Lin Yuejiao's Poison Flares Up

So that is why the reward is so generous. But I am sorry, I will not go to your household to work as an embroiderer." Lin Yuejiao handed the dagger back to her. "Return this dagger to you."

Nan Niang quickly pushed the dagger back toward Lin Yuejiao, saying, "You misunderstood, miss. Even if you are not willing to be an embroiderer, my master is a man of his word, and a gift once given is never taken back."

"Oh, your master turns out to be a magnanimous person. I am sure he will find a suitable embroiderer. This gold and jade dagger is too precious; I cannot accept your gift for nothing." Lin Yuejiao casually picked up the five-colored thread she had just used for threading, handed it to Nan Niang, and said, "I can embroider a piece for you. Take this to Xinzhou, find a shop called Yuyan Pavilion, and tell the shopkeeper the date: the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. I will know."

Nan Niang was overjoyed. "You are so righteous and kind, miss. On behalf of my master, I thank you."

"Seeing your master use this method to find someone capable of threading an eleven-hole needle, I imagine he must be seeking an embroidery piece of extremely high difficulty. Serving as an embroiderer is out of the question, but in return for this gold and jade dagger, a single piece of embroidery is merely a token of gratitude." Lin Yuejiao pressed her lips into a smile, picked up the gold and jade dagger, and turned to descend the stage.

Nan Niang was stunned.

Returning to Rong Yu, Lin Yuejiao handed him the gold and jade dagger she had just earned. "For you."

"Hm?" Rong Yu was momentarily startled, a flicker of surprise flashing through his eyes.

With a tense expression and looking rather impassive, Lin Yuejiao said, "I have never seen you carry a weapon. Even though your martial arts are formidable, keeping a dagger on hand can prepare you for unforeseen needs. Don't be fooled by the gold and jade inlays that make it look purely decorative; it is actually a genuine blade that can cut through iron like mud. Take it for self-defense."

The Dragon Scale Dagger was priceless, impossible to find even for ten thousand pieces of gold, and belonged to the tier of divine weapons. It was only because it would eventually fall into the hands of a renowned god of war in her past life that it would achieve great fame; at present, its reputation was still unknown.

Had it not been so precious, Lin Yuejiao would not have been willing to trade an embroidery piece as a token of gratitude just to avoid taking advantage of him.

Rong Yu picked up the gold and jade dagger. Its sheath was inlaid with gold, jade, and precious stones, appearing exceptionally ornate. Usually, daggers like this could only serve as ornaments, but upon drawing the blade, not a single sound of metal scraping against the sheath could be heard. This detail alone was enough to prove that the scabbard was worth a thousand pieces of gold.

"A fine dagger." A sweet voice rang out as the woman in blue approached them from somewhere, addressing Lin Yuejiao. "Sell this dagger to me. No matter the price, I want it."

Lin Yuejiao frowned slightly. "I have already given it away. Its master now is him."

"Then sell the dagger to me." The woman in blue looked at Rong Yu, her tone aggressive and overbearing.

Rong Yu's gaze fell upon her as if he were looking at an idiot.

"I—I—I really like that dagger..." The woman in blue's tone instantly softened, carrying a hint of spoiled coquettishness.

Lin Yuejiao watched in dumbfounded amazement.

Rong Yu glanced at her sideways, his expression clearly conveying: *What the hell does that have to do with me?*

"Not for sale."

Just four words, magnetic and freezing cold.

The woman in blue was not angered by the rejection. Earlier, when both Nan Niang and Lin Yuejiao had refused to sell, she had almost resorted to seizing it by force; but now that the dagger's owner had changed to Rong Yu, she instead waved her hand with a magnanimous expression. "Oh, so you also like this dagger, young master? It seems our tastes are quite aligned."

Lin Yuejiao continued to stare in utter bewilderment. *Is she already trying to strike up a relationship?*

Rong Yu remained expressionless and utterly cold.

"For us to both take a liking to the same dagger on the Qixi Festival must be fate. Since you like it, young master, naturally I cannot compete with you. My name is Guan Weilan, what is your name?" the woman in blue asked with a blushing face.

Lin Yuejiao lowered her head. *Actually, I was the one who fancied this dagger first, miss?*

Rong Yu frowned as he looked at her, then grabbed Lin Yuejiao's hand, completely ignoring Guan Weilan as he said to Lin Yuejiao, "Wife, let's go home."

"Huh?"

Lin Yuejiao had originally been standing aside to watch the spectacle, but before she knew it, she was being pulled away by Rong Yu.

"Your Highness, you..." Caught off guard, Lin Yuejiao found her hand already enclosed within his palm.

Looking back, she saw the woman in blue staring at their departing backs with mortification and vexation.

Noticing Lin Yuejiao turning her head, the woman glared daggers at her.

"Your Highness, why are you shouting nonsense like that? Look at the way that woman is glaring at me—she looks like she wants to eat me alive," Lin Yuejiao grumbled.

Rong Yu replied, "Troublesome. I needed to make her give up."

True to the demeanor of the loyal and righteous Prince, he was clean, decisive, and entirely free of dragging feet.

When he disliked someone, he despised giving rise to any misunderstandings, making it clear from the very first glance that there was zero possibility between them.

Any woman would surely fall for a man like this.

"Fine, it was just a chance encounter anyway. Once today passes, we will surely never see her again," Lin Yuejiao said, waving her hand dismissively. "Let her glare at me all she wants, it won't cost me a pound of flesh. Considering that you went out and ran into this heap of trouble solely to find medicine for Yi'er, I won't hold it against you."

A ripple of a smile crossed Rong Yu's lips. "Lin Yuejiao, I really like your gift."

"Mm, keep it on you then, for self-defense." Lin Yuejiao smiled.

She felt deeply grateful to Rong Yu for running around everywhere for Lin Yi'er. Although she had always kept her distance from him because of his identity, as they journeyed together and their lives had already become intertwined, she thought: *Let's just be friends.*

If someone treats me with respect, I will return it manifold.

Lin Yuejiao's personality had always been like this. Since Rong Yu could protect her time and time again, she, in turn, would gladly go through fire and water for him.

Rong Yu turned to look at her, their eyes locking. "Mm, I will never leave it behind."

Their gazes met, shimmering like ripples on water, brilliant as starlight.

"Wow!" A cry of astonishment came from across the way.

Lin Yuejiao and Rong Yu turned their heads simultaneously to see Lin Yi, Iris, and Poppy returning fully laden, all three carrying large armfuls of snacks and small trinkets.

"Elder sister, you and His Highness..." Lin Yi's eyes widened in surprise as he covered his mouth and chuckled.

Only then did Lin Yuejiao snap back to reality. She jerked her hand out of Rong Yu's grip, stiffened her expression, and gave a light cough. "We were just looking for you guys. You came at the right time—it's getting late, let's head back."

"Okay!" Lin Yi nodded.

The group returned amidst eating, laughing, and bantering, while a dark figure trailed silently behind Lin Yuejiao all the way until they reached the Tongfu Inn, whereupon he turned back to report.

...

The night grew deep. As Lin Yuejiao drifted into slumber, a sweet fragrance suddenly wafted near her nostrils, lulling her into an even heavier sleep before rendering her completely unconscious.

*Thump.*

A door was pried open, and a figure in black scooped up the unconscious Lin Yuejiao and fled like the wind.

Rong Yu's room was somewhat far from Lin Yuejiao's, but as he slept in the dead of night, his sharp instincts suddenly sensed the presence of an extra person on this floor. His eyes snapped open instantly, and he got up and rushed out to see a figure carrying the sleeping Lin Yuejiao away.

Rong Yu immediately gave chase. Yun Jian, who was keeping night watch, also reacted at that moment and was about to follow when he heard Rong Yu's cold command: "Stay here and protect them."

"Understood," Yun Jian said, cupping his fists.

The man in black was extremely familiar with the local terrain, carrying Lin Yuejiao straight into an alley and disappearing from sight. Standing at the mouth of the alley, Rong Yu looked at the intersecting streets leading in all directions—rows upon rows of residential houses showing no abnormalities whatsoever—his face sinking like water.

With so many houses and alleys, finding Lin Yuejiao's whereabouts in a short time would prove extremely difficult.

***

"Who are you?" Lin Yuejiao forced her eyes open, the discomfort coursing through her body pulling her from unconsciousness.

The man in black before her looked at Lin Yuejiao with lust-filled eyes. "Little beauty, who this young master is does not matter. You only need to remember that tonight, I am your husband."

"I advise you to let me go right now, and I can pretend none of this ever happened. Otherwise, you will not be able to bear the consequences." A jolt of panic shot through Lin Yuejiao's heart, but her face remained impassive as she stared at him coldly.

The man in black chuckled derisively. "There is no woman I, the Butterfly Thief, dare not touch. No matter how grand your background, I am not afraid."

"The bandit who preys on flowers—the Butterfly Thief." Lin Yuejiao's pupils constricted, her expression shifting.

The man in black smiled. "It seems my reputation precedes me, if even a little beauty like you has heard of my great name. I never expected a tiny place like Five Elements Town to harbor such a delicate, gorgeous beauty. Truly, it's my good fortune to meet someone of your supreme caliber; when romantic luck arrives, there is simply no stopping it."

With that, the man in black reached out to stroke Lin Yuejiao's cheek, but the moment his hand touched her, Lin Yuejiao slapped it away. "Get lost!"

"Someone will come to save me," Lin Yuejiao declared. "If you dare touch a single hair on my body, he will ensure you die a most wretched death."

The man in black chuckled mockingly. "Isn't he just your husband? You two even sleep in separate beds, serving you right to be my windfall."

"How did you know he is my husband?" Lin Yuejiao's gaze sharpened.

She and Rong Yu did not sleep in the same bed, nor had they ever proclaimed themselves to be a married couple.

The only exception was when Rong Yu had called her "wife" in front of Guan Weilan.

How could this flower-stealing thief deduce that a companionable man and woman sleeping in separate beds were husband and wife?

The man in black frowned, realizing he had spoken out of turn. He waved a hand dismissively and said, "Aside from your man, who else would care whether you get violated? No, that's the wrong word—let's call it a secret tryst. Soon enough, it won't be me violating you, but you begging me actively to share some pleasant times with you."

"Shameless scoundrel, don't even dream of it!" With the speed of lightning, Lin Yuejiao whipped a short blade from her sleeve, pressed it against her own throat, and sneered, "Butterfly Thief, do you harbor a necrophilic fetish?"

The man in black cursed under his breath. "Damn you, you even hide a knife in your sleeve while sleeping!"

He hadn't bothered to search her body because in all his past exploits he had never encountered a woman who hid a lethal weapon in her sleeve while wearing a nightgown.

Lin Yuejiao merely stared at him, the freezing cold blade pressed against her snow-white neck, having already carved out a thin line of crimson blood.

"Calm down, dying is not worth it." Seeing how resolute Lin Yuejiao was, the man in black grew anxious. His eyes rolled as he calculated that the time was ripe, the drug having fully permeated her body. It would be better to keep talking to her and deliberately stall for time.

Lin Yuejiao let out a muffled groan. At this moment, she desperately wanted to do something to fight back against the burning craving consuming her body.

Suddenly, gripping the dagger tightly, Lin Yuejiao drove it straight into her own thigh. The sharp blade sank almost entirely into her flesh, and fresh red blood instantly welled up, soaking through her white dress.

"What are you doing?!" the Butterfly Thief cried out.

With a swift yank, Lin Yuejiao pulled the dagger back out, pressed it once more against her throat, and barked coldly, "Don't come closer!"

The murderous intent resolute in her phoenix eyes startled even a veteran flower-picker like the Butterfly Thief.

This woman was utterly insane—she was sick in the head!

As the dagger was yanked from her flesh, the wound on her thigh spurted like a fountain, gushing forth a torrent of blood that instantly stained the entire bed red.

"Look, stop thrashing around blindly. Seeing a beauty like you hurt herself like this actually breaks my heart," the Butterfly Thief said, softening his tone slightly as he shuffled forward two steps, wearing a lecherous grin. "Just obediently submit to me. Don't bother hoping anyone will come to save you; all the houses outside look the same. Even if your husband searches them one by one, he won't find this place until dawn."

"Get lost! Don't come near me. He will come, he will definitely come," Lin Yuejiao said.

Rong Yu would definitely come to save her.

Watching Lin Yuejiao bleed profusely, looking like something out of a slaughterhouse scene, the Butterfly Thief lost his appetite entirely.

Before he could figure out how to deal with Lin Yuejiao, she was once again overwhelmed by the drug.

The efficacy of this poison was astonishingly overbearing; even stabbing herself could only maintain her clarity for such a brief moment.

Though pain made her teeth chatter, the raging fire of desire threatened to swallow her reason. Having no other choice and refusing to become a plaything, Lin Yuejiao gritted her teeth, raised the dagger, and drove it into her thigh a second time.

*Clang!*

Before the blade tip could touch her leg, a flying dagger suddenly struck and deflected the short blade from Lin Yuejiao's grip.

Through her blurred vision, Lin Yuejiao caught sight of the flying dagger—and its gold-inlaid jade scabbard.

It was the Dragon Scale Dagger!

Lin Yuejiao snapped her head up to see a familiar figure standing in the doorway.

Dark hair and white robes, handsome and cold, descending like a deity.

Rong Yu.

Lin Yuejiao finally let go of her tension, allowing the overwhelming tide of desire to submerge her consciousness.

Rong Yu's face was as ice-cold as a volcano on the verge of eruption.

There were too many residential alleys; he had been forced to search them one by one.

Just then, catching a faint whiff of blood, his heart skipped a beat. Following the scent, he had rushed over just in time to witness this scene.

The woman, breathtakingly beautiful, was sitting in a pool of blood that stained her white dress crimson.

*Drip, drip*—the sound of blood trickling down to the ground was exceptionally crisp.

Her phoenix eyes were misty and unfocused, her body swaying as she raised the short blade to stab her own thigh.

This scene struck his heart like a heavy hammer, causing a suffocating pain.

*Lin Yuejiao.*

Only when she saw him arrive did she curve her lips into a smile for him, and then, completely reassured, she collapsed heavily.

"Ah!" Rong Yu let out an angry roar. Cold-hearted by nature, his entire bloodstream felt as though it were on fire. He lunged forward and slammed the Butterfly Thief to the floor.

Grabbing the Butterfly Thief by the head, Rong Yu smashed it against the wooden boards with a dull thud. Instantly, the Butterfly Thief's head split open, bleeding profusely amidst a chorus of miserable shrieks and wails.

"You deserve to die." Rong Yu's dark eyes burned red with a fierce, chilling light capable of devouring a man alive.

Beaten to a pulp, the Butterfly Thief could no longer form words, emitting only intermittent, muffled moans.

"Lin Yuejiao." After subduing the Butterfly Thief, Rong Yu's gaze returned to Lin Yuejiao. Seeing her condition, his only thought was to rush her back for medical treatment as quickly as possible.

Pressing his index finger against several vital acupoints on Lin Yuejiao's body, he managed only to slow the bleeding; he could not stop it completely.

She had accidentally punctured her femoral artery.

Lifting Lin Yuejiao into his arms with utmost care, Rong Yu tore a strip of fabric from the window curtain, bound the Butterfly Thief, and hoisted him up as well.

"Your Highness!" The moment Rong Yu emerged, Yun Jian, who was standing guard at the door, hurried forward.

Rong Yu instructed him, "Have Miracle Doctor Sai come over immediately. Interrogate this man."

After a brief pause, he added, "Do not disturb Lin Yi."

Even in the midst of this crisis concerning her, he still considered her wishes, knowing full well she would not want Lin Yi to worry.

"Yes." Hauling the tightly bound Butterfly Thief with one hand, Yun Jian immediately set off to pound on Miracle Doctor Sai's door.

Rong Yu carried Lin Yuejiao into her room and laid her gently on the bed.

Miracle Doctor Sai had lacked even the time to dress properly; throwing an outer robe over his shoulders and clutching his medicine chest, he had sprinted over.

"Your Highness, Yun Jian said the Fourth Miss's injuries are severe, let me take a look..." Miracle Doctor Sai's eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight. "What happened here? So much blood?"

Rong Yu's voice was like iron. "The blade pierced her thigh. I pressed her acupoints, but the bleeding won't stop."

Miracle Doctor Sai pressed his fingers to her pulse, his expression changing drastically. "The knife wound is too deep—it punctured the artery. Acupressure is useless. We must apply hemostatic powder first, administer acupuncture, and then bandage the wound tightly. Wait, it's not just a knife wound, she has also been drugged with an aphrodisiac? This poison is vicious! If not for the profuse bleeding and pain temporarily suppressing her desires, the Fourth Miss would have suffered an unimaginable fate."

"This wound... she inflicted it upon herself," Rong Yu said, his fists clenching as he recalled arriving just in time to see her attempting a second stab.

To maintain her clarity of mind, she had resorted to such ruthless self-harm.

"Tsk..." Miracle Doctor Sai sighed in awe. "The Fourth Miss possesses truly iron willpower. Your Highness, if we bandage her first, the aphrodisiac will rage out of control. Right now, losing blood is providing a degree of anti-poison effect, but if we don't bandage her, brewing the antidote will take a full quarter of an hour, and the Fourth Miss could die of exsanguination..."

"Is there even a choice? Stop the bleeding first, go brew the medicine immediately. For a quarter of an hour, I will hold her down," Rong Yu stated flatly.

Ordinarily, a bowl of calming and sobering broth or a single antidote pill would suffice, but because the Butterfly Thief had added a proprietary formula to the aphrodisiac, preparing and brewing the antidote required some time for Miracle Doctor Sai.

"Very well. Then as for stopping the bleeding and applying the needles..." Miracle Doctor Sai pointed toward the site of Lin Yuejiao's injury and held out his hands helplessly.

Her thigh.

"I will do it," Rong Yu said.

There were no women present who understood acupuncture points.

Miracle Doctor Sai hurriedly fished seven or eight vials from his collection of medicine jars and shoved them all into Rong Yu's hands. "Your Highness, I will stand outside and guide you. Please proceed."

With that, Miracle Doctor Sai placed the silver needles, bandages, and other supplies on the tea table beside the bed.

Gazing at the unconscious Lin Yuejiao, Rong Yu tore a wide gap into her white dress right along the slash made by the dagger.

Her snow-white thigh was already stained crimson with blood. The ghastly, bleeding wound wrenched his heart, stirring only deep anguish without a shred of base desire.

"Your Highness, apply the hemostatic powder first, then needle the lower three points of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians!" Miracle Doctor Sai called out from outside the door.

Glancing at the pile of jars, Rong Yu picked up the hemostatic powder and poured it directly onto Lin Yuejiao's wound. The white powder hitting raw flesh caused Lin Yuejiao to shudder repeatedly even in her unconscious state.

Once the powder was applied, Rong Yu picked up the silver needles and drove them into the acupoints. Three needles sank home.

"Your Highness, use the blue porcelain vial next..."

"Your Highness, you may withdraw the needles now..."

"Your Highness, use the white vial..."

At last, the bleeding stopped, and the wound was securely bandaged.

Rong Yu's hands were stained entirely red with blood. Using a gauze cloth, he wiped away the bloodstains around Lin Yuejiao's wound, washed his hands, and had just begun to catch his breath when Lin Yuejiao let out a seductive, low moan. Opening her heavy-lidded, watery eyes, she looked straight at him. "Your Highness..."

"You're awake." Rong Yu looked down at her, a smile touching his lips.

The next moment, a soft, fragrant warmth filled his arms as Lin Yuejiao threw herself against his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.