"Still haven't found out where they've gone?" The Empress of Nanqing sat high on her throne, looking down at the person kneeling below.
It had been almost a month, and they still hadn't found them! Ever since she learned that Jing Xunce and the others had left, she'd been looking for them non - stop. But their tracks had been deliberately erased, and there was no news of them at all.
Suddenly, a black - clothed man flashed into the hall. He knelt on one knee and said, "My Lord, there's news. Someone saw their group passing by the ancient town of Nanqing. Judging from their route, their target should be the capital."
The Empress of Nanqing didn't say a word after hearing this. She pondered for a long time but still couldn't figure out what they were up to.
"Have you found out where they've gone?"
"I'm incompetent, my Lord."
"Forget it. Go down and summon An Yi to see me."
"Yes."
"Your humble servant, An Yi, pays respects to my Lord."
"An Yi, I want you to do something..." A look of cruelty flashed across the Empress's eyes.
"There's an inn up ahead. Let's rest here for the night. There won't be any place to stay if we go any further."
"Okay."
"Welcome, honored guests. Are you here to stay or to dine?"
"To stay. Prepare seven top - grade rooms for us, and also prepare some food and send it up." Yuan Yuhan gave the waiter a silver ingot.
When the waiter saw the silver ingot, his tone and attitude became even more respectful. He quickly welcomed them in.
"Sure thing, honored guests. This way, please."
After they had freshened up, they went to Yuan Yuhan's room for dinner.
"We'll reach the capital in three days. I've always had people hide our tracks before, but I had them withdraw yesterday. So our whereabouts may have been discovered by the Empress of Nanqing."
"What should we do now?"
"We can only play it by ear. We're getting closer and closer to the capital. The forces there are the most complex. I don't dare to act rashly, or it will bring a lot of trouble."
Jing Xunce had always known that the Empress of Nanqing was looking for them, so he'd had people hide their tracks. He just didn't expect her to be so persistent. She'd been looking for so long and still hadn't given up. She was really like a ghost that wouldn't go away.
"We must be extra careful recently."
"Okay."
At night, when everyone was sound asleep, Mu Fengqie felt something moving by the window. At first, she thought it was just the wind and didn't pay much attention. But then she suddenly remembered what Jing Xunce had said during the day.
She instantly opened her eyes and listened carefully. It sounded like someone's footsteps.
Mu Fengqie immediately became alert. She quietly put her hand under the pillow and felt the pre - placed sleeping powder. She tightly grasped it in her hand.
When the intruders were three steps away from the bed, Mu Fengqie suddenly sat up and threw the powder at them before they could react.
This sleeping powder was made by herself. It was very potent and different from the ones on the market. Her powder could make people fall to the ground instantly and fall into a coma.
Mu Fengqie got out of bed and kicked them. Just as she was about to check if they had any marks on them, she suddenly remembered that since they could get into her room, there might be people in A Ru and Feng Er's rooms too.
Without thinking much, Mu Fengqie quickly ran out. A Ru's room was between Mu Fengqie's and Lü Yun's, so she went to A Ru's room first. She saw A Ru being covered by someone's hand and being dragged out of the window.
Mu Fengqie's body reacted instinctively. She scattered the remaining sleeping powder and quickly covered her nose and mouth.
Since A Ru was covered by the black - clothed man's cloth, she wasn't affected by the sleeping powder. Mu Fengqie pulled A Ru and ran out.
When they reached Lü Yun's room, Mu Nan was already there. He'd been worried about Lü Yun's safety at night, so he'd come to guard outside her room. But he'd heard noises inside in the middle of the night and had pushed the door in.
He saw four people had knocked Lü Yun out and were about to take her away. Mu Nan was furious and fought with them.
But their martial arts were also quite good, and their swords were even poisoned. Mu Nan accidentally got cut by a sword and soon felt weak, but he still gritted his teeth and persisted.
He couldn't fall. The noise just now was so loud that the master and the others must have heard it. But they hadn't come yet, so they must have been held back by something.
There must be more than just these four people. Maybe there were people in every room. So he couldn't fall, or else Yun Er would be taken away by them.
Mu Nan's consciousness was getting more and more blurred, but he still gritted his teeth and held on. Just as he saw a man's sword about to strike his back, Mu Fengqie quickly shouted.
"Mu Nan, get down quickly!" Then she threw a handful of powder. All the people in the room started coughing and rubbing their eyes.
Mu Fengqie endured the discomfort in her eyes, picked up the wooden stick that had fallen at the door during the fight, and knocked out the four black - clothed men with heavy blows.
"Sister, what did you throw?"
"Just chili powder. Hurry in and help. Carry Feng Er and Mu Nan out."
"Okay."
The two of them each supported one person and walked out with difficulty.
Just as they took a few steps out of the door, Jing Xunce and the others also came over after solving their troubles. There were more people on their side, and their martial arts were higher, so it took them some time to deal with them.
"How are you? A Ru, are you okay?" Yuan Yuhan rushed over to check on A Ru, afraid that she might be hurt.
"I'm okay. Thanks to Sister for coming in time. It's just that Mu Nan is injured."
Hong Yi stepped forward to check on Mu Nan. "His sword wound is poisoned."
Mu Fengqie backed out of Jing Xunce's arms and gave him a hard glare. What was this man holding so tightly for? She might not be killed by those black - clothed men, but she'd be strangled by Jing Xunce.
"Carry him into the room. I'll treat him. Also, prepare a new room for Feng Er. She was knocked out, but there's no major problem."
"Also, the assassins in our three rooms aren't dead. They're just unconscious."
Jing Xunce glanced at Hong Yi, and Hong Yi immediately understood what Jing Xunce meant. He turned around and entered the room.
Mu Fengqie was feeling Mu Nan's pulse. She let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it wasn't a very poisonous poison. It was just an ordinary one.
"His poison isn't a problem. It's just a normal poison. I'll write a prescription. You go and get the medicine and boil it for him to drink, and he'll be fine."
Mu Fengqie sat at the table, picked up the brush and ink, and wrote down several kinds of medicine on the table in a flurry. She handed it to Jing Xunce.
"Get six doses first. I'll change the medicine for him after he finishes them."
"Okay."
"Sister, Sister Feng Er is awake, but she's been looking for Mu Nan."
"I'll go and see her."
When Mu Fengqie entered Lü Yun's room, she saw her quickly putting on her shoes and getting out of bed.
When Lü Yun woke up, she remembered seeing Mu Nan before she lost consciousness. She saw Mu Nan fighting with those people.
When she woke up again, she found that she was still in the inn.