005. A Shameless Couple

“Put it down? Once it’s in my hands, it’s mine.” Le Qianxue’s voice was light, but her intent was unmistakable—she had set her sights on the Seven-Colored Elixir and would not relinquish it. Had it not been purchased privately by Zhuixing, she might not have lost to him even at public auction.

A fleeting smirk crossed Zhan Lianjing’s lips. This woman truly knew no fear.

Le Qianxue was ready to leave, hoping to avoid being caught up in the looming conflict. But before she could move, a shadow beside her flickered—she couldn’t tell who had launched the hidden weapons, but in a flash, every assassin in the room was dead.

She blinked, startled. The weight in her hands had vanished; the wooden box had disappeared without a trace.

Looking up, she saw Zhan Lianxi standing tall, the wooden box in his grasp, his gaze cold as frost fixed upon her.

He was standing… Le Qianxue was taken aback. Wasn’t Zhan Lianxi supposed to be crippled? And with just a single move, he’d dispatched several skilled assassins—his martial prowess was formidable indeed.

“Who would have thought the famed Ghost Doctor is nothing but a petty thief,” Zhan Lianxi spoke slowly, a hidden weapon already poised between his fingers.

Le Qianxue’s heart skipped a beat. She had prepared for countless scenarios, but never imagined the crippled prince was merely feigning disability.

She took a step back, masking her nerves with a smile. “A doctor and a thief? Those professions could not be more at odds.”

Unflappable in the face of danger—this was her greatest strength.

Haoyue, who had been tense, couldn’t help but laugh at Le Qianxue’s reply.

Zhan Lianjing shot her a glance, prompting Haoyue to quickly compose herself.

He continued, “Those who dare covet what is mine all meet the same end.”

His voice was ice cold. Le Qianxue felt as if she had been cast into a frozen abyss. Yet she kept her composure, lips curling into a faint smile. “An end? Prince Zhan, you think to kill me? You’d do well to remember where we are.”

This was her domain. To kill her here? The thought was almost laughable.

But Zhan Lianjing was unfazed. There had never been anyone he wanted dead whom he could not kill.

He flicked the hidden weapon. At the same instant, Le Qianxue spun around, yanking a clasp from the curtain.

A mechanism was triggered, and a hail of silver needles shot forth from all directions.

“Watch out, my lord!” Haoyue threw herself in front of Zhan Lianjing.

But he swept his sleeve, his powerful inner strength sending the needles flying.

Le Qianxue, however, was already gone. Zhan Lianjing narrowed his eyes. Though she had escaped, she had not taken the elixir.

Haoyue kneeled. “My lord, I deserve punishment. I let her get away.”

“Pass down my order,” Zhan Lianjing commanded, “arrest the Ghost Doctor.”

She knew his secret—she could not be allowed to live.

He opened the brocade box to check the Seven-Colored Elixir was unharmed.

But as he looked, his expression froze.

Haoyue’s face too drained of color. How could this be…

Within the seven-colored blossom, only six petals remained—one was missing.

That night, the capital was thrown into chaos.

---

The Drunken Painting Pavilion was sealed; its owner, Yin Susu, was taken away. The Prince Zhan’s guards scoured every corner of the city.

It so happened there was a bustling night market that evening, the streets packed with people.

Le Qianxue pulled off her human-skin mask, tossing it aside as Haoyue and the others pursued. Though she had removed her mask, she had no way to change her clothes. If Haoyue caught her now, she would be in serious trouble.

“Make way! Make way! Prince Zhan’s men at work!”

Haoyue led a squad of guards, and the townsfolk hurriedly cleared a path.

Le Qianxue slipped into an alley, but footsteps echoed from the other end as well.

Damn it. Zhan Lianjing had managed to surround the area so quickly—how would she escape?

Her left hand, injured by a hidden weapon, was already bleeding. Should Haoyue catch a glimpse of her, she’d be recognized at once.

She spun around and caught sight of a man ahead, cloaked in a flowing cape.

A plan sparked.

She strode up and grabbed the man’s cloak. “Sir, may I borrow your cloak for a moment?”

Without waiting for his reply, she pulled it from him and draped it over herself.

At that moment, Haoyue and the guards came through, pausing in surprise when they spotted her.

“Miss Le, what are you doing here?” Haoyue asked with some curiosity.

Le Qianxue replied, “I’m just out enjoying the night market. Isn’t that perfectly normal? What’s all this commotion—what’s Prince Zhan’s household searching for?”

Haoyue scrutinized her. The figure seemed somewhat familiar, but the face and clothing were different. She must not be the Ghost Doctor.

“We’re just after a thief. Excuse me.” Haoyue hurried on with her men.

Le Qianxue breathed a sigh of relief. That was close.

It seemed going head-to-head with Zhan Lianjing was out of the question. She had just arrived in the city and lacked any real power, while Zhan Lianjing had been a prince for eight years, his position unshakable.

“Miss.” The man whose cloak she had taken finally spoke.

Le Qianxue turned to see a young man in a blue robe, his jet-black hair bound high with a golden coronet. Under arched brows, his long, languid eyes were as captivating as peach blossoms—one careless glance and a soul could be lost. His lips were perfectly shaped, and he wore a devilish smile.

She felt a twinge of guilt for borrowing his cloak unannounced.

She patted herself down and realized she had no money on her.

The man chuckled at her flustered manner. “I overheard the prince’s men say your surname is Le?”

In the capital, only the General’s household bore the surname Le, and it had some standing.

Le Qianxue nodded, then drew a silver needle from her sleeve and handed it to him. “I’m buying your cloak, but I have no money on me. Take this as a token. Come to the General’s estate tomorrow for payment.”

He accepted the needle without fuss. It wasn’t a hidden weapon, yet neither was it a common needle.

“Very well. Just don’t forget, Miss Le.”

She studied his handsome face—how could she forget? And judging by his attire, he must be from a distinguished family, though she couldn’t recall ever seeing him before.

But such trifles were not worth pondering. Back at the General’s estate, she summoned Huatao to bring her medicine chest.

Huatao gasped when she saw Le Qianxue’s wounded arm, fumbling with the medicine chest in her hurry to bandage her mistress.

But in her panic, Huatao only made matters worse.

---

Le Qianxue waved her aside. “Step back. Let me do it.”

Huatao’s eyes stung with tears. “Miss, what have you gotten yourself into now?”

Ever since her recovery, her mistress had become unpredictable—sometimes returning home with unexplained injuries. Huatao had no idea what Le Qianxue did outside.

“Don’t make a fuss,” said Le Qianxue. “Come, help me tie the bandage.”

She could apply medicine with one hand, but not fasten the dressing.

Huatao quickly complied, then whispered, “Miss, I heard they’re looking for the Ghost Doctor. Is… is that you?”

Huatao had never known Le Qianxue’s secret, but she had long suspected.

They had grown up together. Le Qianxue’s mother had taken Huatao in, so her loyalty was unwavering.

Le Qianxue saw no point in lying. She nodded. “Yes, it’s me. And you know you must never breathe a word.”

Huatao clapped a hand over her mouth and nodded vigorously, promising to keep the secret.

For years, people had dismissed Le Qianxue as a frivolous, useless young lady—never suspecting she was the Ghost Doctor.

“No need to be so frightened. Fetch my Divine Medicine Cauldron,” Le Qianxue ordered.

When Huatao brought the cauldron, she watched in curiosity as Le Qianxue prepared her alchemical ingredients.

Among them was a single flower petal, carefully plucked earlier—Zhan Lianjing likely hadn’t even noticed.

No matter how shrewd he was, he was no match for her cunning.

Le Qianxue toiled through the night. After two hours, the medicine was finally ready.

The capital outside was in uproar, but she paid it no heed. Only at dawn did she finally rest. Meanwhile, every entry and exit in the capital was scrutinized, leaving everyone on edge.

Zhuixing led the search himself for two days, but found nothing. The Ghost Doctor had vanished as if into thin air.

In the end, he had no choice but to release Yin Susu, for the Ghost Doctor was merely a tenant at the Drunken Painting Pavilion and had nothing to do with her.

Le Qianxue spent several days in recovery, her wound healing well, though the hidden weapon wielded by Zhan Lianjing had left a peculiar mark on her skin.

Luckily, her sleeve concealed it. Otherwise, it might have caused trouble.

After days of confinement, she yearned for a stroll.

As she reached the front courtyard, she saw her half-sister Le Linglong, newly returned from her duties as a companion in the palace.

Le Linglong was only fifteen, strikingly beautiful, skilled in every art—a rare talent.

“Fourth Prince, you need not come any further. It would be unseemly if my sister saw us together,” Le Linglong said.

The distance was too great for Le Qianxue to catch her words.

Beside Le Linglong stood a young man in a deep blue, serpentine-embroidered robe—a prince, judging by his attire.

He looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him.

Prince Yu Nanfeng gazed at Le Linglong with undisguised affection. “Are you afraid of her, Linglong?”

“I do not fear my sister, but I worry you might become entangled with her,” Le Linglong replied, her gentle demeanor inviting tender affection.

Le Qianxue was about to skirt around this lovesick pair when Huatao came running after her, calling, “Miss, the weather looks poor today. You’d best take an oil-paper umbrella!”