The whole family was brutally murdered? The ruthless heiress's eldest daughter went berserk aft

"Your Majesty, don't move!" Zhang Jing quickly pressed down on Gu Ye, who was about to get up. "The poison in your body hasn't been completely cleared yet."

Ignoring everything else, Gu Ye forced himself to reach Murong Xuewei's side and pulled her into his arms. The temperature of her skin was frighteningly hot, and his heart ached: "What happened?"

Lan'er choked back tears as she recounted what had happened. When she mentioned that Murong Xuewei had drunk the medicine given to her by the witch doctor in order to obtain the snow lotus, Gu Ye's hand tightened suddenly.

"Silly woman..." He looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms, his voice trembling, "Why did you do this..."

"Your Majesty, please place the Empress on the bed first," Zhang Jing said. "I'll go and prepare some medicine to temporarily stabilize the poison in her body."

As soon as she finished speaking, Murong Xuewei spat out another mouthful of blood, staining Gu Ye's clothes red. Her brows were furrowed, and she seemed to be in great pain.

"Xuewei..." Gu Ye tenderly wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, then suddenly said to Lan'er, "Go and fetch the witch doctor. If she refuses to come, tie her up and bring her here."

"Yes." Lan'er turned to leave.

"Wait." Gu Ye called after her again, "If she still refuses, then say..." He took a deep breath, "say that I'm willing to give my life in exchange for her curing Xue Wei's poison."

"Your Majesty!" Lan'er exclaimed in surprise.

Zhang Jing also stopped what he was doing: "Your Majesty, please reconsider. Your current health..."

“No need for further words.” Gu Ye interrupted him, looking down at Murong Xuewei’s pale face. “She has already sacrificed too much to save me; I cannot lose her.”

Led by Lan'er, the witch doctor rushed over and, seeing Murong Xuewei on the ground, his expression turned grave: "As expected... she made a deal with the sacred beast."

"A sacred beast? You mean that snow bear?" Zhang Jing asked.

The witch doctor nodded: "That's no ordinary snow bear; it's a sacred beast that guards the far north. The snow lotus is its treasure; if you want to take it, you'll have to pay a price."

"What price?" Gu Ye's voice trembled.

"A life in exchange." The witch doctor gazed out the window at the vast snowfield. "The sacred beasts have always followed this rule: whoever takes the snow lotus must exchange their own life."

Lan'er knelt down: "Master Witch Doctor, please save Miss!"

The witch doctor shook his head: "This is no ordinary poison, but the power of a contract with a sacred beast. Those who break the contract will pay with their lives."

"I don't believe it!" Gu Ye forced himself to stand up. "There must be a way to break this contract!"

“Unless…” the witch doctor began, then stopped abruptly.

"Unless what?" Gu Ye pressed.

The witch doctor hesitated for a moment before saying, "Unless we can persuade the sacred beast to rescind the contract. But for thousands of years, no one has ever been able to convince the sacred beast to change its mind."

Just then, Murong Xuewei, who was unconscious, suddenly began to tremble violently, her whole body as cold as snow.

"Xuewei!" Gu Ye hugged her tightly.

“This is a sign of the contract backfiring,” the witch doctor sighed. “I can concoct a medicine to temporarily suppress the power of the contract and lessen her pain. But to truly save her…”

"Then hurry up and get the medicine ready!" Gu Ye interrupted him.

Before turning to leave, the witch doctor glanced out the window one last time: "If you really want to save her, perhaps you could try going to the snow-capped peak where the sacred beast dwells. However..." He shook his head, "In all these years, no one has ever returned alive after seeing the sacred beast. Miss Xue Wei is the first. As for you..."

The witch doctor shook her head helplessly. She didn't believe that anyone other than Murong Xuewei could have seen the sacred beast and returned safely.

"I'll go find the sacred beast right now," Gu Ye said firmly.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!" Zhang Jing exclaimed urgently, "Your health has only just recovered..."

“If we don’t go, Xuewei will die.” Gu Ye looked at the person in his arms, his gaze resolute. “I absolutely cannot let that happen.”

Murong Xuewei whispered in her unconscious state, "Husband... my lord..."

Just as Gu Ye was about to leave, Zhang Jing stopped him, saying, "Your Majesty, your current physical condition is simply not up to the strain of extreme cold. Let Lan'er and me go."

“No.” Gu Ye’s gaze was firm. “This is between Xue Wei and me.”

Just then, the witch doctor returned with the medicine. Seeing the scene before him, he sighed, "None of you need to go. The sacred beast only appears once every three days. It has already seen Miss Murong today and won't reappear anytime soon."

Gu Ye clenched his fist. Just then, Murong Xuewei suddenly coughed violently and spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Quickly give her the medicine." Zhang Jing handed over a bowl of dark brown medicinal soup.

Gu Ye took the bowl of medicine, gently lifted Murong Xuewei's head, and fed her the medicine little by little. As the medicine went down her throat, Murong Xuewei's brows furrowed even more.

"How long will this medicine last?" Gu Ye asked.

"At most three days," the witch doctor said. "If the contract isn't broken after three days, the medicine will lose its effect."

It was precisely the time when the sacred beast would reappear. A resolute glint flashed in Gu Ye's eyes: "Zhang Jing, help me recuperate these three days. I must regain some strength before the sacred beast appears."

"But Your Majesty..."

"No need for further explanation," Gu Ye interrupted Zhang Jing. "This is an order."

Zhang Jing had no choice but to nod: "Yes."

"I'll go prepare warm clothes and dry food," Lan'er said, turning and leaving.

Gu Ye looked down at the unconscious Murong Xuewei and whispered, "Xuewei, wait for me. This time, it's my turn to protect you."

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Under Zhang Jing's careful care, Gu Ye's body had recovered to about 70%. Although still weak, he was at least able to move freely.

Early that morning, Gu Ye prepared to leave. Before departing, he stood by the bedside, looking at Murong Xuewei, who was still unconscious. Over the past three days, her complexion had worsened; she had lost a lot of weight, and her face was so pale it was almost translucent.

"Your Majesty," Lan'er gently reminded him, "the time has come."

Gu Ye leaned down and kissed Murong Xuewei's forehead: "Wait for me to come back."

Stepping out of the room, a biting wind rushed towards him. Gu Ye wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and looked up at the distant, snow-capped peaks. He knew that was the habitat of the sacred beast.

“I’ll go with you,” Zhang Jing said.

Gu Ye shook his head: "You stay and look after Xue Wei. If I don't come back..."

"emperor!"

“If I don’t return,” Gu Ye continued, “take her back to the capital. The court still needs her.”

After speaking, Gu Ye turned and walked towards the snow-capped peak without waiting for Zhang Jing's reply. Watching his retreating figure, Zhang Jing and Lan'er exchanged a glance, both seeing worry in each other's eyes.

Snowflakes began to fall heavily, and a biting wind howled. Gu Ye trudged through the thick snow, making his way towards the snow-capped peak. He knew this journey was fraught with peril. But to save Xue Wei, he was willing to risk his life.