Chapter 218 When Will the Moon Be Bright Again?
...three breaths.
The moon hangs high in the night sky.
The waves on the winding pond are calm.
The melodious tune of "Ode to the Moon" is graceful and gentle.
A gentle breeze carries the faint sounds of reciting poetry and women's laughter.
On the painted boat.
Chen Yi gazed at the middle-aged scholar and said calmly, "It seems I'm quite lucky."
The middle-aged scholar, or rather Yan Fusha, stared at him in a daze, seemingly not expecting him to be so calm and decisive.
A moment of silence.
A smile blossomed on Yan Fusha's simple face, followed by a hearty laugh.
"Aren't you afraid?"
"You're actually not afraid, haha..."
"Aren't you afraid of dying?"
The laughter was loud and clear, and the tone was inexplicable.
The sound traveled far and wide from the Quchi Pond, which was illuminated by lights and the glow of sunset.
After a while, the laughter stopped.
Yan Fusha looked at Chen Yi and asked with a smile, "Are you really not afraid of death?"
Chen Yi gently put down the medicine bottle and replied calmly, "Everyone is afraid."
"Then why... is it because of that little beast from the Pei family?"
"yes."
Yan Fusha's smile faltered for a moment. She looked him over for a second, then shook her head and said, "What a pity."
He didn't say anything about regret.
Chen Yi naturally wouldn't ask.
From the moment he was brought aboard this pleasure boat, everyone here had only one identity—a mortal enemy!
Thinking about all this, Chen Yi glanced around at his surroundings and asked:
"What's next?"
Yan Fusha regained his previous composure and said, "Mr. Qingzhou has passed the first act of the play."
"I will keep my promise and deliver the antidote to you within three days."
Chen Yi nodded noncommittally, "Thank you."
The potent poison in his body can still sustain him for a while.
Three breaths... Ah.
Seeing that he remained calm, Yan Fusha said with a half-smile:
"In this second act, I originally planned to throw you into the winding pool to see whether the painted boat was faster or you could swim faster."
Chen Yi was taken aback and looked at him with slight surprise.
This person...
He's quite ill.
Seeing his expression, Yan Fusha smiled even more.
"But seeing Mr. Qingzhou's magnanimity, I'm afraid ordinary operas would hardly meet his standards."
"Therefore, I, Yan, have no choice but to present you with some interesting trinkets."
As she spoke, Yan Fusha clapped her hands.
Then two people dressed entirely in black came out of the painted boat and placed the jars they were carrying on the table.
Yan Fusha pointed to the jar and said, "This is a 'poison jar' used by my sect for practicing martial arts."
"During the ritual, we will put snakes, insects, centipedes, spiders, toads and other poisonous creatures into it and let them fight each other."
"Only the poisonous insect that survives to the end is worth sacrificing to us."
As Yan Fusha spoke, he picked up a jar and broke the seal on it.
A pungent, fishy stench immediately wafted out.
Chen Yi looked at the two jars, and this time he really couldn't figure out the person's intentions.
Before he could ponder further, Yan Fusha continued, "The ritual is now nearing its end, with only one poisonous insect remaining in each of the two jars."
"Mr. Qingzhou, why don't you guess which poisonous insect survived in the end?"
Chen Yi looked at the poison urn in his hand, "Guess?"
Yan Fusha nodded. "You guessed correctly. Mr. Qingzhou may now continue watching the third act."
Chen Yi frowned inwardly, then feigned displeasure and asked, "Isn't it still a matter of luck?"
Yan Fusha nodded, then shook her head: "Yes and no."
"Heaven and earth are divided into yin and yang and the five elements, humans are divided into yin and yang and the five elements, and poisonous insects are also divided into yin and yang and the five elements."
"The relationships between mutual generation and mutual restraint are difficult to distinguish."
Chen Yi immediately understood the meaning behind his words.
This coincides with his medical philosophy.
Yin and Yang, Five Elements, Six Channels Differentiation, Five Phases and Six Qi, Midnight-Noon Flow...
In a flash, his mind raced.
Chen Yi's expression became more serious. "May I take a look?"
"certainly."
Yan Fusha placed the poison urn in his hand on the table, then unwrapped the paper seal of another poison urn and raised his hand, saying, "Sir, please."
Chen Yi glanced at him, then stepped forward, turned his back to him, and looked into the two poison urns.
hiss!
But before Chen Yi could see what was inside one of the poison urns, he heard a piercing hiss.
Then, a dark figure suddenly darted out of the poison jar.
—It was a black snake, completely black, covered with fine scales that seemed to glow with an eerie light!
Chen Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not flinch or dodge.
He stared straight at the black snake, remaining motionless as it attacked.
*Smack*
Just as the black snake was less than an inch from his face, a large hand finally managed to grab its head.
"hiss--"
The black snake hissed incessantly, twisting its body and struggling frantically.
Despite its constant struggles, the long, thin tongue of the snake remained an inch away from Chen Yi.
Chen Yi looked at the black snake that was so close to him, and the stench filled his nose.
He could even see the two sharp black fangs and the viscous venom inside the snake's cavity.
Upon seeing this, a faint glow flashed in Chen Yi's eyes—the Qi Observation Technique.
A few breaths later.
Chen Yi seemed to have just come to his senses, took a step back, and sweat poured down his forehead.
Yan Fusha looked him over and said with a smile, "Please forgive me, Mr. Qingzhou, the poisonous insects are fierce and may hurt you."
As he spoke, he took out a centipede as thick as an arm from another poison jar, one in each hand.
"Let me, Yan, carry some for you."
Chen Yi thanked him and, while wiping his sweat, glanced at the centipede.
Its aura... is a bit off!
At this moment, Yan Fusha spoke up: "Mr. Qingzhou, your performance today is truly admirable."
Chen Yi paused, but did not look up, still pretending to observe the two poisonous insects.
"What do you admire about me?"
"Extraordinary courage and insight."
"Not to mention the two treasures in Yan's hands, even ordinary poisonous insects would probably terrify some people."
Chen Yi said "Oh," straightened up and looked at him, pointing at the centipede and saying, "The two poisonous insects look exactly the same, so I'll choose this one."
Yan Fusha was slightly taken aback. "Really?"
Seeing Chen Yi nod, he grinned and shook his head, saying:
"It seems that Mr. Qingzhou has only read a lot of books, but has not truly grasped the essence of Yin and Yang in the universe."
"How do you know?"
"Both venomous creatures are imbued with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; the black snake is metal, and the centipede is wood, and metal overcomes wood..."
"Black Serpent will surely survive this battle."
Chen Yi glanced at him, "I choose the centipede."
Yan Fusha said confidently, "Then I, Yan, will have to enjoy the third act of the play by myself."
Chen Yi shook his head: "The outcome is still uncertain, let's wait and see."
Seeing his stubbornness, a hint of displeasure appeared in Yan Fusha's eyes.
"He won't shed tears until he sees the coffin; I, Yan, will make sure Mr. Qingzhou dies knowing the truth."
He then placed the two poisonous insects directly into a jar, and then placed another jar upside down on top of them.
After doing all this, Yan Fusha stepped back a few paces, crossed his arms, and said, "A quarter of an hour."
Chen Yi knew he meant to wait a quarter of an hour, so he waited quietly.
Not long after.
The two jars began to shake gently, and faint hissing sounds could be heard from them.
Clearly, the battle within the jar is fierce.
In no time at all.
The jar stopped shaking, and the sounds inside gradually subsided.
Seeing this, Yan Fusha waved her hand, knocking the jar away, and looked at Chen Yi, saying:
"As for the outcome, sir, you shall see for yourself."
Chen Yi ignored him and stared at the intact jar below.
In fact, he was confident this time, but not very confident.
When he used his Qi-observation technique to look at the centipede earlier, in addition to the wood of heaven and earth spiritual energy, he also saw the fire of heaven and earth spiritual energy.
As wisps of black smoke drifted out of the jar, a glossy black sheen emanated from it.
Click.
The sound was crisp, like the tapping of limbs.
Immediately afterwards, the entirely black centipede crawled out, its body still covered in sticky venom.
Chen Yi felt a little relieved and said, "It seems I made the right choice."
Yan Fusha was taken aback upon hearing this, turned her head to look at the centipede, and her eyes widened slightly.
"How is this possible..."
Before he could finish speaking...
He simply flicked a silver needle with his finger, pinning the centipede to the jar.
Wisps of white smoke instantly enveloped the centipede, causing it to emit a series of pitiful cries.
Chen Yi took a step back, frowning slightly as he looked at him. "Is there a problem?"
Yan Fusha kept a cold face and refused to look at him, snorting, "Mr. Qingzhou is indeed lucky, he just happened to run into a uniquely blessed poisonous insect."
He refused to admit that he had misjudged the situation.
Chen Yi was aware of all this, but he also knew that he couldn't provoke the person in front of him at this moment.
Otherwise, he probably would never see Pei Guanli again, who was still missing at this point.
Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to hide himself?
Thinking of this, Chen Yi gently pressed his hand against his abdomen and said, "Let's begin the third act."
Upon hearing this, Yan Fusha's eyes darkened, and he actually laughed.
"well……"
"This play was full of twists and turns, even I, Yan, did not expect it. It was truly excellent!"
After laughing, Yan Fusha stared at Chen Yi with a sinister look and asked, "Mr. Qingzhou must value that little beast from the Pei family very much, right?"
Before Chen Yi could answer, he continued, "You indulged in Yan's teasing just to see her once, so you must value her very much."
"Then I, Yan, will give you a chance!"
In fact, he initially just wanted to tease the son-in-law of the Xiao family who was favored by Liu Zhaoxue.
They neither wanted to kill Chen Yi nor intended for Chen Yi to meet Pei Guanli.
But at this moment, he changed his mind.
Yan Fusha clapped her hands and coldly ordered, "Send a message."
"yes."
A man in black took out a bamboo tube from his pocket and threw it at a painted boat in the distance.
Instantly, flames burst forth.
Chen Yi looked closely and saw that on the second floor of the painted boat, a hundred feet away, the light gauze curtains were slowly drawn open.
A figure tied to a chair could be vaguely seen—who else could it be but Pei Guanli?
At this moment, however, she was clearly not in good condition.
Not only was his body bound with rope, but his face was also covered with a layer of black ointment.
Two other men in black stood guard beside her, each armed with a knife.
They looked ready for battle.
Seeing this, Chen Yi felt a sense of relief.
The fact that Tiger Girl is still alive is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
At this moment, Yan Fusha spoke:
"I have long heard that Mr. Qingzhou is proficient in all kinds of arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs, especially calligraphy, which has a profound and far-reaching artistic conception."
"For this third act, I think it should be more appropriate to the time and occasion."
Chen Yi withdrew his gaze and looked at him, asking, "How do you intend to respond?"
Yan Fusha raised her hand and pointed to the merrily laughing crowd by the winding pond:
"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day of beautiful scenery, with lights in every home, and you and I watching a play on this painted boat."
"On this occasion, I would like to ask Mr. Qingzhou to compose a poem."
"If you write good poetry, I, Yan, will allow you to meet that little bastard Pei!"
Chen Yi paused upon hearing this, "This..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yan Fusha raised his hand to interrupt him, saying, "Mr. Qingzhou, please don't be in such a hurry. I haven't finished speaking yet."
"I know that Mr. Yue Ming had high hopes for you tonight, and that you were expected to win the 'Poetry Champion' title."
“If it weren’t for Yan’s interference, you would still be at Guiyun Academy, surrounded by beauties and poetry.”
"So later, I will send someone to deliver your poem to the academy."
Chen Yi frowned and looked at him, saying, "Why are you doing this?"
This time, he truly couldn't understand Yan Fusha's intentions.
If you're going to write a poem, then write a poem.
He had plenty of verses about the moon, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and how beautiful the occasion was wasted.
But what's the point of sending his poems to a poetry gathering?
Yan Fusha replied with a cold laugh, "Of course, we should let the teachers of the academy appreciate your poems."
"If you could win the title of 'Poet King'... no."
"If Mr. Qingzhou's poems can overshadow the entire city's poetry gathering, then I, Yan, will grant your wish."
Chen Yi was slightly taken aback. "Suppress the city-wide poetry gathering?"
Yan Fusha glanced at him. "Mr. Qingzhou can't do it?"
Chen Yi glanced at the pleasure boat where Pei Guanli was, nodded, and said, "Of course, I have no confidence."
"I see."
Yan Fusha smiled and whispered something to the man in black beside her.
Then the man in black jumped directly into the winding pool and swam towards the painted boat where Pei Guanli was.
"Please wait a moment, Mr. Qingzhou. I think we can't let that little beast Pei miss such a rare theatrical performance."
Without needing an explanation, Chen Yi naturally heard his previous two sentences of instruction given at such a close distance.
—Awaken Pei Guanli and tell her the details.
Damn it, this madman!
Chen Yi was secretly furious, but his face remained impassive.
"Alright."
A moment later.
Chen Yi then saw that in the distance, on the painted boat, some of the black ointment on Pei Guanli's face had been wiped off, revealing half of her round face.
However, when she woke up, she didn't struggle at all.
It was clear that she had been given a secret drug similar to Qingfengzui.
Shortly afterward, the man in black said a few words.
Pei Guanli seemed to realize something and looked over in their direction.
When Chen Yi met those slightly excited eyes, he simply smiled and waved at her.
When Pei Guanli saw him clearly, tears welled up in her eyes, and she opened her mouth slightly.
No sound came from it.
But Chen Yi heard it—Pei Guanli was calling out "brother-in-law".
Brother-in-law.
Chen Yi smiled and nodded, indicating that she had heard him, then turned to Yan Fusha and said:
"It's just poetry, bring me paper and pen."
While gesturing to the men in black on the pleasure boat to keep an eye on Pei Guanli, Yan Fusha asked with a half-smile:
"How confident are you, Mr. Qingzhou?"
Chen Yi glanced at him: "Even if I told you, I doubt you would understand."
"Hello!"
Yan Fusha snorted, waved his hand to order his men to bring paper and pen, stepped aside, and said coldly:
"Mr. Qingzhou, you only have one chance."
"If you miss this opportunity, I, Yan, guarantee you will never see that little beast from the Pei family again in your lifetime!"
Chen Yi ignored his threat and calmly made preparations.
Lay the paper flat, pour water and grind the ink.
There are countless poems about the moon throughout history, but few can truly capture the hearts of people in Shu Prefecture at this moment.
After thinking it over, that's the only one I can think of.
After the ink was mixed evenly, Chen Yi turned his head and glanced at Pei Guanli in the distance.
Seeing Pei Guanli, who was fearless and lawless, crying her eyes out, he couldn't help but wink at her.
Then, regardless of whether Tiger Girl saw it or not, Chen Yi took a deep breath to suppress the sharp pain in his abdomen, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote:
"When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the blue sky..."
(End of this chapter)
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