Jiu Qing brought the Blood Spirit Fruit to Feng Jiu’er’s lips, but she still shook her head.

“Let… Yan come here. We’ll take it together…”

She had already worked it out — the Blood Spirit Fruit was encased in only a thin layer of floral membrane. She feared that the moment she bit into it, it would dissolve entirely. How, then, could any be sent to Tuoba Keyan?

Seeing her this stubborn, Xuegu felt both tenderness and urgency.

With a resolute tightening of her jaw, she looked at Jiu Qing. “Watch over her. I’ll go bring Yan here right now.”

Without waiting for Jiu Qing’s response, she turned and left immediately, not daring to linger for even a moment.

Jiu Qing watched Feng Jiu’er. The girl’s face had gone pale with pain, cold sweat beading across her temples and cheeks.

He ached for her, yet was powerless to help.

Every time he drew close, she had only to glance at him and the suffering would worsen — her whole body on the verge of convulsing.

He dared not approach, dared not step away. He could only stand vigil at the bedside, waiting for Xuegu and Yan to arrive.

Before long, Xuegu returned, supporting Tuoba Keyan as they entered the room.

Tuoba Keyan’s condition did not look particularly good either, but compared to Feng Jiu’er, he was at least not as badly off.

“Why… is she suffering this much?”

Tuoba Keyan looked at Feng Jiu’er, trembling continuously on the bed. Though he himself was in poor shape, his concern for her ran deeper.

Could it be because Jiu’er had no inner energy to protect her body this time, which was why she was suffering so terribly?

Yet the last time his own condition had flared, he had accidentally had his martial arts crippled by Yanu. And this episode seemed milder than that previous one.

Then why was Jiu’er like this?

“Jiu Qing, could you step outside for now and stand guard there?”

Xuegu took the Blood Spirit Fruit from his hands and said urgently, “Your presence here… makes Jiu’er suffer more.”

Jiu Qing’s gaze deepened. He looked at Xuegu once, then at Feng Jiu’er.

Seeing that she appeared to be growing worse by the moment, his palm tightened into a fist — and at last he turned and walked out the door, keeping quiet watch.

Mu Mu, having heard the news and hurried over, saw Jiu Qing standing just outside the door and said anxiously: “She cannot see you tonight…”

Then he added: “You’re not familiar with her situation. You should not have stayed at her side tonight.”

Did this man not know that when Feng Jiu’er’s Gu Poison was flaring, she could not be in his presence?

In the time since, Jiu’er had shown no sign whatsoever of being affected by the Heartless Gu. Mu Mu had almost thought the whole matter had been completely resolved.

Tonight, it seemed, no one had remembered that the Heartless Gu could still flare.

Jiu Qing looked at him with a cool, flat gaze. He wanted to walk away — but his legs felt as though they weighed a thousand jin. He could not take a single step.

Feng Jiu’er’s condition had not yet improved. He could not leave.

“I… won’t go in.” He said it lightly — but Mu Mu could hear that the words came with some difficulty.

So be it. With Jiu’er’s Gu Poison acting up, asking him to leave was simply impossible.

“Don’t come in,” Mu Mu reminded him once more as he pushed the door open and entered.

Jiu Qing paid him no mind. He did not know where his gaze had settled, but in his ears and in his heart — there was nothing but the sound of Feng Jiu’er’s low, breathless gasps.

Xuegu fetched two cups, then looked at Feng Jiu’er and Tuoba Keyan. “I don’t know what will happen if I crush it.”

After all, this was also her first time ever laying eyes on the legendary Blood Spirit Fruit.

“I’m going to crush it now. You each take half. As for what happens — I can’t say.”

“Godmother, quickly!” Tuoba Keyan gasped for breath. Watching Feng Jiu’er in too much pain to even speak, he was willing to endure whatever the outcome.

Xuegu knew it was impossible to wait for Jiu’er’s response.

Steeling herself, she held the Blood Spirit Fruit over the cup and squeezed with all her strength.

Inside the Blood Spirit Fruit, as expected, there was nothing but a rich, vivid red juice.

The moment it was crushed, it all fell into the cup — not a single drop wasted.

“Quickly, give it to her!” Tuoba Keyan said urgently.

He gripped the wooden bedpost, his knuckles going pale — clearly in considerable pain himself.

Yet his eyes, full and overflowing, held only Feng Jiu’er.

Xuegu could not help but let out a quiet sigh. Her heart felt a little sore. But right now, there was truly no time to dwell on such things.

She glanced at Mu Mu; Mu Mu immediately helped Feng Jiu’er sit up. “Don’t panic. Drink this fruit juice down and you’ll recover.”

But Feng Jiu’er’s mouth moved slightly, her gaze searching the room around her, as though looking for something.

When no one could tell what she was looking for, her pale, bloodless lips parted — and she murmured faintly: “Jiu Qing…”

“This…” Xuegu looked at Mu Mu. They could both see that Jiu’er had already lost clarity of mind — yet even so, the name on her lips was Jiu Qing.

She glanced at Mu Mu, uncertain what to do.

Feng Jiu’er’s consciousness was indeed growing hazy. She murmured in a low breath, and then called out again: “Ninth Imperial Uncle…”

Mu Mu’s heart clenched. He had just heard her call for the Ninth Imperial Uncle — and now she was murmuring for Jiu Qing again.

This girl, really!

He clenched his teeth, turned toward the door, and said in a low, firm voice: “She is calling for you!”

The door burst open with a bang. That tall, broad figure strode in.

Like a gust of cold wind, he was at the bedside in an instant — sitting down, and gathering the half-delirious Feng Jiu’er into his arms.

“Stop this. Take the Blood Spirit Fruit. You will recover.”

Though his voice was still that husky rasp, barely recognizable as his own — when Jiu’er heard it, it brought her an inexplicable sense of calm.

“Jiu Qing…” She opened her eyes a little, looking at him.

The face in her field of vision was blurred — yet within that blur, it gradually overlapped with another face.

She reached out her hand, wanting to touch his face. Jiu Qing caught her hand and pressed it back down.

“Eat it!” He picked up the cup and brought it to her lips.

This time, his voice finally softened: “Be good. Drink it.”

And Feng Jiu’er was, truly, obedient. She parted her lips and drank down half of the Blood Spirit Fruit’s juice.

Jiu Qing handed the other half cup to Xuegu.

Xuegu looked toward Tuoba Keyan — but Tuoba Keyan still had a firm grip on the wooden post and shook his head. “Wait… a moment…”

Xuegu understood. He wanted to watch and see what symptoms appeared after Feng Jiu’er drank the Blood Spirit Fruit juice. If it proved insufficient, he would give that remaining half cup to Jiu’er as well.

This child! Such foolishness! Was Jiu’er’s life worth living and his own not?

But then — the already barely-conscious Feng Jiu’er suddenly opened her eyes wide and said hoarsely: “Let him drink it. Let him…”

“Don’t fret — he’s drinking it right now!” Jiu Qing snapped his head around and looked at Tuoba Keyan.

Tuoba Keyan felt a jolt go through him. He had never seen such a commanding gaze. Never before had he felt such an overwhelming, crushing pressure.

Merely being looked at once — and it was as though a great mountain had suddenly been pressed down from above his head, nearly stopping his breath entirely.

His grip loosened. The body that had been braced so tightly for so long collapsed abruptly forward.

Xuegu gritted her teeth and caught him.

Before Tuoba Keyan could react at all, she pried his mouth open and poured the remaining half cup of juice entirely down his throat.