Feng Jingxuan channeled his spiritual energy into Lan Qinghuan's body, attempting to complete a full circulation cycle to carefully check his fiancée's physical condition.
However, no matter how much spiritual energy he released, as soon as it entered Lan Qinghuan's body, it vanished without a trace and could not be retrieved, making normal circulation entirely impossible.
In other words, his fiancée truly was a good-for-nothing incapable of cultivation.
Then, what on earth was that powerful spiritual force just now?
Did the golden light in those vacant eyes mean that she possessed a dark golden phoenix bloodline within her?
Releasing the wrist he had been firmly gripping, Feng Jingxuan fell deep into thought.
"Hey, let go. Just how long do you intend to hold me like this?" As her spirit and soul rapidly returned, the once-crowded doorway now held only the two of them—her and Feng Jingxuan, who was still holding her.
The shattered flowerpot was still scattered across the ground, but the guard who had been foaming at the mouth nearby was gone.
Lan Zegu, Xi Yun'er, and all the guards who had been standing watch outside were nowhere to be seen.
Had they cleared the area?
And where was this man's hand resting?
Even though she, Lan Qinghuan, had lived a lifetime as a martial artist unconcerned with minor details, this man actually had his hand on her thigh, rubbing it up and down.
True, she was his nominal fiancée, but this was broad daylight in full view of everyone—no wonder those people had all cleared out.
It was all because this body was too frail; a simple soul introspection had left her so exhausted that her limbs wouldn't obey her, otherwise she would have already given this scoundrel a resounding slap.
"You? ... Not stupid! This is getting interesting."
The lazy little creature curled in his arms like a cat spoke in a soft, delicate voice that sounded for all the world like deliberate seduction.
Although the messy makeup on her face was too dreadful to look at, her straight bridge of the nose, the delicately proportioned nose, the fluttering thick eyelashes, and those lively, watery, expressive eyes—ah, truly unforgettable!
"You're the stupid one, your whole family is stupid, you're a big fool, hehehe... You're all big fools..." Oh no, she had actually forgotten that she was supposed to be a madwoman and an idiot.
No, she had to break free from this fellow's restraint; she had to keep up the act so her cover wouldn't be blown. How could she make it look more convincing?
Rip! Tear! Rip! Tear!
While loudly cursing the imperial family, she frantically tore at the cumbersome long dress that was getting in her way.
Veiling the brilliance in her eyes, she instantly transformed into a blank-eyed, drooling madwoman.
"Regardless of whether you're truly mad or faking it, three days from now, I will personally come to send you off to Fengyu Academy, and a month from now, you will be my, Feng Jingxuan's, Princess Consort.
My good Princess Consort, this prince has matters to attend to, so go play by yourself..." Brushing the dust from his white robes, Feng Jingxuan turned grandly and walked away.
His original plan wouldn't change anyway; whether she was truly an idiot or not, he would never let her interfere with his hunting plans.
"Idiot!"
You say you're going to marry me, but does that mean I, your grandmother, have to marry you?
Besides, she still had a month; she would definitely be able to find Di Lienze.
With a single flick of his little finger, Di Lienze could crush a proud and arrogant fellow like you in a matter of minutes.
Lan Qinghuan flexed her arms, which were gradually regaining sensation, and picked up the gold and silver hairpins scattered all over the ground.
She scraped the mud off her bright red wedding gown—which she had torn into a short skirt resembling something a primitive cave dweller might wear—and then, leaving behind a trail of ruined flowers and tattered fabric, she headed back to her quarters.
Three days, another three days. Why not five? Oh well, three days was fine too; it was enough time to get a lot of things done.
First, she needed to go outside and see if she could help her master get his hands on a couple of Soul Breath Grass plants...Lan Qinghuan did not return to her lavish Hanzhu Pavilion, but instead headed to the small courtyard Concubine Fang had specially set aside for her whenever her uncle was away.
Along the way, even if people saw her, no one came forward to greet her.
Everyone was busy with their own affairs, completely treating her as if she were invisible—though this was precisely the effect the former Lan Qinghuan had always wanted.
With no one watching, it was easier for her to secretly investigate the mastermind who had poisoned her.
Unfortunately, the person behind the scenes had hidden themselves too deeply; she had failed to find them right up until her death, while suffering bullying in vain for all these years.
Passing the dilapidated courtyard gate, the tall weeds, and the dense bamboo grove, she finally stepped onto the narrow path that the former Lan Qinghuan and Xi Yun'er had cleared.
At the far end of the courtyard, inside a shabby little bamboo hut, Lan Qinghuan finally rummaged out a large bamboo basket from beneath a bamboo bed piled high with clutter.
Sure enough, inside were two sets of men's clothing and a human-skin mask.
After joyfully dressing in them and gazing at the handsome, unfamiliar male face in the mirror, Lan Qinghuan suddenly remembered a very serious problem.
It was broad daylight right now. Soul Breath Grass, a creature that nourished yin and nurtured spirits, typically withered upon contact with light. How could anyone possibly be selling it during the day?
Reluctantly, she changed back out of the clothes she had put on, hid the items away, and then, with much lingering reluctance, headed back.
Upon returning to Hanzhu Pavilion, a whole roomful of people was waiting for her. Everyone looked at her with different expressions: some with doubt, some with jealousy, some with joy, some with apprehension, some with a sense of loss...
Lan Qinghuan had no desire to deal with these inconsequential people. Acting raving mad, she ran inside, grabbed Xi Yun'er's hand, and began to act spoiled.
She clamored on about wanting to go out to play, wanting to buy delicious food, and wanting to buy fun toys. With her smudge-streaked, gaudy face and her bright, ultra-short-skirt-like red bridal gown, she possessed the exquisitely proportioned figure of a blooming young girl yet wore the innocent, adorable expression of a child.
As expected, Lan Zegu could not bear to turn down her wishes. He left behind some money and instructed Xi Yun'er to help Lan Qinghuan wash up and change before taking her out on the street to have a good time.
After offering a few words about staying safe and returning early, he left with the many wives, concubines, and children who had come to offer congratulations.
He was busy every day. His elder brother had entrusted the flourishing, massive family into his hands; he did not dare hope the family would be more prosperous than it had been under his brother, but at the very least, it could not decline in his hands.
He was busy, but no matter how busy he was, he never wanted to wrong Lan Qinghuan. Therefore, he tried to avoid going out and carved out as much time as possible to accompany her.
Yet no matter how affectionate and friendly he acted toward her, Lan Qinghuan was never particularly close to him.
She only loved being with Xi Yun'er, and he still trusted Xi Yun'er, so he simply assigned a few people to protect them in secret and otherwise let her raise a ruckus as she pleased.
He knew Lan Qinghuan wasn't crazy, and he knew she was still secretly investigating the person who had poisoned her, but he could not let her find them.
He could only do his best to make amends to her; besides this, he had no idea what else he could do.
The "Yingsha" Gu worm was completely incurable; even the one who cast the Gu would be consumed of their vital essence and lose decades of their lifespan.
For the victim of the Gu, the extraordinary meridians and collateral channels became a breeding ground for the worms, rendering them forever unable to cultivate and subjecting them to the torment of being bitten by a hundred insects every single day until their meridians rotted, their physical body disintegrated, and their soul completely vanished—only then would the Gu worms dry up and die.
He knew that casting such a poison was utterly despicable, but he also knew that Ruxue already knew she was wrong.
She had merely been temporarily muddle-headed; she had hated his eldest brother for not marrying her, and consumed by that hatred, she had committed such an absurd mistake.