Who Will Be Drugged?

Back at the residence, the three of them headed straight into Ye Ling's room.

Ye Ling was no longer that stupid, charred-black mess. She had tidied herself up neatly and wore an oversized robe that wrapped her now-smaller wings inside. On the surface, she looked like a child dressed in an adult's clothes, her little hands tucked into her sleeves as she hugged her knees and sat on the stone steps waiting for Qin Yi.

When she saw Qin Yi and the Li Family Siblings approaching, delight flashed across Ye Ling's face, only for her to swiftly suppress it and return to the aloof, taciturn demeanor she had worn when they first met.

Before Li Qinglin, she had always acted distant and mature beyond her years.

Because whenever she showed even the faintest trace of childishness, Li Qinglin would tell her, "How can you take revenge like that? How can you accomplish anything?"

At his side, being a silent, cold demon filled with hatred seemed to be the form she had to take.

Qin Yi was still better. Whether she sat on the ground or crawled about everywhere, not only would he not scold her, his gaze would instead grow ever more kindly, and even his voice when telling stories would soften by several degrees.

Li Qinglin did not care about her attitude. He entered the room, glanced at the hole in the roof, and frowned deeply. "That foreign cultivator really is that formidable? Killing people from afar through empty space... that truly exceeds anything we could have anticipated."

Qin Yi said, "Shouldn't your first concern be Ye Ling's condition?"

Li Qinglin smiled. "You're the pharmacist."

The implication was that Qin Yi only needed to concern himself with such matters.

Qin Yi shook his head helplessly and sighed. "For now, there's no need to worry about Minghe. But whatever you do, don't provoke her."

Li Qinglin smiled. "In fact, I have already met her. This morning, while my royal brother's coffin was being borne away, she was watching me from a distant hilltop. I sensed something and turned to meet her gaze. In that moment, I knew she was the foreign cultivator Ye Ling had mentioned."

Qin Yi was rather interested in the outcome of their meeting, so he asked, "And then?"

"There was no then." Li Qinglin said, "Perhaps she had originally wanted to say something to me, but upon seeing me, she no longer wished to speak. I had also considered talking with her before, yet when I saw her, I knew there was no need. I rode past on horseback, and in the blink of an eye, we were far apart."

"Why?"

"Talking to the stars in the sky will yield no result."

Qin Yi fell thoughtful. Both sides knew that their paths were utterly different, and both had convictions as firm as iron, not something words could shake. There was no meaning even in conversation.

Someone like him, on the other hand, had no particularly steadfast ideals. He swayed and swayed like seaweed, able to chat with anyone.

Li Qingjun asked curiously, "Could the person you mean be... that Daoist Nun we met that day?"

Qin Yi felt greatly gratified. "You've gotten smarter."

Li Qingjun reached out indignantly and pinched his waist. Qin Yi caught her hand in one grab. She tugged once but could not pull free, so she lowered her head and let him hold her hand, her cheeks glowing crimson.

Showing affection so openly before her brother... Li Qingjun felt a little uneasy.

Li Qinglin looked at their clasped hands and laughed. "Seeking immortals, seeking immortals, yet you found yourself a husband and brought him home. In the end, you only envy mandarin ducks, no longer immortals."

Those words were rather interesting. Li Qingjun thought about them and found them somewhat amusing too. Was this what they called the unpredictability of worldly affairs?

"But..." Li Qinglin's tone shifted, and his expression became solemn. "Do you truly think the matter is settled?"

Qin Yi's heart tightened. "Has something changed with your father again?"

"This morning, you entered the palace while we conducted the funeral. It seemed unrelated, but nearly every word exchanged between you and Father reached my ears. Naturally, it reached Dong Huazi's ears as well." Li Qinglin said, "Perhaps you think Father would favor you... and ordinarily, you would not be wrong. But because you did not experience it firsthand, you cannot imagine just how deeply Father trusts Dong Huazi."

Li Qingjun snapped, "What sort of mischief is he stirring up again?"

"He entered the palace to see Father." Li Qinglin cleared his throat twice, then imitated Dong Huazi in a hoarse voice. "Though Qin Yi's pills are wondrous, they merely treat ordinary ailments. This is but a minor art for mortal flesh, not the Yang Soul Great Dao. If the King truly appreciates him, granting him an estate, appointing him Imperial Physician, and having him attend the King at all times would suffice. Young men merely admire youthful beauty; seeing the Princess's beauty, he was stirred for a moment. Once high office and generous rank are placed before him, he will naturally know what to choose. Qin Yi may then treat the King's illness, while the Princess can still enter a Marriage Alliance with the Western Wasteland. Would that not kill two birds with one stone?"

Qin Yi sneered. "Then he must be blind."

Li Qingjun also smiled radiantly. Qin Yi would never be that sort of man.

Li Qinglin said coldly, "The key is not whether his proposal would work, but that Father would choose to do this. That means Father and Qin Yi will fall into a deadlock. This cannot be accomplished anytime soon, and sooner or later, changes will arise."

Both of them understood. Li Qingjun said angrily, "Why does Dong Huazi insist on making trouble and pushing me toward the Western Wasteland?"

"Judging from their behavior, they do not intend to marry you off right away. They merely wish to arrange an engagement first." Li Qinglin smiled faintly. "There has never been a precedent for collateral branches inheriting the throne in this kingdom. If something happens to me one day, then you will be Southern Li's sole lawful heir."

Li Qingjun's eyes widened.

Even Qin Yi's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

No one had actually considered that question...

"So the happy matter between you two has now become the core of every event." Li Qinglin smiled. "Brother Qin, put in more effort."

Qin Yi rubbed his head. These politicians really were disgusting beyond belief. Couldn't they just let people date in peace?

Liusu suddenly urged, Idiot. Just push her down and turn raw rice into cooked rice. Wouldn't that settle it?

It was not that he was unmoved, but it would actually be useless. What the other side was plotting had nothing to do with that. Forget pushing her down—even if she became pregnant, it would not affect their strategy.

Li Qingjun suddenly turned around with her spear in hand and strode away.

Qin Yi hurriedly grabbed her. "What are you doing now?"

Li Qingjun said expressionlessly, "I'm going to kill Mang Zhan."

"You cannot kill him unless I mobilize troops to surround his official residence." Li Qinglin said, "If I openly mobilize troops within the Capital City, then I would be no different from a rebel."

Li Qingjun said furiously, "Then we'll elope!"

Eloping sounded great. Qin Yi had long wanted to do that. He truly did not want to remain in this damned place. Dong Huazi could do whatever he wanted—could he just stop targeting them? Look at that sorry state of his. After swallowing a bellyful of lead and mercury, he probably did not have many years left anyway...

Li Qinglin said, "The situation has not reached its worst point. Why resort to that? Do you know what I was doing just now?"

Li Qingjun looked at him expectantly.

"I am not confident that I can raise Brother Qin's value, but I do have a way to lower Mang Zhan's value." Li Qinglin said leisurely, "Perhaps Father does not care who the true culprit is. But as long as it becomes established in the court and among the people, it will be enough. The Princess can absolutely not marry the enemy who killed her brother. That is why I led a group to Mang Zhan's door just now, shouting curses and demanding that the murderer of my brother come out for a fight to the death. By now, the news has likely spread throughout the Capital City. It will not be easy for Dong Huazi to whitewash him."

Li Qingjun said happily, "As expected of my brother."

Li Qinglin watched her for a while before slowly saying, "Qingjun, I have some matters to discuss with Brother Qin. Could you return to the residence for now? If you want to be lovey-dovey, there is no need to do it right this moment."

Li Qingjun said, "You've already said this much. What is there that I cannot hear?"

"What if I want Brother Qin to drug you into submission? Would you listen to that too?" Li Qinglin blinked. "That would not be very appropriate."

Li Qingjun's face flushed scarlet. "No decency at all!" But she no longer insisted on staying to listen. She merely warned Qin Yi, "Don't listen to him and do bad things."

With that, she ran away as though fleeing for her life.

Only after watching her figure disappear into the distance did Qin Yi sigh softly. "Your cursing at Mang Zhan was merely for show. It is actually useless. And sending her away was not so you could discuss how to drug her into submission. The one you want to drug into submission is someone else... Say it plainly."

Li Qinglin's gaze turned deep and unfathomable. The two silently looked at each other. An autumn wind swept past, dry leaves on the ground whirling like a dancing vortex. Ye Ling, who had remained seated beside them without saying a word, looked at their expressions and suddenly shuddered.