Just as Qi Biao’s heart was clenched in distress, the screams abruptly ceased, followed by a stream of curses: “Hearing his ghostly howls every other day, one of these days I’ll go mad from this useless wretch. We’re out here for a great cause, yet we have to serve this freak who’s neither man nor woman every day. I swear I could kill him with a single slap.”
The voice grew clearer as it moved outward, suggesting the speaker had exited the cave and was now directly facing Qi Biao’s men. Though the darkness hid them from each other, it posed no obstacle to Qi Biao.
Another voice chimed in: “Boss, this master is already useless now. We can’t even contact the outside without permission. This can’t go on forever.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? Originally, the Marquis had sent Ninth Master to replace him, but who knew that fool Yuan Fu couldn’t control himself and ended up fooling around with Ninth Master at the relay station, draining himself to death. Instead, this master here reaped the benefits. Now we can’t act rashly again.”
“Damn it, this is suffocating! Boss, do you think this master’s condition has something to do with that Sixth Miss Lin? In the past, he’d have occasional episodes but could endure them. It’s only since that Sixth Miss arrived that he’s become like this.”
At the mention of Sixth Miss Lin, the others instinctively glanced at Qi Biao, who himself forgot to breathe.
“Hmm, you might be onto something. Who knows what witchcraft that little bitch used? Not only is there no explanation for this master’s episodes, but our brothers are also dying for no reason, not even knowing how they died. If we catch that little bitch, I’ll chop her into eight pieces!”
“Don’t be like that, Boss. Though she’s vicious, she’s really pretty. We’ve been hiding in these mountains so long we’ve forgotten what a woman even tastes like. If we catch her, cripple her first, then let us brothers have some fun with her.”
*Crack!*
Hearing the sound of knuckles cracking, Qi Biao’s men knew that those who had earned the Black-Faced God’s wrath would die horribly. At the same time, they felt slightly relieved. From the conversation, it seemed Sixth Miss Lin had already escaped the tiger’s den and had killed more than one person—though the cause of death remained unclear.
The men were puzzled. Though their general hadn’t elaborated on Sixth Miss Lin’s skills, during their search for her, they had thoroughly researched her background. They’d only heard she was exceptionally clever—nothing about any lethal techniques. But then again, anyone valued by their Black-Faced God couldn’t be ordinary.
Thus, they each silently resolved never to offend Sixth Miss Lin lightly. If those men died without knowing how, what if she decided to play tricks on them? They didn’t dare dwell on it. Finding her was the priority now.
As they suspected, Qi Biao had marked those men for death. Now that he knew Lin Fang wasn’t in their hands, his heart eased slightly—only to grow heavier with worry. In this freezing winter, surrounded by mountains and devoid of people, where could a young girl with bound feet possibly flee? Moreover, those men hadn’t mentioned whether Granny Liu had escaped with Lin Fang. If not, how would Lin Fang survive alone? If she had, would the elderly Granny Liu become a burden?
The more he thought, the more uneasy he became. Leaving some men to continue surveillance, Qi Biao led the rest to search the surrounding area for Lin Fang.
Around the hidden outpost, there were only mountains and trees. Every habitable cave had been occupied by the soldiers. There was no trace of Lin Fang.
When the nearby search yielded nothing, they expanded their radius—one mile, two miles, ten, twenty, a hundred… A month passed, and they had reached the depths of the wilderness where wild beasts roamed, yet still no sign of Lin Fang. Qi Biao’s heart sank. Though his men didn’t voice it, their eyes showed they had lost hope.
Just as Qi Biao prepared to push further outward, a report came: “General, Lei Dongzhu has sent something—a physician from the outpost secretly passed it along, claiming it was extracted from a body killed by Sixth Miss Lin.”
A slender bamboo tube was presented, one end sealed with clay. Qi Biao drew a small dagger and carefully removed the seal. A thin silver needle, glowing faintly blue, slid out. His eyes darkened.
The needle was as fine as the most delicate embroidery needle but differed in that its tip bore barbs. Once embedded in flesh, extraction would require effort—pulling it out like a normal needle would tear away skin. This was the very flying needle Qi Biao had gifted Lin Fang.
The blue glow came from poison. During the New Year at Qi Manor, under the pretense of teaching Lin Fang how to use the needles, Qi Biao had swapped her set with poisoned ones. Knowing her compassionate nature, he feared she’d refuse to carry them if she knew, so he never told her, only warning her to use them sparingly. Now, those poisoned needles had proven their worth.
“Was there anything else?” Qi Biao asked.
“Just this,” the messenger replied.
After resealing the needle, Qi Biao asked, “Did the physician give his name?”
The messenger shook his head. “He only said, ‘A follower of Eunuch Zheng.'”
Without another word, Qi Biao sped toward the outpost, his men following with quiet relief.
Meanwhile, Lin Fang was suffering bitterly.
Granny Liu, over sixty, had begun sleeping excessively—sometimes for entire days—waking dazed or even staring blankly at Lin Fang, unrecognizing. Terrified, Lin Fang concluded it was dementia.
But during lucid moments, Granny Liu disagreed. She recalled feeling this way since their stay at the magistrate’s residence, suspecting the room had been lightly drugged. At the time, she dismissed it as age-related, not wanting to worry Lin Fang, who seemed unaffected. Later, after another rest there, she lost consciousness—likely from overdosing, damaging her organs.
Lin Fang agreed. As for why she was unaffected, she suspected her body’s unique traits. Knowing Qi Biao could see in the dark, she realized her post-detox eyes could too, suggesting her antidote shared properties with his poison. Perhaps Master Shen had used poison to counter poison, granting her immunity like Qi Biao’s. That explained why the initial drugging hadn’t affected her.
Determined to heal Granny Liu, Lin Fang scoured the trenches for herbs. Though she knew recipes, her fatal flaw was misidentifying plants, risking harm. One day, in a depression, she spotted a patch of *kuro* (bitter flesh)—lush and green in winter’s desolation. She decided to abandon complex formulas, using only *kuro*, a renowned detoxifier her mother and medical texts praised for countering narcotics and cleansing residual toxins.
Initially, Lin Fang thought *kuro* wasn’t so bitter, seeing Granny Liu drink its juice with little reaction. But when she tasted it herself, the bitterness was unbearable—especially with her heightened senses.
As Granny Liu slept more, even mid-drink, Lin Fang resorted to mouth-to-mouth feeding to ensure timely doses. The bitterness made her heart clench, exhausting her. Only by chewing *guben* (a restorative) could she neutralize the taste. She realized Granny Liu’s tolerance wasn’t fearlessness—her taste buds were damaged, dulling the bitterness.
After five days, Granny Liu improved, recognizing Lin Fang more often. Encouraged, Lin Fang sought more *kuro*, venturing farther.
One day, as she stared at a cluster of unfamiliar berries, an unfamiliar-yet-familiar presence approached—at least five people.
“What is this?”
“Likely the legendary ‘rat berries.'”
Answering reflexively, Lin Fang froze. Before she could turn, she was enveloped in a cloak, held tightly from behind. Warm breath tickled her scalp—familiar, yet urgent.
Unfazed, she didn’t turn. “Yi-ge?”
“Hmm?” The reply was cautious.
“How did you find me?”
“Followed your trail.”
“My trail? Hard to track, surely.”
“Yet here I am.”
“Heh. Easier to enter than leave, I fear.”
“How so?”
“This is a maze. I’ve searched two months for an exit.”
“Never mind that. What were you doing?”
“Searching for *kuro* to detox Granny Liu. Found these rat berries instead.”
“Rat berries? Extremely toxic—banned by the court.”
“Yes, I know.”
Their conversation flowed as casually as if no time had passed, devoid of the expected emotional reunion. The baffled entourage exchanged glances and discreetly retreated.
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