Feng Jiu’er met Qiao Mu’s earnest gaze and no longer wished to tease her.

“You would not believe it even if I said I was not hurt, would you?” She raised an eyebrow and said lightly.

“But my constitution is good and I recover quickly. In truth it is nothing much — I believe a few good, nourishing, and delicious meals will set me right again very soon.”

“Qiao Mu, I want to eat roasted chicken, drink pigeon broth, have snake stew, and also…”

“As long as you are unharmed, even if you wanted human flesh, I would get it for you.” Qiao Mu released Feng Jiu’er and let out a heavy breath of relief.

Feng Jiu’er met her gaze and waved her hand.

“I am fine, truly. I am simply hungry after three days and three nights — once I have eaten my fill I will be well. But human flesh — let us spare that.”

As the words left her mouth, she turned to look at the medicinal herbs on the table.

“Good, I will go and get you something to eat.” Qiao Mu nodded and turned to leave.

“Wait — let me see what other herbs are urgently needed.” Feng Jiu’er’s voice came through clearly, full of energy.

Qiao Mu stopped, turned to look back, then said one word and came to stand beside Feng Jiu’er.

Xue Gu and Long Feiyan met and walked together toward another thatched cottage not far away.

Jian Yi stood at a slight distance behind Feng Jiu’er, watching quietly without coming forward to disturb them.

Tuoba Keyan had stopped where he was when he arrived and also did not approach.

Feng Jiu’er went on talking about medicinal herbs the whole time, saying not a single word about what had happened that night.

Qiao Mu waited until she fell quiet before asking softly: “Was it Ye Luosha and Emperor Ji, together with that nun, who struck you down from the cliff?”

“Yes.” Feng Jiu’er nodded, as though responding to something of no particular consequence.

“‘Yes’?” Qiao Mu looked at her, both brows furrowing. “You just say ‘yes’ and leave it at that?”

Feng Jiu’er turned her head to glance at the disgruntled Qiao Mu and asked quietly: “What is the situation in Phoenix City right now?”

“I heard that early this morning the Ninth Prince set out north at the head of a great army. Mu Mu was taken along as well.” Qiao Mu replied in a low voice.

“According to their plan, they will not return until the imperial capital is taken.”

“The cliff was in disarray, and it did not look as though only three people had cornered you into falling. They say it was the people of Emperor Qiwen, but I for one would not believe that.”

“However, as long as the Ninth Prince believed it, he will inevitably march north to seek justice for you — and so Ye Luosha and Emperor Ji’s purpose will have been achieved.”

As Qiao Mu spoke, she watched Feng Jiu’er steadily, not once looking away.

Yet she could not find the slightest change of expression on Feng Jiu’er’s face.

“Did you already know all of this?” Qiao Mu pressed her brows together and asked.

“I know now.” Feng Jiu’er replied quietly.

She continued to sort through the medicinal herbs without pausing in her movements for a moment.

Qiao Mu still did not understand why she could be so calm about it all.

She pressed her lips together and asked again: “Did you guess it beforehand?”

“Yes.” Feng Jiu’er finally turned her head to look at Qiao Mu once more — but only for a moment, then her gaze returned to the herbs in her hands.

“If they had not achieved their purpose, they would never have let it go. Yes — I did guess it.”

“Then what of him?” Qiao Mu’s brow furrowed even deeper. “Will you follow them north, or… right, you just said ‘mother’ — what is that about?”

“My mother is that mysterious woman in the palace harem. Quite something, isn’t she?” Feng Jiu’er gave Qiao Mu another glance, an eyebrow raised.

“She is your mother?” Qiao Mu looked as though she had heard a piece of utterly shocking news, her eyes going wide.

“She is your mother, yet she crippled your martial arts and willingly let you risk your life…”

Tsk, tsk… Jiu’er’s mother was truly formidable.

In order to give Jiu’er the chance to cultivate supreme martial arts, her mother’s methods could be described as absolutely ruthless and stopping at nothing.

Qiao Mu drew a deep breath, turned to look behind her, and asked in a low voice: “Your mother — is she the woman who was standing here just now? Your birth mother?”

“Who else would be my mother other than my birth mother?” Feng Jiu’er turned her head and shot Qiao Mu a sidelong glance.

“None.” Qiao Mu shook her head. “I only find all of this too incredible.”

“Right — the Ninth Prince has people around him who will stop at nothing to kill you. What will become of you and the Ninth Prince?”

A sharp crack rang out — the medicinal herb in Feng Jiu’er’s hand snapped in two.

Qiao Mu reached out and took the broken herb from her hand, saying softly in consolation: “Even so, you do not need to think too much about it right now. After a while…”

“There is no ‘after a while.'” Feng Jiu’er drew a slow breath and shook her head gently.

Even though she quickly concealed her emotion again, Qiao Mu could still feel it clearly.

“Why is there no ‘after a while’? If those three had not been in the way, he would long since have thrown himself off that cliff — just as Jian Yi did without a second thought.”

“Jiu’er, the Ninth Prince’s feelings for you are something you understand clearly. He has obligations he must fulfil, and that too you understand clearly, do you not?”

“His march north now is to seek justice for you. And it was Xue Gu who helped persuade him. I believe he will not give up on this bond between you.”

Qiao Mu’s heart ached for Di Wuya — particularly when she recalled the scene on the cliff that day, and it ached even more.

“He said he did not believe you were dead. Even though he said nothing when he left, once he has brought peace to the realm, he will surely come back to find you.”

“Jiu’er, do you believe…”

Qiao Mu turned her head to look and froze.

Feng Jiu’er had lowered her head, hiding from Qiao Mu’s gaze.

But the tears that had just been in her eyes slid down all the same, landing with a soft tap on a leaf of medicinal herb.

The sound was not loud, yet because of the grief behind it, it struck with a certain sharpness.

Feng Jiu’er knew that he would certainly be heartbroken. She could even imagine the despair in his eyes as he stood on the cliff’s edge.

But in the end they were not on the same path — they were even on opposing sides. She felt powerless about it, yet there was nothing she could do.

Jian Yi stepped forward. He stretched out his long arm and pulled Feng Jiu’er into his embrace.

Feng Jiu’er casually reached out and took hold of his sleeve, wiping the corner of her eye.

“Do your best to gather these herbs. Once we are in better health, there is much we still have to do.”

With that, Feng Jiu’er dropped the words and turned, walking back to the thatched cottage.

She left Qiao Mu frozen in place, mouth open, unable to say a single word.

Watching Jian Yi turn and follow, Qiao Mu went after him.

“Jian Yi, what exactly happened?”

Jian Yi stopped walking, but did not turn back.

“Jiu’er says that the true enemy of the Long family is Di Wuya’s birth mother. So the two of them cannot be.”

Qiao Mu’s brow creased tightly, and her voice came out as though squeezed up from her throat: “How… can that be?”

Jian Yi paid her no more attention, and followed Feng Jiu’er into the thatched cottage.

Qiao Mu stood frozen in the daylight. All around her the sun was bright, yet she could see no light at all.

“The Ninth Prince and Jiu’er… how can that be?”

Even though Qiao Mu did not want this to be the truth, from the look of things, it was not hers to believe or disbelieve.

The matter had nothing to do with her, yet Qiao Mu felt it as though it were her own grief.

The cruelty of fate — two people who loved each other turned out to be the deepest of enemies. How could anyone accept such a thing?