Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 159 You wouldn’t have fallen for me, would you?

Chapter 159: Chapter 159 You wouldn’t have fallen for me, would you?

Tuyun Village, Qingfeng Hall, Shi Fuyou looked at the man in front of him with handsome features and an extraordinary demeanor, and slightly furrowed his brows.

In his lifetime, he had seen many people, but few possessed such a bearing.

And the person he was holding, though pale in complexion, had an elegant and noble air, not resembling a woman from an ordinary household at all.

Then there were the others, dressed in simple clothes yet still maintaining upright postures and the manners of someone extraordinary, not seeming like people who could be raised in the villages below the mountain.

They resembled more like those from the capital city.

He felt a hint of suspicion rising within him.

Shi Zhou stood to one side, clutching his sword. Noticing his silence, he knew Shi Fuyou’s suspicion was flaring up again.

In the past few years, there had always been court officials coming to Qingyun Peak seeking to offer reconciliation but were turned away each time.

Latterly, these people had become cleverer; they no longer wore their official uniforms but disguised themselves as villagers from below the mountain. With false identities, they infiltrated the fortress, only to be exposed not long after.

These actions not only put everyone in the fortress on high alert, but also made Shi Fuyou increasingly disdainful of the court’s people.

But human life was of utmost importance; who needed saving still had to be saved.

She coughed and said to Shi Fuyou, "These individuals have come in search of a medicine."

Shi Fuyou gave her a glance. Did she really need to remind him? Couldn’t he see for himself what these people had come for?

Then turning towards Li Mingjue and his group, he asked, "What medicine do you seek?"

Li Mingjue replied, "We are seeking the antidote for Soft Muscle Powder."

"Soft Muscle Powder?" Shi Fuyou was surprised for a moment, "This poison has long been unseen in the world."

Li Mingjue’s expression was stern, but his tone carried a plea, "I hope the village chief can show mercy and provide an antidote."

Shi Fuyou fell silent and after a while, he stepped forward to check on Qi Yu, furrowing his brow. With a wave of his large hand, he commanded, "Bring someone."

Two men walked into the hall from outside, bowing towards him and said, "Village chief."

"Take them to the guest room," Shi Fuyou instructed.

He also dispatched Shi Zhou to escort them, while he himself remained standing in Qingfeng Hall for a long time.

The military advisor, Zhou Ruhai, had just returned from the foot of the mountain. Hearing that guests had arrived at the fortress, he hurried to Qingfeng Hall and upon seeing Shi Fuyou with a grave expression, inquired, "Village chief, has something happened?"

Shi Fuyou, seeing him, felt somewhat relieved but spoke with a hint of a headache, "Some people have come asking for the antidote to Soft Muscle Powder."

"Soft Muscle Powder?" Zhou Ruhai looked at him with surprise.

Though Soft Muscle Powder was a rare and strange poison, it wasn’t that the fortress lacked the herbs to concoct the antidote.

It must be that the chief’s real concern was not the antidote itself, but those who had come seeking it.

Zhou Ruhai asked, "Is the village chief worried about the identities of these people?"

Shi Fuyou paused, then nodded, "Exactly, I noticed the leader has an extraordinary presence, I fear he might be from the capital city."

Zhou Ruhai understood at once; the village chief held the greatest disdain for those muddled and immoral officials from the capital city who knew nothing but pleasure.

His brows slightly relaxed, he laughed and said, "Even if they are from the capital city, we could just send them away, why should the village chief worry?"

Within Tuyun Village, there were hundreds with extraordinary martial skills; there was no need to fear those mere few.

But Shi Fuyou shook his head, walked a few steps, and let out a deep sigh. He said to Zhou Ruhai, "That man has an aura of an emperor in his brows."

"What?" Zhou Ruhai was shocked and looked around hastily.

Moving closer, he asked in a lower voice, "Is the village chief certain?"

Shi Fuyou lifted his gaze towards the distant horizon, reflecting for a moment before saying, "Years ago, I had the opportunity to meet the late emperor once. Although he was nearing forty at the time, he still had the brow of the Sovereign Star, an irresistible force."

Zhou Ruhai, upon hearing this, knew the guess was likely accurate.

He too started to feel a rare sense of melancholy.

If it were an ordinary person, it wouldn’t matter much, just give them the medicine and send them down the mountain.

But that man’s status is so eminent, it’s unclear to Tuyun Village whether his presence is a blessing or a catastrophe.

Both of them pondered for a long time, unsure of what to do.

Meanwhile, in the backyard, just as Li Mingjue had settled Qi Yu onto the bed, Shi Zhou tugged at his sleeve.

He looked at her, puzzled, "Miss, do you need something?"

Shi Zhou, having grown up among bandits, didn’t behave like a typical daughter of an aristocratic family, and she didn’t find her action inappropriate.

She lowered her voice and said to Li Mingjue, "I know where the antidote is, do you want to go get it?"

Li Mingjue’s mind stirred slightly, but he still declined politely, "Since the village chief has let us in, he will certainly give us the antidote.

Shi Zhou scoffed softly, "My father has probably seen through your identity by now and might be considering how to deal with you."

How could she not know what her father was thinking?

Right now, he must be discussing with Zhou Ruhai how to handle these people.

Getting the medicine would not be so simple.

Li Mingjue pressed his brow. Seeing his somber expression, Shen Xiheng stepped forward and said to Shi Zhou, "If that’s the case, I’ll go with you to get the medicine."

Now caught between a rock and a hard place, Shi Fuyou didn’t want to provide the medicine, but Shi Zhou had opened this door.

They had to save the person first before anything else.

Shi Zhou tilted her head, eyeing him, and lifted her chin, "And who might you be?"

Shen Xiheng gave his name. Shi Zhou slightly raised her eyebrows and, without further comment, led him around the stronghold’s guards into a secret chamber hidden behind a rock garden.

Shi Zhou opened the door and lifted the wick, instantly illuminating the dark room.

Shen Xiheng looked around and saw a few cabinets with various medicinal herbs and bottles on them.

He was no expert in medicine, but even he could tell that the ingredients here were valuable and uncommon.

Shi Zhou rummaged through a pile of bottles, finally finding one labeled "Soft Muscle Powder."

She casually threw the bottle to Shen Xiheng, saying indifferently, "Here you go!"

Shen Xiheng was taken aback and gave her a cold glance after catching the bottle.

This woman was truly coarse and rude, who else would toss a life-saving antidote so carelessly?

If he hadn’t caught it and the bottle had broken, what then?

Just the thought made Shen Xiheng break out in a cold sweat.

Seeing his tense expression and briefly angry face, Shi Zhou actually snickered.

She had noticed him outside the door earlier.

Different from Li Mingjue, he had a gentler aura, dressed in blue, as noble as the moon.

Her heart fluttered slightly, and inexplicably, she felt compelled to tease him.

After just learning his name, Shen Xiheng, she knew at once that he was the son of an aristocratic family.

Shen Xiheng, not understanding why she was laughing, only felt that her laughter was particularly irksome, snorted coldly, held onto the medicine bottle, and swept away.

He had barely taken two steps when he heard Shi Zhou call out to him, "Do you know how to get out?"

Shen Xiheng paused mid-stride, pursed his lips, turned to look at her, his face somewhat humiliated, "How do I get out?"

Shi Zhou was now thoroughly amused by him, clutching her sword and quivering with laughter.

Shen Xiheng’s expression grew even darker, but he couldn’t just walk away, so he stood there, stiffly watching her.

Shi Zhou, with a slight lift of her eyebrows, took a few steps forward, approached him, and whispered in his ear, "You couldn’t have fallen for me, could you?"