Chapter 75 A Dream: The Price
Or, a desperate battle.
When Tang Yu sighed, her tone remained calm and her expression unchanged. Only the night breeze slipped into the room through the cracks in the window frame, gently stirring the blood-stained hem of her clothes.
The room wasn't quiet at the moment, and Tang Yang and Tang Ge kept talking non-stop, which made Tang Yiqing notice her unusual behavior.
Tang Yu lacked her usual intense emotions; even her breathing was barely audible, and she seemed to have lost all warmth, like a puppet who had lost its soul.
Tang Yiqing stepped forward, carefully took Tang Yu's hand, and took her pulse again.
She withdrew her hand, stared at Tang Yu who was expressionless, and said with a hint of probing, "Your pulse seems a little strange."
So calm, as if he had never been seriously injured.
Before Tang Yu could answer, her two younger brothers beside her became nervous and immediately surrounded her to check.
"What's wrong with his pulse?" Tang Yang's face was full of worry.
Tang Ge also tried to check the pulse, and asked in confusion, "Huh? It seems normal."
Tang Yang pushed him away in dissatisfaction, muttering, "You're not good at medicine, let me try."
The two were really arguing, and Tang Yiqing had no choice but to use the excuse of checking when Si Huo and the others would arrive to kick them out.
Tang Yiqing only turned around after the two had run far away.
She first glanced at Xie Xingzheng, who seemed to have something to say, and was about to ask when Tang Yu gave the answer first.
"I am not a complete person now."
"What do you mean?" Tang Yiqing asked, puzzled.
"The reason my wounds were able to heal is because I merged with the Gu."
Tang Yu spoke very calmly, without even a tremor in her eyelashes, as if it were no big deal.
"And the price is becoming someone without feelings..." She paused, unsure of what words to use to describe herself now.
Xie Xingzheng, who had been sitting quietly by the couch, swallowed hard, wanting to speak up and explain for Tang Yu.
Unexpectedly, a gentle word of comfort came from Tang Yiqing's mouth: "It's okay."
She didn't ask any further questions, but just sighed softly, "No wonder you're too lazy to even cry out in pain."
Unexpectedly, Tang Yu was stunned for a moment by such words of concern. Her curled eyelashes drooped slightly, obscuring her calm eyes.
Seeing that Tang Yu didn't speak, Tang Yiqing took the initiative to reach out and shake her hand.
"Besides, Doctor Si will be here soon."
She deliberately put on a light tone, "She's quite knowledgeable about Gu magic in the Southern Frontier, she'll definitely be able to come up with a solution."
Tang Yu gave a soft "hmm," and as if to reassure her, she even slightly curled the corners of her lips.
The calamity came faster than expected.
A series of hurried footsteps came from the front yard. The group looked in the direction of the sound and saw Si Huo being dragged into the yard by two children from the Tang family, one on each side.
Following behind her were Xiao Fangliang and Wang Shanyue, as well as a group of officials from the Xia Nan government.
The leader was Xue Qingshu, the prefect of Xia Nan.
He shamelessly followed behind Xiao Fangliang, showing no trace of the demeanor of a courtier of the Great Xia Dynasty.
As soon as he entered the door, he knelt down in front of Xie Xingzheng, his face plastered with a fearful smile.
"General Xie, you're finally back! I, Xia Nan, finally have someone to rely on again!" He said excitedly, as if every word came from the bottom of his heart.
"How has the situation in the city been these past few days?" Xie Xingzheng asked in a low voice.
Xue Qingshu hurriedly replied, "Thanks to the miraculous skills of Physician Si and the valiant soldiers of the Xie family, the epidemic in the city has now been brought under control, and the chaos caused by the Gu people has been completely quelled. It seems that soon, Xia Nan City will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel!"
While these words may seem somewhat exaggerated and boastful, they do indicate that the situation is currently under control.
Even so, Xie Xingzheng did not truly relax.
The plague spread by Nan Yue has been temporarily resolved, but it has also resulted in the loss of many Gu people. At the same time, they have also lost the "Moon Dream" they worked so hard to obtain, leaving them almost completely weakened and their defeat inevitable.
However, his intention to overthrow the country is now crystal clear, and there are only two paths he can take:
He abandoned his years of planning, cut his losses, and retreated into seclusion, waiting for the future.
Or, fight a desperate battle with no way out.
Xie Xingzheng understood.
Nan Yue would never willingly give up the plans she had laid out over the past decade and choose to start all over again.
The other small countries in the southern border regions are now also poised for action, with no choice but to act.
His expression darkened slightly, and he asked in a low voice, "Have you made any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?"
Upon hearing this, Xue Qingshu immediately stood up, gestured to the servants behind him to fetch the secret report, and then handed it to Xie Xingzheng.
Xie Xingzheng unfolded the book, quickly read it, then frowned slightly and murmured, "...An Yun?"
Xiao Fangliang's expression was solemn as he explained, "We found that Nan Yue and An Yun have been secretly seeing each other frequently since the Floating Light Ceremony."
“More importantly,” he paused, “An Yun has quietly mobilized troops from several neighboring countries over the past half month and has moved closer to Xia Nan.”
“Those rebels and traitors of Nan Yue have no soldiers to spare. It seems they intend to use the Xia Nan Gu calamity to allow these small southern states to take advantage of the situation and attack Xia Nan,” Xue Qingshu quickly interjected.
At this point, he looked at Xie Xingzheng ingratiatingly and said with a smile, "But General Xie has already relieved Xia Nan's predicament. Now our situation is much better, so I think they won't dare to act rashly."
Tang Yu slightly raised her eyes, but her voice was chillingly cold, "Nan Yue won't let this go so easily."
Xue Qingshu was stunned for a moment, then immediately became displeased with her words, "Xia Nan County's military strength is not weak, and now it is also aided by the Xie family army. Do you think they would dare to launch a direct attack?"
Tang Yu looked at Xue Qingshu and said slowly, "But what Nan Yue is best at is not winning head-on, but using the 'sacrifice' of others to create an opportunity for herself to win."
"As for what price the other small countries in the southern border will pay, they won't care."
Moreover, Nan Yue had already staked everything.
At this moment, Wang Shanyue couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that these small countries in the southern borderlands would really use the blood of their soldiers to pave the way for Nan Yue?"
Xie Xingzheng said coldly, "Then we'll have to see what Nan Yue used to persuade them back then."
The air inside the room instantly became stagnant.
After a moment, Xie Xingzheng continued, "Nan Yue's plans have never been limited to the Southern Frontier. From the case of the human-faced dog to the beauty market in Zhongjing, I discovered in my post-incident investigation that Nan Yue's influence within the Great Xia territory is not to be underestimated and cannot be achieved overnight."
"Perhaps... they have other plans."
There were some things he didn't say very clearly.
For example, how did this group of people from the fallen Southern Moon Kingdom manage to infiltrate the Great Xia Kingdom so quickly without alerting the imperial court, and successfully set up this scheme?
For example, were the southern border states, which seemed to be being used, forced into the game, or did they do it voluntarily?
Perhaps, behind Nan Yue, who seems to be in control of everything, there are other forces at play.
Upon hearing General Xie's words, the prefect couldn't help but feel a little flustered and hurriedly asked, "Then what should we do?"
Xie Xingzheng's tone was low but steady: "Be prepared for the imminent great battle."
The autumn wind swirled the fallen leaves in the courtyard, bringing a chill that seemed to foreshadow an impending storm.
Although everyone in the room already had their suspicions, they still couldn't help but look grim when they heard Ming's words.
"We'll discuss the specific city defense arrangements in detail in the side hall," Xie Xingzheng said.
Then, he turned to look at Tang Yu, his gaze softening unconsciously.
"This place will be left to Doctor Si to examine Tang Yu."
After speaking, he solemnly clasped his hands in a salute to Si Huo.
Si Huo smiled and nodded in response, but couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Because she could see that Tang Yu in front of her could hardly be called a "human" anymore.
The doctor who performed the diagnosis was extremely fast.
Xie Xingzheng, on the other hand, had not even finished explaining the subsequent defense arrangements to the prefect when she came out of the room.
He felt a vague unease, and his knuckles turned white from squeezing too hard.
"How...is she?"
Because the prefect was still alive, Si Huo did not explain the matter of removing the Gu worms in too much detail, only vaguely saying, "I do have a method."
Although it was good news, her face showed no joy, but rather a heavy expression.
Xie Xingzheng sensed something was amiss and pressed for an answer: "What method is it?"
Si Huo remained silent for a moment before solemnly speaking: "This method is extremely risky. During the treatment, someone with strong internal energy like you will be needed to protect her heart meridian."
She paused for two breaths, her expression extremely serious, "If you are disturbed during this time, or if you fail to control it well... not only Tang Yu, but you will also suffer the backlash."
"It's possible that all his meridians were severed, causing him to die on the spot."
Suddenly, the room became eerily quiet.
Si Huo sighed, "If only I were in the Tang Clan right now, both the environment and the protectors would be safe and secure enough, and I wouldn't be so worried. But now, there's going to be a war here, and the situation is destined to be unstable, but..."
She was both troubled and helpless, and advised, "Tang Yu's matter cannot be delayed, otherwise..."
Before he could finish speaking...
"I can."
Although Xie Xingzheng's voice was soft, it was firm and unwavering.
Even if a more comprehensive method could be devised, even if this method would have unpredictable consequences.
But right now, he doesn't think it's that important.
Si Huo was slightly taken aback, but quickly regained his senses and a smile appeared on his lips: "Then I'll go and prepare."
Before turning away, she solemnly added, "I will do my best."
Xue Qingshu, who was standing beside him, was anxious to persuade him, but Xie Xingzheng stopped him without saying a word.
He then steered the conversation back to Xia Nan's defenses and military affairs.
It was as if he wasn't the one who made the life-or-death promise.
*
The stars were blurry and hung in the gloomy night sky.
Xie Xingzheng stood in the empty, unlit corridor, letting the cool breeze tousle his ink-black hair, his gaze seemingly fixed on nowhere.
Tang Yu had just bathed and changed into clean clothes. She happened to meet Si Huo, who had just finished brewing the medicine, so she took it from him and followed the figure under the corridor.
"Xie Xingzheng, medicine."
The two were about an arm's length apart, neither too close nor too far, yet they could both smell each other's scent.
For Xie Xingzheng, it was the warmth of soapberry fragrance; while for Tang Yu, it was the faint stench of blood spreading from his wound.
For some reason, she didn't like the smell.
Tang Yu looked at the location of the wound on his back and calmly commented, "This wound of yours will probably leave a scar."
"It's alright."
Xie Xingzheng didn't care. He took the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp, a hint of surprise flashing across his face, but he quickly looked at it with relief.
"I almost forgot, the medicine from your Tang Clan is sweet."
Tang Yu did not speak.
The faint smell of blood mixed with the fragrance of medicine inexplicably bothered her. Although she should not have liked it, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Perhaps it was because that wound was left to protect her.
"Is your medicine sweet too?" Xie Xingzheng suddenly asked.
"Yue Qimeng doesn't care whether the medicine is sweet or bitter," Tang Yu said calmly and softly. "But they won't brew bitter medicine for Tang Yu."
Xie Xingzheng silently curled the corners of his lips.
Even with "Yue Qimeng" by his side, he could still feel Tang Yu's unique warmth.
Tang Yu turned her head, her emerald eyes sweeping over him, but she couldn't decipher the smile in his eyes.
She thought that if it were Tang Yu, she would definitely be able to understand those emotions.
"Why did you agree to Si Huo's request?" she asked.
"Because I want to bring you back. And I don't want you to face fate alone."
Xie Xingzheng spoke casually, as if he didn't care about the possibility of death at all.
Tang Yu's chest tightened suddenly, but her voice remained steady: "If Si Huo can't deal with Qi Meng, will you... kill me?"
Xie Xingzheng was taken aback and did not answer immediately.
He took two steps closer, meeting Tang Yu's gaze. In the darkness, a clear determination shone in his dark eyes.
Then, without the slightest hesitation.
"Won't."
Tang Yu was stunned and involuntarily took a step back.
Xie Xingzheng reached out to pull her, but stopped just before touching her, remembering that she had said "Don't touch me," and ultimately withdrew his hand.
"But I hope that one day..."
He suppressed the emotions welling up in his chest, his voice low and hoarse, "There are some things I can tell you in person."
The intoxicating moonlight poured down.
The two people, who had no contact with each other, had their shadows stretched out long and long, quietly overlapping and intertwining.
[Author's Note]
The revisions won't change the plot, only the sentence descriptions. (Heart emoji)
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