Her consciousness began to fade, and her body gradually lost control of her brain. She didn't know what would happen to her after being controlled by the eye technique—however, in that instant, the hand gripping her throat loosened. As if exhausted, those glassy eyes instantly lost their captivating light, becoming dull and lifeless.
Tong was breathing rapidly when suddenly she fell backward with a "bang" and lay motionless in the darkness.
She also collapsed to the ground.
After an unknown amount of time, she regained her senses first, and her first reaction was to rush to his side and examine the back of his head—there, the second golden needle had been forced out by this intense emotional fluctuation, the end of the needle had detached from the Lingtai acupoint, and a thin trickle of blood had begun to seep out.
“Meiji…” For the first time, she felt a chill run down her spine. Somewhat at a loss, she lifted his head and placed it in her lap, murmuring to herself—Meiji, now, do you not even believe your own memories anymore?
What kind of torment have you endured all these years?
Huo Zhanbai clearly felt neglected—ever since that night of drinking, that wicked woman rarely came to see him at the Winter Pavilion, and even the two head maids, Feng Lu and Shuang Hong, rarely came. Only some maids delivered some food every day.
Even though his injury has begun to improve, there's no need to leave him aside like this.
Could it be because that petty woman is still regretting his advances that night? That shouldn't be the case… someone as fierce as him wouldn't be so easily embarrassed. Then, could it be because he let slip that he mentioned Liu Feifei, the most beautiful courtesan in Yangzhou, shattering the shining image she had always held of him?
It's true he couldn't let go of his obsession, but he wasn't some saint who could remain celibate for over a decade. A man nearing thirty, single and with a group of cronies, it was normal for him to frequent brothels to kill time—which of the Eight Great Swordsmen didn't consider themselves a ladies' man? Besides, the courtesan Liu was so understanding; a chat there now and then would be pleasant.
He looked around listlessly, his mind wandering.
The maid came in to serve the dishes, and he watched from the side, asking idly, "Where is your valley master?"
"The Valley Master is in the Autumn Garden..." the delicate-browed maid answered softly.
"Oh, are there still patients at Qiuzhiyuan?" he asked casually, trying to elicit information.
"Yes, that's right." The girl answered without hesitation, but her expression immediately changed. "Ah... Oh no, the Valley Master said we can't tell Young Master Huo about this!"
Huo Zhanbai's eyes suddenly lit up, but his expression remained unchanged as he smiled and asked, "Why?"
The girl didn't dare say another word. She put down the dishes and immediately ran away.
After she left, Huo Zhanbai stood alone in the empty Winter Pavilion, staring blankly at the plum blossoms outside the courtyard. Why...? Including himself, all the Ten-Sided Heaven-Turning Orders had been withdrawn, and all the patients for this year should have been seen. How come another one has appeared now? Given that woman's personality, the only reasons she would waste energy treating another patient are: either the patient is extremely wealthy, or... she is extremely handsome.
Which one is this? Is he even more handsome than me?
He stroked his chin, his mind wandering again—then he frowned: But why don't I want him to know?
"Hey, what's gotten into that woman lately?" he said to the snow harrier on its perch. "Do you know anything about her? Go check her out for me!"
"Coo." The snow hawk tilted its head and looked at its master, then suddenly flapped its wings and flew away.
The second golden needle lay quietly on the golden plate, its tip also stained with black blood.
The person on the couch was breathing shallowly and rapidly, with an irregular rhythm.
Xue Ziye sat by the bed, gazing silently at the man tormented by pain—his pale, handsome face concealed a coldness and murderous intent, even in his unconscious state, his eyes and brows exuded a menacing killing aura… He was no longer the Mingjie of the past, but the King of Assassins in the Great Bright Palace's Shura Field: Tong.
Tong… she murmured the name to herself, recalling his eerie eyes.
As a healer, she knew that in addition to martial arts, there were also telekinesis and illusions—but she never dared to imagine that someone could expand their telekinesis to its extreme through their eyes! That was beyond her comprehension.
Could it be, as the village elders say, that this is truly the magic passed down in the bloodline of the Moga clan?
The last gold needle remained on the Baihui acupoint at the top of her head. She touched it through her hair, her hands trembling slightly—she wasn't confident… she really wasn't confident that after removing this needle that had pierced her brain, she could still ensure that Mingjie would live unharmed!
In her ten years of practicing medicine, this was the first time she had encountered a situation where she "dared not take action"!
Thinking of the things that had been troubling her for the past eight years, and remembering that the child named Mo'er could not be cured in the end, her heart ached even more—she felt powerless… Although she had always been called a “miracle doctor,” she was, after all, just a doctor, not a god!
What to do... what to do...
A profound and intense sense of powerlessness almost instantly brought down the female doctor who had always been full of confidence.
She lost Xuehuai twelve years ago, how could she lose Mingjie today?
Xue Ziye sat quietly for a long time, then suddenly stood up, clenched her hands, her body trembling slightly, and strode towards the Spring Garden—she had to come up with a solution, she had to come up with a solution!
Unlike the Winter Pavilion and Autumn Garden, the wind is gentle on the other side of the lake.
The hot spring gushes forth from the Summer Garden, flowing through this Spring Garden before emptying into the lake and mingling with the cold spring. Everywhere in this garden, the enchanting spring scenery unfolds, with clusters of blooming peach blossoms, lush green shepherd's purse, and willows swaying like threads.
An elderly woman was sweeping the steps with a broom when she suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps.
"Valley Master, is that you?" The maidservant of Spring Garden was old and was somewhat surprised to see her.
The Valley Master hasn't returned here for a long time... She is exceptionally talented, diligent, and has a profound family tradition in medicine. After becoming an apprentice of the previous generation's pharmacist Liao Qingran at the age of fourteen, she progressed rapidly, completing her apprenticeship in just four years. At eighteen, she officially took over the management of the Pharmacist Valley. Her talent is truly unparalleled among all the pharmacists in history.
Since she completed her apprenticeship, she has rarely returned to the Spring Garden, which serves as a library.
"Aunt Ning, could you please open the door to the library?" Xue Ziye stopped and looked at the tightly closed high-rise building. "I need to go in and look up some books."
"Oh, alright, alright." The old maid nodded hurriedly, threw down the broom, and came over. She took out a rusty copper key and muttered, "The Valley Master is going to come back to read books... Didn't you already know those books by heart when you were eighteen?"
Xue Ziye remained noncommittal.
As soon as the door opened, a cold, gloomy atmosphere that had been lingering inside for so long wafted out.
The eternal lamp still burned quietly from the ceiling. The inner room of the pavilion was octagonal, with bookshelves built along the walls all the way to the ceiling, divided into eight categories according to disease name, cause, pathogenesis, treatment principle, prescription name, medication, medical case, and medical theory. Each category occupied an entire wall, containing everything from parchment scrolls to palm-leaf manuscripts, from bamboo slips to silk manuscripts.
Xue Ziye stood with her hands behind her back amidst the vast sea of ancient books, looked up and around, took a deep breath, and raised her hand to press down the purple jade hairpin in her hair: "Aunt Ning, I probably won't be out for two or three days—please bring me some food."
The old maid paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, Master."
As she closed the door and left, the old maid glanced back into the room—under the ever-burning lamp, a woman in purple stood amidst a vast collection of books, deep in thought, her face showing a sorrowful expression of heart-wrenching devotion.
"Valley Master." She couldn't help but stop in her tracks.