As Yun Qianyue struck out with her palm, even she realized the force behind it was weak. Her heart sank. She heard a faint grunt, but it didn't shake Ye Tianqing off; his hand merely paused for a second before it firmly grasped her waist.
Yun Qianyue tried to summon strength again, but she found that unlike usual, when a mere shift of her energy would unleash a powerful surge from her dantian, today, her internal energy was chaotic and scattered, impossible to concentrate. Her head felt increasingly heavy and muddled. She realized something was wrong.
The cold she suffered shouldn't have suddenly worsened to this extent. She'd been perfectly fine when they arrived at the Sacred Mountain's wishing tree. This didn't seem like an allergic reaction, either. Likely, she had unknowingly ingested some toxin or sedative that was now making her drowsy and weak. With this thought, she became even more suspicious of Ye Tianqing's closeness and grew bitterly resentful, instantly suspecting his involvement.
"Let go!" Yun Qianyue demanded furiously. Yet her voice, when it emerged, sounded unexpectedly soft and alluring, which startled even herself.
"We must have triggered some mechanism and are now falling. Sister Yue, how could I let go? If I do, you'll fall," Ye Tianqing's voice came calmly, but he held her waist tighter.
Yun Qianyue finally became aware of her body rapidly descending. Her thoughts had been racing so much that she'd failed to notice the sensation of falling. Besides Ye Tianqing, she also felt someone clinging tightly to her arm, and a familiar fragrance drifted up to her—Yuning's scent. She called out, "Yuning?"
"Sister Yue..." Yuning's voice trembled with fear, and she clutched Yun Qianyue's arm desperately, her grip tight and unyielding.
"How are you feeling?" Yun Qianyue wondered if Yuning was experiencing the same symptoms, reaching out to check her pulse. Although not a medical expert, she knew some basics.
"I'm... scared, Sister Yue..." Yuning's voice quivered, and her body shook as she clung to Yun Qianyue.
Yun Qianyue briefly touched Yuning's wrist and withdrew her hand. Yuning's pulse seemed normal; it looked like she was the only one affected. Just as she was about to speak, a powerful force suddenly engulfed them. Yun Qianyue felt her breath catch as both Ye Tianqing and Yuning seemed unable to resist the force, releasing their grips on her. Her body was abruptly drawn forward by the force at a speed two or three times faster than before.
"Sister Yue!" "Sister Yue!"
Ye Tianqing's and Yuning's anxious cries echoed from afar.
Even if Yun Qianyue could have spoken, she would not have answered. All she wanted now was to understand her situation. She squinted ahead but saw nothing in the pitch-black surroundings. She could only feel herself sliding down a smooth, cold, stone-like surface, her body bound tightly as if ensnared by an invisible web, immobilized.
After a moment of this sensation, the force around her suddenly faded, and a soft breeze wafted by her left side, carrying a familiar, cool fragrance. A hand extended gently, embracing her and pulling her into a warm chest.
"Rongjing?" Yun Qianyue inquired. After all the recent encounters, she knew she couldn't be mistaken.
"It's me," Rongjing's voice came, steady and calm as always.
"What mischief are you up to now?" Yun Qianyue grumbled irritably.
"It wasn't me," Rongjing responded, shaking his head with unyielding certainty. He held a small pill to her lips and whispered, "Take this."
"What is it?" Yun Qianyue asked.
"A remedy to help ease your discomfort," Rongjing replied.
Yun Qianyue opened her mouth and swallowed the pill, thinking that if he had meant her harm, he would have acted already. Trusting him was natural after all this time. As the pill melted in her mouth, the fogginess in her head began to clear, though her body still felt limp and weak. Leaning against Rongjing, she asked, "What's going on?"
"It's unclear," Rongjing answered, shaking his head.
"Then where are we?" she questioned.
"We're likely in a hidden passage within the Fragrant Springs Mountain," Rongjing said.
Yun Qianyue pursed her lips, recalling how she had fallen after stepping on something unstable. Could they indeed have triggered some hidden mechanism, as Ye Tianqing suggested? The thought of Ye Tianqing soured her mood, and she asked coldly, "Was this his doing? I feel totally drained, like my martial strength has abandoned me."
"Whether or not he's involved needs further investigation," Rongjing replied, his gaze seeming to rest on Yun Qianyue for a moment. He asked, "Do you feel light-headed, warm, and scattered in your energy?"
"Yes!" Yun Qianyue nodded.
"It's likely you've been exposed to a potent aphrodisiac known as 'Passion's Bane,'" Rongjing said.
"'Passion's Bane'? What's that?" Yun Qianyue hadn't heard of it, but the mention of an aphrodisiac made her tense.
"It's a potent drug, reputed as the strongest aphrodisiac," Rongjing answered after a moment's pause.
Just as she'd suspected. It was no wonder she felt both weak and unbearably warm! Yun Qianyue widened her eyes in the dark, though she couldn't make out Rongjing's expression. She immediately asked, "Is there an antidote? Was the pill you just gave me the cure?"
"No, there is no known antidote for Passion's Bane. The pill I gave you was merely to help you regain clarity; it won't do much beyond that. In a moment, you'll begin to feel worse," Rongjing said.
"What can I do?" Yun Qianyue felt a wave of panic. She didn't even know when or how she'd been dosed. Remembering that she was asking a man for advice on this particular drug, she quickly realized what most would suggest as a solution. A chill settled in her heart as she dismissed that possibility—she had no intention of tying herself to Rongjing in that way.
Recalling her past experiences, she pondered if her body might withstand the effects of this drug. She'd handled potent sedatives during her training in her previous life, but this was Yun Qianyue's body, not her former one. Could she endure it? She asked, "Is this drug very powerful?"
"Yes, Passion's Bane ranks among the most potent of its kind," Rongjing confirmed with a nod.
"What happens if I try to endure it? What are the consequences?" Yun Qianyue could already feel herself heating up, the sensation like a smoldering fire building within her. She gritted her teeth and asked.
"If you don't find relief within two hours, you'll die from bleeding through all seven orifices," Rongjing replied.
YOU ARE READING
The Dandy's Duchess
Literatura Feminina"The Dandy's Duchess" tells the story of the youngest and most talented general of the National Security Bureau, who sacrifices his life for his country and finds his soul transported to another world, where he is reborn as Yun Qianyue, the only leg...
