Chapter 63: Secret Cracking

to Fragrant Spring Mountain, the whole capital went wild! People rushed there from all directions on horseback, especially those young ladies who were decked out in fine clothes and fragrances. The Si...Chapter 63 Cracking the Secret

Just as Yun Qianyue flew out of Prince De's high wall, she saw a figure in snow-flowered brocade robes waiting there—it was Ye Tianyi. She was taken aback but pretended not to see him and tried to leave.

"Moon! Are you now ignoring me" Ye Tianyi blocked Yun Qianyue midair.

Yun Qianyue had no choice but to stop, looking at Ye Tianyi in front of her. She said as calmly as she could, "I have something else to do. We can talk later!"

"Did you come to Prince De's residence to see Night Qingran" Ye Tianyi didn't seem to hear Yun Qianyue and asked.

"Yes." Yun Qianyue nodded.

"Are you telling me that even Night Qingran is more important than me now" A bitter smile appeared on Ye Tianyi's lips.

Yun Qianyue pursed her lips and sighed. "Ye Tianyi, there’s no need for this! We have known each other for years; if there was any possibility of it not happening, I would never wish to hurt you. I've already said what needs to be said earlier. Please think about it!"

With that, Yun Qianyue didn't say another word and dashed off lightly.

"Where are you going To Prince Rong’s residence" Ye Tianyi blocked Yun Qianyue again. "Don’t forget the emperor's decree; since yesterday, you should be under my tutelage!"

"That is correct! But look at the time—it's noon now. It's lunchtime; even classes in the upper study are not held." Yun Qianyue shook off Ye Tianyi. This time she used a bit of strength which forced Ye Tianyi to take a step back, and then she dashed off again.

"Yun Qianyue, stop!" At this moment, Ye Qian flew out of Prince De's residence and saw Yun Qianyue leaving; she threw her red silk ribbon at Yun Qianyue’s waist.

Yun Qianyue didn’t turn around. She swung her palm back to break free from the red silk.

"Yun Qianyue, do you know that Lipstick Crimson Viper is a precious treasure of Night Qingran; and yet you just took it away Don't think that because he likes you, you can hurt him!" Ye Qian was furious when her red silk ribbon didn’t stop Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue stopped in her steps but ignored Ye Qian and continued to move forward.

Hearing this, Ye Tianyi flew up again. In the instant that Yun Qianyue paused, he blocked her again, looking at her with a darkened expression. "You took Night Qingran's Lipstick Crimson Viper Why To give it to someone"

Yun Qianyue didn’t speak; she aimed a palm at Ye Tianyi. She knew that as long as Ye Qian was after her, she couldn't take the Lipstick Crimson Viper away today, but Third Young Master needed help and she had to take it.

"Moon, who are you rescuing by attacking me" Ye Tianyi narrowed his eyes; he dodged Yun Qianyue’s palm wind, yet still blocked her firmly. "Rong Jing"

At this time, Ye Qian chased after from behind and stood beside Yun Qianyue to stop her movements with Ye Tianyi in front of her. She shouted angrily, “I won’t let you take the Lipstick Crimson Viper away!” "Not Rong Jing, but a very important person to me." Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Tianyi seriously and said, "He is on his last legs; I must save him. Ye Tianyi, are you sure you want to stop me"

"Moon, besides Rong Jing, I wonder who in this world could make you attack me And even take Night Qingran’s precious Lipstick Crimson Viper," Yun Qianyue looked at her with darkened eyes.

"Ye Tianyi, not all feelings can be compared!" Yun Qianyue suddenly had a serious expression. "My feelings for Rong Jing are different from everyone else's; my feelings toward you are also unique to me. Every person has their own position in my heart. Do you understand"

Ye Tianyi fell silent.

Yun Qianyue turned around and looked at Ye Qian, saying, "Night Qingran was happy to give the Lipstick Crimson Viper to me! Ye Qian, you have no right to stop me!" With that she ignored them both and flew off.

"That's not acceptable either! If he wanted to give it to her willingly, would he say otherwise He might even be willing to give his head to her!" Ye Qian threw out the red silk ribbon again to block Yun Qianyue from leaving. She did so without any hesitation; and the red silk ribbon was like a three-meter-long sharp sword that flew toward Yun Qianyue's back.

Yun Qianyue didn’t turn around. Thinking about fighting back, she might get injured; if she got injured, Ye Qian would probably stop chasing her! With this thought in mind, she ignored Ye Qian and let the red silk hit her back without retaliating.

The moment Yun Qianyue showed no defense, Ye Tianyi immediately blocked Ye Qian's red silk ribbon.

Yun Qianyue was now unhindered. Her figure flashed away, dashing out several dozen feet in an instant. She didn’t need to turn around to know that Ye Tianyi had stopped Ye Qian; she sighed and dashed off full force towards Prince Rong’s residence.

"Why are you blocking me" Ye Qian looked at Yun Qianyue who was walking away and shouted angrily at Ye Tianyi, who had grabbed her red silk ribbon.

"In front of me, I won’t allow anyone to hurt her," Ye Tianyi said coolly.

“Hmph. It’s weird; what is so great about Yun Qianyue that you all treat her like this Rong Jing does, Nan Lingrui does, and the foolish Night Qingran also does. Now even Seventh Prince you do. I want to know!” Ye Qian looked at Ye Tianyi and suddenly laughed out in anger.

"Her merits don’t need to be known by Princess Ye," Ye Tianyi let go of the red silk ribbon, ignored Ye Qian, and prepared to leave.

"I heard that she has been corresponding with you, the Seventh Prince, for five years and was childhood sweethearts. Now, do you feel不甘 to see her reconciling with Jing Shizi" Ye Qian withdrew the red silk from her hand and raised an eyebrow as she looked at Yè Tiānyì.

"Princess Ye! I would like to know whether you fancy Nán Liáng Zhuì太子or Xiǎo Rào王爺from Dérén王府!" Yè Tiānyì suddenly turned around, a cold glint flashing in his phoenix eyes as he looked at Ye Qian.

Ye Qian's expression darkened. "Whom I like doesn't concern you! Seventh Prince, you should take better care of yourself!"

Yè Tiānyì squinted his eyes slightly.

Ju Yuan just wanted to fly after Yun Qianyue when she suddenly stopped and smiled at Yè Tiānyì. "Seventh Prince, in consideration of our three years of collaboration on a deal, I will give you one piece of sincere advice."

Yè Tiānyì raised an eyebrow.

"To win Yun Qianyue's affection, it is not merely about糾纏讓她反感. A woman's heart can withstand hardness but fears softness the most. If you are hard on her, she will be harder towards you; if you are soft, then she cannot be hard towards you. Seventh Prince, to compete with Jing Shizi for someone's affections, I think you should truly learn this lesson!" Ye Qian left with a light step, heading towards Róng王府.

Yè Tiānyì watched as Ye Qian's figure disappeared and stood rooted in his spot for a long time. After a while, he extended his palm, looking at the red marks on his hand where he had clenched it tightly earlier; then, he gently clutched and released his fist before stepping towards Dérén王府’s main gate.

Yun Qianyue arrived at Róng王府 shortly. She leapt over the high wall, flew past the Purple Bamboo Grove, and came to the Purple Bamboo Courtyard. Just as she landed lightly, she saw Róng Jǐng standing by the entrance of the courtyard waiting for her; he was wearing a gentle smile on his face. Upon seeing her, he smiled softly at her and said in a soft voice: "You’ve worked hard!"

A warm feeling instantly welled up inside Yun Qianyue’s heart, as though she had returned home after a long journey across mountains and rivers; someone was waiting for her upon arrival. Unable to help it, she smiled sincerely at Róng Jǐng from the bottom of her heart, stepped forward two steps and hugged his waist, burying her face in his chest while rubbing against him: "Putting on airs, deliberately making me feel moved!"

Róng Jǐng chuckled softly as he embraced Yun Qianyue’s slim figure with both hands. "Yeah, you’re right! I was doing it intentionally!"

The warm embrace dispelled some of the chill from the wind for Yun Qianyue; she pouted and lightly thumped him before backing away from his body to slip a cinnabar banded krait into his hand. In a somewhat sullen tone, she said: "Here! Hurry up and save Three Young Master!"

"Night Qingran is indeed very generous towards you!" Róng Jǐng looked at the cinnabar banded krait in his hands and raised an eyebrow, with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"I have good karma. How can it be compared to your lack of character Whatever you want, no one will give it to you," Yun Qianyue glanced inside and saw that the door to his small study room was open and unoccupied; she asked: "Where is Three Young Master"

"In a guest room!" Róng Jǐng turned around and walked towards the guest rooms.

Yun Qianyue remained standing at the entrance without moving.

Róng Jǐng took two steps, then turned back to look at Yun Qianyue and asked: "Not going in"

"No need," Yun Qianyue shook her head. She loved that cinnabar banded krait too; if there was even a slight chance of survival for the snake, she didn’t want to kill it just for its gallbladder. Moreover, as Night Qingran’s cherished pet, she did not wish to witness the slaughtering process.

"Are you feeling sorry for this snake or do you feel guilty towards Night Qingran" Róng Jǐng asked with a smile.

Yun Qianyue snorted and said in an annoyed tone: "Why so many words Hurry up and save the person! I’ll wait in your room!"

"Alright! Old Medicine has prepared lunch for you. It will take me a long time to come out, so eat first," Róng Jǐng turned around and walked towards the guest rooms.

"I’ll be waiting for you then! I don’t have any appetite when eating alone!" Yun Qianyue waved her hand; she had been running all over since last night without rest, feeling particularly exhausted now.

"Alright! Then go and take a nap," Róng Jǐng nodded in agreement.

Yun Qianyue didn’t say anything more but stepped towards Róng Jǐng’s room. The room was just as tidy and clean when she came to stay there days ago – bright windows, dust-free, with curtains of jade pendants and smoke from the incense burner wafting gently; it seemed that soothing incense had been lit recently for her upon return. A warm feeling welled up in Yun Qianyue’s heart; she took off her shoes, got into bed, pulled Róng Jǐng's quilt over herself, and closed her eyes.

The calming incense was very effective; the moment Yun Qianyue closed her eyes, drowsiness enveloped her. She soon fell asleep.

Not long after she drifted off to sleep, a loud rustling sound could be heard from the Purple Bamboo Grove. At the same time, Qing Shang’s voice was heard outside: "Princess Ye, please halt. No one is allowed into this area without the young master's permission!"

Yun Qianyue frowned; she realized that Ye Qian had chased after her.

"I want to see Yun Qianyue!" Ye Qian’s voice was extremely loud.

"Miss Shallow Moon is currently resting in my young master’s room. Servant …" Qing Shang hesitated and looked into the room.

"Yun Qianyue! Come out here!" Ye Qian interrupted Qing Shang's words with a loud shout.

Yun Qianyue opened her eyes, sat up, and looked outside. She saw Ye Qian standing outside the Purple Bamboo Grove in a red outfit that was particularly eye-catching as if she had rushed through from outside; Yun Qianyue pushed back the quilt, got out of bed, put on her shoes, and walked out of the door.

"Cloud Qianyue, is there someone who has been poisoned by the purple grass and you need to use the cinnabar coral snake to treat him" Ye Qian asked immediately when she saw Cloud Qianyue come out.

"That's right!" Cloud Qianyue nodded.

"Don't use the cinnabar coral snake, I have a way to save people," Ye Qian said.

Cloud Qianyue was stunned and narrowed her eyes as she looked at Ye Qian. "You have a way to save someone Can you cure the purple grass poison"

"That's right!" Ye Qian replied.

The corners of Cloud Qianyue’s lips tightened, and she looked seriously at Ye Qian, “What method do you use to detoxify This person is very important to me. If the method you come up with is wrong in the slightest way, even if you are the princess of the Southern Frontier, I won't show mercy.”

"My blood!" Ye Qian looked at Cloud Qianyue seriously.

Cloud Qianyue raised an eyebrow. How had she never heard that Ye Qian's blood could detoxify Or specifically against the purple grass poison

"Don't you believe me" Ye Qian looked at Cloud Qianyue, "Think about it, on that day in front of the Meridian Gate when I cast a spell, the king of all curses was in my hands. It touched the purple grass and died, but why was I unharmed Because my blood has been soaked and nourished by the thousand poisons used exclusively by our Southern Frontier royal family. Not only do I not fear the poison of the purple grass, but I can also detoxify it."

"I know about the Thousand Poison Objects, but they seem to be less toxic than the purple grass and insufficient to detoxify it," Cloud Qianyue said.

"I once ate a cinnabar coral snake's gallbladder. Isn't that enough to detoxify" Ye Qian raised an eyebrow.

Before Ye Qian finished speaking, the door of the room next to them suddenly opened from inside and Rong Jing stepped out slowly.

Hearing his footsteps, Cloud Qianyue turned her head towards Rong Jing. Rong Jing looked at Ye Qian, raised an eyebrow lightly, "Princess Ye is telling the truth"

"Absolutely no lies!" Ye Qian said.

"Is Princess Ye planning to use your blood as a substitute for Young Master Ran's cinnabar coral snake gallbladder" Rong Jing asked.

"That’s right!" Ye Qian replied.

"This cinnabar coral snake is very precious to Young Master Ran. Is Princess Ye doing this for Young Master Ran, or just for the sake of this cinnabar coral snake" Rong Jing asked again.

"It doesn’t matter why! Anyway, I won't let you use that cinnabar coral snake," Ye Qian said.

"Princess Ye is fortunate to have arrived early! The cinnabar coral snake hasn't been used yet." Rong Jing looked at Cloud Qianyue after speaking.

Cloud Qianyue watched as Ye Qian visibly relaxed when she heard Rong Jing's words, then silently turned her gaze back and nodded to him. Rong Jing smiled slightly and said, "Please come in, Princess Ye!"

Qingshang moved aside, and Ye Qian stepped into the Purple Bamboo Courtyard immediately.

"Prince Jingshi certainly has money! This place is more valuable than the gold bricks鋪地的皇宮多少倍！”葉倩打量了一眼紫竹院，瞥了雲淺月一眼，“怪不得你喜歡景世子呢！換成任何一個女子，也會識時務的！”

雲淺月當作冇聽見，並未言語。

“南疆富饒，據說葉公主的公主閣不次於景家的紫竹院。”容景淡淡吐出一句話，轉身進了客房，“葉小姐請隨我來！”

葉倩不再說話，抬步跟了過去。

雲淺月倚著門框看著葉倩進了那間客房，她思索片刻，也抬步走向客房。

這間客房雖然不同於容景那間主屋佈置華麗，但也比普通客房明媚許多，同樣潔淨無塵。客房內除開容景外空無一人，桌子上擺放了三個大碗。

見葉倩跟進來，容景溫聲道：“葉小姐可要想好了！若是想要放血救人，必須要放夠三大碗的血才能夠用。你上次被咒術負傷剛剛康複不久，再放三大碗的血的話，你的武功也許會儘失。”

“我清楚得很！”葉倩點頭。

“那好！葉小姐請吧！”容景指著那三個大碗道。

“原來景世子早有準備！難道景世子就知道我會來？”葉倩看著那三個大碗笑了一聲，對容景挑眉，見容景不語，她回頭看向跟進來的雲淺月道：“景世子果然好籌謀，明明知道我的血能夠解毒，卻是輾轉讓你去拿夜輕染的胭脂赤練蛇，而讓我投鼠忌器親自送上門。和這樣心思頗重的人在一起，雲淺月，你不覺得害怕？”

在皇宮裡鋪地的金磚不知要珍貴多少倍！”葉倩打量了一眼紫竹院後，瞥了雲淺月一眼，“難怪你喜歡景世子呢！換成任何一個女子，也會識時務的！”

Cloud Qianyue didn't pretend to hear and remained silent.

"The Southern Frontier is rich. It's said that Princess Ye's princess chamber isn’t inferior to the Purple Bamboo Courtyard of Prince Jingshi’s family," Rong Jing said indifferently before turning around and entering the guest room, "Princess Ye, please follow me."

Ye Qian did not speak further but followed him.

Cloud Qianyue leaned against the door frame watching as Ye Qian entered the guest room. After some thought, she also stepped towards the guest room.

The guest room was less lavishly decorated than Rong Jing's main house but much more splendid and spotless compared to ordinary rooms. Inside the guest room, apart from Rong Jing, there was no one else. Three large bowls were placed on the table.

Seeing Ye Qian follow him in, Rong Jing said gently, "Princess Ye, think carefully! If you want to use your blood for detoxification, you must pour three big bowls of it. You've just recovered from being hurt by the spell recently; if you lose another three large bowls of blood, you might lose all your martial arts skills."

"I understand clearly," Ye Qian replied.

"Then please go ahead!" Rong Jing pointed at those three big bowls.

“So Prince Jingshi was prepared in advance! Did he know I would come” Ye Qian looked at the three large bowls and smiled before raising an eyebrow at Rong Jing. Seeing that Rong Jing didn't respond, she turned to Cloud Qianyue who had followed her in and said, "Prince Jingshi really has a good plan. He knew my blood could detoxify but made you fetch Night Qingran's cinnabar coral snake instead, leaving me no choice but to come forward on my own. Being with someone so scheming, don’t you feel scared, Cloud Qianyue”

"Ye Qian! I knew him before you did, so I know very well what kind of person he is!" Yun Qianyue leaned against the door frame and said coolly: "Rong Jing isn't a god; he doesn’t know everything! Even if he does know something about it, what’s the point It's better for you to personally deliver your lack of acquaintance with Ye Qian than owing Princess Nanjiang a favor."

“You two are indeed one kind of person!” Ye Qian suddenly blurted out in anger and glared at Yun Qianyue. She turned to Rong Jing, "Do you have any knives Lend me one!"

Rong Jing handed a dagger to Ye Qian.

Ye Qian reached out and took it without hesitation, slashing her wrist with the blade. Fresh blood immediately poured into the bowl.

Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qian. Ye Qian had once consumed the gallbladder of a rouge-banded krait, proving that she had been affected by purple grass in the past. With the snake bile mixed in her bloodstream, she was now immune to purple grass. Nie Qingran treasured this rouge-banded krait, and Ye Qian's current state reflected how anxious she must have felt about it. Yun Qianyue didn’t think that Ye Qian truly had a fondness for Nie Qingran; thus, the only explanation was that this rouge-banded krait must serve an extraordinary purpose!

Soon enough, Ye Qian filled three bowls with her blood. She clenched her teeth and said to Rong Jing, "Is it enough If not, I can still let more out!"

"It's enough," Rong Jing nodded.

Ye Qian pinched an acupoint, immediately stopping the bleeding. Turning around to look at Yun Qianyue, she was about to say something when her body tilted sideways and suddenly collapsed onto the ground. Yun Qianyue was alarmed and quickly reached out to catch her; Ye Qian had already fainted.

“Qing Shang, bring that bowl of medicine over!” Rong Jing looked at Ye Qian in Yun Qianyue’s arms and gave an order outside.

"Yes, Young Master!" Qing Shang entered with a bowl of medicine.

Rong Jing ordered again: "Feed the princess this medicine."

“Yes!” Qing Shang immediately came forward to hold Ye Qian’s chin and poured the medicine into her mouth. Her movements were swift, without spilling any drops of it.

Yun Qianyue glanced at the medicine, suddenly narrowing her eyes but didn't say anything.

In an instant, a bowl of medicinal soup was forcibly fed to Ye Qian. Qing Shang removed the bowl and Rong Jing passed over another pill for her to feed to Ye Qian.

Qing Shang immediately took it and pushed the pill into Ye Qian’s mouth.

"Wrap up her wound!" Yun Qianyue looked at Qing Shang again and said.

Qing Shang nodded, pulled out a handkerchief from inside her robe to wrap around the wounded part of Ye Qian's wrist. After completing all the procedures, she turned to Yun Qianyue: "Miss Yun Qianyu, please give Princess Ye to me!"

Yun Qianyue released her grip and handed over Ye Qian to Qing Shang. Qing Shang took her in her arms and looked at Rong Jing.

"Escort Princess Ye to the guest room in the medicine garden for rest," ordered Rong Jing.

Qing Shang nodded and led Ye Qian out of the room.

Yun Qianyue glanced at the three bowls of blood on the table and said to Rong Jing, "You don't have anything you need to tell me"

Rong Jing rubbed his forehead with one hand and smiled helplessly: "I knew I couldn’t hide it from you!"

Yun Qianyue’s expression instantly turned cold. "These three bowls of blood were prepared for yourself, right You intended to use your own blood to save Third Master from the purple grass poison! How could I forget that you once consumed a frost poison pill, which is equally powerful as purple grass poison, and also took back pills and ten years worth of Tian Shan snow lotus. Your blood has long become impervious to all poisons and can also counteract purple grass poison."

"Yes," Rong Jing nodded while rubbing his forehead in agreement.

“So, the medicine and pill that were just given to Ye Qian were originally prepared for you after your bloodletting, correct” Yun Qianyue asked again.

"Yes!" Rong Jing nodded once more while touching his head.

Rong Jing! Do you know how severe your injuries are You actually want to use your own blood rather than the rouge-banded krait If there was no rouge-banded krait, that would be fine. Nie Qingran’s snake may be precious, but it doesn't compare to human life.” Yun Qianyue furrowed her eyebrows in anger and said, "Are you trying to die Do you feel your body isn’t overloaded enough yet"

Rong Jing put down his hand, walked over, reached out for Yun Qianyue’s hand, “Let me explain…”

"What do I have to listen to you say Don't touch me!" Yun Qianyue swatted Rong Jing's hand away.

“Nie Qingran treasures this rouge-banded krait very much. Do you know why Ye Qian has been chasing after Nie Qingran for these years Not because she likes him, but because of the rouge-banded krait. I wasn’t certain before and wanted to test it out. That’s why I had you fetch the rouge-banded krait from Nie Qingran. If Ye Qian followed up, then this rouge-banded krait must be what I assumed; if she didn’t follow up, I wouldn’t use it either. I would have you return this rouge-banded krait to Nie Qingran.” Rong Jing reached out to embrace Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue dodged him, her anger not only failing to diminish but increasing further as she said angrily: "If Ye Qian didn’t follow up, why wouldn't you use it So does this mean under any circumstances you won’t use the rouge-banded krait to save Third Master and would only rely on your own blood"

"Hmph! I won't let you have any chance to feel guilty towards Ye Qingran!" Rong Jing shook his head and stepped forward, embracing Yun Qianmo. He said in a tone of jealousy and melancholy: "Since Ye Qingran is so generous to you, I can be even more generous than him!"

"You…" Yun Qianmo didn't know if she should feel angry or annoyed. She wanted to break free from Rong Jing's embrace but was tightly held by him. Angrily, she reminded him: "Then why did you use Ye Qian's blood"

"Princess Ye's blood is more useful than my own blood! Furthermore, there's a purpose that can only be served with her blood." Rong Jing said.

“What purpose” Yun Qianmo asked.

"If you're not angry, I'll tell you," Rong Jing spoke softly.

"Forget it!" Yun Qianmo wondered when he would learn to cherish himself The reason she didn't think of using his blood to resist the Purple Grass venom was that she never used his body as a means to an end. Therefore, subconsciously, she wouldn't have such thoughts. So she gladly extended her debt to Ye Qingran and asked for the Vermilion Crimson Snake. But he had kept it from her and planned to use his blood to detoxify Third Young Master. If Ye Qian hadn’t appeared, would he have used his own blood The three bowls of blood were already prepared beforehand. If Ye Qian hadn't shown up, naturally, he would have used his own blood!

“Although you are willing to extend your debt to Ye Qingran, I am not,” Rong Jing held Yun Qianmo tighter and noticed her emotional fluctuation. He gently said: "It's just three bowls of blood. Princess Ye drinking the medicine from my prescription won't cause her martial arts power to be completely depleted; she will only fall into a two-day coma. How would I be unable to bear it if it were on me"

Yun Qianmo remained silent, her anger unsubsided.

Rong Jing sighed and leaned down to kiss Yun Qianmo's lips. She turned away with a displeased expression but he wouldn't let go. After several dodges, he finally kissed her heavily. Yun Qianmo glared at Rong Jing; his eyes flashed with tension and slight unease. Her anger suddenly subsided as she closed her eyes and pushed him away. Never mind then, the Vermilion Crimson Snake must be very important since even Rong Jing and Ye Qian would willingly donate blood to protect it.

Rong Jing released her hand順勢鬆開了手，小心翼翼地問道: "Yun Qianmo, are you not angry anymore"

“I don't have the time or energy to be angry with you!” Yun Qianmo glanced at him with an unpleasant expression but a somewhat mellow tone.

Rong Jing chuckled and hugged Yun Qianmo again. He whispered into her ear: "Do you want to know what secrets this Vermilion Crimson Snake holds"

Yun Qianmo frowned. "What secrets"

"Actually, I also want to know!" Rong Jing said warmly: "Seven years ago, Ye Qingran left the capital under the pretense of traveling and visited countless places. However, he spent most of his time in Northern Frontier for over two years. It was all because of this Vermilion Crimson Snake. Ever since he acquired the snake, rumors spread that Princess South Frontier had changed her affection to Xiao Wangzi Ren of Divine Grace Prince's Manor. The rumors were not baseless."

Yun Qianmo fell into deep thought.

"Later on, wherever Ye Qingran went, Ye Qian would follow him. Now that he has returned to the capital, she also followed him here. You should be clear who Ye Qian truly loves: It's Prince Rui of South Liang, your brother. But why does she pursue Ye Qingran relentlessly" Rong Jing seemed to be asking Yun Qianmo but answered himself: "Apart from this Vermilion Crimson Snake, I can't think of any other reason."

Yun Qianmo remained silent.

"Today, if you hadn't gone to the Divine Grace Prince's Manor, Ye Qingran would have been paralyzed by points when he was in the manor, and she might have taken away this Vermilion Crimson Snake. She has chased after him for so many years; naturally, she wouldn’t miss such an opportunity." Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianmo: "So what she wants is the Vermilion Crimson Snake."

“When did you realize that the Vermilion Crimson Snake had secrets” asked Yun Qianmo.

"Today! When you brought Third Young Master here," Rong Jing said with a sigh. "What you said was right; I am not a god and don't know everything. I was misled by Princess Ye, Prince Rui, and Ye Qingran's affairs earlier on, but never thought that the Vermilion Crimson Snake was the key. It wasn’t until Third Young Master came here that I realized it. After hearing Xian Ge report that Princess Ye woke up from Empress Dowager’s bedroom and went to the Military Affairs Headquarters, I filtered through everything about Ye Qingran and Princess Ye over these years and found out what she wanted. Hence, even though my blood could have saved Third Young Master, I still made you go to Divine Grace Prince's Manor to lure Princess Ye here."

"No wonder you immobilized Ye Qingran earlier today but didn’t take his Vermilion Crimson Snake! At that time, you didn't know," Yun Qianmo’s anger dissipated as she raised her eyebrows.

"Yes!" Rong Jing nodded. "Ye Qian thought the Military Affairs Headquarters had a problem and that Ye Qingran would be busy and disoriented for a while. Maybe she could seize the Vermilion Crimson Snake by surprise, but she didn't expect that after extinguishing the fire, Ye Qingran handed the mess of the Military Affairs Headquarters over to Fourth Prince and quickly came back to settle accounts with me. I immobilized him then. When she couldn’t find Ye Qingran at the Military Affairs Headquarters, she immediately went to Divine Grace Prince's Manor. But you beat her there and took away the Vermilion Crimson Snake."

"Therefore, your real goal was to get Princess Ye’s blood, right Her blood is key. If she hadn't come here, you would have used your own blood; if she had come, it proved that your speculation was correct, and she wouldn’t let go of the Vermilion Crimson Snake without giving her blood willingly," Yun Qianmo said.

"Yes! So clever!" Rong Jing kissed Yun Qianmo's cheek and praised her with a smile.

“You're not as smart as you think!” Yun Qianmo pushed him away, fuming: "Ye Qian was right! You do have deep thoughts! Having known you for more than ten years, I still can't see your black heart. Your elaborate plans are calculated with pinpoint accuracy; even I was in the dark."

“I didn’t have time to explain at that moment,” Rong Jing smiled as he explained: “I was afraid that Princess Ye would get hold of the Vermilion Crimson Snake before you did.”

"Did you fear she would obtain the Vermilion Crimson Snake, or were you worried I might learn about your plan If your guess turned out to be wrong, you wouldn’t have been able to keep the snake and still use my blood to save Third Young Master," Yun Qianmo arched an eyebrow.

Rong Jing massaged his forehead with one hand and smiled: "Both!"

Yun Qianmo harrumphed.

"Be good, don’t be angry anymore! No more next time, okay" Rong Jing cooed softly at Yun Qianmo. Gently asking: "Do you want to see what secrets it holds right now Shall we take a look together"

“First give Third Young Master an antidote!” Yun Qianmo didn’t have the energy to argue with him anymore and said somewhat impatiently.

"Hmm!" Rong Jing nodded and called out to someone outside, "Qingshan, come in!"

Qingshan had just finished settling Ye Qian into a guest room at the Medicine Garden when she hurried inside upon hearing her name.

"Take these two bowls of blood over to Old Medicine and have him use my house as an ingredient. After that, feed them to Third Young Master," Rong Jing instructed.

"Yes!" Qingshan immediately took the bowls of blood and left.

Rong Jing noticed Yun Qianyue looking at him and explained, "Third Young Master is currently with Old Medicine."

Yun Qianyue nodded.

Rong Jing remained silent, suddenly pulling out the vermilion cobra from his sleeve and placing it on the desk. The vermilion cobra had been sleeping all along; she curled up in a tiny ball, looking extremely cute. He glanced at the snake before pressing down underneath the table to reveal a hidden compartment which popped open to release an odd wooden-looking round jar. He picked up the jar and opened it.

Yun Qianyue looked at Rong Jing's hand holding the jar in surprise, "Isn't this what I found after Ye Qian failed her spell"

"Yes! You said you wanted to return it to her but ended up leaving it with me. So I kept it," Rong Jing replied.

Yun Qianyue recalled that Yitian had returned to the capital, so she hadn't thought about returning this item to Ye Qian. As she was about to say something else, she noticed the sleeping vermilion cobra suddenly waking up and started drinking from one of the bowls containing Ye Qian's blood. She fell silent as she watched it; in no time at all, the bowl had been emptied. After finishing its meal, her small body abruptly grew larger, stretching out her skin to almost a transparent color before bursting open.

Yun Qianyue was startled, and Rong Jing gently waved his sleeve, collecting something from inside the snake just as it burst open.

Yun Qianyue focused on what he had collected, exclaiming in surprise, "Is that a toad"

"It's the new king of spells from Southern Vastness!" Rong Jing said warmly.

Looking at the tiny toad inside the jar which resembled the one that exploded during Ye Qian's spell, Yun Qianyue was silent for a moment before quietly saying, "So this vermilion cobra contained a king of spells from Southern Vastness. No wonder Night Qingran values it so much and why Ye Qian chased after him for years without giving up. She even drained her blood today."

"Yes! I only knew about the origin of the kings of spells through two lines in an ancient book. Legend says that only a virgin's blood from Southern Vastness can activate the spell eggs, and these eggs must be hatched inside a venomous vermilion cobra to become king of spells. Every hundred years, the old king loses its abilities and is replaced by a new one. The new king emerges through the body of a vermilion cobra with the virgin's blood as an offering," Rong Jing said slowly while looking at the jar in his hand. "Seven years ago, the emperor sent Night Qingran on a tour to search for this vermilion cobra in order to control Southern Vastness. Although it openly aligns with the Heavenly Saint Empire, it has secretly been allied with the South Liang Kingdom for centuries. As South Liang grows more powerful, how could the emperor allow such an alliance"

Yun Qianyue asked quietly, "Did Night Qingran know about this If he did, why would he give the cobra to you then"

"He didn't know before, but now perhaps he does. Night Qingran isn't stupid," Rong Jing said coolly. "Besides, I immobilized him today and he should realize that if he doesn’t hand it over to you, Ye Qian will take it back. I believe he would rather give it to you than her."

Yun Qianyue remained silent.

Rong Jing wiped the blood off the jar with a handkerchief and chuckled helplessly, "I didn’t want you to owe Night Qingran a favor only to destroy this vermilion cobra in the end. Now I have no choice but to pay him back!" Seeing that Yun Qianyue was still silent, he continued, "Let me handle it for you! You mustn't feel guilty towards him because of this."

Yun Qianyue asked, looking at Rong Jing.

"How about repaying him ten granaries of grain I think what Night Qingran truly wants is food rather than the vermilion cobra," Rong Jing said.

"Are you willing" Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows.

"Of course!" replied Rong Jing.

Yun Qianyue suddenly smiled and stepped forward, hugging Rong Jing tightly against her chest. She whispered softly, "I'm not afraid of owing people favors. But from now on, you must take good care of yourself; no more self-harm or neglecting your health."

Rong Jing wrapped his arms around Yun Qianyue's waist with a smile, responding gently, "Alright!"

**Extracurricular Note:**

"How could the vermilion cobra not have any secrets o(n_n)o~"

The Beauty of Rong has always been very manly! Ladies, am I right o(n_n)o~

I'll shout out once more to those accumulating votes...I love you all!

Thank you to the following dear ones for sending diamond bonuses and flowers:

(List of names omitted as requested)ack notebooks similar to memorandums. Skimming through the books on the left side, she hesitated, glanced at Rong Jing’s sleeping face and reached out for the notebook on the far right.It was a journa...