Lou Xiaowu looked at Mo Sigui with hopeful eyes, not saying a word.
Mo Sigui carefully examined the object for a moment, then sniffed it. His brow furrowed as he quickly wrapped it up. “Where did you get this?”
“Is there a problem?” Lou Xiaowu asked urgently. “What kind of poison is it?”
Mo Sigui sealed the object tightly in a bottle he carried before calmly explaining, “It’s a plague gu. It’s a type of poison, but an extremely terrifying one that seems to have a life of its own. It can empty an entire city within seven days, which is why it’s called a gu. Those infected initially show symptoms similar to a cold, with flushed cheeks like peach blossoms and red eyelids. Their breath becomes foul. After three days, they’re bedridden, and by the seventh day, they die. The terrifying part is that after death, the entire body becomes infectious, and anyone who comes into contact with it cannot escape.”
Yao Ye exclaimed in shock, “Then what about you?”
“Don’t worry. Judging by this cut, the infected person was still alive when the finger was severed. The guy needs to be nurtured by the energy of a corpse. If the person was still alive when the finger was cut off, the poison would lose its potency. It won’t spread unless ingested or if it comes into contact with an open wound,” Mo Sigui explained. He then asked Lou Xiaowu, “The infected person has likely been poisoned for three days now, right?”
Given that all ten fingers are connected to the heart, if the Gu poison had already spread to the heart meridians, it would have been at least three days.
Lou Xiaowu nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, it was exactly three days when the finger was cut off. Is there still hope?”
Seeing that she wasn’t worried about being infected but rather asked about saving the person, Mo Sigui realized the infected individual must be someone dear to her. However, he could only shake his head, “The poison has already entered the heart meridians. Even if the person who planted the Gu provided an antidote, it wouldn’t save them. If the infected person has strong internal energy, they should be immediately killed and burned, because this guy feeds on internal energy. The stronger the internal energy, the more powerful the Gu poison becomes.”
Lou Xiaowu’s eyes turned red, “This is my aunt’s severed finger. Many people in our family fell ill within three days. The family head ordered all the sick to be frozen and placed in the ice cellar. Someone has already gone to Meihua Village to seek help. Since you know about this, is there a way to cure it?”
Lou Xiaowu had been on her way to Meihua Village but changed course when she heard Mo Sigui was in Bianjing.
“Although the poison is virulent, the cure isn’t complicated,” Mo Sigui said. He took out a porcelain bottle, dropped a pill into his mouth, and distributed one to each person present.
“Doctor Mo, please save my Lou family! I’ll serve you like an ox or a horse to repay you!” Lou Xiaowu knelt before Mo Sigui.
Mo Sigui pondered briefly, then helped her up. “The fates of the Mei and Lou families are intertwined. Let’s go.”
He then turned to An Jiu, “You can stay and enjoy Bianjing. I’ll be back in a few days.”
“Alright,” An Jiu replied.
Despite her usually lively nature, Lou Xiaowu was in no mood for catching up. After settling the matter, she bowed to An Jiu and hurriedly left with Mo Sigui.
As the sound of hoofbeats faded into the distance, Yao Ye ordered the carriage to return home.
“It sounds extremely dangerous. I hope the young master can handle it,” Yao Ye sighed.
An Jiu remained silent. This incident was too strange. The four major families had just been attacked during the trial, and now the Lou family was in trouble! The Mei family likely wouldn’t be spared either.
The Mei family must have realized this too and would certainly have Elder Qi stay behind to guard. The Lou family also knew that going to Meihua Village might not yield results. They most likely wanted Mo Sigui to go, which is why they sent Lou Xiaowu ahead to request his help.
“I thought you didn’t like him. Why are you worried?” An Jiu asked, puzzled.
Yao Ye looked at An Jiu, “The young master isn’t in the Mei family register and has no ties to the Lou family. He wouldn’t be blamed for not going, but he’s going out of gratitude for Elder Qi’s mentorship. I’ve been with the Mei family for years. Although I haven’t been close to the young master, I know he’s used to life and death and can be somewhat unfeeling. But if someone truly gains his friendship, he’d go through fire and water for them.”
Meeting her expectant gaze, An Jiu thought for a moment but couldn’t grasp her meaning. “What do you mean?”
Yao Ye lowered her voice, “I mean you should try to marry him! The young master is much better than that of Hua Erlang. At least we know his background!”
“He and I are siblings,” An Jiu had never considered this possibility. Even if they weren’t siblings, An Jiu would never allow Mei Jiu to marry a doctor! She subconsciously thought all doctors were lunatics and perverts. Mo Sigui seemed relatively normal now, but her father had also appeared to be a gentleman in public!
Unaware of these circumstances, Yao Ye said in surprise, “The Song Dynasty laws don’t prohibit marriages between cousins from the mother’s side. The young lady should know this!”
Mo Sigui and Mei Jiu’s mothers were sisters, making them maternal cousins who could marry.
An Jiu didn’t want to discuss this further and simply said, “We’ll talk about it later.”
Seeing her apparent aversion, Yao Ye wondered if she had truly fallen for a wastrel like Hua Erlang. If so, this marriage, whether it happened or not, would be a tragedy!
Back at the residence, An Jiu bathed and then squatted by the fireplace. Seeing the new trinkets bought that evening on the table, she couldn’t resist going over to examine them. She picked up one and began to fiddle with it, her long black hair still half-wet and draped over her shoulders, contrasting with her elegant attire.
“Young lady, it’s getting late. You should rest,” Yao Ye reminded her.
An Jiu didn’t hear her, completely focused on manipulating a small pigeon cart.
The pigeon cart was shaped like a small, graceful bird with wheels on both sides. The middle part of the bird’s body was concave. The entire cart was no larger than two fingers, exquisitely crafted and adorable.
Yao Ye noticed that since returning from the trial, the young lady seemed to live in her world, doing whatever she wanted regardless of others’ influence. She decided not to persuade her further and let her be.
As night fell and frost covered the ground, the crowd in the lamp-lit streets gradually dispersed. In a dark alley stood a figure in dark, close-fitting clothes covered by a cloak, blending into the darkness.
His ears twitched slightly, and he coughed lightly.
A shadow, light as a swallow, landed in front of him and knelt. “Commander, something has happened to the Lou family. Mo Sigui from the Mei family has already gone to help.”
“What caused the Lou family elder to be poisoned?” the commander asked in a low, cold voice.
The person’s throat tightened. “It’s not yet clear, but we’ve discovered a group of uninvited guests lurking near the Mei family residence in Bianjing.”
“Don’t act for now. Observe them secretly,” the commander ordered. “You may go.”
“Yes!” The person quickly left.
The current situation was clear: the ambush during the trial was just the beginning. That group had managed to silently kill dozens of Controlling Crane Army spies in just two hours, demonstrating terrifying strength.
With such formidable power, who else but the Emperor could be behind this? The commander clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.
These people risked their lives, living on the edge of death in the shadows, only to die not in the service of protecting the great Song Dynasty, but at the hands of their own master!
A cold wind blew through the alley. After calming down a bit, the commander began to doubt – the current Emperor appeared idle on the surface, focused on alchemy, but was quite thoughtful and suspicious. He shouldn’t do something that would cause discord between ruler and subjects. Even if he wanted to eliminate the Controlling Crane Army, he wouldn’t be so hasty.
However, it couldn’t be ruled out that the Emperor had taken too many alchemical pills and damaged his mind!
The commander composed himself, and his figure disappeared into the night.
The next day, An Jiu finished breakfast and changed into men’s clothing to go out sightseeing.
Unfortunately, Mei Jiu’s body was too delicate and beautiful, causing passersby to frequently turn and look. An Jiu was extremely sensitive to gazes and constantly felt like she was being watched. After wandering for an hour, she nearly had a nervous breakdown.
Seeing her neurotic state, Yao Ye couldn’t stand it anymore and suggested, “Young master, there’s a teahouse by the river. Shall we go sit there for a while?”
This suggestion was exactly what An Jiu wanted to hear. “Good idea.”
By the riverside, slender willows drooped, their bare branches covered in a thick layer of white frost. The river surface glimmered, and a thin mist was just dispersing, like a light gauze veil. The scenery was extremely beautiful.
The teahouse was built by the water, allowing guests to sit by the window and enjoy the river view.
An Jiu sat in a private room, watching people washing clothes by the river and boats loaded with goods calling out their wares. This scene, full of everyday life, deeply moved her.
“It’s time to stop this,” An Jiu said to herself. “You talk about being strong, but it’s all bullshit! Mei Yanran gave everything for you to live, and this is how you repay her. I’ve lived two lives and never seen a more worthless creature than you!”
Her heart began to beat strangely.
An Jiu had just been speaking her mind casually, without any hope for Mei Jiu, when she suddenly heard her weak voice, “An Jiu.”
An Jiu stopped the teacup at her lips.
“I want to live. I want to live like them…” Mei Jiu trembled.
Influenced by An Jiu’s strong spiritual power, Mei Jiu had awakened long ago but forced herself to sleep every day, trying not to think about anything troubling.
She wanted to save her mother but was terrified of life in the Controlling Crane Army, especially after witnessing the cruelty during the trial, where human life seemed less valuable than grass. She wanted to leave the Mei family and live an ordinary life but felt guilty towards her mother. Whenever she thought of her mother still suffering in hell, her heart couldn’t find peace.
How wonderful it would be to just sleep forever! But unfortunately, heaven didn’t grant her wish. Under An Jiu’s spiritual power, she was forced to wake up.
“What should I do?” Mei Jiu murmured.
Yao Ye bowed her head and asked, “What did you say, young lady?”
Mei Jiu was startled, realizing she had regained control of her body. In her panic, she shouted without thinking, “An Jiu, An Jiu!”
She hadn’t decided what to do yet, how could this happen…
Yao Ye held her in shock, “Young lady, what’s wrong?”
Mei Jiu hugged Yao Ye, crying like a pear blossom in the rain.
As Yao Ye was about to ask again, a buzzing sound came from outside the window. Her heart jumped as she saw three powerful arrows flying towards them. She quickly pulled Mei Jiu aside.
The two fell to the ground. Yao Ye saw Mei Jiu’s terrified, absent-minded expression and was filled with confusion. However, there was no time to think about it now. “Guards!” she called out.
The guards outside rushed in.
“Protect the young master!” Yao Ye shielded Mei Jiu and moved to a safe place.
Mei Jiu was on the verge of collapse. She had just been awakened by An Jiu in a peaceful atmosphere, but why did she encounter this as soon as she woke up?
“We couldn’t find the attacker!” reported one of the guards who had entered.
What was going on? How could someone attempt to assassinate the Mei family’s young lady in broad daylight? Yao Ye had too many things she couldn’t understand today.