Upon seeing Ye Xiao's blood-stained left hand hanging limply, Tang Ning's pupils involuntarily contracted. However, before she could even reach out with trembling hands to feel his pulse, she saw a slender hand appear out of nowhere and reach straight for Ye Xiao's carotid artery.
Upon seeing the hand, Tang Ning abruptly raised her head. The movement was so sudden that a tear that had been welling up in her eyes fell.
She stared blankly at Yan Xingzhi, who had suddenly appeared there at some point. He was coldly stern, feeling Ye Xiao's pulse. After he finished feeling it, he reached out his hand to Tang Ning. "Ye Xiao's pulse is very weak now. Give him to me. I brought the Poison Hand Medicine Saint from Youlan Valley. He can help treat his injuries and the poison."
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning blinked lightly, released her grip, and let the bloodied and mangled Ye Xiao be carried away by the people brought by Yan Xingzhi who had suddenly arrived.
As agreed, Yan Xingzhi indeed mastered the Hundred Refinement Formless Technique and Fate Chapter within the one-month deadline. Of course, he also endured torment and pain that ordinary people could not even imagine. His monthly bone-tempering poison flare-up was thus aggravated by those rare and deadly poisons, causing it to occur every three days.
Don't be fooled by his calm demeanor as he stands before Tang Ning; in reality, his bones and muscles are constantly melting and healing, then melting and rebuilding in a continuous cycle until midnight, after which the cycle begins anew three days later.
He gradually went from being in unbearable pain and feeling like he was dying to being able to walk and talk without any problems. The only thing that was occasionally revealed by the slight trembling of his fingers was his pain and endurance. Otherwise, there was no other flaw in his appearance.
Unfortunately, even he did not expect that during the month he was away, Ye Xiao, who had always regarded his words as gospel since childhood, would actually choose to bring Tang Ning to Five Butterfly Village for medical treatment in a moment of panic because of a relapse of poison.
Upon receiving the news from the Poison Hand Medicine Saint, he rushed over immediately, but unfortunately, he was too late; Ye Xiao had already been tortured into his current state.
Just as Yan Xingzhi thought of this, he heard the old chieftain with white eyebrows on the other side take the initiative to let Tang Ning in, saying that since Ye Xiao had already passed the village's exit pass, they would also keep their promise and let the village's companion butterflies absorb the poison of unconsciousness from her body.
Upon hearing these words, a glint of light flashed in Yan Xingzhi's eyes, and his fingers unconsciously clenched.
Could it be...?
Soon, Tang Ning and Yan Xingzhi, led by the White-browed Chieftain, arrived at a hidden cave deep within Five Butterfly Village that no outsider could possibly find. Once inside, they discovered that the cave was truly a hidden paradise, not only tall, wide, and spacious, but also containing a deep, azure pool at its innermost part.
The pool was bottomless, with flowing water all around. In the very center of the pool lay a smooth stone slab, just big enough for a person to lie on. The cave walls above the pool were covered with countless butterflies of various colors. At first glance, it did not seem beautiful, but rather somewhat terrifying and eerie.
At the White-Browed Chieftain's signal, Tang Ning was placed directly onto the smooth stone slab. Then, the old chieftain made a peculiar hand gesture and muttered something, causing a large swarm of blue-purple butterflies to flutter down from the cave wall, gently landing on Tang Ning. The largest and most beautiful butterfly landed directly on Tang Ning's lips, its wings fluttering gently. In a short while, Tang Ning was enveloped in a beautiful dream.
Faced with such a fantastical scene, even Yan Xingzhi couldn't help but hold his breath.
But a moment later, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that large beads of sweat were sliding down the forehead of the White-Browed Chieftain beside him, and his hands were trembling uncontrollably. This state lasted for a short while before he suddenly shuddered, then exhaled a deep breath and staggered. If it weren't for the few Five Butterfly Village members behind him who saw the danger and rushed to support him, the old man would most likely have already fallen headfirst into the pool in front of him.
Even after being helped to his feet, his hands were still trembling uncontrollably, and his face was shockingly pale.
He slowly turned to look at Yan Xingzhi beside him, and then said weakly, "I'm sorry, Master Yan, the poison of insensitivity in this young lady's body seems to have found the most suitable soil, and has now taken root and sprouted completely in her body. No matter how hard the companion butterfly tries under my urging, it is still unable to draw out a single drop of the poison. Therefore, I'm afraid I am powerless to help this young lady with the poison..."
Upon hearing these words, Yan Xingzhi stared intently at Tang Ning, who lay unconscious on the stone slab, and for a moment he was at a loss for words to describe his feelings.
When she was leaving, the White-Browed Chieftain probably felt that he hadn't been of much help, so he gave Yan Xingzhi a life-extending butterfly. However, this butterfly could only forcibly extend Tang Ning's life by half a month, and she could only remain unconscious.
After falling unconscious in that fantastical cave, Tang Ning woke up to find herself sleeping in a bamboo house filled with the faint fragrance of orchids. She got up and gently pushed open the window of the bamboo house, and saw that the outside of the house was almost entirely filled with orchids of various varieties. The orchid fragrance she had just smelled was coming from these orchids.
Somewhat disoriented, she left the bamboo house and looked up to see Yan Xingzhi, dressed in black with only red trim sewn onto his cuffs and collar, standing under a blooming hibiscus tree, gazing into the distance.
Upon hearing Tang Ning push open the door, he immediately turned around.
Where is Ye Xiao?
He heard Tang Ning, who had just woken up, ask this question.
Upon hearing the question, Yan Xingzhi's hands, which were behind his back, tightened slightly.
"Ye Xiao is receiving treatment from the Poison Hand Medicine Saint. His external injuries are fine. Apart from his right arm being broken, there are no serious problems. However, there are too many and too dense poisonous thorns, many of which have already deeply penetrated his body. They must be carefully and thoroughly removed. With the Poison Hand Medicine Saint's skills, it will probably take a month to completely remove them. Ye Xiao will wake up then."
After hearing Yan Xingzhi's words, Tang Ning chuckled. One month... She had already checked her pulse when she woke up, and the poison was still there, so she probably only had one month left to live. Whether Ye Xiao would be able to see her after he woke up was a question.
Seeing through Tang Ning's smile, Yan Xingzhi pursed his lips before continuing to explain, "Although the companion butterflies of Five Butterfly Village failed to absorb the Poison of Insensitivity from your body, it doesn't mean you have no chance of survival..."
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning looked up at Yan Xingzhi with a surprised expression, but she couldn't see any hint of joking on his face.
In her heart, she had already sneered. Although she still had a month left to live, according to the original owner's death point in the plot, she actually only had 28 days left to live. After 28 days, it would be the time in the plot when Yan Xingzhi watched the original owner die in despair and heartbreak.
So no matter what tricks Ren Yanxing plays next, her body will not face any other possibility besides death.
In other words, even if Yan Xingzhi could truly cure the poison of numbness in her body, she would still die instantly according to the plot's death point. Therefore, everything he did was simply a futile effort.
Despite thinking this in her heart, Tang Ning still stared intently into Yan Xingzhi's deep eyes.
Yan Xingzhi then offered his explanation: "I once learned a martial art called the Hundred Refinements Formless Skill. It is said that once mastered, one becomes immune to all poisons, including the insensible poison in your body. Although I did not reach that level, I specifically learned a special section of it during my time away. For the next month, as long as you stay with me every day, keeping a distance of three feet, and I send you special internal energy every three days, the poison in your body will naturally be eliminated once the three-nine period is over."
After hearing Yan Xingzhi's words, Tang Ning first raised her eyebrows, and then couldn't help but burst into laughter. The more she laughed, the louder it became, and she even laughed until tears streamed down her face.
After she had finished laughing, she gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her fingers, suppressing all her laughter. She looked at Yan Xingzhi, who was not far from her, and said coldly, "Yan Xingzhi, what trick are you trying to pull now? Do you think I would believe such absurd things? What do you mean by being inseparable from you every day and sending me special internal energy every night? Don't you know that I feel nauseous whenever I get even a little close to you? How can you be so shameless? For the rest of my life, I just want to stay as far away from you as possible. The farther the better. Ideally, you should disappear from my sight right now and never appear again. Do you understand?"
After saying that, she turned around and walked out without hesitation.
Seeing this, Yan Xingzhi immediately called out to her, "Wait a minute, don't you want to know what the name of the special chapter I've been cultivating for the past month is? It's called the Fate Division Chapter."
As soon as Yan Xingzhi finished speaking, Tang Ning's steps gradually slowed down.
"It means that as long as I willingly channel my special internal energy into you every night, after twenty-seven days, I can give you half of my life, and the poison of unconsciousness in your body will heal itself without medicine."
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning suddenly turned her head, and the next second she saw Yan Xingzhi slowly taking off his shirt.
Looking at the other person's smooth upper body, the flesh seemed alive, constantly writhing—wasn't this exactly the state of Yan Xingzhi after he was poisoned, as she had seen him at the bottom of the cliff? But it wasn't even the full moon night of the fifteenth of each month yet…
Tang Ning's pupils dilated slightly, and she shook her head incredulously.
Then she heard Yan Xingzhi's voice ring in her ears again, "Now that I have mastered the Life-Shattering Technique, the Bone-Tempering Poison that used to erupt once a month has been activated once every three days. Don't you hate me? By staying by my side every day, wouldn't you be able to see my unbearable pain? When I transfer internal energy to you, the pain will be even more unbearable, and I could even be in mortal danger at any moment if I'm not careful. Since you hate me for ruining you, shouldn't you take a good look at my pain, take half of my life, or even hope that I make some small mistake and die directly during the transfer of internal energy, right?"
Even though every piece of flesh in her body was twisted into this shape, Yan Xingzhi still looked at her with a smile.
Looking at Yan Xingzhi like this, and after hearing his words that were half provocation and half seduction, Tang Ning, whose eyes were filled with nothing but shock and disbelief, moved her lips, but couldn't utter a single word.
She subconsciously raised an eyebrow. It has to be said that no one in this world can compare to Yan Xingzhi in terms of his control and understanding of people's hearts. If it were the original owner of this body standing here instead of her, Yan Xingzhi's words, which were a mix of playing the victim and provocation, would definitely make the original owner, who both loved and hated him, feel even more conflicted. She would hate him for all the heartless and cruel things he had done to her before, but love him and be willing to make such a sacrifice for him.
The condition of transferring internal energy every night should be no problem. As for the requirement of staying by her side at all times, Tang Ning strongly suspects that Yan Xingzhi added it himself. Even at a time like this, this bastard is still trying to win her heart with his own agenda.
If it were the original owner's innocent and naive nature, and Yan Xingzhi had made various plans, the two might have ended up happily ever after her poison was cured.
But these are all hypotheticals. There are no hypothetical "what ifs" in reality. The person standing in front of Yan Xingzhi now is Tang Ning.
Thinking of this, Tang Ning smiled slightly to herself.
Regardless of which Tang Ning it is, under such circumstances, they would all choose to return to Yan Xingzhi's Yangyue Manor.
That very evening, Yan Xingzhi began to channel his internal energy into her for the first time.
Internal energy was a crucial support for Yan Xingzhi to resist the continuous pain in his body. So when he transferred the internal energy he had cultivated to resist pain into Tang Ning's body, the original intense pain in his body immediately increased by more than tenfold. The pain made even the resilient Yan Xingzhi unable to control himself and let out low, rough gasps, one after another. His face was already distorted, and his appearance once again became the ugly look that Tang Ning had seen at the bottom of the cliff.
Tang Ning watched his pain intently, watching the sweat pour down his forehead like rain, watching his gums bleed from his agonizing struggle, the blood trickling down his lips, drop by drop, onto his white shirt, soon blooming into clusters of blood flowers.
As Yan Xingzhi's internal energy was exhausted, Tang Ning immediately felt waves of fatigue washing over her. In the end, she didn't even have time to glance at Yan Xingzhi before she fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, Yan Xingzhi felt his internal energy in his dantian completely depleted and collapsed as well. Although his internal energy was gone, the pain remained, and it became even more intense and surging.
But he just stared at Tang Ning sleeping beside him, slowly raised his hand, grasped Tang Ning's hand, and painstakingly separated his fingers, gently and slowly intertwining his fingers with hers, as if doing so could alleviate some of his pain.
Sweat blurred his vision, yet he stubbornly continued to stare at Tang Ning's fair, jade-like face.
Fate had never been on his side. From the age of nine, everything he had was earned through struggle, grabbing, and scheming. He fell in love with Tang Ning, and he wouldn't give her any chance to escape. Whether it meant half his life or living in constant agony, he wanted her by his side forever. Just looking at her, he could feel a vibrant flower blooming in his barren heart.
The feeling was so wonderful that he didn't want to let go, nor was he willing to let go.
Tang Ning...
When Tang Ning woke up the next day, she turned her head and saw Yan Xingzhi lying next to her, his expression completely calm.
Unlike the awakened Yan Xingzhi, whose outward appearance was gentle and refined but whose inner self was ruthless and unscrupulous, the sleeping Yan Xingzhi exuded an indescribable harmlessness and... The sunlight seemed to come, just as the young Ye Yu of the past had not encountered the hardships and dangers that followed, but had grown up safely and smoothly under the protection and care of his parents.
This made Tang Ning stare blankly for a while.
Upon noticing his eyelashes tremble slightly, Tang Ning closed her eyes without a second thought.
Unfortunately, she closed her eyes but didn't control her breathing. Yan Xingzhi, who had already sensed someone watching him, opened his eyes and listened to Tang Ning's slightly rapid heartbeat. He silently raised the corners of his mouth.
For the next period of time, due to the requirement of not deviating from this rule, almost every day, the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Yan Xingzhi, and the last person she saw before she closed her eyes was also Yan Xingzhi.
It's quite ridiculous that a couple in name only started having a normal marital relationship at this point.
During this period, Yan Xingzhi also did his best to win her over. For example, he personally painted a portrait of her and even bought a piece of fine Hetian jade and carved it into the shape of that portrait.
For example, she found one of her former junior brothers in the martial arts world and, based on his description, transformed the room where she and Ye Xiao used to sleep every night into her boudoir in the Medicine God Valley. She even vaguely found out the location where her master, the Medicine God Valley Master, had disappeared. She said that as soon as she recovered, she would immediately take her there to find her master.
For example, on the Ghost Festival, he personally made thousands of Kongming lanterns for her. On the lampshade of each lantern, he personally wrote the blessing of wishing Tang Ning a long and healthy life. Then, he took Tang Ning and released them one by one from the roof of the manor.
Before long, the sky was filled with bright yellow Kongming lanterns. At first glance, it was magnificent and colorful. Even Tang Ning, who had been watching coldly, couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth.
The thousands of lanterns reflected in Tang Ning's smiling eyes, making her feel that seeing such a beautiful sight made her life worthwhile.
Sitting on the rooftop, Tang Ning looked at the lights, but Yan Xingzhi's gaze never left Tang Ning's face.
Even Tang Ning had to admit that Ye Xiao's foolish attempts to please people were far inferior to Yan Xingzhi's, a difference that was more than a thousand times greater than Fang Yunyang's.
That's fine.
That day, as soon as he got up, Yan Xingzhi led Tang Ning straight to the kitchen, and then they began to work busily.
She already knew from the plot that Yan Xingzhi was a genius, even excelling in cooking.
Knowing is one thing, seeing is another.
She watched him cook in the kitchen, amidst the warmth of everyday life, his movements so gentle and elegant, so methodical and orderly. Truly, an outstanding person excels in whatever they do.
So, is it true that to win a woman's heart, you must first win her stomach?
Standing next to Yan Xingzhi, Tang Ning was thinking about all sorts of random things.
Then I watched as Yan Xingzhi worked hard all day, and although he didn't manage to put together a full Manchu Han Imperial Feast, it was almost done.
He requested that all the dishes be arranged in the open space of the garden, with a crescent moon overhead, a small bamboo grove rustling in the evening breeze beside it, and various koi carp next to the bamboo grove, and a small pond where you could see right to the bottom. In short, the atmosphere for this meal was quite perfect.
As soon as Tang Ning was seated by Yan Xingzhi, the man brought over a bottle of fifty-year-old osmanthus wine. As soon as he broke the seal, the rich aroma of the wine immediately filled the air.
She watched as Yan Xingzhi poured golden liquid into the two glasses in front of him, then raised one of them and handed it to Tang Ning.
Tang Ning glanced at the white porcelain wine cup in front of her, but did not reach out to take it.
Seeing that Tang Ning still didn't take the wine glass, Yan Xingzhi's smile remained unchanged. "Just consider it a celebration with me. Today is my birthday..."
"What does your birthday have to do with me?" Tang Ning said mercilessly.
Upon hearing this, Yan Xingzhi's expression froze for a moment, then he slowly withdrew his wine glass, tilted his head back, and drank the entire glass of wine in one gulp, chuckling softly, "Indeed, it has nothing to do with you..."
After saying that, he looked up at the starry sky and continued to pour himself a drink, saying, "You know what? I haven't celebrated my birthday in a long time, because this day is not only my birthday, but also the anniversary of my parents' and sister's death..."
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning's pupils involuntarily contracted.
Here it comes, here it comes, Gou Yan is here with his sob story.
The tragedy is real, his genuine emotions are real, and based on her deduction in the plot, what he said is also real. Yan Xingzhi's birthday is indeed the same day as the Ye family's massacre, but he hasn't celebrated his birthday for a long time. All the vulnerability and longing he shows towards Tang Ning are real, but you can't say that his actions don't contain scheming against Tang Ning.
Yan Xingzhi always believed that what is lost cannot be recovered, but he could hold on tightly to what he had. Now he wanted to hold on to Tang Ning because their twenty-seven-day agreement was about to expire. Having become accustomed to spending his days with Tang Ning like this, Yan Xingzhi was like someone who had never seen the light before suddenly seeing the light, and he could never go back to the darkness.
That's why we have such a carefully prepared "feast" today.
After he finished speaking, he poured himself another glass of wine. Just as he raised it, before he could even bring it to his lips, Tang Ning had already snatched the glass from his hand and then tilted her head back to gulp down the wine.
But because she had never drunk alcohol before, she choked and coughed violently as soon as the wine entered her throat. Once she started coughing, she couldn't stop. Just as Yan Xingzhi was about to come over to help her catch her breath, Tang Ning stubbornly pushed him away. Then she picked up the wine jar next to her and filled the wine glass in front of her again. She tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp. After drinking three glasses in a row, she finally stopped.
Even though she just drank silently without saying a word, Yan Xingzhi knew that her three drinks were a celebration for him and a small apology.
Her heart has always been so soft and pure. Even now, though it's wrapped in a cold shell, he can still occasionally glimpse the tenderness hidden inside.
Tang Ning, who had just finished drinking three cups of wine, did not expect that this body was so intolerant of alcohol and that it was so easy for her face to flush. After only three cups, her face immediately became hot and flushed, and her head was dizzy. Looking around, she saw that nothing was not moving, even the moon in the sky was swaying back and forth.
She shook her head vigorously, then pressed on the table and staggered to her feet.
Seeing that she could barely stand, Yan Xingzhi quickly stepped forward and supported her.
Unexpectedly, feeling the force on her arm, Tang Ning turned her head and saw Yan Xingzhi beside her. She reached out and cupped his cheeks, drunkenly saying, "No... don't shake me anymore, it's making my head so... so dizzy..."
Unfortunately, no matter how she tried to help him up, the person in front of her kept swaying, making it impossible for her to recognize him. Helpless, she had no choice but to get closer to take a look. In her haste, Yan Xingzhi, caught off guard, was suddenly pushed to the ground by Tang Ning. The osmanthus wine that they had just drunk a few sips of was also accidentally knocked over by the two of them, leaving golden liquid all over the ground, and the aroma of wine in the air became even stronger.
Tang Ning, who was lying on top of Yan Xingzhi, had his face tightly cupped in her hands. Because they were so close, she finally recognized him and asked softly, "You are, Yan... Xingzhi?"
After asking the question, without even waiting for the other person's reply, tears suddenly fell without warning.
At first, she just shed tears silently, but soon the tears turned into low sobs, and then into desperate, helpless cries. The more she cried, the more worthless her tears seemed to become, falling in large drops.
This left Yan Xingzhi completely at a loss. All he could do was hold the sobbing Tang Ning tightly in his arms and gently stroke her back. He had no idea what else to do.
Even after Tang Ning unexpectedly learned of his scheming against her, she never cried like this.
One sound after another seemed to be an attempt to release all the grievances, despair, sadness, and grief that had been bottled up inside.
The broken osmanthus wine had long since run out, the delicious food on the table was gradually cooling down, and even the moon was beginning to set in the west. Only then did Tang Ning's sobs, which he held tightly in his arms, finally slowly stop. Her voice stopped, but her tears did not.
"Why...why are you bullying me like this? I've loved you so much...for so many years, for thirteen years, I've never stopped missing you for a single day. I can't forget the way you saved me from the clutches of the Eastern Depot's henchmen. I've looked forward to our wedding more than once, to our life after we're married. I thought about it for so long, looked forward to it for so, so long, and why is this all I got? Was I wrong? Or was I just unworthy from the very beginning..."
"Yan Xingzhi, why are you doing this to me? Huh? Did I do something wrong? Why do I have to suffer all this? What did I do wrong? Tell me, if you had told me sooner, I would have changed, I would have changed so much, but why did you bully me like that? Don't I feel pain... Yan Xingzhi..."
With a sob in her voice, Tang Ning finished speaking to Yan Xingzhi the words that the original owner most wanted to say before she died.
"sorry……"
Yan Xingzhi's low voice finally rang out. He slowly released his embrace, lowered his head and kissed Tang Ning's tears again and again, the bitter taste scraping his throat.
"I'm so sorry, I ......"
His eyes were bloodshot, and he kept repeating it.
Yan Xingzhi's current favorability rating: 99.
When he pulled her into his arms again, Tang Ning, with her chin resting on his shoulder, saw this change and, even though she was still crying, the corners of her mouth instantly turned up.
Strategy and counter-strategy, Yan Xingzhi, you're no match for me!
Now, preparations are complete, and all that's left is to wait for the final push.
A sharp glint flashed in Tang Ning's eyes.
Author's Note: Gou Yan: I know you're just cold to me, but actually you have a softer heart than anyone else, I know that...
Tang Ning: Hehe, you're right!
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