“He was the third prince of Yin Ri, who died three years ago… to save me. If he hadn’t died, he should be here now.” I looked at Kong Jue and paused before continuing, “You look very much like him; even your physique is similar, only your personalities are different.”
“I look like him… really that similar?” Kong Jue said, touching his face.
“Don’t worry, I know you’re not him. I won’t have improper feelings for you!” I laughed and left, knowing it would take him less than half an hour to come back to his senses.
“Little Love, where did you go?” As I returned to the front hall, I saw the little rascal running over with a slightly panicked expression.
“Han, what’s wrong?” I noticed Yin Ran was also there.
“Madam,” Yin Ran’s brow showed anxiety, “Please save Wang’er’s life.”
“…” Just as I expected. “Are there several children in Yin Ri who have a strange illness?”
“Four of them. The princes, a pair of twins from the prime minister’s family, and the daughter of the great general.” Yin Ran’s usually indifferent face was touched by emotion. “This king believes this is not limited to Yin Ri. Although the situation is strange, I think you can save their lives. But now it seems…”
“Your Majesty, please don’t worry. There will be a way.”
“It was just a casual comfort, but it drew everyone’s gaze.
“Little Love, do you have a way?” Nan Gong Mo asked, puzzled.
“Madam said…” Mo Shui Hen replied, confusion on his face. However, hope flickered there, like Fire Yu Ran’s expectation.
“I don’t have a way,” I quickly added, seeing everyone’s surprise. “I’m not joking; I just feel someone will have a way.”
“Who?” Leng Ao Hun raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
“Those two old men!”
“You mean the two senior uncles?” Nan Gong Mo paused before saying, “Perhaps that’s true. They have been with the master since childhood in the Snow Mountain and must know more than we do.”
“What are we waiting for? Let’s find them now!” The little rascal impulsively stood up, ready to run out.
“What are you panicking about?” I grabbed him and pressed him back into the chair. “If you go to find them, you won’t be able to. Don’t waste your effort.”
“What I mean is, we don’t need to find them. They will come to our door themselves.”
“Why?” Xiao Yao asked in confusion.
Because their disciple is here! They sent Kong Jue to find me, not with pure intentions. Moreover, I suspect they took Kong Jue as a disciple with impure motives!
“Why?” Xiao Yao pressed further.
“How would I know!” I said, propping up my chin in frustration. “We’ll only know when those two old guys arrive, perhaps they’re coming because of our troubles.”
“Madam, someone from Bermuda has arrived,” the servant announced just as a dusty traveler rushed in.
“Is a child sick with a strange illness?” I anxiously asked before the person could speak.
“Yes… Madam, are my young lady and son-in-law here?” the traveler replied, stunned, then inquired about Bai Yuchan.
“They are,” I called a maid to fetch them. “Are you saying Yuchan’s child has a strange illness?”
“Indeed! The island master is helpless and received a mysterious letter two days ago, so he sent me with it.” He handed me a letter.
“As expected…” I had guessed much of the letter’s content without reading it. By now, Bai Yuchan and Jiang Qin had arrived, learning their child was also ill, which left them stunned.
“Brother Jiang, what should we do?” Bai Yuchan cried. “We must go back; I want to see my child.”
“Yuchan, don’t panic,” Jiang Qin said calmly. He turned to me and asked, “Xiao Ai, can you cure this illness?”
“We’ll know when Kong Jue’s master arrives.” I couldn’t promise anything and didn’t want to give false hope.
“Even if we go back now, we can’t save the child,” Jiang Qin continued. “You go back first; I’ll wait here. As soon as we have the antidote, I’ll rush back immediately.”
“But…
Bai Yuchan raised her tearful eyes and nodded, “I’ll wait for you to return.”
“Okay, travel safely.”
Bai Yuchan packed and watched the carriage disappear, her heart heavy. If her child were born, she might escape the clutches of Tianmei.
“Madam, Madam…” She heard an urgent call and turned back to see the troubled servant.
“What is it?”
“Madam, it’s…” The servant looked distressed from running around in the past few days.
“Who’s come now?” Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the door.
“Xiao Yue?”
“Xiao Yue, how did you also…” Xiao Yao noticed the sleeping child and instantly understood, “Could it be…”
“Fourth Brother, Fourth Sister-in-law, this should be Tianmei’s message,” Xiao Yue stated calmly. “I know he’s after the ‘Undying Ice Flower’, but the child…”
“Come inside,” Yu He said, noticing her weariness. He asked, “Who is he?”
“The young master of Ink Island, Mo Shui Zhi.” Xiao Yue handed her child to Yu He, then took the child from Mo Shui Zhi’s arms. “Both children are too young; I fear they won’t hold on. Please think of a way, Fourth Sister-in-law.”
Ai’er, you are clever yet briefly confused,” Xie Ying smiled, “These children will be under his command for eighteen years, and during that time, we must find a way to resolve this. The ‘Undying Ice Flower’ is the greatest threat, so he must either obtain or destroy it.”
“Hehe… So that’s how it is.” My laughter confused everyone. “He wants to destroy the ‘Undying Ice Flower’, but he probably doesn’t know there’s more than one.”
“Fourth Sister-in-law, do you know where they are?” Xiao Yue asked anxiously.
“If you know, please tell us,” Mo Shui Yi added worriedly.
“I do, but… I can’t get to them,” I sighed, lowering my eyes at their disappointed expressions.
“I’m going to find Master!” Kong Jue exclaimed. “So many children are suffering; we should find Master and Senior Uncle now instead of waiting.”
“Kong Jue is right. If we wait, it could take too long. We should split up and search.”
“Search?” I raised an eyebrow, “Do you know where to look?”
“This…” They looked at each other, unable to answer.
“Master left Water Moon a few days ago without saying where he was going,” Xiao Yue said softly. “But he knows about these things and won’t sit idly by.”
“He should be with the Old Man of Misty Traces, probably looking for something, or…” Cold Eyes pondered, then suddenly clapped his hands. “How did I not think of this before? They actually…”
“What did you think of?” Leng Ao Hun asked, uncomprehending, while others looked on with anticipation.
“Hehe…” I laughed awkwardly. “I just thought about where those two old men went.”
“Really?” Xiao Yao said happily. “Since we know, let’s go find them.”
“It’s not that simple, is it?” Xie Ying replied, staring at me with a full smile.
“Indeed,” I admitted, shrinking my head. “If I’m not mistaken, they should have returned to Ice Snow Mountain.”
“Returned to Ice Snow Mountain?” Nan Gong Mo looked shocked. “Why would Senior Uncle go back there?”
“Can they get the ‘Undying Ice Flower’?” the little rascal asked speculatively.
“I don’t understand either. Since Shadow said the children are not in danger, let’s wait for them to come down the mountain. Their first stop will naturally be here to find us, so don’t worry! There will definitely be a way.”
“This child is so restless!” Moshui said, watching the child he was caring for, unable to soothe him.
“Now it’s chaos!” Xie Ying leaned to the side, showing no intent to intervene.
“Perhaps you should practice,” he said mischievously to those who seemed idle. “You’ll all be fathers someday, so learning how to hold and comfort children is important.”
“Nangong, let me try.” Xiao Yao smiled lightly, took the child, and gently patted him until he stopped crying.
“Yao really has a way! I probably wouldn’t have such skill,” one remarked.
“Not difficult at all!” Leng Ao Hun scoffed.
