If she agrees to the old man's request, she will be destined to never be with Su Qingcai again; if she doesn't agree, she might die in front of Su Qingcai.
Being caught in a dilemma leaves one with no choice.
Su Xiaoning reached out and hugged Su Qingcai back. She silently buried her face in the crook of his neck, savoring his unique scent as if it were her last memory.
The two embraced quietly, the atmosphere very warm. Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came, and Bai Hua rushed into the house, panting heavily and unsteady on his feet.
"You were in such a hurry to see her, didn't you even wait for me... Hey? She's already awake?"
Bai Hua stared in surprise at Su Xiaoning, who seemed to be fine now. He walked over in a few steps, took Su Xiaoning's hand, and took her pulse.
After a moment, he lowered his hand, his expression very serious.
"When you were unconscious before, I took your pulse. It was erratic and irregular, and there was an inexplicable burning sensation in your body. Now, when I take your pulse again, it's still the same, but there's some kind of energy in your body that has suppressed that burning sensation. Is this the medical skill of the Old Man of the Crane...?"
"Irritability?" Su Xiaoning was taken aback and subconsciously touched her chest.
She could clearly feel her heart beating weakly and slowly, with a dull ache in it. Where did this nameless anger come from?
Seeing the worried look on Su Xiaoning's face, Bai Hua quickly comforted her, "Don't be afraid. Since the old crane has the ability to suppress it, there's definitely nothing to worry about later. Now that you're awake, he should have already agreed to save you, right? Just tell him what he needs; the Prince's Mansion can afford it."
"Hmm." Su Xiaoning forced a smile, but didn't reveal the old man's true condition. It was better for her to bear some things herself.
Neither Bai Hua nor Su Qingcai noticed anything amiss. They were both overjoyed, happy that Su Xiaoning was saved. Su Xiaoning maintained her smile, concealing the worry in her eyes.
...
The group stayed in the bamboo house for several days. During this time, the old man brought medicine to them regularly every day. However, he seemed to be deliberately keeping Su Xiaoning on the hook instead of curing her completely. Her pulse was still irregular, and the nameless anger in her chest was still simmering.
As time went on, Su Qingcai sensed something was wrong. When he saw Su Xiaoning in pain and looking distressed again, he couldn't help but want to ask the old man for clarification.
"Don't go..." Su Xiaoning endured the pain and grabbed Su Qingcai, who was running out, with a pleading expression on her face.
"But what exactly does this old crane want? Didn't he promise to save you?" Su Qingcai growled, not daring to provoke Su Xiaoning, and could only obediently stand still.
Su Xiaoning understood why. She closed her eyes sadly and said in a muffled voice, "Don't worry about these things. I'll go talk to him."
Some things she had to face eventually, and she had to make the decisions herself.
Su Qingcai stared at Su Xiaoning, hesitant to speak. He always felt that Su Xiaoning was hiding something from him, but he couldn't get any answers by asking. He could only watch helplessly as she dragged her ailing body to go out to find the old man.
As Su Xiaoning reached the door, Su Qingcai swallowed hard and called out to her.
"You'll still be with me, right?"
Su Xiaoning paused, remained silent for a long while, and then softly said "Mmm" in a voice so low it was almost inaudible.
She dared not look back at Su Qingcai's expression, and fled the bamboo house as if escaping, afraid that she would shed tears in front of him.
She wandered through the mist like a lost soul. When she came to her senses, she had reached the edge of the Spirit Lake, where the old man sat on a bamboo chair, smiling at her.
"Have you thought it through?"
"I..." Su Xiaoning opened her mouth, her heart consumed by immense pain, "Can't you offer a different price?"
She tried to struggle a little more, but the old man said expressionlessly, "No, I only have this one condition. You can only agree or disagree."
Su Xiaoning's face paled. She tried her best to steady her trembling body and tentatively asked, "I promise you, but can I come back to fulfill my promise later? Su Qingcai still needs me, and I want to help him stabilize before leaving. Don't worry, I won't break my word, and I will definitely come back then."
This was a compromise she had come up with after thinking about it for a long time. Besides this, she didn't know of any other good way to balance Su Qingcai and the Crane Elder.
To her surprise, the old man showed no surprise. He shook his pipe and said calmly, "I expected you to say that. I'm not an aggressive person. Let's compromise. Your suggestion is not bad."
"You agreed?" Su Xiaoning breathed a sigh of relief, her tense body finally relaxing.
The old man nodded: "I believe in your character, and I hope you won't disappoint me. I will come to treat you tonight, but your condition is somewhat special and cannot be cured for the time being."
"Is there any disease in this world that you can't cure? What is the cause of my illness?" Su Xiaoning frowned, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.
The old man squinted and said in a deep voice, "To tell you the truth, your illness was actually caused by a forbidden technique. This kind of forbidden technique is extremely dangerous. It can forcibly change your fortune and transfer the koi fish mark from your body to someone else. If it weren't for your strong luck, you probably wouldn't just be unconscious; you would have died on the spot during the removal process."
"The power of this forbidden technique comes from the blessing of the child spirit. The person who harmed you sacrificed a child to steal the mark. I can cure your illness, but if the other party is still malicious and tries to harm you again, the damage you suffer will only be more severe than it is now. That's why I said it cannot be cured. The only solution is to find the child who was sacrificed. You will still have a chance to save your life and get the mark back."
The old man spoke in a calm tone, but his words sent chills down Su Xiaoning's spine.
This is appalling! How could anyone do something so heinous?!
Thinking of Qin Yunyun, who was currently full of vigor and confidence, Su Xiaoning turned pale and clenched her fists.
"I know now. She would use such a cruel and inhumane method to steal my koi fish mark! How could she do this? The children are innocent..."
She was so angry that she trembled all over, the dull pain in her chest grew stronger and stronger, and her legs shook so badly that she could hardly stand.
The old man sighed softly, stood up, and helped Su Xiaoning up: "Don't get too angry. You must not get angry with this illness, otherwise it will disturb your mind and cause your blood and qi to flow in reverse. Even a god can't save you then. Go back first, and we can discuss the rest later."
“…Okay.” Su Xiaoning responded sullenly, knowing that she needed to plan this further. She tried to calm herself down and returned to the bamboo house with the old man, her heart full of worries.
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