A flicker of light crossed Si Jianye's eyes, and a thought surfaced in his mind.
He wanted to see if Su Hongxiu could accompany him to Medicine Valley...
In a luxurious palace within the Lin Kingdom.
A woman with exquisite makeup was leaning on a long chair, a teacup held in her slender hand.
The woman's appearance was enchanting, her willow-like eyebrows and phoenix-like eyes seemed capable of captivating souls, utterly charming. Yet, a hint of ferocity occasionally flashed in her eyes, revealing shrewdness and calculation.
A maid served her respectfully.
"Yuran."
A male voice sounded from outside the hall.
A man with a devilishly handsome face strode in from outside the hall and approached her.
Lin Yuran put down her teacup and turned her gaze to the maidservant inside the hall, "You may withdraw."
Receiving her hint, the maidservant hastily withdrew.
In just a moment, only Lin Yuran and the man remained in the hall.
"Yuran."
Ji Binyu's expression was slightly anxious as he hurriedly spoke, "The Ancient Qilin has appeared."
These simple words caused Lin Yuran's eyes to change instantly. She abruptly stood up and fixed her gaze on the man before her, "What did you say? The Ancient Qilin has appeared?"
Across the Xuanzhou Continent, only the former Empress of the Lin Kingdom possessed the Ancient Qilin.
After the former Empress of the Lin Kingdom perished, the Ancient Qilin disappeared.
For years, Lin Yuran had been searching for the whereabouts of the Ancient Qilin, longing to obtain this divine beast.
With the Ancient Qilin, her strength would advance by leaps and bounds, and she could legitimately rule the Lin Kingdom.
Sensing her emotional shift, Ji Binyu nodded, "That's right, the Ancient Qilin has appeared. Many people have personally witnessed the Ancient Qilin appearing in Jinling."
"Jinling..."
Lin Yuran unconsciously repeated the words.
The Lin Kingdom was a major power and had dealings with the major sects of Jinling.
Her gaze slightly narrowed, "Is this Ancient Qilin the one belonging to the former Empress of the Lin Kingdom?"
The Ancient Qilin was a rare sight, appearing only once in ten thousand years.
The former Empress of the Lin Kingdom obtained the Ancient Qilin, and it was unlikely that a second Ancient Qilin could be found anywhere on the Xuanzhou Continent.
The Ancient Qilin appearing in Jinling was highly likely to be that woman's spirit beast...
Ji Binyu gently shook his head, "Only by going to Jinling and seeing it for ourselves can we know the origin of this Ancient Qilin. Regardless of whether this Ancient Qilin is the spirit beast of the former Empress of the Lin Kingdom, as long as you can obtain it, it will only benefit you."
Lin Yuran unconsciously lowered her gaze and glanced at the jade bracelet that held the Phoenix Bone.
The Phoenix Bone belonged to the former Empress of the Lin Kingdom.
She could use the Phoenix Bone to forcibly subdue the former Empress of the Lin Kingdom's spirit beast.
"Prepare to depart for Jinling. This Ancient Qilin is mine to claim. If I can obtain the Ancient Qilin, I will be able to silence those old fools and become the new Empress of the Lin Kingdom!"
As she spoke, a ruthless expression appeared on Lin Yuran's face.
For years, she had constantly desired to control the Lin Kingdom and become its Empress, but there were always obstacles that continuously disrupted her.
With the backing of the Ancient Qilin, no one in the Lin Kingdom would dare to oppose her becoming the new Empress!
Ji Binyu moved closer to her, gently lifting a strand of her hair and bringing it to his nose to sniff, "I knew you would want to go to Jinling. I have already ordered people to make preparations, and we can depart at any time."
Hearing his voice, Lin Yuran's rosy lips curved upwards unconsciously. Her seductive eyes, like flowing silk, gazed at him tenderly, "Binyu, you understand me best. It won't be long until my enthronement ceremony, and I don't want anyone to disturb my becoming the Empress of the Lin Kingdom."
Over the past century, she had racked her brains to win people over.
In front of others, she was kind-hearted, magnanimous, and handled matters with perfect order.
As for behind closed doors... she did as she pleased, and who could control her?
If it weren't for the protests of the ministers, she would have ascended to the throne long ago. How could she still be merely a princess of the Lin Kingdom until this day?
Ji Binyu embraced her, resting his head lightly on her shoulder and whispering into her ear, "Yuran, I will help you become the new Empress of the Lin Kingdom. No one else is worthy of this position but you."
His low, husky voice by her ear was tantalizing.
His hands roamed her body restlessly, and his devilishly charming voice slowly fell, "Yuran, it's been a few days since we cultivated together. We should go and cultivate."
Hearing his voice, Lin Yuran's fair and tender cheeks instantly turned crimson. She pushed his hands away, "It's still daylight, and there are many maids outside the sleeping chambers."
"So what?"
Ji Binyu picked her up without hesitation and strode towards the bed, "If anyone dares to speak a word, I will cut out their tongue..."
The panting sounds of the man and woman reached outside the sleeping chambers.
The maids outside the hall had already sent everyone else away and stood quietly in place.
*
First Sect.
Sunlight poured freely into the room.
On the bed, Feng Xing lay unconscious.
Bai Niannian propped her chin with her hand, her large, bewildered eyes staring at him, muttering softly, "Ah Xing, Ah Xing, it's been almost half a month. Why haven't you woken up yet?"
Feng Xing's complexion had become much more ruddy, and his long, dense eyelashes trembled subtly and imperceptibly.
"The medicine is here."
Xiao Zhao was holding a bowl of dark, thick soup, a bright smile on his tender face, "This stuff in the bowl is good stuff. I refined it meticulously. It's very nourishing!"
A strong medicinal aroma instantly filled the entire room.
"Ugh..."
Bai Niannian couldn't help but gag, pinching her nose in disgust and instinctively stepping back, "Why does this medicine taste so bitter! Are you sure it's drinkable?"
Xiao Zhao placed the medicine on the table, patting his chest with his chubby little hand, and said without hesitation, "Of course it's drinkable. I refined it painstakingly according to books. Ah Xing's foundation was injured, and this is the right medicine for him. Drinking it will surely be good for his health."
During the days Feng Xing was unconscious, Xiao Zhao refined medicine every few days for Feng Xing to take.
As a divine beast, his ability to refine pills had successfully astonished everyone.
Bai Niannian hesitated slightly, her gaze falling on the soup, "You've refined a lot of pills for Ah Xing these past few days, but he still shows no signs of waking up. Are you sure the medicines you refined are effective?"
The soup was more bitter each time.
This time, even Bai Niannian couldn't bear to smell it and looked at the soup with unease.
If she hadn't specifically checked the soup and known that the pills refined by Xiao Zhao were beneficial for physical repair, she would have suspected Xiao Zhao of intentionally trying to poison Feng Xing.
"Oh, look at Ah Xing's complexion getting redder day by day. This is all my doing!"
"Don't hesitate. Hurry and let him drink the soup while it's hot. It will be even harder to drink when it cools down."
Xiao Zhao urged, quickly handing over the medicine.
Bai Niannian hesitated for a moment, then took the soup and fed it to Feng Xing, deliberately holding her breath to avoid smelling the unpleasant odor.