Chapter 9: The Mysterious Man

Han Yunxi waited from morning until night, but not only was there no sign of the groom, there wasn't even a shadow of a person to be seen.

In the dead of night, leaning against her pillow, she had fallen asleep without realizing it. Suddenly, however, a thud echoed, sounding as if something had struck the window.

The oil lamp in the bedroom was too small to illuminate the outside. After waiting for a long time without hearing any further movement, a flicker of unease brushed through Han Yunxi's heart, and she cautiously stepped out of the bedroom.

"Who is it?"

It was dim and silent outside; no one answered.

"Someone came in, didn't they? Who are you?" Han Yunxi asked again, holding the oil lamp toward the darkness.

At that exact moment, a "beep beep beep" sound rang out in her mind, warning her of poison. What was going on?

Could someone have planted poison to harm her?

Han Yunxi shuddered and immediately turned to head back into the bedroom, but just then, a hand grabbed her ankle.

"Ah..."

Before her scream could even finish, her entire body was yanked forward. The oil lamp fell to the ground, and she tumbled face-first, but she didn't have time to care about that. She tried to kick the hand away, but instead, her foot struck a man's chest, and for a moment, the scent of blood filled the air.

"Don't move if you want to live." The man's cold voice caused the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees instantly.

Han Yunxi froze instantly because a freezing cold blade was pressed against her body.

This guy seemed to be injured, and he was poisoned. Was he an assassin?

The surroundings were very quiet; one could hear that the man's breathing was somewhat heavy. After a long while, seeing that he hadn't moved, Han Yunxi asked timidly, "Hey, you came here to assassinate the Prince of Qin, didn't you?"

The man did not answer.

"The Prince of Qin isn't here. I reckon he won't be back for half a year or so. Let me go, and I'll pretend I saw nothing, alright?" Han Yunxi asked tentatively.

Unfortunately, the man still said nothing. In the dim light, Han Yunxi could see him leaning against the wall, dressed in black, his features obscured.

"You're injured. Don't sit like that. You should leave quickly. I promise I won't call anyone to catch you," Han Yunxi said fearfully, cautiously crawling up and trying to push his long sword away.

To her surprise, the moment she touched the back of the blade, the man raised the sword to her throat, ready to slash down without mercy! At this critical moment, Han Yunxi lunged backward, saying urgently, "You've been poisoned. The wound is on your abdomen, four inches from the center. It's snake venom, and you were poisoned half an hour ago. You weren't bitten directly by a venomous snake, but by venom that someone extracted. Your breathing is heavy and your heart rate is slow; this kind of poison attacks the heart and acts very quickly. Being able to hold on for half an hour is likely your limit."

Han Yunxi didn't stop for breath, reciting everything she had deduced based on the detoxification system's warnings. At this moment, the man's sword was still pressed against her neck; the blood slowly trickling down her neck caused her heart to race uncontrollably.

However, the fact that the man did not plunge the sword down told Han Yunxi that she had been entirely correct.

The surroundings were silent, the cold air filled with tension. Han Yunxi swallowed hard and mustered the courage to continue, "I can help you detoxify. If I can't, you can kill me."

Having said that, she didn't dare make another sound, waiting with a racing heart.

After a long pause, the man spoke coldly, "How long?"

"I need to examine the specific injury and the toxicity intensity level," Han Yunxi answered truthfully.

The man made no sound and lowered his long sword. Han Yunxi's heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, finally settled.

Once certain that her life was not in immediate danger, Han Yunxi's professional side emerged. She stood up, and seeing the man in black about to rise as well, she immediately commanded, "Sit! Don't move!"

Her voice was thin, yet it possessed an innate sense of unyielding authority. "If you move, it will promote blood circulation, and the more venom enters your heart, the more trouble it will be."

In the darkness, a flash of amusement flickered in the eyes of the man in black, and he actually sat still obediently. Unexpectedly, Han Yunxi's next sentence was, "Take off your clothes."