Yu Linglong truly hadn't expected Ye Qingying's willpower to be so formidable.
The pain from the蛊毒 (gu poison) acting up would have caused an ordinary person to faint the moment the flute's melody began.
Yet, she had been playing for so long, and despite Ye Qingying's nose and mouth bleeding, he could still grip his long sword and slowly walk towards her.
Although his steps were heavy, as if he could barely move, he was still moving, wasn't he?
Was he truly unafraid of the soul-tearing pain?
Yu Linglong continued to play her flute while desperately retreating.
Ye Qingying's long sword swung again.
But it was clear that this time, there was little sword energy left.
Yu Linglong felt relieved, continued to play her flute, and slowly got up from the ground.
Her body was covered in wounds, and the searing pain almost made her collapse.
But if she fell, Ye Qingying would regain his freedom and immediately take her life.
She couldn't fall; if she did, it would be a dead end.
She blew forcefully into the flute.
"Ah..." Ye Qingying finally couldn't bear it and let out a roar.
He opened his mouth, and a large mouthful of blood gushed out. His hand trembled, and the long sword dropped to the ground.
He could no longer withstand the pain of the 蛊毒 (gu poison) acting up and could barely stand.
Yu Linglong continued to play the flute, and Ye Qingying's tall body slowly curled up.
Blood surged wildly from his mouth and nose.
If this continued, he would surely die.
Yu Linglong hesitated, contemplating whether to kill him. If she killed him, she would lose a sharp, murderous blade.
But if she didn't, like tonight, perhaps this blade wouldn't harm her.
Why did Ye Qingying still possess such formidable willpower? Had Hong Chou not given him the medicine at all?
Finally, the flute music stopped. Ye Qingying collapsed on the ground, not only his mouth and nose covered in blood but also blood seeping from his ears.
"That slut Hong Chou, how dare she deceive me!"
Yu Linglong, dragging her injured body, took out a pill and walked towards Ye Qingying.
"If Hong Chou won't give it to you, then let me feed it to you personally!"
This poison could destroy his consciousness, shatter his willpower, and make him easier to control.
The efficacy of this poison was even more potent than those in the Medicine Man Valley.
She still had quite a bit of it.
Ye Qingying's eyes were devoid of any light. He watched Yu Linglong approach him, utterly unable to resist.
He couldn't even lift a finger.
He didn't know what the consequences of this medicine would be.
All he knew was that if the assassination attempt failed tonight, he didn't deserve to live in this world.
Living would only implicate Xiao Yao.
But he didn't even have the strength to end his own life now.
Just as Yu Linglong was about to reach Ye Qingying, a gust of cold wind blew in from outside the window.
Yu Linglong's expression changed, and she immediately retreated.
The palm strike landed where she had been standing, but it wasn't too powerful; it seemed like a feigned attack.
By the time Yu Linglong recovered, Ye Qingying was nowhere to be seen.
Servants were alerted and lit the candles, only to see the Empress leaning against a chair, bleeding all over.
As for the assassin who had come to attack, he had disappeared.
The news quickly reached Feng Qihe. By then, Chu Qianli had already left long ago.
Jinghong said, "Yu Linglong is too cunning. She refuses to accept treatment from a doctor and won't let anyone near her, applying medicine herself."
Feng Qihe frowned, "Is she seriously injured?"
That woman, who took advantage of others and used poison to harm them, was naturally afraid of being targeted herself.
Such people always lived cautiously, their lives more exhausting than anyone else's.
"As long as she doesn't die, that's enough. If she wants to suffer, let her suffer!"