With a whoosh, a streak of silver light sliced through the air.

Feng Jiu’er paid it no mind at all, lightly tapping her feet against the ground and dodging it in the blink of an eye.

When the Ninth Imperial Uncle made a move, he made it count — what he taught was exquisite lightness technique.

As long as one memorized the footwork, evading a hidden projectile was effortless.

But what she never could have anticipated was this: she had dodged cleanly, yet behind her, someone had actually come charging over to play the hero saving a damsel!

No, wait — she was an ugly woman right now. This ugly, and someone still came to save her!

Watching that projectile embed itself in Nanmeng Rong’s arm, Feng Jiu’er genuinely wanted to curse.

“What did you throw yourself over here for?” Even if you want to save a damsel, at least check if you have the ability to do so — was he really trying to use his own body to shield her from a hidden weapon?

She truly, sincerely — wanted to walk away right this instant!

“Careful!” Catching sight of a flash of silver in the distance, Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and turned back in two or three quick steps.

Her blade flashed, and with a sharp clang, the projectile was sent flying.

But then came the third — the fourth — even the fifth! The hidden projectiles simply would not stop!

“Damn it! This is no test!” Feng Jiu’er pulled Nanmeng Rong to his feet and swept rapidly toward the dense forest ahead.

Behind them, the projectiles rained down like a storm. Fortunately, the forest was just ahead, and once they plunged into it, visibility dropped sharply.

A little further in, a small earthen slope rose up to one side. Without a second thought, Feng Jiu’er supported Nanmeng Rong and pulled him behind it.

Nanmeng Rong had not said a single word the entire way. It was only after they stopped that Feng Jiu’er understood why.

The dart had been poisoned. He had been gritting his teeth through it the whole time. Now cold sweat streamed down his face and forehead, yet he still refused to let a single word pass his lips.

“It’s those people again!” Feng Jiu’er’s delicate brows knitted tightly. She knelt down beside him.

“The dart is poisoned.” Nanmeng Rong drew a slow breath before he rasped hoarsely: “These must be enemies of mine. Leave quickly — this has nothing to do with you.”

Feng Jiu’er was taken aback. His enemies? “What enemies do you have?”

“I don’t know.”

“……” He doesn’t know, yet he goes ahead and calls them his own enemies? What an absolute fool!

Nanmeng Rong continued to insist: “Go, quickly. Staying here will only drag you down.”

Feng Jiu’er could not be bothered to reason with him. Practically speaking, someone with no status or standing like him was unlikely to have made enemies at all.

More probable was that certain people still had no intention of letting her go — watching for every moment, every opportunity, to take her life.

“I’m going to lance the wound and draw out the poison. Don’t move!” The words had barely left Feng Jiu’er’s lips when her short blade was already in her hand.

The blade fell — a clean cut opened on Nanmeng Rong’s arm.

This girl — not even a moment to prepare himself mentally before the knife came down. One slash, and it genuinely hurt!

Then came a second cut. Nanmeng Rong nearly cried out from the pain.

But in front of his future wife, he would sooner die in silence than let out a sound. To do otherwise would strip him of every last shred of his dignity as a man.

Feng Jiu’er extracted the hidden dart and began to push the blood through, forcing out the toxin.

The blood from the wound came out black-purple at first — then gradually darkened to a deep red — then gradually recovered its vivid, bright scarlet.

Jiu’er immediately sealed the acupoint to stop the bleeding, then applied hemostatic powder, and wrapped the wound. Quick, precise, decisive — front to back, no more than the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn.

Nanmeng Rong’s face had gone white with pain, but from beginning to end, he kept his teeth clamped shut and refused to make a single sound.

Jiu’er dusted off her hands and began to pack her things. “You’re wounded. Moving too quickly right now isn’t a good idea.”

“You should go on your own. I don’t need your help. At least this way you still have a chance to make it in time — you don’t need to worry about——”

“Fine. Here’s a signal flare. If it really comes to it, fire it off — someone will come and get you back safely.” Feng Jiu’er stood up, turned around, and walked away.