"My senior sister."
"The legendary healer's senior sister?"
Upon learning that he had a fellow disciple, not only the eldest princess was curious, but the ten swordsmen who had been famous for a long time were also very surprised.
More than a decade ago, Yao Chenzi suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He was a lone wolf with superb medical skills and could be considered the number one doctor.
There is much speculation among people in the martial arts world about his lineage, but there has never been a definitive answer.
“She used to be my senior sister, but now she’s a traitor to our sect.” Yao Chenzi didn’t want to say more, so he picked up his pen and wrote down a prescription.
“Pingxi was injured by her internal energy. That traitor cultivated an extremely yin evil technique, and her internal energy was inherently yin and cold. To dispel the evil energy, one needs a yin-dispelling pill. But even with the yin-dispelling pill, it is not enough. She also needs to absorb it herself and turn that woman’s internal energy into her own.”
The intricacies of this matter were beyond the understanding of Liu Boyan and Ji Rong, who were not skilled in martial arts. Upon hearing this, the ten swordsmen present couldn't help but frown.
The art of martial arts is profound and extensive. For a master, neutralizing the internal energy of someone weaker than himself is effortless; conversely, it is extremely difficult for an unskilled one.
The eldest princess asked, "What if it cannot be turned into something for our own use?"
"Then her martial arts skills will be difficult to improve any further in her lifetime."
"..."
He took a deep breath: "I need to gather all the medicinal herbs within three days and start refining the elixir."
The wind was strong, the rain was heavy, and there was lightning and thunder.
A deep purple lightning bolt struck the sky above the capital with a crack, and in the side hall of Ganning Palace, Granny Nian, who was kneeling on the ground, turned pale with fright.
As the world changes, so too does the face of the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty, whose beauty is unparalleled.
It was shock, it was anger, and a deep sadness lurked in her phoenix eyes.
"His Majesty……"
Yan Xiu called out softly, and Ji Ying gently patted the back of her hand to comfort her.
"You have been hiding for eighteen years, and now you are finally willing to reveal the truth. Lady Nian, the Empress and I will not pursue your crimes. On the contrary, we will reward you handsomely. You know what to do."
"I know, I know. I will testify for the little princess, identify the second young lady and the Empress Dowager, let the world know the crimes they have committed, and let Your Highness return to His Majesty and Her Majesty's side..."
"Good to know."
Ji Ying exhaled a sigh of frustration: "Get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty..."
Another bolt of lightning struck down, and Yan Xiu's eyelids twitched suddenly, a trace of panic rising in her heart.
The truth is horrifying.
The one who harmed her was her own half-sister, and what's even more ridiculous is that the 'daughter' she had raised in the palace for eighteen years was a puppet that the Empress Dowager had found from who-knows-where.
Her fingertips were icy cold.
Thinking of the hardships her true blood relatives had endured in the Wei family over the years, the Empress's expression turned cold and somber, and she harbored deep hatred for Yan Qing and Yan Hui.
Outside the side hall, a palace attendant hurried over and whispered something to the head eunuch.
Yang Ruo's expression changed instantly, and she took a step forward.
"His Majesty."
"Come in."
Ji Ying's face was as cold as ice: "What is it?"
Yang Ruo glanced at Granny Nian.
"It's alright, please tell me."
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the secret guards we placed by the Fourth Miss's side... have all perished."
"What did you say?"
Before Ji Ying could erupt in anger, another eunuch, sweating profusely, rushed over: "Your Majesty, a top-tier martial arts expert has appeared south of Xuanwu Street. The Fourth Miss and her concubine have been attacked..."
Snap!
A slap landed on Gu Chenzi's young face.
In the secluded room, Yan Qing was furious: "You hurt her? How dare you hurt her? Who gave you the audacity!"
In the whole world, she was the only one who dared to speak to the Old Ancestor of Suspended Yin in such a way and was still alive.
Gu Chenzi spat out a mouthful of blood, his face devoid of anger: "She insisted on stopping me, not because of you, but because she would have been dead long ago."
*Smack!*
Another slap.
Yan Qing launched into a tirade: "That's my woman! How dare you hurt her, how dare you act so arrogantly in front of me? Let me tell you, if she dies, you'll be buried with her. Her life belongs to me, and whoever wants her life can die first!"
The palm prints on her left and right cheeks were symmetrical. Gu Chenzi had lived for nearly forty years, and no one had ever dared to be so rude to her.
She covered her face, yet still managed to laugh: "I'm not dead, don't be angry."
The candlelight dimly illuminated the woman's cold face. The female Taoist priest embraced her and said, "She's just injured. With my good junior brother by her side, she won't die. At most, she'll suffer a little, but she won't be able to make any progress in martial arts in the future."
What did you do?
"I didn't do anything. I just casually channeled my inner energy into her body. The Evil-Transforming Pill can save her life, but that's all it can do."
Why do this?
Gu Chenzi kissed her hair: "She's too young. She's so young yet she can already go toe-to-toe with me. If we let her continue like this, she might become a hidden danger."
"You're afraid too?"
"Better safe than sorry."
Madam Wei remained silent for a long while, her anger gradually subsiding: "Then the concubine is dead?"
"A sword pierced her body; when I left, she was barely clinging to life."
Without great opportunities and good fortune, death is certain.
"She'd better be dead."
Gu Chenzi smiled and said, "Your darling has probably fallen for that concubine."
"Nonsense!"
Yan Qing pushed her away: "He's just a toy, how could he be worthy of her heart?"
I don't think so.
If you really treat someone like a toy, you'd have to be out of your mind to fight a master like her.
Gu Chenzi, wanting to provoke her, said slowly and deliberately, "Your good Ah Si treats every single thing with such care?"
She couldn't say anything nice, so Yan Qing ignored her and left with a sullen face.
...
The street attack was a blatant provocation by Gu Chenzi against the emperor.
The Emperor and Empress, accompanied by the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, went to the Yu family's residence, where they unexpectedly encountered Madam Wei, who had rushed over.
Compared to the distance between the palace and the Yu family, Madam Wei, who lived on the same street, was obviously closer, yet the two still managed to meet at their doorsteps.
Yan Qing, being cautious, said, "Greetings, Your Majesty and Your Highness."
"Let's go inside and talk."
The Yan sisters, both enigmatic and capable of ruling the world, share the stage. Ji Ying is especially so.
The group rushed in.
One room, two beds, where the two people who were attacked today lie.
Madam Wei rushed to see her daughter lying on the bed. Even though she had learned from Gu Chenzi that her daughter could be saved, her palms were still sweating.
"Who did this?" Her voice held a hint of hatred.
"Gu Chenzi, also known as the Old Ancestor of Suspended Yin."
Yan Qing's gaze swept across his face, and she thought to herself: This is the 'junior brother' that Gu Chenzi mentioned.
"And who is that Ancestor Xuanyin?"
This time, it was the Empress who asked the question.
The swordsman guarding the princess said, "Your Majesty, the Old Ancestor of Xuanyin is the leader of the Xuanyin Sect, with three thousand disciples. He has been lying low for many years and has only recently begun to show his prowess in the martial world."
Unexpectedly, this person was the 'senior sister' that Yao Chenzi had mentioned who had betrayed the sect.
Suspended Yin Gate?
Ji Ying frowned slightly—luring the snake out of its hole, using a 'fake old woman' to lure out the forces of the Suspended Yin Sect.
Who is the Old Ancestor of Suspended Yin? Why did he kill Xi Xi's concubine kept in the backyard?
Following the 'True and False Princesses' incident, now another troublemaking sect, the Xuan Yin Sect, has emerged. Ji Ying's gaze lingered on Madam Wei's back, and she chose to remain still.
Restraining one's burgeoning love and worry in front of one's own daughter, and remaining calm and composed in front of the instigator, is a test for the emperor and empress.
As it turns out, the Emperor and Empress were no less cunning than Yan Qing, who was merely putting on an act.
With the royal family as his backer, Yao Chenzi accompanied the head of the academy to the palace to retrieve the seventy-two medicinal herbs needed to refine the Evil-Dispelling Pill, and the furnace was opened that very day.
With the Evil-Dispelling Pill secured, Yan Qing finally had time to 'care' about the other person's life or death.
Compared to Wei Pingxi's pale face, Yu Zhi, who should have died after being pierced by a sword, gradually regained color in her face.
...
"She's still alive?" Gu Chenzi said decisively, "Impossible! With that sword strike, she would have no chance of survival!"
Are you saying I'm blind?
Yan Qing was in an extremely bad mood.
The female Taoist priest exclaimed in disbelief, "This shouldn't be happening..."
How could someone with no internal strength survive being pierced by a sword, and with their injuries gradually lessening?
"I see."