“What business is it of yours?” Chen Hong sneered.

“You said you’d return him to me!” Feng Jiu’er snorted coldly, setting down the wooden pestle she’d been using to grind medicine.

Chen Hong walked over and picked up the medicine bowl, asking in a low voice, “Half of the three days has already passed—why hasn’t my face healed yet?”

“Whether it’s improved or not, you know best yourself. I’m done accompanying you!” Feng Jiu’er tossed out the words and turned to leave.

Chen Hong’s lips curved, and she carried the bowl toward her dressing table.

“Someone, take the deputy general away! Let him rest properly.”

Two women in black entered and took away the immobilized Gao Lingzhi.

As night fell, Chen Hong lay in bed, her face covered in the medicinal powder Feng Jiu’er had concocted.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom rang out, and the ground shook.

A woman in black lifted the curtain and strode in. “Mistress, something’s happened!”

“What is it?” Chen Hong asked, unhurried.

She had long known Feng Jiu’er wouldn’t be so easily used—she just hadn’t expected the girl to make her move after only two days.

“Jian Yi… he’s gone missing!” The woman in black looked anxious.

“What?” Chen Hong sat up abruptly. “What did you say? When did he leave?”

“Quick! Wash my face clean, I’ll go find him myself.”

The woman in black pulled a towel from the water basin, wrung it out, and knelt beside her.

“Did the mistress already know something would happen in the forest?”

The explosion had been loud enough that the mistress surely couldn’t have missed it, yet she hadn’t seemed concerned at all.

Chen Hong took the towel and said in a low voice, “Feng Jiu’er has that much gunpowder on hand—it’s only natural she’d make a move.”

“I still have thirty thousand men under me. How many could she possibly blow up?”

Chen Hong had no idea that the person locked in the neighboring tent had long since regained consciousness. Gao Lingzhi had already broken through his sealed acupoint and was simply waiting for his chance.

Hearing Chen Hong’s words, Gao Lingzhi was furious, but for the sake of the bigger picture, he remained motionless on the couch.

“Does the mistress mean we don’t need to concern ourselves with the explosion in the forest?” the woman in black asked, helping Chen Hong up as she took the towel.

“Send another three or five thousand men over. I only want Feng Jiu’er—everyone else can die as they please!” Chen Hong replied indifferently.

Soon, the curtain was lifted, and Chen Hong and the woman in black walked out.

Before long, another woman in black rushed back in a panic.

“Something’s wrong! Master Jian Yi entered the dense forest and vanished. The mistress wants you all to go search for him together.”

In an instant, over a dozen women, nearly identical in build and all dressed in black, converged from different directions.

“What’s going on?” Even the woman guarding Gao Lingzhi went outside.

“Master Jian Yi has gone missing. The mistress fears he’s fallen into Feng Jiu’er’s hands—everyone, hurry and find him.” The woman who had returned turned and left immediately.

Everyone else knew the person the mistress cared about most was Jian Yi. No one doubted it, and they all followed along.

Once everyone had left, Feng Jiu’er led the captain out from the other side of the forest.

Chen Hong had only a little over twenty subordinates—it wasn’t hard to draw them away.

Feng Jiu’er had hypnotized one of the women in black, and through her, easily led the rest away.

“Young Master.” The captain knelt before Gao Lingzhi the moment he entered.

Gao Lingzhi sat up, breaking free of his restraints, and asked in a low voice, “What happened?”

“Commander Han is dead, killed in the ravine.” The captain choked back a sob.

“Young Master, Chen Hong imprisoned you first, then killed Commander Han after—and she’s disregarded the brothers’ very…”

“Move!” Gao Lingzhi shot to his feet. “Head into the mountains and capture Chen Hong, dead or alive!”

“If the crown prince holds anyone accountable, I, Gao Lingzhi, will bear full responsibility!”