Chapter 137 Life for Life

Su Luoxue looked at him cautiously, her body still tense: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Bai Xiao glanced nervously outside, fearing Yuwen Che might suddenly return. He grabbed Su Luoxue's wrist, pulling her to a more secluded corner, his voice low and unusually serious: "Listen to me, hasn't Yuwen Che changed a lot in these three years? Before, although he was ruthless, at least he was fair in his rewards and punishments, and his mind was very clear. But now? Isn't he becoming more and more irritable and paranoid, especially regarding you and the child? It's like he's become a completely different person?"

Su Luoxue's heart skipped a beat at his question. Recalling Yuwen Che's recent actions, especially the out-of-control slap and hurtful words last night, her eyes flickered, and she whispered, "He... seems to have changed a lot..."

"It's not just a possibility, it's certain!" Bai Xiao interrupted her, staring intently into her eyes. "Calm down, and whatever you do, don't shout. Listen carefully to what I'm about to say—"

He took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "Yuwen Che has been poisoned, by a very insidious Gu poison called 'Heart-Eating Gu.' This poison will slowly erode his mind, amplify his negative emotions, and eventually drive him completely insane and out of control! He hit you last night because of this poison!"

Su Luoxue's eyes widened suddenly, her face drained of color, her lips trembled, and she almost lost her balance: "Poisoned...? How could this be..."

Bai Xiao quickly supported her, his voice urgent: "There's no time to explain how you got poisoned! The key thing now is that this poison... has no antidote!"

Su Luoxue's heart sank to the bottom in an instant, with no cure in sight.

But Bai Xiao's next words plunged her into an icy abyss.

“The only solution is… a life for a life.” Bai Xiao’s voice was extremely hoarse. “We must find a person of the opposite sex who has had intimate contact with him, who will willingly take another ‘Soul-Guarding Gu’, and then… through yin-yang intercourse, draw the Gu poison from his body into their own. The Gu-drawer… will undoubtedly die.”

He stared intently at Su Luoxue's face, which had turned deathly pale, and said, word by word, "His harem is now reduced to just you. Su Luoxue, you have no choice... Only you can save him."

Su Luoxue's eyes were sharp, carrying the majesty and vigilance of an empress: "Without proof, why should I believe you? Just because of a few words, you think you can make me believe that His Majesty is poisoned and even wants to... exchange his life for his life?"

Seeing the doubt in her eyes, Bai Xiao knew that without solid evidence, she would never believe this absurd thing. He took a deep breath and unhesitatingly tore open his collar, revealing a patch of skin below his collarbone.

He channeled his inner strength and patted his chest several times. A complex and eerie dark red totem, resembling a dragon but not quite, faintly appeared under his skin.

“This mark…” Bai Xiao pointed to the emerging pattern, his gaze fixed on Su Luoxue, “You should have seen it on Yuwen Che, perhaps on his shoulder blade, or perhaps elsewhere. Before he ascended the throne, he secretly established the Shadow Pavilion, and… some other hidden forces. This is the mark of the core members.”

Su Luoxue's pupils suddenly contracted. Yuwen Che did indeed have a similar mark on his body, in a very hidden location. She had only seen it a few times when he was extremely out of control during intimate moments. He held her and vaguely said it was an old mark, but she hadn't investigated further at the time. Now, the same mark appeared on Bai Xiao's body, undoubtedly greatly increasing the credibility of his words.

Bai Xiao straightened his collar, his tone heavy: "You don't need to know the other secrets. You only need to know that I, Bai Xiao, am one of his most trusted and capable subordinates. If it weren't for matters concerning his life and death, I would never dare to, and would never have needed to, meet you in this way, much less fabricate such a sensational lie!"

Looking at Su Luoxue's still pale face and wavering eyes, he continued, "Think carefully, do his recent headaches, irritability, and uncontrollable emotions match? Also, have he shown more impatience and suspicion towards the court he built with his own hands and which he originally controlled with ease? These are all the work of the 'Heart-Eating Gu'! If this drags on any longer, he will only become more and more out of control until... he completely becomes a ruthless, bloodthirsty madman who doesn't recognize his own family! At that time, not only him, but also the entire Great Zhou, as well as you and the two children, will face what? Have you thought about it?"

Su Luoxue staggered, grabbing the table beside her to steady herself. Bai Xiao's words struck her heart like heavy hammer blows. Yuwen Che's recent changes, that unfamiliar and violent look in his eyes last night… So, it wasn't that he had changed, but that his mind had been controlled by poison?

A life for a life... Only she can save him...

Su Luoxue closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, fear and pain still lingered in her beautiful eyes.

She looked at Bai Xiao and asked softly, "What do you need me to do?"

Bai Xiao watched her make a decision in an instant, feeling both admiration and a heavy heart. He lowered his voice and spoke very quickly: "'Soul-Guarding Gu' is with me. You must find a suitable time, make sure his emotions are relatively stable, and... when you can be alone, take it. Then... have sex, and during the process, the Gu poison will be automatically transferred into your body."

He took out a black jade bottle about the size of a thumb from his pocket. The jade bottle was made of a strange material. "This is the Soul-Guarding Gu. You must complete the transfer within twelve hours after taking it, otherwise... the two Gu will backfire in their respective bodies, and you... will not survive."

He handed the jade bottle to Su Luoxue.

Su Luoxue looked at the small black bottle as if it were an invitation from the Grim Reaper. Her fingertips trembled slightly, but she still resolutely reached out and took the jade bottle.

"This matter must not be known to a third person, especially Yuwen Che." Bai Xiao solemnly instructed, "If he finds out, he would rather go mad and die than allow you to do this, even if he stabs himself to death."

Su Luoxue gripped the jade bottle tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white. She nodded: "I understand."

She raised her eyes to look at Bai Xiao, her gaze pleading: "Bai Xiao, after me... after me, please... take good care of Cheng An and Ting Xue. And... Hao'er, that child is not bad by nature, if you can... please protect him as well."

Bai Xiao's throat tightened, and he solemnly promised, "As long as I, Bai Xiao, live, I will protect the Crown Prince, the Princess, and... Prince An."

A faint, almost ethereal smile appeared on Su Luoxue's pale face: "Thank you."

Just then, the faint sound of footsteps and palace servants greeting him could be heard outside. It was Yuwen Che returning from court!

Bai Xiao's expression changed: "I'm leaving! Remember, you must choose the right time!" Before he finished speaking, he flashed and disappeared from the window like a wisp of white smoke, as if he had never been there.

Su Luoxue quickly hid the black jade bottle deep in her sleeve. Just as she composed herself, Yuwen Che strode in.

His face showed some fatigue from the morning assembly, but his eyes softened immediately when he saw Su Luoxue. He stepped forward and naturally put his arm around her waist: "Xue'er, what are you doing standing here? Where are the children?"

Su Luoxue leaned against him, feeling the warmth of his chest and his strong heartbeat. A lump formed in her throat, and she almost burst into tears. She forced herself to hold them back, tilting her head back and forcing a gentle smile: "I was just about to go see them. A-Che, are you tired today?"

She reached out and gently smoothed out the non-existent creases on his dragon robe, her movements tender and filled with boundless affection.

Yuwen Che enjoyed her tenderness, lowered his head and rubbed the top of her head, his tone full of satisfaction: "Seeing you makes me feel less tired."

Su Luoxue buried her face in his chest, greedily inhaling his scent, her heart filled with a cold resolve.

Ah Che, if this is my fate, I accept it. As long as you are safe and well.

I have no regrets, I absolutely have no regrets!