"Brother Yuchen, your condition..."
Xue Qinghe looked at me sitting in the wheelchair, my face pale as a ghost, and a perfectly measured flash of surprise crossed her eyes.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Han Yuchen coughed weakly twice and took out a handkerchief to cover his mouth.
When he lowered it, a glaring streak of crimson stained the fabric.
"Cough, cough... The imperial physician said I had damaged my foundation. I need a Star Spirit Grass that grows in an area of extreme yin to recuperate."
Han Yuchen handed over the golden token, his hand still trembling slightly.
"I heard this medicinal herb can be found in the core area of the Royal Hunting Ground... I want to try my luck."
Xue Qinghe accepted the golden token, her fingers lightly tapping against the tabletop.
She was assessing me.
Blades hid within those seemingly gentle eyes.
She was judging whether Han Yuchen was truly crippled or playing another trick. She had never stopped suspecting him.
The core area of the Royal Hunting Ground had a complex environment and savage soul beasts. Even a Soul Emperor would be lucky to escape without being skinned alive.
Sending Han Yuchen, a "seriously wounded patient," in there was no different from sending him to his death.
In the past, she might have stopped him.
After all, it would have been an excellent opportunity to win Han Yuchen over.
But now...
A crippled genius was no longer worth recruiting.
In fact, if Han Yuchen died inside, it would save her trouble.
After all, only the dead could keep secrets.
"Since it is for your treatment, naturally I cannot stop you."
Xue Qinghe smiled, warmly, like a generous elder brother.
"However, the core area is fraught with danger, and given Brother Yuchen's current condition..."