A piece of Japanese incense

"Am I now a lamb to the slaughter? No! No! We must leave here immediately!" Zhi Yihe was in a panic.

"Wait a minute," Yu Nian raised his hand, still pondering the speculation that "the Lord is Prime Minister Chigan." "Yihe, there's still something fishy."

Zhi Yihe was puzzled: "What?"

"If Prime Minister Chigan is truly the 'Lord' behind the scenes, given his status and power as Prime Minister, why would he establish such direct ties with those shady pirates and sand bandits? That's far too risky.

Furthermore, you just mentioned that it's related to the Crown Prince and the Princess. The waters are too deep, and the forces involved are intricately intertwined. How could the Prime Minister easily let me know about such a hot potato, such a major secret mission, and hand it over to someone like me who isn't his absolute confidant?

This doesn't make sense. Either he has an extraordinary trust in me, or... there's something else we don't know. Perhaps the 'Lord' is someone else, and the Prime Minister is just a figurehead, or perhaps his role in this matter isn't the absolute dominant one we initially thought?

Zhi Yihe listened to Yu Nian's analysis, her heart sinking. She caught the hint of Yu Nian's words defending Chi Gan Mian.

So, she followed Yu Nian's line of thought and responded, "Yeah, that makes sense. For a high-ranking official like him, associating with pirates and sand bandits is really degrading. What a risk, isn't it? People like them are most afraid of leaving any trace of dirt, so they usually use layers of middlemen to clear themselves of all charges."

Yu Nian nodded in agreement.

"But then again, he has been very kind to you. Would you subconsciously favor him in your heart? Find a reasonable explanation for him?" Zhi Yihe blinked his eyes that could not see anything.

Yu Nian lowered his eyes. "Perhaps, only by finding the Crown Prince and Princess Yan can we uncover the true identity of the 'Honorable Lord'."

"But! No matter who is the 'Lord,' one thing is undeniable—someone wants me dead!" Zhi Yihe's emotions were agitated, and the fear and repression he had been feeling for days erupted at this moment. "I feel so insecure here! I don't care how many twists and turns there are, I just know that I want to survive! I want to get away from here! The farther the better!"

She suppressed her sobs and said, "I want to go back to Dongli..."

"Ah He?" Yu Nian was stunned.

"Yes! Dongli!" Zhi Yihe said firmly: "Although it may not be peaceful there, but at least! There is dad... He left behind some old subordinates and some connections. I have been missing for so long, he should be worried about me now..." This was the only possible safe haven she could think of in despair.

"Brother Nian." Zhi Yihe's voice was filled with a desperate determination, but also with a hint of pleading: "Come with me! Let's go back to Dongli together."

Yu Nian looked up in surprise.

Zhi Yihe took a deep breath and revealed the most important secret, a secret she had hidden deep in her heart and never told anyone: "Also, Brother Nian, grandma left us something."

"Grandma..." Yu Nian's pupils contracted.

"Yeah." Zhi Yihe nodded vigorously: "In Leyu!"

She said coquettishly, "Don't you want to know? Don't you want to know what grandma left for us? Let's go and see together! Okay? ~"

Yu Nian wanted to speak several times. He wanted to say, "Let's wait a little longer and get to the bottom of this. He can't just leave like this." But seeing that Zhi Yihe was waiting for his answer, he couldn't refuse and just wanted to reply to her, "Okay, let's go."

Zhi Yihe waited a long time for an answer, realizing that Yu Nian still had many concerns. Not wanting to be trapped in the deadlock, she took the initiative to break the silence and bring the focus back to herself: "I don't know how to cure the poison in my body. As for that damn Feng Yan, when I see her, I will definitely punch her twice and pinch her arm until it swells up!"

She imitated Ziwei's appearance and exaggeratedly demonstrated the movements: "I don't want to spend the rest of my life blind like this. It's too difficult to not be able to see anything. Erkang - where are you! Erkang~"

Yu Nian was amused by her antics and joined in the performance, holding the candlestick: "Ziwei, open your eyes and look at me! I'm right here!"

After accompanying Zhi Yihe to indulge in the drama, the two of them lay on the soft couch, laughing and joking. Yu Nian looked at Zhi Yihe, grateful for her thoughtfulness at the moment, but also guilty of his hesitation that disappointed her. However, the most urgent thing was her eyes, and he couldn't delay any longer.

Yu Nian chose his words carefully: "Well... I found someone for you. Perhaps she can cure your poison."

"Who?" Zhi Yihe asked excitedly, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"Do you still remember the master?"

"Witch?!" A chill rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making Zhi Yihe shiver uncontrollably and hugging his arms subconsciously.

She thought of the old woman whose lips were as red as if she had just eaten a child, and the horrifying look on her face as she pointed at her and yelled, "Witch!"

"Lou! Dame dame!" Zhi Yihe resisted: "You forgot! That witch hates me! She said I'm a witch! I, I dare not see her." The fear of being stared at by those malicious eyes is still as clear as yesterday after so many years.

Yu Nian understood Zhi Yihe's reaction as expected. He certainly remembered that after he woke up, Zhi Yihe kept complaining to him by his bedside about the strangeness of the witch.

"I understand." Yu Nian comforted her, "She is no longer the same as before. When I was rescued by the Prime Minister, I was seriously injured and on the verge of death. It was the Prime Minister who personally came forward and invited the Grand Shaman, who was the leader of the Ten Shamans of the West at that time - that witch.

It was she who steadied my shattered mind and, using many extremely rare and precious elixirs, brought me back from the brink of death. It can be said that without her, you wouldn't be seeing me.

So, after rescuing you, you remained unconscious, with a high fever and a strange pulse, and even the best doctors couldn't diagnose you, let alone detoxify you. So I went to see her.

She was reluctant at first. But she seemed to remember you, so she gave me this."

Yu Nian pulled out a small pill wrapped in a special plant leaf from his bosom. The pill was dark brown and emitted a strange, herbal fragrance mixed with a faint fishy smell.

"This is the 'Purifying Heart and Calming Soul Pill.'" Yu Nian placed the pill in Zhi Yihe's palm. "She said that this pill can suppress the spread of the poison in your body, but to completely detoxify it, you need to see her in person."

Under Yu Nian's persuasion, Zhi Yihe decided to go see the master. A strange aura remained on her palm after she touched the "Qingxin Dinghun Pill", causing her to toss and turn all night.

The master's mansion is gloomy and ancient, with dark stone walls covered with moss and tall door lintels carved with indescribable ancient runes, giving people a sense of majesty and oppression.

In the dim morning light, Zhi Yihe changed into plain clothes and followed Yu Nian. As soon as they stood in front of the gate, the heavy wooden door slid open a crack.

A stern-faced maid, dressed in a dark gray linen robe, stood quietly in the shadows just inside the doorway, her hands drooping. She raised her impassive eyes, glancing directly past Yu Nian and onto Zhi Yihe. Her voice was even and calm: "The Grand Shaman has been waiting for a long time. Please follow me."

Waiting for a long time? Her whereabouts were all predicted by the Great Shaman?

Zhi Yihe hugged Yu Nian's arm tightly. Yu Nian patted her hand gently, took her hand and followed the maid.

The interior of the mansion was deep and winding, dimly lit, and the air was thick with the aroma of a mixture of stale herbs. It was eerily silent, with only the sound of three people's very light footsteps.

The maid led them through several courtyards and finally stopped in front of an independent, peculiarly shaped hall. This hall had no windows, only a heavy black wooden door engraved with intricate spells. The door was open, and a flickering light from an unknown source shone through it.

"We're here." The maid stopped and stepped aside, her eyes still fixed on Zhi Yihe. "The Grand Shaman is inside. But behind this door is the 'Conscience Formation' set by the Grand Shaman. No one is allowed to enter without being summoned, or the formation's power will backfire, damaging both their soul and spirit."

Her voice was flat and even, and Zhi Yihe felt cold all over: "We can't go in, then let's go back!"

The maid continued, "Please let the young lady in alone."