My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

Her cheeks burned, her breath was hot, and she couldn't quite make sense of it all.

Min Ning extended a hand to help her up, and as his hand made contact, the female Prince's entire body trembled. Her breath was feverish, as if heat radiated from every pore.

"This place isn't safe. There's a small building up ahead. Let's head there," Min Ning said, supporting her.

Qin Qingluo nodded faintly, responding weakly, "Alright."

Soon after, the two arrived at the secluded building in the forest. Inside, the decor was simple yet elegant. A screen painted with lotus flowers stood in place, an ancient zither rested in a corner, silk drapes cascaded to the ground, and a refined wooden table bore a set of tea. In the bedroom upstairs, the bed was draped with crimson silk; it seemed to be the private quarters of some lady, though whose was unclear.

Min Ning helped Qin Qingluo onto the bed. After the female Prince lay down, she had to curl her legs up, as the bed was barely over seven feet long. Her chest heaved uncontrollably, and her gasping breaths came one after another.

From within the boudoir, the faint sound of a rushing stream could be heard nearby. The view outside the window was tranquil and refined. Turning back, Min Ning's gaze landed on a weapon rack, where a Yanling Saber lay horizontally. It seemed to belong to some martial arts-trained lady residing here.

There was a dressing mirror crafted from sandalwood in the bedroom, and a letter on the desk caught Min Ning's eye. A glance revealed the words "Received by Dong Gong Ruoshu." While he couldn't be sure who it referred to, he assumed it was the name of the boudoir's owner.

He didn't dwell on it and quickly turned his attention back to Qin Qingluo, who had curled her body up tightly, her thighs rubbing against each other uneasily.

"Let me apply some medicine for you," Min Ning said hurriedly.

Qin Qingluo murmured in agreement, doing her best to stay calm as she slowly loosened the collar of her garment.

Min Ning retrieved a medicine bottle from his pocket. Without a second thought, he poured out the ointment and spread it gently, aiming to ensure the application was even and thorough.

Yet, Qin Qingluo didn't seem to improve. Her breathing grew sharper, her serpent-like pupils fogged and dazed:

"My qi and blood… My qi and blood are surging wildly. I tried to suppress it, but it's no use... Could it be the medicine properties are conflicting?"

Min Ning's expression turned to bewilderment upon hearing this. The golden sore medicine passed down in her family had always been nearly infallible, gentle in nature and harmonious with other medicinal substances. Why was it causing a clash this time?

She held the jade medicine bottle and tried to discern the reason, but suddenly her breath caught.

Min Ning hurriedly patted around her own garments. Ultimately, from the inner lining of her pocket, she pulled out another jade medicine bottle that looked nearly identical.

She opened the stopper to sniff carefully, and her face changed drastically.

It was the golden sore medicine…

This was bad…

If this was the golden sore medicine, then what had she applied to her?

Min Ning froze in place, while Qin Qingluo looked a little dazed, her voice hoarse as she asked:

"What… What happened..."

Min Ning's complexion paled further with the question. She clenched her fists and struck her own thigh, unable to evade the blame, her guilt evident:

"I… It's my fault, Your Highness. I've wronged you..."

She had been so startled earlier by the figure who resembled her elder sister that she mistakenly grabbed the wrong medicine...

Min Ning took a deep breath and gazed at Qin Qingluo, her face full of unease...

This Jade Spring Ointment's effects were unimaginably potent...

The Prince's martial arts were at Fourth Rank—whether she could endure this was uncertain.

Qin Qingluo's serpent-like pupils widened slightly, just as she was about to say something. Yet, before any words could escape, her throat seemed to clog.

Her voice stuck in her throat…

Soon after, she pounded her chest fiercely, trying to cough something up.

However, perhaps due to the toxin in her system, she experienced a sensation of something sliding down her throat.

Seeing this, Min Ning stepped forward and lightly patted her back. Qin Qingluo's condition seemed dire, and Min Ning called out urgently:

"I-I'll go find Chen Yi!"

"…N-No… No!"

The dazed female Prince suddenly seemed to claw her way out of an abyss, her teeth gritting as she hissed:

"…Over my dead body will you call him!"

Hatred stacked high in her serpent-like pupils.

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

After Chen Yi's moment of fury, Zhu E temporarily felt satisfied.

She took two panting breaths, sprang up, and exclaimed tensely: "My lord, the Prince—the Prince!"

Even without Zhu E clarifying, Chen Yi discerned the abnormality from her expression. "She's affected by spring medicine?"

Zhu E nodded repeatedly.

Chen Yi listened, questions swirling in his mind, before turning to ask Zhou Yitang. However, the one-armed woman had vanished without a trace, as if avoiding the matter, or simply unwilling to confront it.

Chen Yi chuckled bitterly and asked, "Where is she?"

Zhu E closed her eyes as if sensing something. Moments later, she pointed out a direction to Chen Yi.

Chen Yi nodded immediately, then crouched down before Zhu E.

Seeing this, Princess An Nan's eyes widened in surprise. Chen Yi glanced back at her and smiled, saying, "What are you waiting for? Get on."

Zhu E snapped out of it and responded softly, placing herself onto his back. Chen Yi adjusted her position before carrying her.

Afterward, he took a deep breath and began to channel Qinggong.

Chen Yi's figure flickered through the forest, his steps swift.

He didn't even understand why he was hurrying so much; his heart was suspended in anxiety, yearning to reach the destination quickly.

Even though Zhou Yitang had told him it wasn't a matter of great urgency…

He simply couldn't calm his heart.

Perhaps it was because she was the first woman in the world carrying his child.

Even if they were still enemies.

Zhu E clung to his back as his figure bobbed atop the treetops. She could see the concern in Chen Yi's eyes, her heart caught between melancholy and warmth.

Melancholy because of how much he cared for Qin Qingluo, and warmth for the same reason.

She couldn't help but recall the hairpins he had given the two women and felt an inexplicable pang of guilt toward her niece.

Could there be any way where everyone could find peace?

Zhu E didn't know. For a fleeting moment, she wished all three of them could live well.

Already a Fourth Rank Martial Artist, he had long grasped the essence of the "Speed" character tied to his killing blade. Zhu E remembered how, at the peak of his entry into Fourth Rank, even the renowned Tongbei Divine Ape of the Jianghu couldn't keep up with his saber technique. Now, Chen Yi had fully integrated blade technique and movement. Within Zhu E's momentary thoughts, he leapt far away; his figure flickered through the forest, sometimes vanishing and sometimes reappearing.

When Chen Yi finally arrived, he set Zhu E down and caught sight of the small building. Without hesitation, he strode inside.

Even from the first floor, he could hear the sound of rapid breathing.

Likewise, the female figure in the upstairs bedroom seemed to have heard something.

A panicked voice rang out:

"Don't—don't let him come up!"

Along with the voice appeared Min Ning, dressed in her Flying Fish uniform. Her face was full of guilt.

When she saw Chen Yi, Min Ning hesitated briefly but said:

"She… She…"

Chen Yi strode up the stairs, waving his hand dismissively as he said:

"Don't worry, I'm here."

Min Ning recalled the female Prince's order. The Prince had treated her with generosity, so she couldn't help but block him, saying:

"She doesn't want you to come up."

Chen Yi demanded directly, "And do you want me to?"

Min Ning froze momentarily, knowing full well what kind of medicine Qin Qingluo had ingested. Judging from the state she was in, the medicine's potency was shockingly intense. The Jade Spring Ointment, delivered from the Scene Benevolence Palace to Min Ming, wasn't ordinary at all. But letting things drag on wasn't any solution either.

Yet, the thought of Chen Yi stepping in to intervene unsettled Min Ning deeply.

After all, this female Prince was equally valiant and commanding.

Min Ning furrowed her delicate yet resolute brows, silent and unmoving. She blocked the staircase.

But Chen Yi, naturally understanding how to deal with such young heroes, said:

"The effects of this medicine are too potent. If the Prince's meridians rupture, all martial arts will vanish, and she'll become a cripple. What will you do then?"

Exploiting Min Ning's guilt, Chen Yi's voice carried a faint persistence.

Min Ning hesitated, instinctively shifting to make way halfway.

"H-he's… lying. I can endure this… I… can…"

Qin Qingluo possessed an inch of glazed light protecting her body. Even if her meridians shattered, she could recover. Moreover, despite the Jade Spring Ointment's potency, it was merely for external use and wouldn't damage her muscles or bones.

But Min Ning didn't know.

When she heard those words, Chen Yi had already stepped past her.

He pushed open the door,

and saw a heroic face flushed red. The female Prince was forcing herself to rise, her presence overwhelming, like a giant serpent coiled atop a mountain—ferocious and brimming with murderous intent!

Chen Yi quietly shut the door,

and a sinister grin crept across his face.