The flickering candlelight inside the hall cast a warm glow on Bai Ying's plain white robes.
She lightly touched the Third Prince's brow with her fingertips, and a wisp of divine consciousness, like a gentle stream, entered his body.
The Imperial Concubine's hands, clutching the handkerchief, had turned white, her nails digging deep into her palms without her noticing. She looked at Bai Ying's slightly furrowed brows, her heart pounding like a drum. For three months, countless imperial physicians and spiritual masters had examined her, all declaring there was no cure. Could this girl be an exception?
"Strange..." Bai Ying murmured to herself. The black threads winding around the Third Prince's meridians were as thin as gossamer, yet exceptionally resilient, covering his entire body like a meticulously woven spider web. Even more bizarrely, these black threads could automatically avoid her divine sense's probe, perfectly concealing the source of the threads.
Wei Jixian, watching from the side, was horrified.
He had clearly found nothing during his previous investigation, but now, guided by Bai Ying's divine sense, he could vaguely see those black lines that were almost integrated with the flesh and blood. The exquisite skill involved was beyond the capabilities of an ordinary cultivator.
After investigating for a long time, Bai Ying finally understood why Wei Ji had said that he could not find any cause of the illness.
No one but her could have found the cause of the illness.
Because the Third Prince's symptoms were too similar to the illnesses that Bai Ying had previously treated for those Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
However, the worm on the Third Prince's body was inside him, while the worms on those Nascent Soul stage cultivators were outside their bodies.
Fortunately, these insects are not as powerful as those on Nascent Soul stage cultivators; instead, they seem to be inferior versions cultivated by certain individuals.
Bai Ying immediately released her divine sense, searching for the insect on the Third Prince's body.
Time passed second by second.
The Imperial Concubine was so nervous that she was covered in sweat. Her eyes were fixed on Bai Ying, and her heart was pounding.
After a long while, Bai Ying said to the Imperial Concubine, "I can save him."
"Really?"
The imperial concubine was so exhausted that she almost collapsed.
Those few simple words instantly brought tears to the Imperial Concubine's eyes. Her legs went weak, and she knelt before Bai Ying, pleading, "Please, Fairy, save my son! I'll give anything for him!"
Bai Ying offered a helping hand and took out a three-inch silver needle from her sleeve.
The needle was as thin as a hair, and it gleamed with a faint blue light under the candlelight.
The Third Prince's insect was hidden in his dantian. As long as a silver needle was inserted into that spot, the insect could be killed.
"This needle needs to be inserted three inches into the dantian," Bai Ying explained. "The process will be somewhat painful, but..."
Before he could finish speaking, a loud "bang" came from outside the door.
The palace doors were suddenly kicked open violently.
A young man dressed in a lake-blue brocade robe barged in, his face clearly showing anger.
The speaker was Song Wenyu, the concubine's nephew.
"Auntie! Are you confused?"
Song Wenyu rushed to the bedside in three strides and grabbed Bai Ying's wrist, which was holding the needle, without saying a word. His strength was so great that it left a red mark on Bai Ying's snow-white skin.
"Who in the capital doesn't know what kind of person Xia Qingdai is?" Song Wenyu's voice rose, his eyes full of contempt. "Just a few days ago, she fell off a cliff while flying on a sword, and now she dares to use needles on my cousin? Aren't you afraid she'll kill him?"
As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the outside of the hall.
The eunuch who had tipped him off was huddled by the door, immediately lowering his head when his eyes met. Song Wenyu sneered inwardly—if it weren't for this clever eunuch, a major disaster would have occurred today.
Thinking of Xia Yuwei's aggrieved expression whenever she mentioned her foster sister, Song Wenyu felt a surge of anger.
This Xia Qingdai is ignorant and incompetent, and loves to boast. She's always trying to steal Yuwei's things, and now this bitch dares to set her sights on her most respected third cousin!
"Guards!" Song Wenyu suddenly raised his voice and shouted sharply towards the outside of the hall, "Drag this swindling hussy out of here!"
The guards outside the palace sprang into action at the sound, their heavy footsteps approaching. Song Wenyu looked at Bai Ying smugly, only to be surprised to find no fear in her eyes. Her cold, clear gaze was eerily calm, as if she were looking at a clown.
That look sent a shiver down Song Wenyu's spine, but it was quickly replaced by rage. He tightened his grip, trying to forcibly take the silver needle: "You pretentious hussy, today I'll expose you..."
"presumptuous!"
The imperial concubine trembled with rage. "Guards! Drag this boy out!"
"aunt?"
Song Wenyu's face turned deathly pale. He never expected his aunt to treat him like this for an outsider. Meanwhile, the little eunuch who had just tipped him off huddled in the corner, trembling with fear.
Bai Ying coldly observed the farce, her silver needles remaining motionless. She suddenly spoke, "If we delay any longer, his symptoms will worsen."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over the Imperial Concubine's head. She abruptly pushed aside the people around her and bowed deeply to Bai Ying: "Please perform your magic, Fairy. I guarantee no one will dare to disturb us again."
Song Wenyu wanted to say something, but was frozen in place by a single glance from the Imperial Concubine. The ruthlessness in that gaze was something he had never seen on his gentle and quiet aunt's face.
He glanced at the Imperial Concubine, then at Xia Qingdai, and stormed out in anger.
He wanted to call his maternal grandfather over.
Fortunately, they are currently at the Third Prince's residence, not in the palace, so Grandpa can come anytime.
When his grandfather arrived, he wanted him to execute Xia Qingdai immediately!
Seeing that Song Wenyu had left, Bai Ying said no more, and her silver needle pierced into the Third Prince's navel three inches below the navel like lightning.
The moment the needle pierced his flesh, the previously unconscious Third Prince suddenly arched his body and let out a scream that was not human.
A walnut-sized bump appeared under the Third Prince's skin, frantically moving between his meridians. Bai Ying made a hand seal with her left hand, while her right hand, wielding a silver needle, followed closely, always maintaining a three-inch distance from the bump.
"Lock!" she uttered softly, and a blood-red rune suddenly appeared from her fingertip.
The runes seemed to come alive as they wrapped around the bulge, immediately slowing its movement.
Wei Ji gasped – this woman was truly ruthless; she had actually discovered the illness in the Third Prince's body. Just who was she?
Consort Qi was also stunned. Although she didn't understand cultivation, she could see that Bai Ying's skills were exquisite and that she was definitely not the ignorant and incompetent fool that everyone said she was.
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