The bodies were dragged away, the blood was cleaned, and the broken arrows on the ground and in the shops were collected, as if nothing had happened.
"Sister Lǜwǎn?"
Xiǎo Màn watched as Lǜwǎn held her hand. Unable to help herself, she rubbed Lǜwǎn's palm with her thumb. Her sister's hands were fair and tender. Usually, while attending to their mistress's daily needs, these hands would pour tea and peel fruit, yet there wasn't a single callus on them.
How exactly had Sister managed to break down those sharp arrows and long bows with these hands, as delicate as white jade?
It defied logic!
She blinked, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Lǜwǎn looked down, meeting a pair of eyes sparkling with brilliant light. Xiǎo Màn's face was full of a desire to learn, her long but not upturned eyelashes fluttering. She was precocious, always carrying herself like a little adult. Lǜwǎn rarely saw her display the childish demeanor that children her age should exhibit. Today, she finally did.
She knew what Xiǎo Màn wanted to ask, but these were not things she should be explaining. So, she pretended ignorance and inquired, "What is it?"
"Sister, was that move you just made martial arts?"
"No!"
"Oh, I see!"
Xiǎo Màn sighed. She knew it; such god-like skill couldn't possibly be martial arts. But she was persistent and asked again, "Can others learn it?"
Lǜwǎn shook her head. "No!"
The light in Xiǎo Màn's eyes visibly dimmed.
Lǜwǎn gently rubbed Xiǎo Màn's head, trying to comfort her.
The three of them had been attacked today. Lǜwǎn didn't send Gǒuzi and Yādàn back to the Tongji Pharmacy but brought them along to the mansion. Passing by the back alley of the prince's mansion, the alley had almost returned to its original state, showing no trace of the battle between extraordinary individuals that had just taken place there.
When Lǜwǎn returned, Yǐng Yī and Yǐng Sān were reporting the recent battle situation to the Prince and the Consort.
Seeing Lǜwǎn's return, Yǐng Sān raised his eyebrows at her. The little yellow flower on his head swayed gently, as if greeting Lǜwǎn and appearing quite pleased.
Nán Shīyǐng shifted her gaze from Yǐng Sān and fixed it on Lǜwǎn. She asked, "How is it?"
Her voice was calm, but a hint of worry could still be heard.
"Consort, please rest assured. Xiǎo Màn and the others were not injured, only a bit frightened. This servant has asked Bái Zhǐ to take them to change and eat something to settle their nerves."
Nán Shīyǐng nodded and then said to her, "You've come at the right time. Listen as well!"
"Yes!"
Lǜwǎn responded and naturally walked to Nán Shīyǐng's side. Seeing that the tea in her teacup was nearly empty, she picked up the teapot and refilled it.
Yǐng Sān watched, somewhat stunned.
He had only been gone for half a year, yet it felt like a century. The side consorts and ladies of the mansion had died... died... it was one thing for them to die, but how had this newly arrived Princess Consort become like a usurper? Before, besides the Master, whom had she ever served like this?
Nán Shīyǐng didn't miss the fleeting astonishment in Yǐng Sān's eyes. She looked up and glanced at Lǜwǎn. Lǜwǎn lowered her head, either not seeing or pretending not to see.
The corners of Nán Shīyǐng's mouth curved upwards as she picked up her teacup and took a sip.
"Continue!" she said to Yǐng Yī and the other.
Yǐng Sān hesitated, glancing at the Prince, and couldn't help but want to scratch his head. Why, oh why, could the Master tolerate her being so presumptuous?
Yǐng Yī, however, was already accustomed to it and continued from where he left off, "Besides Chì Yán, who was captured, the other two individuals had seeds planted within them." As he spoke, he looked at Yǐng Sān. Yǐng Sān exclaimed, "Ah! The Master didn't say anything about the Princess Consort's presumptuous behavior, so I dare not say more." Seeing Yǐng Yī looking at him, he quickly nodded, "Yes, I have planted the flower seeds within them and am keeping detailed track of their movements."
Nán Shīyǐng was quite interested in Yǐng Sān's ability.
"Seeds? Can they reproduce?"
Yǐng Sān glanced at the Prince again before shaking his head and replying, "No!"
He then added a slight explanation, "The seeds used for tracking are not living organisms, so they cannot reproduce."
Nán Shīyǐng was adept at grasping the main point. "So, that means there are living seeds?"
Yǐng Sān remained silent.
He didn't want to answer.
Among extraordinary individuals, eavesdropping on abilities was the most taboo. The Princess Consort's question had touched upon certain boundaries. Yǐng Yī and Lǜwǎn turned their heads, one looking up, the other looking down, their four eyes falling squarely on Yǐng Sān's face, trying to decipher how many liters of seawater were stored in his mind from his slightly pursed lips.
From the Master's attitude towards the Consort, hadn't he grasped anything?
Although Lǜwǎn and Yǐng Yī hadn't fully revealed their abilities, it was because the Consort hadn't asked. If the Consort had asked, they would have answered truthfully. Did he dare to hesitate? Couldn't he see the Master's downcast eyes?
"What, are you mute?"
Jì Jìn Mò lifted his eyelids, his narrow phoenix eyes slowly falling on Yǐng Sān. His voice, neither too loud nor too soft, landed on Yǐng Sān's ears, causing him to shiver violently.
"No... no..." His voice tightened, and the little yellow flower on his head trembled slightly, even its petals drooping as if wilted. A look of grievance appeared on Yǐng Sān's rough, even messy face, his messy eyebrows drooping, mirroring the little flower above. "Replying to the Consort, there are living seeds."
Nán Shīyǐng, inexplicably, saw the word 'frail' on him. She looked at Jì Jìn Mò and the other two, as if asking: Has this fellow always been like this?
"Mm!"
Lǜwǎn nodded.
Yǐng Yī remained silent.
Jì Jìn Mò handed Nán Shīyǐng a peeled orange.
Yǐng Sān's mouth slightly parted. Even if he were slower, he could tell the Master had fallen.
"What's the effect?" Nán Shīyǐng pressed.
Yǐng Sān no longer dared to hesitate and answered in detail, "Simply put, it's like turning a person into a tree. Once the living seed enters the body, it can use the human body as a nursery to absorb nutrients, sprout, and take root. The roots penetrate the person's internal organs and finally burst out, growing into a towering tree."
However, this was very difficult. Living seeds were essentially extracted abilities, and it was very taxing for him!
Nán Shīyǐng nodded. "According to your words, aren't living seeds the materialization of your abilities after they've been stripped away?"
Yǐng Sān blinked.
"Yes!"
How did the Princess Consort guess that?
So amazing!
"Then I understand!"
Nán Shīyǐng no longer dwelled on the matter of the seeds and instead asked, "Sense it. I need to know where my martial grand-uncle is now!"
Martial grand-uncle?
Were there people from the Consort's sect among the extraordinary individuals who attacked today?
Was the Consort also an extraordinary individual?
That couldn't be right. Wasn't the Consort the daughter of Nán Cháo Yǐn? How could she have a sect? How could she be an extraordinary individual?
Ten thousand questions echoed in Yǐng Sān's mind. However, the little flower on his head rippled quickly after the Consort finished speaking. It turned slightly, looking towards the southwest.