Ye Luan paused her hand holding the soup, "Ah, are you going to look for the medicine?"
"Mhm."
He couldn't stay here. If Xiao Chizhan came looking, she would be implicated.
"Do you know where to find it?"
Lu Feibo chuckled as he drank his medicinal soup, "I'll try to find it."
"If you're looking for the Han Dan Pearl, you'll need to go to the ice mountains. Your body won't be able to withstand it. I'll go look for it for you."
His pale, clean hand paused slightly. He looked at her with gentle eyes, tinged with a hint of surprise.
Afraid he would misunderstand, Ye Luan explained, "As a healer, I naturally hope every patient recovers soon. Moreover, you are my friend."
Lu Feibo lowered his gaze slightly, then smiled faintly at her, "A'luan, there's no need to trouble yourself. The shadow guards will go look."
"Do they know what the Han Dan Pearl looks like? Can they find it for you? More people means more strength. Your body really can't afford delays."
After speaking, Ye Luan suddenly realized something, "Are you afraid that if your whereabouts are exposed, he will find you?"
Lu Feibo remained silent, his gaze lowered.
Specks of light fell upon him, bathing him like bamboo beneath the pine, or the moon amidst cypresses, exuding a gentle yet faintly cool aura.
His face, with its gentle features, remained unperturbed, betraying no hint of his thoughts.
"A'luan, I've left you some hidden guards to ensure your safety. After eating, I will depart."
Seeing his resolve, Ye Luan fell silent for a moment, then said, "Alright."
She didn't need to act with them. She could go find it on her own.
As long as the shadow guards were nearby, if she found the Han Dan Pearl, she could notify him promptly.
The Han Dan Pearl, born of extreme cold and extreme Yin. Besides the ice mountains, where else could it possibly be?
Ye Luan frowned, pondering.
"Sister A'luan, I'm done eating. I'm going to the shop first. The decoration师傅 (shīfu -师傅) should be arriving soon."
Jier wiped his hands and stood up.
Ye Luan came back to her senses, "Mhm, go ahead."
"A'luan, will you be living here permanently from now on?"
Hearing Lu Feibo's words, Ye Luan took a bite of her flatbread, "After this period of unrest passes, I'll consider it carefully. Kyushu is vast, not just Mobei. If I can, I'd like to visit more places in my lifetime."
"But Mobei is vast and beautiful. After the war subsides, once your illness is cured, we can explore Mobei first."
"Oh, and I also heard there's a Crescent Spring in Mobei. It's incredibly beautiful, with sand and water coexisting, like a new moon. The people of Mobei go there to pray for the protection of the Sky Wolf God."
She was as bright as a new moon, her features radiant and lively. When she smiled, her fox-like eyes curved, appearing exceptionally spirited.
Lu Feibo watched her, a faint smile on his lips.
Though his smile was usually gentle, it carried a sense of distance.
But this smile today held a hint of ease and joy, a smile from the heart.
"Let's hope so."
After the meal, Lu Feibo left.
Ye Luan watched his carriage depart, then went to the medical clinic.
She had been poring over many medical texts recently, searching for a radical cure for frost illness.
The clinic was not crowded.
After paying, she asked a young boy for many medical books and sat at a desk to read.
Warm sunlight streamed through the paper window, illuminating her fair cheeks with a faint blush. Her neck was slender, her lines graceful, like a budding snow lotus.
Her clear, autumn-like eyes were fixed on the medical texts on the desk, flipping through them with concentration.
Serene and beautiful!
-----
Military Camp Tent.
Xiao Chizhan had just finished his official duties. After the roomful of generals had left, he leaned back against a pear wood chair, drinking from a jar of wine.
Li Qiongyu crossed his legs and said, "Now that Xie Beihan has joined forces with Mobei to attack, and they've set up camp at Mohe with hundreds of thousands of troops, it's clear they intend to attack Guancheng. Should we take the initiative to attack?"
"Is the leader of Mobei's troops called Hakshi or something?"
"Yes, he's broad-shouldered and burly, and as ugly as can be."
Xiao Chizhan sneered, "Is Tantai Ye about to enter the Kash Mountains?"
"According to the itinerary, he should be there soon. Once he bypasses the lawless territory of the Kash Mountains, he'll be close to Bei Di."
"Write him a letter and have the army advance first. Have him personally go to Monan. If the King of Monan doesn't know his place, he knows what to do, right?"
Li Qiongyu raised an eyebrow, "You want to stir up infighting in the Great Desert?"
When their great Khan Shabolia was in power, he had repeatedly launched southern campaigns, attacking the Central Plains and disturbing the border.
After the great Khan's death, the Great Desert had been divided by power struggles and fragmentation. Monan and Mobei had become separate kingdoms and had always been at odds.
"The King of Monan has a most beloved sister, doesn't he?"
Upon hearing his words, Li Qiongyu scoffed, "You're truly devious. Alright, I'll handle it."
After the man left, the room fell silent.
Xiao Chizhan tossed the wine jar aside and leaned lazily back in his chair.
The bright, cunning face of the young girl began to flash in his mind again, her faint fragrance seeming to linger around him.
He closed his eyes, a satisfied smile curving his lips.
Before long, he was no longer content.
His gloomy red eyes opened, tinged with a hint of impatience. He rubbed his forehead and called out, "Blood Blade."
"Your Highness."
A figure entered from outside.
"Has there been any news from the people sent out?"
Blood Blade bowed, "Not yet."
Xiao Chizhan didn't want to wait. Ever since he learned she was not dead, he hadn't wanted to wait a single moment. He desperately wanted to find her and bring her back.
He missed her so much that he was going mad.
Every day, he was plagued by nightmares, causing him headaches.
"Go to the capital and bring Bai Muhang here. Hang him on the city walls of the border pass. Are you afraid she still won't show herself?"
As the despicable and insidious words left his mouth, Xiao Chizhan's mind involuntarily recalled the young girl's complaints.
"You always threaten me with my grandmother. I only feel fear towards you—"
His brow twitched. He involuntarily kicked the desk and rubbed his forehead, calling out to stop.
"Forget it, don't go."
Blood Blade was confused but respectfully stopped. "Yes."
"Increase manpower. Search in the directions of the Great Desert, Southern Xinjiang, and Xiliang. Investigate covertly, don't alert them."
"Yes."
The mere thought of Lu Feibo helping her escape made Xiao Chizhan furious enough to kill.
He stood up abruptly, a murderous glint flashing in his grim expression. Had they gotten together?
How dare he?!
If he caught him, he would flay Lu Feibo alive.
How dare he try to poach his woman, he was tired of living.
"Ye Luan!"
"Ye Luan!"
Wasn't this Prince good enough for you? Why do you keep running away time and time again?
"Should I, this humble subject, kneel and kowtow to thank Your Highness for this suffocating affection?"
"You imprison and torment me day and night, it is humiliation, humiliation."
"Xiao Chizhan, this kind of possessive imprisonment is not love."
Her accusations echoed in his ears like thunder. Xiao Chizhan's expression became somewhat dazed.
Was he wrong?
Just then, suddenly, Blood Blade's excited voice came from outside.
"Your Highness, the person has returned."
Xiao Chizhan's dazed expression snapped back. Upon seeing the person entering, he immediately said, "Did you find her?"