Xia Jin’s formation caused too much commotion, arousing the suspicion of the patrolling soldiers. Xia Yunting has been arrested, and the soldiers are now searching the entire general’s manor. If they find any evidence, Xia Yunting’s life might be forfeit.”
Rong Zhi’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, trembled slightly. Her eyes flickered, but she showed no outward reaction. Xia Yunting had not allowed her to participate, which meant he must have had a foolproof plan. With this thought, her last remaining worry vanished like a spider’s thread blown away by the wind.
“Zhi’er, it’s fortunate you left the general’s manor, otherwise, they might have investigated you. Your identity… if exposed, it would be trouble.”
Her identity? Rong Zhi looked at him suspiciously. She had almost forgotten. The many corpses unearthed outside the mass grave last time were sent to Qianji Pavilion by Jin Yunfei. Xiao Jianli had mentioned he would investigate. Had he uncovered anything? After she died in her previous life, Xiao Jianli came to Tianque Kingdom. After so many years, was he unaware of her resurrection?
“Zhi’er, what’s wrong?” Xiao Jianli’s sharp senses picked up on Rong Zhi’s abnormal expression.
Rong Zhi initially wanted to ask, but then remembered that she couldn’t speak now, and the question wasn't crucial. So, she shook her head and wrote a few words on a piece of paper.
“What would happen if my identity were exposed?”
Xiao Jianli said, “The entire Tianque Kingdom now greatly fears tales of ghosts and gods. If a person who has come back from the dead were to suddenly appear, think about what would happen.”
It would inevitably cause widespread panic. Influential and powerful individuals might gather forces to trouble her. Rong Zhi had already considered this, but precisely because it was too easily foreseen, she didn’t quite believe Xiao Jianli’s words. If it were truly just that, he wouldn’t have reminded her so pointedly. Rong Zhi stared at Xiao Jianli, waiting for him to continue.
Xiao Jianli’s heart skipped a beat, but his face, weathered by time, showed no sign of unease. “So, you should just rest and recover here. You absolutely must not let anyone know your identity.”
Rong Zhi shook her head. It was too late. She had already agreed to Cheng Yichen’s request to announce her identity to the world. Cheng Yichen had already gone to deliver the message, and perhaps her identity had already been spread along with it.
“What is it?” Rong Zhi wrote a character on the paper: Cheng.
“He’s going to reveal your identity?” Rong Zhi nodded.
Xiao Jianli’s expression darkened. He suddenly stood up and ran out, looking extremely anxious. It seemed he was going to find Cheng Yichen. Rong Zhi watched the door being pushed open and felt increasingly uneasy. Things were becoming more complicated. Initially, she thought she was just lucky to have a second chance at life, only to find out it was orchestrated. She thought Cheng Yichen resurrected her because of her medical skills, but it seemed that wasn’t the case either. She thought her exposure would at most attract some enemies, but seeing Xiao Jianli’s reaction, it seemed the matter was far from simple. She sighed deeply.
Suddenly, a creak came from outside. Chu Qingze stood at the doorway, staring at her with a complex gaze, as if seeing Rong Zhi for the first time. Awkwardness and unease were evident on his face. Rong Zhi raised her hand slightly, signaling him to come in. She had almost forgotten that this was Gushengtang. They hadn’t been deliberately avoiding him these past two days, so he must have overheard everything. Chu Qingze walked in slowly, each step heavy. Rong Zhi gestured to the chair in front of her, inviting him to sit. After he sat down and took a deep breath, he mustered the courage to ask, “Who exactly are you?” “And who are those two people?” “Why are they so powerful? Are they connected to the royal family?” He asked three questions in a row, none of which Rong Zhi had anticipated. She had expected him to inquire about the owner of Yaowang Valley. Rong Zhi nodded slightly, acknowledging the last question. Chu Qingze’s brows furrowed, “Then… when Zhang Yajing and I were captured and taken to the outskirts last time, was that also related to them?” Having witnessed the white-haired man come back to life with his own eyes, Chu Qingze subconsciously connected these two incidents. Rong Zhi shook her head. Chen An had already explained the previous incident; it had nothing to do with Cheng Yichen. Seeing Chu Qingze’s worried expression, Rong Zhi wrote two words on the paper. Fear? Chu Qingze nodded. He wasn’t afraid of the numerous corpses in the mass grave, but now that those corpses could walk and move, and drag living people into graves, how could he not be afraid? Rong Zhi raised her hand and hovered it over his forehead, about to bring it down, but then turned and patted his shoulder. Fear was a natural human emotion. Who wouldn’t be afraid at a time like this? Fortunately, this matter only concerned her. As long as Chu Qingze didn’t associate himself with her from now on, he should be safe. She got up and walked out towards the pharmacy.
“What are you doing?” Chu Qingze became alert immediately. Had she tried to commit suicide once already and wanted to do it again? He quickly followed her to the pharmacy, only to realize he had been mistaken. Rong Zhi was selecting various oddly shaped small bottles from the medicine shelves and putting them into her clothes. He didn’t stop her. Those were sedatives, anesthetics, and some potent offensive pills or liquids. For doctors who roamed the martial world, carrying such items was commonplace. After packing a large bundle, Rong Zhi returned to the room, quickly wrote a letter, stuffed it into Chu Qingze’s hand, and left without looking back. Chu Qingze wanted to stop her, but the injured Rong Zhi walked faster than him, disappearing in the blink of an eye. He had no choice but to open the letter. It contained only two lines: “I’m going out to hide. Tell my friends my location when they return, then destroy this letter.” Beside it was a rough map, crudely drawn with a few lines, but it was immediately recognizable as a location near the outskirts of the city. The outskirts, a cluster of low, earthen houses, was desolate. This was where she and Chu Qingze had disguised themselves as Taoist priests last time. When they came before, there were many people, but now there wasn’t a soul. Rong Zhi could only hear her own footsteps and breathing. She had heard that the city guards had intensified their patrols, and the people here must have been dispersed. She turned to the end of the lane, where a dilapidated earthen house stood, looking more dilapidated than the others, and seemed on the verge of collapse. She had encountered patients with infectious diseases before and, fearing to infect others, had brought them here. Even then, it was desolate, and later a group of people quietly came to drive away evil spirits and act as intermediaries. Judging by the situation, the city guards probably wouldn’t come here again. Hiding here would be very safe, as long as Chu Qingze didn’t voluntarily reveal that they knew each other, no calamity would befall him. Entering the room, Rong Zhi was choked by the dust that hit her, and this cough brought with it a scent of blood. Once inside, she sat on the simple wooden bed and began to regulate her breathing through internal cultivation. Although the poison in her body had been expelled, it had still damaged her meridians. She had important matters to attend to now, and she needed to live well. She put aside her distracting thoughts and began to meditate. As her internal energy began to circulate, a warmth spread through her meridians. She focused her mind, diligently cultivating according to the techniques of the Yufeng Jue.
By the time it got dark, her chest felt much smoother. She opened her eyes and found someone standing before her. Xiao Jianli, holding his sword, had his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. But the moment Rong Zhi looked at him, he immediately opened his eyes, a hint of joy appearing on his face. “Zhi’er, you’re awake. Are you feeling better?” His natural response reminded Rong Zhi of how he used to stay by her side when she worked tirelessly for her patients. Over time, she had completely overlooked his presence. She thought that if Xiao Jianli were to stab her in the back stealthily, she wouldn't be able to defend herself at all. What about Cheng Yichen? Rong Zhi wanted to speak, but no sound came out. “He’s gone, but there’s no news about you in the court. I think he hasn’t told anyone else yet.” In the moonlight, Xiao Jianli’s expression was not very clear. From his angle, he couldn’t possibly see Rong Zhi’s lip movements just now, yet he answered so naturally, showing how well he understood her. Rong Zhi pointed in the direction of Qianji Pavilion. What about those people? Had the girls from Qianji Pavilion been saved? Was the resurrection formation still in progress? “Zhi’er, what do you want to ask?” Xiao Jianli’s voice was somewhat dazed. Rong Zhi sighed. Forget it, he probably knew nothing about this matter. She felt uncertain. She had only heard that Cheng Yichen was skilled in Xuan術 (mystical arts), but she didn’t know his character. She had agreed to announce her identity to the world; would Cheng Yichen keep his promise and release those girls? Thinking of the girls whose bodies were cut with wounds, their lives slowly draining away, Rong Zhi felt a pang of heartache. She couldn’t just rely on Cheng Yichen’s integrity; she had to think of another way. She grabbed Xiao Jianli’s hand and quickly wrote something on his palm. “You want me to go back and keep an eye on things?” Rong Zhi nodded and continued to write a few more sentences. Xiao Jianli was originally a Mei Hua Guard (Plum Blossom Guard), so gathering information was more convenient for him. Moreover, he couldn’t stay away from the palace for too long, or it might arouse suspicion. The only difficulty was how to quickly convey any news to her if he had any. Rong Zhi’s hand paused. Xiao Jianli said, “I have trusted confidantes among the Mei Hua Guards. Transmitting messages won’t be a problem.” That was good. Rong Zhi squeezed his hand. If Cheng Yichen didn’t release those people as agreed, she would have to find another way. “Zhi’er, I understand what you mean. This is no place to stay. I’ll take you somewhere else.” Xiao Jianli looked at the dilapidated room, which didn’t even have a candle. How could Rong Zhi, who hadn’t recovered yet, stay in such a place? Rong Zhi, however, pushed him away, turned back to the bed, and sat down like a statue. She wasn’t going anywhere; she would stay right here. Since those innocent girls had lost their lives in vain to resurrect her, how could she enjoy herself? Seeing her firm resolve, Xiao Jianli had no choice but to instruct, “Then take good care of yourself. I’m leaving.” With that, he vanished into the night. The room fell silent, with only the moonlight filtering through the window onto the floor. The moonlight was like water. Rong Zhi stared at the ground, contemplating how she would respond if Cheng Yichen didn’t keep his word.
In the Ministry of Justice prison, bloodstains dotted the dry grass on the floor. Xia Yunting sat cross-legged in the corner, his clothes torn to shreds, revealing wounds that went deep to the bone. The jailer outside squinted and said through gritted teeth, “General Xia, won’t you confess? Someone has already seen traces of Xuan術 in your general’s manor. As long as you confess, you can avoid some of the physical suffering.”