"Hahaha, I’m not lazy about acting, I just don’t bother unless I have to. If you’d asked Joan, she’d tell you I can con anyone when I put on a show. Don’t forget, I’m the head of the Song & Dance Troupe—Jill Young. I taught you all your acting tricks." Jill grinned, then sighed. "Honestly, I don’t want to act either, but with Joan like this, I have no choice. She’s clever and sharp, so I have to fool everyone—including you—if I want to fool her."
"Why?" Simone asked, utterly baffled. "Why not just tell her everything? Why keep secrets?"
"Because I know her, just like she knows me." Jill answered Simone with a mix of pride and helplessness. "We’re both stubborn. Once we’ve made up our minds, it’s almost impossible to change them. The best way to handle people like us isn’t persuasion—it’s action. And there’s an even bigger reason: honestly, I’m not sure I can cure her."
Simone fell silent.
If Joan couldn’t be cured, these would be her final days. No matter how much you want revenge or to fight for her, you have to keep all that anger tightly bottled up. In the time she has left, just let her live how she wants. Let her do what she loves, let her leave with joy—that’s what a true friend should do.
Gazing at the distant green hills and rivers, Jill’s eyes held a rare sadness beneath her usual resolve. "That poison’s too strong. I’ve searched every book and secret scroll I could find, and there’s only one legendary herb that might do the trick—but ‘Celestial Herb’ is extinct. Suddenly I understood why Xu Fu sailed out to sea; maybe the only place left with the herb is that mysterious island. Too bad Emperor Qin couldn’t wait five hundred years, and neither can Joan."
Simone took a deep breath, seeking reassurance: "But there’s still a way, right?"
"Yeah, it’s not hopeless yet. From Qin to Song, it’s been about two thousand years. Scholars love to romanticize the past, but old doesn’t always mean better. I’d rather trust that Central Plains medicine has made serious progress in two millennia." Jill strode ahead, pointing forward: "Look, we’re here."
Simone looked up and saw, far ahead, a cluster of buildings—the Royal Medical Institute.
The Royal Medical Institute—where the best healers treat the royal family and top officials. Maybe there are legendary miracle doctors out there, but those folks are as rare as unicorns. As far as known medicine goes, this place is the top of the game. Simone had planned to seek help here, but Jill was already ahead of her. Watching Jill’s back, Simone suddenly felt a surge of hope.
With Jill blazing the trail ahead, all Simone had to do was follow in her wake.
With the arrival of the palace’s chief power broker, the Royal Medical Institute sprang into action. These doctor-officials were highly sensitive to court politics, and they knew the head eunuch was not someone to cross. So, every qualified physician not out on a call lined up to escort Jill Young inside. Simone, as a consort, found it odd to tag along with the chief eunuch, so she stayed hidden and observed from the sidelines.
Just by listening, Simone could perfectly reconstruct everything happening inside the Royal Medical Institute.
Jill wasn’t in the mood for small talk, and the doctors could read the room. The highest-ranking physician dismissed the others and accompanied her into the Confidential Consultation Chamber. In the palace, many illnesses had to be kept secret, so the Institute had this ultra-private room for sensitive discussions.
Jill got straight to the point. She’d sent the samples days in advance, maintaining a calm facade while secretly growing more anxious. After every other effort had failed, her last hope rested on these doctors.
The elderly physician looked at Jill, hesitated for a moment, then spoke: "Eunuch Chief Lewis, I’ve run countless tests with trusted colleagues and scoured ancient texts, never slacking for a single day. Finally, we have a conclusion."
"A conclusion?" Jill’s nerves tightened. She steadied herself and nodded. "Go ahead."
"Yes." The old doctor’s face was grave, choosing his words carefully. "My colleagues and I agree—this poison isn’t some natural toxin, but an artificial secret poison. Its properties are bizarre and fierce: not only is it ruthless, but its effects linger and change unpredictably. What’s even stranger is that it travels through the bloodstream, not the energy channels. So even the best acupuncturist can’t flush it out."
Jill already caught the doctor’s drift; he’d circled around the point long enough. Still, she refused to give up and pressed for confirmation: "Is there any cure?"
"Well... I wouldn’t dare lie to you, Chief. If we had ten years, maybe, after traveling the world and exhausting every method, I could concoct an antidote. But once this poison takes hold, forget ten years—even surviving another hour is a miracle." It’s always easier to destroy than to heal; firing a bullet only takes a finger, but the damage it causes may never be undone.
"Ten years?" Jill’s heart skipped a beat, then she shook her head and glared, pressing the doctor. "You’re not telling the truth! I know there are rare treasures that counteract poison. The Sovereign Toxin Frog makes you immune to all toxins, the Frostweave Silkworm can fight poison with poison, and the Legendary Jade Toad is famous for detoxifying. How can you say there’s no hope? I’m no doctor, but I know about these three. You’re supposed to be the top healer in the land—don’t hold back, spill everything you know!"
Jill’s anger made the old physician tremble with fear. Sweating profusely, he managed a wry smile and apologized, then fetched a jade box. "Chief Lewis, your knowledge is impressive. But the Sovereign Toxin Frog and Frostweave Silkworm are once-in-a-lifetime miracles—only the luckiest ever find them. And even if you did, they probably wouldn’t work. The Sovereign Toxin Frog might make you immune to every toxin, but this poison isn’t part of ‘every toxin.’ Look—here’s the Legendary Jade Toad you mentioned."
(Irrelevant web novel navigation prompt. Skipping translation for this line.)
Jill glanced at the box and immediately frowned. The Legendary Jade Toad was supposed to be a little white jade frog, able to hop around even after absorbing poisons, and reusable after a soak in wine—a true marvel. But what lay in the box was a lump of pitch-black, lifeless matter: the toad was dead, hope shattered.
The physician’s face was full of regret: "Of course I know about the Jade Toad’s powers, but even letting it try just a little left it like this. Even if you had every Jade Toad in the world, it’d be a drop in the ocean. I’ve studied medicine my whole life, and I’ve never seen a poison like this. Chief Lewis, I’ve failed you—there’s simply nothing left to try, no medicine that can save her."
Jill stared at the lifeless toad for a long moment. That dead Jade Toad was like shattered hope, and at last she slowly closed her eyes.
This path was closed.
Ten minutes later, outside the Royal Medical Institute, Jill and Simone walked side by side.
They’d tried every idea, explored every possibility. From the outlaw League of Justice to the ragtag Unified Front, from the official imperial authorities to every shady and honorable contact they could muster—every resource had been tapped, and still no cure was found. Simone stayed quiet, unsure if she should comfort Jill, or even how.
But after a while, Simone realized Jill wasn’t panicking at all. Instead, she strode toward the palace gates with clear purpose. The doctors’ verdict hadn’t crushed her; if anything, her steps were bold and fierce, like someone ready to fight to the end.
Simone decided to ask, "Is there any other way?"
"Yes!" With cliffs ahead and chasms behind, blades to the left and fire to the right, every road in the world was blocked. But Jill’s fighting spirit still burned bright. She looked up at the sky, her eyes shining with resolve: "There’s still one road left—the road to the heavens!"
"The road to the heavens?"
"None of you—including Joan—know what I really saw on Mystic Isle. What I saw was that road to the heavens." Jill strode forward, faster and faster, her expression growing more determined. "It’s a concept you can’t put into words, a power that breaks all rules—a miracle-maker! It’s about carving out a future from the impossible, creating hope in despair. Like when you’re surrounded and doomed, but suddenly you leap into the sky and walk on air!"
Simone was stunned; she really didn’t get it.
Jill smiled at her: "Don’t worry about it. It’s just a hazy idea, a weird feeling—but now—" She suddenly clenched her right fist, and a Dragon Qi Phantom materialized, swirling around her arm. Jill looked at the dragon shadow, and declared, "I’m willing to gamble it all!"
Simone was swept up by Jill’s intense energy, getting all fired up herself: "How do we gamble?"
"Come with me, we’re about to roll the dice!"
The two left the palace and entered Lin’an. Simone’s sharp eyes caught Sylvia Shadows flicker in a nearby corner. Sylvia was in Lin’an, acting like a wingman covering for the lead, sweeping up traces.
Jill led Simone through twists and turns in the alleys until they reached a small courtyard. At the gate, two maids and servants were sweeping and chatting, looking just like any household staff. But Simone noticed they were all from Shadow Ops.
The Shadow Ops people were quietly guarding something.
Simone knew that Jill must have made some major arrangements and preparations.