Chapter 45: On the Eve of Departure

“Soul-Tethering Pill?”

Gu Qinghuan took the white jade porcelain bottle handed over by Su Yuexi and pulled out the stopper.

A strange fragrance wafted from within.

She poured the pill into her palm and examined it closely.

It was a blood-red pill shot through with several strands of golden silk, appearing extremely eerie.

“Does this pill truly possess such miraculous effects?”

A flicker of doubt flashed in Gu Qinghuan’s eyes.

“If Sister Qinghuan does not believe me, you are more than welcome to test it.”

Su Yuexi smiled gently, her expression radiating absolute confidence.

Gu Qinghuan fell silent for a moment.

She knew Su Yuexi was a woman of deep calculation.

This pill might very well contain some hidden, unknown catch.

But given the current situation, she didn’t seem to have a better choice.

The entirety of the capital city was currently as solid as a fortress; the possibility of forcing their way out was almost zero.

Using Ji Linglong’s identity was indeed the most reliable method at present.

“Fine, I trust you.”

Gu Qinghuan finally made her decision.

Holding the pill, she walked over to Ji Linglong.

At this moment, because her soul was restricted by Gu Qinghuan, Ji Linglong was no longer struggling in pain.

However, she remained slumped on the ground, her golden phoenix eyes filled with resentment.

“What do you want to do?”

Ji Linglong spoke with a raspy voice.

“What do I want?”

Gu Qinghuan looked down at her, the corners of her mouth curving into a slight arc.

“Naturally, I am asking the Eldest Princess to do us a small favor.”

She pried open Ji Linglong’s jaw without the slightest hint of pity and shoved the blood-red pill directly into her mouth.

“Mmph… cough, cough…”

Ji Linglong struggled violently, trying to spit the pill out, but Gu Qinghuan directly used her True Essence to seal the woman’s throat, forcing her to swallow it.

As the pill entered her stomach, Ji Linglong’s body shuddered violently.

Her golden phoenix eyes, which had been filled with hatred, instantly became hollow and vacant.

The pride and domineering aura belonging to the Eldest Princess of the Kingdom of Dahuang vanished without a trace in an instant.

She sat dazed on the ground like a puppet that had lost its soul.

“This…”

Lu Ning watched from the side, feeling a chill run down her spine.

The effect of this pill was far too overbearing, wasn’t it?

“Sect Leader Su, why are the pill’s effects like this?”

Gu Qinghuan also noticed something was wrong.

She turned to look at Su Yuexi, her gaze filled with questioning.

“Sister Qinghuan, do not be anxious,” Su Yuexi remained composed.

“The power of the Soul-Tethering Pill temporarily weakens the consumer’s emotions and desires, causing their intellect to regress until they are like a three-year-old child.”

“In this state, she will develop absolute dependence and trust toward the first person she sees upon waking, following their every word.”

“Of course, this effect is only temporary. It will automatically wear off after seven days.”

Su Yuexi’s explanation sounded logical and left no room for fault-finding.

After hearing this, although Gu Qinghuan’s suspicions were not entirely dispelled, she did not press further.

She was more concerned with how to utilize this “child version” of Ji Linglong.

Right then, Ji Linglong, who had been sitting dazed on the floor, slowly lifted her head.

Her vacant golden eyes swept across the room before finally fixing upon Lu Ning.

In the next moment, under the stunned gazes of everyone present…

Ji Linglong actually crawled on all fours to Lu Ning’s feet.

Then, like a small kitten, she gently rubbed her cheek against Lu Ning’s lower leg.

“Sister…”

A soft, waxy call, tinged with a hint of timidity, escaped her lips.

Lu Ning: “????”

Gu Qinghuan: “!!!!”

The smile on Su Yuexi’s face also froze for a split second.

“Sister, hug…”

Ji Linglong looked up, her golden eyes filled with childlike innocence as she reached out her arms toward Lu Ning.

Looking at this crazed Princess who had regressed in intelligence and was now hugging her leg and acting spoiled, Lu Ning felt her worldview being violently shaken once again.

[What the hell is going on?]

[Wasn’t she supposed to follow my every command? How did it turn into acting cute?]

Lu Ning ranted frantically in her head, but her body remained frozen in place.

Meanwhile, after her brief moment of shock, Gu Qinghuan’s face instantly became incredibly unsightly.

She watched Ji Linglong hugging her Master’s leg with a look of pure adoration, and a nameless fire surged up within her.

That was her Master!

Her Master alone!

How could another woman hug her like that?

Even if the other person had become an idiot, it was still unacceptable!

“Let go of her!”

Gu Qinghuan barked coldly, preparing to step forward and pull Ji Linglong away.

However, before she could act, Ji Linglong seemed to be frightened.

She hugged even tighter, nearly hanging off Lu Ning’s leg.

Whimpering sounds came from her mouth, and she looked as if she were about to burst into tears.

“You… you’re a bad person! You’re not allowed to bully Sister!”

While whimpering, Ji Linglong glared fiercely at Gu Qinghuan with those golden eyes.

Gu Qinghuan was so angry she actually laughed.

She was actually being scolded by an idiot?

“Master, look at this…” Gu Qinghuan turned to Lu Ning, her voice carrying a hint of grievance.

Lu Ning felt a massive headache coming on.

She looked at the “giant infant” in her arms who might cry at any moment, then at her jealous disciple, and could only brace herself to speak.

“Alright, Qinghuan. Her mind is incomplete right now; don’t lower yourself to her level.”

As Lu Ning spoke, she leaned down and somewhat awkwardly patted Ji Linglong’s back, using the tone one would use to coax a child.

“There, there. Don’t cry. Sister is right here.”

Hearing her comfort, Ji Linglong indeed stopped whimpering, though she continued to hug her tightly, refusing to let go.

“Master!”

Gu Qinghuan protested.

Why should this woman be allowed to hug Master?

“Qinghuan!”

Lu Ning’s tone grew heavier.

“Now is not the time for nonsense! We need to leave this place immediately!”

Seeing Lu Ning’s serious expression, Gu Qinghuan finally bit her lip in dissatisfaction and stepped aside.

However, the look she shot at Ji Linglong was filled with warning.

“Alright, this is no time for delays,” Su Yuexi spoke up at the right moment, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

“I have already prepared a carriage; it is in the inn’s backyard.”

“If we set out now, we can reach the city gates before dawn.”

As Su Yuexi spoke, she took the lead and walked toward the door.

Gu Qinghuan huffed coldly and followed.

Lu Ning looked at the clingy “attachment” in her arms and sighed helplessly.

“Let’s go. Sister will take you out to play.”

She could only resort to coaxing and deception to pull Ji Linglong off her leg, then held her hand as they followed the other two.

The group arrived at the inn’s backyard.

An unremarkable blue-clothed carriage was parked quietly there.

Su Yuexi took the driver’s seat first.

Gu Qinghuan lifted the curtain, intending to let Lu Ning enter first.

However, Ji Linglong pulled Lu Ning’s hand death-gripped, refusing to let her board.

“No! I don’t want to be with that bad person!”

She pointed at Gu Qinghuan, her face full of wariness.

The veins on Gu Qinghuan’s forehead throbbed.

“I want to be with Sister!”

As Ji Linglong spoke, she squeezed directly into the carriage, then patted the spot beside her and waved at Lu Ning.

“Sister, come up quickly!”

Looking at the two women locked in a state of mutual hostility, Lu Ning could only sigh helplessly and climb into the carriage as well.

Seeing Ji Linglong sitting next to Lu Ning inside the carriage and grabbing Lu Ning’s arm, Gu Qinghuan’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

She also sat inside, positioning herself directly on Lu Ning’s other side.

Thus, a bizarre “sandwich” structure was formed within the small carriage.

Lu Ning was caught in the middle, with a jealous disciple on her left and a crazed, mentally regressed Princess on her right.

She felt as though her future was nothing but darkness.

Su Yuexi glanced at the strange atmosphere inside the carriage, and the corner of her mouth curled into a nearly imperceptible arc.

She lightly flicked the horse whip.

“Hyah!”

The carriage began to move slowly, carrying the three people—each with their own thoughts—toward the city gates.