The hand continued to tighten, forcing Song Ting to tilt his head back. The suffocating pain made him unconsciously furrow his brows, but he did not struggle at all, defying his survival instinct.
It all depends on whether Chu Huaixu decides to kill him or let him live.
This person is always like this, showing a submissive demeanor in front of him, as if he would immediately die for him at his command.
In reality, however, she valued her life more than anyone else. In order to survive, she betrayed him and used him without hesitation, crushing his sincere feelings under her feet.
Chu Huaixu truly... hated him to the core.
"Song Ting, do you really think I wouldn't bear to kill you?" The neck beneath his palm was actually quite thin; even though Chu Huaixu was now a cripple who had lost all his power, he could still snap it off.
Song Ting simply looked at him with those devout and infatuated eyes.
Unable to bear such a gaze, Chu Huaixu raised his hand and covered it, warning fiercely, "Don't look at me like that! Song Ting! Don't look at me like that, it makes me feel disgusted..."
His tone grew increasingly cold, and his expression, illuminated by the bitter wind and rain and the flickering candlelight, truly resembled that of a vengeful ghost seeking death.
But suddenly, Chu Huaixu's voice stopped abruptly.
He couldn't speak. In that instant, he felt a metallic taste in his throat, followed by an indescribable pain and waves of cold sweat.
In an instant, it felt as if countless sharp blades were cutting into his internal organs and all parts of his body. The pain was so intense that his ears were ringing, and he could barely hear any other sounds or see anything clearly.
Under such excruciating pain, he could no longer hold onto the severed neck in his hand, and his body began to sway.
"Cough cough cough... cough cough..." The sudden influx of air made Song Ting cough instinctively, and the hand covering her eyes was abruptly removed.
Song Ting opened her eyes in confusion, only to see Chu Huaixu covered in cold sweat, his jaw clenched, and his white shirt soaked with blood gushing from his mouth.
His heart stopped.
Then she suddenly stood up: "Mingyu!" Her face turned deathly pale. "What's wrong with you?!"
Chu Huaixu was already unconscious. He seemed to be in great pain, his body curled up in agony, his legs trembling as he kicked and thrashed on the ground, his bloodless face showing a faint bluish-gray tinge.
It felt as if the life force within my body was being drained away inch by inch.
Song Ting's breath caught in his throat. He had no idea what was happening. He wanted to hug Chu Huaixu, but he didn't know where Chu Huaixu was injured.
All that could be seen was a continuous stream of crimson blood. It was overflowing from Chu Huaixu's mouth.
Song Ting froze, her whole body stiff: "Mingyu!" "Mingyu!" "Mingyu, look at me, look at me..."
...
Wang Guanghe was old and easily tired at night. After administering acupuncture to the Empress Dowager, he leaned against the couch in the outer room and dozed off.
A moment later, someone burst in, startling Wang Guanghe awake: "You, you are..."
He recognized the other person; it was the bodyguard who served Song Ting.
Before he could ask another question, he was pulled up from the bed: "I'd like to trouble you, Chief Physician Wang, to come with me!"
Perhaps finding the old physician's legs and feet unsteady, he said "Excuse me" and then simply picked him up and hoisted him onto his back, speeding all the way to Chu Huaixu's room.
The situation was urgent, and Xiao Wu didn't have time to explain anything. Wang Guanghe was also too shaken to ask questions, but as soon as he saw the person lying on the bed, he immediately understood everything.
"Greetings, Commander." He greeted him warmly. "Has something happened to the young master?"
"Thank you for your trouble, Headmaster Wang." Song Ting nodded. His expression was anything but pleasant, as if he might draw his sword and kill someone at any moment.
Wang Guanghe didn't dare to delay. After catching his breath, he stepped forward to take the person's pulse.
After not seeing him for several months, this person's health had deteriorated considerably. Wang Guanghe secretly glanced at the expression on the dark-faced, menacing man's face, already considering how to speak without provoking his anger.
His little actions naturally did not escape Song Ting's notice. The latter lowered his eyelids and met Wang Guanghe's gaze: "If you have something to say, please speak frankly. I trust you."
He trusted Wang Guanghe, but Wang Guanghe dared not take his words seriously. He carefully chose his words and said, "My lord, in my humble opinion, the young master seems to have been... poisoned by some kind of curse."
Even though she had prepared herself mentally, Song Ting's eyes still turned cold at the old doctor's words.
How could it be a Gu poison?
Who would cast a spell on Huai Xu?
"But strangely, when this old minister examined the young master's pulse last time, he didn't find anything unusual, so..."
This indicates that the Gu poison was planted later by someone.
After Huai Xu came to his side, and even after he entered Chang'an, right under his nose.
Was Huaixu aware of this?
Who did this to him?
Are they members of the Red Lotus Cult?
How dare they?
How could that be?
They all deserve to die.
If it really is the Red Lotus Cult, he will wipe this organization out completely.
The person was right under his nose, with his bodyguards constantly by his side, yet someone still managed to find an opportunity.
Overwhelming anger made Song Ting's body tense like a string, ready to snap at the slightest carelessness; her face was extremely cold.
Wang Guanghe glanced at him, momentarily speechless.
After a while, Song Ting slammed his fist heavily on the table beside him, and the tabletop shattered into pieces in an instant.
Wang Guanghe was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and knelt down at his feet.
Wang Guanghe, who frequently visited the palace, knew all too well how tyrannical and capricious this commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was. Looking at the collapsed table, he seemed to have a premonition of his own fate.
The person on the bed seemed to be startled, and frowned uneasily. Song Ting immediately felt a pang of anxiety and looked over abruptly.
Cracks finally appeared on his face, which seemed to be covered with a thousand years of frost, as if Chu Huaixu's tightly furrowed brows had deeply wounded him.
Therefore, the anger in his eyes became even more profound, as if all the anger in the world had condensed there, ready to burn everything around him to ashes.
But in no time, the flames of anger disintegrated, as if they could no longer hold on, revealing a hint of desolation.
He turned his head to look at Chu Huaixu, revealing sharp lines. His whole body was like a knife, extremely sharp and thin, yet the blade mercilessly pierced into his own chest.
It twisted a heart until it was a bloody mess.
This knife will hurt others, but it will hurt the user even more.
Wang Guanghe watched from the side, feeling an indescribable sense of dread. He dared not utter a word.
After a long while, Song Ting slowly spoke again: "Could the head of the academy identify what kind of Gu it is?"
Wang Guanghe shook his head and said tremblingly, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, sir. This old minister is incompetent and not skilled in the matter of Gu poison. I can't tell for the time being."
"Your Excellency, please rise. I'm sorry to trouble you." Song Ting grasped the slightly cool hand of the person on the bed, her gaze falling on Wang Guanghe's face. "However, I do have something that Your Excellency needs to help with."
Wang Guanghe's heart skipped a beat, and he said respectfully, "Please speak, sir..."
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