Help in times of crisis
Inside the Holy Fire Hall, the smell of burning and earthy flesh hung heavy. As the chaos settled, violent shouts echoed everywhere. Chi Lian's trusted followers were restoring order with an iron fist, and the air was thick with murderous intent.
Mu Jin huddled in the shadow of the half-collapsed stable, her heart pounding. She'd considered risking a call to Shuang'er, but the sky above the Holy Fire Hall had become a forbidden zone. The occasional bird that flew by was instantly pinned to the eaves by several sharp arrows.
“Gu…Gugu…”
A pigeon's cry cut through the din. Mu Jin looked in the direction of the sound and saw a gray pigeon flying low, clinging to the shadows beneath the eaves. Another carrier pigeon from the Demon Cult! Her heart sank, and she retreated even deeper into her corner.
The gray pigeon flexed nimbly, as if it had identified its target, and flew towards the corner where she was hiding.
Mu Jin's pupils suddenly shrank, and she retreated in panic, her back hitting the stable barrier.
A gray shadow flashed, and with a slight "flutter" sound, a familiar weight fell on her shoulder.
It’s Shuang’er!
But... where are its beautiful snow-white feathers? His fingertips brushed against the rough, dull feathers... His nose suddenly felt sore. It's the young lady! Mu Jin bit her lower lip and swallowed the sob in her throat.
"Silly Shuang'er..." The voice was stuck in her throat. Shuang'er grumbled twice in dissatisfaction, her little head turning alertly, and she pecked at her clothes with her beak, making a slight gurgling sound.
Mu Jin took a deep breath, suppressing her turbulent emotions. With trembling hands, she quickly untied the letter box. The note unfolded, revealing a familiar, steady handwriting:
"Is it safe? If you have the chance, check Spring's location. Do it within your capabilities, remember!"
The sound of iron boots crushing gravel in the distance grew closer. Mu Jin's eyes misted over. She blinked hard, then raised her hand to wipe away the moisture that blurred her vision. She pulled out a pen:
"It's safe. Don't worry, miss."
The pen tip paused slightly, and the wrist seemed to be jumping in the chaos of poisonous insects again, and the steady force that grabbed her wrist:
"I'll jump into the water to feed the tiger and find out where the young master is. If I get any news, Shuang'er will return."
The pen paused again, the young lady's steady handwriting overlapping with the shaky figure, and her heart tightened. Is the young lady also holding on at this moment? Worry surged, and was suppressed again, turning into the last four words on the paper:
"Take care, young lady."
She rolled up the note and stuffed it back into the mailbox, fastening it tightly: "Go, Shuang'er." She lowered her voice, "Be careful. Fly close to the ground and close to the shadow." She lifted Shuang'er out of the deep shadow.
A gray shadow flashed, clinging to the shadow of the ruined wall before silently disappearing into the sky. The thud of heavy iron boots seemed to turn toward another fork in the road, gradually receding. Mu Jin's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and she realized with a start that her back was soaked with sweat. Digging her nails deep into her palms, she turned and headed towards the dungeon.
The chilly mountain wind blew up gravel, which stung my face slightly. Su Baiwei, in a steady voice, recited the prescription: "Three grams of seven-leaf heartbreak grass, three grams of aconite root, two grams of dried ginger, and one gram of licorice root."
Lan Tu's eyes narrowed as she repeated, "Three grams of seven-leaf aconite, three grams of aconite..." She suddenly raised her eyes, a hint of doubt in her eyes. "Aconite is pungent, hot, and highly toxic, and seven-leaf aconite is deadly to the throat... Could this recipe be trying to fight poison with poison?" She paused, her brow furrowing even more. "And... dried ginger? We only have fresh ginger right now."
"That's all right." Su Baiwei reached into her sleeve and pulled out a packet of powdered medicine. "I carry some dried ginger powder with me, it's enough." She twisted a corner of the cloth bag with her fingertips, revealing the ginger-colored powder inside. "This recipe uses poison to fight poison, but it's just superficial. In reality, it leverages the synergistic effect of aconite and dried ginger. Their intense pungent, hot, and harsh properties forcefully reverse the cold and stagnant state of the bone-rotting poison that has penetrated deep into the heart. The toxicity of the seven-leaf heartbreak grass is used to stimulate the remaining vitality of the heart, putting it in a desperate situation and hoping for a resurgence. This poison spreads very quickly, and there's no time to lose. This risky move might offer a glimmer of hope."
Lan Tu's doubts vanished, and a trace of admiration flashed in her eyes: "I see! There is no time to lose, let's go find the medicine quickly."
The two of them bent over the jagged rocks and found a licorice root. Lan Tu carefully used a branch to pry the dirt around the root. After a moment's deliberation, she whispered, "Miss Su, Sally and Daben...are quick-tempered and sometimes aggressive..."
"I understand." Su Baiwei used a branch to pry up the licorice roots and shook off the sticky dirt. Her movements were a little stiff. "As a righteous martial artist, facing a demonic witch, not immediately turning sword on her is already the most righteous thing." Her eyes fixed on the licorice roots. "What's more..." Before she finished speaking, Sally's question suddenly popped into her mind.
"Back then, the entire Qinglong Sect was massacred. Was it your father's doing?"
"I heard that the only one who survived was a young child?"
The branch in Su Baiwei's hand broke with a crisp "crack".
Lan Tu looked up sharply and saw that her face had suddenly turned pale and her eyes had lost focus for a moment. "Are you okay?" She reached out to touch her trembling shoulder, but her fingertips hovered in mid-air and did not fall.
Su Baiwei's eyelashes drooped, and she hastily shifted her gaze from the roots. Then, she pressed back harder. She clenched the unbroken branch in her hand, her fingertips pricking at the splinters without even noticing. She took a deep breath of cool air before steadying her voice: "It's all right."
Lan Tu curled and unclenched her fingertips as she looked at Su Baiwei's back, which was trying hard to straighten but seemed even more fragile. Her lips moved, and finally turned into a sigh that dissipated in the whistling mountain wind.
Atop the cliffs, mist swirled. Water dripped from the cracks in the cliff, forming small wet patches at their feet. Su Baiwei put away the licorice and looked up at a moist crevice high up in the cliff face. A few dark red spots swayed in the wind. "That's where the Seven-Leaf Heartbreak Herb is. Thank you, Palace Master."
"Okay." Lan Tu nodded and was about to take a breath.
Su Baiwei's voice came softly, almost swallowed by the mountain wind: "Just now in the cave... Thank you, Palace Master, for your protection."
Lan Tu looked at her, her eyes bright. "In the Holy Fire Hall, you and Tiao Tiao sacrificed your lives to protect each other. I saw it clearly. I believe in Tiao Tiao's eyes." Her eyes swept over Su Baiwei's injured left arm, "and I believe in your sincerity at this moment."
Su Baiwei's fingertips trembled, leaving deep marks on the licorice stalk in her hand. She quickly lowered her eyes, hiding the turmoil in them. The mountain breeze blew her hair around her temples, revealing the line of her jaw.
“Gu——”
The cry of a pigeon pierced through the sound of the mountain wind.
Su Baiwei suddenly looked up and stretched out her arm. A gray shadow descended like lightning. It was Shuang'er in disguise. Her other hand reached for the pigeon-legged letterbox. Her eyes quickly scanned Shuang'er's wings, chest, and abdomen. Seeing that they were intact, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly. She unfolded the note, her gaze swept over it, and her shoulders finally relaxed a little more.
"Is it Miss Hibiscus?" Lan Tu asked with concern.
Su Baiwei handed the note over. Lan Tu read it, her brows gleaming with joy. "Great! If we can pinpoint the location, we can sneak in and avoid the risk of searching. It's just that..." She glanced at the gray, simple pigeon, her brows furrowed slightly. "Miss Mu Jin is deep in the tiger's lair. It's extremely dangerous. I hope she's safe."
Su Baiwei nodded silently, her fingertips brushing against Shuang'er's pale feathers. She gazed toward the Holy Fire Hall, her eyes as calm as a deep pool, yet within them lay a silent prayer. Her knuckles unconsciously pressed against the cloth bag in her sleeve.
It was midday, the sun blazing brightly in the sky. Dada concentrated and held his breath, clenching his whirlwind sword tightly in his hand. Before him, the herd of medicine men, urged on by the golden bell, surged through the Ghost-Seeing Pass.
At the same time, Sally and Doudou's figures, one in the east and the other in the west, shot towards the depths of Beimang Mountain like arrows, stirring up two clouds of dust.
Outside the Holy Fire Hall, the scorched maple forest steamed beneath the blazing sun, the air thick with the scent of earth. Rainbow Cat, Blue Rabbit, Da Ben, and Su Baiwei were hidden within the searing heat. Rainbow Cat's gaze swept over the towering walls; Blue Rabbit's fingers rested lightly on the hilt of the Ice Soul Sword; Da Ben, steady as a mountain, surveyed his surroundings warily; Su Baiwei gazed skyward, a dark undercurrent surging in her calm eyes.
Inside the Holy Fire Hall, the air was scorching and stagnant. Guards stood grimly at the dungeon entrance. Hiding in the shadows of the corridor, Mu Jin's heart pounded, her gaze fixed on the heavy iron door. A dozen steps from the entrance, a cart loaded with leftovers was parked.
A staccato wheeze, like a broken bellows, drifted from the corner. Mu Jin looked in the direction of the sound, her heart sinking. She saw a gray-haired old man struggling to push a cart. Suddenly, he hunched over in pain, his hands free of the handlebars, and fell to the ground. His face was livid, his chest heaving violently, and he looked like he was on the verge of suffocation.
Her instinct as a healer instantly overwhelmed her, and Mu Jin rushed to the old man's side. A glimpse of the guard's gaze from the corner of her eye startled her, but she didn't hesitate. She quickly crouched down, her hand already on his bony wrist. The situation was critical, and without hesitation, she pulled a silver needle from her sleeve.
The tip of the needle was about to touch her, but the guard's gaze was like a thorn in her back. The silver needle between her fingers froze for half a second, and cold sweat suddenly slid into the collar at the back of her neck, the cold and slippery feeling making her freeze.
"Hey! The one pushing the cart over there!" A shout suddenly rang out, "What are you dawdling about? What are you doing?" A guard pressed the hilt of his knife, his eyes locked on her like a hook.
The guard's shout was like a death warrant, but the deathly gurgling in the old man's throat was even more piercing. She no longer hesitated, and with a flick of her wrist, she stabbed the silver needles into several vital points on the old man's chest.
"Something's wrong!" The other guard's eyes sharpened, obviously seeing her inserting the needle. "Hold him down!" The two of them drew their swords at the same time and rushed over with murderous intent.
Amidst suffocation and chaos, the old man's consciousness ebbed and flowed. The silver needles pierced his chest several times, carrying a strange, swirling force that penetrated deep into his bones... This feeling... was like piercing the mists of time. The intense pain eased slightly, and his cloudy eyes struggled to open a crack, his weak gaze fixed on Mu Jin's fingers as she removed the needles. The familiar finger technique caught his eye, and his distracted gaze suddenly froze.
"Cough cough... cough cough cough... my old... old problem... has come back..." The old man coughed violently a few times, and the purple color of his face quickly eased. His breathing became heavy but steady. He waved his bony hand feebly at the approaching guard, "No... it's okay... this young man... can lend a hand..."
The guards approached, their eyes indifferent as they glanced at Mu Jin, dressed in her guard uniform, and the panting old man. One of them lazily extended his hand, saying, "You! Take off your veil! Which team are you from? Tell me your name!" Another glanced at the old man impatiently and spat, "Old Li, your asthma is really unlucky! You have to strike at this time!" His tone was filled with disdain.
Mu Jin lowered her head to hide the panic in her eyes and said vaguely, "I'm from Team C7... I've just been transferred here to help..." As she spoke, she carefully helped the old man to stand up, her movements clumsy and fearful.
The guards glanced at her suspiciously again, their expressions relaxing and becoming even more impatient. One of them cursed, "Get out of here! Don't get in the way here! If you make trouble again, you'll be in trouble!"
The two men cursed softly and slowly walked back to their posts. In the distance, they saw the shadow of a patrol passing by, which was obviously more worthy of attention than the two people in front of them.
Mu Jin's tense heartstrings relaxed, and she was about to pull away when a withered hand suddenly exerted force and tightly grasped her sleeve.
Hibiscus felt like she was falling into an icy cave, and cold sweat instantly soaked her back.
The old man stared at Mu Jin and spoke quickly in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "... Wanyun Finger... Hantan... Hall Master Su..." He panted, "I... am an old friend of Hall Master Su... The old hall master... was killed by Chi Lian... I only hate myself for being useless... and having only blood feuds... Are you Hall Master Su's man? I... will never harm you..." His turbid eyes swept over the guards at the dungeon entrance.
Mu Jin froze, staring in disbelief. The deep hatred in the old man's eyes didn't seem fake. The young lady had mentioned her father had saved someone in the cold pond. If this was a trap, she would have been exposed by now. The image of Tiao Tiao being dragged away, the young lady's pale face, flashed through her mind.
The old man took a deep breath and glanced around vigilantly. After confirming that the guard had his back to them, he said in a lower voice, "You...are taking risks here...there are important people imprisoned there? You want...to go in?" He nodded towards the iron door of the dungeon, his eyes burning with the flames of gratitude and revenge, "I...can help you!" He used all his strength to point at the cart loaded with leftovers with his calloused fingers.
Mu Jin's pupils suddenly shrank, her gaze fixed on the cart, all hesitation and fear cut through with decisiveness. For the young master, for the young lady! She met the old man's gaze and nodded solemnly.
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