treatment
Suddenly, I noticed a faint black aura between Madam Shangguan's eyebrows, as if she had been poisoned by something - poison! Not daring to neglect it, I immediately shot out the golden thread of heaven to touch Madam Shangguan's wrist pulse, and my heart sank. The pulse was sluggish, with a hint of turbid qi congestion, which is a sign of poisoning. Fortunately, it was discovered early and the poison had not yet penetrated deeply. Madam Shangguan was disturbed by my sudden behavior, and Zi Ling and Shangguan Yan also noticed something unusual. Zi Ling stepped forward to support Madam Shangguan because she trusted me, and asked her sister to stay calm. "Don't move, madam, you are poisoned! I will help you detoxify now!" I concentrated my mind and calmed my breath, took out the golden needles I carried with me, followed the meridians to find the acupoints, assisted by internal force to dredge them, and prescribed a prescription for clearing the poison and calming the mind. Seeing that the breathing had stabilized, I felt a little relieved.
After Madam Shangguan fell asleep, Shangguan Yan summoned me to her side and solemnly informed me that she suspected Young Master Nong Yue of the poison. He had previously sought her cooperation in dealing with Bantian Yue, but she had flatly refused. My brows furrowed slightly, my gaze instinctively turning to Zi Ling beside me. Her eyelashes drooped, her hands unconsciously twisting the corners of her clothes, clearly unsurprised. "Zi Ling," I whispered, trying to elicit a more definitive answer from her, "are you aware of this?" She raised her head, her eyes filled with struggle and embarrassment. After a moment's silence, she whispered, "Tomorrow, I... I can't tell you the truth. But I don't want to lie to you either. I hope you understand." Her words were like a tiny needle, gently piercing my heart. An indescribable sense of loss spread.
I turned to Shangguan Yan and explained, "Stinky tofu is Huangfu Renhe, and he is now married to my sister Yingying." Shangguan Yan didn't look surprised at what she said, and she said calmly, "I have already confirmed his identity. As long as I see him in person, I will hand over the imperial seal to him, which will be considered as fulfilling my father's will. As for how he will deal with the imperial seal in the future, I will not ask." She was so straightforward that it saved us a lot of trouble. "Okay, I will bring him to see you tomorrow." Now that the matter has been settled, I have no intention of staying longer. Seeing that Ziling wanted to stay in Shuiyue Temple to accompany her mother, I knew that it would not be easy for them to reunite, and family affection was precious, so I did not stop her and returned to the villa alone. In the night, the sound of the wheelchair rolling over the bluestone road was particularly clear, making my mood even more complicated.
The next day, I arrived as promised, bringing Chou Doufu. Shangguan Yan examined him carefully for a moment, as if finally confirming his identity. Without hesitation, he took out the imperial seal, symbolizing the legitimacy of the previous dynasty, and handed it to Chou Doufu. Chou Doufu glanced around, his expression devoid of a desire for power, rather as if he were handling a hot potato. He scratched his head, then, almost without hesitation, thrust the seal into my arms. "Brother Ouyang, take it. I have no use for it. You can handle it." I held the seal, warm yet incredibly heavy, with a mixture of emotions. It carried so much blood and vengeance, and now, in this way, it had fallen into my hands. Ultimately, I brought it back to the City Lord's Mansion and presented it to my father, Ouyang Feiying.
I just returned from the palace, and I'm still feeling upset. My father's words today showed that he had even stronger murderous intentions towards the Shangguan sisters and the Sima brothers. Chou Doufu pledged his life, Yingying knelt down to beg for mercy, and finally I threatened to die before my father gave up. The first thing I wanted to do was look for Zi Ling, just to see her, maybe those clear eyes could cleanse some of the turbidity in my chest. But when I arrived at her and Shangguan Yan's residence, I found nothing. She wasn't there, and even Shangguan Yan and Madam Shangguan were nowhere to be found. I returned to the villa with a glimmer of hope, and asked the maid, but she just said she was gone. She hadn't been seen for two days, and she had just recovered. The situation in the martial arts world was still uncertain, so where could she have gone? Could it be... that she had encountered some danger? I returned to the bedroom in the villa with a restless heart, twisting a few copper coins between my fingers, trying to tell the fortune.
Before the divination was complete, Gao Yishan reported from outside that Miss Zi Ling had returned, bringing with her... Young Master Nong Yue and the ghost-seeing Sima Changfeng. As long as she was alright! But just as his anxiety had eased a little, it suddenly tightened again because of Young Master Nong Yue's reputation. Why had he returned with Zi Ling?
Before I could think about it, the door was pushed open. She walked in quickly, her face a little tired from running around, but her eyes were bright and she looked straight at me. "Where have you been these past two days?" I suppressed the doubts that were surging in my heart and spoke first, my voice inevitably carrying a subtle hint of concern and... displeasure. She pursed her lips and did not answer my question. Instead, she pleaded eagerly: "Tomorrow, please detoxify them." My eyes swept over the Sima brothers behind her, especially Sima Lingfeng's pale face, and a nameless anger quietly rose. "Why do you care about him so much? What is your relationship with him?" My words blurted out, carrying a sour taste that I had not expected. She avoided my inquiries, but insisted on her original purpose: "I only ask you, are you willing to save them?" The more she avoided, the heavier the doubts in my heart. Many clues flashed through his mind quickly: Young Master Nong Yue's real name was Sima Lingfeng, Young Master Nong Yue and Sima Changfeng were both poisoned by a strange poison, Aunt Shangguan was poisoned but had an abnormal attitude towards the poisoner Young Master Nong Yue, Young Master Nong Yue wanted to join forces with Shangguan Yan to deal with Bantianyue, Bantianyue's plan... a guess gradually took shape.
I stared at her and slowly relayed my theory: "The poisons Young Master Nong Yue and Sima Changfeng were infected with were from the same source. Madam Shangguan hasn't investigated the matter of him being poisoned. If my guess is correct, they are both pawns in Ban Tianyue's hands, and... they are brothers." Upon hearing this, her eyes flashed with undisguised amazement, and she blurted out praise, "You actually guessed it! You're truly astute as a god!"
Looking at her defenseless, completely convinced expression, I felt both angry and amused. This silly girl, I was just testing her, but she actually confirmed my suspicions. "I was just guessing," I shook my head helplessly, a hint of indulgence in my tone that I wasn't even aware of. "You're so honest, you admitted it right away. Next time... don't be so stupid." She seemed a little dissatisfied, but then remembered the business and her tone became more serious: "Tomorrow is a good opportunity to resolve the grudge. If you save them, they will owe you a huge favor. In the future... if there really is a day of war, this life-saving favor will be the heaviest debt you owe. Even if they have a thousand reasons, it will be difficult for them to harm your father." "She actually planned this for me." My thoughts moved slightly, but my face didn't show any sign of it. Instead, I deliberately lowered my voice: "If I don't save them, they won't even have a chance to deal with my father. "She immediately shook her head, her eyes clear and firm, looking straight into my heart: "No, the Ouyang Mingri I know would never build his own happiness on the suffering of others. You... really don't want to save them?"
She always did, easily seeing through all my pretenses and reaching the unwavering bottom line deep within me. In front of her, all my cold, cruel excuses paled in insignificance. So… I sat upright in my wheelchair, the golden thread gleaming on my fingertips, deliberately creating a distant air. My voice was calm and composed: "I can save him. But there's one condition."
"You say it! As long as I can do it!" She said without hesitation, hope burning in her eyes.
"It was you who asked me to save someone today, but it was someone else I saved. This condition is naturally unusual." I paused deliberately, my eyes locked on every subtle expression on her face. "I want... to be alone with you for a night."
She was stunned for a moment, her eyes pure, with a hint of genuine confusion: "Beauty? Who is beauty? You have met a new friend after just a few days of separation?" After saying that, her expression was a little lonely.
I was choked by her reaction and was speechless for a moment. All the words I had prepared were stuck in my throat. I had no choice but to bite the bullet and said through gritted teeth, "The beauty I'm referring to... is naturally you."
It dawned on her, her ears instantly flushing crimson, her eyes flickering. But the next moment, her shyness was overwhelmed by the urgent need to save lives. She became incredibly serious and eager, even taking a step closer, her tone negotiating, "Oh! I get it! Hold me all night, right?" She patted her chest and promised, her expression solemn, as if she were swearing an oath. "That's easy! You save them first, and when they're all right, I'll let you hold me all night! I mean what I say!"
"You..." I was completely defeated, the cold and arrogant mask I had maintained shattered in an instant, leaving me with only a helpless and helpless expression. I held my forehead and sighed deeply, my tone full of helplessness and indulgence, "Zi Ling, you really are...that's all."
All my carefully planned attempts at ambiguity seemed unbearable in the face of her pure, untainted innocence. All my calculations vanished in an instant, leaving only a tenderness overflowing, almost overflowing. Seeing my expression soften, she immediately pressed, "So you agree? Hurry and save them! It'll be too late!" As she spoke, she instinctively reached out to tug at my sleeve, but then realized it was inappropriate and quickly withdrew her hand, staring at me with her moist eyes.
I maneuvered my wheelchair towards the medicine cabinet, my back facing her to hide my slightly hot cheeks and uncontrolled heartbeat. My voice had returned to its usual gentleness, yet with a hint of doting I wasn't even aware of: "I'll go check their pulses."
After a pause, I tilted my head slightly, seemingly casually, but in fact, I held my breath and asked the crucial question: "Also... if someone wants to hold you for a whole night in the future, what will you say?"
She lowered her head shyly, her voice as thin as a mosquito: "I haven't asked you if you have mentioned this request to anyone else."
"Except you," I responded firmly, unequivocally. The words flowed out of my mouth, as if etched deep within my soul. "I have never touched another woman, and I never will." After I finished, I was slightly taken aback. This wasn't a romantic remark; it was an undeniable fact.
Her cheeks turned even redder, and her voice was like a whisper: "I won't let someone I don't like hug me."
These words, like a stone dropped into the lake of my heart, instantly sent ripples flying, transforming all the anxiety I'd felt about her innocence into a blazing fire of hope. The fact that she allowed me to get close to her was, in itself, the most direct proof of her love.
I looked at her deeply, and said softly, yet with eternal solemnity: "Remember what you said."
Then, I turned around and began to concentrate on preparing the antidote for Brother Sima. The perennially frozen wasteland in my heart seemed to be quietly melting and warming up because of this ray of pure sunlight from her.
Afterwards, Brother Sima stepped forward and expressed his sincere gratitude, recounting the many times he'd saved my life. Without turning back, I simply said, "I never do favors." My hands continued to move, but in my mind I finished my unfinished words: I was only saving the people I wanted to save. And the people I wanted to save at this moment, perhaps, also included those who could bring a smile to her face and offer a glimmer of hope for resolving this grudge.
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