Chapter 884 Detoxification (Second Update)
Gu Jiao and the Black Wind King traveled through the night and arrived at Quyang City just before dawn.
Quyang City is undergoing post-war reconstruction, and the streets are already filled with people who have come to help.
Everyone had already remembered this young commander in her red battle uniform and black iron armor, and when they saw her enter the city, they all bowed to her.
When she first arrived in Quyang City, the people regarded her and the Black Wind Riders as rebels and avoided them at all costs, but now their views have changed a lot.
Gu Jiao had urgent business to attend to, so she didn't linger. She nodded slightly and spurred her horse to gallop away.
"Has the young commander just returned from another battle?"
"Covered in blood...I hope you're not injured."
"So pitiful..."
The people were heartbroken.
One of the city's garrison soldiers had to step forward to dispel the rumors: "Commander Xiao is fine. That's enemy blood. Don't worry, Commander Xiao is a peerless warrior. He will definitely win all the battles safely!"
That's a bit of an exaggeration.
However, after the great war, everything was in ruins and needed rebuilding, and this belief in strengthening ourselves was indeed necessary.
Hearing that the young commander was alright, the people were relieved and continued with their work, their morale even higher than before.
Xuanyuan Qi was placed in the Black Wind Cavalry's wounded soldiers' camp, and Ye Qingyi stayed by his side without taking off her clothes.
When Gu Jiao dismounted and arrived at the tent entrance, Ye Qing had just come out with a pile of used gauze.
The curtain was lifted, and Ye Qing immediately saw Gu Jiao walking towards them.
The stars and moon had disappeared, the sun had not yet risen, and the sky was a deep gray.
The fiery red battle suits, bathed in the dim light of the day, created a stunningly beautiful scene.
She pushed up the helmet visor, revealing a small, innocent face.
Looking at her face alone, it's hard to associate her with the ruthless Black Wind Cavalry commander.
No matter how many people she killed or how many battles she fought, her eyes always retained the purest clarity.
Of course, they were also calm enough.
Ye Qing snapped out of his reverie and greeted him, "You're back? I heard you went to fight in Jin. How did it go?"
Gu Jiao said, "When I left, they were attacking Xicheng."
She didn't say how the fighting was going, but the fact that she was able to come here shows that the situation on the front lines wasn't difficult.
Ye Qing put the gauze into a special basket nearby, turned around and asked Gu Jiao, "Did you come to see the General?"
Gu Jiao nodded: "How is he?"
Ye Qing sighed with a complicated expression: "As you know, after someone ingests the poison of the purple gromwell root, they will wake up within twelve hours at the latest. If they don't wake up, then they are truly dead. However, due to the special nature of the purple gromwell root poison, it can preserve a person's body from decay for several months, so it appears..."
Gu Jiao frowned: "You mean he hasn't woken up at all?"
Ye Qing turned away, unable to bear it any longer: "Go in and see for yourself. I... did my best."
Gu Jiao's heart sank, and she swiftly lifted the curtain!
Then they saw Xuanyuan Qi sitting on the edge of the bed, one arm draped around his neck, the other arm raised, holding a large frozen pear and putting it into his mouth.
He took a very big bite.
Gu Jiao entered suddenly and was stunned by the scene before her.
He paused as well.
He stared straight at Gu Jiao, and under Gu Jiao's utterly stunned gaze, he slowly and silently completed his bite.
Click!
Crunchy!
Gu Jiao: "...!!"
Gu Jiao took a deep breath, turned around and left the tent!
Beside the Black Wind King, Ye Qing clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight for the first time in his life.
Gu Jiao twisted her wrist and said dangerously, "Having fun being a little mischievous?"
Ye Qing is not usually this mischievous; he is a serious person. Today, even he himself doesn't know why he suddenly felt like teasing Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao decided to put Ye Qing in a sack.
However, Ye Qing must have checked the almanac before leaving home today, and his luck was exceptionally good. Just as Gu Jiao was about to find the sack, Marquis Xuanping arrived.
Marquis Xuanping came to see Gu Jiao.
He wanted to know if Gu Jiao had any way to cure Shangguan Qing's poison.
Gu Jiao glared fiercely at Ye Qing, "You wait, I'll put a sack over your head again next time!"
"Wait a moment, I'll go in and check on Xuanyuan Qi." Gu Jiao said to Marquis Xuanping before entering the tent again.
Xuanyuan Qi had already finished eating the frozen pear and fallen asleep. This was one of the side effects of the initial stage of the purple gromwell poisoning—drowsiness.
Gu Jiao examined Xuan Yuanqi and found that his internal injuries were much less severe than before, and his broken meridians were slowly healing, which indicated that the purple grass poison was gradually repairing his body.
This was the first time Gu Jiao had truly witnessed the miracle of purple gromwell poison.
Gu Changqing is an exception; his purple gromwell poison has expired, and his recovery is entirely due to psychological suggestion. He still firmly believes that he has become a suicide soldier.
Gu Jiao exclaimed in amazement: "Even old wounds are healing..."
This means that once Xuanyuan Qi recovers, he will no longer have to suffer from internal injuries.
He will become like a normal person, and may even be stronger than a normal person.
He has truly been reborn.
Gu Jiao was happy for Xuan Yuanqi.
Considering that Ye Qing contributed this bottle of medicine, Gu Jiao decided to go easy on him when she put the sack over his head.
As dawn approached, Master Hu was so excited to see his master return that tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly inquired about his master's well-being and then went to the kitchen to bring him breakfast.
Gu Jiao, Marquis Xuanping, and Ye Qing all went to the commander's tent.
For several days after Gu Jiao left, Master Hu had been meticulously cleaning the place, making it very neat and tidy.
The three of them sat on the floor around the small table, stepping onto a cushion.
Breakfast consisted of millet porridge and steamed buns.
The three of them finished eating quickly.
Then Marquis Xuanping spoke of Shangguan Qing's illness: "...I heard that he doesn't have much time left."
As he spoke, he glanced at Ye Qing beside him and said, "That's what the people from your Imperial Preceptor's Hall said."
Ye Qing already knew about Shangguan Qing's visit to Ghost Mountain, and also vaguely guessed the relationship between General Xiao, personally appointed by the Crown Princess, and the Crown Prince's eldest grandson. This was not for any other reason than the fact that this face bore a resemblance to the Crown Prince's eldest grandson.
Of course, there were also the glances the Crown Princess would give him unintentionally.
He hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "It is indeed what my master said. The poison that His Highness Changsun is suffering from is extremely potent. It is the limit that it can be suppressed for twenty years. It is impossible for it to last any longer."
It is now October, and there are only two months left until the 20th anniversary.
Marquis Xuanping asked, "Is it accurate to his birthday?"
Ye Qing shook his head: "Not exactly, there is some margin of error... It will only be earlier, not later."
The last sentence completely chilled Marquis Xuanping to the bone.
Marquis Xuanping, still clinging to his last glimmer of hope, said, "But he looks no different from a normal person..." He doesn't seem like someone who is about to die from poisoning.
Ye Qing sighed, "It was the pills that Master refined that kept suppressing the poison, so he didn't suffer too much when he passed away."
This time, it wasn't him being cheeky; the eldest grandson's poison was truly beyond saving.
Marquis Xuanping's gaze fell on Gu Jiao's face: "Do you have a solution?"
Gu Jiao said, "I'm not good at detoxification. I sent a message back to Shengdu by carrier pigeon a few days ago, and Nan Shi Niang should reply soon."
Speak of the devil and he appears.
A scout from the Black Wind Camp approached, carrying a carrier pigeon from Quyang City: "Little Commander, a carrier pigeon has flown back from Shengdu!"
"Bring it in," Gu Jiao said.
The scout presented the carrier pigeon, and Gu Jiao removed the note tied to the pigeon's leg and handed the pigeon to the scout to leave.
After reading the note, Gu Jiao lowered her eyes: "Mrs. Nan said that she cannot cure this poison."
Ye Qing asked, "Is the Nan Shi Niang you mentioned a member of the Tang Clan?"
Gu Jiao said, "That's right."
Ye Qing sighed, "That is indeed unsolvable. My master once went to the Tang Clan to seek medicine, but returned empty-handed."
If even the Tang Clan can't cure this poison, then there's basically no hope.
Gu Jiao frowned: "Is there... really no other way?"
Gu Jiao looked at the pile of bottles and jars on the table, one of which was an anti-inflammatory medicine that she had just taken out of the small medicine box, prepared for Xuan Yuanqi.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: "Purple Grass!"
Ye Qing was taken aback.
Gu Jiao said thoughtfully, "The poison of purple gromwell is the most potent poison in the world. Nine times out of ten, it will cause death after ingestion. But if one survives, all injuries and illnesses will heal without medicine."
Ye Qing said with a solemn expression, "But... so far... not a single person with a weak constitution has survived."
Take Master Han for example. He was originally quite strong, as he was a martial artist.
Needless to say, Xuanyuan Qi was also involved.
They first possessed extremely strong physiques, which resulted in a higher survival rate than the average person.
The eldest grandson of the emperor is no good.
Gu Jiao said, "How do we know it won't work if we don't try? If we still can't find a cure for him by then, then the purple gromwell poison will be our only hope."
“I agree,” said Marquis Xuanping.
"You..." Ye Qing was at a loss for words. The toxicity of the purple grass was too potent; not just anyone could withstand it.
Moreover—
"We don't have any more purple gromwell poison on us."
He took it upon himself to feed the last bottle of purple grass poison to Xuanyuan Qi.
Gu Jiao stood up: "The Han family owns the Purple Herb Garden! Master Hu! Send someone to the jail and bring Third Master Han here!"
Among the Han family, the third master Han, that纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled brat), is the most spineless.
The Han family members were already imprisoned in the Quyang City jail, and Master Hu acted quickly, soon dragging Third Master Han over.
Third Master Han was indeed easily frightened; he confessed everything before Gu Jiao even began to torture him.
"Gromwell...Gromwell...Is it that kind of herb...that smells colorless and odorless...but will kill you if you eat it...?"
He knelt on the ground, trembling with fear, and stammering incoherently.
Marquis Xuanping's gaze was cold and sharp. Gu Jiao exuded a murderous aura, and he even stuttered when he tried to breathe.
Ye Qing took out paper and pen and drew a purple grass. Han Sanye was very stupid and could not recognize it by just looking at the outline.
Ye Qing then revealed his true colors, and Han Sanye suddenly realized, "I've seen it before! I've seen it before!"
He said tremblingly, "My...our Han family discovered a patch of purple grass in Niu County...we fenced it off and built a manor...but...but...the manor is gone...the purple grass inside...maybe...maybe it's gone too..."
Ye Qing's expression changed: "What did you say?"
Third Master Han choked up as he said, "The manor was burned down... When we were about to lose the battle... my eldest brother said... said something... that he didn't want the Black Cavalry to fall into your hands... so... so he sent people to the manor and destroyed the Purple Grass Garden!"
Han Sanye's words were like a bolt from the blue for everyone.
No one expected that just as they had a glimmer of hope to save Shangguan Qing, the Han family would destroy all their hopes with their own hands.
Marquis Xuanping's face was frighteningly cold.
His murderous aura was about to fill the entire tent.
Master Han was so frightened by the terrifying killing intent that he fainted.
Marquis Xuanping did not easily lose his temper, but right now, he crushed the cup in his hand, and the broken porcelain shards pierced his palm.
He couldn't tell whether his hand hurt more or his heart hurt more.
His son, whom he hadn't seen for twenty years, only had two months left to live.
Chang Jing had no idea what was happening inside the tent; he had just come from Pucheng.
He beat Zhu Zhangkuang until he cried for his parents and swore a solemn oath never to reveal his identity.
The girls at Ruanxiang Pavilion said, "A man's mouth is a deceitful devil."
He wasn't so easily fooled. He fed Zhu Zhangkuang poison, intending to kill him if Zhu Zhangkuang dared to betray him.
Zhu Zhangkuang has finally become truly obedient.
Little Vest is safe; she won't be taken back to Dark Night Island.
Chang Jing is very happy!
But when he came in, he found that everyone was unhappy.
If you don't understand, just ask.
He asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Marquis Xuanping was so angry that he couldn't speak, and Gu Jiao didn't say anything either.
Ye Qing, the gentle and patient eldest disciple of the Imperial Preceptor Hall, spoke helplessly: "We were looking for a kind of purple herb, but unfortunately we can't find it anymore."
"What gromwell?" Chang Jing's gaze fell on Ye Qing's painting. "This? Isn't this kind of gromwell common everywhere?"
Ye Qing choked: "Everywhere...everywhere?"
Chang Jing said, "There are many on the hillside behind my house, the whole hillside is covered with them."
Everyone turned to look at him!
Even though Chang Jing had already resolved the crisis involving the "little vest" (a euphemism for a secret identity), a sudden sense of foreboding welled up inside her.
Marquis Xuanping: Lord of the Dark Night Sect, your son has been kidnapped. Bring the Purple Grass to ransom him immediately, or we will kill him.
Dark Night Sect Leader: My son is only worth a few blades of grass? You're kidding me!
Marquis Xuanping: An additional 100,000 taels of gold.
Dark Night Sect Leader: () Okay~
(End of this chapter)
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