Xue Qing followed Liu Ying to the study Fang'er had indicated, waiting for Xiao Guiying. Xiao Guiying's study was simply furnished: a few paintings and calligraphies hung on the whitewashed walls, several tall wooden bookshelves, and a yellow-lacquered camphor wood table held only writing brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone. The austere decor made Xue Qing, who weighed her jewelry by the pound, feel ashamed of her own lack of refinement. Liu Ying was quite interested in Xiao Guiying's inkstone carved with a qilin, stroking its devilishly handsome mane. In TV dramas, wouldn't a twist of a screw reveal a secret room in a study? Xue Qing tried twisting the screws in Xiao Guiying's study, but nothing happened. Knowing Xiao Guiying's character, Xue Qing would believe he truly didn't have any secret rooms or hidden compartments in his house. If there were a fair and open competition in the martial arts world, Xiao Guiying would be the sole nominee for "most."
"I apologize for keeping you both waiting," Xiao Guiying said, bowing as he entered the house.
Two maids followed behind Xiao Guiying. After Xiao Guiying sat down in his master's seat, they helped Xue Qing and Liu Ying sit in the chairs opposite him, served them a pot of fresh tea, and then the two bowed and withdrew, closing the door tightly from the outside.
"Ahem," Xue Qing cleared her throat, "Sect Master Xiao, I'll be frank. Senior Sister should have already discussed this with you. Second Senior Brother has agreed to contribute to the Martial Alliance. I think he will send another Lingyu disciple to inform you of the more detailed situation after discussing it with Senior Sister." Fang Yun strongly opposed the Lingyu Sect interfering in the internal strife of other sects. She didn't know if Dong Chou could really persuade her, so she kept this part from Xiao Guiying for now.
Xiao Guiying was overjoyed: "Really? I've heard of the 'Jade-Faced Swordsman' since I was a child. If it's him..." Xiao Guiying became somewhat incoherent after that. Xue Qing guessed that the "Jade-Faced Swordsman" might be Xiao Guiying's childhood idol? Xiao Guiying's feelings for him were like those of children today for Ultraman.
The three were discussing the future of the martial arts alliance. In reality, Xiao Guiying and Liu Ying were having a lively and enthusiastic conversation, while Xue Qing was yawning and daydreaming. Someone was knocking on the door, and judging from the frequency of the knocking, it was quite urgent.
The room fell silent, and Xiao Guiying called out loudly, "Come in."
A maid rushed in, pushing open the door: "Master! Miss Nangong, something terrible has happened!"
Author's Note: Ta-da! A little gift has arrived! It's time for the supporting character's mini-drama again. There will be another update tonight at 8 PM~
In keeping with the theme of "giving the supporting characters a warm home," a funeral was held for the flower thief who died tragically in Chapter Seven. The girls observed a moment of silence, but his practice of "forcing the victims to engage in sexual acts against their will by means of violence, threats, or harm" deserves severe criticism. Stealing and robbery are also wrong!
His name was Liu Lang, an ordinary name and ordinary appearance, but he possessed extraordinary skills. Swordsmanship and fist fighting were not his forte; his specialty was lightness skill, capable of traveling a hundred miles a day, unmatched by anyone. It was precisely these invincible, swift legs that brought him to a halt in the small town of Wuzhen. Initially, like most people who came here, he was just passing through for a rest. After disembarking from his carriage at the post station, he met a woman. For her, he abandoned his carriage and stayed in Wuzhen. The woman's surname was Bao, and because she was the fifth child in her family, everyone called her Bao Wu Niang (Bao Fifth Sister). Her family made a living selling steamed buns on the street. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but her gentleness shone from her heart. She would secretly share the leftover buns with beggars on the street, and she would even cut up her few pieces of clothing so that a beggar's child wouldn't be left naked.
Liu Lang stood far away, gazing at the woman who was always surrounded by billowing steam. When he was young, he had no steamed buns to eat and no clothes to wear. He stole and robbed, starting with steamed buns and chicken legs, and later robbing caravans and silver. His legs grew faster and faster, but his heart grew dirtier and dirtier. Even a rock has a soft spot, and Bao Wuniang's appearance made Liu Lang realize that there was still a trace of purity in his heart.
Liu Lang settled down in Wuzhen and bought a small house, neither too close nor too far from Bao Wuniang's house. Every day, he could pretend to take a walk to Bao Wuniang's stall to buy two steamed buns. While she was looking down to give him change, he would glance at her a few more times. A steamed bun only cost a few copper coins, and he would always give her a qian of silver. This way, she would have to count out a lot of copper coins for him, and he could look at her for a long time. Because he only dared to look, his admiration for her was greater than love. He did not want to tarnish even a single hem of her clothes.
Men are driven by lust, especially someone like Liu Lang who is used to stealing and robbing. He's driven by a strong desire to get what he wants. His lust is almost bursting, and he needs to release it. Rumors of a womanizer are spreading in Wuzhen. Some chivalrous people want to help, but the criminal's lightness skill is so extraordinary that no one has been able to see his true face.
That day, Liu Lang saw a woman alight from a carriage at the post station. She was only pretty, but had a pair of bright, gentle eyes, just like Bao Wuniang's. Instantly, Liu Lang's desire was aroused again. He booked a room at the inn before the woman, and that night he drugged her and did what he usually did, but he never expected that a Cheng Yaojin would appear out of nowhere, and even less did he expect that this Cheng Yaojin would be his nemesis.
It was another bright morning, and the Bao family worked together to set up their steamed bun stall once again.
Bao Wu Niang's second brother teased, "Little sister, why haven't I seen that guy from across the street come over to buy steamed buns these past few days?"
Bao Wuniang smiled gently and replied, "He probably went somewhere else. He doesn't seem to be from here. He's probably just staying here for a few days."
Bao Wuniang's eyes were fixed on the distant horizon. What was she hoping for? This was just a small town for temporary residence; why would anyone choose to settle here? And how could a woman like her possibly attract the attention of a man like her? It was all too ridiculous…
Poisoning murderer
The three rushed to Nangong Luoluo's room. Nangong Luoluo was still lying on the bed, but her complexion was completely different from before. It was no longer pale and bluish, but had turned into a greenish-reddish color, which meant that she had been poisoned.
"Luo Luo! Luo Luo! How are you?" Xiao Guiying hugged Nangong Luo Luo and asked anxiously.
Love really can make people blind; you can tell with your own eyes that she's in a bad situation!
"Doctor, have you gone to call the doctor?" Xue Qing asked the maid beside her.
"Fang'er has already gone to fetch her," the maid said hurriedly.
"Master Xiao, you'd better let Miss Nangong lie down first. Shaking her like this will accelerate her blood flow and make her more susceptible to the poison," Xue Qing said to Xiao Guiying. She had read all of this in a booklet. She always felt that poisoning was the leading cause of death in ancient times, and she fantasized that she might be poisoned one day, so she paid special attention to the section on poisons.
Upon hearing Xue Qing's words, Xiao Guiying quickly released Nangong Luoluo and ordered the maids to help her lie flat on the bed.
Xue Qing then said, "Sect Master Xiao, do you have any cassia seeds in the storeroom? Giving her one might alleviate the poisoning."
"Hua'er, quickly go and fetch the cassia seeds," Xiao Gui replied.
A moment later, the doctor arrived, panting, accompanied by a maid. The maid quickly moved a chair for the doctor to sit on. The doctor stroked his white beard, took out various silver needles from a wooden box he carried with him, and inserted them into several acupoints on Nangong Luoluo's body. He then applied several strange plasters to Nangong Luoluo's joints. Prying open Nangong Luoluo's mouth, he found a cassia seed inside. The old doctor turned to Xue Qing and said, "Are you from the Emei Sect, young lady?"
"I am Xue Qing from the Lingyu Sect, but I have always admired the medical skills of the Emei Sect," Xue Qing replied.
The old doctor stopped talking and continued to prick Nangong Luoluo's body with his small silver needles. Soon, the tips of all the needles turned black. The old doctor frowned, changed to another needle, and continued. Xue Qing quietly moved behind Liu Ying, using his body to cover her face. Just watching him made her feel pain all over.
"This poison dissolves extremely quickly and has already seeped into Miss Nangong's bloodstream. My silver needles turn black just by touching her skin, indicating that the poison will continue to emanate from her skin. It's best not to leave anyone in the house, and Miss Nangong should be buried as soon as possible to prevent the poison from spreading throughout the entire Dongqi Pavilion," the old doctor said.
"What did you say? You want me to bury her?" Xiao Guiying couldn't believe his ears.
"This poison is called the 'Perfect Ten Flowers, Ten Herbs, Ten Poisons Great Tonic Pill,' a rare poison from the Desert Wasteland, developed by the Desert Wasteland Immortal Physician. I've only ever seen it in books. I'm incapable of curing it. Perhaps the Emei Sect's Abbess Dingni can. But even with the fastest horse, it would take a day and a night to travel from Qilin Mountain to Emei Mountain. The bumpy ride will make the poison take effect even faster for Miss Nangong. In any case, she will inevitably die," the old doctor said.
"Isn't the Desert Immortal Doctor Bai Xichen? What a rip-off! He calls this a 'Great Tonic Pill' even though it's already a ten-fold poison! This is deceiving consumers!" Xue Qing flipped through the Emei Sect's pamphlet rapidly, but after two readings, she still couldn't find this ridiculously named poison. It seemed to be a rare Desert Poison. Xue Qing couldn't understand how Nangong Luoluo, who was supposedly the mistress of the Desert, could be poisoned by it. Could it be that Anluo was jealous and poisoned her? Probably not. Anluo's loyalty to Yan Ming was beyond human comprehension, comparable to the former Xue Qing—no, even more deeply poisoned than the original Xue Qing. The original Xue Qing at least knew how to fight her rival to the death, but Anluo was the typical embodiment of "I love you, your happiness is my greatest happiness." She didn't want her beloved master to lose her smile, and she would protect what her master liked with her life. Xue Qing and Yan Ming had been together for so long and were still alive and well; she certainly wouldn't harm Nangong Luoluo.
"Prepare the car, I'm taking Luo Luo to Mount Emei." Xiao Guiying said coldly, "As long as there's a glimmer of hope, I won't give up."
"Master, do you no longer believe what I say?" the old doctor said with some disappointment.
“I believe you, but I still can’t give up. Get the car ready!” Xiao Guiying insisted.
The guards at the door immediately knelt down: "Master, this is a tense period of confrontation with the Xilin Pavilion. You can't leave! What will we do if you leave!" "Yes! Master, you can't leave!"
The old doctor stood up and walked towards Xue Qing: "Miss Xue, is this a medical record from the Emei Sect?"
Xue Qing nodded. The old doctor took Xue Qing's booklet and flipped through a few pages: "Indeed, it contains records about the Perfect Ten Flowers, Ten Herbs, and Ten Poisons Tonic Pill. Pavilion Master, rather than letting Miss Nangong die on the road, let me give it a try. Perhaps there is still hope."
Xue Qing was full of question marks. She had read the entire book and just flipped through it twice, but she didn't see a single thing about that ridiculous tonic. How did the old doctor see it? Could it be that the text was set to be invisible only to the old doctor?
"Where is it written? I can't see it." Xue Qing leaned over to try and see the hidden text, but the old doctor turned around, and the booklet also turned in the opposite direction, so Xue Qing couldn't see the contents.
"Really?" Xiao Guiying's expression turned to joy.
"I need a quiet environment to conduct my research. Everyone, leave. No one should stay in the room except Miss Xue," the old doctor said nonchalantly, turning his back to the room.
"Me?" Xue Qing was even more confused.
"Alright, all of you, come out with me!" With hope restored, Xiao Guiying regained his spirits: "Doctor Wang, Uncle Xue, I'll leave Luo Luo in your care." Xiao Guiying bowed and led the group of guards and maids out of the room.
Xue Qing looked anxiously at Liu Ying, unsure of the situation. Liu Ying nodded slightly to Xue Qing, her serene smile reassuring her. Xue Qing's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, relaxed a little, just a little. Xue Qing believed that Nangong Luoluo wouldn't die. She and Yan Ming still had a long road ahead in their relationship; she wouldn't die here. Xue Qing trusted that the unassuming old doctor before her would save her life.
"Sir...why do you want me to stay here?" Xue Qing glanced nervously at the door. Cherishing one's life is a human instinct. Just now, it was said that the poison in Nangong Luoluo's body could evaporate through the skin. Wouldn't it be very dangerous for her to stay in the room? The life of a female supporting character is not worth much.