However, since things had come to this, she could only accept reality, silently make up her small bed, and prepare to go to sleep.
In the stillness of the night, Xu Yuehuai found it difficult to fall asleep. She closed her eyes to rest, remaining alert to any movement around her.
Suddenly, a chilling aura crept in. She quickly opened her eyes and saw a dark figure approaching the fake ghost doctor, its hand flashing with cold light, clearly with ill intentions.
"Master!" Xu Yuehuai called out softly, seemingly nervous and wanting to protect her master, but in reality, she was observing secretly, preparing to act when the opportunity arose. She pretended to frantically pick up a candlestick from the side, trying to block the intruders, but in reality, she used it as a cover to secretly interfere with the fake ghost doctor's actions.
"Perfect timing! I was just looking forward to seeing bloodshed!" The fake ghost doctor's voice suddenly rang out. With a flash, he appeared in front of the dark figure, easily deflecting the opponent's attack and subduing him on the ground.
"Tell me, who sent you?" The fake doctor's tone was as cold as ice.
The shadowy figure gritted his teeth, refusing to utter a single word.
Xu Yuehuai stepped forward. "If you are willing to tell the truth, we can guarantee your life."
The shadowy figure hesitated for a moment, then said, "They...they were sent by the Great Zhou Kingdom. They want..."
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly died!
Xu Yuehuai was startled. The Great Zhou Kingdom?
It absolutely cannot be the Great Zhou Kingdom; someone must be trying to frame the Great Zhou Kingdom!
Xu Yuehuai said to the fake doctor, "Master, it seems we won't have any peace tonight."
The fake ghost doctor smiled slightly, "It's alright, with you by my side, what do I have to fear?"
Xu Yuehuai felt extremely disgusted upon hearing this, and she quickly shifted her attention to cleaning up the corpses on the ground.
After disposing of the body in the backyard of the restaurant, Xu Yuehuai was surprised to see Yan Qing.
She stopped what she was doing. "Why are you back?"
Before he could finish speaking, Yan Qing appeared from the shadows. "Your Highness, I have safely escorted the young master and the others back."
"Yan Qing, you've worked hard," Xu Yuehuai said. "But there's something more important for you to do right now. I need you to secretly deploy your forces to ensure that before the crystals are handed over, whether by interception or destruction, that batch of crystals cannot fall into enemy hands."
Yan Qing replied without hesitation, "Yes, Your Highness, I will take care of it immediately."
After saying that, he vanished into the morning light in a flash.
Xu Yuehuai gazed in the direction Yan Qing had left, then turned back to continue his unfinished business.
After everything was settled, she washed her hands and returned to her room in the restaurant, only to find the fake doctor "sleeping" in an extremely unnatural posture, with a barely perceptible smile on his lips.
Xu Yuehuai understood, but didn't say anything, only muttering to herself, "How long do you plan to keep up this act?"
The next morning, the fake ghost doctor and Xu Yuehuai quickly returned to the underground mine in the suburbs.
As soon as she entered the tunnel, Xu Yuehuai keenly sensed a very unpleasant smell in the air, and she became secretly on guard.
"Master, what do you think of this aura..." She had just started to speak when a sudden exclamation came, followed by several muffled thuds as people fell to the ground.
Xu Yuehuai and the fake ghost doctor saw several corpses lying haphazardly not far ahead, their bodies covered with strange blue patterns, as if they had been corrupted by some unknown force.
"Were they... poisoned to death?" Xu Yuehuai's voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
The fake ghost doctor's expression was somber: "No, this is another, even more deadly threat. The crystals here are not only precious, but they also contain toxins that can corrode life. If we don't leave in time, we may not escape this calamity either."
After a moment's thought, Xu Yuehuai decided that she must notify Qi Guze and Pei Hai as soon as possible to speed up their actions and prevent more innocent people from losing their lives.
Back in the cave, the fake ghost doctor suddenly collapsed and vomited blood.
Xu Yuehuai stepped forward to support him, "Master, how are you?"
However, the fake doctor's eyes suddenly turned unusually sharp, and he bit Xu Yuehuai's neck hard.
Xu Yuehuai's face turned pale instantly, but a strange thought flashed through her mind: "Bai Yu... could it be that he, like Bai Yu, needs to absorb my blood to sustain his life? If so, will his lifespan be as short as Bai Yu's?"
Pain and confusion mingled, but Xu Yuehuai forced herself to remain calm. She endured the discomfort and secretly considered her next course of action.
As the fake ghost doctor's blood-sucking gradually stopped, he seemed to regain some strength. The fierceness in his eyes gradually faded, and he slowly released Xu Yuehuai, saying in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I had no choice."
Xu Yuehuai replied easily, "It's alright. As long as my master's life can be saved, I'll do it willingly."
Back in his underground cave, the light was dim, with only a few faint fluorescent stones emitting a ghostly blue glow.
Xu Yuehuai huddled in the corner, her face as pale as paper.
The fake doctor not only drained her life force, but also left an indelible shadow on her heart.
"Aze...is that you?" Xu Yuehuai's voice was as soft as a whisper. A warm embrace suddenly enveloped her tightly, and the familiar scent instantly dispelled the surrounding chill.
She struggled to open her eyes, and what came into view was Qi Guze's worried face.
"It's me, Yue." Qi Guze gently channeled his magical power into Xu Yuehuai's body. The warm power, like the warm spring sun, gradually warmed her cold body and illuminated the dark corners of her heart.
Feeling this warmth, Xu Yuehuai's tears fell involuntarily. She reached out and stroked Qi Guze's cheek, her fingertips trembling slightly. "Why did you come to find me? It's too dangerous here."
A hint of heartache flashed in Qi Guze's eyes as he gently grasped Xu Yuehuai's hand. "I was afraid something would happen to you, so I came."
As he spoke, he inadvertently revealed the blue patterns on his wrist. The patterns were particularly glaring in the dim light, clearly showing signs of erosion from the crystals in the underground mine.
Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened, and she quickly pulled open his sleeve, only to see a large area of blue patterns spreading out, which was shocking to the eye.
“The crystals in this underground mine are corrosive. You can’t stay here any longer. You should take the others and leave first.”
Qi Guze said, "I'm staying. If we have to leave, we'll leave together. I can't let you face all this alone."
“But if you stay any longer, something bad might happen,” Xu Yuehuai advised anxiously.
Qi Guze pulled Xu Yuehuai into his arms, lowered his head and planted a deep kiss on her forehead, saying affectionately, "I'm not afraid, I'm only afraid of losing you. No matter life or death, I will stay with you."
Xu Yuehuai hugged Qi Guze tightly, tears streaming down her face again, "Aze..."
Subsequently, Xu Yuehuai told Qi Guze in detail about the fake ghost doctor's conspiracy and how Yan Qing bravely blocked the pursuers.
After listening, Qi Guze praised, "You've made good arrangements; you're becoming more and more like me."
Xu Yuehuai smiled wryly, "I'm not as good as you. I'm just doing my best."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com