Free Web NovelChapter 53: Chapter 52: Xiao Yingyue’s Backup Plan
"Young Master, Qingshui Village may be small, but we can’t be sure that Lin Fan doesn’t have accomplices here. Why don’t we wait here for Mr. Chu to arrive? I’d feel much more at ease with him here."
Ying stepped forward and said with some concern.
Ever since the incident with Lin Fan, he’d begun to doubt his own strength.
Even now, in this tiny Qingshui Village, he was worried that something unexpected might happen and he wouldn’t be able to protect Jiang Lan.
"Don’t worry. As long as Lin Fan’s accomplices aren’t fools, they won’t expose themselves so easily," Jiang Lan said casually, waving his hand dismissively.
After all, he knew better than anyone whether Lin Fan truly had accomplices.
Ying nodded.
He felt that ever since Lin Fan’s assassination attempt, his young master had reined in his hedonistic tendencies.
In his spare time over the past few days, he had been poring over various Cultivation Method Texts, as if attempting to practice Qi Sensing and Body Refinement.
But due to his physical constitution, every attempt ended in failure, no matter how many times he tried.
In the past, the Young Master had dabbled in various cultivation methods, but his efforts had always been half-hearted, carrying an air of self-abandonment, as if he never truly cared about the outcome.
But now, the Young Master seemed to have truly grasped the importance of personal strength. He was beginning to treat cultivation seriously, focusing more of his energy on the "proper path."
Unfortunately... fate still seemed to be against him.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Before long, several Divine Rainbows raced across the sky and arrived.
The physicians from the nearby villages, regardless of age, had all been brought here.
There were over a dozen of them in total, most of them elderly and appearing quite frail.
A few, however, had profound auras and possessed cultivation; they were clearly not mortals.
Among them, a tall, graceful woman in a plain dress was particularly eye-catching.
Beneath her white, veiled hat, her skin was fair and smooth, her eyes like misty autumn pools. She projected an air of gentle grace, an elegant and moving presence.
All the physicians wore expressions of fear and unease.
Many of them had no idea what was happening. They had been whisked away from their clinics by several knights with astonishing auras, who rode terrifying Fierce Beasts. Their captors hadn’t asked a single question, acting with domineering force.
Only the few physicians who possessed cultivation, along with the tall, veiled woman, remained relatively calm and composed from beginning to end.
"County Captain, what on earth is going on? Why have you suddenly brought us here?"
"We haven’t done anything! We don’t know anything at all."
At that moment, a few of the elderly physicians who recognized the County Captain couldn’t help but ask in trembling voices.
"Have any of you, in the past few days, disregarded the warning and secretly treated a heavily injured man?" the County Captain asked with a cold snort.
Upon hearing this, the physicians all shook their heads frantically. How could they possibly dare?
Over the past few days, they had turned away any patient with even remotely serious injuries, terrified of bringing trouble upon themselves. How could they possibly risk disregarding the official warning to treat someone in secret?
The County Captain had expected as much. Feeling helpless, he could only bite the bullet and turn to the woman who had remained silent the entire time. "Miss Xiao..."
As the County Captain of this place, he naturally recognized this woman who called herself Xiao Yue and was known to the villagers as the Medical Immortal.
He was even indebted to her. freeweɓnøvel.com
His own elderly mother had been suffering for years from a chronic illness, enduring constant pain. It was this very woman who had personally visited his residence to treat her.
After just a few prescriptions, her illness was completely cured. Her health and complexion improved so dramatically that she looked decades younger.
Beneath her veiled hat, Xiao Yingyue struggled to maintain a calm expression, but she couldn’t stop the turmoil churning in her heart.
She had only found out early this morning that Lin Fan’s identity as an assassin had been exposed.
The Prime Minister’s Mansion had spies everywhere. Their investigation was moving with extraordinary speed, leaving almost no time for anyone to prepare.
Amid her regret, her first thought was how to extricate herself safely.
Fortunately, she had made a backup plan when she agreed to help Lin Fan yesterday.
After traveling the Nine Provinces Land for many years, she had developed a meticulous mind. She always weighed the pros and cons and would never take a risk lightly—especially not now, when she had little power to protect herself.
"Miss Xiao, did you, by any chance, secretly treat a heavily injured man yesterday?"
When Xiao Yingyue gave no reaction, the County Captain asked again, his own heart pounding with nervousness.
Jiang Lan’s gaze also fell upon her.
Though he was well aware of Xiao Yingyue’s true identity, his expression remained unchanged.
"And who is this young lady? Does she have something to hide, that she won’t show her true face?" freёwebnovel.com
He chuckled with amusement, then with a flick of his wrist, signaled for the guards and Knights to step forward and surround her.
"Young Master, the mysterious woman who abducted the Second Miss of the Su Mansion also had her face veiled, hiding her true appearance..."
"It isn’t normal for a woman of her bearing to appear in a small place like Qingshui Village. Although she shows no cultivation fluctuations, her flawless, radiant complexion suggests she is no ordinary person."
"She must be Lin Fan’s accomplice."
Ying added respectfully at Jiang Lan’s side, his gaze on Xiao Yingyue filled with suspicion, as if worried his master might miss the connection.
Xiao Yingyue’s delicate brows furrowed at his words.
She had no desire to be made a scapegoat.
"Oh?"
Jiang Lan feigned surprise, giving Xiao Yingyue another long look before saying coolly, "If she’s an accomplice, then seize her."
A group of Knights stepped forward, their terrifying auras surging as they closed in around her.
Xiao Yingyue sighed inwardly and was forced to speak. "Young Master Jiang, you’ve misunderstood. My name is Xiao Yue, and I am a disciple of Medicine King Valley."
"I did indeed secretly treat a heavily injured man yesterday, but I was by no means willing. The man was utterly depraved. He threatened me with the life of a mute girl named Ya’Er, forcing me to save him."
"A while ago, I was heavily injured in an encounter with an enemy, and my cultivation was all but destroyed. I have been living here in seclusion under a new name to recuperate. I never imagined I would be dragged into this matter. I was terrified of his strength, so I didn’t dare to defy him..."
As she spoke, she took an object from her waist—a token made of a material that was neither wood nor metal.
One side was engraved with a pill furnace and medicinal herbs; the other depicted the geography of a valley and bore the two words: "Medicine King."
Ying stepped forward to take it. His brow furrowed as he examined it. "Young Master, this is indeed a token from the Medicine King Valley."
"A token from the Medicine King Valley proves nothing. Who’s to say Lin Fan’s accomplices aren’t the entire Valley? When I return, I’ll have Father send men to investigate the Medicine King Valley thoroughly," Jiang Lan said coolly.
Xiao Yingyue’s expression flickered, but she had clearly anticipated this. She continued, "Rest assured, Young Master Jiang. Though I was afraid of that villain’s power and didn’t dare disobey him, I took some precautions. I added a certain medicinal herb to the decoction he consumed—it’s called Butterfly Glow Grass."
"My plan was to feign submission and treat his injuries, while secretly looking for an opportunity to report him to the authorities so they could come and apprehend him."
"And even if the villain sensed something was amiss and escaped, the scent of the Butterfly Glow Grass can be tracked by a Butterfly Glow Moth. This way, I could make amends..."
As soon as she said this, everyone present was stunned into silence.
"Just as I’d expect from Miss Xiao! So clever and resourceful."
The County Captain’s face filled with admiration. He, for one, didn’t doubt the truth of her words.
After all, although Xiao Yingyue’s identity and origins were mysterious, she had never once revealed any cultivation.
And that Lin Fan was a depraved monster who even dared to assassinate the Son of the Prime Minister. Forcing Miss Xiao to save him by threatening the mute girl Ya’Er would be nothing to a man like that.
Even Ying wore a look of shocked suspicion, wondering whether the woman’s story was true.
