Feng Yunshu nodded thoughtfully after listening. "So that's how it is..."
"No wonder those people didn't notice anything amiss. It turns out you have such a trick up your sleeve."
As she said this, Feng Yunshu stared at him as if she had just thought of something. "Well, well. It seems this plan of yours has been in the works for a long time. So you've been keeping it from me all this time. Do you enjoy watching me worried and sad?"
Feng Yunshu glared at him crossly and reached out to pinch his waist. But all she felt were muscles as hard as steel, impossible to pinch. It was really infuriating!
Helan Yanting immediately grabbed Feng Yunshu's hand and pressed it against his face. "Previously, it was indeed this king's self - righteousness, thinking it was for your own good. But I didn't expect it to cause you even greater harm."
"At the end of the day, you still don't trust me," Feng Yunshu glanced at him. "If you really trusted me, you wouldn't have kept it from me all this time. At least you should have let me know about this. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one..."
"This king was just afraid."
Helan Yanting's voice was deep as he slowly began. "Since the day I woke up, I've been secretly planning for the day of success, playing the role of a dying prince. But I've never been afraid of anything and had no weaknesses. "
Hearing this, Feng Yunshu suddenly remembered something. "Your Highness, I want to ask you. If I hadn't woken up suddenly on the day of our wedding, would you really have followed their arrangement and committed suicide for the eldest miss of the Feng family?"
Helan Yanting smiled. "What do you think, my lady?"
Feng Yunshu shook her head and said firmly, "Impossible. You would never just sit back and do as they said. That's not your style. So you must have been prepared, right?"
"Even if I hadn't woken up, you would have had another plan, wouldn't you?"
Helan Yanting nodded and lovingly stroked Feng Yunshu's head. "My lady is getting smarter and smarter."
Feng Yunshu slapped his hand crossly. "Don't try to sweet - talk me now. You still haven't made up for keeping this from me."
Hearing this, Helan Yanting seemed to sigh. "My lady, what this king has been planning all along is a crime punishable by death. In the past, without any weaknesses, this king was fearless. But somehow, my lady, you've become this king's weakness."
Feng Yunshu's heart skipped a beat. She grumbled and looked at him. "Humph. Who wants to be your weakness... There's no benefit, and I even get deceived by you."
"There won't be a next time. This king will surely protect his weakness well."
Just then, the secret guard rushed back with the snake gallbladder. "Reporting to Your Highness, the snake gallbladder has been retrieved."
Helan Yanting nodded and immediately ordered someone to fetch Doctor Hong to prepare the antidote.
After the antidote was ready, with Ziyuan's assistance, Helan Yanting helped Feng Yunshu pull out all the silver needles from her wound, squeezed out the poisoned blood, and then applied the prepared antidote to her wound.
This antidote was very irritating. When it was applied, Feng Yunshu's whole body convulsed in pain and she almost fainted. Helan Yanting immediately rolled up a handkerchief and stuffed it into her mouth to prevent her from biting her lips.
"It hurts so much..."
This was probably the most vulnerable moment for Feng Yunshu in a long time. She curled up in his arms like a wounded little animal.
Helan Yanting watched her in such pain but could only wait for the pain to subside. His face was extremely gloomy. He held her in his arms and gently patted her back to comfort her.
"Your Highness, can you sing those hometown ditties the soldiers outside sing? Or the tunes often sung in the military camp? I want to listen..."
Faced with Feng Yunshu's request, Helan Yanting didn't know whether to laugh or cry for a moment. But seeing her in such great pain, he could only comply. "Alright, this king will sing for you."
"Who says I have no clothes? I share your coat. The king is raising an army. I repair my spear and halberd. I share your hatred! Who says I have no clothes? I share your undershirt. The king is raising an army. I repair my spear and dagger - axe. I work with you! Who says I have no clothes? I share your skirt. The king is raising an army. I repair my armor and weapons. I march with you!"
Helan Yanting's voice was extremely magnetic, with a certain power hidden in its depth. When singing this tune, his emotions were a complex mix of the grandeur of war and helplessness. Feng Yunshu originally just wanted to tease him, but unexpectedly, she got lost in the song.
This song really had a kind of magic. Feng Yunshu gradually forgot the pain in her body. It was as if she had entered another scene following his song, a scene of clashing weapons, a vast battlefield, and an all - conquering might...
Before she knew it, Feng Yunshu was hypnotized and fell into a peaceful dream.
After Helan Yanting finished singing, his ears turned slightly red. "This king has never sung before. I just hummed it casually based on the tune in my memory. If my lady doesn't like it, this king will—"
As Helan Yanting was speaking, he looked down and saw that Feng Yunshu in his arms had fallen asleep at some point. The corner of her lips was slightly raised, as if she was having a good dream.
Helan Yanting watched for a while, then smiled and gently laid her on the bed and covered her with the quilt.
After settling Feng Yunshu down, Helan Yanting turned and walked out of the tent.
Just then, Yan Qi stepped forward anxiously. "Your Highness, something has happened."
"What is it?"
"The two bounty killers are dead!"
Helan Yanting frowned slightly. "What's going on?"
"Just now, this subordinate was about to make arrangements according to Young Master Yun's plan. At that moment, a secret guard reported that the two bounty killers and several guarding soldiers had all been killed."
"Who did it? Have you pursued the murderer?"
"This subordinate checked the wounds of these people. They were killed by poisoned needles. There were no other traces around, and no suspicious figures were seen."
"Poisoned needles..." Helan Yanting remembered that the two bounty killers had also used poisoned needles when they attacked Feng Yunshu. It seemed that the two killers might have been silenced in advance.
"Your Highness, this subordinate thinks that this is most likely someone silencing them. It's probably the mastermind behind this."
Hearing this, Helan Yanting's face turned cold. After pondering for a while, he looked at Yan Qi. "How's the investigation of Nanruo Temple going? Any clues?"
"Not long ago, there was news from there. There is indeed a temple called Nanruo Temple in a relatively remote area of the Dan Kingdom. It is said that this temple has a long history. Not long ago, everyone in the temple, including the abbot, met with misfortune and no one survived. It was only when a passer - by accidentally noticed and reported it."
"What about the information on the murderer?"
"According to the local investigation, the murderer is also a bounty killer. Moreover, this person has a famous name in the martial arts world..."
"Who?"
"Golden Blade."
"Golden Blade?" Helan Yanting's face turned colder. After a while, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold sneer escaped his lips.
"What a bounty killer..."
"Yan Qi, send someone to offer a large sum of money to the bounty organization and ask them to find and capture Golden Blade. As long as the person is still alive, the rest doesn't matter."
"Yes, Your Highness. This subordinate will make arrangements right away!"
Just as Yan Qi had left, he turned around and saw Chang Ying standing not far away. Chang Ying was looking up and walking towards them.
Yan Qi glared at Chang Ying crossly. When they passed by each other, they deliberately bumped their shoulders and gave each other a provocative look before going their separate ways.
"Your Highness, according to the spies' report, the third prince of the Dan Kingdom will soon arrive here with an iron army for reinforcement."