His tone was full of self-blame, as if he was the one who failed to arrive in time, which led to Xu Yuehuai's predicament.
The Ghost Doctor followed closely behind, clutching the freshly refined pills in his hand, and said urgently, "Quick, let me give her this medicine; it might alleviate her injuries."
However, just as the Ghost Doctor was about to step forward, Xu Yuehuai suddenly exerted his strength and forcefully pushed away the two people who were supporting him.
She staggered to her feet, her silver hair flying wildly in the breeze like the last snowflake of winter, foreshadowing some ominous sign.
Xu Yuehuai struggled to run into the distance, each step seemingly exhausting all her strength.
Seeing this, Qi Guze hurriedly chased after her, shouting, "A-Yue! Where are you going? Your body can't take it anymore!"
His voice carried an undeniable concern and pleading, but it failed to stop Xu Yuehuai from moving forward.
Xu Yuehuai's figure darted through the mountains and forests, each run accompanied by violent coughing and bright red blood.
Her hair turned white at a visible rate, and her body grew increasingly withered, like a dead tree relentlessly eroded by time. She had only one thought in her mind—to get away from here, away from those who cared about her but might also be in danger because of her!
"Ah Yue, you can't abandon me like this!" Qi Guze's voice echoed through the mountains and forests. He chased after her with almost all his might, his eyes filled with incomprehension and heartache.
“We are one, and no matter what happens, I will stay by your side.”
"Hey girl!"
"princess!"
Just then, Wang Mang, Li Lei, and others arrived after hearing the commotion. They anxiously called out Xu Yuehuai's name and split up to search the mountains and forests.
However, Xu Yuehuai seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a series of footprints of varying depths and a patch of mottled bloodstains.
In the deep, unfathomable mountains and forests, the moonlight, like silver, spilled onto the overgrown path.
Xu Yuehuai was hurrying through the forest when fate seemed to play a cruel joke on her. She slipped, lost her balance, and with a scream, fell into an unknown underground cave.
Inside the cave, it was dark and gloomy, with only a faint light in the distance barely outlining the surroundings.
Xu Yuehuai struggled to get up, but found that she was in excruciating pain in her leg, and her clothes were soaked with blood.
She tried to support herself with her hands, but due to exhaustion, she eventually collapsed on the cold stone ground.
After an unknown amount of time, when the first ray of morning light pierced through the crack in the cave ceiling and shone on her face, Xu Yuehuai slowly opened her eyes.
The silence around her was broken by her breathing. She tried to move her fingers, but found that her whole body felt as if it had been hit by a heavy hammer, and she was in unbearable pain.
She struggled to sit up, peering through the puddles at her gaunt face and pale hair, a sense of despair washing over her.
"Can I...can I still survive?" she murmured to herself, her voice so weak that she could barely hear it herself.
Suddenly, the roar of a wild beast followed. It seemed to have smelled the presence of living people and was approaching step by step.
Unable to escape after fighting back, Xu Yuehuai could only cry out, "Help!"
That desperate cry was her last desire to live.
Fortunately, the sound penetrated the cave walls and was picked up by the soldiers patrolling outside.
They quickly located the location, rushed into the cave, and engaged in a fierce battle with the beast, eventually driving it away.
When the soldiers found Xu Yuehuai, she was so weak that she didn't even have the strength to stand.
They carefully carried her out of the cave, and one of them immediately rode off at full speed to inform Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor.
When Qi Guze heard the news, his face turned pale instantly, and he rushed to where Xu Yuehuai was without thinking.
When he saw the woman who had almost exhausted her life force, his heart ached terribly. He gently embraced Xu Yuehuai, his voice choked with emotion: "Yuehuai, don't be afraid, I'm here. No matter what you become, you will always be the one I love."
His kiss landed on her forehead, with utmost devotion.
The Ghost Doctor arrived shortly after and quickly examined Xu Yuehuai's injuries. "The situation is not good, but I will do my best."
He immediately took out precious pills from his medicine box and gave them to Xu Yuehuai.
After the pill entered her body, Xu Yuehuai's complexion improved slightly, but her body remained emaciated and her white hair remained unchanged.
"Let's go back first. I have a way to help you recover."
Without saying a word, Qi Guze carefully picked up Xu Yuehuai and embarked on the journey home.
Back at the camp, the Ghost Doctor immediately set up a medicinal bath, the culmination of his years of research, which was said to cure many stubborn diseases in the world.
"She has to soak for a full day and night. You have to make sure she doesn't have any other adverse reactions." The Ghost Doctor told Qi Guze the important details one by one.
"Okay, I will keep it in mind." Qi Guze kept all of this in mind.
"I'll be right outside. Just call me if anything happens. But there's a high chance things won't go wrong." The Ghost Doctor packed his medicine box and went outside.
Xu Yuehuai was gently placed into the warm medicinal water, the aroma of which filled the air. She closed her eyes, feeling the medicinal power slowly flowing through her body, but the recovery process was unusually slow.
"Aze... Aze..." she mumbled in her sleep.
"I'm here, I'm here. A-Yue, don't be afraid, I'm here." Qi Guze held her hand and rubbed it in his palm.
Xu Yuehuai's brows relaxed a little, but her face was as white as a ghost, and her body was still as thin as a rake.
Qi Guze looked at the woman he loved who had become like this, and he hated those evil people, but he hated himself even more.
He bit his lip hard, a drop of blood dripping from the corner of his lips, mingling with Xu Yuehuai's medicinal bath, creating ripples, as if carrying a different kind of power that interacted with the medicine...
In the stillness of the night, Qi Guze remained by Xu Yuehuai's side, holding her hand and saying gently, "You must get better. The children are still waiting for you."
Xu Yuehuai opened her eyes, her swollen eyes resembling rotten grapes. She forced a smile: "Aze, if I really... please don't tell the children yet. They are still young and can't bear it."
These words were like a sharp knife, cutting into Qi Guze's heart.
He hugged Xu Yuehuai tightly, choking back tears as he said, "No, you will get better. We still have many unfinished stories to tell, and we will continue to walk together."
"But I feel like all the strength has been drained from my body. Perhaps I really can't be with you, with all of you..."
Before she could finish speaking, he sealed her lips with his, and between their lips and teeth, there was salty tears and bitter blood.
No, I won't let you leave me!
Qi Guze seemed to want to devour her whole, so that the two of them would never be apart.
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