On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2073 Ready

Yan Ruyu stood in front of Chun Tao, her tone calm: "Tomorrow, just act as usual, there's no need to reveal any flaws."

Chun Tao's hand, which had been gripping the hem of her clothes, suddenly loosened and then tightened again. She shrank back, her eyes filled with panic.

Before Yan Ruyu could say another word, she suddenly knelt down with a thud, her knees hitting the blue bricks with a dull thud. Ignoring the pain, she looked up at Yan Ruyu, her voice trembling, "Please, I don't want to go to Dragon's Roar Island, I really don't want to go!"

She swallowed hard, her fingers digging into the cracks in the ground, her words coming out in a rapid, almost incoherent stream: “These days I can’t sleep at night, tossing and turning, thinking, how could that ‘Dragon Girl’ and ‘Dragon Roar Island’ be anything good?”

Ali... Ali must have died because of this. I'm scared, I'm really scared..."

When Chun Tao spoke of Ali, her voice trembled with tears, which streamed down her cheeks.

"Please save me. I will never covet those benefits again. I just want to live a good life, even if it's just to find a small village to farm. Please don't send me to Dragon's Roar Island."

Before Yan Ruyu could speak, Huo Changhe, who was standing in the shadows, spoke in a deep voice. He stood tall and straight, and his tone left no room for softening: "I said I would protect you from death, and you won't die. Don't say another word."

Chun Tao trembled at his tone, her crying subsided, but she was still unwilling to give up. She moved her lips as if to beg again, but Huo Changhe had already raised his chin to the guards.

The guard immediately entered, carrying a small white porcelain bottle. He approached her and poured out a pill.

The medicine had a faint smell, yet it made Chun Tao inexplicably uneasy.

Huo Changhe's gaze fell on the pill, devoid of warmth: "This is poison. If you dare to spout nonsense, it will take effect when you get back, and you'll be in pain for three days and three nights before you die. If you don't want to die even faster, shut your mouth."

Chun Tao's face turned deathly pale instantly. Her hands trembled as she looked at the bowl of medicine the guard handed her, but she dared not refuse it.

She knew that if she didn't comply, she would likely face dire consequences. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and swallowed the medicine.

The pill went down her throat and slid down her esophagus. It was actually a very small pill, and there wasn't much of a physiological reaction. But Chun Tao felt like she had swallowed a piece of ice, which made her feel cold all over.

"I...I won't say anything," Chun Tao's voice was barely audible, and she dared not utter another word of "no."

The guards stepped forward, and Chun Tao obediently stood up and was led outside.

As she passed by Yan Ruyu, she wanted to say something more, but when she met Yan Ruyu's indifferent gaze, she swallowed her words and could only lower her head and walk away step by step.

Yan Ruyu watched her figure disappear outside the door, her eyes showing no pity whatsoever.

She turned to look at Huo Changhe, her tone calm: "Chun Tao has saved her more than once. She'll do anything to survive, she has no bottom line whatsoever. If we hadn't used poison to suppress her today, she probably would have revealed our plan right away. I have absolutely no trust in her."

Huo Changhe nodded in agreement with her words: "Although the medicine is not fatal, if it really takes effect, it will be enough to make her suffer. At least it can keep her under control until the end of the ritual."

"That's good then." Yan Ruyu straightened her clothes. "There's nothing else to do at the governor's mansion. Let's go back to the Su residence."

The next morning, before dawn, there were already quite a few people on the riverbank outside the city.

Some people were setting up the altar, some were counting the offerings with a register, and others were dressed in official robes walking back and forth, directing everyone's work. The whole riverside was filled with a busy atmosphere.

According to the instructions of the "gods," the sacrificial ceremony was to be held on the riverbank.

As soon as dawn broke, Liu Jiulang got up.

Liu Jiulang was still wearing a mask. He looked in the mirror and had his maid tidy his clothes. As he stretched out his arms, he asked, "Is everything arranged for today?"

“Don’t worry, Ninth Master,” Zhou Lie said respectfully, bowing slightly as he stood to the side. “The people in the manor are divided into three groups to guard the area around the sacrificial site. Not even a stray dog ​​can get in.”

An hour ago, the people accompanying and protecting them arrived last night. None of them ate or drank any water, just in case someone took the opportunity to poison or harm them.

Your subordinates would never allow you to be placed in danger due to negligence in protecting you.

After listening, Liu Jiulang nodded in satisfaction, lowered his arm, turned around and patted Zhou Lie on the shoulder: "You've worked hard these past few days, running around without getting a proper rest."

"Once the ancestral rites are over, I'll give you a few days to relax, go back and see your mother, and fulfill your filial duty."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lie was taken aback at first, then smiled and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Ninth Master, but you may have misremembered."

"My mother passed away several years ago. At that time, you specifically instructed the accountant to give me five hundred taels of silver so I could go back and bury her. Have you forgotten that?"

Liu Jiulang paused for a moment, then shook his head and laughed twice: "Look at my memory, I didn't forget, I was just too busy and dizzy, my brain isn't working properly."

He said this without mentioning it again, then turned around and picked up some incense.

Zhou Lie's hands, hanging by his sides, clenched quietly, his fingertips turning white, his gaze turning slightly cold—it wasn't that he had a bad memory, he was clearly even doubting himself. Those words just now weren't out of consideration, they were a test.

Zhou Lie suppressed his emotions and maintained a respectful demeanor: "Ninth Master, it's almost time. We should go to the sacrificial site."

Liu Jiulang nodded and walked towards the door, with Zhou Lie following closely behind him.

Meanwhile, things were already bustling around the Su residence.

Yan Ruyu stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, and the hidden weapons in her bracelet had been replenished.

Huo Changhe also got ready, with a soft sword wrapped around his waist and a small crossbow at his side.

"Is everything ready?" Yan Ruyu turned to ask him.

“Yes,” Huo Changhe nodded, “The guards are already waiting at the back door, and there are also people waiting at the entrance of the sacrificial site. We will go through the back door and won’t attract attention.”

Yan Ruyu glanced at the sky outside the window: "It's almost dawn, we should go, don't be late."

Huo Changhe responded, and the two walked towards the back door.

The accompanying guards split into two groups, protecting the group from the front and back, and the group silently headed towards the riverbank.

At this time, more and more people were gathering by the river. The preparations for the sacrifice were nearing completion, and the ceremony could begin once all the participants had arrived.

Many people came, but they were all far away. As the message we had received earlier said, they could only kowtow, but were not allowed to get close.

Yan Ruyu felt both pathetic and ridiculous; after worshipping for so long, she still didn't know what god she was worshipping.

Looking out over the river, Yan Ruyu finally understood why the sacrificial ceremony was held at this particular time.

The sun was just rising, but the mist on the water had not yet dissipated, and everything was shrouded in a haze, making it impossible to see clearly.

Presumably, this is precisely why they were able to conceal their true conspiracy beneath the surface.