Chu Qianli and Feng Yexuan ascended Mount Langya via hot air balloon.
As they had anticipated, Mount Langya was heavily guarded, with archers at the ready.
Before they could get close, they landed on the mountaintop using parachutes.
Upon landing, they were immediately intercepted by layers of guards.
"I have Long Xiyue's token. If you give this token to Old General Wei, I believe the old general will be willing to grant me an audience."
She presented the token with both hands: "Whether this token is genuine or fake, let the old general take a look, and he will surely be able to discern it."
The leading guard, half-believing, took the token.
He ordered his men to guard the two of them and immediately left through a secret passage to see Wei Xian.
About half an hour later, the guard returned in a hurry and said to Chu Qianli, "The lady is invited."
As Feng Yexuan was about to follow, the guard said sternly, "My master wishes to see only this lady."
Chu Qianli turned back, looked at Feng Yexuan, and reassured him, "You wait here and have some tea. I'll be back soon. Don't get into any conflict with them."
Finally, she also looked at the guard with a sincere expression: "My friend here is highly skilled in martial arts and has a rather bad temper. I hope the general will be understanding."
"I and the old general certainly do not wish for you to have any conflict."
The guard quickly replied, "As long as the lady's friend does not cause trouble, I will absolutely not be rude."
Chu Qianli turned to look at Feng Yexuan.
Feng Yexuan snorted coldly, "See when you'll be back. If it's too late, I might not have the patience."
"I'll be as quick as possible! Please, try to stay calm, I implore you!"
Feng Yexuan remained silent, but his expression suggested he had agreed.
Chu Qianli quickly followed the guard into the secret passage.
No wonder Her Majesty the Empress had wanted to get rid of Wei Xian for so many years, yet still could not do anything about her.
Mount Langya looked ordinary from the outside, but once inside, one could see that it was a perfectly natural and superior defensive barrier.
The secret passage led down between sheer cliffs, and they descended in an iron basket.
There were ambushes on both sides of the cliffs, and the path down was so narrow that no matter how skilled one was in martial arts, they would be unable to resist the surrounding hidden forces.
Of course, if descending was difficult, ascending would naturally be no easier.
Chu Qianli couldn't help but ask the guard beside her, "If the old general wanted to leave, this... it would be very difficult, wouldn't it?"
"The general naturally has other methods." The guard was unwilling to say more.
Chu Qianli stopped asking. After descending, everything before her eyes suddenly opened up.
The bottom of the cliff was a veritable paradise!
The guard said, "Miss, please!"
... Chu Qianli returned an hour later.
Feng Yexuan was already growing impatient.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing very well that if she had returned any later, Fourth Imperial Brother might have charged in.
"Did they give you any trouble?" Feng Yexuan asked in a low voice.
"No, the old general and I had a very good conversation. However, I must return quickly to see Wei Qiong now."
Feng Yexuan did not ask further.
The two of them descended Mount Langya again by hot air balloon, but this time, not long after leaving Mount Langya, the hot air balloon was pierced by cold arrows.
Fortunately, Chu Qianli was prepared and had already equipped herself and Feng Yexuan with parachutes.
It seemed that hot air balloons were also unsafe in ancient times; they could be shot down at any moment.
However, this time, the wind from the mountaintop scattered the two of them.
As soon as Chu Qianli landed, she immediately packed up her parachute.
Before she could even look for Feng Yexuan, a stench of decay suddenly assailed her from behind.
Chu Qianli swiftly drew her short saber and slashed.
The person was struck but still struggled to lunge forward.
Chu Qianli's heart jolted, and she leaped up, retreating several steps.
Medicine people!
What was going on?
There were medicine people in the Dragon Teng Kingdom too!
However, the medicine people encountered here seemed different from those in the Northern Ming Kingdom.
They were not as devoid of reason as the medicine people of the Northern Ming Kingdom.
Seeing Chu Qianli dodge, the medicine person actually raised a hand and blew a whistle.
He was summoning the nearby medicine people!
Chu Qianli's heart tightened, and she leaped up, slashing at a vital point with her saber.
The medicine person was finally cut down and could no longer get up.
But the surrounding medicine people must be rushing over.
Chu Qianli turned and fled.
The medicine people here had consciousness, not being entirely like wild beasts.
But they were also immune to pain, able to stand and fight even when severely wounded.
Such medicine people were even more terrifying than those in the Northern Ming Kingdom.
Around them, the stench of decay grew stronger.
There were quite a number of medicine people!
As Chu Qianli was about to find a place to hide, a cold wind suddenly blew from behind her.
She instinctively swung her saber in defense.
A deep, familiar male voice, however, reached her ears: "It's me!"
Chu Qianli quickly retracted her saber. Her shoulder was grabbed, and she was lifted up and leaped into the air.
With several whooshing sounds, several hidden weapons appeared in the spot where she had just stood!
The medicine people actually knew how to use hidden weapons!
Chu Qianli had no time to think as Feng Yexuan pulled her and fled far away.
In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into another mountain forest.
After a few more leaps, the stench of decay finally could no longer be detected.
The two landed on the ground, and Feng Yexuan released her.
Chu Qianli finally breathed a heavy sigh of relief and looked at him, "These medicine people... are different from those in the Northern Ming Kingdom!"
Feng Yexuan did not speak, merely nodded, walked to the nearby riverbank, and immersed his hands in the water to wash them.
Chu Qianli then saw clearly that his hands were covered in dark, black blood.
"Medicine people's blood?" she asked urgently.
Feng Yexuan nodded.
Chu Qianli immediately washed her hands as well, then took a bottle of medicine from her Qiankun chain, poured out a pill, and offered it to Feng Yexuan's lips.
"Medicine people's blood is poisonous. Fourth Imperial Brother, take the antidote first."
Feng Yexuan opened his mouth and swallowed it.
His thin lips brushed against her fingers, soft and warm!
A surge of heat rushed through Chu Qianli's heart, and she hastily withdrew her fingers, her heart pounding wildly.
As she leaped up, she felt a painful sensation.
Damn it! That familiar pain!
Whenever she felt concern for him, or her heart fluttered for him, her heart would ache! It was too unbearable!
She quickly stood up and retreated several steps, moving away from him.
When Feng Yexuan stood up, he saw the girl distancing herself from him.
He narrowed his eyes, a hint of displeasure: "Am I that terrifying?"
"It's not that you're terrifying, it's..." Chu Qianli didn't know how to explain.
It was also him being terrifying!
Anyway, every time she got too close, her heart would ache, and she truly couldn't bear that pain!
Not wanting him to question further, Chu Qianli quickly changed the subject: "I... I went to see Old General Wei Xian. Why didn't you ask anything about it? Aren't you curious?"
Unexpectedly, Feng Yexuan said indifferently, "This is a matter for your Dragon Teng Kingdom. Why should I ask?"