The woman in black glanced at the busy Southern Frontier Doctor with his back to her, her eyes crinkling into a smile. She silently approached the soft couch, looked at Ye Qianlong's stunning face and peaceful sleeping countenance, and sighed inwardly. What a captivating face! It's a pity she can't live in this world.
The man in black reached into his sleeve and slowly pulled out a dagger. The sharp blade gleamed with a cold light. "Ye Qianlong, don't blame me. Blame yourself. Who told you and Xin Neng to be paired with Dongfang Heng?"
His gaze turned cold, and he plunged the sharp dagger into Ye Qianlong's heart.
"Clang!" The moment the dagger pierced his skin, three silver needles shot in from outside the window. Two needles struck the dagger, and one hit her wrist. Her arm trembled uncontrollably, and the dagger fell to the ground with a clang.
Oh no, we've been discovered!
In shock, just as the woman in black was about to flee, Dongfang Xun and Shen Lixue, the two who should have been fighting to the death outside, appeared in front of her at the same time, blocking her retreat. The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang also turned around and looked coldly at the woman in black: "Who are you?"
Outside Maple Pine Courtyard, the fierce fighting abruptly ceased. A large number of black-clad guards surged into the courtyard, surrounding the room three layers deep, preventing even a fly from escaping.
Looking again at Shen Lixue's icy gaze, Dongfang Xun's imposing aura, and the furious Southern Frontier Ghost Doctor, even the most foolish man in black understood what was going on. His shocked eyes flashed with anger, the rage of someone who had been tricked: "You…"
"This is a trap we deliberately set to lure you in and catch you like a turtle in a jar!" Shen Lixue smiled slightly, and with a flick of her wrist, her cyan whip lashed out at the man in black with lightning speed: "In broad daylight, if we weren't in chaos, how dare you trespass into the Maple Pine Courtyard of the Holy King's Mansion? Stop hiding and let us see your true colors!"
The man in black was startled and hurriedly raised his hand to block her view, determined not to let them see her face or know her identity.
A slender hand firmly grasped Shen Lixue's long whip. The man in black's eyes turned cold, and he was about to snatch the whip and beat Shen Lixue when Dongfang Xun's light blue figure arrived in front of her. He reached out and pulled off the black veil from her face, and instantly, a familiar and beautiful face appeared before them.
"Ling'er!" The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang blinked hard, staring at the woman in front of him in disbelief: "How could it be you!"
Bai Ling'er blinked, her beautiful eyes instantly filling with tears, looking pitiful: "Master, they framed me!"
Shen Lixue coldly glanced at Bai Ling'er: "Bai Ling'er, stop pretending. Tell me who's behind you, and I might consider sparing your life!"
"Shen Lixue, stop pretending!" Bai Ling'er roared, her beautiful eyes filled with rage, her gaze towards Shen Lixue seeming to want to devour her alive: "With your ruthlessness, would you let your enemy go?"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow, her gaze as cold as a thousand-year-old glacier: "If the situation is serious, I certainly won't let it go. You haven't hurt anyone around me yet, so confess now, it's not too late!"
Bai Ling'er snorted softly, then mysteriously lowered her voice and said, "But I don't want to confess, and I don't want to be your defeated opponent!"
With a swift movement, Bai Ling'er grabbed the Ghost Doctor from Southern Xinjiang, pressing the sharp tip of her hairpin tightly against his neck: "If you dare come any closer, I'll kill him!"
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that no one had time to react. Dongfang Xun's gaze turned slightly cold, and he did not make any rash moves.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow: "Bai Ling'er, he is your master, and you are closer to him than to us. How dare you capture him to threaten us?"
Bai Ling'er snorted arrogantly: "Shen Lixue, you want to rely on this old man to save Dongfang Heng? I have already learned all the medical skills, so I don't need to rely on him anymore. I don't care whether he lives or dies. If you don't believe me, I can demonstrate for you!"
As she spoke, Bai Ling'er suddenly exerted force with her wrist, and the sharp tip of the hairpin slashed across the neck of the Southern Frontier Ghost Doctor.
"You're really ruthless, daring to betray your master and ancestors, aren't you afraid of being cursed for all eternity!" Shen Lixue said coldly, secretly staring at Bai Ling'er, looking for her weakness.
"Thank you for the compliment!" Bai Ling'er said, emphasizing each word through gritted teeth.
The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang was utterly astonished. He felt blood flowing down his neck, and the sharp tip of the hairpin was about to pierce his skin and stab into his throat. He shouted angrily, "Bai Ling'er, what are you doing? I am your master!"
"Shut up, you old geezer!" Bai Ling'er punched the Southern Frontier Ghost Doctor hard with her free hand.
The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang was over fifty years old. He was a skilled physician but had never practiced martial arts and was in poor health. Bai Ling'er's angry punch caused him pain in his chest and made him pale. He bent over slightly and said, "Ling'er, I believe I have treated you well. Why are you treating me like this?"
"You've been good to me?" Bai Ling'er sneered disdainfully. "You're so old, you're almost in your grave. You should be retiring to the mountains and giving me the position of Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang. But instead, you're stubbornly sitting in that position and refusing to step down. You treat me like a maid every day, making me do laundry, brew tea, and cook. I went there to learn medicine, not to be a servant and take care of an old man like you!"
Listening to her scathing taunts, the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang was stunned. He never expected that Bai Ling'er, who was always gentle, kind, filial, quiet, and respectful to him, would harbor such deep resentment towards him.
Washing clothes, making tea, and cooking—aren't these things a disciple should do? Did he do something wrong? Shouldn't he have ordered her around? He taught his only disciple with all his heart. Bai Ling'er is ambitious, and her foundation is somewhat unstable. He didn't hand over the position of the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang to her because he didn't want her to make mistakes and ruin the reputation of the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang. He wanted her to have more experience. Did he do something wrong in that regard too?
"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill him!" Bai Ling'er, holding the Southern Border Ghost Doctor hostage, slowly retreated step by step, her cunning eyes warily watching every move around her. Her identity had been discovered, and she could no longer stay in the Holy King's Mansion; she had to escape.
Neither Shen Lixue nor Dongfang Xun made any rash moves. They followed closely behind Bai Ling'er, walking slowly forward, their cold eyes secretly watching her actions, looking for any flaws.
The guards in the courtyard held long swords, their imposing aura fierce, but they dared not make a move. Their murderous gazes were fixed on Bai Ling'er. They slowly made way for her, and as Bai Ling'er took a step forward with the Southern Frontier Ghost Doctor, they followed closely behind.
Seeing the tense standoff between the guards and Bai Ling'er, the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang sighed heavily: "Ling'er, you are my only personal disciple. If you want the position of Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang, I can pass it on to you immediately!"
"Stop pretending, trying to trick me into letting go so you can escape, is that it?" Bai Ling'er glared at the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang. Such childish tricks, trying to use them on her, how foolish! "Too bad, I won't fall for it. You can give your position as Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang to whoever you want, I don't care!"
The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang shook his head, sighed heavily, and looked somewhat heavy-hearted. Alas, this apprentice has exceeded his expectations!
Unbeknownst to her, Bai Ling'er, holding onto the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang, walked out of Maple Pine Courtyard. The high wall was not far away, making it easy for her to leave.
Bai Ling'er looked at Shen Lixue and smiled maliciously: "Shen Lixue, in this world, besides this old man, the person I hate the most is you. I know you like Dongfang Heng, and the best way to destroy a person is to kill the person they like the most!"
"Bai Ling'er, what are you doing?" Shen Lixue looked at Bai Ling'er with eyes as cold as ice in the twelfth lunar month.
"Don't worry, Dongfang Heng is already dying. I won't risk assassinating him again. Only this old man can cure his illness. If this old geezer dies, your sweetheart will definitely be doomed!" Bai Ling'er laughed triumphantly, her drawn-out tone sounding like a deep mockery of Shen Lixue, boundless and despairing.
"Bai Ling'er, if you dare to kill him, I guarantee you won't live more than three days!" Dongfang Xun's cold gaze shot towards Bai Ling'er like a sharp arrow.
Bai Ling'er smiled slightly, mysterious and with ill intentions: "Then let's give it a try!"
With a flick of her wrist, the sharp tip of the hairpin plunged into the neck of the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang.
"Whoosh!" A short dagger flew from a distance and pierced Bai Ling'er's shoulder. A sharp pain shot through her shoulder, and her arm trembled violently. Her hairpin veered off course and missed the Southern Frontier Ghost Doctor's neck.
Shen Lixue's eyes turned cold, and she lashed out with her long whip, striking Bai Ling'er's wrist hard. The hairpin in her hand fell to the ground with a thud. Dongfang Xun suddenly swung out a palm, striking her chest. Her slender body was sent flying seven or eight meters away, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The guards helped the staggering Southern Frontier Ghost Doctor up, while dozens of secret guards surrounded the seriously injured Bai Ling'er.
The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang glanced at Bai Ling'er, who was lying heavily injured on the ground, and sighed heavily: "Help me back to my room!" Since this disciple did not recognize him as her master, he would just pretend that she did not exist.
Shen Lixue stood quietly on the bluestone road, slowly putting away her whip, her eyelids slightly lowered, lost in thought.
A sweet, charming female voice suddenly rang out: "Shen Lixue, you sent me an invitation so early in the morning, are you inviting me to come and watch the show?"
Bai Ling'er wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and looked in the direction of the sound. A white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and a white conical hat came into view. The colorful vines embroidered on the ruqun were winding and dazzling.