Liu Liu spoke with persistence. Nan Gongyue, standing beside her, refused to let her. He quickly reached out to stop her actions, "Liu'er, are you crazy? This woman clearly has malicious intentions. Why would she make someone take such a medicine?"
Nan Gongyue shot a cold glare at the old woman's retreating back. A reclusive old monster. Nan Gongyue knew about the amnesia-inducing medicine she spoke of, but he had never made such a sinister concoction.
It was a drug that controlled a person's thoughts, rendering the brain blank, erasing all past memories. If Liu Liu lost her memory, wouldn't she forget him?
"As long as it can kill Feng Xie, let alone amnesia, I would give my life," Liu Liu declared proudly. Her words stimulated Nan Gongyue, causing a wave of suffocation to surge through his chest. Blood rushed upwards. Did she love him that much? Why? Why?
His eyes were deep and pained. He stumbled back two steps. Yet, the old woman did not let him off. Coming back to her senses, she chuckled mockingly, "So you like her too? It's a pity she doesn't feel the same way about you?"
This sentence finally struck Nan Gongyue. He spat out a mouthful of scarlet blood and flashed into the dense forest.
Liu Liu was shocked by Nan Gongyue's severe injury. She felt a pang of sadness. Feng Xie's matters were already enough to torment her. With a face full of sorrow, she quickly flashed out, intending to pursue him.
"Nan Gong? Nan Gong?"
Yun Gu's cold voice came from behind her.
"Are you going to take the medicine or not? If not, then leave. And since you don't like him, be decisive. Extinguish his hope completely. If you chase after him like this, aren't you giving him hope again? With hope, there will eventually be pain. It's better to cut the gordian knot quickly."
Liu Liu's body trembled. Yun Gu's words struck her deeply. In the past, she always thought that even if she couldn't love him, he was still her confidant.
In fact, for a man who loved her, if she couldn't reciprocate his love, it would be better to end things decisively. Knowing he had feelings for her and still calling him a confidant—wasn't this her fault? Liu Liu gave a bitter smile, turned to look at Yun Gu, and extended her hand.
"Give it to me, I'll take it. As long as you give me the Blood Dripper, I'll do anything."
Feng Guai Wu Lang Jun, who had been standing behind Liu Liu, was greatly alarmed when he saw his mistress was really going to take the medicine. "How can this be? If my mistress loses her memory, will she still remember Seven Star Pavilion and us subordinates?"
"Mistress, absolutely not. If you take this, will you still remember everyone?"
Liu Liu's gaze turned cold, and she spoke with clear composure.
"From now on, you only need to obey Chu Feng's orders. If the Blood Dripper is obtained, have Ri Ying rush it to the palace immediately. Furthermore, the remaining thirteen eagles will undoubtedly try to stop us, and there's Feng Luo. So, you must divide into two groups. You, Dai Mei, Zhi Gu, and the others go one way, and have Ri Ying secretly return to the capital."
At this point, what could Feng Guai Wu Lang Jun say? His mistress had paid such a heavy price to obtain the Blood Dripper. They would deliver it to the imperial palace even if it cost them their lives, otherwise, if the Emperor met with disaster, the world would fall into chaos.
"Alright."
After Liu Liu finished giving orders to Wu Lang Jun, she took the medicine from Yun Gu's hand, tilted her head back, and swallowed it. She then turned to Yun Gu, "Now can you tell me how to neutralize the Blood Dripper?"
"Kneel before the Blood Dripper, and by evening, this Blood Dripper will be effective," Yun Gu said and walked into the bamboo house without looking back. Liu Liu outside the house was stunned. What did this mean? Was it a punishment, or something else? As she was wondering, a cold voice came from inside the house.
"Don't think I'm bored and looking for trouble. Only those with sincerity can obtain this Blood Dripper. You kneel, and the sweat that drips onto its fruit can be harvested. Otherwise, even if it's picked, it will turn into a drop of sweet water."
"Ah?"
Liu Liu and Feng Guai Wu Lang Jun cried out in surprise. What a strange fruit! Without any further doubt, they immediately knelt down. It was winter. Although the sun shone overhead, it was quite difficult to sweat.
Liu Liu knelt, her heart filled with anxiety. She looked up at the sky. The sunlight was gentle and warm, sprinkling on her body like a hot spring. She couldn't help but lament her misfortune.
She needed intense sunlight! Even if she knelt until dark, she wouldn't sweat. Time was life. What should she do?
Liu Liu frowned in thought and turned to look at Feng Guai Wu Lang Jun.
"Use your internal energy to help me sweat."
Wu Lang Jun was dumbfounded. He couldn't help but admire his mistress's brilliant idea, even thinking of something like this. However, time was of the essence. He immediately parted his legs, squatted down, and channeled his internal energy from his palms, enveloping his mistress.
Liu Liu was wearing a heavy cloak and was anxious. Now, enveloped by Wu Lang Jun's internal energy, she immediately felt the heat radiating from within and the warmth around her. She dared not move.
She also dared not lift her cloak. This sweat was too precious. Soon, beads of sweat formed on her face.
One drop, two drops, three drops. Slowly, they dripped onto the red fruit of the Blood Dripper. The bright red, tempting fruit, soaked by the sweat, miraculously turned a deep red.
It wasn't as bright and alluring as before but exuded a mature fragrance. Liu Liu was relieved upon seeing this. She waved her hand, signaling Wu Lang Jun to withdraw his internal energy.
"Alright, come here."
Before Wu Lang Jun could walk over, he smelled a faint fragrance that wafted towards him. The Blood Dripper had ripened. He stepped forward and saw that the Blood Dripper had turned a deep red, indicating it had ripened.
Liu Liu was overjoyed. She carefully picked four fruits, wrapped them in a silk cloth, and handed them to Wu Lang Jun.
"Go down the mountain immediately and deliver this to the imperial palace."
"Mistress, what about you? Why don't you come with me? Since we've obtained the Blood Dripper, even if you lose your memory, we will help you regain it," Wu Lang Jun carefully put away the Blood Dripper and looked at Liu Liu earnestly. Before Liu Liu could speak, a bamboo arrow flew out from the bamboo house, striking rapidly towards Wu Lang Jun. He quickly dodged, and the bamboo arrow grazed his ear. A cold, fierce voice rang out.
"Good, you want to renege? Return the item to me. If you don't leave someone behind, you won't get the item down the mountain. Do you want to try? Perhaps that man will die."
After speaking, she let out a sinister laugh. Liu Liu's heart raced upon hearing her words. It would take half a month to rush to the capital, and even traveling day and night would take about ten days. Why the delay? Although she would lose her memory, she was fine. Moreover, this was a matter of trust. Since she had promised to stay with her, she could not break her word.
"Hurry up and go. After you get down the mountain, you and Dai Mei will lead the way to distract those people in hiding, and have Ri Ying take the shortcut back to the capital alone."
"Alright, Mistress, take care."
Wu Lang Jun cupped his hands. There was no more time for words. It was best to return to the capital immediately. After speaking, Wu Lang Jun rushed down the mountain.
Following his mistress's plan to split into two groups, the Blood Dripper was handed over to Ri Ying. Everyone was saddened to hear that their mistress had lost her memory. However, there were more important matters at hand, and they could not afford to be sad. They immediately split into two groups to return to the capital.
One team took the main road openly. As expected, they were attacked. Several people sustained minor injuries. Fortunately, a person in black appeared and used a disorientation powder to disrupt the attackers' movements, allowing them to escape in the ensuing chaos.
They wanted to thank the person, but that person had already vanished. Meanwhile, Ri Ying traveled day and night towards the capital, eating dry rations when hungry and resting in roadside forests when extremely tired.