Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Shen Yanchu gently knocked on Shi Wanxia's door, and Shi Wanxia's surprised voice came from inside. She quickly opened the door, her face beaming with joy. As soon as Shi Wanxia saw Shen Yanchu, she immediately grabbed his wrist, carefully examining him with concern in her eyes.

She looked Shen Yanchu up and down, worried that he might be injured in any way. Seeing that he was unharmed, Shi Wanxia's anxiety vanished instantly, replaced by a sense of relief and joy. Her eyes revealed deep concern for Shen Yanchu, as if he were the most important person in her life.

Shen Yanchu felt Shi Wanxia's gaze, and a warmth welled up in his heart. He smiled at her, his eyes filled with tenderness and love. The two stood quietly at the door, their eyes meeting, as if time had stood still at that moment.

Cui Yu'an coughed lightly, completely ruining the mood: "Cough cough... Miss Shi, why are you only concerned about Shen Yan? Why don't you worry about me? We're friends too."

His sarcastic words made the two of them glare at him. Shi Wanxia's cheeks flushed slightly as she retorted loudly, "What are you saying? He's my friend, and so are you. Who told you to walk behind? If you had walked in front, you would have been the first person I saw and would have received the same treatment."

Shi Wanxia gently released Shen Yanchu's wrist, a smile still on her face. She invited Shen Yanchu into the house, and the two entered the room, where a warm atmosphere filled the air.

"Have you collected the herbs? When do you plan to start the detoxification?" Shi Wanxia poured a cup of tea for the two of them. Shen Yanchu and the other man usually adhered to the proper etiquette of gentlemen and would not be alone with her unless there was something important.

Shen Yanchu picked up his teacup, took a small sip, nodded slightly, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. He put down the teacup, turned his gaze to Shi Wanxia, ​​and said, "Miss Shi, could you please give us the antidote herbs you collected in the Cangyan Mountains? Wenzhu and I will go to a safe place to detoxify tomorrow at the latest." Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia immediately rummaged through her backpack and found those precious herbs, handing them to Shen Yanchu.

Shen Yanchu took the medicinal herbs and examined them carefully. His fingers gently touched the surface of the herbs, feeling their texture and patterns. Shi Wanxia stood quietly to the side, watching Shen Yanchu's focused expression. Fortunately, they had been lucky enough to find many precious medicinal herbs to help them detoxify.

After a while, Shen Yanchu raised his head, looked at Shi Wanxia, ​​and said with a smile, "Miss Shi, thank you very much. Once the antidote is cured, I, Shen Yanchu, will repay you handsomely!" Shi Wanxia smiled happily upon hearing this. She knew that these antidote herbs were very important to Shen Yanchu. He and Cui Yu'an were clearly not ordinary people; she didn't bother to guess their identities. If they wanted to tell her, they would; if they didn't, it would save her the trouble.

Shen Yanchu carefully put away the medicinal herbs and thanked Shi Wanxia again. Shi Wanxia quickly waved her hand and said, "Young Master Shen, you're too kind. It's my honor that these herbs have come in handy." The two smiled at each other, and the distance between them seemed to have shortened considerably.

Shen Yanchu looked at Shi Wanxia, ​​a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. He knew that this place was a mixed bag of people and fraught with danger, and that his identity had not yet been exposed, which was their only advantage.

He gently grasped Shi Wanxia's wrist, feeling her hand tremble slightly. He knew she was also afraid, but her eyes revealed a resolute determination.

"Miss Shi, wait for me here. Don't wander off. I'll get rid of the poison as soon as possible and then come back to find you." Shen Yanchu's voice was deep and gentle, as if he were coaxing a child.

Shi Wanxia nodded. She knew that the only thing she could do now was to trust Shen Yanchu. She watched his retreating figure, silently praying that he would return safely.

After Shen Yanchu left, Shi Wanxia closed the door, filled with doubt and confusion as she pondered the unusual behavior of Brother Shen and Young Master Cui. She thought about it for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. Shaking her head, she decided not to think about it anymore. She picked up the Ganoderma lucidum and ginseng from her backpack, intending to take them to a pharmacy to sell. There were many martial arts practitioners here; she figured she wouldn't have to worry about the price or the market.

Wang Fu methodically arranged all the matters entrusted to him by Young Master Cui, and then hurriedly went to Young Master Cui's room with the doctor. He was slightly nervous along the way, as this concerned Young Master Cui's health.

Upon entering the room, Wang Fu gave Cui Yu'an a detailed report on the arrangements. Cui Yu'an listened with a satisfied smile, praising Wang Fu's competence.

Immediately afterward, Cui Yu'an shared the good news with Shen Yanchu. Upon hearing the news, Shen Yanchu fell into deep thought. He paced back and forth in the room, pondering his next plan.

After a long silence, Shen Yanchu finally made his decision. His eyes hardened, as if he had found a solution. He turned to Wang Fu and Cui Yu'an and said, "We must detoxify as soon as possible; we can't delay any longer."

Wang Fu and Cui Yu'an nodded in agreement. They knew that the situation was far from optimistic and that decisive action was necessary to ensure the smooth progress of the matter.

So the three of them began to make preparations in earnest. Shen Yanchu took the antidote and Cui Yu'an and boarded a carriage to a secluded manor in the suburbs.

Shi Wanxia anxiously shuttled between pharmacies, clutching several rare medicinal herbs tightly in her hands. Her face was full of anxiety and helplessness; in order to treat her family's illness, she had no choice but to sell these precious herbs.

In each pharmacy, Shi Wanxia engaged in lengthy haggling with the owners. She knew the value of these medicinal herbs, but in this unfamiliar place, the prices were not as high as in Licheng. However, she did not give up, relying on her eloquence and persistence to strive for a better price.

After some effort, Shi Wanxia finally made a deal at a pharmacy. Although the price wasn't as high as she had hoped, she still felt a sense of relief. She knew that this money was essential for her survival in this era.

As Shi Wanxia walked out of the pharmacy, her heart was filled with mixed emotions. She thought back to her days in Licheng; if only she had sold the items there. Now, she should have enough money for her journey.

It was already dark when they returned to the inn. Li Changyu waited for Miss Shi to return and told her that Young Master Shen and the others had secretly gone to find an antidote. He left himself to protect their safety.

"Miss Shi, you're back. Young Master Shen and Young Master Cui went out on errands and asked me to protect you. I heard that many people at the inn have been talking about it today. Recently, many people of unknown identity have come to visit. Please be careful when you're out and about!"

Li Changyu knew this girl was lively and not quiet, unlike Li Qing and the others, who had been embroidering and making clothes in their room these past few days. They said they wanted to supplement their family income, and the girl had tried to dissuade them several times without success.

Shi Wanxia didn't take it seriously and told him to go back and rest. What could possibly happen in broad daylight?

"I understand, thank you for reminding me, Brother Li. Don't worry! I'm just an ordinary person. Who would be so bored as to cause me trouble, right?"

Li Changyu nodded uneasily and went back to the room next door.

As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, people had long since drifted off to sleep. Outside the inn, a group of about a hundred men in black, under the orders of their leader, surrounded the inn, making it completely inaccessible.

On a dark and windy night, a lonely inn stood in the darkness. Suddenly, a group of men in black appeared like ghosts. At their leader's command, their men quickly drew their bows and nocked arrows. These arrows were coated with tung oil, and as they approached the blazing fire, they were instantly ignited, turning into fiery arrows.

The leader in black coldly waved his hand, and a barrage of rockets rained down on the inn like meteors. In an instant, the inn was engulfed in flames, and the fire spread rapidly. The raging flames illuminated the night sky and revealed the狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) faces of the men in black.

The people inside the inn panicked and fled in all directions. Flames engulfed everything, and thick smoke billowed, choking them and making it hard to breathe. Cries and pleas for help mingled together, creating a scene reminiscent of hell.