"The risk is too great."
Zhan Tianyu felt the adventure was not worth it.
"Besides, I'll find someone to escort you. No one will secretly follow you on the road. This way, Night King and Yun Shu will not be suspicious, and the risk will be reduced."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man shook his head resolutely, "No, since Yun Shu could injure me with a hidden weapon, she must be sure it hit its mark. With Night King's abilities, it's easy to lie in wait outside the villa."
Seeing the middle-aged man's firm attitude, Zhan Tianyu rethought it.
After a moment.
Zhan Tianyu nodded, "Alright, I'll make arrangements."
"Hurry, I don't think the antidote will last long." Large beads of sweat instantly broke out on the middle-aged man's forehead.
His face was much paler than before.
If he left the villa in this condition, he might succumb to the poison before even reaching Zuo Yan.
Zhan Tianyu immediately strode out.
...
Meanwhile.
Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye found a scenic spot and took a leisurely stroll.
This must be the villa's garden.
The garden was beautifully maintained by the gardeners.
"You said the person hiding in the shadows was hit by a hidden weapon?" Zhan Tianye asked.
Yun Shu clasped her hands behind her back and bent down slightly to smell a flower. The fragrance refreshed her, making her feel cheerful. "Yes, I can confirm it."
"There are people guarding the gate. If anyone suspicious tries to leave, they will surely be caught." Zhan Tianye was not in a hurry. The person was hit by a poisoned hidden weapon. If they were from Western Xia, they would not dare to seek treatment from an imperial physician of Eastern Ning.
If they left the manor, they would then face the danger of being captured.
So...
Their eyes met.
Yun Shu smiled, "It's also possible that he will ask Prince Ning to find me."
"Lying in wait," Zhan Tianye also smiled.
A moment later.
Zhan Tianyu looked at the servant who approached him, his expression stern, and asked, "Have you not found Second Miss Yun yet?"
"No, Your Highness. We've sent more people to search. For some reason, Second Miss Yun is not in her room, nor has she gone to the hot springs," the servant replied, flustered by Zhan Tianyu's gaze.
Zhan Tianyu knew that the person couldn't wait much longer and immediately ordered, "Send more people to search, and check on Night King's side. We need to be quick!"
"Yes!"
Immediately, almost half of the servants in the villa were mobilized to search for Yun Shu everywhere.
Among those searching with the servants was Jing Heng.
As he searched, he mused, why would Prince Ning be looking for his master?
Hadn't they just fought in the bamboo forest?
Also, there seemed to be someone in Prince Ning's room earlier. He was very familiar with the scent of blood and immediately smelled it coming from under the door.
Someone was injured.
As he was lost in thought, someone shouted, "We've found Second Miss Yun!"
He immediately looked towards the person who shouted and, sure enough, saw Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye approaching.
Could the injured person want his master to treat him?
Yun Shu whispered to Zhan Tianye, "See, I told you it would happen, and it did."
"As expected of the woman I like," Zhan Tianye whispered back.
Yun Shu's lips twitched. Was he praising her while also praising himself?
When they were led by the servants to see Zhan Tianyu, he was standing outside a servant's room.
He saw Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye approaching side-by-side. They appeared relaxed, not showing any signs of being up late.
"My apologies for disturbing Fifth Brother and Second Miss Yun at this hour. The thing is, the hidden weapon that Second Miss Yun suddenly fired in the bamboo forest earlier, I initially thought it didn't hit anyone, but it injured the steward who has been with me for a long time. He was patrolling the villa with the guards and accidentally got hit by Second Miss Yun's hidden weapon. The weapon was highly poisonous, which is why I sent for Second Miss Yun."
Zhan Tianyu's words were flawless.
He had likely prepared his explanation while sending people to find Yun Shu.
Yun Shu smiled meaningfully, "The injured person is the steward of the manor?"
"Yes, someone who has been by my side for a long time. In my eyes, he's like family. Second Miss Yun can ask me any questions you have later, but there isn't much time now. He has been poisoned for a while and his life might be in danger." Zhan Tianyu knew that saying too much now would be a mistake and waste time, so he gestured for the servant to open the door.
Yun Shu was not in a hurry and said with a smile, "Death won't happen in a moment or two. Why is Prince Ning so worried?"
Seeing that Yun Shu was clearly stalling, Zhan Tianyu's expression darkened. "He is the most trusted person by my side."
As the door opened, a wave of blood permeated the air.
The moment Yun Shu smelled the blood, she knew the person in the room must be suffering from the effects of the poison.
"Since he was hit by a hidden weapon at the time, why didn't he make any sound?" Zhan Tianye asked again.
Zhan Tianyu was becoming impatient, but he maintained a gentle facade. "Perhaps he was startled at the time."
Yun Shu chuckled inwardly and walked towards the room, "Let's go take a look."
The few of them entered.
Zhan Tianye followed Yun Shu into the room and saw a middle-aged man lying on the bed, his face deathly pale.
Judging by his age, he did look like a steward.
The middle-aged man looked at Zhan Tianye and them, trying to keep his gaze from being sharp, appearing no different from an ordinary servant.
"Your servant... your servant greets Night King, Second Miss Yun."
His voice was earnest.
His demeanor was also appropriate.
Yun Shu narrowed her beautiful eyes, "No need for formalities."
This must be the person Jing Heng mentioned.
Although he tried to hide it, his hands betrayed him.
The thick calluses on his hands were only found on those who practiced martial arts.
She glanced at Zhan Tianye, who happened to be looking at her.
Then Yun Shu walked closer.
The closer she got, the stronger the scent of blood became.
The poison she applied to the hidden weapon could cause the victim to bleed profusely while being poisoned, and even the best wound medicine could not stop the bleeding.
It looked dangerous, but it wouldn't be fatal in a short amount of time.
"What were you doing in the bamboo forest earlier?" Yun Shu asked the middle-aged man coldly, pretending to pour some medicine from a porcelain bottle.
The middle-aged man knew he couldn't easily deceive Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye. Upon hearing Yun Shu's question, he remained calm because his identity could not be revealed.
He replied humbly, "In the past, servants and maids in the manor would meet in secret here. As the steward of the manor, I don't want any trouble. I would go to the bamboo forest every two or three days. This way, when the people in the manor knew that I often went to the bamboo forest, they would not dare to act rashly."