Chapter 85 Eternal Silence: One Life for Another (Including Side Couple's Ending)...
Pei Xiaoyun's men followed them to Yanshan.
This mountain is very close to Cuifeng Pass. When Mingying arrived at the top of the mountain, she could see a large army pressing in front of Cuifeng Pass, with dark, dense troops hidden behind the vast white mist.
These are all imperial troops.
He Lianqing had already paid his respects at his senior sister's grave halfway up the mountain. On the way up, his eyes were red with tears. The closer he got to his master's grave, the heavier his steps became. In the end, tears soaked his clothes.
When he arrived at the scene, his master and senior sister had already been murdered by villains.
As he recalled those scenes from years ago, a heavy, suffocating feeling rose in his chest, accompanied by intense pain.
During his lifetime, Master treated many people in various places and was revered by them. His tombstone is spotless, and almost every month, people who had been treated by him come to pay their respects.
He walked to the tombstone, slowly knelt down, and kowtowed three times.
Then, he straightened up, shifted his gaze to the towering pine tree a few steps to the left of the tombstone, and said to the others, "I buried the things under the tree myself. Please go and dig them out quickly."
Several men, wielding shovels, quickly cleared the mud from the slope and found a yellowed, old medical book covered in mud. Next to the book was something wrapped in a brown cloth.
"Dr. He, could you please take a look and see if this is it?"
He Lianqing took the two items, first opening the medical book and seeing her master's handwriting, her eyes flashed with ruthlessness, then opening the brown cloth to reveal a jade porcelain bottle with a broken corner.
This porcelain bottle and medical book were things that his master always carried with him. He knew that these two items were very important to his master, so he buried them himself next to his master's tombstone.
Now he finally understood that the porcelain bottle contained the antidote, and the medical book recorded the solution. He only needed to dissolve the powder in the bottle in water and sprinkle it on the poisonous area to resolve the problem.
With these two items, the imperial army can quickly break through Cuifeng Pass, capture the enemy's city gate, and avenge Master and Senior Sister!
He wiped his reddened eyes, turned around, and saw Mingying helping Xingwei sit under a tree. Xingwei's complexion had been bad since the way up the mountain, and his brows were always furrowed, as if he was enduring something extremely painful.
"Dr. He, please come quickly." Mingying supported her, her voice anxious.
He Lianqing felt Xingwei's pulse. Her pulse was extremely erratic. He had never seen anyone's pulse so disordered before. If it continued like this, he was afraid that things would turn out badly.
"Let's go down the mountain quickly."
She fainted that day, probably because the Gu in her body was acting up. Her current state must also be related to the Gu. He didn't want Xingwei to come along, but she insisted on coming after hearing about Yanshan.
Xingwei was helped up and coughed up another mouthful of blood. The more blood he coughed up, the clearer his vision became.
Every blade of grass and every tree in Yanshan was like the sharpest knife, piercing her body and soul, leaving her riddled with wounds.
She came; she really did come.
She gazed at the bare tombstone, then at her own hands, her palms seemingly stained with the crimson blood from her dream.
The more she thought about it, the more it felt like hundreds of needles were pinning her body to the ground. She didn't want to be bound anymore, so she used her willpower to pull her flesh in the opposite direction, bit by bit. She gritted her teeth and her neck veins bulged. Finally, a thread in her mind snapped.
A sliver of sunlight from Yanshan Mountain shone into her dim eyes, but her pupils lost their focus.
She remembered what she had done.
"Xingwei, Xingwei!" He Lianqing looked at her pale face, his heart pounded, and his voice trembled with raucous pain. "Let's go down the mountain, I'll find a way to save you!"
He handed the two items in his hand to the general named Zhou Yan who was escorting them: "General Zhou, please deliver these items to His Majesty as soon as possible. His Majesty will understand once he has read the medical book."
His immediate priority was to bring Xingwei down the mountain.
Before the other party could reach out to take it, an arrow shot out from the forest. Caught off guard, He Lianqing was struck in the arm, the medical book fell to the ground, and the medicine bottle rolled away.
Suddenly, the birds hidden in the forest were startled and flew away, and a group of people dressed in different clothes emerged from the bushes.
Zhou Yan and the others' expressions changed drastically. They protected the two people present who did not know martial arts and Xing Wei under the tree, and then gathered people to defend against the enemy: "Quick, there is an ambush!"
He Lianqing sat with Xingwei under a tree. He had injured his arm; the arrow had been fired with great force. His lips were white, and he was in so much pain that his vision was blurry.
Long swords clashed, and the sounds of battle sent chills down their spines.
A chill ran from her feet into Mingying's heart. She immediately picked up the medical book not far away and tucked it tightly into her bosom.
Cuifeng Pass is the border between Langzhou and Wuhuan. Looking at the people in front of her, she guessed that Yanshan was a trap.
The enemy anticipated that they would take action to break through the poison barrier, so they came to Yanshan to ambush them in advance or even before they did.
Her eyes were filled with anxiety. She glanced at He Lianqing and Xing Wei, both of whom were injured, and clenched her fist, tightening it slightly.
The medicine bottle had rolled onto the rocks a few steps away, its surface gleaming brightly in the afterglow of the setting sun.
The enemy also wanted to seize the medicine, and the two sides fought fiercely, resulting in heavy casualties.
Moreover, the enemy came prepared, scattering poisoned needles and hidden arrows. Zhou Yan was shot in the thigh by a poisoned arrow and struggled to hold on with his long sword.
Mingying's heart pounded like a drum. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, she slowly walked around under the pine tree, squatted down, and just as her fingertips were about to touch the medicine bottle, an arrow grazed her fingertips and stuck in the mud.
A cold sweat broke out on her back. She quickly picked up the medicine bottle, turned around and ran away. At the same time, several arrows just grazed past her and embedded themselves in the tree trunk.
Behind him, swords gleamed and shadows danced, the thick, pungent stench of blood like a giant net, making one feel nauseous and suffocated.
She leaned against a tree, clutching her chest and panting.
This won't do. The enemy is clearly trying to wear them down. If they continue to entangle themselves with them, they won't be able to send those two items out.
He Lianqing was hit by a poisoned arrow, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She protected Xingwei, who had lost consciousness. When she saw Mingying pick up the medicine bottle, she looked at her and they both nodded at the same time.
Mingying steeled her resolve, casually pulled over a horse, mounted it, yanked the reins, and, carrying the two items, rode down the mountain...
Seeing this, the enemy tried to give chase, but Zhou Yan and his men held them off, not giving them any chance to pursue.
He Lianqing struggled to his feet. He knew no martial arts, and staying here would only be a burden to them. He wanted to lead Xingwei down another path first.
After helping her walk a few steps, Xingwei had completely lost her strength, and her eyelids were drooping and about to close.
"Wake up, don't sleep, I'll take you down the mountain." His voice was hoarse and distorted; at this moment, he couldn't even feel the pain in his arm.
He didn't know what was wrong with her, why she would act like this after just one trip to Yanshan.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Xingwei kept repeating these words, and her voice became weak and soft after shedding the indifference and detachment that came from her heart.
"What?" He Lianqing leaned closer to listen, her heart skipping a beat.
He was afraid, afraid that even if he took her down the mountain, he wouldn't be able to break the curse on her. As a doctor, this was his first time facing a patient, and he felt so fearful and helpless.
At this moment, the enemy seemed to notice the two lone individuals and quietly circled around to their rear. They knew that He Lianqing could not be allowed to live; if he lived, he would always ruin their plans.
A man in black, his eyes filled with rage, raised his knife and slashed at He Lianqing.
Suddenly, the air seemed to freeze, and the blades of grass remained suspended in the air, motionless.
He Lianqing only felt a gust of cold wind slash down from behind, and his pupils dilated.
Before she could react, Xingwei used her last bit of strength to push him away. The knife pierced her body from behind, but it also seemed to sever the shackles that had bound and controlled her for so many years.
Zhou Yan dealt with the enemies over there, limped over, stood at a distance, and threw a dagger straight at the black-clad man's chest.
He Lianqing, lying on the ground with her eyes wide open in horror, grabbed mud from between her fingers and rushed towards Xing Wei. She saw that Xing Wei was bleeding profusely and was on the verge of death.
He frantically covered her wound, his clothes stained with her blood, and stammered incoherently, "Xingwei, Xingwei..."
Looking at her pale face and bright red lips and teeth, he kept thinking of her, always holding a sword and never saying a word. Although she was silent and aloof, she also had a gentle side.
He saved her, and she repaid his kindness by jumping into the ravine with him; when trouble came, she could be sharp-tongued, yet she would also warn him to be careful...
If he hadn't misunderstood her for those two years, would they have had more time together?
He didn't realize that warm tears were falling from his eyes.
He was a doctor who had seen many deaths, so he wasn't numb; rather, he knew that death was inevitable for everyone, and for some, it was a release.
Why is Kexingwei lying in front of him like this?
He felt as if it were all a dream.
For many years, he has not shed a tear for separation or death.
At the last moment, Xingwei was freed, but the guilt in her heart was hard to shake. Her unfocused gaze dared not look at He Lianqing for even a moment, only her bloodless lips moved:
"A life for a life isn't enough... I still owe you a life. I'll repay you in the next life..."
"Stop talking, stop talking, let's go down the mountain, I can save you." He Lianqing couldn't concentrate on listening to her words, so he gently covered her mouth with his palm, afraid that if she said another word, she would have to hold on for a moment longer.
Xingwei grabbed his hand and shook her head at him: "Don't save me, I'm free, I was afflicted by... Devouring Thoughts."
A thunderbolt struck He Lianqing's mind, her throat went dry, and she could hardly believe it.
He had heard his master mention this kind of poison, and there was no cure for it.
This poison can cause people to lose their memory and all emotions and desires. If one day, the person afflicted by the poison develops worldly desires, they will suffer the torment of being devoured by thousands of insects and ants.
If the person afflicted by the Gu regains their past memories, the poison will immediately invade their lungs and internal organs, leading to their demise.
It was the influence of the Gu that made her always cold and indifferent to people, and sometimes ignore his kindness.
"It was me, it was me who killed your master and senior sister." Xingwei released his hand, a few tears sliding down her cheeks.
He Lianqing suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze filled with a terrifying crimson, causing her jaw to tremble slightly in shock.
"What did you say?"
He wasn't asking her questions, nor was he blaming her; he was simply incredulous.
He thought of the pained expression on her face when she heard about Yanshan, and a mix of emotions overwhelmed him, causing waves of sharp pain to overwhelm him.
No wonder, she was thinking about the past, and she became so weak in just a few days. Once she breaks free from the shackles of the Devouring Thought, the price will be death. Only in this way can she be freed.
The desolate afterglow of the northern sun shone on Xingwei, and the wind was endlessly cold. She felt the lingering warmth in her palms and clenched her fists steadily.
The Wuhuan people tested the Devouring Thought Gu on her, using the Gu worm to control her. They killed the two doctors in Yanshan. Unable to bear the torment, she attempted suicide out of extreme guilt.
That stab only caused half of the Gu energy in her body to drain away with her blood, but she didn't die. Later, she went to the battlefield alone to seek revenge, where she was rescued by Pei Xiaoyun.
Later, she met He Lianqing...
If it weren't for that curse, she would still be a clean person and able to do many things.
He Lianqing stared intently at her, his pupils reflecting an indistinct darkness. A thousand words were condensed into a few heavy words: "Whatever it is, we'll talk about it when we get down the mountain."
Xingwei shook his head slightly, then suddenly looked up at the sky.
As dusk fell, white mist seemed to float in the crimson sky, or perhaps it was reed fluff blown up from the riverbank below the mountain.
With her last clear words, she said to him, "After I die, place my body on the Northwest land, whether it is gnawed by wild beasts or battered by rain and snow, it is fine."
Her father was a soldier in the Northwest. She learned martial arts from him from a young age and wanted to go into battle to fight the enemy and drive back the Wuhuan people.
That year, after her father died on the battlefield, she was completely homeless and wandered around the Northwest.
The reeds swayed like snowflakes, and she felt her body gradually becoming lighter, wondering if she could transform into one of their fluffy seeds and drift back to her home.
Since I no longer have a home, I will make the world my home.
-----------------------
Author's Note: I cried while writing this! [crying][crying][crying][crying][crying][crying][crying]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
