Chapter 41: The Antidote Method

Shen Qianmo fought to stay conscious, her entire being on high alert as she gazed toward the mouth of the cave. Suddenly, her vision blurred, and a soft, fluffy creature appeared in her arms.

It was Little Darling! Shen Qianmo breathed a sigh of relief.

“You’re so smart, Little Darling. I knew you’d find me,” she murmured, gently stroking its head.

The emerald-eyed spirit fox gazed at her with luminous eyes, letting out happy little whimpers, clearly delighted to have found her.

At that moment, the moonlight spilling into the cave was suddenly blocked by a tall, dark silhouette. Shen Qianmo looked up warily and saw, beneath the hazy moon, a man standing at the entrance, his features more radiant than the moonlight itself.

Before she could make out his face, she felt herself swept into a warm, familiar embrace.

A faint scent of medicinal herbs filled her nose, its coolness soothing the burning in her chest. The anxiety she’d been holding onto finally eased.

“Meng Yuanheng, you’re finally here,” she mumbled from within his arms.

Meng Yuanheng held her tightly, his hands trembling ever so slightly. “I’m sorry, Mo’er. I came too late.”

She shook her head. In truth, Meng Yuanheng had arrived much sooner than she’d expected.

“Take me away from here,” Shen Qianmo shifted uncomfortably in his arms. The poison of the Azure Blossom was growing stronger, and her self-control was fading. She could not stay here and become a pawn for Yin Zhan to use against Meng Yuanheng.

“All right, Mo’er. Let’s go.” Rarely had he seen Shen Qianmo so languid and docile before him; Meng Yuanheng felt his heart melting, his gentle voice brimming with infinite tenderness.

He scooped her up carefully, turned, and carried her out of the cave.

Yan Mo and Chang Dong, who had been standing guard outside, immediately stepped forward.

“Your Highness, how is Her Highness?” Yan Mo asked anxiously, unable to hide his concern for Shen Qianmo. Chang Dong, too, stole worried glances at the woman in Meng Yuanheng’s arms.

But Meng Yuanheng protected her so well, they couldn’t see her at all.

Meng Yuanheng ignored the question and asked instead, “Do you know what poison Her Highness has been afflicted with?”

Yan Mo bowed his head, his tone hesitant. “From what I could gather, it should be... the poison of the Azure Blossom.”

Meng Yuanheng’s face instantly darkened at those words. Yin Zhan, you deserve death! How dare you use such a vile poison on Mo’er.

His gaze toward Yan Mo turned icy. “I told you to protect Her Highness along the way—is this what you call protection?”

Yan Mo immediately knelt to beg forgiveness. “It was my failure, Your Highness. Please punish me.”

Hearing their exchange from the safety of Meng Yuanheng’s arms, Shen Qianmo tugged at his sleeve. “Yan Mo did well. This was an accident; don’t blame him.”

Yan Mo, still kneeling, was so moved he nearly broke into tears. Her Highness truly was a good person! He resolved then and there to do anything for her, no matter the cost.

Meng Yuanheng gave a cold snort. “For Her Highness’s sake, I’ll be lenient. Upon returning to the manor, report to the Flying Cloud Riders for discipline.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, Your Highness,” Yan Mo replied, wholeheartedly accepting the punishment. Her poisoning, in the end, was due to his negligence. If only he’d been more thorough, perhaps none of this would have happened.

Her Highness must be safe, Yan Mo prayed silently. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

“You stay here to continue the response. I’ll take Her Highness back first.” Seeing Shen Qianmo’s flushed face and feverish body, Meng Yuanheng grew more anxious. He hastily issued his orders and, carrying Shen Qianmo, leapt away.

They hadn’t gone far before they were intercepted by Yin Zhan, who was accompanied by the four Grand Guardians of the Wujiao Sect.

It was Shen Qianmo’s first time seeing the Grand Guardian Wuchen. He appeared to be in his forties, with a long beard and piercing eyes—a man whose inner strength was beyond question.

“Prince Xuan, you’ve only just arrived, and now you’re in such a hurry to leave?” Yin Zhan, clad in crimson robes and black hair whipping in the wind, stood tall. Fury burned in his narrow phoenix eyes as he saw Shen Qianmo in Meng Yuanheng’s arms.

So he had underestimated this woman after all. Even in a delirious state, she had managed to escape and, with a single stroke, dispatched her guard.

Meng Yuanheng, dressed in black, his face shadowed by the night, uttered each word with chilling clarity.

“Hand over the antidote.”

Yin Zhan saw the urgency and worry in Meng Yuanheng’s eyes and his expression twisted with resentment. “What is it about this woman that makes you so anxious? Do you think you’re being fair to Yan’er?”

Yan’er? Shen Qianmo, her mind muddled, caught the name and tried to grasp its significance, but her thoughts were too foggy. She decided to give up and nestled deeper into Meng Yuanheng’s arms.

At the mention of “Yan’er,” a strange look flashed across Meng Yuanheng’s face. When he saw Shen Qianmo curl closer to him, he assumed she was suffering from the poison, and his anxiety deepened. His gaze toward Yin Zhan took on an edge of murderous intent.

“Hand over the antidote, and I’ll let you live a little longer.”

Yin Zhan threw back his head and laughed. “Meng Yuanheng, the antidote you seek is both far away and right before your eyes.”

“What do you mean?” Meng Yuanheng frowned, his patience for riddles nonexistent.

Yin Zhan’s smile grew sinister. “The antidote is... myself. Only I can neutralize the Azure Blossom’s poison. And as for the method—” He paused deliberately, watching Meng Yuanheng’s expression grow darker, then continued smugly: “I must join with her, drawing the poison from her body into mine.”

Shen Qianmo, hearing this, could not help but curse, “Shameless!” She was truly disgusted.

Meng Yuanheng’s grip on her tightened, murderous rage boiling in his eyes. He spoke, each word cold as ice.

“Yin Zhan, you have a death wish.”

“Hmph. If I die, your woman will follow me to the grave. Wouldn’t that be fitting?” Yin Zhan ignored Meng Yuanheng’s killing intent, seemingly determined to provoke him further.

“Or you could try to cure her yourself,” he sneered. “But in that case, your woman might well become a widow.”

Meng Yuanheng had no patience left for words. With one arm shielding Shen Qianmo, he struck at Yin Zhan.

Yin Zhan retaliated at once, and in the blink of an eye, the two were locked in fierce combat, exchanging well over a hundred moves.

Yin Zhan was shocked by Meng Yuanheng’s skill; it seemed bottomless. Using only one hand, Meng Yuanheng matched him blow for blow, displaying a mastery of inner strength that defied belief.

How had Meng Yuanheng attained such heights over the past seven years, while burdened by illness and injury?

Seeing his master fight, Chang Dong also joined the fray, taking on the Wujiao Sect’s guardians. Yan Mo summoned several hidden guards to battle the cultists.

Soon, Yun Yi led the Shadow Guards of Woyun Manor into the fight, tipping the balance. The Wujiao Sect was gradually forced onto the defensive.

Growing desperate, Yin Zhan’s moves became erratic. Meng Yuanheng seized the opening and struck him down with a thunderous palm, blood trickling from Yin Zhan’s lips as he fell.

Rising slowly, Yin Zhan licked the blood from his mouth, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face. His eyes shifted in color, turning entirely violet, and he fixed a blazing, unyielding gaze on Meng Yuanheng.

Meng Yuanheng started in shock. “You’ve mastered the Demonic Purple Enchantment?”

Yin Zhan did not reply. It was as if he had lost his mind, consumed by madness. Only one thing remained in his eyes: the relentless urge to destroy the woman in Meng Yuanheng’s arms.

He leapt forward, violet light flickering in his gaze, his palm strikes tinged with purple as he unleashed his full strength toward Meng Yuanheng.

Meng Yuanheng shielded Shen Qianmo, meeting Yin Zhan’s attack head-on.

Both men poured all their strength into that single blow, the earth seemed to tremble with its force. When the dust settled, both collapsed to the ground.

Yin Zhan staggered, blood spurting from his mouth.

Meng Yuanheng too was forced back several steps, blood trickling from his lips.

“Are you all right?” Shen Qianmo anxiously wiped the blood from Meng Yuanheng’s mouth.

He shook his head and gave her a reassuring look. “It’s nothing.”

Seeing the two of them so tender with each other only fueled Yin Zhan’s fury, and his words grew more vicious. “Ah, I almost forgot, Prince Xuan. They say you’re not even a real man—so you can’t cure her either. You’ll just have to watch her be consumed by the poison and die, ha ha ha...”

Shen Qianmo could bear no more. She cast a cold glance at Yin Zhan and said, “I would rather die than let your schemes succeed. Meng Yuanheng, let’s go. This place disgusts me.”