The Compassionate and Rescuing Lan A'si

"What exactly did you do to me?" Zhu Zhuyun covered her cheek with one hand, glaring at Lan Si through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with resentment.

"Isn't it obvious? Poison, of course." Lan Si shrugged slightly and chuckled, "I coated the Star-Advancing Spike with a potent toxin concocted from a century-old Datura Snake and various poisonous herbs. Any Soul Master below level thirty would die instantly upon contact. Those below level forty would last at most an hour without immediate detoxification. As a Soul Ancestor, you might hold out a bit longer, but if you don't find an antidote soon, I'm afraid that charming face of yours won't be yours for much longer."

"Despicable." Zhu Zhuyun's eyes were wide with fury.

"Curse me all you want. You've been struck by a neurotoxin that travels through your meridians; the more you move, the faster it spreads. In another half hour, the toxin will reach your arteries." Lan Si mused for a moment, scanning Zhu Zhuyun's curvaceous figure from head to toe before clicking his tongue. "Tsk, tsk. What a pity, truly a pity."

"What's a pity?"

"That such a beautiful woman is about to become a monster. However, if you go find an auxiliary-type Soul Master for an antidote right now, you might still make it in time."

"You... let's go." Zhu Zhuyun covered her face with one hand and, supported by the violinist Soul Master, turned and headed out of the forest.

Appearance was a woman's second life; she could not use it as a gamble. She couldn't afford to lose. If she were truly disfigured, even killing Zhu Zhuqing would be meaningless. The Star Luo Royal Family would never allow an ugly woman to become the empress.

After walking about a dozen meters, Zhu Zhuyun stopped and looked back. "Kid, do you dare to give me your real name?"

Hearing this, Lan Si paused for a moment, thought it over, and replied, "Shrek Academy, Tang San. Not worth mentioning."

"Shrek Academy?" Zhu Zhuyun laughed in anger. "Haha, my dear sister, I never expected that loser to still remember you, specifically sending this 'Tang San' to rescue you. Very good, very good indeed. But a loser is a loser; he doesn't even have the courage to face reality. If he truly cared about you, he wouldn't have abandoned you back then to go off and indulge in debauchery alone."

"Tang San, I'll remember you. Let's go."

As she spoke, Zhu Zhuyun, supported by the violinist, slowly vanished into the dense forest.

Once Zhu Zhuyun was gone, Lan Si let out a sigh of relief. The reason he had won so easily was entirely due to the advantage of the potent poison. If they had actually fought, unless he used firearms or his second martial soul, he would have struggled to defeat her given the two-ring gap, especially since she had two helpers.

"Are you alright?" Lan Si slowly set Zhu Zhuqing down.

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, her face devoid of color. At this moment, she was only staying conscious through sheer, indomitable willpower.

Lan Si said, "You've lost too much blood. I'll take you to a safe place for treatment; otherwise, if we delay any longer, your life will be in danger."

As he spoke, Lan Si retrieved the Star-Advancing Spike from the ground. Without waiting for her consent, he scooped her up in a bridal carry, tapped his toes against the ground, and leaped onto a tree branch, disappearing into the distance after a few flashes.

Time passed, and when Zhu Zhuqing finally opened her eyes, she found herself inside a tent.

Looking back, she recalled being saved and then losing consciousness on the way due to blood loss.

She looked down to check her wounds, and a charming blush crept across her face. Her blood-soaked leather outfit was gone, replaced by a brand-new, heavy black robe. Her various wounds had been bandaged with gauze, and even the arrow wound on her right shoulder had been treated.

Fortunately, her undergarments were still intact, and she felt no strange sensations, or else she would have died of social embarrassment.

Just then, the scent of roasting meat wafted from outside the tent.

"Gurgle..." Zhu Zhuqing's stomach couldn't help but growl; she hadn't eaten for nearly a day while evading the assassination attempt.

Stepping out of the tent, she saw a slender young figure roasting meat.

"Yo, you're awake. You must be hungry. The rabbit meat is almost ready; come sit for a bit."

Lan Si turned back, momentarily dazed. He had been the one to change Zhu Zhuqing into the black robe. He hadn't paid much attention while she was unconscious, but seeing her awake, he realized just how beautiful she was.

The black robe, which might look thick and heavy on others, accentuated her curvaceous, exquisite figure, adding a touch of mystery. As she walked with her Mysterious Mechanism Steps, a glimpse of her jade-white calf was visible, which was quite enchanting.

Feeling Lan Si's gaze, Zhu Zhuqing stiffened. Only now did she clearly see the face of the boy who had saved her.

He had fair skin and a handsome face, complemented by a slender build and soft, black, tousled hair. Under the glow of the fire, Zhu Zhuqing's face flushed even redder, whether from shyness at his appearance or the fact that he had changed her clothes.

The two locked eyes, and the atmosphere between them grew subtly intimate.

"My clothes..." After a long silence, Zhu Zhuqing's face turned crimson. She looked away, breaking the intimate tension first.

"Ah, oh." Hearing this, Lan Si finally snapped out of it. He set down the rabbit meat, stood up, and pointed to the clothes on the wooden rack across from the campfire. "Your outer garment was covered in blood, so I washed it. I also applied my own Golden Wound Medicine. Once it's dawn, I'll take you to a nearby city to find an auxiliary-type Soul Master for treatment; it shouldn't leave any scars."

The Golden Wound Medicine was something Lan Si had concocted in his previous life based on a secret recipe from the Tongwen Pavilion; it had miraculous effects on external injuries.

"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing sat down slowly beside Lan Si, resting her chin on her hand as she fell into thought.

She didn't press him on whether he had changed her clothes. While she was a woman of virtue, she wasn't so pedantic that she would demand someone's life for seeing her skin. Besides, he had been very discreet, only bandaging her wounds and doing nothing else.

The silence returned. Amidst the crackling of the campfire, they could faintly hear each other's heartbeats and slightly rapid breathing.

After a while, Lan Si tore off a roasted rabbit leg and handed it to Zhu Zhuqing. "It's ready. Try it; this is meat from a ten-year Soft Bone Rabbit. It tastes extremely delicious."

"Tha-thank you." Zhu Zhuqing took the rabbit leg hesitantly, wanting to say more but stopping herself.

"What, are you afraid I poisoned it? I'll eat some to show you." As he spoke, Lan Si tore off another piece of meat and began to eat heartily.

Seeing Lan Si, who had appeared so refined earlier, eating with grease all over his mouth, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but burst into a giggle.

She shook her head and smiled, "If you wanted to harm me, you wouldn't have waited until now. You had plenty of opportunities while I was unconscious. Thank you, Tang San."