Chapter Fifty: Rippling the Spring Water

Silence speaks louder than words.

The morning light pierced through the thin mist, casting a warm, dappled glow on the man's face. A cool breeze suddenly swept by, ruffling the strands of hair at his temples. The man slightly raised his brow, inadvertently causing a single drop of dew to fall from his long eyelashes. In that instant, it seemed as if a thousand stars shimmered and sparkled in his gazing eyes.

For some inexplicable reason, Mu Lian's heart skipped a beat, and the words she was about to say froze on her lips. A sly smile flashed in the man's eyes, his gaze softening even more, as if he had completely forgotten where he was. For a moment, all was quiet, with only the morning breeze accompanying their silent gazes.

"Waaah, what a beautiful scene!" Behind her, Meng Yuan, who was about to lift the tent flap, suddenly stopped in her tracks, covering her mouth to stifle a scream. Such a perfect match between a talented man and a beautiful woman—it could only happen in a storybook. Ahhh, she just wanted time to stand still at this moment.

Unfortunately, fate did not grant Meng Yuan's wish.

"Lord Ye, Lord Mu..." Behind Ye Yuqing, Feng Wuniang's delicate and gentle voice rang in everyone's ears, interrupting the surging emotions at this moment.

Mu Lian looked up and saw Feng Wu Niang, her face haggard, her clothes thin, her original turquoise dress now stained beyond recognition by blood and filth, her expression pitiful and fragile. Beside her, A Zhe, leaning on his sword, was equally disheveled, his face a dark bluish-black mixed with bloodstains, only his eyes managing a flicker of light the moment he saw Mu Lian.

Catching a glimpse of A Zhe's expression out of the corner of her eye, Feng Wu Niang's heart skipped a beat. Then, remembering how that man had risked his life to protect her, she quietly suppressed her sorrow. Although A Zhe had already drunk the medicine brought by the army doctor, Feng Wu Niang had a gut feeling that A Zhe's Gu poison was not so simple. Sure enough, after the old army doctor examined him again, he discovered that the dark markings on A Zhe's arm had not completely disappeared.

Anxious, Feng Wuniang immediately dragged A Zhe to find Mu Lian. A Zhe also wanted to see the person he longed for as soon as possible, so he let Feng Wuniang lead him here in a hurry. However, the two did not expect that they had come at such an inopportune time.

The moment A Zhe saw Mu Lian, he felt a surge of joy. Having escaped death, he cherished every moment with the one he loved. But when he saw Ye Yiqing gazing tenderly at Mu Lian, his joy froze instantly, and his bright eyes dimmed again.

"Your subordinate greets Your Excellency..." A-Zhe lowered his head, his voice tinged with a lack of confidence and a touch of hesitancy.

Mu Lian sighed inwardly. These past few days, A Zhe had followed her through life and death, repeatedly putting himself in danger to save her. How could she not know what A Zhe was thinking? However, Mu Lian closed her eyes. Bearing a deep-seated blood feud, how could she harbor such romantic thoughts? Thinking this, Mu Lian even banished the slight flutter she had felt for Ye Yiqing earlier. The road ahead was uncertain, and she was filled with murderous intent; it was best not to harm others.

When she opened her eyes again, the subtle starlight in her eyes had vanished, replaced by her usual calm and serene expression, her entire demeanor even more aloof and icy. Everyone around was stunned. Ye Yuqing's heart trembled slightly, but the starlight in his eyes remained undiminished. He, Ye Tanhua, was determined to achieve what he set out to do; no matter how difficult, he would never give up.

From the side, Feng Wuniang also keenly sensed all of this, but her expression remained unchanged. She only anxiously said, "My lords, A-Zhe, he..."

Mu Lian raised her hand to interrupt Feng Wu Niang, gesturing for the two to come in with her... She paused, then instructed Meng Yuan, "Guard the door well, don't let anyone in or out at will..."

Anyone? Including Ye Tanhua? Meng Yuan glanced at Ye Yuqing with some hesitation. Ye Yuqing didn't speak, only smiled and nodded slightly, indicating that Meng Yuan should guard the door carefully, before turning and walking away. The morning breeze stirred the corner of the man's plain robe, rippling the patterns like waves on a spring pond.

It is not the wind that moves, nor the flag that moves, but the heart that moves.

Inside the tent, Mu Lian gestured for A Zhe to lie down on the makeshift bed. At that moment, the old army doctor was cleaning the dirt from the wound on his arm; beneath his tattered clothes, two muscular arms were visible. The dark markings still swirling around his wrists added a touch of sinister charm to his strong masculine aura.

Inside the bed, A-Zhe's face was slightly flushed. Although the situation was urgent, it was still the first time he had been sober enough to expose his chest and arms to Mu Lian, which made him somewhat shy, reminding him of the time when Mu Lian had defeated him in one move. Beside him, Feng Wu Niang also inexplicably felt her face burning. Having known A-Zhe for so long, this was the first time she had clearly seen his bare arms and chest, which were even more robust and muscular than she had imagined.

The atmosphere was ambiguous and hard to define, but Mu Lian remained calm and aloof.

"Ahem," the old military doctor coughed lightly after the initial examination was completed, and respectfully bowed to Mu Lian: "My lord, I have done all that I could."

Nodding slightly, Mu Lian pulled out her black jade hairpin and pierced her right index finger with the tip, dripping blood onto the dark markings on A Zhe's wrist. "It'll hurt a little, bear with it..." After giving her instructions, Mu Lian moved with lightning speed, piercing the hairpin forty-nine times with her golden needle, drawing the blood into the dark markings. Soon, accompanied by a foul-smelling black fumes, the dark markings on A Zhe's wrist disappeared.

"Wow, so amazing..." The old military doctor, who was watching intently, exclaimed repeatedly. However, he also knew that the poison of this Mother-Child Heart-Connecting Gu could only be neutralized by the blood of a virgin born on an auspicious day, in an auspicious month, and in an inauspicious year. Therefore, ordinary people were helpless and it was a rare and precious opportunity.

A-Zhe, who had been sweating profusely from the pain, had finally calmed down a bit. Staring at the drop of blood that had solidified on the woman's fingertip, his eyes widened in shock, and his heart trembled like a stormy sea. What had he, A-Zhe, done to deserve such treatment from the goddess-like Lady Mu?

"The poison has been neutralized. Do not use your internal energy for the next three days..." Mu Lian instructed calmly, pinching her slightly aching fingertips and hiding her hands behind her back. As the head of the Judicial Office, Mu Lian was naturally responsible for the lives of her subordinates. Moreover, A Zhe had saved her several times, so it was only right and proper for her to protect A Zhe as well.

"Yes, I understand..." A glint flashed in A Zhe's eyes for a moment, then he looked up and his expression became even more respectful: "Thank you, Lord Mu. I will do anything for you in the future!"

"Don't worry too much, just focus on recovering..." With a wave of her hand, Mu Lian turned and left. The old military doctor would handle the rest.

"Don't worry, my lord, I will take good care of A-Zhe..." Behind her, Feng Wu Niang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, the pain she had forgotten seemed to return faintly. But as long as A-Zhe was alright, she didn't mind suffering a little herself.

Mu Lian didn't turn around, but gestured for Meng Yuan to hand a blue and white porcelain vase to Feng Wu Niang: "You should also take good care of yourself..." Since Feng Wu Niang has feelings for A Zhe, why not just let them be together?

Upon receiving the porcelain bottle, Feng Wu Niang's eyes flickered for a moment. It was actually a specially made tissue-regenerating and blood-stasis-removing ointment from the Judicial Office? So, so Lord Mu had already figured it out.