"Are you afraid I'll take the opportunity to assassinate the King?" Xue Ziye laughed angrily and sneered, "Mingjie is still in your hands, how could I dare, Envoy Miaofeng!"
"I'm afraid of what might happen." Miao Feng remained calm and composed.
"What if I refuse?" Yakushi Valley's eyes flashed with anger.
“That would be bad.” Miao Feng spoke calmly, without the slightest threat, yet every word was sharp. “Tong will die a terrible death, the King’s condition will continue to worsen—and you, Valley Master, will probably not be able to leave Kunlun Mountain. Even the disciples of Medicine Master Valley may not be able to see any peace.”
"You!" Xue Ziye suddenly stood up.
Miao Feng simply looked at her silently, without backing away, her eyes calm but her face expressionless.
After a brief standoff, she coldly snatched the medicine pouch and threw it at him. Miao Feng caught it steadily and nodded to her: "Excuse me."
He quickly untied the medicine bag and examined the many medicines and utensils inside with a serious expression. He would occasionally put some herbs under his nose to smell them, and if he was unsure about any of them, he would hand them over to the disciples outside the sect who were knowledgeable in medicine, so that they could taste them one by one to determine whether they were poisonous.
Xue Ziye watched coldly and sneered, "This is too clumsy—if I were to use poison, I would definitely use something like the Seven Star Begonia."
Seven-Star Begonia? Miao Feng was slightly startled, but time was of the essence. He simply examined the medicine thoroughly with a blank expression, then gathered up the safe medicines, repackaged them, and handed them to his subordinates outside the door, instructing them to keep them safe.
"Valley Master Xue, please get into the sedan chair."
He lifted the curtain, bowed slightly, and watched her sit down. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed that her slender hands were trembling slightly, and his usually silent face softened slightly—it turned out that even such a calm and strong woman was nervous inside when faced with such a situation.
Miao Feng glanced at her, gently lowered the sedan curtain, and at the same time quietly uttered a sentence:
"Don't worry. I will ensure the Pope's safety, but I will also ensure your safety."
As the sun rose over the ice peak, the sedan chair came to a steady stop at the foot of the jade steps of the Great Bright Hall. A disciple on duty in front of the hall saw it at a glance and quickly retreated inside to report.
"Please invite Valley Master Xue!" A reply came shortly afterward, the sound penetrating through layers of fluttering curtains in the hall.
Xue Ziye sat in the sedan chair, her body trembled slightly, a glint of light flashed in her eyes, and her fingers tightened.
At that moment, perhaps due to nervousness, the poison that she had temporarily suppressed with the Biling Pill seemed to suddenly rise up in her body, and the incomparably potent poison made her tremble all over.
"Valley Master Xue." The sedan curtain was lifted from the outside, and Miao Feng bowed in front of the sedan, her face calm.
She calmed herself, slowly rose from the sedan chair, and stepped onto the jade steps. Miao Feng followed slowly behind, and attendants quickly followed, carrying her medicine pouch and many utensils, making it seem as if they were about to perform a grand ritual.
Xue Ziye walked step by step toward the solemn and imposing hall, her gaze gradually becoming focused and composed.
Yes, at this point, we can no longer afford to take even a single step back.
She was originally a healer, and saving lives was her sacred duty. Yet today, she was to venture alone into a den of tigers and wolves, to do something that defied the principles of medicine. In that chilling hall, surrounded by wolves and lurking dangers, anyone could easily kill her, who was utterly defenseless. However, she was determined to drag that devil from his high throne down to hell, at any cost!
Miao Feng followed behind her, his footsteps so light they were barely audible.
She bowed her head and walked into the main hall, taking the medicine pouch from her attendant.
"Valley Master Xue," a deep voice echoed from the deepest part of the hall, drawing her back to reality, "you've finally arrived..."
Looking up, all she saw were countless crimson draperies fluttering in the hall. On the central jade throne, a magnificent golden robe cascaded down like a waterfall—an elderly man with white hair embraced a beautiful woman, leaning back in his chair and extending his hand to her. His pale fingers trembled slightly, the veins twisting beneath his parchment-thin skin as if an invisible snake were burrowing within.
Xue Ziye was instantly shocked: That, that was actually the King of the Sect?
—It's only been one night, yet it has weakened to such an extent!
"When we see patients later, stand beside me." The King turned his head and whispered in Miao Feng's ear, his voice already weak and indistinct, "I only trust you now, Feng."
"..." Miao Feng was startled by these words, then whispered, "Yes."
"Feng." The King raised his hand, gesturing slightly. Miao Feng bent down to support his arm, and they descended the jade steps step by step—in that instant, sensing that the once all-powerful king was so weak, a hint of shock flashed in his eyes. Miao Shui did not come over, but simply gathered her sleeves and stood far away by the curtains of the main hall, seemingly keeping watch.
Xue Ziye pushed the medicine pillow on the table over: "Take my pulse first."
The King silently placed his wrist on the pulse point. Miao Feng stood beside him, her eyes flashing slightly—the pulse point was one of the most vital points on a person's body. If she harbored any disloyalty, then…
However, before his hand could move to the hilt of the sword at his waist, Xue Ziye had already released the King's wrist.
"The adult's illness was caused by improper practice of cold-natured internal energy cultivation, leading to qi deviation and demonic possession. It has been a month and seventeen days since then." After taking the pulse for only a short while, she quickly wrote down the medical record, speaking calmly and eloquently. "The internal energy in the dantian is out of control and leaking outwards, and the triple burner meridian is paralyzed. All the acupoints in the body are swollen, and every midnight it feels like a thousand needles are piercing, causing unbearable pain—is that right?"
The Pope looked at the young female healer with surprise and nodded, "Truly a divine physician!"
“Heh…” Xue Ziye looked up at the King’s face and nodded. “After the onset of the illness, various treatments should have been taken—unfortunately, none of them worked, and the condition only got worse.”
The Pope's eyes already showed a hint of anxiety as he cut off the question: "Then, how long will it take to recover?"
Xue Ziye stopped writing and laughed: "Shouldn't the King first ask 'Can it be cured?'"
The King of the Sect laughed, but his eyes gradually darkened: "Isn't that obvious? If even the Valley Master of the Medicine Master says it can't be cured, then I truly deserve to die..."
“Yes,” Xue Ziye said with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the murderous aura accumulating within the cult leader. “The cult leader is already a terrestrial immortal, and ordinary methods in this world can no longer harm you. If it weren’t for this qi deviation, it seems there really is nothing that could do anything to the cult leader.”
She spoke casually, fiddling with the silver needles in her hand, ignoring the fact that the critically ill pope had lost his usual self-control.
"Don't beat around the bush!" The cult leader's arm suddenly grew longer, grabbing Xue Ziye's throat, veins bulging on his hand. "Tell me, can you cure her or not? If you can't, I'll make you pay with your life!"
Xue Ziye's throat was being choked, and her hand slipped, causing the silver needle to pierce her finger. However, she was unable to even make a sound.
Miao Feng's face turned pale instantly. He subconsciously took a step forward to stop him, but hesitated, as if bound by an invisible force.
After all, he had never openly defied the Pope in all these years since he was a child.
"It...it can cure it!" However, in just a short moment, Xue Ziye finally managed to utter two words.
The Pope released his grip instantly, allowing the physician to return to his seat. He was breathing heavily, but the ferocious look on his face vanished, replaced by his usual kind and serene expression: "Oh... I knew it. The medical skills of the Medicine Master Valley are unparalleled in the world. How could they disappoint me?"
He placed his hand back on the medicine pillow, his voice carrying a terrifying pressure: "Then, I'll trouble Valley Master Xue."