Chapter 55 Five-Petaled Netherworld Flower
"Why did you come to see me so late?" Valley Master Han sighed. "The princess's body is severely depleted, her internal organs are failing, and there's nothing we can do to save her!"
Xiao Sui shook his head, his lips trembling. "Impossible. Please think of a way."
"Alas, even I am powerless to help," Valley Master Han sighed. "Now we can only cherish these last moments and ensure the princess has no regrets."
Xiao Sui's face was extremely pale, and he staggered, grabbing the door frame for support.
Seeing his expression, Master Han felt a pang of pity. “I know you can’t accept it, but the princess’s health is indeed deteriorating too quickly. It must have been caused by some external factors. I’ll write another prescription that’s more effective than Chu Fengnian’s. Let the princess take it first; it might prolong her life a bit, but don’t have too high expectations.”
Xiao Sui knelt down with a thud, "Thank you."
Valley Master Han quickly helped him up, saying, "Good child, there's no need for that. This is all I can do."
Suddenly he paused, as if remembering something, and straightened Xiao Sui's body. "I just remembered a prescription that can extend the life of a dying person by five to ten years, but..."
Xiao Sui suddenly raised her head and immediately grabbed his arm as if grasping at a lifeline, "Please tell me."
Master Han hesitated for a moment, then sighed, “But this prescription requires the heart’s blood as a medicinal ingredient, which consumes the life of others. It is basically a life-for-life method. Of course, for a princess, this is not a difficult thing. The most difficult thing is that one of the medicinal ingredients is called the Five-Petaled Netherworld Flower, which is extremely rare and can only be found in the Ten Thousand Demon Cave.”
“It’s alright, I’ll go find it,” Xiao Sui said without hesitation. “You just need to give me the prescription.”
"No, you don't understand," Valley Master Han continued. "Entering the Ten Thousand Demon Cave is already a matter of life and death, and these Netherworld Flowers are not only rare, but they also grow in places where demons are densely populated. The number of petals is mostly three or a multiple of three, so finding a five-petaled one is almost impossible. Only more than five hundred years ago, a Mahayana stage expert successfully found one and saved his lover, but unfortunately he was seriously injured and died soon after."
He looked at Xiao Sui and said, "I can sense that your cultivation level is at the Nascent Soul stage, which is two realms away from the Mahayana stage. If you insist on going, it will be no different from sending yourself to your death. Are you sure you still want that prescription?"
Xiao Sui nodded firmly, "I want it."
After a long silence, Valley Master Han said, "Alright, I'll tell you once, make sure you remember it well."
"good."
Zhizhi came in and told Master Han that the princess was looking for him.
When Master Han left, he wrote out the prescription again and handed it to Zhizhi. When he turned around and saw the young man's serious expression, he really regretted it. What was the difference between this and encouraging him to die?
He knew he shouldn't have said it; he never expected that he wouldn't have hesitated even for a moment.
Zhizhi picked up the prescription and was shocked when she saw the Netherworld Flower on it. "Isn't this flower only grown in the Cave of Ten Thousand Demons? You don't want to go to that hellish place, do you?"
"yes."
"That place is a one-way trip!" Zhizhi exclaimed anxiously. "No, I have to tell the princess."
Xiao Sui did not stop her, but only said, "Do you want the princess to stop me?"
"Of course, I definitely can't let you go to your death," Zhizhi said without hesitation.
"Do you want to see the princess die from physical exhaustion six months from now?"
Zhizhi stopped and fell silent.
“My life is worthless. It’s a good deal to exchange mine for the princess.” Xiao Sui walked up to Zhizhi with a calm expression.
Zhizhi stared at him blankly, then stamped her foot on the spot, "Then, if something happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to the princess?"
"I will not die until I find the Five-Petaled Netherworld Flower," Xiao Sui assured him.
Zhizhi hesitated for a long time before finally putting the prescription into her bosom. "I understand. I won't tell the princess. How do you plan to go? That place is far away. How am I supposed to explain to the princess if you're gone for too long?"
“It won’t be long.” Xiao Sui seemed to have thought everything through. “There is a teleportation array that leads directly to Master Jingyan. Valley Master Han and I have already agreed on our story.”
“Alright,” Zhizhi said. “You decide for yourself. Don’t leave for too long, don’t get hurt, and don’t let the princess find out.”
Xiao Sui nodded.
——
Ning Qi invited Valley Master Han to sit down on a chair to the side and asked bluntly, "Is my condition not very good?"
Master Han's heart was pounding, but he smiled and said, "Why would the princess think that way? Your body only needs some rest to recover."
Ning Qi looked at him and said, "Valley Master Han, just tell me the truth. I can accept it."
Master Han was stunned. To be honest, he didn't believe that this pampered little princess could accept that he only had less than half a year left to live. If he told her the truth, she might break down and her health would deteriorate even further.
"Just tell me directly, how much time do you have left?" Ning Qi asked again, "Is it only three or four months left?"
After pondering for a long time, Valley Master Han said, "If you are careful in everything you do and take the medicine according to the prescription I gave you, you can maintain this for half a year..."
"I understand." Ning Qi leaned back against the soft pillows. "Is there really no other way?"
"There is a prescription that can extend life by five to ten years." Master Han recalled what Xiao Sui had told him. He said that the princess was very perceptive and might see through his lie. He could just tell the princess what he had said.
He said, "It's just that collecting them is quite difficult. It requires the inner cores of fifty level-one demon beasts, thirty level-two demon beasts, and twenty level-three demon beasts."
"A total of one hundred inner cores are needed?" Ning Qi frowned. "It is indeed a bit troublesome, but I can ask Huaguang Sect for some. Please give me the prescription, and I will figure out a way."
Master Han nodded and wrote down a fake prescription. "I just gave this prescription to Xiao Sui, and he will help you find it."
“A hundred? That would be exhausting,” Ning Qi said, stroking her chin. “I’ll find someone else.”
Master Han sighed inwardly. If Xiao Sui hadn't begged him not to tell the princess the truth under any circumstances, he really wanted to say that finding the Five-Petaled Netherworld Flower would be a hundred times more difficult than killing a hundred demonic beasts.
The princess wouldn't even let Xiao Sui do these things, let alone the real medicine prescription.
He couldn't help but feel sorry for the two of them.
After seeing Valley Master Han off, Ning Xi was in relatively good spirits. She spent some time reading the precautions he left for recuperating her health, which were nothing more than basic health preservation methods such as going to bed early and getting up early, eating on time, eating a light diet, and exercising moderately. However, these methods were probably not very effective for her current health.
She looked at the prescription again.
"I don't believe such a simple method can extend your lifespan," the system said.
Ning Qi shrugged. "Let's try anything, even if it's a dead end. Valley Master Han is already the best doctor in the mortal realm. If his methods don't work, then my body is completely beyond help."
She wasn't entirely convinced of the prescription, but she had to try it, as it was the only option.
If all else fails, she will have to face her destined end, and she will not die silently like in the original book.
She did not regret her choice, nor was she afraid of her impending death.
Xiao Sui returned to the house, and before he could speak, Ning Qi called Qian Yu and asked her to find Yan Chongyan.
Xiao Sui paused, wanting to say something, but Ning Qi pressed her lips to his, "Let's talk when he gets here."
His face darkened considerably, probably because he thought she still harbored feelings for Yan Chongyan.
Ning Qi smiled slightly, wanting to tease him, and deliberately didn't mention her own plans.
Yan Chongyan arrived a stick later than the agreed time, looking like he was unwilling to stay any longer. "What does the princess want with me?"
Ning Qi glanced at Xiao Sui, who was sitting next to her and had little presence, and said to Yan Chongyan, "I need one hundred demon cores. I'll give you the specific requirements in a bit, and you can find them for me."
“Princess,” Yan Chongyan said in an official manner, “the demon cores we obtained after returning from our missions will all be sent to the alchemy room to purify their demonic energy and then be refined into pills for cultivation. Everyone needs them. Even though you are of noble status, we cannot make an exception for you and give you so many demon cores alone.”
Ning Qi propped her head up with her hand, and before she could speak, Xiao Sui said, "I will find you a demon core."
Yan Chongyan frowned unhappily.
“No need.” Ning Qi stood up and walked closer to Yan Chongyan, looking up at his cold and stern face. “I’m about to die and need these one hundred demon cores to prolong my life.”
"Don't joke around," Yan Chongyan said in surprise.
"If you don't believe me, go ask Valley Master Han. I can't possibly conspire with him to deceive you." Ning Qi returned to her chair, her posture languid. "Can you find it for me or not?"
"I need to confirm this..."
"I told you so! You're my fiancé, but you do absolutely nothing," Ning Qi interrupted him impatiently. "Fine, if you can't do it, then forget it. I'll just..."
"Alright, I'll find it for you." Yan Chongyan said, his face grim and his fists clenched.
Ning Qi then smiled and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you."
Xiao Sui stepped forward, "Princess, I can also help you..."
"You have no right to speak here," Yan Chongyan rebuked, turning his head to the side.
"Of course there is." Ning Qi held out her hand, beckoning Xiao Sui over.
Xiao Sui immediately knelt down beside her, took her hand, and acted like a docile large dog.
“I need Xiao Sui to be with me all the time; I can’t live without him.” Ning Qi smiled and said to Yan Chongyan, “So I can only trouble you, Senior Brother Yan. Don’t you love exorcising demons the most? This is perfect for you.”
Yan Chongyan's eyes widened, his cheeks flushed with anger, and he clenched his teeth, saying, "Princess, don't go too far."
Ning Qi didn't care at all, "A man's word is his bond, go quickly."
Yan Chongyan stood there for a moment, wanting to say something, but in the end he said nothing, and just turned and left angrily.
Ning Qi stroked Xiao Sui's palm, laughed heartily three times, and all her physical discomfort disappeared.
"Princess," Xiao Sui's deep voice came, and he looked up at her expectantly, "You... really can't live without me?"
“Of course.” Ning Qi hooked his chin, bent down, and breathed on his cheek. “Haven’t you figured it out after all this time?”
“Princess…” A choked voice rang in her ears. Xiao Sui raised his head and kissed her forehead reverently, gently and solemnly.
In the dead of night, all was quiet. Xiao Sui opened his eyes and felt the princess's even breathing. He quietly got out of bed and tucked her in.
As he was leaving, he passed by Zhizhi, who was on night watch, and said, "Take good care of the princess."
"Are you leaving already?" Zhizhi asked.
Xiao Sui nodded, and his figure quickly disappeared into the night.
He arrived at Xie Jingyan's courtyard, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he heard the sound of hidden weapons.
He easily dodged and climbed into the house.
Xie Jingyan, who hadn't rested yet, was somewhat surprised to see him. "Why are you here?"
"I want to enter the Cave of Ten Thousand Demons," Xiao Sui said.
"You've finally agreed to go?" Xie Jingyan's face lit up with joy. "Alright, I'll give you the teleportation array."
"I need another map."
"Sure," Xie Jingyan readily agreed, "but I should at least charge a fee, right?"
"I'll give you all the demon cores I obtained inside."
"Hmm," Xie Jingyan said, "How long are you going to be inside?"
“Every night.”
Xie Jingyan was taken aback. "What are you doing going in there?"
"It has nothing to do with you."
Xie Jingyan didn't press further. Regardless of the reason, as long as Xiao Sui stayed in the Ten Thousand Demon Cave for a sufficient period of time, he would surely die.
Five hundred years ago, his enemy also carried a demonic mark. After entering the Cave of Ten Thousand Demons, he could not control the surging demonic energy within and was ultimately devoured and killed.
He didn't have the chance to appreciate his own death back then, but now witnessing Xiao Sui's death firsthand should bring him the same joy.
He couldn't quite suppress the smile on his lips.
This was the only place that could kill him, yet he willingly went in.
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