Chapter 26: Are You in a Hurry to Reincarnate?

Luo Qianxue glanced at his leg and said, “Prince Zhan, with your leg in this state, if I just walk away, I’d feel guilty. If you survive, I’m sure you’ll come after me for payment. And if you die, you’ll surely return as a vengeful spirit to haunt me.” There was a hint of teasing in her words.

Zhan Lianjing lowered his head, avoiding her gaze. He was always sharp-eyed, never one to shrink from anyone’s stare, but now he found himself unable to meet Luo Qianxue’s eyes.

“That’s enough,” Zhan Lianjing said, releasing her hand.

Qianxue could still feel the lingering warmth of his grip. She paused, looked at his leg again, and remained puzzled—if only she could give him a thorough examination, she thought, all would be clear. But with Zhan Lianjing’s wariness, that was hardly possible.

He seemed to notice her gaze and explained, “This leg of mine has been an old injury since eight years ago—sometimes it’s better, sometimes worse.”

She blurted out, “Can I examine it for you, Prince?”

He looked at her. “Even Yuan Tianci’s father couldn’t do anything. What makes you think Yuan Tianci could—let alone you?”

His retort left Qianxue momentarily speechless. Well, she thought, if she revealed her skills, it would only raise further suspicion. She had no choice but to let it go and offered, “Then, Your Highness, shall I help you walk?”

“Unless you plan to carry me on your back?” Zhan Lianjing extended his hand; he truly couldn’t walk on his own now and had to lean on her.

Qianxue felt a bit stifled. If she really could carry him, would he dare climb on? She told him to wait, quickly found a stick and, with practiced skill, whittled it with a dagger.

Zhan Lianjing’s gaze darkened at the sight of such familiarity with weapons.

But Qianxue simply smiled. “My father taught me this, Your Highness. He thought his daughter shouldn’t be bullied. Even as a child, he had me training, though now he regrets it—thinks I’m too rough and skilled in martial arts for anyone to want to marry me.”

Zhan Lianjing couldn’t help but smile inwardly. Did Qianxue truly not realize, or was she pretending? Yunan Feng had changed her a great deal these days, yet she showed no sign of happiness—on the contrary, she seemed to find Yunan Feng quite irksome.

With the makeshift crutch and Qianxue’s support, Zhan Lianjing could manage to walk, though their pace was slow.

Qianxue kept watch on their surroundings. Those who had been poisoned earlier reminded her of the beast arena—there were few in the world who practiced the dark arts, so it was likely the work of Yin Susu’s enemy. She was determined to investigate.

Night had fully fallen, and they could go no further, stopping by a small stream.

True to his princely status, Zhan Lianjing immediately began ordering Qianxue to gather firewood and catch fish.

She snorted, “You just give orders—don’t you know how to do anything yourself?”

Resting against a tree, Zhan Lianjing was gathering his breath, but at her words, he turned. “How many fish do you want?”

“What?” Qianxue was taken aback.

Picking up a few small stones, Zhan Lianjing asked again, “I asked how many fish you want.”

Realizing what he intended, Qianxue quickly answered, “Four! Four!”

With a flick of his wrist, he sent four pebbles flying into the stream, each splashing down—and four fish floated to the surface.

Qianxue rushed to scoop them out, marveling at his martial skills. Not only was Zhan Lianjing no weakling, he was clearly a master.

No wonder such a man had become a prince in his teens!

After they finished eating, Zhan Lianjing intended to meditate and cultivate his inner strength, but found himself unusually drowsy. He glanced at Qianxue, who seemed fast asleep, utterly unwary. This woman, he thought, if a wild beast came, wouldn’t even know how she died.

He closed his eyes to rest, keeping alert to the sounds around him, but for some reason, as soon as he shut his eyes, he sank into a deep sleep.

At that moment, Qianxue opened her eyes and muttered, “With your deep inner strength, I thought my medicine would be useless.”

She checked to see that he was truly unconscious before pulling over his right hand. When she’d previously drawn out the poison, she hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but that didn’t mean nothing was there.

She felt his pulse carefully, with focused attention, and finally detected something strange.

Her eyes widened with surprise—so this kind of poison existed in this world as well.

She removed his shoe and examined his foot by the faint light of the fire. She could clearly see a black line running from his calf to his knee. It looked ordinary enough, but it was the very reason for his crippled legs.

Qianxue stroked her chin. Even she was unsure if she could cure this. Once the black line reached his upper body, Zhan Lianjing’s life would be forfeit. If not for his inner strength suppressing it, he’d already be dead. As things stood, he might have another two or three years to live.

She tidied him up, pretending nothing had happened, but her mind was in turmoil. It wasn’t pity for Zhan Lianjing, but in her previous life, her master had died from this very poison, and she had been powerless to save him—a lifelong regret.

Now faced with the same situation, should she save him or not?

Troubled by these thoughts, Qianxue only managed to sleep as dawn approached.

When Zhan Lianjing awoke, he was surprised—he hadn’t expected to truly fall asleep. He felt something heavy on his leg, looked down, and found Qianxue using his leg as a pillow!

He was both repulsed and annoyed, and pushed her off. She rolled to the ground, still asleep, snoring like a piglet.

He stared at her for a while, but did not wake her.

The stream gurgled nearby, and the sound woke Qianxue. She rubbed her eyes, thinking how comfortable her pillow was. She rolled over and patted it—a bit hard, but still nice.

Suddenly, she snapped her eyes open, stiffly turned her head, and realized... her pillow had been Zhan Lianjing’s thigh!

She sat up at once, immediately feeling miserable. Soon enough, Zhan Lianjing would be after her for more silver!

“Qianxue.”

“Yes!” she replied instantly.

He regarded her coolly. “My leg is numb. Massage it.”

She was a little surprised—was it really that simple?

This wasn’t like Zhan Lianjing at all, but since he made nothing of it, she decided to play along. Her medical skills were excellent, and her massage technique was just as good—her pressure and targeting were perfect. Zhan Lianjing immediately felt strength returning to his legs.

A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, but it quickly faded.

Qianxue then helped him up, sparing herself much effort. His condition only allowed him to stand on certain days; the rest of the time, his legs were weak.

So he truly was crippled, she thought—she’d wronged him before.

They walked all morning without seeing any sign of smoke or habitation, and had no idea where they were.

Zhan Lianjing recalled something and asked, “How did those people find us yesterday, yet today all is calm?”

Qianxue replied, “Don’t you know, Your Highness? They were under control—driven by instinct to find us. They could only track by scent, but I used a method to change our scent last night. Without intelligence, they can’t possibly find us now.”

His gaze sharpened. It seemed Qianxue was more capable than he thought—not entirely useless after all. It must be Yuan Tianci’s teaching.

They spent another half-day traveling, finally emerging from the deep woods. Ahead, they could faintly see smoke rising.

Qianxue was delighted—finally, signs of life. Returning to the capital would be much easier now.

She quickened her pace, and Zhan Lianjing began to sweat profusely. Proud as he was, he didn’t want to admit he couldn’t keep up, but finally said, “Qianxue, are you racing to reincarnate? Why so fast?”

She slowed down a little, pouting. If they kept dawdling, who knew when they’d arrive?

Her eyes darted, and she suddenly declared, “Your Highness! Let me carry you!”

Zhan Lianjing was stunned. What did she just say?

Without another word, Qianxue stepped up, stooped, and hoisted Zhan Lianjing onto her back!

He was dumbstruck—what kind of woman was this?

Yet, as she carried him, she showed little strain, walking as briskly as before.

Three months ago, Qianxue would never have managed this. But in the past months, she’d taken medicinal elixirs and kept up her training; her stamina and strength were now equal to any man’s.

Zhan Lianjing was amazed by the speed, though the only discomfort was Qianxue’s thin frame—her bones dug into him.

In less than the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, they saw a small village ahead.

Before they reached the village, someone nearby exclaimed, “What a pity! What’s wrong with that man, needing a woman to carry him?”

It was a villager speaking. Zhan Lianjing’s face darkened at the remark.

He wanted Qianxue to put him down, but she quickly responded, “Auntie, my brother is ill and can’t walk. We lost our way in the woods—could you let us stay for one night?”

The woman, seeing Qianxue’s sincerity, believed her. Carrying her vegetable basket, she smiled and said, “So that’s how it is. Come with me.”

As night fell, Qianxue, unable to cook, could only help by setting the table. The woman’s son had left the village years ago, so now she lived with only her husband.