CHAPTER 1325: CHAPTER 1325: DO SOMETHING

Gu Youyou laughed and said, "Then you’ll have plenty to paint. The mountains here stretch for thousands of miles, you won’t be able to finish."

Jin Liuying puffed her cheeks indignantly, "The Prince told me I don’t have to stay home all day. I can go wherever I want, and there’s no need to tell him. I have freedom. I can keep painting forever."

Gu Youyou paused slightly and couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

For Jin Liuying, being able to see mountains and rivers, and going out freely was happiness. Such a simple idea—perhaps it was good. As long as life was manageable, she could live very happily.

"Your Prince treats you so well," Gu Youyou raised a thumb at her.

Jin Liuying lowered her head bashfully and said, "Big Brother is also very kind."

Gu Youyou was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Seeing you happy puts us at ease. We’re just afraid you’d sacrifice your entire life because of us. If that were the case, Master would feel guilty."

Jin Liuying blinked and said, "Seeing that Master is doing well also puts me at ease. When I heard you were captured by the State Preceptor, I thought he locked you up like a prisoner."

She paused for a moment, then suddenly added, "By the way, since Master isn’t imprisoned, why not return? Father is very worried about you all."

Gu Youyou fell silent for a moment, then raised her gaze to Jin Liuying, her eyes faintly carrying concern.

She said, "We still can’t return yet. Unless we completely resolve the matter with Yu Jizi, it would be pointless to go back."

"Then how do we deal with him?" Jin Liuying cautiously asked, "Master, can I help you?"

Gu Youyou looked at her with gratification and sighed, "Maybe we’ll need you, maybe we won’t. But Master hopes you won’t involve yourself if possible!"

"If Master does need me one day, please be sure to tell me."

She was only fifteen years old, always carrying an innocent and carefree demeanor of a young girl. How could she understand that dealing with Yu Jizi was far from simple?

Fortunately, during the years he spent recovering from injuries, Jin Zijin and Yue Rujing managed to clear out most of his followers within Zhuzhao Country. Now, his power was thin, and there were few people he could rely on.

If he wasn’t pushed to the point of being completely strained, their own actions would only become even harder to carry out.

...

After Jin Liuying’s grand wedding, Jie Zhonglin no longer had any reason to stay and bid farewell to the Nanzhao Emperor, heading back to Zhuzhao Country.

Yu Jizi hadn’t returned yet. The journey to the East Sea was long, and finding someone there wasn’t easy. He wouldn’t return anytime soon.

If everything could be settled before Yu Jizi’s return, it would be ideal. But changing thousand-year-old, deeply ingrained beliefs was no easy task. No matter how urgent Gu Youyou and the others were, they could only wait—for the right moment to prove their medical skills.

Jin Zijin and Yue Rujing needed to travel far and wide, gathering information about Magic Poisonous Insect Techniques.

They even sought out masters proficient in these techniques, humbling themselves as their disciples in hopes of extracting useful knowledge from them.

Yu Jizi was reputed to be exceptionally skilled at raising Poisonous Insects—likely a top-level master. As they say, "know your enemy and know yourself, and you’ll win every battle." Even a last-minute effort was better than simply sitting idle.

During the excruciatingly long half month, their group would often set out together on excursions, climbing mountains and such. Gu Youyou and Searcy gathered large quantities of herbs to prepare for emergencies.

Jin Liuying would bring her drawing board, find a picturesque spot, and sit down to paint.

Having been pampered for fifteen years and going through half a month of upheaval in Nanzhao, she had become a completely different person.