“First Imperial Brother, they are all my friends — why must you apprehend them?” Reassured that the three were unharmed, Feng Jiu’er finally let out a quiet breath of relief.

Feng Jiu’er had not failed to notice that her First Imperial Brother was injured. Yet she had no heart to give it any thought.

Why she cared about these three more than she cared about her own Imperial Brother — she did not know, nor could she explain it.

“Jiu’er, First Imperial Brother has long harbored suspicions about these three people of uncertain origin. What I did not expect was that they would still find an opportunity to act against Ah Yan.” Feng Jin said in a low, firm voice.

“First Imperial Brother — whatever sentiments you may have toward the three of them — if they cannot give Father Emperor a satisfactory account today, none of them will be permitted to leave.”

Feng Jin was a military man by nature, and ordinarily he was not much given to eloquent speech.

Though straightforward and good-natured by temperament, he possessed clear and decisive thinking when it came to matters of warfare.

Over the years, nearly every campaign in which he had taken part had ended in victory.

Feng Jin had earned not only Feng Qiongcang’s admiration, but was revered as well by the common people of the Feng clan — a prince renowned for both intellect and strategy.

“The people I have chosen would certainly not poison Second Imperial Brother. First Imperial Brother, you had best investigate this matter carefully.” Feng Jiu’er looked at Feng Jin and said in a quiet voice.

Both of them were people who disliked giving explanations. Going before their Father Emperor would not make the situation any easier.

“I only need them to cooperate. If this matter is truly not their doing, I will not wrong an innocent person.”

Feng Jin’s gaze swept across Zhan Qingcheng, and his expression grew considerably heavier.

Standing behind Feng Jiu’er, Zhan Qingcheng met Feng Jin’s gaze, and his own expression became increasingly somber.

“First Imperial Brother, have everyone withdraw. I can guarantee they will not leave without permission.”

Sensing the growing chill in the air coming from the person behind her, Feng Jiu’er could not help but grow anxious.

“Jiu’er, step aside! Today, I will absolutely see justice done for Ah Yan.”

With those words, Feng Jin gripped his long sword and moved swiftly toward Jian Yi.

“Everyone, seize them!”

“Yes!” Everyone answered in unison.

Before Feng Jiu’er even had the chance to speak, the clash of blades rang out in an instant — and she had no power to stop any of it.

Suddenly, sensing a thick, overwhelming wave of killing intent drawing close, Feng Jiu’er’s instincts sharpened in an instant.

But before she could react, a tall figure appeared before her, blocking her view.

“You must not!” At that critical juncture, Feng Jiu’er threw her arms around Zhan Qingcheng with all her strength, shielding him from the front.

A heavy blow landed with a resounding impact, and her slight, slender body absorbed a devastating strike.

Zhan Qingcheng held the girl in his arms and retreated rapidly, doing everything he could to lessen the force of the palm blow that had fallen upon her.

Even he did not know how Feng Jiu’er had moved with such speed — the moment he had been about to act, she had already appeared before him.

One moment of hesitation — and this killing blow had fallen on her instead.

One large hand held the girl in his arms in a firm grip. Zhan Qingcheng clenched his fist, his whole bearing cold to the extreme.

“Jiu’er.”

“Jiu’er!”

Mu Mu and Jian Yi saw what had happened and immediately pulled back.

Feng Jiu’er, coughing up blood, looked at Zhan Qingcheng with an expression of complete anxiety even as she slipped toward unconsciousness.

“Don’t! Don’t… act, you must not… act…”

Feng Jiu’er clutched at Zhan Qingcheng’s robes with a tight grip, too weak even to keep her eyelids open.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, promise me — don’t… don’t…”

“Little one!”

Zhan Qingcheng looked down at the girl in his arms. The cold wind all around was like needles of ice — piercing through skin, through flesh, and straight through the heart.

“By His Majesty’s command — the people of Bei Mu must not be permitted to leave!”

The one who had struck Feng Jiu’er was Han Ying — and he showed not a trace of fear.

Hearing those words, the guards who had just been startled by the cold emanating from Zhan Qingcheng immediately came back to themselves and launched another attack against those within the fighting ring.

“Jian Yi.” Zhan Qingcheng called out in a low voice, and hurled the girl in his arms outward. “Take her and go!”

“Do not!” Mu Mu, still fighting Han Ying, turned his head to warn.

Jian Yi leaped lightly into the air, intending to receive the slender Feng Jiu’er.

But without warning, a gust of wind swept through — a dark shadow flashed across everyone’s line of sight, and Feng Jiu’er was caught by someone and vanished from before everyone’s eyes in an instant.

Zhan Qingcheng made to give chase, but Mu Mu pressed a hand down onto his shoulder.

“She will be all right.” After those cold words fell, Mu Mu seized Zhan Qingcheng and swept away in another direction.

Not long after the two had departed, Jian Yi followed behind…

Night had fallen. In the dim interior of a mountain cave, only the faintest flicker of candlelight.

Two women, both dressed in white, sat cross-legged facing each other, their palms pressed together. The veiled woman was channeling her own inner energy into the one before her.

Feng Jiu’er possessed no martial arts at all, and her constitution was already frail to begin with.

That Han Ying’s palm blow had not killed her outright was already a stroke of immense fortune.

After an unknown span of time, Feng Jiu’er finally reclaimed a thread of consciousness.

Her brow was tightly furrowed, large beads of sweat gathered at her temples, and her condition appeared to be anything but good.

Feng Jiu’er did not understand what was wrong with her — her body felt weightless, yet her head suddenly felt unbearably heavy.

Scattered, fragmented images kept surfacing in her mind, each one incomplete, making her feel increasingly ill at ease.

Suddenly, she felt an enormous force pressing her firmly down against the bed, while the sound of fabric being torn apart reached her ears.

In the next instant, a long finger traced slowly down her back, eventually coming to rest at an acupoint alongside her spine.

“Ah—!” A searing pain shot through her entire body in an instant, and Feng Jiu’er cried out involuntarily.

Long Feiyan’s brow creased, and she intensified the outward flow of inner energy.

With great effort, Long Feiyan finally suppressed Feng Jiu’er’s turbulent vital energy. By this point, blood had already slipped from the corner of Long Feiyan’s mouth more than once.

She continued channeling inner energy into Feng Jiu’er for a while longer before finally withdrawing her palm.

Feng Jiu’er’s body went limp, and she slumped forward against Long Feiyan.

Long Feiyan lowered her eyes for a moment, then murky blood seeped once more from her mouth. She extended a long finger and pressed several times on the acupoint over her heart, steadying her breath at last.

Laid upon a bed of dried grass, Feng Jiu’er fell once more into unconsciousness — but it was not a peaceful sleep.

The furrow in her brow never eased. She murmured from time to time, cried out softly at intervals, and her condition seemed far from good.

Once Long Feiyan had confirmed that Feng Jiu’er’s life was no longer in danger, she sat down nearby, closed her eyes, and set about regulating her own breath.

In order to suppress Feng Jiu’er’s chaotic vital energy — to prevent the girl from harming herself further — Long Feiyan had not hesitated to injure herself in the effort.

“Don’t! Ninth Imperial Uncle, don’t! You must not act — you must not!” In the depths of unconsciousness, Feng Jiu’er clenched her fists tight.

“Do not get hurt for my sake anymore — don’t!”

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, I have missed you — I really have missed you so much…”

“Jiu’er misses you, Ninth Imperial Uncle. Jiu’er has really missed you. Where are you? Jiu’er misses you.”

One fragmented image after another, in scattered succession — then gradually assembling themselves into coherent scenes.

The moments she and he had shared together grew clearer and clearer. Feng Jiu’er’s tightly clenched fists slowly began to relax.

So that was how it was. So that was how all of it was.

How foolish her Ninth Imperial Uncle had been — for her sake, he had done so many foolish things. And yet she had…

I am sorry. Ninth Imperial Uncle, how could Jiu’er have dared to forget even you.