Zefang waited for Xiao Man in her room, waiting until his eyelids began to droop, and he was about to dream of returning to Duke Zhou when the door was suddenly kicked open, and Xiao Man returned with a young woman in her arms.
Zefang sprang up from his chair, "You're back... What happened to the Poison Girl?"
"She's injured. Go fetch a basin of hot water." Xiao Man placed the Poison Girl on the bed and began to unbutton her clothes. The Poison Girl had several wounds. Although she had already been given an antidote pill, she still needed to have her blood let again. However, the Poison Girl was already severely injured, and Xiao Man was worried that letting her blood now would further weaken her.
Zefang brought in the hot water and saw Xiao Man undressing the Poison Girl. He quickly turned away, "I'll go call Shanyun to help."
Before Xiao Man could stop him, Zefang had already gone to call Shanyun. However, after running out, he suddenly remembered that he didn't know which room Shanyun lived in, so he immediately grabbed a guard.
"Call a maid over."
The guard didn't know what Zefang wanted a maid for, so he reported the matter to Fan Ting, and Yan Yan happened to overhear it.
"Who is Zefang calling a maid for?"
"It's Xiao Qin."
Yan Yan frowned. Calling a maid, and then headed towards Xiao Man's room. Xiao Man had never needed servants; why would she need one at this time?
When Yan Yan arrived with her people, Xiao Man was cleaning the Poison Girl's wounds. Yan Yan stared at the scene, dumbfounded, her mouth agape. After she reacted, she quickly stepped forward to stop her.
"Xiao Qin, what are you doing?"
"Treating her wounds. Move aside, don't get in the way." Xiao Man's expression was cold, and her movements were both fast and gentle as she applied medicine and bandaged the Poison Girl, wiping away the bloodstains. She had essentially seen the Poison Girl's entire body.
Yan Yan's face flushed, "Who is she?"
"My friend, Shi Lan." Xiao Man's tone was calm, her eyes filled with anger, but she was suppressing it with all her might.
"Is she someone you brought back from the Land of No Return?"
"Yes."
"Where did you find her?"
Xiao Man fell silent. She didn't want Yan Yan to know that she had found the Poison Girl at the Zhang family's residence, especially since Yan Yan still harbored feelings for Zhang Shengyu, and she was determined to get justice for Shi Lan!
"Outside," Xiao Man replied perfunctorily.
Yan Yan felt uneasy. So many things had happened today. First, Xiao Man had vomited blood and gone out to save someone, and then at night, she had gone out and brought back a severely injured young woman. It was as if everyone around her had suddenly run into trouble.
"I'll take care of her. After all, she's a young lady, and it's inconvenient for you to care for her."
Xiao Man was about to say that it wasn't inconvenient at all when she suddenly remembered that she was dressed as a man and, because of Feng Moran, she could not reveal her identity yet.
"Thank you for your trouble." Xiao Man stood up, preparing to move aside, when the Poison Girl woke up.
"Boss..."
"You're awake." Xiao Man sat back down. "How do you feel?"
The Poison Girl smiled weakly, "I thought... I would never... see you again."
"Don't be silly. Aren't I right here?" Xiao Man tucked her in. "Rest well. The person who hurt you will pay the price they deserve."
"The people who captured me... were from the Five Poisons Sect, not the Zhang family," the Poison Girl gasped. "I escaped when that old pervert wasn't around... When I escaped, I met the young master of the Zhang family, and he helped me."
Xiao Man was a little surprised, seemingly not expecting Zhang Shengyu to help the Poison Girl. However, she quickly composed herself. "I understand. Rest well, I'll be next door."
The Poison Girl nodded laboriously, closed her eyes, and fell asleep again.
Yan Yan, on the other hand, turned deathly pale. "You found her at the Zhang family's residence..."
"Let's talk outside." Xiao Man pulled Yan Yan out, closing the door gently to avoid disturbing the Poison Girl's rest.
"Xiao Qin, why was Shi Lan at the Zhang family's residence?"
"An elder from the Five Poisons Sect lives at the Zhang family's residence. It was this person who captured Shi Lan and took her to the Zhang family's. As you heard Shi Lan say, it has nothing to do with Zhang Shengyu."
"An elder from the Five Poisons Sect is at the Zhang family's..." Yan Yan felt a headache coming on. Why was an elder from the Five Poisons Sect at the Zhang family's, and what was he doing there? Was her grandfather's poisoning related to the Zhang family?
"Xiao Qin, I have a headache."
"You're too tired. Go back and rest early," Xiao Man comforted her. "Don't overthink it. You have no connection to the Zhang family anymore."
Yan Yan left with a pale face, in a very poor state.
"You're going out again," Zefang stated with certainty.
"I can't sleep. I'm going for a walk. Please help me look after them." After speaking, Xiao Man vanished into the night.
Zefang sat on the stone steps. "You're quite forgiving. If you have a grievance, you want to retaliate immediately. You're too impulsive, you need to curb yourself. When you go to the Seven Great Sects in the future, you'll need to temper your sharpness even more. You know, the tallest tree in the forest will be destroyed by the wind."
"Little friend Zefang." A hoary voice came from behind.
Zefang did not turn around, maintaining his posture of resting his chin on his hands while sitting on the stone steps. "Old City Lord, you're getting old, don't stay up late. It's not good for your health."
The Old City Lord chuckled and sat on the stone steps, imitating Zefang. "I am indeed old, but I can still stay up late occasionally. Would you like a drink, little friend?"
"Yes." Zefang took the wine pot handed by the Old City Lord and took a sip. The fiery sensation burned from his throat all the way to his stomach. Zefang took another sip. "It's been a while since I've had this burning liquor. It's still so potent."
"There are many fine wines in the world, but I prefer this cheap and delicious burning liquor."
"Old City Lord, are you looking for Xiao Qin?" Zefang asked calmly. "You might have to wait a while. She's gone out on business and is estimated to be back some time later."
The Old City Lord nodded. "Little friend Zefang, you're leaving, aren't you?"
The Old City Lord's words were not a question but a statement. Zefang's origins were a mystery, and they couldn't find any clues related to him. This person's identity was extraordinary.
"Yes."
"Does little friend Xiao Qin know?"
"She's smarter than you think," Zefang said slowly. "She knew from the beginning that I wouldn't stay by her side for long, and I cherish every day I spend with her."
"Little friend thinks highly of Xiao Qin."
Zefang took a large gulp of wine, placed his hands on the ground, and looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, reaching out a hand towards it. "Old City Lord, do you yearn for light?"
The Old City Lord looked at Zefang's delicate profile. Although Zefang looked very young, he seemed to have experienced immense hardship. While time had not left any traces on his face, it had left countless wounds on his heart.
"Everyone needs light, so they don't lose their way."
Zefang slowly clenched his fist, as if he could grasp that light in his hand. "Yes, everyone needs light, and she is the light I desire. It cannot be extinguished by anyone."