My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

"It's possible, it's just... you all need to explain the situation first."

"Xique Pavilion's spies have infiltrated Jinya Pavilion to encircle and assassinate the Prince, while you are planning to save us and lead us to escape alive."

Zhu E paused, licked her dry vermillion lips, and said:

"You also said we're not as bad as you think."

Zhu E's words revolved around "you," which made Min Ning feel increasingly irritable.

At that moment, the woman in the red dress interjected:

"There's no time to waste. I'll explain more clearly while we're on the road."

Min Ning nodded slightly, then realized a crucial question:

"Does the Prince know what Chen Yi is doing?"

Plans require coordination. Without it, acting recklessly will only create chaos.

Min Ning was worried about this. If they were exposed, the consequences would be unbearable.

Zhu E nodded slightly and said:

"He naturally knows."

Min Ning asked skeptically, "Are they together?"

"No, the three of us are separated."

"Then how does the Prince know? Is it through carrier pigeons?"

While speaking, Min Ning glanced toward the sky and saw hawks circling—a deadly presence summoned by the West Factory. Any transmitting pigeons in the forest would be mercilessly hunted.

Zhu E curled her lips into a bewitching smile:

"I have a connection with the Prince."

Min Ning watched as she gently held the heavy object on her chest.

"When he squeezed this hard, the Prince immediately knew."

As Zhu E spoke, she slightly lowered her delicate head, appearing shy and timid.

Fox!

Min Ning clenched his fists.

.............................

On Chen Yi's end, the plan was proceeding smoothly.

Xique Pavilion's spies spread rumors claiming that the Princess of Annan was already in their hands. Shortly afterward, they announced her death and displayed her beheaded head as proof.

Sure enough, one of the Prince of Annan's attendants took the bait.

And, to their surprise, he turned out to be a member of a demonic sect.

"Did you extract any information?"

Facing the bloodied adjutant emerging from the side room, Du Juan asked.

The adjutant wiped the blood from his hands and replied, "The situation is urgent; we didn't get much. We only know that the Prince of Annan and his followers have disguised themselves and mingled with the crowd inside Jinya Pavilion. With over a thousand people there, picking them out is like searching for a needle in a haystack."

Du Juan knitted her brows, tapping lightly on the doorframe in impatience.

Chen Yi voiced his thoughts: "These demonic sect members must have ways to identify each other; otherwise, when scattered, regrouping later would be impossible."

The adjutant thought this over, nodded, and answered:

"Indeed, they all have marks engraved on various parts of their bodies. They refer to it as the Ming Venerate Seal."

"Then we can use this to trace them," Chen Yi said with a nod.

Suddenly, Du Juan raised her hand.

Chen Yi turned to her, watching as the unremarkable-looking woman smiled faintly and softly proposed:

"Instead of searching aimlessly, it'd be better if we gave ourselves the same marks and coerced the demonic sect members to reveal their secret codes. This way, finding two leads to four, finding four leads to eight."

The adjutant was startled by this proposal, while Chen Yi's eyes slightly narrowed, revealing a sliver of unexpected delight.

Though Chen Yi quickly masked his expression, Du Juan had already caught this fleeting reaction.

The adjutant contemplated for a moment. Though he seemed to have objections, he refrained from voicing them and simply gestured silently.

Du Juan turned away, entered the room to interrogate the demonic sect captive personally, with the adjutant following closely behind.

"Isn't this proposal... a bit reckless?" the adjutant transmitted secretly.

Du Juan chuckled lightly and countered:

"Do you suspect Chen Qianhu?"

The adjutant remained silent.

"In life, there are times when trust must be given. Why harbor so many doubts?"

Du Juan paused and added:

"Besides, Chief Wu of the West Factory has repeatedly claimed that Chen Qianhu is loyal, patriotic, and dedicated to serving the people."

The adjutant hesitated before asking:

"But don't you think Chen Qianhu is suspicious? First, the Princess of Annan is conveniently presented to us dead, yet the East and West Factories originally didn't know they were hunting the Prince of Annan—only that there were traitors among us."

Du Juan countered: "Apart from these doubts, what else?"

The adjutant deliberated for a while before shaking his head, saying:

"The greatest suspicion revolves around the supposedly dead Princess of Annan. Even her head has been shown to demonic sect members, who confirmed it was indeed the Princess... meaning Chen Qianhu truly has no issue? Why, if he were indeed compromised, would the Prince sacrifice his Princess like this—it's too extravagant a gambit."

Du Juan sighed faintly before smiling:

"Look at this hand gesture."

With that, Du Juan raised her hand, her fingers interlaced.

The adjutant was momentarily stunned. It was one of the sixty-two covert signs used for private communication in Xique Pavilion.

Du Juan said indifferently: "The Princess presented to us raised her hand before dying, signaling me with this gesture. That's when I realized she wasn't the Princess of Annan at all, but someone from Xique Pavilion."

The adjutant was shocked: "Disguises? But such craftsmanship... refined beyond belief?"

"Probably some sinister Southern Border technique."

"So... Chen Qianhu does have issues?"

"Exactly, I need him to have issues."

Du Juan turned her gaze to the demonic sect captive lying in the pool of blood, her eyes gleaming.

"With over a thousand people inside, finding the Prince of Annan is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. And if any mishap occurs, he'll truly escape."

She proposed that idea merely as speculation.

But Chen Yi's reaction confirmed her suspicions.

"Counter every move?" the adjutant asked skeptically.

Du Juan's expression remained calm as she replied:

"Most likely, if we struggled to find the demonic sect members, that man would casually float the idea, as if it came to him in a flash of inspiration or sudden realization."

The adjutant grasped her point: once desperate to escape, Chen Yi would likely unveil the Prince prematurely.

"But Chen Qianhu holds a Fourth Rank title, said to equal the Prince's rank. If they join forces to face us, their combined strength..." The adjutant hesitated.

Du Juan merely smiled and said:

"The Pavilion Master is en route. With a Second Rank overseeing our operation, why should we fear? Still, I always layer my strategies. Soon, I'll hand Chen Qianhu this Black Blood Pill—if he refuses to consume it, we hold off on action. If he takes it, we proceed."

Once Du Juan finished, the adjutant could no longer retort. Without delay, he left the room, instructing the Xique Pavilion agents to carve Ming Venerate Seals onto themselves.

Meanwhile, Chen Yi was summoned by Du Juan into a separate chamber.

"You are now Fourth Rank, as am I, and so is the Prince of Annan. Together, we hold a significant advantage in a two-against-one scenario," Du Juan said slowly.

Chen Yi calmly smiled and replied:

"It's always wise to remain cautious."

Du Juan smiled and nodded before removing a pill from her robe.

Chen Yi's gaze tightened.

"This is called the Gathering Yang Pill—it invigorates the blood, extends the meridians, and provides great advantage in battle," Du Juan explained, handing it to Chen Yi.

"Take it. Even a lion gives its full effort when hunting a rabbit."

Chen Yi frowned slightly, glancing deeply at Du Juan. Without speaking, he swallowed the pill in one motion.

Du Juan smiled.

Of course, the pill wasn't some combat enhancer—it was a slow-acting poison.

If the Prince of Annan was captured as expected, Xique Pavilion would offer the antidote. If not, the outcome was clear.

Du Juan could tell Chen Yi suspected the pill, yet to win her trust, he chose to ingest it anyway.

Admittedly, he displayed some mettle.

Feeling the pill's bitterness coat his throat, Chen Yi coughed twice, gathered some saliva. Just as Du Juan thought he might spit it out, he confirmed his resolve, swallowing even the smallest remnants.

Looking up, he saw Du Juan's amused smile.

This exchange finally clarified something for Chen Yi.

This Du Juan didn't know that the Princess wouldn't let him die so easily!

And this also meant there were many things Du Juan didn't know...

She didn't understand him—at best, she knew trivial details.

Which meant his plan could proceed.

Chen Yi smiled faintly, turning aside, only to find Du Juan smiling faintly as well.