A pure heart in a jade pot

Chapter 136

Just as Mo Yan was about to ask a question, he gestured for her to be quiet, tilting his ear slightly as if he had heard something strange. She listened carefully, mimicking his gesture, but aside from the chirping of crickets and the sound of horses chewing grass, Mo Yan heard nothing else.

“There’s someone nearby,” he whispered to her, “about twenty paces to your left.”

Mo Yan craned her neck and looked to the left. Under the moonlight, the grass was lush and dense, and she didn't see anyone: "Nobody's here!"

"You can't even hear such heavy breathing?" he said impatiently. "Go and take a look. Don't worry, that person's breathing is unsteady; he must be seriously injured."

Intrigued by his words, Mo Yan gently put Zhao Yu down, got up, parted the weeds, and tiptoed deeper into the bushes. After walking about seventeen or eighteen steps, she indeed saw a person lying face down in the grass, dressed in Khitan robes, with the exposed back of his hand being purplish-black, which was quite frightening.

Since Yelü Pusa Nu could still hear breathing, at least the person was still alive. Mo Yan tiptoed forward, trying to turn the person over. Suddenly, a familiar hem of clothing beneath the person's Khitan robe caught her eye, and her hands and feet instantly turned icy cold…

"Big brother!"

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Yelü Pusa Nu was startled when he heard Mo Yan's scream. He disregarded his left leg and rushed over. He saw Mo Yan picking up the person on the ground. Although the person's hair and beard were disheveled and his face was purplish-black, it was still clear that he was Zhan Zhao.

"Big brother, big brother, big brother..."

Mo Yan, who didn't understand how Zhan Zhao could be lying here poisoned, tried her best to calm down and check her brother's injuries, even though she didn't know much about poisons. However, her hands, which were trying to unbutton Zhan Zhao's clothes, trembled slightly involuntarily.

Upon seeing Zhan Zhao's poisoned condition, Yelü Pusa Nu felt a chill run down his spine: this poison was so potent that he knew it all too well, having lived with it for so long.

"Get out of the way! He has poisoned needles on him!" Without thinking, he shoved Mo Yan aside and then began to peel off Kai Zhao's clothes himself...

Besides being struck by the poisoned needle, Zhan Zhao also had a knife wound in his chest. The wound revealed that the knife-wielding technique was extremely clumsy, suggesting the person was likely an amateur. The fact that Zhan Zhao has survived the poisoning to this day is likely thanks to this knife wound. Although it caused him significant blood loss, it also drained a considerable amount of the poisoned blood, preventing the poison from becoming too severe.

The skin around the needles, due to their potent toxicity, glowed faintly white. Mo Yan held her breath, the moonlight like water, and she could clearly see how many needles Zhan Zhao had been poisoned by.

"This needle is so vicious! How could my brother..." She couldn't understand it at all. Zhan Zhao had clearly gone to the Iron Cavalry Camp, so how could he be lying here with a deadly poison, and dressed as a Liao commoner?

Yelü Pusa Nu glanced at the area and saw about twelve or thirteen needles, most of which were in Zhan Zhao's right chest. It wasn't too bad, as it was half the number of needles that had been injected into him last time.

"Hold him steady, I'll force the poison needle out for him!" he said in a deep voice.

Despite her chaotic state of mind, Mo Yan knew that the most urgent task was to force the poison out of Zhan Zhao's body. Without saying a word, she helped Zhan Zhao sit cross-legged with his back to Yelü Pusa Nu.

Yelü Pusa Nu calmed his breathing for a moment, then placed his hands on Zhan Zhao's back, fearing that he was still weak. He slowly channeled his inner energy into Zhan Zhao's body. After about half a day, he suddenly exerted his strength, and more than a dozen poisoned needles shot out from Zhan Zhao's body, landing in the nearby grass. Zhan Zhao's body slumped forward, and Mo Yan hurriedly supported him. She saw that he vomited several mouthfuls of blood, all of which was dark black, but he was still unconscious.

“My brother… the poison needle was forced out, so he’ll be fine, right?” She tried her best to calm herself down and asked Yelü Pusa Nu in a deep voice.

That attack just now seemed to have exhausted Yelü Pusa Nu's strength. His face was slightly pale, and he said in a low voice, "Not necessarily. This poison is very domineering and it is not easy to force it out."

Holding Zhan Zhao tightly, Mo Yan bit her lip: "Even if it's difficult, I must save my brother."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Pusa Nu stared at her for a moment, a rare faint smile appearing on his face.

"You're actually gloating?" Mo Yan glared at him angrily.

"Both of them are unable to move right now, and given Zhan Zhao's current condition, returning to the main camp would inevitably arouse suspicion from others, so we can't stay at an inn. After dawn, you should first go to the town to rent a house, furnish it, and then rent a carriage to come here to pick us up."

Although he was ordering her around, Mo Yan had no objections because what he said made sense. She only asked, "Do we need to buy any more medicinal herbs? I'm afraid it will be difficult to find antidotes in this small town."

"There is no cure for the poison he was afflicted with."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan almost jumped up, her eyes fixed on him: "How can there be no cure? You recognize this poison?"

“Three years ago, a friend of mine was poisoned by this poison…” Yelü Pusa Nu’s face was hidden in the shadows of the moonlight, making it impossible to see his expression.

"He...is dead?" Mo Yan asked in a trembling voice. At this moment, one of her hands was pressed tightly against Zhan Zhao's chest, feeling his heartbeat. Zhan Zhao was in her arms, his breathing so light it was almost imperceptible.

Yelü Pusa Nu did not answer, but said calmly, "I watched him try all kinds of medicines, even the medicines treasured in the Liao imperial palace, but he still could not get rid of the poison."

"And then what?" Mo Yan only wanted to know whether this person was dead or alive.

"Later he accepted his fate."

"Dead?"

Yelü Pusa Nu seemed to smile slightly before saying, "No."

Mo Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said happily, "Then there is still a way to solve it!"

He shook his head again: "There is no cure. Fortunately, his skills are quite good, and he has managed to suppress the poison and prolong the illness day by day. However, I don't think he will make it past next winter."

Despite hearing his words, Mo Yan was not discouraged: "There's always a way. My master once said that everything in the world has its counter. If there's poison, there's bound to be an antidote."

"Then let me ask you, is there an antidote for arsenic?" Yelü Pusa Nu sneered.

Mo Yan was speechless for a long time before finally saying, "I think it does exist, it's just that we haven't found it yet."

He threw his head back and burst into laughter, the sound of which was particularly clear and loud in the empty wilderness. After a while, he stopped, turned to Mo Yan and smiled, "Zhan Zhao is really lucky to have found such a silly girl like you! It's just a pity for me, I don't know when I will be able to wait for my little wife."

Seeing his arrogant words, so different from his usual self, Mo Yan frowned and thought to herself, "Could it be that this person has also been poisoned, causing such a drastic change in his personality? How strange."

Seemingly sensing her doubts, Yelü Pusa Nu instantly changed back to his original indifferent face, as if turning the pages of a book. He ignored Mo Yan, got up, carried Zhao Yu to a nearby patch of soft grass, and lay her down. He then began to meditate and regulate his breathing on the spot.

Mo Yan looked down at Zhan Zhao in her arms, gently shifting her body so that he could rest his head on her lap. Zhan Zhao's eyes were closed, and although he was unconscious, it was still clear that he was enduring immense pain. His brows were tightly furrowed. She gently stroked his brow, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly forced herself to hold them back.

"My brother will be alright, why am I crying! I'm so pathetic!" she cursed herself inwardly.

Seeing that Zhan Zhao's hair was disheveled and tangled, knowing that he was naturally fond of cleanliness, Mo Yan took out her jade comb and began to comb his hair. Her hands were extremely light and gentle, slowly untangling and combing even the most knotted strands, afraid of hurting Zhan Zhao in the slightest... Yelü Pusa Nu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and saw Mo Yan intently combing Zhan Zhao's hair. He couldn't help but sigh and then closed his eyes again to rest.

After combing all his hair, Mo Yan tied it up neatly with a hairband. Then, she dampened a silk handkerchief and carefully wiped his face clean. As she watched his handsome and imposing features slowly emerge, a soft smile appeared on her lips.

At this moment, the sky was already faintly tinged with white light.

Author's Note: My little lion is learning to walk, and all I can say is, "So tiring!"