By the time Feng Jiu’er returned, Shan Yidao and Xing Zizou had just arrived as well.

Mu Mu’s lips had already begun to darken. Just as Jiu’er had said — though some of the toxin had been expelled, the poison had penetrated the blood.

She crushed the several medicinal herbs she had gathered, let the juice drip into Mu Mu’s mouth, then had Xing Zizou and Shan Yidao help prop him upright into a seated position.

She drew out her silver needles. The tip of one needle hovered above the crown of Mu Mu’s head.

“Jiu’er — that’s a fatal acupoint!” The spot where she was about to insert the needle sent Xiao Yingtao’s face draining of color.

Xing Zizou and Shan Yidao also fixed their stares on that needle, their expressions deeply unsettled.

Shan Yidao hesitated: “Jiu’er, that really is… a fatal acupoint.”

Feng Jiu’er paid them no attention. She looked down at Mu Mu. “Mu Mu, do you trust me? If you do, hum twice.”

He couldn’t move his head right now — any movement would interfere with her needlework — so even a nod was out of the question.

Mu Mu hummed twice without the slightest hesitation.

Feng Jiu’er’s first needle pressed at the Baihui point at the crown of Mu Mu’s head. Then, after tearing open his collar with one pull, she positioned a second needle at the Tanzhong point at the center of his chest.

Both were fatal acupoints. The sight made the other three go cold with dread.

Xiao Yingtao wanted to stop her — but watching Mu Mu’s lips grow darker by the moment, she didn’t dare interfere. Still, these two acupoints were dangerously close to the edge.

Feng Jiu’er had no mental space left for hesitation. The long needles pressed at their acupoints — and then she drove them in with force.

“Ugh!” Mu Mu’s expression shifted sharply. He was clearly enduring severe pain.

“Mu Mu! Are you alright?” Xiao Yingtao panicked, her eyes going red. “Jiu’er, Jiu’er! He looks like he’s in agony!”

Feng Jiu’er’s face remained cold and composed. She said nothing. She walked around to face Mu Mu, crouched down before him, met his eyes for a brief moment — and placed her right hand at the center of his chest, over his heart.

Mu Mu said nothing. He gritted his teeth and kept his gaze fixed on her face.

In this moment, her eyes held nothing but absolute focus.

Though her face was marked with scars, those eyes — utterly serious, utterly intent — were like the clearest stars on a dark night, like the most brilliant clouds at the edge of the sky. Strangely, unexpectedly moving.

“Mu Mu — hold on.” The words had barely left Jiu’er’s lips before she drove her palm down hard against the point over his heart.

This time, Mu Mu didn’t even make a sound. The pain was so acute that every nerve in his body seized at once. When Jiu’er finally withdrew her palm, he opened his mouth — and a thick, dark mouthful of corrupted blood poured out.

“Mu Mu!” Xiao Yingtao was nearly screaming. Whatever trust she’d had in Jiu’er was crumbling rapidly.

“Zizou, Yidao — we need to get him back! Longqi Academy has a medical hall — there are physicians there!”

She didn’t want to doubt Jiu’er. But the way Mu Mu looked right now was genuinely alarming. She was afraid—

Xing Zizou and Shan Yidao also looked uncertain. They wanted to trust Jiu’er too, but Mu Mu’s condition seemed to be getting worse with every passing moment.

It was at this point that Mu Mu suddenly opened his eyes. In a hoarse voice, he said: “I… am better.”

“Mu Mu!”

…Better — that was impossible, of course. The toxin was severe; there was no chance of a complete recovery so quickly.

But Mu Mu could clearly feel it — his breathing had eased. After coughing out that mouthful of corrupted blood, some strength had finally returned to his limbs.

Still, Feng Jiu’er had made it clear — in his current state, he should not be walking. So they fashioned a simple stretcher from branches and carried him on it.

By the time the moon was out and the stars sparse, and they finally returned to the Longqi Academy training ground, the tallying for every team had long since been fully completed. Huo Yan swept them with a cold gaze.

“Your team lost. Choose one person yourselves — eliminated.”