Sixty-four
The moment Zhan Zhao fell, time seemed to freeze.
Bai Yutang felt a surge of blood rush to his head, his vision turning crimson. He let out a beastly roar that was inhuman, and the Huaying Sword erupted with an unprecedentedly sharp light. Ignoring his own exposed vulnerabilities, he used a suicidal attack to instantly cleave the two Black Witch Cult members who were entangled with him in two!
"Kitty—!"
He charged towards the spot where Zhan Zhao had fallen like a mad tiger, only to be stopped by the Crimson Nightmare Venerable with a sinister smile.
"In such a hurry to be with him? I'll grant your wish!" The bone knife fell with a mournful ghostly howl.
Bai Yutang was terrified and his moves were in disarray. He was only held together by grief and indignation and was about to die under the blade.
At the critical moment, deafening shouts of battle erupted outside the hall! Wang Chao, Ma Han, Zhang Long, and Zhao Hu led the majority of the forces remaining in Kaifeng Prefecture, along with the elite troops of the Imperial City Guard who had rushed to the scene, and surged into Guanyin Pavilion like a tidal wave!
They were originally there as the second team to provide support, but when they heard the intense fighting inside and Bai Yutang's mournful roar, they knew something was wrong and rushed in without hesitation.
"Protect Lord Zhan!" Wang Chao's eyes were bloodshot as he brandished his steel sword and charged towards Venerable Chi Yan.
The overwhelming numerical superiority, coupled with the morale boost from the reinforcements, instantly turned the tide of the battle. Although the Black Witch Cult members were fierce, they were quickly wiped out by the well-trained combined forces of the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial City Guard.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Venerable Crimson Nightmare glared hatefully at Zhan Zhao, who was being protected by the crowd. He feinted with his sword, then transformed into a wisp of black smoke, crashed through the back window, and vanished into the forest in an instant. Several trusted envoys also fled with him.
Bai Yutang had no time to chase the enemy at this moment. He staggered to Zhan Zhao's side and trembled as he checked his breath.
The breath was so faint that it was almost imperceptible.
Looking at his back, the wound was shocking. Black evil energy writhed around the wound like a living thing, constantly eroding the surrounding flesh. Blood soaked through his red official robe, spreading a large dark red stain on the ground.
"Cat! Cat, wake up!" Bai Yutang's voice was hoarse, and tears streamed down his face, no longer able to be held back. He tried to channel his inner energy into Zhan Zhao's body, but found that the cold and evil energy was extremely stubborn, not only rejecting his inner energy, but also showing signs of backfiring on him.
"Quickly! Carry Lord Zhan back to the mansion! Master Gongsun! Quickly invite Master Gongsun!" Bao Zheng had already arrived. Seeing his beloved general in such a miserable state, even the usually calm and composed Bao Qingtian changed his expression, his voice filled with unprecedented urgency.
The group carefully lifted Zhan Zhao up, and Bai Yutang took off his blood-stained outer robe and placed it under Zhan Zhao, protecting him all the way back to Kaifeng Prefecture as quickly as possible.
Inside Kaifeng Prefecture, chaos had already broken out.
When Gongsun Ce saw Zhan Zhao being carried in, he gasped and immediately ordered his men to lay him flat on the bed. He quickly examined Zhan Zhao's injuries, especially the fatal wound to his back, and his expression instantly turned extremely grim.
"It's the Black Witch Cult's 'Heart-Corroding Bone-Corroding Blade'!" Gongsun Ce's voice trembled. "This blade contains extremely evil poison that not only damages the physical body but also corrodes the heart meridian and erodes life force! Ordinary wound medicines are completely useless!"
He immediately took out silver needles and, with lightning speed, sealed the major acupoints around Zhan Zhao's heart meridian, attempting to slow the spread of the evil energy. He then took out his treasured antidote, "Qingling Powder," and fed it to Zhan Zhao. However, as soon as the powder entered his mouth, Zhan Zhao had no strength to swallow, and most of it flowed out from the corners of his mouth.
"No! The evil energy has invaded the heart meridian, and the life force is rapidly slipping away!" Gongsun Ce's forehead was covered in cold sweat. In all his years of medical practice, he had never seen such a dangerous and vicious injury.
"Mr. Gongsun, you must save him! You must save him!" Bai Yutang grabbed Gongsun Ce's arm as if it were the last straw, his grip so tight it was almost crushing his bones.
Bao Zheng said in a deep voice, "Mr. Gongsun, please do your best no matter what! Just tell me what medicinal herbs you need!"
"I will do my best!" Gongsun Ce gritted his teeth and applied the acupuncture needles again, attempting to stimulate the remaining life force in Zhan Zhao's body and force out the evil poison using the golden needle technique. However, Zhan Zhao's injuries were too severe, and the evil poison was extremely strange. The golden needles not only had little effect, but also caused Zhan Zhao's body to convulse violently, vomiting several mouthfuls of dark purple blood, and his breathing became even weaker.
“No…this won’t work…” Gongsun Ce stopped abruptly, his face filled with despair. “Unless there is an extremely yang and powerful force to protect his heart meridian and its source, and then a spiritual medicine is used to remove the poison, there might be a glimmer of hope…otherwise…otherwise…”
Otherwise, he couldn't bear to say it aloud.
For a moment, the room was deathly silent, with only Zhan Zhao's faint breathing, which seemed as if it might stop at any moment.
“The power of ultimate Yang and ultimate strength…” Bai Yutang suddenly looked up, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes, “I’ll go find it! I’ll go find it right now!” He turned around and was about to rush out.
"Stop!" Bao Zheng shouted, halting him. "Where are you going to look?"
"The Imperial Palace! I will go and beg the Emperor! There may be such treasures or masters within the Imperial Palace!" Bai Yutang said urgently.
Bao Zheng hesitated for a moment, then made a decisive decision: "I will go with you!" This matter was no longer just a matter for Kaifeng Prefecture; it had to be reported to the Emperor.
"Wang Chao and Ma Han, you two take this token and quickly summon all the renowned doctors in the capital, especially those skilled in detoxification and wound healing! Zhang Long and Zhao Hu, guard this place closely and ensure that no one disturbs Master Gongsun's treatment!"
After giving their instructions, Bao Zheng and Bai Yutang immediately went out, mounted their horses, and galloped towards the palace without regard for anything else.
The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.
Zhao Zhen was reviewing memorials when he heard an urgent report from an eunuch that Bao Zheng and Bai Yutang had a matter of utmost urgency and requested an audience. He felt a sudden unease and immediately summoned them.
When Bao Zheng solemnly recounted Zhan Zhao's ambush and critical injury, Zhao Zhen's vermilion brush fell onto the memorial with a "smack," splattering a blinding red ink.
He stood up abruptly, his face turning deathly pale, and his body swayed almost imperceptibly: "You... what did you say? Zhan Zhao, he..."
"Your Majesty! Guard Zhan has been poisoned by the Black Witch Cult, and the evil energy has invaded his heart. Master Gongsun is helpless and says that only the most yang and strong power can protect his heart meridian, and there may be a glimmer of hope! We beg Your Majesty to save Zhan Zhao's life!" Bao Zheng knelt down, his voice filled with sorrow.
Bai Yutang also knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily: "Your Majesty! Please save the cat!"
Zhao Zhen felt a chill run from his feet to the top of his head, and his vision blurred. "Zhan Zhao, you can't get hurt."
"Rongwei!" Zhao Zhen roared hoarsely, "Issue my decree: all imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy, proceed to Kaifeng immediately! Bring the 300-year-old 'Red Sun Ginseng' from the Imperial Treasury, and the box of 'Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pills' left by the late Emperor! Hurry!"
"Your Majesty, I obey!" Rong Wei, the personal guard, knew the situation was urgent and rushed out like the wind after receiving the order.
Zhao Zhen steadied himself, pondered for a moment, and suddenly looked at Bai Yutang: "Bai Yutang, I remember that your elder brother Lu Fang's wife seems to come from a family of doctors, and is especially skilled in detoxification?"
Bai Yutang suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming with hope: "Yes! Yes! My sister-in-law! She's the most shrewd and cunning! I'll send a message by carrier pigeon right away! No! I'll go and invite her myself!" He said, getting up as he spoke.
"It's too late!" Zhao Zhen interrupted him. "Use my urgent carrier pigeon! Write a detailed account of Zhan Zhao's injuries and implore Lady Lu to come to the capital immediately!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Bai Yutang kowtowed again, then rushed to the desk. Forgetting all formalities, he grabbed paper and pen, his hands trembling, and wrote a plea for help as quickly as possible, describing Zhan Zhao's injuries and poisoning symptoms in detail, his words extremely earnest. After finishing, he handed it to Rong Wei, who sent it by carrier pigeon as quickly as possible.
Carrying everyone's hopes, the carrier pigeons flapped their wings and flew towards the distant Skyfall Island.
Zhao Zhen took a deep breath and said to Bao Zheng, "Minister Bao, let's set off. I want to go to Kaifeng Prefecture in person!"
"Your Majesty! This..." Bao Zheng exclaimed in surprise, "The remnants of the Black Witch Cult have not yet been captured. It is too dangerous for you to leave the palace at this time."
"What time is it for you to worry about these things!" Zhao Zhen said sternly, his eyes filled with undisguised heartache and determination. "Zhan Zhao is not only my subject, but also... I want to see him safe and sound with my own eyes!"
Having said that, he strode out. Bao Zheng and Bai Yutang quickly followed.
In Zhan Zhao's room in Kaifeng Prefecture, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy and several senior physicians took turns examining him, all shaking their heads and sighing, their faces showing distress. The "Heart-Corroding and Bone-Corroding Blade" poison was too bizarre and domineering, already entangled with Zhan Zhao's heart meridian. Forcibly removing the poison would likely result in death before the poison was completely eradicated. Although the three-hundred-year-old Crimson Sun Ginseng was potent, it could only temporarily revive his vital energy, unable to eradicate the poison completely. Even the Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Pill, once administered, seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Zhan Zhao's face had turned from pale to a deathly golden color, and his breathing was so weak that it almost stopped. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest proved that he still stubbornly retained a sliver of life.
When Zhao Zhen arrived, this was the scene he saw. He walked to the bedside and looked at the face that resembled his own but was now lifeless, his heart breaking. He reached out to touch Zhan Zhao, but fearing to disturb his last breath, his hand hovered in mid-air, trembling slightly.
"Zhan Zhao...I order you...to hold on..." Zhao Zhen's voice was low, with a barely perceptible sob, "You promised Tianyi you would wait for her to return safely...you haven't seen your child yet...you can't...you absolutely can't..."
Everyone in the room lowered their heads, unable to bear to look any longer.
Gongsun Ce slumped to one side, tears streaming down his face. The four captains, Wang Chao, Ma Han, and the others, had red eyes and their fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Bai Yutang leaned against the wall, then slid to the ground, burying his head in his knees, his shoulders heaving violently.
Hope, like a candle flickering in the wind, is about to be extinguished.
Thousands of miles away, Xuan Yuan Tianyi, who was struggling through the demonic energy of the Ailao Mountains, suddenly clutched her chest. An unprecedented, excruciating pain struck her without warning, making her almost unable to stand, and her face instantly turned ashen.
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