Make it clear that you are poisoned

Xiao Lin had been acting cool and unrestrained in front of Su Manyan, but once he returned to the house, he collapsed, his arms bracing against the wall to prevent himself from falling. He ordered his servants to prepare a medicinal bath, then panted heavily and unbuttoned his robe, revealing a body covered in black lines.

A wisp of steam rose from the bathtub, soaked in medicinal herbs. The white mist brushed across the black totem on the man's chest before quietly dissipating. As the day of the black lines' unrest drew near, Xiao Lin's black lines became increasingly difficult to suppress. Especially at night, the black lines surfaced with even greater abandon. His internal energy was disrupted, and the excruciating pain, like a severing of meridians, forced Xiao Lin to grit his teeth. Beads of sweat dripped down his temples.

After a few moments of practicing Qigong and regulating his breathing, Xiao Lin finally caught his breath. His chest rose and fell violently, like a stranded fish, stubbornly resisting death. Leaving him alone to recover from his illness wasn't due to the servants' neglect or indifference, but rather because he didn't want others to see him in such a state of distress.

He is the King of Mobei of the Hu Kingdom. Even though he was cursed by the black lines and suffered from chronic diseases due to old injuries on the battlefield, and now lives in the cold palace, he will never let others see his weakness.

He was the prince of the Hu Kingdom, and should have been a future king. The ancestral teachings taught them to pursue light and shun darkness, to cherish peace as an honor and betrayal and slaughter as a shame. During the Battle of the Southern Hu, he, as the commander-in-chief, was assassinated and severely wounded by the enemy, leading to a crushing defeat. The victorious Southern Kingdom demanded a hostage, the enemy pressed on, his father's cowardice, and his brother's instigation of discord, ultimately made him a victim of this defeat. The Southern Kingdom eliminated the Hu Kingdom's most regal prince, his brother eliminated the contenders for the throne, and even his father's life was spared.

He alone had nothing and was completely defeated.

All this made him doubt his ancestors' teachings in a rebellious way. If he couldn't even save his own life and couldn't ascend to the supreme throne, how could the teachings of his ancestors be passed down through the ages?

He wants revenge, and he won't let any of those jackals, tigers or leopards go!

Xiao Lin's chest felt tight and heavy with anger, and dark lines appeared on his chest. He reached out and pressed his hand against his chest, finally suppressing the surging movement. Although still painful, this breathing exercise was noticeably easier than before. Xiao Lin knew that the pills Su Manyan had given him must have had a significant effect.

I wonder... if I can get that kind of miracle medicine again.

Xiao Lin recalled his evening with Su Manyan. He had hoped to draw them closer, to include her in his fold. In essence, he needed a viable pawn in this cold palace. He could sense Su Manyan bore him no ill will and had even been quietly helping him, but he could never fathom her motives. The only possibility was that she believed he was a wise leader and was willing to pledge allegiance. But as they got to know each other, Su Manyan proved more cunning and enigmatic than the average strategist. Even the usually wise and courageous Xiao Lin was baffled by her.

He was not without his loyal subordinates. Although he treated them as rulers and subjects, they were more like friends due to their similar circumstances and ideologies. If Su Manyan was willing to pledge her loyalty to him, he would naturally reward her with endless wealth upon successful completion. Unfortunately, this mysterious eunuch's thoughts were truly unpredictable.

Tonight, I suspected she was a woman again, which really pissed me off. She seemed to be very concerned about this. If she really was a woman, could it be that she was... in love with me?

Xiao Lin's mind suddenly flashed to Su Manyan's face, and he shook his head hurriedly. He had been in the medicinal bath for too long, and the heat in the room had made his brain dizzy.

Now he regretted provoking the other person too much. He had wanted to close the distance, but it backfired. Now the other party would definitely be even more reluctant to hand over the elixir, let alone help him.

He stood up, stepped out of the bathtub with his long legs, put on his clothes, and walked towards the front hall.

Si Ji, dressed in night clothes, longsword clasped upright, saw Xiao Lin enter, and his calm, triangular eyes lit up a little. He smelled the herbal scent in the air, saw Xiao Lin's half-dried hair, and he understood. The other party had just finished a medicinal bath, and the matter of the black lines could not be delayed any longer.

Xiao Lin sat on the stool at the main seat, picked up the freshly brewed hot tea, blew on it gently, and brought it to his lips to take a sip. He raised his eyelids and took in the worry on Si Ji's face.

He comforted her, "I am fine. The medicinal pill Ah Yan sent will be very helpful for your recovery. Don't worry. How is the investigation going?"

"We found a pile of bodies in a cave on the cliffs of Fengyapo. From what we can tell, everyone who attacked us that day had a puncture wound in their heart, killed instantly. The perpetrator was highly skilled in martial arts, but we don't know who it is yet."

A month ago, Xiao Lin departed from the Hu Kingdom as a hostage, bound for the Southern Kingdom in compliance with the truce agreement. For a former noble, this journey was particularly difficult, carrying only a few jewels and playthings, and accompanying a relatively small number of servants, let alone those who were truly loyal.

He had thought he'd reach the Southern Kingdom safely, but he was attacked by unknown individuals at Fengya Slope. Several of Xiao Lin's closest associates were severely injured, and the whereabouts of many others were unknown. Strangely enough, although no one knew of Xiao Lin's injuries, if they were truly targeting him, they would have noticed after a few moves that his martial arts skills were significantly diminished. However, after killing several of his followers, the secret guards looted several boxes of items, seemingly concealing the truth, and then vanished in a hurry.

Fengyapo is located in the territory of the Hu Kingdom, so Xiao Lin did not dare to delay his journey because of this. If the Southern Kingdom's Emperor Liang knew about it, he would definitely suspect that the Hu Kingdom was unwilling to hand over the person and was deliberately challenging his authority.

To offend the Emperor often resulted in a thousand corpses scattered across the land. Despite his disappointment, Xiao Lin refused to implicate the Hu Kingdom. He wanted to leave with honor, and return with honor.

Therefore, even though the escort team was in a state of panic, they still hurried on their way, leaving only the seriously injured to rest. The news of the prince's assassination could not be concealed. Emperor Liang was furious when he learned of it, but he only pretended to comfort Xiao Lin and, in the name of "protection", ridiculously imprisoned him in the cold palace.

The former pride of heaven now lived a miserable existence in this cold palace filled with resentment. Just one month was enough to ignite a monstrous hatred in even the most gentle of people.

After Si Ji replied, the room fell silent, leaving only the faint breathing of the two people. He looked up and saw Xiao Lin holding the teacup tightly with both hands, veins visible, and the slight tremor revealed his inner restlessness.

"I need you to go back to the Hu Kingdom and give this letter to Marquis Quyi. He will tell you what to do after reading it." Xiao Lin took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Si Ji.

"No! Your Highness, your health is not good right now..." Si Ji heard the order and immediately widened his eyes, wanting to refuse. Now that Xiao Lin was in Huxue and ill, he was left here alone. As a subordinate, he really couldn't rest assured.

"This is an order. I am safe here. Moreover, this letter is extremely important. I am worried about leaving it to others. The brothers who are recuperating will be back soon, so there is no need to worry."

Seeing that Xiao Lin had made up his mind, Si Ji could only nod and obey.

Xiao Lin was preoccupied tonight, but Su Manyan in the West Wing slept soundly, dreamless, and awakening with a clear mind. She finally remembered what she had forgotten—the side quest [Detoxification].

"Host, you finally remembered! There are only nine days left, why aren't you in a hurry at all?" 625 screamed anxiously.

Su Manyan was suddenly struck by the memory of the death. He was instantly exhausted both physically and mentally. He fell limply back into the bed and said angrily, "What's the point of being anxious? Xiao Lin's behavior last night almost scared me to death. He was like a pervert and still doubts my identity as a eunuch. If I get too close, I'm afraid there won't be a bone left."

625 Seeing Su Manyan's hopeless look, he wanted to comfort him patiently like comforting a cub, but he didn't know what to say for a moment.

Fortunately, Su Manyan was strong enough. After lying on the bed like a mushroom for a while, he finally got up and accepted his fate.

Xiao Lin usually practiced swordsmanship in the garden in the mornings, so since he didn't need to be served, Su Manyan decided to go to the study and investigate more carefully. Since the quest was triggered here, it must contain a key clue.

The maid named Yicui was still tidying the study. Su Manyan, now a favorite of Xiao Lin, had easily dismissed her. She scanned the furnishings: brushes, inkstones, shelves, tables and stools. These items were arranged much the same day after day, ordinary stationery items, and there was nothing wrong with them.

Moreover, although these items were used by Xiao Lin, they were inevitably cleaned and sorted by his servants. Why did he alone get into trouble?

Su Manyan's gaze shifted to the wall. The calligraphy and paintings hanging there were still elegant and graceful. Wait! Suddenly, an idea struck her. It seemed that it was after she had admired these paintings yesterday that the quest suddenly triggered. Could the problem lie with the paintings?

She stepped forward to examine it more closely, but no matter how she looked at it, it was just an ordinary painting. It didn't look like anything poisonous. Even if it was, how would it be poisoned? By the smell of the paint, or by the touch of the canvas?

Su Manyan fumbled around in the study for a while, still baffled, but instinctively determined that there must be a hidden meaning within the painting. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she lost track of time and didn't even notice Xiao Lin entering the study after practicing martial arts.

"Ayan, why are you here? I said that you don't need to do these chores. Did the servants bully you?" Xiao Lin's voice came from behind, scaring Su Manyan so much that she cried out softly.

Oh no! I forgot to slip away in advance, and now I'm caught. How should I explain it? This evil person will definitely doubt me again.

Sure enough, when Su Manyan turned around, he saw Xiao Lin's eyebrows slightly raised, the corners of his lips slightly curled, but his eyes were full of vigilance.

She knew that lying at this point would only deepen their suspicions and hinder the mission's progress. She made up her mind, knowing she had to detoxify the hero anyway, so she might as well tell the truth: "Your Highness, I'm investigating your condition."

Xiao Lin obviously didn't believe it, his tone full of suspicion: "Oh? What does Ah Yan mean by this? Is there something wrong with my study?"

"Your Highness, I have something to tell you, and I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

"But it's okay."

"My previous warning to Your Highness that you were ill was actually a roundabout way of saying it. Your Highness, do you feel anything unusual in your body? For example...poisoning?"

The word "poisoned" was pronounced with such force that it instantly set off alarm bells within Xiao Lin. He had suspected poisoning. Although he'd acquired the underlying illness on the battlefield, his health had indeed deteriorated since arriving in the cold palace. He'd already dismissed his attendants, regularly changed his incense and bedding, and meticulously inspected every item in his study, a frequent haunt, finding none to be poisonous.

"Are you saying that I've been poisoned?" Xiao Lin sneered. "Ayan, don't say anything careless. Although I'm a hostage, I'm in the imperial palace. Who would have the guts to poison you in front of the emperor? If Emperor Liang knew about it, I wouldn't be able to protect you. Besides, if I'm poisoned, wouldn't I be short-lived?"

As he said this, Xiao Lin's face twisted a little, his distinct black and white eyes fixed on Su Manyan, like a ghost from the underworld demanding his life. After all, he was the son of a dragon and the grandson of a phoenix, and no one wanted to hear words that bordered on a curse from a eunuch.

Moreover, he really didn't believe that Su Manyan had such medical skills. Even the imperial physician and the attendants around him who knew medicine couldn't figure out the problem, so how could she be so sure?

"Your Highness, I am absolutely certain that you have been poisoned, and I believe Your Highness has also noticed it. However, this poison is very strange, and I will need some time to investigate. Please do not mention any ominous words again. I will do my best to treat you."

Su Manyan spoke with great force, but in her heart she added: "Everything is for the mission! This princess must live! Man, saving you is just a necessary step for this princess to become stronger, no need to be too grateful."

To anyone who heard these words, it sounded like the heartfelt words of a subordinate pledging allegiance to his sovereign. Su Manyan thought to herself: If I were Xiao Lin, I'd probably be moved to tears right now. Having just established herself as a loyal subject in front of Xiao Lin, she couldn't help but imagine Xiao Lin in tears.

Unfortunately, Xiao Lin couldn't read her mind. Seeing Su Manyan's high-spirited appearance, he couldn't bear to see her efforts go to waste. He was silent for a moment, and finally spoke but changed the subject: "Are you not angry about last night anymore?"

ha?

Su Manyan cursed inwardly: "Why does this guy just act on his whim? Hey! Tell me you're touched!"