He Lan Tianxia

The white-haired woman had been going to the winery for several days in a row, and each time she left completely drunk. The eagle was puzzled, thinking that the woman seemed to have something on her mind, and that her worries seemed to be related to the wine. One day, taking advantage of the white-haired woman's inattention, the eagle rushed in, grabbed a glass of wine, and ran away. When she tasted the familiar flavor of the spicy dacuo, it was certain that this wine had a story.

Since the white-haired woman came to the winery, there haven't been any other customers. No one knows what the winery owner was thinking, or if the white-haired woman wouldn't let him close down, but in any case, he only serves the white-haired woman every day. The white-haired woman doesn't stand on ceremony; she drinks and leaves.

That day, the white-haired woman came again, drunk. She slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "Come out! Come out here!"

Upon hearing this, the innkeeper hurriedly came out from inside and asked the customer what he needed. Unexpectedly, the white-haired woman shoved the innkeeper aside and shouted into the air, "You damned eagle, get out here!"

Upon hearing this, the eagle exclaimed, "What? Me? I've been discovered?"

"Come out, get out here! Do you think I'm a fool? How could the King of Qi be without you and that damned spirit snake by his side?" The white-haired woman picked up a jar of wine and gulped it down in one go.

"Eagle, come here. I'll tell you a secret, a huge secret." Hearing this, Eagle was about to spread his wings when suddenly a white mist spewed out from the inner room. The white-haired woman suddenly lay down on the table, and Eagle flew away in surprise.

The eagle hadn't flown far; it wanted to see who was spewing the white mist, but there was no movement, and no one came out. Only the manager was in the winery. The bartender, who had been injured by the white-haired woman that day, hadn't been seen for days; he'd probably be lucky to survive for several months. So the manager was the prime suspect. It seemed this winery was a force the owner couldn't ignore.

To avoid alerting the enemy, the eagle decided to leave first, so it spread its wings and flew to the White Stone Courtyard. The people at the White Stone Courtyard were treating the woman's wounds, so the eagle flew back to the winery. By then, the white-haired woman was gone, as was the manager. The eagle boldly went inside and circled around, but there was no one there.

In the dimly lit wine cellar, the innkeeper bowed and reported to the pale-faced scholar: "Young Master Bai, the white-haired woman has left. I put a forgetfulness potion in the wine."

"Don't let this woman ruin my plans. This woman can't forget someone even after ten thousand years. She's probably deeply entangled in a love curse. Ordinary forgetfulness potions won't have much effect." The pale-faced scholar glanced at the woman sleeping soundly on the rocking chair.

"Should we increase the potency of the medicine several times?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Anyone who blocks my way dies. I might as well just poison her to death." A wicked glint flashed in the pale-faced scholar's eyes.

"Yes, young master." The shopkeeper acknowledged the order and left.

The pale-faced scholar returned to the rocking chair, gently pushing it and saying with a doting expression, "Sister Yan, how about I play a tune for you?" He then took a guqin from the wine cellar and began to play with deep emotion. The music and his posture were both excellent, but unfortunately, the woman couldn't hear him; the scholar hadn't managed to wake her at all.

Strangely, the white-haired woman hadn't appeared for several days. If he hadn't personally gone to the wine cellar to receive his orders, he would have thought someone had leaked the news. This morning, the shopkeeper prepared several jars of Spicy Carved Ancient Wine, waiting for the white-haired woman's arrival.

At sunrise, a few strange gusts of wind blew in, a sign that the white-haired woman was coming. The shopkeeper glanced at the door without making a sound, then went back to the kitchen and pretended to be busy.

There was no sound. After waiting a while longer, there was still no sound. Just as the shopkeeper was about to leave, he heard a series of cracking sounds—the sound of a wine jar breaking.

"Come out! Come out here!" the white-haired woman roared from outside.

The shopkeeper hesitated, unsure whether to offer the goods or not, when suddenly a huge explosion erupted outside, followed by the angry shouts of a white-haired woman.

"Putting a love potion in my wine, huh? You think you can poison me? You're still too green."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper knew he was in trouble. He pulled back the foot he had just stepped out; he decided to avoid her—he couldn't afford to offend this woman. He planned to hide in the wine cellar first, and then find somewhere else to hide after the white-haired woman left. Although the pale-faced scholar in the wine cellar didn't like being disturbed, he had no choice. Just as he entered the cellar entrance, the shopkeeper heard the white-haired woman's deafening voice.

"Azure Eagle, that pale-faced scholar is the third prince who killed King Qi and Queen Qi..."

With a sudden "boom," a cloud of white mist burst forth. The white-haired woman coughed a few times, then fell silent.

Good heavens, this was an overwhelming amount of information! The eagle stood there for a full half hour, unable to process it all. It decided to tell Ling Yi the news. When it did, Ling Yi had also been under the redwood tree for a full half hour. He wanted to immediately return to the White Stone Courtyard to tell Prince Murong, but then he thought, since this young master Bai had the ability to poison the prince, he must have even more ruthless methods. It was certain that Prince Murong was currently at a disadvantage. A rash challenge like this would not only fail to save the princess but would likely only lead to his own destruction. It seemed that a more cautious approach was necessary.

"Eagle, do you think the white-haired woman will cooperate with us?"

"This woman is unpredictable and has been at odds with us at every turn. Cooperation may not be a good solution, and besides, she may not even be willing to cooperate."

"That's true. Then we need to figure out a way to cure the prince's poison."

"How about we let the white-haired woman fight that young master Bai, and then we can rescue the princess first?"

"Alright."

Lingyi and Cangying were discussing possible plans when suddenly dark clouds gathered over the White Stone Courtyard, followed by a plume of thick smoke and flames shooting into the sky. Lingyi cried out in alarm and rushed over, with Cangying close behind. Just as they were about to reach the courtyard gate, two fiery red rabbits carrying three people charged out. One horse carried Luo Xie and the unconscious Prince Murong, while the other carried Jiang He, whose face was covered in blisters.

"The yard suddenly caught fire, run!" Jiang He rushed ahead.

"You two run ahead, I'll cover the rear." Ling Yi dodged past the two horses, but he immediately regretted it. Jiang He's horse was galloping towards the winery! Oh dear, wasn't this like walking into a trap? Ling Yi tried to stop it, but it was too late. What kind of horse was Fire Red Hare? Besides, it was personally trained by Prince Murong. In the blink of an eye, it left the startled Ling Yi behind. Ling Yi and Cangying had no choice but to chase after it hastily.

The two horses stopped in front of the winery. There was no one inside. Jiang He dismounted and was about to go in when Ling Yi and Cangying arrived.

"It's dangerous inside." Lingyi didn't care about anything else and used its tail to block the entrance of the winery. Jiang He and Luo Xie immediately became alert.

"Lingyi, why don't you have any blisters?" Cangying said. "Why don't you spray some water to see if it can cure the prince's poison?"

This was truly a wake-up call. Although he had wondered why he hadn't been poisoned—besides the fact that they were different from humans, or that they cultivated—he had never considered the possibility of an antidote. Ling Yi immediately opened his mouth and exhaled mist towards the prince. Sure enough, a miracle occurred: the bubbles slowly shrank, and with another exhalation, they disappeared completely. Ling Yi then exhaled mist onto Jiang He, and the bubbles vanished as well. Ling Yi immediately released Murong Junlan's acupoints and briefly explained the current situation.

Murong Junlan thanked Lingyi, then circled the winery before deciding to stay and wait for the pale-faced scholar to appear.

Seeing that Murong Junlan had lost his previous impulsiveness, Lingyi immediately felt relieved. Haste makes waste, and waste makes things worse. Now, the pale-faced scholar was in the shadows, while they were in the open. Their only chance of victory was to remain calm and observe. Since the princess was still in the pale-faced scholar's hands, they had to proceed cautiously step by step.

An hour passed, then two hours. Murong Junlan's stillness puzzled everyone. This change in pace made Lingyi glance at the prince a few more times, as if something was amiss.

Murong Junlan picked up the cup filled with Spicy Carving Ancient Wine from the table, smelled it repeatedly, frowned, relaxed, and frowned again, and suddenly said, "Lingyi, this wine is poisoned."

"Huh? Poisonous?" Everyone rushed to put it under their noses to smell it, and were immediately filled with righteous indignation, cursing the pale-faced scholar for being vicious.

"Lingyi, follow the scent of the poison to find the shopkeeper." Murong Junlan then smelled the wine and slowly poured it onto the table.

Following the aroma of the wine, Lingyi quickly found the entrance to the cellar. Lingyi was a little puzzled. Since the prince knew how to find the pale-faced scholar, why had he sat there for two hours? Little did he know that Murong Junlan had been sitting there for so long searching for clues about the shopkeeper. Since the White Stone Courtyard had already burned down, he didn't know whether it was to cover up the truth or because it was truly unimportant. So he weighed his options repeatedly, remaining indecisive. Only when he confirmed that there was a poisonous herb in the wine did he realize that the chances of the pale-faced scholar being there were higher.

The cellar entrance had been found, but getting in was no easy task. It was riddled with traps and dangers, and a single misstep could harm his Yan'er. After weighing his options, Murong Junlan decided to go in alone. When he told everyone his idea, Ling Yi and the others all objected. The prince had just been cured of his poison, and they had already experienced the scholar's cunning; no one agreed. Left with no other choice, Murong Junlan had to agree to let Ling Yi and Jiang He go in, while Luo Xie guarded the cellar entrance.

Without further ado, now that the plan was agreed upon, they couldn't wait to act. Murong Junlan was the first to push open the stone door of the cellar. The stone door was very well hidden; if it weren't for the smell of poison, it would probably have gone unnoticed.

The cellar was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Murong Junlan struck a flint and lit a pre-prepared stick, instantly illuminating the cellar. At first glance, it was clearly the style of a refined scholar—uniform white stone, without a single blemish. After walking for a while, they came to a fork in the road. Which one should they go into? Going in different directions? No, that's dangerous.

“Lingyi, come and smell it,” Murong Junlan said.

Lingyi immediately focused his sense of smell. He even took a few steps forward and said, "Your Highness, walk in the middle."

"Alright, step back." Murong Junlan was always the one to put himself in danger, and Ling Yi knew this better than anyone, so he ignored Murong Junlan and continued walking ahead. Murong Junlan's right hand moved slightly, suddenly unleashing a small silver ring illusion that froze Ling Yi in place. He then quickly took a few steps past Ling Yi, and then withdrew the silver ring illusion. Ling Yi and Jiang He had no choice but to follow closely behind, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. Just when they thought there was no danger, with a "boom," the ground suddenly caved in, and all three of them lost their balance and fell in.

"Your Highness, be careful, we've fallen into a trap." As the screen above them suddenly shut down with a loud rumble, Lingyi realized he had been tricked.

In the blink of an eye, Murong Junlan swept his hands around, instantly setting up two barriers. Immediately afterward, a stream of water-like substance poured down from above. If the barriers hadn't been set up quickly, everyone would have been scalded. The flint in Murong Junlan's hands had already been extinguished, and the area within the barriers was pitch black. Everyone could only tell each other's condition by their breathing.

"If I'm not mistaken, the liquid outside the barrier isn't ordinary water, but a highly corrosive medicinal liquid," Murong Junlan affirmed.

"What should we do then?" Jiang He rarely expressed his concern.

"Don't move, let me add two more restrictions." Murong Junlan threw out two more restrictions, and then he told the two of them the truth, "These restrictions will probably be broken in half an hour, so we need to figure out a way to escape as soon as possible."

Jiang He was immediately worried, because he was trapped here and couldn't use his skills. Ling Yi stood there silently. To be honest, although the solution was powerful, it wouldn't be fatal to a snake.

"Your Highness, I have an idea. I'll go out and find a way out. You two stay here," Lingyi suggested.

"No." Murong Junlan flatly refused Ling Yi. He knew it wouldn't be difficult for Ling Yi to get out, but how could anyone outside know how many traps the pale-faced scholar had set up? If they were outnumbered, it would be even more dangerous.

"No rush, let's discuss this further." Murong Junlan took out the only flint from his pocket and asked Lingyi to find a way to light it. Jiang He actually took out a candle from his sleeve and handed it over.

"Guard Jiang, where did the candles come from?" Ling Yi touched them and asked.

"I was so nervous I forgot. I took the candles from the table at the winery, thinking they might be useful in the cellar." Jiang He's emotions had calmed down considerably. But when Ling Yi lit the candles, the three of them gasped, and Jiang He's heart, which had just settled, jumped again.

All that could be seen outside the barrier was shimmering mercury. Heavens, was he destined to die in this cellar today? Even the composed Prince Murong was stunned for a moment. This mercury was more terrifying than a thousand troops. Murong Junlan's mind went blank.

"Your Highness, what should we do?" Lingyi frowned.

"Your Highness, forgive my intrusion, but it seems this young master Bai has a grudge against you." In Jiang He's eyes, Murong Junlan didn't seem to have any deep-seated hatred with anyone. If he did, it would be an enemy made on the battlefield. If it were an enemy made on the battlefield, he would usually choose open warfare, but insidious and despicable methods are almost never the actions of a general. Considering that this pale-faced scholar had kidnapped the princess, it was even more obvious that it was a personal grudge, and more likely, it was for love?

"Your Highness..." Jiang He wanted to say something more, but Murong Junlan waved his hand to stop him. Indeed, what Jiang He could think of, Murong Junlan could also think of.

"Your Highness, are you sure you don't know Young Master Bai?" Lingyi finally voiced her thoughts.

"I don't know him," Murong Junlan said definitively.

“This could be a death sentence for us.” After a pause, Lingyi continued to speculate, “Perhaps it’s a grudge from the prince’s past life.”

"Are you two just bored, or do you not plan to get out of here alive? Should I remove the restrictions right now and give you a quick death?" This was the first time Murong Junlan had ever heard the two of them say something so nonsensical.

"Please don't, Your Highness, I haven't married yet," Jiang He hurriedly said.

"Hehe, whether you can even get out is still a question, and you're still thinking about getting married. Lingyi." Murong Junlan looked at Lingyi, who was chuckling to himself.

"Your Highness, Lingyi is also unmarried."

"Snap." Murong Junlan removed a restriction, startling the two into immediately shutting up.

"I want to. I must get out of here. My queen is waiting for me to save her." In fact, Murong Junlan hadn't thought of a good way to escape at this moment. However, he didn't have time to think about whether he had any grudges with the pale-faced scholar. He was more worried about his queen. Where was Yan'er now?

Using the light, Murong Junlan carefully examined the situation inside the cave. He discovered that the mercury was not dripping from above, but rather pouring in from the side. He guessed that there must be an entrance on the side, but what was outside the entrance?

"Lingyi, Jiang He, I'll push the barrier up. You two push as hard as you can and see if you can find an exit." Murong Junlan had barely finished speaking when he impatiently moved the barrier upwards. Lingyi immediately used its tail to push upwards, but it didn't move. It tried again, but still nothing. Jiang He simultaneously added more force, but still to no avail.

"Your Highness, it looks like someone has weighed something down on top of us," the two said in unison.

"Understood. Now, we only have one path to take." Murong Junlan's brows were furrowed, and his expression was unusually cold. Jiang Helingyi knew that this was a plan to fight to the death.

"Wait a moment, I'll remove the restriction. The three of us will all attack that cave entrance at the same time. Victory or defeat hinges on this." Murong Junlan said with some concern, "If you don't want to go out, I can leave the restriction behind, but you can only stay for half an hour."

"Your Highness, there's no need to worry. Let's make a move." The two were of one mind.

A warmth swept through Murong Junlan's heart, but he immediately turned his gaze coldly toward the cave entrance above, knowing he wasn't entirely confident in this gamble.