Five Elements/10
Although it was only the evening hour in the twelfth lunar month and the thick darkness had engulfed the sky, the lights in the main hall of the government office were bright enough to be dazzling.
With the governor of Dianhai present, Ye Xuanling could not say anything directly, so she just displayed the "Five Elements Poison Sutra" in front of everyone.
This book is very old, and it must have been worn out by several years.
The book states: "The Water Eye Sacrifice Formation requires the poisonous water to spread on a full moon night, when the yin energy is at its peak, to complete the final human sacrifice."
The clues she had now did not mention when the Nuo mask-making sacrifice would be held, but the books she had secretly read without her master's knowledge when she was in Anping County did give her some knowledge of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements.
On the night of the full moon, where yin and yang meet, at midnight, the yin energy is at its strongest.
"Your Excellency needs to notify all the people in the city now to stop using groundwater, well water, and all living water from streams. These must have been spread with poison by people with ulterior motives. If this continues, all the people in Dianhai will..." Ye Xuanling looked nervous, but very serious.
Upon hearing this, the governor did not reply. He looked at Ji Yan, who was sitting beside him, his chin propped up, staring intently at Ye Xuanling. After a moment, he said, "Sir, what do you think?"
"Doctor Ye is my deputy, so her arrangements are naturally my arrangements." Ji Yan said.
In theory, the Jinyiwei would not interfere in provincial government affairs, but this matter had been explained to the prefect long ago. This large-scale planned human sacrifice was not something that ordinary people could plan.
In this way, when investigating the royal family corruption case, they had to exercise power in Dianhai.
"Yes." The prefect quickly ordered people to make arrangements, but because the matter could not be made a big deal, he only instructed more than ten people to go door to door to personally pass the order.
But they didn't know who else the Nuo mask-makers in Dianhai could be, besides the troupe leader and the actor they already knew. It was impossible for two people in Dianhai Prefecture to do everything perfectly. Once this matter was issued, the other party would know about it.
If such an order is not issued and the people are allowed to drink groundwater, allowing toxins to spread in their bodies, then Dianhai will become the next Anping at any time.
After thinking for a moment, Ye Xuanling still believed that everyone's lives were more important. As long as this place did not become the next Anping, the murderer would be brought to justice.
After discussion, Ye Xuanling felt that the troupe leader and the actors must be controlled tonight, but they cannot be detained on the grounds of "human sacrifice" or "Nuo mask".
But Ye Xuanling could not have the final say on these matters, so she gave full authority to the prefect to do this.
"Master Ji, let's leave first." Ye Xuanling said softly.
The three of them left the government office together, and Sanqi went to the old pharmacy to check out the residence of "Kansheng" and the person named "Kansheng".
After Sanqi left, Ye Xuanling continued the previous topic: "Master Ji, there is no need to worry that I will do anything that violates discipline. Since I have accepted the token and accepted this position, I will work diligently for you."
Ji Yan suddenly chuckled and spoke word by word: "Work for me?"
"yes."
"Okay." Ji Yan agreed, "Then Doctor Ye, tell me now, what are we going to do now?"
Ye Xuanling looked into his eyes and remained silent for a long time.
If, she thought, she hadn't met him, she really didn't know how she could find out who was behind this. Lin He was a good example. He was a wealthy businessman, and he had a lot of servants in his house.
My daughter has been missing for over a month, and even after reporting her to the authorities, no leads have been found. Who can guarantee that the government is always honest and law-abiding? Who can tell who's working for whom, who's been plotting this, and who can pull out the crucial, transparent thread in this conspiracy?
But who can trust who completely? The ulcer happened the day after she found him, and she led her to discover the Five Elements Case. Who can say for sure about these things?
At least she could rely on the identity he had handed to her.
The last time she came to Dianhai, her master had not died yet, Anping had not been destroyed yet, and he had saved her on Dongdao Mountain. At that time, she really regarded him as a friend.
When she was in Anping County, she didn't have many friends. She didn't know how she got through her childhood. It couldn't be that she played in the mud with her master or her senior brother.
Her senior brother went to the capital a year ago, and no one knew what he was doing there.
She didn't dare go to the capital, let alone meet her senior brother. The matter of her master had not yet come to a conclusion, and she didn't want to tell her senior brother about it and disturb his peace and his heart.
If she really encountered it, what would she say? Why was she the only one in the county who survived?
She didn't dare. She couldn't even recognize herself now. She was the kind of person who was afraid of death and shirked responsibility.
After regaining her composure, Ye Xuanling spoke, "We need to work with the county government and deploy personnel. We need to keep a close eye on the suburbs and Linxi River for the next few days. After March, the Yin energy will be at its peak."
"But right now, we can't confirm where the water eye is. Linxi is surrounded by water on three sides, and an underground river leads to the city. But we don't know whether those people regard the suburbs as the water eye, or Linxi." Ye Xuanling lowered her eyelashes. "Or maybe the shrine under the ruined temple is the source of everything?"
She was asking him, but he waited a long time before speaking: "Maybe, but do we still need to go there tonight?"
He saw a hint of blue under her eyes, and her eyes, which should have been clear, were now bloodshot.
"Yes, we have to hurry. If the water quality of the Dianhai Lake is polluted, this place may become the next Anping." Ye Xuanling said, looking at him seriously.
"How about I go? I'll bring people along to investigate, and you can get some rest tonight."
Ye Xuanling shook her head: "No, I have to go. Can you tell what medicine the powder is made of?"
"Of course you can. You're not the only medical officer in the Weizhong Army. Besides, it's not like I haven't seen Shi Sicao before." Ji Yan said, waving at her. "Okay, Doctor Ye, I hope you can go and rest. Don't let me down at this critical moment."
"Are you going alone?" Ye Xuanling asked.
"I'll do as you say and arrange for personnel to survey the suburbs, along the river, and in the ruined temple. We'll have officers set up ambushes at these locations over the next few days," Ji Yan said softly. "But before that, you should get some rest."
He already knew about the full moon night that Ye Xuanling mentioned, but he didn't care about these things. No matter who the murderer was, no matter who lived and who died, and no matter how many human sacrifices the Nuo mask people would perform on Qingyuan.
He didn't take any of it to heart.
But as long as she wanted to investigate and do what she wanted, then let her do it. But at least it shouldn't be at the cost of her body.
This reminded him of something that happened a long time ago. He couldn't say please. She might not feel tired at that time, but she would feel depressed and numb. Would she want to find him at that time?
Won't.
Ji Yan silently answered her question in her heart. The walking dead don't have souls, nor do they feel that those things are not what she should do.
She wouldn't be herself then.
She is not herself now.
Only her last trip to Dianhai was the real her, without any pretense.
A small drop of water fell on his eyelashes, and he raised his hand to brush it away: "It's raining."
A heavy rain began to fall from the sky, and the two of them stood side by side under the eaves. The rain pushed into small puddles, and Ye Xuanling stretched out her hand to help herself to the rain from the eaves and the rain from the sky, her palm still tinged with a hint of coolness.
It's sleet.
In a moment, the small piece of jade-white melted in her palm and mixed with the rain.
"Ji Yan," Ye Xuanling suddenly called out, "I've accepted the position of Royal Guards' accompanying medical officer. Do I have any right to refuse?"
As if realizing her words were unclear, she continued, "I mean, if I don't want this position anymore, can I refuse? Can I not do it?"
"If you don't do it, where do you want to go?" Ji Yan asked.
"You know, the Imperial Guards aren't necessarily connected to this case, and I can't be sure the Five Elements case is connected to the Anping destruction." Ye Xuanling's eyelashes obscured the expression in her eyes. "So if this matter isn't investigated and there's no result, I can't...stay in the Imperial Guards."
Her words were very clear, having such an identity was just for convenience.
She waited for a long time, but still didn't get his answer.
When I turned to look at him, I saw two warm yellow lanterns hanging from the eaves, their dim light slanting down on him, illuminating his clean-cut facial features. The strands of hair on his forehead were rimmed with a brilliant golden hue, blurry and not at all real.
In this scene, she could just see his lower jaw, with the skin close to the bones, and she seemed to be able to see the white bones. She thought of the two innocent girls who died in the ruined temple.
Which girl could tolerate such an ending? The government office didn't even let a single piece of information leak out. It was obvious that Lin He's spoiled daughter was dead.
There is no such thing in the world.
As she thought about this, she didn't know whether she was sympathizing with the plight of Lin He and his daughter, or thinking of Anping, who had no one to complain about.
The powerful officials and subordinates protect each other and are mostly treacherous and corrupt.
Apart from these dignitaries and nobles, who else can do such a thing? People from the countryside or the city are nothing but ants in the eyes of those people.
Anping is no longer her hometown, and Ye Xuanling cannot be her name.
"Of course, you are free to come and go." Ji Yan said finally.
"Thank you." Ye Xuanling bowed to him like the other officials. "Ji Yan, let's follow our agreement for the next two days. At least we can't let Dian Hai die a violent death."
"Then Ji Yan, I will go back to the inn first. I have to see what clues Sanqi has found." Ye Xuanling smiled faintly.
"Going back in the rain?" Ji Yan's gray eyes lit up slightly. It was unclear whether it was the lantern light or something else, but his gaze remained fixed on her. "Didn't you say you wanted to get some rest? Why aren't you even afraid of catching a cold?"
"The rain will stop. This little bit of rain isn't that important right now."
"Ye Xuanling, you really don't want to stay with me, right?" he asked.
A hint of alertness flashed across Ye Xuanling's eyes, subtle and hard to detect.
At least the person in front of her could not be easily trusted. She could feel that the man in front of her had a secret in his heart, and it was about her, a secret that he wanted to hide desperately but was revealed from his eyes.
She looked into his eyes and always felt that there was an indescribable sense of familiarity.
There, where?
She couldn't explain it clearly.
"Ji Yan, it's not that I don't want to stay with you, but I have to go back and rest now, just like you said." Ye Xuanling explained, but felt that the meaning of what she said was not clear.
"So what do you want?" Without giving her time to answer, Ji Yan suddenly let out a slight hiss. He covered his leg, half-bent his body, frowned, and looked a little unpleasant. "Looks like I won't be able to walk far tonight."
Ye Xuanling turned her head away, her heart sinking. Could it be that she hadn't treated his wound properly, causing the poison to spread?
They were still standing outside a store, it was raining outside, and without a medical kit, she couldn't treat him here.
"Were you injured in the suburbs?" Ye Xuanling asked. Then she sighed and looked around. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault."
"Maybe I didn't handle it properly. How about this, let's go to a doctor. I don't have a medical kit right now, and even if I did, I might not be able to handle it for you."
Ye Xuanling wanted to say something, but Ji Yan interrupted her: "It's not your fault, it's my own."
Ji Yan lowered her eyelashes, trembling slightly like a fluttering butterfly: "If you're injured, you shouldn't be able to run such a long distance."
"I'm sorry I didn't warn you about this." Ye Xuanling stood on tiptoe and glanced into the crowded shop. "I'll go ask the owner of this shop if they have any extra umbrellas to sell us. I'll take you to the clinic."
After saying that, Ye Xuanling walked inside. This shop was a ready-made clothing store and did not sell oil-paper umbrellas, but she could also ask. She thought that getting caught in the rain was nothing and not a big deal, but Ji Yan was injured and it would take longer for him to heal if he got caught in the rain.
This is not good.
But she clearly remembered that the way she handled the situation at that time had no disadvantages. She was not bragging, it could definitely be called a medical example.
Ye Xuanling shook off her thoughts and walked straight to the front counter, asking if the shopkeeper had any extra umbrellas. Inside the front counter, a bamboo basket held numerous oil-paper umbrellas, most of them in splashed ink, bamboo, orchid, for emergency use. This must have been another part of the shopkeeper's business.
Ye Xuanling did not disturb the shop owner's business. The shop owner smiled kindly and handed her the umbrella generously. After paying, he went out the door.
"Am I causing you trouble?" Ji Yan suddenly asked.
"What trouble?" Ye Xuanling opened her umbrella and waited for him to stand next to her. "If you want to talk about trouble, it should be me who caused it."
The two walked side by side, and the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella was quite disturbing.
Ye Xuanling glanced at the wound on his leg and asked, "Do you want me to carry you?"
"Ah?" Ji Yan was briefly surprised, "No, we can walk."
Finally, he added, "Just hold me up."
Ye Xuanling adjusted her movements while trying her best to keep the umbrella flat to prevent the rain from soaking her clothes and shoulders.
But no matter how I adjust it, it doesn’t seem very convenient.
Ji Yan was standing on her right side, holding an umbrella in her right hand and supporting him with her right hand. This action looked weird no matter how you looked at it.
The distance between the two of them was closer than before. Ji Yan did not put the fulcrum of his gravity on Ye Xuanling's arm. She could not even feel any weight. It would be better to say that the two of them were gently holding each other's arms rather than saying that she was supporting him.
Because they were holding hands, Ye Xuanling could feel that Ji Yan was walking unsteadily and with a slight limp.
Under the clothes, I seemed to be able to feel the other person's beating pulse and his strong arms.
"Ji Yan, I'm supporting you." Ye Xuanling reminded, "You can put your center of gravity on me."
"Because I'm worried about you." Ji Yan looked at the night and said softly, not knowing when he was talking. "What if I crush you?"
This sentence made Ye Xuanling laugh. She curved her eyebrows into a crescent shape, with black eyes and picturesque features. "Crush me?" she asked back.
"How could you possibly crush me?" Ye Xuanling asked, "Ji Yan, you underestimate me."
"Okay, I underestimated you, Doctor Ye." Ji Yan said the last sentence in a meaningful voice.
These words coming out of his mouth made Ye Xuanling feel a little uncomfortable, and the hair on her body stood up and shivered.
Ji Yan caught her shrugging and smiled.
At this moment, Ji Yan seemed to see Ye Xuanling before Anping was destroyed. Should he call her Ye Xuanling? Or should he call her something else? He didn't know. Just call her Ye Xuanling, just Ye Xuanling.
The dim and weak moonlight illuminated the figures of the two people, their footsteps touching the water, creating ripples. The light and shadows on the roadside made the shadows of the two people very long.
Ye Xuanling randomly found the nearest clinic and sat aside, watching the doctor treat Ji Yan's wound. She didn't feel shy at all, after all, she was also a doctor, so even if the injury was elsewhere, she would still go to see him.
She wanted to see where she had handled the situation wrong.
"If you want to keep looking at me, just come closer." Ji Yan's eyes drooped slightly, and the dim candlelight cast a golden edge on the ends of his hair.
"Oh, okay." Ye Xuanling moved closer to him, but kept most of her attention on the doctor, observing his technique. The head doctor of this clinic was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, his hair already nearly gray. "I'm examining the wound."
Somehow, she suddenly said this, which made her feel a little strange.
"Of course I..." Ji Yan nodded, but didn't look at her, "I know."
Ye Xuanling looked at the wound and felt a little strange. When she treated him today, she used the same method as the chief doctor. Could it be that there was something wrong with her medicine powder?
She began to doubt herself.
The wound was almost rotten. When the gauze was removed and the dressing was changed, fresh blood with a sweet and fishy smell could be seen flowing out.
After a while, her gaze moved away from the wound and fell on Ji Yan's face.
Ji Yan had no expression on his face, just a slight frown and slightly parted lips, making a soft "hissing" sound when the doctor used the medicine.
She already knew everything.
But it didn't do him any good at all, it didn't make any sense. Besides, he didn't look like that kind of guy.
Intent on self-destruction? But the wounds on his body were not many at all, there was no need to deepen them. Why? Ye Xuanling thought and thought, but in the end, there was no result.
Ji Yan's injury was quickly treated. After paying the bill, the two stood at the door, looking at each other in silence.
Ye Xuanling didn't ask what she was thinking, but simply said, "Then I'll go back to the inn first. You must remember what I said and arrange for the staff."
"Okay." Ji Yan said, "Ye Xuanling."
He shouted, "Last time in Anping, I told you to go to the capital together just to help you find out the truth. You also know that Liu Dakou must still be alive. He has relatives in the capital."
Ji Yan spoke slowly and seriously, his expression gentle. Ye Xuanling's eyes never left his face. She nodded and said, "Of course I know."
"So you suspected me of being the murderer last time?" Ji Yan asked. "Did you doubt me? When you rescued me and the county was hit by an epidemic the day after, did you find it strange? Do you think I had anything to do with it?"
A series of questions hit Ye Xuanling's heart like huge rocks, making her alarm bells ring, but his expression did not seem like he was accusing her, but rather like he sincerely wanted her trust.
Well, then tell him so.
"Ji Yan," she said, "I have always believed in you. I have never doubted you."
When Ye Xuanling said this, her eyes were filled with pity, and she longed for him to truly believe every word she said.
He raised the umbrella in his hand and handed it to her.
A flash of lightning exploded in the sky and thunder rolled down. The light was bright enough for Ye Xuanling to see his eyes clearly, and the sound of rain was drowned out by the rumbling thunder.
The secret hidden in his eyes made his entire eyes look very special, just like the gray sky.
Even with the thunder roaring, she could still hear the pulse beating strongly in her neck. It was so obvious. Ye Xuanling didn't understand why she was like this. Was she afraid of being exposed for her lies?
She couldn't help but blinked and avoided his gaze: "No need, you need it more. I'll go back first."
"Are you hiding from me? Ye Xuanling." Ji Yan didn't put away the umbrella and kept holding it.
He wondered, was she afraid that he would know?
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