"Miss Xin! How are you?!" You Ye was shocked to see Xin Jiuwei lying on the ground, half of her body paralyzed, her eyes red and swollen with tears, and a poisonous thorn stuck in her left shoulder.
“The antidote…I got it…” Xin Jiuwei raised her hand with difficulty, pointing to her bosom, her voice hoarse and weak, “Quickly…Quickly save His Highness…” After saying that, a strong sense of dizziness and numbness swept over her, and everything went black before her eyes, and she completely lost consciousness.
"Miss!" Xin Kui exclaimed, but the short knife she held to Qi Huaiyu's neck remained motionless.
You Ye rushed to Xin Jiuwei's side, carefully avoiding the poisonous thorns on her left shoulder, and took the black jade bottle from her bosom. He uncorked the bottle, and an extremely clear, slightly bitter medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air, diluting the smell of blood and powder in the room.
"It's the antidote! Quickly! Escort Miss Xin and...this traitor back to the city immediately!" You Ye acted decisively, clutching the jade bottle tightly as if it were a priceless treasure. He glanced at Qi Huaiyu, who was being held firmly by Xin Kui, his face contorted with pain in his hands, his eyes filled with resentment and despair, and shouted sternly, "Tie him up tightly! Gag him! Take him back! To await His Highness's judgment!"
"Yes!" The guards pounced on him like wolves, tied the struggling and screaming Qi Huaiyu up like a dumpling, and gagged him.
Xin Kui then sheathed her dagger and rushed to Xin Jiuwei's side. Looking at her pale face and the strange bluish-black wound on her left shoulder, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably: "Miss...Miss, please hold on!"
Without delay, You Ye personally carried the unconscious Xin Jiuwei, with Xin Kui guarding her closely. The guards, escorting Qi Huaiyu who was like a dead dog, quickly left the abandoned earthen house filled with the aura of death. They found the horses they had come from and galloped at top speed toward the capital city, where the lights were faintly visible.
The cold wind was still biting, but a faint glimmer of dawn was beginning to appear on the horizon.
The prince's residence was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was as heavy as frozen ice.
Outside the main bedroom, Imperial Physician Lin and his daughter Lin Wanyi stood with furrowed brows, their faces weary and grave. A group of imperial physicians surrounded them, whispering amongst themselves, all filled with anxious helplessness. Xiao Xun lay on the bed, his face ashen, his lips purplish-black, his breathing weak and rapid. Black energy emanated from the wound on his arm, spreading to his shoulder, and his entire being exuded a heavy aura of death. The Corrosive Orchid, mixed with the unknown poison from the ambush at the coffin shop, was far more potent and domineering than imagined. Imperial Physician Lin had exhausted all his knowledge, barely managing to keep his heart functioning at bay and prevent the poison from instantly attacking his heart, but as for an antidote… he had no clue. Without finding the source of the poison and without a suitable treatment, even the most skilled physicians were like a rootless duckweed.
Time ticked by, each second feeling like a countdown to Xiao Xun's death. A sense of oppressive despair enveloped the entire palace.
“Father… could it really be…” Lin Wanyi’s usually cold eyes were now filled with bloodshot veins and a sense of helplessness, her voice trembling slightly.
Chief Judge Lin sighed deeply, his wrinkled face showing profound weariness and helplessness: "The poison is too potent, too complex... Without finding the source, even a miracle wouldn't save us... unless..."
Just then!
A series of hurried and chaotic footsteps shattered the deathly silence of despair like a thunderclap!
"Make way! Make way! The antidote! We got the antidote!" Covered in blood (mostly from others), You Ye rushed in like a whirlwind, carrying the unconscious Xin Jiuwei with a poisoned thorn stuck in her left shoulder! Behind him, Xin Kui and the guards were holding Qi Huaiyu, who was bound like a dumpling, gagged, and could only make muffled noises, his eyes filled with resentment like a vengeful ghost!
All eyes instantly focused on You Ye and the black jade bottle in his arms!
"Antidote?!" Judge Lin stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing with disbelief!
"Yes! It was found on this traitor! Miss Xin... Miss Xin risked her life to get it!" You Ye's voice was hoarse from excitement and running. He carefully handed the jade bottle to Judge Lin, pointing at Qi Huaiyu at the same time, "He poisoned it! He must know how to use it!"
With trembling hands, Judge Lin took the jade bottle and uncorked it. The crisp, bittersweet medicinal aroma wafted out once more. He sniffed carefully, then poured out a tiny bit of powder, rubbed it between his fingers to examine it, and his old eyes instantly gleamed with a sharp light!
"It's it! It's it! Soul-Guiding Incense! It's the domineering medicine that specifically counters the Corrosive Orchid! It can guide poison back to its source!" Judge Lin's voice trembled with excitement. "Quick! Get the rootless water (rainwater or snow water)! Warm the wine! Mix it in a three-to-one ratio! Quick!"
The entire bedroom came alive instantly! Servants rushed to fetch water from the rootless spring and warm wine. Lin Wanyi immediately stepped forward to help her father prepare the medicine.
Lin, the Imperial Physician, glanced at Qi Huaiyu, who had been brought in, his eyes as cold as knives: "This medicine is ruthless. The process of drawing the poison back to its source is extremely painful, like scraping the bone and washing the marrow! If the dosage is slightly off, or if the poison is not drawn in completely, Your Highness's life will still be in danger! Speak! The specific dosage and the duration of the poison drawing process!"
The rag was ripped from Qi Huaiyu's mouth. He glared venomously at everyone, especially the unconscious Xin Jiuwei, and let out a maniacal, hoarse laugh: "Hahaha... You want to save him? Dream on! I'd rather die... than tell you! Let him pay with his life! Hahaha..."
"You!" You Ye's eyes were bloodshot as he punched Qi Huaiyu hard in the face, causing him to spit blood from his mouth and nose!
"Not going to talk?" Judge Lin's eyes flashed with malice. He suddenly pulled a slender gold needle from his medicine box, its tip gleaming coldly. "I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead! Wan Yi, bring me the 'Nine Pain Powder'! Let him taste the feeling of ten thousand ants gnawing at his heart and his meridians shattering! Let's see if he'll talk then!"
Qi Huaiyu looked at the golden needles and the black medicine bottle that Lin Wanyi took out, and a trace of instinctive fear finally flashed in his eyes. No matter how ruthless he was, he was still afraid of the torment of being worse than dead.
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