Chapter 102: Fighting Poison with Gu

On this return to Bianliang, Prince Yong treated Zhao Xuanxu to a grand ceremony. The day the army arrived in Bianliang, the rain had stopped for days, and the sky was bright. Prince Yong, dressed in a crescent-shaped white robe and a blue belt, led the civil and military officials to greet him on the city walls, his demeanor far surpassing his previous appearance.

Wen Yao looked at him for a while and whispered, "People are in high spirits when they are happy. You can't even pretend to be so happy when your own father is in trouble."

Gao Shaoshan, who was standing nearby, wanted to laugh when he heard this, and his shoulders trembled.

Prince Yong, oblivious to the whispers behind his back, personally descended the city wall and approached Zhao Xuanxu, handsome and gentle, with a faint smile. Jiang Qiaosheng and Xue Ke followed unnoticed within the Lingyu Army. Several generals behind Zhao Xuanxu, including Gao Shaoshan, dismounted and bowed their heads in greeting. Only Zhao Xuanxu and Wen Yao remained motionless, sitting on their horses as still as a mountain.

Perhaps he did not expect that the two would still act in their own way and not give him face. The eyes of Prince Yong flickered slightly. Some of the ministers behind him also looked uncertain. They felt that Prince Yan was really ignorant of the current situation and was so arrogant and eccentric. The swordsman behind him was also arrogant and rude.

"Third brother, you have worked hard."

The warhorse was tall, and it had to look up to see the person approaching. Prince Yong stopped at a distance from Zhao Xuanxu, raised his head slightly, and said affectionately: "You have quelled the riots and protected the people's livelihood. You are truly a minister of state. When the emperor wakes up, I will report to him in detail about your achievements."

People tend to get carried away when they're proud, and Prince Yong was no exception. Although it wasn't obvious, the tone and demeanor of his words made Wen Yao want to shake his head and sigh at the huge setback of such a veteran actor.

The emotions are too fake.

Zhao Xuanxu lowered his eyes and didn't bother to pay any attention.

Wen Yao cleared his throat and said, "Your Highness, when we were at the Royal Villa last time, I saw that the princess was frail and had been frightened. I didn't come to visit her, so I wonder if she is in any serious condition now?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd behind Prince Yong began to murmur. It had been ages since the assassin had entered the Royal Villa. Even if they wanted to be concerned about the health of Princess Yong, it was too late now.

Prince Yong was startled for a moment, then smiled and said, "She is fine now, but weak and often catches a cold."

"The princess treats me very well." Wen Yao smiled with him: "I will bring Divine Doctor Wang to see the princess someday. It's no use keeping her sick like this. It will damage her foundation."

The miraculous doctor Wang Fu was also a strange individual. He disobeyed the king's orders, and even when the empress dowager was still alive, he dared to refuse and sneak away. Everyone had heard that Wang Fu lived in the Prince of Yan's mansion, and they wondered what a coincidence it was that some of Bianliang City's most eccentric people were living under the same roof. But after hearing Yao's words, they were surprised to find that she and Wang Fu had a good relationship, and that he could easily make such a promise.

Prince Yong raised an eyebrow, also in surprise, and said softly, "That's perfect. I'll trouble the genius doctor and Commander Wen."

The simple greetings ended here. Prince Yong simply turned around, waved his sleeves, got on the sedan chair, and left with his entourage.

The emperor was still unconscious on the dragon couch, and Zhao Xuanxu hadn't entered the palace. Wen Yao returned to the Prince of Yan's mansion, her fatigue relaxed. Before she could even begin to lament the goodness of being home, Wang Fu, whom she had just mentioned, trotted in from outside, his hair and beard dishevelled. He pointed at Jiang Qiaosheng and said triumphantly, "I've found a way to deal with the ghost lantern!"

As soon as these words came out, Jiang Qiaosheng raised his eyes. Xue Ke was startled and instantly looked at Wang Fu. Wen Yao was quite calm. He raised his hand and pressed Wang Fu's shoulder, saying, "As expected of you. What's your solution?"

"Use Gu to fight poison, and use secret arts to counter secret arts." Wang Fu stroked his white beard, intoxicated by his unprecedented idea. Shaking his head, he said, "This is a reminder given to me by the assassin in the poison den. There is a strange Gu technique in the southwest poison den called Blood Killing. This Gu is planted in blood and blends with blood, just like the Ghost Lantern Line. I happen to have a remnant of Gu left by an old poisonous insect, and I've already tried it. In Jiang Qiaosheng's blood, the two poisons fought like trapped beasts. Blood Killing was even more domineering. After more than twenty attacks and devouring, it has completely eliminated the Ghost Lantern Line."

Wen Yao interrupted Wang Fu's slightly complacent tone: "It makes perfect sense in theory. I have two questions. First, what happens to the person during the devouring process? Second, after the devouring is complete, what should we do with the blood in the body?"

"What will happen? It will hurt, terribly. It'll hurt like a thousand needles running through my body." Wang Fu's tone was exaggerated, and he looked at Jiang Qiaosheng menacingly, trying to scare this girl who showed no respect for the elderly. But Jiang Qiaosheng smiled, his eyes open and fearless.

The scare failed, and the old man curled his lips and continued, "Don't let her suffer. I'll give her some medicine to block the pain. As for the blood kill, she'll be almost dead after swallowing the ghost lantern. Just cut her blood a few times and drink some medicine to clear it up."

Jiang Qiaosheng couldn't help himself, gnashing his teeth, which had become sore and soft from excitement. He walked over, rolled up his sleeves, put his arm under Wang Fu's eyes, and said bluntly, "Grow it for me now."

"I can't grow it." Wang Fu raised his chin and said proudly, "I only have one Blood Killing Gu, and I've already used it up! I'm a miracle doctor, not a Gu master. I don't know how to raise Gu!"

Xue Ke strode forward, pulled Jiang Qiaosheng away, and said to Wang Fu, "Please wait a moment, old sir. I will immediately lead my men to the southwest poison cave to retrieve the Gu."

Wen Yao touched his chin and said, "I know this Gu. It's a rare high-quality product from the Southwestern Poison Cave. Ordinary Gu Masters can't cultivate it. To be on the safe side, we have to go find their priests."

Xue Ke frowned, looking a little anxious. His cool and taciturn demeanor disappeared, and he said decisively, "Then go find the priest."

Hearing this, Wen Yao's expression suddenly became inexplicable. He said, "Don't worry, there's no need to travel so far. Their priest, no, the former priest, isn't right either... Anyway, there's someone who used to be a priest in the Southwest Poison Cave, who's very good at playing with insects, and he's now in Bianliang."

The Southwest Poison Forest priesthood is passed down from generation to generation, and Zoya was one of them. After Zoya's death, Xin Man was supposed to succeed her as the Poison Cave Village priest. But Xin Man, for unknown reasons, appeared in Bianliang. Priests are supposed to offer sacrifices to the mountain gods, seeking protection for the entire village. According to rules, priests are forbidden from leaving the Southwest Poison Forest for life, barring grave dangers. Of course, it's also possible that Xin Man is no longer a priest—regardless of whether she is or isn't, she's a leading figure in the Southwest Poison Forest, potentially capable of cultivating blood and killing poisonous insects.

Jiang Qiaosheng's reaction was okay, but Xueke's excitement was hard to contain. Surrounded by the silent, anxious gazes of the black-clad assassins, Wen Yao woke up early the next day and brought Wang Fu and Jiang Qiaosheng with him to visit Princess Yong.

She didn't want Zhao Xuanxu to follow her.

Wen Yao cleared his throat and said seriously, "Comrade Zhao, you don't have to go. You have nothing to say to Prince Yong anyway. The organization has another important and difficult task to assign to you."

Bai Rang was carrying Wang Fu's medicine box. Upon hearing this, Xue Ke, who had turned around and asked again, was puzzled and whispered, "What is a comrade? What organization?"

Zhao Xuanxu held Wen Yao's wrist, lowered his eyebrows and looked at her in a submissive manner, saying, "You speak."

"Take Bai Rang to the palace to see the emperor." Wen Yao said, "The power of the factory supervisor is tied to the imperial power, and a change of dynasty can easily lead to heavy bleeding. Song Mingde certainly doesn't want the emperor to die. He's been feeding the emperor medicine for so many years and is very experienced. It's impossible for the emperor to have problems now. I suspect that since the emperor is unconscious and the imperial physician can't find the cause, the most likely possibility is that he has also been poisoned by a Gu."

The previous dynasty had been plagued by a witchcraft scandal, which spread to much of the court. Unlike poison, witchcraft is far more mysterious and instills a deeper fear. The Tianshui Dynasty also suffered a similar scandal, which led to a deep sense of secrecy surrounding witchcraft. If Xin Man was in Prince Yong's hands, then the emperor's timely coma would be easily explained.

The Emperor's bedroom was now heavily guarded, and the only person who could enter, besides Empress Yong, was Song Mingde. Wen Yao was worried that if Zhao Xuanxu didn't go in person and just let Bai enter with a badge, it wouldn't work.

So, for the first time in more than 20 years, His Royal Highness Prince Yan showed an outburst of filial piety. Upon hearing that "Your Majesty is very worried and can't sleep at night due to anxiety", he went to the palace to visit in person.

Zhao Xuanxu went to the palace, and Wen Yao was standing at the gate of the East Palace. He kept his promise before the city gate and brought the miracle doctor to visit Princess Yong.

Ever since the emperor of this dynasty ascended the throne, the Eastern Palace had been empty until Prince Yong's grand arrival. When Wen Yao arrived, Prince Yong was not in the Eastern Palace, or rather, after receiving the news that Zhao Xuanxu and his men had broken into the emperor's bedroom, Prince Yong rushed into the palace without stopping.

Between father and wife, King Yong finally chose his father.

Jiang Qiaosheng, dressed in a ruqun and with her hair tied in a bun, looked like a maid, unusually well-behaved, following Wen Yao with her brows lowered. The Eastern Palace was enormous, but Wen Yao couldn't wander around. Xu's maid came out to greet them, standing at the door and saying that the princess couldn't stand the wind. She then led Wen Yao and the others to the bedroom.

Along the way, Princess Yong's maid was very warm to Wang Fu, and her eyes were full of hope that Wang Fu would take care of the princess's health and let her give birth to a child for His Highness, so that he would have someone to rely on in the future and would not be troubled by the Queen every time.

Wen Yao naturally saw through her thoughts but said nothing. Unlike Prince Yong, Xu Shi impressed Wen Yao. She was gentle and resilient, the epitome of a gentle and graceful lady. Besides her purpose in finding Xin Man in the second most prestigious Eastern Palace, she also truly wanted Wang Fu to give Xu Shi a good look.

When she entered the palace, Xu was sitting at the table, carefully twisting her needle and thread. Beside her was a basket of embroidery needles and thread, and in her hand was an embroidered picture of spring scenery.

"I'm here." Xu smiled softly. Although her face was pale, she looked quite energetic. She asked the servants to bring cakes and tea. "Why did you come here today? It's obvious that you've been working hard lately and you deserve a good rest."

"I'm not tired." Wen Yao pointed at Wang Fu and said, "Here, miracle doctor."

Xu nodded, and with the help of her maid, she stood up and bowed gently to Wang Fu: "Trouble you."

Wang Fu waved his hand: "Alright, sit down, sit down, let me take your pulse."

In a gap that no one noticed, Jiang Qiaosheng lowered his head and retreated to the door, avoiding sight and disappearing into the darkness.

The Eastern Palace was enormous, and Wen Yao suspected finding someone there would be difficult. She summoned the same youthful spirit she had when she was drinking and chatting, and with a tone and demeanor comparable to a storyteller, she described a fascinating story of the Jianghu to a room full of the wealthy and powerful in Bianliang City. She spoke until her mouth was dry, and the whole room listened with rapt attention.

When she stopped talking and lowered her head to drink water, she raised her eyes and met Jiang Qiaosheng's gaze which was also full of amazement.

Wen Yao almost spit out the water in her mouth.

Found the person so quickly?

Jiang Qiaosheng narrowed his eyes and gently hooked the fingers hanging by his side.

"Commander Wen?" Xu was unusually curious, her tone innocent. "What happened to that gambler? Did he have money to treat his wife's illness?"

Wen Yao shook his head.

She remembered that the man's gambling addiction grew stronger and stronger, and his luck was quite good, winning most of the time. However, he eventually forgot that he had initially gambled to pay for his wife's medical treatment, and he became completely addicted to the casino, becoming a gambler. Even after his wife died, he continued gambling, and eventually had both of his arms chopped off. He died one winter at his steamed bun stall.

"I thought he was a love-struck man, but I didn't expect him to be like this." Xu was shocked, and then sighed deeply: "In life, there are too many things we want, and too many things we can't keep."

Wang Fu had a different view: "What's with being infatuated? It's just the result of vulgarity and greed."

The waitress beside her came to her senses and hurriedly asked, "By the way, doctor, how is the princess's health?"

Wang Fu: "He is born weak. If you take good care of him, he will be fine."

Xu bit her lip, feeling a little embarrassed to speak: "Then, what about the heir?"

Wang Fu glanced at her and said, "Think carefully. You can have a baby if you take some restorative measures, but it will be extremely difficult and dangerous. Your body will be so depleted that it won't be able to be replenished."

"It's fine! It's fine!" Mrs. Xu said quickly, "Let's ask the miracle doctor to treat me first. I know what to do next."

"Okay." Wang Fu stroked his beard, respecting the patient's choice, and quickly wrote out a prescription: "Take it as described. Stay out of the wind and move more. As for all kinds of spices and rouge, use less of anything with lead."

The maid cautiously extended her hands to take the prescription. Xu was so relieved that she insisted on inviting Wen Yao to dinner. Wen Yao glanced at Jiang Qiaosheng and found an excuse to decline. After the group left and turned to walk out of the East Palace Gate, she immediately pulled Jiang Qiaosheng over and asked, "Why are you back so soon?"

"I'm familiar with this place. It used to be close to the palace, deserted, and the scenery was nice. I often came here when I was scouting." Jiang Qiaosheng said frankly, "There are several dungeons and darkrooms here. I know more about them than Zhao Xuanfeng."

Wen Yao frowned and said in a serious tone, "Did you really find the person? Is he in the East Palace?"

"There's a place beneath the Garden Lake where a woman is imprisoned with a giant scorpion."

"That's Xin Man," Wen Yao said decisively. Then, noticing Jiang Qiaosheng's choice of words, she paused and asked, "Why do you say 'guan'?"

"What else?" Jiang Qiaosheng looked at her curiously, "In a water dungeon, with chains around your neck, like a dog, what else could it be but a prison?"