Sixty-six
Inside Kaifeng Prefecture, the atmosphere was oppressive, like the deathly silence before a storm.
Jiang Yuan's words were like ice water poured over everyone's heads, plunging everyone's hearts into an abyss.
The southern border is thousands of miles away; even with the fastest horses galloping day and night, it would take far more than three to five days to reach it. And Zhan Zhao's pulse was like a candle flickering in the wind, about to go out; he probably wouldn't even last twelve hours.
"Is... really there no other way?" Zhao Zhen's voice was hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor. His gaze was fixed on Zhan Zhao's face, which had lost all color, and his heart ached terribly. This was his younger brother, whom he had just recognized, and the closest relative he had promised to protect!
Jiang Yuan remained silent, his handsome brows furrowed, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the armrest of his wheelchair, clearly deep in thought. The only sounds in the room were Zhan Zhao's barely audible breathing, as if it might cease at any moment, and the heavy heartbeats of everyone else.
Bai Yutang slammed his fist against the wall, cracking the hard blue bricks like a spiderweb. His eyes were bloodshot as he growled, "Are we just supposed to watch... watch Mao'er..." He couldn't bring himself to say the last word.
Tears streamed down Gongsun Ce's face as he slumped down, saying dejectedly, "It's all my fault... I'm utterly incompetent..."
Just as this suffocating despair was spreading, Jiang Yuan's fingertips, which were tapping on the armrest, suddenly stopped. He raised his head, a very complex light flashing in his eyes, containing both determination and deep concern.
"There's another way." His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly drew everyone's attention. "Perhaps... we can give it a try."
"What method?" Zhao Zhen and Bai Yutang asked almost simultaneously.
Jiang Yuan's gaze slowly swept over everyone, finally landing on Zhao Zhen. He said, word by word, "Using the blood of an emperor as a guide, supplemented by golden needles to stimulate the blood vessels, we can forcibly activate the last trace of life force suppressed by the evil poison within his body, which may... prolong his life by a few days."
"Imperial blood?" Zhao Zhen was taken aback.
"Yes," Jiang Yuan explained, "His Majesty is a true dragon emperor, possessing purple aura, and his bloodline contains a trace of the fortune of heaven and earth and the power of ultimate yang. Using this blood as a guide, combined with special acupuncture techniques, it may be possible to temporarily awaken and strengthen the almost extinguished vitality of the guards, like forcibly blowing a breath of yang energy into extinguished ashes, allowing them to reignite for a moment. But..."
He paused, his tone extremely grave: "This method is exceptionally dangerous, defying the heavens and fighting for life! First, it harms His Majesty's body; the loss of vital essence cannot be recovered in a short time. Second, it demands extremely high skill from the practitioner; there can be no mistakes. Most importantly, for Guard Zhan, this method is like drinking poison to quench thirst; the forcibly stimulated vitality consumes his last remaining life force. Once this 'breath' is exhausted, then… then there will be no hope of recovery, not even a moment's delay will be possible."
Silence fell over the room once more. This method came at a great cost, and it only delayed death, not cured it.
Zhao Zhen, however, did not hesitate. He abruptly rolled up the sleeves of his dragon robe, revealing his wrist, and looked at Jiang Yuan with unwavering determination: "How much blood do you need? Take as much as you can! If it can give him a sliver of life, let alone a little blood, even if it costs me ten years of my lifespan, I would be willing!"
"Your Majesty!" Bao Zheng and Rong Wei exclaimed simultaneously, trying to dissuade them. The imperial bloodline is a matter of national importance; how could it be easily harmed?
"No need for further words!" Zhao Zhen waved his hand decisively, his gaze fixed intently on Jiang Yuan. "Jiang Yuan, let's begin!"
Seeing the resolute look in Zhao Zhen's eyes, Jiang Yuan took a deep breath and said nothing more. He took out a simple, antique-looking jade knife and a jade bowl from his medicine box, gesturing to Zhao Zhen.
Zhao Zhen extended his wrist above the jade bowl. Jiang Yuan swiftly drew his knife, the jade blade making a light slice across Zhao Zhen's wrist, and a stream of crimson blood, radiating a faint golden light, flowed into the bowl. As the blood slowly seeped out, Zhao Zhen's face visibly paled, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent.
After taking about half a bowl of blood, Jiang Yuan immediately stopped the bleeding and bandaged Zhao Zhen's wound. Then, he quickly mixed several kinds of prepared medicinal powders into the blood, which began to boil slightly, emitting a strange and majestic aura.
"Young Master Bai, please help me stabilize Guardian Zhan's meridians!" Jiang Yuan held several golden needles stained with medicinal blood, his expression extremely solemn.
Bai Yutang immediately stepped forward and used his internal energy to protect Zhan Zhao's heart and major meridians.
Jiang Yuan focused his mind and moved with lightning speed! His hands flew, and golden needles stained with the blood of emperors, accompanied by a faint sound of wind and thunder, precisely pierced into thirty-six acupoints on Zhan Zhao's body! Especially the acupoints around the heart, where the needles were placed with utmost care.
The moment the golden needle entered his body, Zhan Zhao's previously lifeless body suddenly convulsed violently! A faint yet exceptionally hot aura rose from his dantian, forcefully breaking through the meridians blocked by the evil poison, and engaging in the final and most intense struggle with the cold evil poison entrenched in his heart meridian!
"Pfft—" Zhan Zhao suddenly spat out a mouthful of dark purple blood, which made a hissing sound as it fell to the ground.
"Cat!" Bai Yutang exclaimed.
"Stay calm! This is a good sign. With the stagnant blood being expelled, there is a chance for life to flow!" Jiang Yuan shouted in a low voice, his hands moving continuously with golden needles, twisting and flicking them to guide the life force that had been forcibly stimulated to fight against the evil poison.
Zhao Zhen watched nervously, feeling waves of tension washing over him, but he stubbornly refused to leave.
The whole process lasted for nearly half an hour. Jiang Yuan's forehead was covered in sweat, and his face was much paler than before, obviously due to great exhaustion.
As the last golden needle fell, Zhan Zhao's convulsions gradually subsided. He remained unconscious, but the deathly pallor on his face had indeed faded somewhat; though still pale, a faint trace of life had appeared. Most noticeably, his breathing became slightly clearer and more audible, though still weak, but no longer seemed on the verge of stopping.
Jiang Yuan let out a long sigh of relief, his body swaying slightly, almost completely exhausted. He wiped his sweat and said slowly, "I have not failed in my mission... His Majesty's blood indeed contains extraordinary power. This method... is successful."
He glanced at Zhan Zhao, carefully sensing his pulse, and estimated, "In this state, he might be able to hold on for another five to seven days. That's his limit."
Five to seven days!
The tension in everyone's hearts finally eased somewhat. At least, they had gained some precious time!
"Thank you!" Zhao Zhen bowed solemnly to Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Yuan dodged to the side, "The most urgent thing is to immediately find a way to notify Tianyi and make sure she returns within seven days! Otherwise..." He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood.
Hope, like a solitary lamp lit in endless darkness, though faint, points the way. Now, all hopes rest on Xuanyuan Tianyi, far away in the southern borderlands.
The carrier pigeon from Trap Island finally brought back a reply. Madam Min, upon receiving Bai Yutang's distress call, immediately set off for Bianjing. However, the letter also stated that even with favorable winds, it would take at least eight or nine days to reach Bianjing.
Time is still pressing so hard it's suffocating.
Meanwhile, deep within the Ailao Mountains in southern Xinjiang, Xuan Yuan Tianyi was undergoing the final and most perilous repair of the seal. She and Leng Moyan were completely unaware of what was happening.
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