Chapter 15

Shen Qingru tidied her disheveled clothes, her willow brows slightly furrowed as she said:

"You still have the mind to joke—if you go into qi deviation, it's no laughing matter."

Saying that, she reached out and gently wiped the sweat from Jiang Yunzhou's forehead, then checked his meridians.

"Qingru sister, don't worry, I've already suppressed it—perhaps the medicine is too potent, and with your special guide, the effect became too strong."

Shen Qingru slightly narrowed her eyes, a cute little knot forming between her brows.

"I clearly cut the dosage in half, but it seems your body's pure yang energy is too abundant, so even a tiny guide can stir it up—by the way, Yunzhou, why is your energy so strong?"

Jiang Yunzhou shrugged and said:

"I don't know either—I've been taking medicine, bathing, and training as my master demanded since I was little; maybe it's just that I've persisted longer."

Shen Qingru thought, "This can't be explained just by long practice—I'm an eighth-rank martial artist, yet I was blown away by Jiang Yunzhou's leaking energy."

Although no technique can reveal it, Jiang Yunzhou's inner strength in actual combat is probably already at seventh rank or even higher.

"Yunzhou, have you started practicing the technique you received from Lord Dong?"

"Eh... I only looked at it for an afternoon, but I've basically learned it."

"Don't talk nonsense—even with extraordinary talent, mastering a complete technique still requires months of hard practice to lay a solid foundation; I believe once you perfect it, you'll be able to breakthrough directly to seventh rank."

As they were speaking, they heard the west side gate pushed open, followed by familiar footsteps and Bai Zhi's inquiry:

"Young master, have you seen the miss?"

Hearing the voice, they tacitly stepped apart; Jiang Yunzhou then noticed his hand still resting on Shen Qingru's slender waist, while she likewise realized she was gripping his wrist.

The two exchanged an unnatural glance, straightened their clothes, and felt a strange tension as if caught in an affair.

Shen Qingru rose to open the door and said:

"What are you shouting about at this hour? I just came to give Yunzhou medicine and point out his cultivation method."

"Oh, after looking everywhere and not finding the miss... eh, miss, your face is so red!"

Jiang Yunzhou explained:

"Just now I messed up my internal breath while cultivating; Qingru sister helped me regulate it."

Shen Qingru gave a light cough, turned, and shifted the topic:

"Yunzhou, it seems the dosage still needs to be reduced; I'll go back and improve it. Bai Zhi, next time you bring Yunzhou his medicine, remind the pharmacy to prepare a tub and warm water—soaking in it after taking the medicine will let his excess pure yang energy flow out, so we won't have to... guide him like today."

"If taking medicine is this dangerous every time, I couldn't stand it."

Recalling how just now Yunzhou lay on top of her, staring at her eyes like a beast, Shen Qingru still felt a lingering panic.

It wasn't just nervous fear—her face also felt a bit hot.

"Thanks for arranging things, Qingru sister; I'll handle the medicine myself from now on—you should go rest early."

Accompanying Shen Qingru out of the courtyard, no longer pretending to be a demure maiden in front of Jiang Yunzhou, Bai Zhi whispered a joke:

"I just saw the miss come out of the young master's room with a flushed face—I thought it was... oh dear!"

Before Bai Zhi could finish, Shen Qingru flicked her forehead and said:

"What are you daydreaming about all day? I'll see which day I marry you off first."

Bai Zhi raised her little hand to rub her forehead, stuck out her tongue, and said:

"If there were someone like the young master, I'd marry him right away."

On Jiang Yunzhou's side, the medicine combined with Qingru sister's effects was indeed potent, but thanks to that, his internal pure yang energy has become much fuller.

At this point, the outside had grown dark—perfect for the paper figure to go out and act.

Shangyang City has three gates on one side—aside from the north gate, there are gates to the east, south, and west.

The city gates close at hai hour, but a side gate was built beside the south gate; per the requirements of the Liang dynasty, unburdened pedestrians can still pass through inspection at night to enter or exit.

Jiang Yunzhou once again filled his paper body with pure yang energy.

No need to dot the eyes anymore—the paper figure's body is now indistinguishable from a real person's, appearing as a tall, handsome, white-faced, black-clad swordsman.

At the same time, he hung the waist token given by Zou Zhen of the South Pacification Office on the paper figure's waist, so it wouldn't encounter any obstruction along the way.

Since I am a city doctor who saves lives and heals wounds, the paper figure can be a decisive, righteous wandering swordsman of the jianghu.

This way, no one will connect it to me—I can accumulate combat experience and new techniques abroad while also investigating my origins everywhere.

The only clue so far is this book; the breakthrough is the name given to the black‑skin strange book in that letter: Wuxiang Mingzhi.

Finding where this paper is made would lead to clues about my origins; I've asked Qingru sister and Uncle Hu, but no one has heard of it.

Take it slow—first use the paper figure to gain experience; conveniently, tonight the South Pacification Office personnel in the Jade Stele Forest will move against the Southern Barbarian rebels.

The paper figure Jiang Yunzhou leapt out, stepped on the water surface of the large vat in the courtyard, flew up onto the wall, and vanished into the night.

The paper figure's body is incredibly light, and with Jiang Yunzhou's infusion of robust inner strength, its lightness skill is naturally peerless.

It feels as if I've nailed shut Newton's coffin lid—just a light tap of the toes can send me flying dozens of meters.

Jiang Yunzhou locked the door, snuffed the lamp, returned to his bedroom and lay on the bed, controlling the paper figure Jiang Yunzhou toward the south gate; the paper figure is already light, so manipulating it costs hardly any effort, while his fleshly body can also rest.

Whoosh!

He swiftly passed through the southern city along the streets and exited via the laxly inspected side gate.

Allowing passage through the side gate with lax inspection is also because the Liang dynasty is presently in an age of prosperity.

Although the rumors I heard in Muzhou about the old emperor aren't great, the Liang dynasty these years has indeed been one of favorable weather and national peace.

With excellent lightness skill, one can do as one pleases—the paper figure Jiang Yunzhou practically flew over the grass to the Jade Stele Forest.

In the distance, rows of domed stelae could be seen, looking somewhat eerie and strange under the moonlight.

It is said that this place was built by the rulers of the preceding Great Zhou dynasty to commemorate the eminent monks of Fani Temple who attained nirvana; after the former dynasty fell, those monks who claimed they would support the former dynasty to the very end fled with their disciples, leaving this site abandoned.

According to Zou Zhen's intelligence, the Southern Barbarian rebels only gather in the Jade Stele Forest at the chou hour.

Therefore, the South Pacification Office personnel come an hour earlier, at the zi hour, to set up an ambush.

Based on the night‑watch drumbeats I heard when leaving the city, it should be exactly the zi hour now.

But why haven't I seen anyone from the Southern Pacification Office? Could it be that the location was changed temporarily and nobody notified me?

At this moment, near the edge of the stele forest not far from the paper effigy Jiang Yunzhou, the members of the Southern Pacification Office lying in ambush here held their breath and focused, hiding behind the stone forest, all looking puzzled at the unfamiliar figure standing on the large stele in the center of the stele forest.

The banner officer beside him watched the black shadow leap and land on the stele, then whispered to Chief Banner Yang Hanlu:

"Looks like the intel was correct; the Southern Witch rebels have indeed arrived early."