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Mei Shuang got up and pretended to tidy her clothes while secretly gathering the items Zheng Yi had given her into her sleeves. "I didn't expect you to be so kind to children."
However, she heard Nangong Nuo's somewhat impatient voice. "What about the second matter?"
"Oh, the second matter," Mei Shuang frowned. "How did you encounter Chu Xiruo?"
Nangong Nuo snorted lightly. "I figured you'd ask that. But what do you think the reason is?"
Without hesitation, Mei Shuang replied, "Everyone knows the relationship between Chu Xiruo and Current Emperor Xiao Luo. You brought her here likely to use her as a bargaining chip to get something from Xiao Luo, right?"
Nangong Nuo nodded. "It seems you are indeed clever. Ever since Qishan returned, I sent someone to that temple, but what I didn't expect was that she had already left. Later, I found out that she was taken away and hidden by Xiao Luo. I searched for her for a long time before finally seeing her at Cheng En Temple..."
Only then did Mei Shuang remember that before she left, she had written down Chu Xiruo's whereabouts in a memorial to Xiao Luo to prevent Nangong Nuo from finding her. After all, when she fell into the water and Nangong Nuo came to rescue her, he knew that place too. She hadn't expected Xiao Luo to be so diligent, taking Chu Xiruo away early on. Fortunately, she had acted quickly; otherwise, Chu Xiruo might have fallen into Nangong Nuo's hands much earlier.
"So, you saw me at Cheng En Temple as well?" Mei Shuang asked.
"Naturally," Nangong Nuo looked at Mei Shuang. "When I saw you, I suddenly changed my mind. I thought Xiao Luo was there to find Chu Xiruo, but it seemed he wasn't after all. I was worried he would get there first and take you away, so I instructed the temple's Abbot Jingkong to administer a slow-acting poison to you in advance. Only she can cure it; she would persuade Xiao Luo to stay and treat you since an emperor can't be here all the time. This way, it wouldn't alarm Xiao Luo, and I could easily take you away later—wasn't that a good idea?"
"I see," Mei Shuang nodded. "That was indeed clever."
"No, I'm not finished yet. Plans can't keep up with changes; I didn't expect your biological mother Princess Bilian to come. She grew suspicious of the Abbot and alerted the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager is quite astute, so we had no choice but to let Chu Xiruo take on the responsibility for this murder. After all, how could a mother escape responsibility for what her daughter did? This way, everything falls into place; otherwise, how could the Empress Dowager possibly believe it?"
"What?! Are you saying Chu Xiruo never intended to kill me?! It was all forced by you?!" Mei Shuang exclaimed.
"I'll say it again; she volunteered," Nangong Nuo said dismissively of Mei Shuang's shock. "Jingkong reported your condition back to me, and I guessed that once you woke up, you'd go looking for that Zheng Yi. So I had Zheng Yi's Mother wait there... No need to elaborate further on what happened next."
Mei Shuang widened her eyes in disbelief and after a long moment of silence clapped her hands in admiration. "No wonder you're the cunning Zhao Prince! Your actions are just like your personality—elusive and unpredictable! Amazing! But I'm curious, what role does Chu Xiruo play for you?"
"Her?" Nangong Nuo chuckled lightly. "Before you appeared, she might have had some value; I intended to use her as a bargaining chip with Xiao Luo for a longevity recipe. However, after your arrival, her value may have diminished..."
"Don't be reckless!" Mei Shuang warned him sternly. "If Xiao Luo has a recipe, would those people still die? Clearly, your information isn't accurate."
"You are mistaken. What I want is certainly not something ready-made. But he is a king, wielding the power of an entire nation; naturally, he is much stronger than I am now," Nangong Nuo said, clearly mocking Mei Shuang's short-sightedness.
Mei Shuang finally realized that indeed, Nangong Nuo's illness seemed incurable at present, and he could only rely on such strange methods to keep himself alive. He was well aware of his situation; he was no longer the Other Clan Prince who could summon the winds and call forth the rain. To find the most suitable solution, it was best to borrow the strength of others.
Undoubtedly, the best candidate at the moment was Chu Xiruo. Using Chu Xiruo to negotiate with Emperor Xiao Luo of the Great Qin Empire for a way to save him was quite a clever idea.
"Zhao Prince, I can't help but admire you. You truly are the cream of the crop among scoundrels, even setting your sights on a completely unrelated woman," Mei Shuang remarked with a click of her tongue.
"Heh," Nangong Nuo chuckled at Mei Shuang's teasing words, feeling more amused than angry. "Miss Mei Shuang, don't just worry about others; you should think carefully about how to repay me."
Mei Shuang looked up at the mountain peak. The light that had previously shone down began to dim gradually, now only filtering through faintly. The cave also started to grow darker, and she let out a soft sigh.
Noticing that Mei Shuang had been silent for a while, Nangong Nuo wondered what she was thinking and urged her, "Alright, let's hear the third point."
"Oh..." Mei Shuang appeared somewhat dazed before shaking her head. "To be honest, I haven't thought it through yet."
Nangong Nuo frowned slightly, feeling dissatisfied with Mei Shuang's response and sensing that he was being toyed with. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Mei Shuang softly say, "Since you mentioned that I should think carefully for myself, I should be more cautious about this third point and consider what I should ask for..."
Hearing this from Mei Shuang made Nangong Nuo swallow back the curse that had been on his lips; it was only natural. However, while you can take your time thinking, I cannot accompany you for too long.
After experiencing a headache earlier, he felt his energy had been greatly depleted. Coupled with fatigue from adjusting his luck, he wanted to rest for a bit. Thus, he coldly said, "In that case, I will come back tomorrow to hear your thoughts..."
Just as he turned around and walked a few steps away, he heard Mei Shuang call out from behind him, "Wait."
"What is it?" He stopped and turned with a half-smile. "Have you thought of something already?"
"No, I was just thinking whether or not to tell you the truth about your illness."
Nangong Nuo turned back around, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. "The truth? Isn't it a curse?"
"Yes, and no..." Mei Shuang said as she walked to the table, gazing at the black and gray box containing the blue Beast Eye.
Nangong Nuo suddenly recalled what he had heard in the Heavenly Prison—Mei Shuang's mention of the curse related to Mei Ru from the Eastern Kingdom. He couldn't help but glance at her with concern. "Could it be something like Poison, a type of evil object?"
Mei Shuang ignored his question and continued to stare at the square box. Then she reached out and picked it up; indeed, it was heavy. If she wasn't mistaken, this box was a crudely made lead container.
Seeing Mei Shuang daring to lift the box, Nangong Nuo quickly stopped her, puzzled. "Put it down; how can you just handle it recklessly?"
"Zhao Prince, how did you come to put the Beast Eye in here?"
"This prince naturally does not know. A wise person advised me to do so. They instructed to create this box to contain it, meaning it can isolate the Evil Aura inside..."
Mei Shuang pondered silently. It seemed this wise person was indeed knowledgeable; they must have discovered the fundamental issue within, or else they wouldn't have devised such a method to alleviate Nangong Nuo's condition.
However, in that era, only terms like "evil spirit," "Evil Aura," or "curse" could explain such a phenomenon that caused illness from afar.
Noticing Mei Shuang lost in thought, Nangong Nuo grew anxious. He instinctively felt that she must know the secret behind the evil spirit that had cursed him. Unable to contain himself, he asked, "What exactly are you thinking about?"
"Oh," Mei Shuang set the box down and turned to Nangong Nuo. "Zhao Prince, I must admire your courage; you dare to keep this Beast Eye with you. If it weren't for this box, you would have been dead long ago..."
Nangong Nuo's gaze deepened. "If I hadn't kept it close, any future attempts to treat my illness would likely lead nowhere in tracing its origin. Even if it's dangerous, I cannot discard it."
"That's true," Mei Shuang had to admit Nangong Nuo's reasoning was sound. In medicine, understanding the cause is crucial; what kind of cause leads to what kind of illness? Thus, this object was indeed very important. "Zhao Prince, now let's talk about the truth..."
Mei Shuang sat down. "Zhao Prince, this matter may take some time; you should sit as well."
After Nangong Nuo sat down, he listened as Mei Shuang continued, "Zhao Prince, we all know that the curse inscribed on the Golden Shield at the cave entrance states 'no return.' When the cave concealing the treasure collapsed, everyone believed the curse had come true. However, that's not the case; the collapse occurred because the balance within the cave was disrupted..."
"Balance?" Nangong Nuo found this term somewhat confusing.
"Indeed, the root lies in that staff. And this is not a curse; it is a natural force. The two large blue gemstones on the staff are not actually gemstones but a special type of stone. This stone comes from the sky and emits radiation, which can cause hallucinations. The reason they returned sick is because of this. We were fortunate to be rescued in time, which allowed us to escape disaster..."
Nangong Nuo appeared quite shocked upon hearing this, her eyes shifting with uncertainty. After a while, she gazed at Mei Shuang, disbelief evident in her eyes. "From the sky? Such a strange occurrence?"
Mei Shuang thought to herself, what kind of strange occurrence is this? In modern times, one could simply go to a professional institution for a composition test.
"How do you know this? Also, what is radiation?" Nangong Nuo asked.
"The true name of this thing is 'meteorite,' which refers to stones that fall from the sky. They are different from the stones we have on the ground; at least this one is harmful to humans. Your illness must be related to it..."
"Stones that fall from the sky?" Nangong Nuo laughed. "What an alarmist statement; can stones really fall from the sky?"
"Whether you believe it or not, the people of Southwest Region do," Mei Shuang replied.
"Southwest Region?" Nangong Nuo's eyebrows raised in surprise. "How do you know?"
"It's written on that shield; it's just a pity you can't understand it and don't know," Mei Shuang said.
"Is that so? What else is written on it?" Nangong Nuo's gaze darkened, implying that if Mei Shuang lied even a little, she would face consequences.
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