Chapter 364: Poison erupts! Luo'er is found by Prince Su!

「Miss—」

Que'er cried out in surprise and rushed over.

Zheng Mama, who had made a nest at the cave entrance, also shuddered awake.

Seeing Li Qingluo vomit blood, she scrambled over in panic.

「Miss! Miss? 」

「Good heavens, what's happened to her! 」

「Miss—」

Li Qingluo raised her hand: "I'm fine……"

But then another mouthful of black blood spilled out.

Que'er was almost crying in anxiety.

Li Qingluo, however, felt that after spitting out those two mouthfuls of black blood, she actually felt much better.

Her heartache slowly eased.

Zheng Mama hurriedly added firewood to the fire and brought Li Qingluo water in the vessel she had brought.

「Miss, you've been poisoned, right? Good heavens, what on earth is going on? 」

「Quickly rinse your mouth…… Come, take it slow. 」

Li Qingluo endured the discomfort, rinsed the bloody taste from her mouth, and suddenly felt an intense burning sensation behind her shoulder.

She took off the clothing on her shoulder and had Que'er first take a look.

Que'er exclaimed: "Miss, there's a red butterfly on your shoulder."

Zheng Mama anxiously stepped forward: "Let this old servant take a look."

That butterfly, red as a flame, quivered its wings, as if it would fly off her shoulder in the blink of an eye.

「Miss, that pink butterfly changed, changed color. 」

Li Qingluo couldn't see it, but felt intense pain where the butterfly was.

It was as if someone were roasting her with fire; the pain made her break out in a sweat instantly.

What Li Qingluo didn't see was that something beneath the butterfly's skin suddenly twitched.

Que'er's face turned pale with fright.

Que'er stiffened all over, afraid to speak, and could only hurriedly look at Zheng Mama.

Zheng Mama also stiffened, not daring to turn or lift her head to look at Li Qingluo, her gaze filled with terror as if she had seen a ghost.

Li Qingluo sensed the abnormality; only after pressing for answers did she learn that there was something else beneath the butterfly.

Could it be that she, too, had been poisoned with gu?

Would she really turn into a monster like the old duke?

She drew a dagger and pressed it into Zheng Mama's hand: "Come, cut it open to see."

Zheng Mama was so frightened her hand loosened and the dagger fell.

「Miss, no! 」

「Perhaps… perhaps it's just that this old servant and Que'er are seeing things. 」

Li Qingluo was about to do it herself, but then suddenly a headache struck.

She promptly lay down on the stone, clutching her head and rolling uncontrollably.

Moreover, she didn't even utter a groan, merely enduring the splitting headache in silence.

But her lips were clearly bitten open, and blood immediately trickled out.

Que'er, heartbroken, lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Li Qingluo: "Miss, miss?"

「Miss, what on earth has happened to you? 」

「Miss, how can Que'er help you? 」

「Or perhaps we should let the Luo Shen Doctor take a look at you? 」

「Miss, waa…」

Zheng Mama stamped her foot: "Miss, even if you despise this old servant and never want me again in this life, I will still save you!"

She said this and was about to go out to send a signal, but Li Qingluo, in immense pain, still managed to shout: "Stop!"

"I am indeed poisoned. And this poison… will harm them."

"But it should be harmless to the two of you."

"I can still hold on for now… if I get through tonight… perhaps I'll be better by tomorrow…"

「Ah……」

She couldn't help but cry out, yet her whole body trembled.

「Zheng Mama, if you still regard me as your miss, just listen to my words—you only need to stay by my side……」

「If you step out of this place today and inform grandmother and the others, I will personally kill you! 」

Her words were no joke, leaving Zheng Mama both heartbroken and torn.

「Miss…… you……」

But she still retracted her foot and hurried back to Li Qingluo's side.

「What are we to do! 」

Zheng Mama's eyes reddened from worry and exhaustion.

Gradually, Li Qingluo's headache spread to her limbs and bones, as if worms were gnawing at every joint.

Just as she was about to go mad from the pain, she remembered something she carried with her.

「Quick, in my pocket…… take it out……」

Que'er shed tears, forcing herself not to make a sound, hastily reaching out trembling to pull two small porcelain bottles from the young lady's bosom.

"Young lady, is this it?"

Li Qingluo hurriedly opened them.

One contained the butterfly's blood.

The other held the blood Sha Yi gave her.

Although they had dried up, a bloody smell could still be detected.

In these two days, Li Qingluo began to suspect that the poison in her was related to the blood gu worm, and had already prepared this step.

The result she sought to verify was about to be fully known…

She first approached the butterfly's blood bottle, smelled a faint fragrance, and her whole body actually relaxed a bit.

She was astonished.

Could she actually smell the butterfly's blood fragrance?

Logically, since the butterfly is a woman, smelling the same-sex blood should be foul.

Could it be, as she suspected, that the poison in her was made by Zuliya using the butterfly's blood, which is why it differs?

Li Qingluo had Que'er quickly cut her finger.

The fresh blood that came rushing in actually smelled foul.

Foul enough to make Li Qingluo feel nauseous.

Even the blood of Sha Yi, when smelled again, actually gave off a faint fragrance.

Perhaps because the bloodstains had dried, the fragrance wasn't very strong.

Li Qingluo could only smell that faint fragrance, trying to regain some clarity.

But this could not directly resolve Li Qingluo's predicament.

She could only endure it.

"When will this be over?"

Seeing the young lady's painful trembling all over, Zheng Mama and Que'er could only anxiously fret.

After a while, Li Qingluo suddenly lost responsiveness.

Que'er hurried forward, reaching out to feel her breath.

"Young lady?"

Zheng Mama's face full of distress: "She probably fainted from the pain."

The two carefully covered Li Qingluo with a cloak, then tacitly wiped the tears from their eyes and left the cavern.

"Granny, are we really just going to watch the young lady and do nothing?"

Que'er couldn't bear it any longer.

Seeing the young lady suffer from the poison's torment, it was far more agonizing than when she herself had been tortured by Princess Qinyu.

Zheng Mama said: "What else can be done? The young lady has clearly resolved to endure this on her own."

"But I look at her symptoms… something seems off."

"Moreover, why would she be afraid to let the Luo Shen Medical people examine her?"

Que'er also had some suspicions.

"Butterfly… butterfly…"

But she simply dared not say it.

Suddenly, Que'er, as if sensing something, lifted her head and saw a spot of unusually bright firelight flashing in the dark night sky.

That firelight was merely the afterglow of the ground reflected onto the sky.

Moreover, it seemed to be constantly moving.

Que'er was greatly startled, looking toward Zheng Mama.

Zheng Mama nodded and immediately set out to investigate.

Soon she returned.

Pale-faced, she said: "Oh no, someone is coming."

"There were quite a few people coming, all the way holding torches, heading our way."

"Could it be that they're coming for the young lady?"

Que'er's face cold, she directly untied the long whip from her waist.

"The young lady said: 'No matter who, today no one may set foot here.'"

"Granny, let's go meet the enemy——"

Before Que'er and Zheng Mama could leap up, they heard Li Qingluo's voice coming from inside.

"Granny, how many people?"

"Have you seen clearly whether they are male or female?"

"Who is the leader?"

Li Qingluo had propped herself up and was standing at the cave entrance.

Seeing her able to stand, Que'er was overjoyed.

"Young lady, are you feeling better?"

Li Qingluo, panting, shook her head: "Go quickly."

"Granny will hold off the people…… Que'er, you accompany me away."

Li Qingluo feared those people would really break in here.

Even more frightening, she feared that upon smelling a man's blood fragrance she would completely lose control and turn into a monster.

She would rather die in pain than drink human blood.

The three split up to act.

Zheng Mama went to gather news, and incidentally drew people away.

Li Qingluo, supported by Que'er, quickly entered the forest.

"Miss, please go slower."

In the pitch-black forest, vines, weeds, and thorns covered the ground beneath their feet.

Countless startled animals sprang up from underfoot and fled.

Li Qingluo could only lean most of her weight against Que'er.

But as they walked, her steps grew increasingly sluggish.

Finally, her knees gave way and she collapsed completely onto the ground.

"Miss?"

Que'er cried as she turned around, "I'll carry you on my back—quick—"

Que'er pulled Li Qingluo's arm to get her onto her back, but her injuries had not fully healed—would Li Qingluo let her carry her again?

"No need… help me to the base of a tree, I'll sit and regulate my breath—quickly…"

Li Qingluo followed the method Nan Gongdi had taught her, striving to circulate her weak internal energy in order to suppress the frenzy and pain within her.

However, as soon as she began to circulate her breath, she spat out another mouthful of black blood.

She finally realized she simply could not cultivate.

But at that moment, Li Qingluo and Que'er both heard a miserable scream.

It was Zheng Mama's voice!

Li Qingluo looked at Que'er.

"I've gotten you into trouble again..."

She closed her eyes, bitter and desperate.

Li Qingluo, at worst it's just death—why drag innocent lives into it?

Just as she was about to rise and head for the stream, she heard a familiar voice, transmitted through the forest by inner power from afar.

"Li Qingluo, you dare to deceive this king."

"Do you think you can escape to the ends of the earth today?"

"Will you dare to come out, face this king squarely, and speak clearly?"

"Do you think this king would be reluctant to strike at your people?"

"Don't forget, this king was originally a brutal, bloodthirsty, heartless savage."

"If you keep fleeing, I will cripple this old thing's legs and cut off its head."

"Do you hear me clearly?"

"Come out for this king!"

Que'er trembled all over from fright, nearly in tears.

"Miss, Zheng Mama probably wouldn't really..."

Li Qingluo endured a throbbing, splitting headache, yet still walked toward the stream's edge.

"He won't."

"Let's go."

Li Qingluo did not take Duan Rongshi's warning to heart, staggering along while listening to the sound of water, pressing onward.

Soon she reached the stream's edge.

Li Qingluo made a "hush" gesture, telling Que'er not to speak, then she stepped resolutely into the stream.