“How outrageous!” Zhan Qingcheng’s heart lurched with anxiety, his breathing falling into sudden disarray — he nearly opened his mouth and coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Yu Jingfeng was frightened out of his wits and hurriedly pleaded, “Your Highness, please do not lose your temper — I beg of you!”

He was truly terrified. It had taken so much effort to stop the blood spitting for the time being; if His Highness grew angry again and the coughing of blood resumed, what were they to do?

His own inner energy was far too shallow — he had already tried to help and found it entirely useless.

And now, the only one capable of lending aid — the venerable Old Sovereign — was nearly depleted of his true qi as well. What were they to do next?

Zhan Qingcheng’s complexion was genuinely poor, though right now it was layered over with something else: smoldering fury.

That girl had actually dared to march toward Phoenix City under his name. Did she have any idea how many ambushes she would encounter along the way?

The black-robed figure had wounded him, and would surely spread word of his grievous injuries. Those petty villains who had not dared to make a move against him before — upon learning he was gravely hurt, they would no doubt be champing at the bit, one by one.

With her paltry three-legged-cat skill set, how many of them could she actually fend off?

“Your Highness, Miss Jiu’er is not as foolish as you imagine — she went fully prepared.”

Yu Jingfeng’s heart was in a panic; he hadn’t even had time to wipe the sweat beading at his temples as he rushed to explain.

“Your Highness, there is a new student by Miss Jiu’er’s side — Mu Mu. His martial prowess can match that of the black-robed man from that day, and ordinary petty villains would pose absolutely no threat to him whatsoever.”

“Miss Jiu’er had him impersonate Your Highness, and he will remain by her side at every moment. In this way, Miss Jiu’er will also come to no harm — Your Highness need not worry.”

Zhan Qingcheng said nothing. On the day the black-robed man had moved to attack him, someone had indeed absorbed his inner energy. As for Mu Mu — he had concealed himself so deeply, coming to the Imperial Academy as an ordinary student, yet it was clearly not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

Beneath the heavens, people with that level of martial skill were exceedingly rare. To serve as a member of the Longqi Army was far too great a waste of his talents.

“Has Mu Mu’s background been investigated?” he asked, the corners of his lips faintly tinged with a streak of crimson.

Yu Jingfeng looked on in alarm, dreading that His Highness was about to start coughing up blood again. Although His Highness was holding himself back with every ounce of willpower, if he truly needed to cough up blood, there was no holding it back.

His Highness’s meridians were now damaged, and the Gu Poison had burrowed deep into his heart meridian. An ordinary person would long since have gone to meet their maker.

That His Highness had held on until now — had it not been for his powerful constitution and his own unyielding force of will, how could he have managed it?

Yet His Highness was ultimately flesh and blood; no matter how powerful, he could not withstand the ceaseless erosion of virulent poison forever.

“Your Highness,” Yu Jingfeng hesitated before saying, “we left in such haste that there has been no energy to spare for investigating such matters.”

Not only Mu Mu — but also that black-robed man.

Right now, his entire heart and mind were set on saving His Highness’s life first. Everything else could wait.

So long as His Highness recovered, nothing else would be a problem.

“Your Highness, on that day Mu Mu claimed to be a disciple of Master Wuyou. This subordinate saw that he was wholly devoted to protecting both Your Highness and Miss Jiu’er, and felt he harbored no ill intent — so I did not place too much suspicion on him.”

His Highness ought to understand: if Mu Mu had harbored any ill intent, there would have been no need for him to have intervened at all. Had he merely stood by and done nothing, Your Highness would certainly have been killed by the black-robed man. If he had wished His Highness harm, why would he have stepped in?

Zhan Qingcheng remained silent, his gaze deep and unreadable.

Yu Jingfeng saw the blood coloring at the corners of his lips growing ever richer and darker; his heart was in utter turmoil. He quickly said, “Your Highness, please lie down and rest a moment — this subordinate will go at once to fetch the medicine for Your Highness.”

The medicine was still brewing in the kitchen; the Old Sovereign had given instructions that once His Highness woke, it was to be brought to him to drink immediately.

Yu Jingfeng inclined his body and turned to walk toward the door.

Stepping out, Yu Jingfeng did not dare to linger for even half a moment and immediately made his way toward the kitchen.

Two brothers from the Longqi Army were standing guard outside the kitchen; inside, the physician was personally tending to the medicine himself, with two more brothers keeping watch at his side.

“Is it not ready yet?” Yu Jingfeng strode in and asked urgently.

The physician was visibly on edge and immediately replied, “It’s — it’s almost ready.”

Yu Jingfeng waved a hand and the two brothers withdrew. With fewer people present, the physician somehow felt the pressure bearing down on him even more heavily.

“Hurry up!” Yu Jingfeng was afraid His Highness couldn’t wait any longer — when he had stepped out just now, the blood coloring at His Highness’s lips had been far too deep and vivid, as though he might cough up blood at any moment.

If this medicine was not delivered quickly, should the coughing of blood resume, he wouldn’t even be able to drink it!

The physician was startled by the suddenly darkened tone of his voice and nearly dropped the fan he was using to stoke the fire right from his hands.

“Clumsy oaf! Step aside, I’ll do it myself!” One couldn’t really blame Yu Jingfeng for his poor attitude — he was genuinely worried.

He snatched the fan straight out of the physician’s hands, and with a forceful wave, sparks immediately scattered in all directions.

The physician was frightened and hastily said, “It’s almost done, my lord — please don’t act rashly. Too much fire is just as bad as too little.”

“Then what should be done?” Yu Jingfeng was looking decidedly impatient.

“It needs a small flame and slow simmering…”

“Still slow? There’s no time for that!”

“My lord…”

“Let me.” From behind them, a low and clearly suppressed voice suddenly drifted over.

Both men were startled; Yu Jingfeng was even more taken aback — so focused had he been on the medicine that he had not noticed someone else had already entered the room.

But the kitchen was guarded by their own people, and an ordinary person could not possibly get in. Who was this?

He turned to look and found himself looking at a young man with clear, refined features — not particularly tall, but possessed of a beauty that defied description.

Were it not for the fact that he was just a touch too short, that face of his could nearly rival their own prince’s!

A man beautiful to such a degree — their prince was truly captivating, yes, but the man before him now seemed somewhat… effeminate.

“Who are you?” Yu Jingfeng’s brow furrowed, true qi gathering beneath his palm. “How did you get in here?”

“I am… I am your master’s attending physician. You said so yourself — have you forgotten?”

The young man blinked at him, and amid the shadow of deep, bone-heavy weariness between his brows, there was a faint, tiny hint of playfulness.

This expression made him look even more effeminate.

Yu Jingfeng felt a wave of displeasure and was just about to bark at him to get out — when unexpectedly, the young man suddenly said: “Yu Dada, have you truly forgotten me?”

Yu… Dada?

Yu Jingfeng blanked for a moment. He looked at the young man again, and the more he looked, the more familiar the face appeared — only… only why was this face so perfectly, exquisitely flawless?

Good heavens — he… she, she… truly… those eyes and brows… truly!

“The medicine is done. Let me handle it — you step outside first.” The young man walked over and gave the physician only the most fleeting of glances.

The physician was so chilled by the cold buried within that gaze that he instinctively stepped back two paces.

Watching the young man pick up the medicine and pour it into the bowl, his movements genuinely deft and sure, the physician glanced at Yu Jingfeng: “My lord…”

“You can get lost.” Yu Jingfeng said coldly.

The physician got lost immediately. This was not a place one should linger!

When Yu Jingfeng turned back around, he saw the handsome young man holding up the fan and gently fanning the medicine, trying to cool it down faster.

“You… you…”

“There are many people in your group I don’t recognize — and one elder who appears highly skilled in martial arts and seems rather difficult to get along with.”