"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your health is paramount!"
Eunuch Jiang hurried to placate the Emperor, gently patting his chest to help him breathe.
Bai Li Ye looked as if he had heard something utterly preposterous. His face flushed and paled, and he instinctively took a step back. "Bai... Bai Fu Zhu?"
Feng Tong Tong's beautiful eyes, visible beyond her veil, flashed with surprise. She voiced her confusion directly, "Big Brother, what is Bai Fu Zhu?"
The physician, overjoyed, rushed to the Emperor's side to examine his condition.
The evil energy within the Emperor gradually dissipated, and the poisonous gas from the toxic leaves was tightly entwined around a pearl.
The Bai Fu Zhu was entirely black and was continuously absorbing the poisonous gas.
"Long live His Majesty! Your illness will soon be cured! Bai Fu Zhu can detoxify all poisons in the world and is a rare divine artifact. Even a speck of the sea's toxic leaves is life-threatening. With Bai Fu Zhu inside, it can absorb the poison instantly!"
The physician spoke volubly, wiping away tears with an excited expression.
Bai Li Ye froze in place, his expression a complex mix of emotions.
With Bai Fu Zhu present, the toxic leaves could not invade the Emperor's body, and his life was out of danger.
He had considered every possibility, but the one thing he never anticipated was the presence of Bai Fu Zhu within the Emperor.
"What! The Emperor has Bai Fu Zhu inside him? I never expected Feng Ning He to place such a precious item within His Majesty."
"It seems Feng Ning He was not the one who poisoned His Majesty. Otherwise, knowing Bai Fu Zhu was inside him, why would she have poisoned him?"
The cultivators began to murmur amongst themselves.
The situation shifted at that moment.
Feng Ning He raised a delicate eyebrow and glanced at the two motionless figures standing before her. "Are you two going to leave now?"
Bai Li Yang's eyes were filled with fury, but as his gaze fell upon the Emperor on the dragon couch, he grudgingly moved aside, clearing a path.
Feng Ning He sat on the dragon couch, placing her hand on the Emperor's forehead. A faint glow emanated from her palm.
Moments later, she retrieved the Bai Fu Zhu from the Emperor's body.
The Bai Fu Zhu was shrouded in black mist, desperately absorbing the poisonous gas.
"Look! It truly is Bai Fu Zhu! I never thought I'd see such a precious item in my lifetime!"
"I heard Bai Fu Zhu is white, and only turns color after absorbing poison. Once all the poison is purified, it can be used again..."
Each cultivator harbored their own thoughts, their eyes fixed on the Bai Fu Zhu.
Feng Guang Yao's expression turned greedy. He licked his lips. "If only the Bai Fu Zhu could fall into my hands!"
Feng Qing Cheng stared at the small pearl enveloped in poisonous gas, clenching her fists.
This vixen not only possessed a divine beast but also a divine artifact.
Divine artifacts recognize their masters. Unless the master dies, the artifact cannot change hands. The prerequisite for obtaining the Bai Fu Zhu was Feng Ning He's death.
She had believed Feng Ning He was doomed today, but unexpectedly, this woman had a backup plan.
She could hide from the first wave, but not the fifteenth. Feng Ning He's good days were numbered...
With this thought, Feng Qing Cheng lowered her gaze, concealing the ruthlessness that had risen in her eyes.
Feng Ning He retrieved the Bai Fu Zhu and looked at the Emperor. "Your Majesty, the poison has been absorbed by the Bai Fu Zhu, and the evil energy within you has also dispersed. You are no longer in danger."
Her voice was reassuring.
The Emperor smiled, looking at her with some relief. "Ning'er, it's fortunate to have you. Otherwise, I don't know if I would see tomorrow's sun."
Feng Ning He smiled nonchalantly. "It was unintentional, but it turned out well. I also didn't expect the Bai Fu Zhu to save Your Majesty's life."
Standing beside Bai Li Ye, Feng Tong Tong couldn't help but curse under her breath, "I didn't expect this vixen to be so lucky!"
Bai Li Ye remained silent, his brow furrowed, clearly displeased.
He had paid a great price to ascend to the throne, meticulously planning in secret, only to have his efforts thwarted at the last moment.
"Your Majesty, it seems this vast imperial palace is not peaceful."
Feng Ning He spoke softly, her eyes shimmering with a hint of dark light. "Someone wants Your Majesty's life. We must quickly find the person lurking in the shadows to eliminate any future trouble."
Earlier, everyone was too concerned with the Emperor's health to think too deeply.
Now that the Emperor was well, everyone had the leisure to ponder.
The Empress's expression grew serious. She looked at Feng Ning He with a hint of approval. "Ning He is right. Whether it was the evil energy or the toxic leaves, it's clear someone wanted His Majesty's life. We must investigate thoroughly."
"Empress Sister, there isn't much I can do for His Majesty, but finding the one who poisoned him is not a problem." Feng Ning He said softly.
Her clear voice made the Empress's eyes light up. "Ning He, do you have an idea?"
Feng Ning He's lips curved into a smile. The smile on her clean, fair face held a deep meaning.
She did not rush to respond but calmly rose and surveyed the crowd.
"Earlier, before the truth was known, some were quick to condemn and place the blame on me. Especially Feng Qing Cheng and the First Prince. One was eager to condemn, the other immediately wanted me dragged to execution. Weren't you two a little too hasty?"
With that, Feng Ning He lowered her gaze and looked up at Bai Li Ye and Feng Qing Cheng.
Feng Qing Cheng, having been singled out, sneered, "Feng Ning He, are you trying to say that I poisoned His Majesty?"
Bai Li Ye's face was contorted with anger as he glared at Feng Ning He. "My father raised me, and his kindness to me is immense. I would repay him, not harm him!"
Their rebuttals did not change Feng Ning He's expression.
She calmly said, "Sacred herbs are extremely demanding about their growing environment. They can only grow when planted in black spiritual soil. I believe everyone knows what black spiritual soil is."
Bai Nian Nian blurted out without hesitation, "Black spiritual soil contains luminescence, and anything planted in it will also acquire luminescence. Anyone who touches the sacred herb will have luminescence on their hands! It can be seen in the dark!"
Feng Ning He looked at her with slight approval. "Exactly. If we extinguish all the lights in the sleeping quarters, we will naturally know who touched the sacred herb and placed the toxic leaves inside."
The Empress hurriedly exclaimed, "Quick! Extinguish the lights!"
"Wait!"
Feng Ning He stopped them, glancing at the crowd gathered in the sleeping quarters. "First, close the doors. Don't let anyone have a chance to leave."
The Empress found this reasonable and quickly instructed the servants.
Among the crowd, Bai Li Ye's face paled with panic. Sweat beaded on his palms.
Luminescence was extremely difficult to wash off. It would take at least ten to half a month to remove it.
If the lights were extinguished, the truth would be revealed.
Bai Li Ye was terrified. He looked around frantically.
Sweat dripped from Feng Tong Tong's forehead. Her face was a picture of distress. "Big Brother, what should we do?"
If not for the veil covering her face, her distress would have been obvious.
Bai Li Ye bit his lip, his nerves taut. He whispered in a volume only they could hear, "Act according to the situation."
"My stomach hurts! I need to use the restroom!"
Suddenly, Bai Li Ye clutched his abdomen in apparent agony, his body arching in pain.