FRGNM -Chapter 247 The Situation Reverses

This was certainly no coincidence. The person who poisoned him must have known Dongyang Ze’s habits very well, creating a medicine specifically to target him. The old saying goes: “Capture the king first, then the rest will fall.” If the Crown Prince were killed, Yunshui Country before them would surely collapse.

“I’ve also examined his body. Strange—there’s no weakness at all. Could it be… something he carries affects his constitution, just like before?” Green Robe reached out, pulling Dongyang Ze’s clothing aside.

The strong, exposed body was covered in countless scars. Each wound had healed into a mark, densely scattered across him, almost terrifying to see. The most severe was an arrow near his chest—it was still visible, a reminder of how dangerous it had once been.

Wu Ma sighed. “This was when His Highness first clashed with Princess of Jinqin. He was wounded by her long arrow and almost died. Luckily, a traveling medicine doctor passed by and saved him.”

“A medicine doctor?” Ling Ruoxi’s heart trembled, thinking of her father, but she quickly dismissed the thought. Her own medical skills weren’t as good as her father’s, but they wouldn’t leave scars. The injuries on Dongyang Ze must have been treated by an ordinary doctor.

Ling Ruoxi’s long eyelashes fluttered as she sighed softly.

Wu Ma nodded, standing. “Yes, it was a young medicine doctor, but he’s long gone. As for what His Highness carries with him… now I remember. There is something he never removes, always wears close to his body.”

“Oh? Quickly, let’s see it.” Green Robe watched as Wu Ma unfastened Dongyang Ze’s waist sash and retrieved a small scented pouch from a hidden compartment. It had an embroidered lotus flower; pale leaves swayed as if in the wind, even the dew on the leaves was stitched. Behind it, the faint sunlight seemed to shine through.

Strangely, the lower part of the pouch was brown like mud, while the upper part was blue cloth, giving it a peculiar appearance. Still, the embroidery was exquisitely done, truly high quality.

A faint sour scent emerged. Ling Ruoxi glanced at Luo Mingyu behind her, meeting his slightly pleading gaze. Not this… Could it be that the man also wanted her embroidery? She could handle knives, swords, and spears easily, but embroidery—touching it was like spilling wine—too delicate to even look at.

“This is what His Highness carries. I don’t know who gave it to him, but he likes to stare at it idly,” Wu Ma said, slowly handing the pouch to Ling Ruoxi.

The moment she touched it, Dongyang Ze’s expression darkened. That familiar aura surged from the pouch, trembling in her hand as if something were about to break through. Her face changed, and she clenched the pouch, sensing the energy within, taking a deep breath.

The three around her also felt it. How could they not recognize that familiar aura?

“Wu Ma, what was the name of the songstress who died in Danhuai Tower?” Ling Ruoxi asked, her hand on the pouch. A sudden chill appeared in her eyes—it seemed the situation wasn’t so simple.

“The songstress? She was called Bai He… but how is this related to His Highness?” Wu Ma frowned, puzzled as the three before her visibly changed color. She stared at the pouch, wondering if there was a problem with it.

“Bai He? Her body disappeared—no trace at all. Whether alive or dead, no one knows. There’s still singing in Danhuai Tower, but other details need verification. As for now, we must save Dongyang Ze and ask him about the Purple Bamboo!” Ling Ruoxi’s brows furrowed.

“Purple Bamboo? What Purple Bamboo?” Wu Ma’s face went pale. She seemed to remember something, staring at the three in shock. “You don’t mean the Purple Bamboo in Danhuai Tower, do you?”

“Oh? You know about it too?” Green Robe smiled lightly, patting Wu Ma’s shoulder.

Wu Ma nodded quietly. “Yes. Before Bai He arrived, Danhuai Tower was famous for its Purple Bamboo. But over the years, no one saw it; rumors said it had legs and could walk, so people gradually forgot. When Bai He arrived, no one remembered it. Only now, with your mention, I recall it. But His Highness likely doesn’t know anything about it.”

“No, he does.” Ling Ruoxi’s eyes softened slightly as she held the pouch and studied the embroidery. Calmly, she said, “Perhaps this pouch was given to him by Bai He. It shows Bai He entering the swamp, the eastern sun behind—a reference to Dongyang Ze and Bai He, isn’t it? Moreover…”

Her left hand hovered in front of her. Purple Dou Qi flared, hitting the pouch slightly—only a five-centimeter glow appeared, merging into the pouch. So fine that if one weren’t a Dou Qi practitioner sensing it, it would be nearly impossible to detect.

Ling Ruoxi frowned. The girl who gave him the pouch had been generous, placing such a long Purple Bamboo inside. But it was broken in places—not one solid piece. A five-centimeter Purple Bamboo couldn’t serve as a needle. And it had been gifted by a girl to Dongyang Ze—how could anyone take it from him?

“This is it—Purple Bamboo!” Wu Ma gasped, staring in shock. “You… you’re Dou Qi practitioners?”

“Yes, we are,” Ling Ruoxi nodded. She carefully placed the Purple Bamboo back into the pouch and returned it to Dongyang Ze, saying coldly, “We investigated Danhuai Tower for the Purple Bamboo.”

“But… the Purple Bamboo… it’s not easy to obtain. And—”

Buzz! Luo Mingyu’s right hand revealed another Purple Bamboo. His brow lifted slightly, calm and detached. “We are looking for all the Purple Bamboo. That’s why we came here. Wu Ma, I trust you won’t reveal this unless you don’t want to save him.”

“No, no! I want… please save him!” Wu Ma’s face changed dramatically. She grabbed her skirts, trying to kneel.

Silver Wolf quickly pulled her up. “Don’t do that. Don’t worry. These two are medicine doctors—they can save Dongyang Ze. But the drug is strange. Do you have any idea how to save him?”

“You’ll see if you try.” Green Robe shrugged helplessly. They only knew the drug was harmless to ordinary people but lethal to Dongyang Ze. They couldn’t even identify it, let alone counter it.

Ling Ruoxi returned Dongyang Ze’s pouch, calm. “Observe first. Extract some blood—I want to study it closely. With the Purple Bamboo nearby, it can slow the poison. We’ll try to make an antidote.”

A gentle wind rose, the moonlight dimming.

On the ground, soldiers writhed, some desperately running to latrines, the sound of uncontrollable bowel movements echoing like fireworks. The stench filled the camp, making everyone grimace.

Limited facilities meant many had no choice but to relieve themselves in the open, wailing like ghosts.

“What happened? How did you get back from Yunshui’s camp? And why are our soldiers like this?!” Shen Qing shouted, slamming a table and kicking a water basin.

The pale man, Yelü Hanxin, snorted angrily. “We gave them a sedative to put them out, then ambushed from all sides with the antidote ready. The goal was to catch them all! Qing’er, you’ve been fighting him for months with no winner—how is this battle so difficult? Or are you too afraid to strike him?”

“Shut up! This is my command! Everything here listens to me!” Shen Qing shouted, pressing her hands tightly on her scroll. Thinking of the sedated soldiers, if they were suddenly attacked again, how could they survive?

But their attackers failed, only causing the generals to suffer stomach cramps.

“What’s going on? Explain! What happened to them?” Xu Qing demanded, eyes sharp.

Yelü Hanxin slammed his palm on a chair. “What else! We were outwitted! I didn’t expect their camp to have strategists. That kid used something, causing us all severe diarrhea! But he thinks he’s planned everything? Hmph—Dongyang Ze will die without fail!”

“What did you say?!” Shen Qing’s face changed. She grabbed Yelü Hanxin by the collar, furious.

“I said—Dongyang Ze will die without fail!” He smiled coldly. “Although we gave you a sedative, we added something extra. You know Dongyang Ze is immune to most poisons. To study the medicine, we had a doctor secretly follow him. And we created a drug that works only on him.”