a result, she had not only become “a general”—she had become Lord Bai.

What exactly did she want to do?

Whatever she wanted to do, she couldn’t possibly do nothing. With Yu Konghou imprisoned, how could Gui Mudan remain unmoved? What exactly had happened in the depths of the silent Piaoleng Mei Manor?

Just as Miss Hong and Wanyu Yuedan were pondering, Meng Qinglei suddenly came to report.

“That Liu… that demon and Miss Yu, with over ten disciples, have appeared in the back mountains of Qihun Mountain, fighting fiercely with a group of rabble.”

Miss Hong was startled. “Fighting with whom?”

Meng Qinglei sighed. “Qingfeng Gang and Broken Blade Sect—they both had disciples die from Nine Heart Pill poison.” He couldn’t help saying, “This villain deserves death. Nine Heart Pills have caused endless harm to countless people. He should truly be cut into a thousand pieces…”

Wanyu Yuedan’s eyebrows curved. “This villain conspires with Tang Lici but holds the antidote to Nine Heart Pills. We should first capture him and force him to reveal the antidote, then kill him to appease the heroes’ spirits under heaven.”

Meng Qinglei suddenly understood. “Brother Cheng and I will certainly capture this demon alive!” He immediately leaped away. He didn’t know why Liu Yan had suddenly appeared here, but since he was here, they couldn’t let him escape!

“Only an honest person like Hero Meng would fail to hear the subtext in your words,” Miss Hong sighed wistfully. “I’ve heard Liu Yan has other mystical medical arts—I wonder if he can treat ‘Bee Mother Frost.'”

Bi Lianyi was severely poisoned and tortured by Wang Lingqiu, still unable to get out of bed. Miss Hong frowned with worry as Wanyu Yuedan’s fingers gently rubbed the armrest of his chair, saying quietly, “Wang… Ling… Qiu…”