Li Father fell from the roof, sustaining a deep gash on his arm, but was otherwise unharmed.
The physician Li Xiangru had specially brought for him prescribed only a simple tonic that proved ineffective.
Having returned for a rare visit, Li Father and Li Mother had endless stories to share with Li Xiangru.
Li Xiangru dismissed everyone else, and she, along with her parents, conversed at length in the room.
As they talked, she suddenly recalled something and lowered her voice, "Father, Mother, did you receive and read the letters I sent you before?"
Li Father nodded, "We read them all. As you instructed, we burned every letter after reading it."
Li Mother chimed in, her tone tinged with confusion, "But my younger sister has been married for two years. Is it really necessary to keep paying such close attention to her?"
Li Xiangru's expression darkened.
She didn't want to be like this either.
She had originally thought that as long as the girl remained in Tong Mu County, that secret would never be known by a fourth person. But Li Yueshu had unexpectedly shone so brightly that even the Crown Prince had noticed her, even wanting to bring her to Chong Zhou!
A wave of panic rose within her.
Thinking this, Li Xiangru quickly said, "No matter what, you must keep a close eye on your sister. After marrying into the Shen family, she changed entirely after just a year. Opening a medical hall, a restaurant, and possessing such exquisite medical skills, I suspect she had some incredible encounter."
Li Xiangru sighed, "If it were just in Tong Mu County, it would be fine. But if she goes to Chong Zhou, I fear something uncontrollable will happen sooner or later."
One understood the deadly dangers hidden in the slightest details only when holding a position of power.
Seeing her troubled look, Li Mother pulled her hand with concern, "Ruer, don't worry, we will watch over her. As for you, being so far away, you must take good care of yourself."
Li Xiangru patted her mother's hand reassuringly, "Mother, don't worry. I've made many friends in Chong Zhou, and I have a brother in the Gu family. Everyone treats me very well; I am not alone."
...
Li Xiangru gave Li Father and Li Mother many instructions, and the contents of their conversation were known only to the three of them.
At the same time, Li Yueshu and the other two had arrived in Tong Mu County and, without any delay, headed straight home.
Upon seeing them, Chai Yang immediately stepped forward.
Before he could even speak, Li Yueshu anxiously asked, "How is Ayi? Have there been any updates on her?"
Meeting her flustered gaze, Chai Yang was momentarily stunned, seemingly surprised by her concern for the Third Miss.
Indeed, over the past year, she had poured her heart and soul into the four children, treating them as her own.
Chai Yang quickly regained his composure and replied, "Madam, please don't worry. After the incident, our people have secretly secured all the exits from Tong Mu County. Coupled with the county magistrate's men stationed at every intersection for inspections, we have trapped the Poison King of Pang Shan within Tong Mu County."
"With Miss Hong Dai's assistance, we have located him. However, we are hesitant to act rashly for fear of harming the Third Miss."
Hearing this, Li Yueshu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally relaxed a little, though she remained filled with worry, "Where are they now?"
"They are in a mountain not far from the village. To avoid alerting them, our men dare not get too close." Chai Yang produced a letter from his embrace, the very one left by the Poison King of Pang Shan when he abducted Shen Tingyi.
Upon seeing the four characters for "Liuxian Restaurant" written in the letter, Li Yueshu's face turned as cold as if ice shards were about to fall.
This was a blatant provocation!
Hong Dai, seeing her expression, thought for a moment before speaking, "I've investigated the movements of the Poison King of Pang Shan. After he abducted Ayi, he stayed at an inn not far from Liuxian Restaurant. However, he suddenly changed his plans afterwards, appearing to want to leave Tong Mu County, but he couldn't."
The intelligence provided by Mingyue Tower was naturally reliable.
Qin Moyuan also saw the contents of the letter, his face tense, "Why did he suddenly want to leave?"
Hong Dai's brow furrowed slightly as she guessed, "According to my informants, he seemed to have heard news that the divine physician Ji Mo Bai had appeared in Shen Xing Town. He then abruptly decided to leave and specifically asked if the news was true."
Li Yueshu looked up in surprise.
Shen Xing Town?
Wasn't that the place where she had first met Ji Mo Bai after returning from Hong Ning City?
The divine physician Ji Mo Bai traveled the world, never revealing his whereabouts. Why had he openly appeared in Shen Xing Town this time?
At this moment, Li Yueshu suddenly recalled Ji Mo Bai's behavior after she had escaped from the Poison King of Pang Shan.
Could it be that he had known all along that the old man was the Poison King of Pang Shan, and had leaked his whereabouts precisely to draw him away?
But what was their relationship? The original story had never mentioned this.
Li Yueshu's heart was filled with more and more questions, but now was clearly not the time to ponder them.
She clenched the letter in her hand, as if intending to crush it.
Qin Moyuan looked at her pale lips and felt a pang in his heart. He gently took her hand, "A Shu, I will bring Ayi back safely. Leave it all to me, okay?"
Li Yueshu turned her head to look at him, her expression resolute, "Since he specifically asked to see me, I cannot refuse to appear."
Qin Moyuan frowned slightly, clearly disagreeing, but Li Yueshu withdrew her hand and stated directly, "He arranged to meet at Liuxian Restaurant, so I will go to the restaurant and wait for him!"
Qin Moyuan glanced at his empty palm, his thin lips pressing together.
After a long pause, he finally said, "Alright. You go deal with the Poison King of Pang Shan, and I will rescue Ayi."
Without needing to communicate, they both knew that when the Poison King of Pang Shan appeared, he would not bring Ayi with him.
This was because only by holding them hostage would he gain the upper hand.
Thus, Li Yueshu openly appeared at Liuxian Restaurant, waiting for the Poison King of Pang Shan to come to her.
Qin Moyuan sent Xing He to spread the news of their return, hoping to draw the Poison King of Pang Shan out sooner. He himself, along with Chai Yang, headed to the Poison King of Pang Shan's hiding place.
From beginning to end, Qin Moyuan's gaze was fixed on Li Yueshu. The bloody back he had sustained was just visible to Hong Dai.
The corner of her eyebrow twitched, and she looked at the man before her with a newfound admiration.
Qin Moyuan watched Li Yueshu's retreating figure until she completely disappeared from his sight before finally turning his gaze away and mounting his horse.
Chai Yang also noticed his back, but Qin Moyuan had already ridden away, leaving him with no choice but to follow.
...
After Xing He spread the news, he rushed to Liuxian Restaurant to report.
He had not slept properly for days, his eyes bloodshot, and coupled with the arduous journey, even a body of iron could not endure it.
Li Yueshu looked at his haggard face and pursed her lips, "You should go rest for a while."
Xing He shook his head, about to refuse, when Li Yueshu spoke first, "Rest well. We need you sharp when the Poison King of Pang Shan arrives."
Hearing this, Xing He hesitated for a moment before no longer refusing, "I'll just rest in the corner for a bit. Madam, remember to call me if anything comes up."
With that, he walked to a chair in the corner, sat down, held his weapon in his arms, and closed his eyes.
Seeing this, Li Yueshu said no more and quietly waited for the Poison King of Pang Shan's arrival.
The Poison King of Pang Shan did not keep her waiting long, finally appearing at Liuxian Restaurant before sunset.