338: Brother-in-law, this is too dangerous!

Just as Feng Ming was about to speak, Gan Lei interrupted first, his tone carrying a hint of regret: "I haven't finished speaking. Regarding the Commandery Princess, you cannot help her."

"Why?" Feng Ming and Lu Qianqian asked in unison, their eyes filled with confusion.

Gan Lei sighed softly and said, "There is only this one cooling pill in the entire Imperial City, and without a Pill Formula, no one can refine it."

"How can there only be one?" Both of them were filled with disbelief.

"I obtained this cooling pill from an old wet nurse back then," Gan Lei slowly explained. "And that Entangling Love Threads was brought into the palace by this very wet nurse."

"Before she died, she told me that there is no antidote for the Entangling Love Threads. This cooling pill was passed down through her family, and only a few remain. The Pill Formula has long been lost, so every pill used is one less."

"Without a Pill Formula, even the most powerful Alchemist cannot refine it. Moreover, think about it: if the Entangling Love Threads had an antidote, could those Imperial Concubines still rely on it to win the favor of King Haoyue? Given King Haoyue's power and influence, wouldn't he have found a way to resist the Entangling Love Threads?"

"In this world, there are many poisons and secret medicines that cannot be resisted simply by being powerful. Even Immortal Cultivators, when faced with these things, can only stand by helplessly. Regarding the Commandery Princess, you cannot help her."

Hearing this, Feng Ming fell silent.

Lu Qianqian, however, refused to give up, saying, "Does she absolutely have to take the Medicinal Pill? Since we already know someone is setting a trap, can't we avoid it by being extra careful?"

Gan Lei shook his head and chuckled: "Naive! Innocent! The methods those women in the Inner Palace use to vie for favor are so secretive, there's nothing they won't do. Someone like you, if you entered the palace, wouldn't survive a day."

"If they intend to set a trap, can you really avoid it just by being careful? Only by taking the Medicinal Pill yourself can you be 100% safe from the plot. But if you give it to the Commandery Princess, you'll have to rely on your own luck."

"Furthermore, even if you are lucky and manage to avoid it without taking the Medicinal Pill, will the consequences necessarily be good?"

Gan Lei's tone deepened. "A carefully laid trap in the Inner Palace, easily broken by an outsider like you who just arrived in the Imperial Capital. What do you think the schemers will think?"

"It won't be appreciation, but apprehension! It might even provoke the suspicion of both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince. At that point, your situation will only become worse."

Lu Qianqian was completely stunned, her face full of helplessness: "What should we do? We can't just stand by and watch the Commandery Princess fall into danger, can we?"

Feng Ming sighed softly, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes: "To protect myself, I would have to abandon the Commandery Princess. But to save her, I must place myself at the center of the storm, becoming a figure of apprehension for both sides."

"But I am precisely not someone who accepts things lying down."

He looked up, his gaze intense: "In any case, I must come up with a foolproof plan."

Gan Lei stood up, patted the wrinkles out of his clothes, and said, "Fine, take your time thinking. After all, there are still a few days until your Official Appointment. Perhaps the schemer wasn't targeting you at all; this is just our speculation."

He stuffed the wooden box into Feng Ming's hand: "Anyway, I've given you the cooling pill. Whether you save the Commandery Princess or not is up to you. I should go now. The Imperial Capital runs deep; take care of yourself."

After speaking, Gan Lei turned and left the Private Room, leaving only Feng Ming and Lu Qianqian, sitting opposite a table full of food and wine, each lost in their own thoughts.

Feng Ming gripped the wooden box in his hand, his fingertips slightly cold. Outside the window, the night in the Imperial Capital was deep, and undercurrents surged. A conspiracy centered around him and Xun Luoyuan had quietly begun. Standing at the center of this vortex, he must either protect himself alone or swim against the current and break the trap.

Lu Qianqian looked at his solemn expression and whispered, "Brother-in-law, are you really going to save the Commandery Princess? This is too dangerous."

Feng Ming looked up and gazed out the window, his eyes deep: "If I don't save her, she will be doomed forever. If I save her, I will be putting myself in danger. But some things, though known to be impossible, must still be done."

He tightened his grip on the wooden box; his decision was already made.

Since the storms of the Imperial Capital cannot be avoided, he would meet them head-on.

Feng Ming looked at the young woman before him whose gaze was resolute, and finally spoke in a deep voice: "Why must you stay in the Imperial Capital?"

Lu Qianqian was startled for a moment, then curved her eyes into a smile, maintaining her lighthearted demeanor: "Didn't I just say? The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is denser here in the Imperial Capital, and I want to properly improve my strength here."

"That might fool Senior Gan Lei, but it doesn't fool me." Feng Ming shook his head gently, tapping the edge of the table with his fingertip. "If you want to Cultivate Heart and Refine Techniques, where can't you do it? You don't have to stay in the center of this most dangerous vortex. Tell me the truth."

Seeing her thoughts immediately exposed, the smile faded from Lu Qianqian's face, her expression suddenly grew serious, and sincerity surged in her eyes: "I don't want to be left behind, and I want to help you even more."

"Left behind? Help me?" Feng Ming raised an eyebrow, slightly stunned.

"You and my sister always treat me like a child and hide everything from me." Lu Qianqian's voice softened, but every word was clear. "But after the Liangzhou Trial, my sister told me about your plans. What you intend to do is too immense; one wrong step means eternal damnation, and it could even implicate the entire Lu Family."

She looked up at Feng Ming, her gaze burning: "Sister asked me to go back, saying it was to leave a fallback for our parents, but a fallback doesn't necessarily mean leaving far away."

"If I stay in the Imperial Capital, in this place closest to power, I can use the Opportunities here to quickly increase my strength, and also help you gather information and monitor the undercurrents. Isn't that more useful than hiding in the rear?"

"So your fundamental goal in seeking Senior Gan Lei was to enter the Xuan Tian Division?" Feng Ming stated directly.

Lu Qianqian did not deny it, nodding heavily.

"Your sister wanted you to go back precisely because she was afraid you'd get dragged into this mess and that something would happen to you." Feng Ming's tone grew more serious. "The Tianxuan Division appears to hold great power, but in reality, it stands at the eye of the storm. One slight misstep and you could be utterly destroyed."

"But how can I stay out of it?" Lu Qianqian's voice suddenly rose, stubbornness hidden in her eyes. "One of you is my biological sister, and the other is someone I care deeply about. While you are charging through mountains of blades and seas of fire, how can I live peacefully in the rear?"

That phrase, "someone I care deeply about," was spoken softly and quickly, yet it was like a small stone casting ripples in Feng Ming's heart.

Looking at the girl's flushed earlobes, he was momentarily speechless.

After a moment of silence, Feng Ming slowly asked about the previous incomplete statement: "Then what did you mean by saying you didn't want to be left behind?"

Lu Qianqian lowered her eyes, clutching the corner of her clothes with her fingertips, her voice quieter but every word sincere: "I don't have my sister's business acumen to uphold the foundation of the Lu Family."

"Nor do I have Miss Shuwan's innate talent to assist you in Cultivation. Your pace is getting faster, your strength is increasing, and everyone around you has their own abilities. If I keep standing still, even if you don't mind, I will feel like I am a burden to you."