99 - Little Peasant Wife

If this time they could indeed safely rescue her wife and child, General Qin would fully devote herself to resolving the heartlock gu poison within her. Embracing both wood-based powers and spiritual energy, along with the apocalyptic healing potions in her mind, she deemed the heartlock gu barely a difficult ailment. She was determined to research a solution. None of her abilities seemed enough from her previous conversation with Shen Lvmian, noticing Shen's vague words at the end. Clearly, Shen was concealing another solution, possibly something quite challenging, hence choosing not to mention it. Prior, Jing Aoxue hadn't been concerned with General Qin's health and naturally didn't ask further. But now, indebted to her life-saving favor, she couldn't ignore repaying the kindness. Nevertheless, it was crucial to settle the current urgent situation first. Qin Yishu was a resourceful general, able to devise brilliant strategies in the ever-changing battlefield swiftly. After brief contemplation, she instructed her men to prepare the carriage, heading towards the Liu Family. Upon arriving outside the Liu residence, Qin Yishu retrieved a jade pendant from her waist and handed it to the servant. The servant stepped forward, addressing the disdainful doorkeeper, "We are subordinates of the court's First Rank Champion General. Today, General Qin passed by this area specifically to visit the National Master. How dare a mere doorkeeper challenge General Qin? Hurry inside to report, or you’ll be risking your life!" The doorkeeper turned pale with fright. Earlier, he had dismissed the ordinary-looking carriage, thinking about the many visitors, both explicit and covert, that had come after the National Master and Lord Liu took residence in Liu Mansion. Madam Liu, fed up with continual visits, ordered him to dismiss them. Thus, he didn’t bother to communicate and carelessly sent the carriage away. Now, learning the identity of the visitor, he was in deep trouble, facing a figurative iron wall as his misjudgment involved General Qin, a higher official than Lord Liu. Shaking in fear, the doorkeeper replied respectfully, “I'll report to the National Master immediately.” He then hurried inside. Observing this, Gu Baiwei sneered coldly, exclaiming, "Such disgraceful people dare to belittle me?" Her temper was further soured as she glanced at Qin Yishu, who lay quietly to one side. "No matter how desperate you are, you’re still a first-rank officer. Why..." Qin Yishu looked at her, saying, "Baiwei, your temperament is too hasty; you might suffer for it someday." Gu Baiwei, feeling a sting in her heart, thought to herself: she only gets impatient when it concerns Qin Yishu. Otherwise, she's usually so sharp. Not wishing to engage further, she turned her gaze out the window. There, she saw Jing Aoxue dressed similarly to Wu Zhiyong, planning to infiltrate the Liu residence under the guise of Qin Yishu’s subordinate. Narrowing her eyes, she motioned for Jing Aoxue to approach and whispered, "Once inside the Liu Mansion, wander around quietly. Don’t alert the guards. Even if you’re caught, pretend you’re a clueless newcomer… Oh, this is a foolish plan. Qin Yishu, is this really feasible?" Qin Yishu remained silent, while Jing Aoxue replied, "I can't meet the National Master directly. This is the best plan, even if it's a bit clumsy. After all, I'm a subordinate of General Qin; the Liu Mansion servants won't trouble me." Only now, as she prepared to leave, did she remember she was no ordinary person. She was a third-layer foundational cultivator. Unlike Shen Lvmian, she didn't know how to conceal her cultivation. In the realm of cultivation, without specific techniques or cloaking artifacts, high-level cultivators can discern the levels of those beneath them at a glance. In the mortal realm, even as a mere third-layer cultivator, her presence posed questionable. Hence, she must avoid the National Master and her secret guards, assuming those guards were also cultivators. She counted herself lucky that the secret guards weren't numerous, not exceeding ten, and they clustered around the National Master, rarely straying far. By steering clear of the National Master, exposure should be avoidable. Such matters, however, were inconvenient to disclose to Qin Yishu, who, after a moment of contemplation, eventually agreed. Sighing, Gu Baiwei advised, "In any case, be cautious. I'll have Wu Zhiyong stay by you all the time. As a fifth-rank officer, the Liu Mansion staff won't dare harm him." Jing Aoxue expressed her gratitude, surprised to learn about Wu Zhiyong's official position. Yet he chose to return to Duobao Village post-war, content as a regular villager, indicating perhaps his aspirations lie elsewhere, or deep-seated reasons remain uncovered. At that moment, the doorkeeper from Liu residence returned, breathless, saying, "The National Master has retired for the night. Upon hearing of General Qin’s passing, Lord Liu specifically asked me to invite you into the mansion." Qin Yishu responded coolly, aware of her mobility issues combined with her special status, preventing anyone from risking having her dismount to walk inside. The carriage thus entered through the main gate, as Jing Aoxue inconspicuously surveyed the surroundings. Recalling Zhang Qiaoer's mentioning, she knew Shen Lvmian should be stationed outside Liu Guan’s quarters unless unforeseen events occurred. An inexplicable foreboding gripped her heart, prompting her precarious venture into Liu Mansion despite its evident dangers. She watched as the servant assisted General Qin into the hall, with some subordinates following and others vigilantly waiting outside. She exchanged a silent glance with Wu Zhiyong and stealthily melded into the shadowed trees, disappearing without a trace. **Chapter Sixty - Calamity** Shen Lvmian approached the bathroom quietly, positioning herself behind a cloth curtain for concealment. Inside, aside from a few young girls, there were four young maids wearing Liu family attire. These maids were expressionlessly bathing the little girls. Examining the scene, Shen Lvmian noticed that while the children were oblivious to the impending danger, they were filled with curiosity and joy, splashing around and playing with the bubbles. Only Wu Meng Qiu seemed different from the other children; her eyes were vacant, and her expression dazed, allowing herself to be manipulated by the maids. Shen Lvmian lowered her gaze, pondering for a moment. Once the patrolling guards had moved away, she released a refreshing fragrance of grass and wood. One of the maids sniffed the air and asked, “What’s that smell? It's so nice.” Another maid rolled her eyes and retorted, “What else could it be besides the soap powder? Surely you aren’t suggesting it’s a natural fragrance from these little girls?” The third maid laughed and joked, “Oh, if that’s true, it’s extraordinary. If we found girls who naturally emit such fragrance, they’d be treasures for the adults to indulge in!” The second maid scoffed, “Heh, what's so great about that? Being in this Liu residence is essentially entering their…” “Quiet!” snapped the oldest-looking maid who had been silent until now. “Do you want to get us killed? Another word of nonsense and I'll tear your mouths apart!” The other maids immediately fell silent, refraining from further banter. They refocused on their tasks, though gradually their bodies began behaving oddly. One maid couldn’t help but feel puzzled: they hadn't done much work today, yet inexplicably felt fatigued and sleepy, their eyelids battling to stay open. Yawning, she murmured, “So sleepy... Let’s finish up quickly and…” Before she could complete her sentence, she collapsed to the ground unconscious. The remaining three maids, slowly realizing something was amiss, found it too late to react. They too succumbed, falling asleep. The lead maid bit her lip, desperately trying to stay awake. In a vague haze, she saw a woman dressed in a green tunic emerge from behind the curtain. The woman leaned down, lifting the dazed little girl into her arms, then started approaching her. The maid sensed danger, wanting to evade, but her body wouldn’t respond. All she felt was a sharp pain at the back of her head before everything blacked out. Holding Wu Meng Qiu, Shen Lvmian moved to a nearby shelf and changed her into a set of clothes she found. Wu Meng Qiu remained unresponsive. Sensing something was wrong, Shen Lvmian approached Zhang Qiaoer, demanding coldly, “Did you and Steward Liu order someone to drug Wu Meng Qiu? Where's the antidote? Hand it over now!” Zhang Qiaoer, reluctantly, puckered her lips and admitted, “It was indeed Steward Liu’s instruction to ensure the children remained obedient and quiet. She will naturally wake in a few days. If you're in a rush, you can prick her fingers—ten fingers linked to the heart, the pain will…” Before she finished, Shen Lvmian clamped her hand around Zhang Qiaoer's neck, threatening, “You’re cunning for your age; surely you have the antidote. If you don’t hand it over, I won’t hesitate to kill you. I’ve saved the person; leaving a calamity like you behind serves no purpose!” Pale-faced, Zhang Qiaoer quickly responded, “I’ll give it! The antidote is under my skirt; I secretly sewed a small pocket into my pants where I keep it.” Shen Lvmian gritted her teeth, her suspicion confirmed. She found a small pouch sewn into Zhang Qiaoer's clothing, filled with pills. She took them all. Returning to Wu Meng Qiu’s side, she administered one of the pills. Made from unknown ingredients, it worked almost instantly. Wu Meng Qiu blinked and soon regained consciousness. Barely discerning who was before her, she instinctively thought it was a foe due to her proximity, remembering the events before she fainted. She tried to bite, but Shen Lvmian swiftly evaded. As Wu Meng Qiu prepared to scream, Shen covered her mouth, whispering, “It’s me, Aunt Jing. Don’t shout, or we’re finished.” Recognizing her, Wu Meng Qiu nodded quickly. Shen Lvmian released her, and Wu Meng Qiu, in distress, clung to her hand, weeping, “Aunt, as soon as Brother Chun and I, along with little Sister Liu, stepped outside the courtyard, we were seized by strangers. Brother Chun cried endlessly, so they drugged him. I tried to stop them, but they were too powerful…”