Few present had ever heard Baili Weisheng’s voice turn this cold—in fact, many had never seen him truly angry before.
This man was always cheerful, with an especially sharp tongue.
But he rarely ever truly fell out with anyone—even in the face of enormous matters, enormous mistakes, he’d simply laugh it off, saying it was nothing serious.
This time, though, he was dead serious!
The cold voice brought back memories of the old Poison Den elder’s icy tone—anyone unfamiliar with him would have felt a chill run down their spine hearing it.
For a moment, even Ziqing felt as if this man were still a stranger to her—someone she could never fully see through, never truly get close to.
“I forbid it!” Baili Weisheng repeated, and only then did everyone snap back to attention.
But to everyone’s surprise, Baili Xiaosheng didn’t take it seriously. “You’re not in a position to forbid me anything!”
“I’m your master!” Baili Weisheng emphasized.
“Until I remember you, you’re nothing to me!” Baili Xiaosheng said coldly, her voice nearly as merciless as his—master and disciple, and yet so alike when it came to being ruthless.
“As long as I say so, that’s final—no means no!” Baili Weisheng was utterly domineering!
“I’m sorry, that’s just wishful thinking on your part!” Baili Xiaosheng retorted sharply, matching him word for word.
Finally, Baili Weisheng stopped arguing with her and said coldly instead, “Jue Mingzi, I forbid you from treating her.”
“Hmph, Doctor Jue Mingzi, if you agree to him, you’re a coward!” Baili Xiaosheng really did say it!
“Watch your mouth! I’m telling you, this old man will definitely cure you! You’ll regret your rudeness!” Jue Mingzi truly couldn’t resist a challenge either.
“Then take me with you,” Baili Xiaosheng said, walking toward Jue Mingzi. But she’d barely taken two steps when Baili Weisheng grabbed her arm.
Baili Xiaosheng seemed to have anticipated exactly what he’d do, and the moment he grabbed her, she immediately swept her leg to kick out at Baili Weisheng’s legs. Caught off guard, Baili Weisheng had no choice but to let go, to avoid falling flat on his face!
The instant he released her, Baili Xiaosheng laughed. “Raising a hand against a woman—have you no shame?”
At these words, everyone was stunned, and Baili Weisheng himself froze too—huh… he’d just been scolded, scolded by his own disciple!
How humiliating!
But he quickly recovered, saying coldly, “Brat, this old man has no shame today, so what!”
With that, he thrust both hands forward like sharp claws, lunging fiercely at Baili Xiaosheng. Baili Xiaosheng immediately dodged, launching several throwing darts at him without a moment’s hesitation, but Baili Weisheng saw them coming and didn’t even bother to dodge.
A few darts posed no threat to him at all, so there was no need to avoid them.
Seeing this, Baili Xiaosheng immediately took cover behind Jue Mingzi, who stood completely on her side, ready to confront Baili Weisheng!
But at that moment, Ziqing suddenly spoke up. “Father, you’re not to get involved in this.”
To Jue Mingzi, Ziqing’s words were as good as a military order—even though he was a hundred percent unwilling, he could still endure it, not wanting to upset his daughter!
But it was precisely because Jue Mingzi stepped aside that Baili Weisheng’s kick, aimed his way, caught Baili Xiaosheng completely off guard—she couldn’t dodge in time, and attempting a backward aerial flip that didn’t quite land right, she fell hard to the ground, her head striking first with a heavy thud!
Instantly, Baili Weisheng’s phantom leg technique froze mid-motion, and he stood balanced on one foot, while everyone else stared, stunned, at Baili Xiaosheng.
Baili Xiaosheng’s eyes flew wide open, but a wave of dizziness overtook her, the sky and earth seeming to spin, faster and faster, until gradually she saw only a whirling vortex, and gradually, her eyes slipped shut!
“You brat!”
Finally, Baili Weisheng cried out in alarm, and Jue Mingzi rushed forward to support her, his hands quickly probing the back of her head.
No one dared make a sound, afraid of disturbing Jue Mingzi.
“There is indeed a needle at the acupoint—the fall has driven it in deeper. It must be removed immediately, or the consequences will be unimaginable!” Jue Mingzi exclaimed, facing this kind of emergency for the first time, utterly urgent.
At this point, debating whether or not to remove the needle no longer mattered.
“Hongyi, prepare a room, now!” Ziqing ordered immediately.
Baili Weisheng scooped up Baili Xiaosheng and hurried off with Jue Mingzi, who called out instructions along the way for the medicines and supplies to prepare.
Not until Jue Mingzi and Baili Weisheng had carried Baili Xiaosheng into the room and the door had slammed shut did everyone finally let out a breath.
Everyone waited outside the door, no one daring to make a sound, only Jun Beiyue gently rubbing Ziqing’s back, murmuring something to comfort her.
What had begun as a joyous banquet had turned unpleasant with Jun Buli’s early departure, and now everyone’s hearts were in their throats over Baili Xiaosheng’s accident.
This left everyone present feeling heavy with worry, anxiously awaiting news of Baili Xiaosheng’s condition.
Situ Jing’er and Meng Duo’er, though neither had a particularly good impression of Baili Xiaosheng, were both now genuinely worried for her.
“Grandpa Jue said ‘unimaginable consequences’—that couldn’t mean paralysis, could it?” Situ Jing’er asked timidly.
“Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! Don’t jinx it, don’t say such things! Old Jue’s medical skill is superb, nothing will go wrong!” Meng Duo’er said with a stern face, startling Situ Jing’er into silence.
Waiting, an endless wait.
Meanwhile, back in the palace, Consort Li had only just stopped her diarrhea. Already thin and pale-faced without makeup, after all this torment, she looked as frail as a paper doll—if not for the blanket covering her, one might worry she’d be blown away by the wind.
The room was empty and silent, the door locked from inside, with only Jun Buli sitting at the edge of the bed, watching her coldly.
In truth, without makeup, though her face was somewhat pale, Consort Li looked even more beautiful than usual, possessing a sickly, cold, noble beauty unique to the vampire clan.
At that moment, she looked at Jun Buli pitifully, on the verge of tears.
“Your Majesty, if that troublesome girl doesn’t leave, this humble life of mine will eventually be ruined at her hands.”
The vampire clan was immune to all poisons and their bodies nearly indestructible, but they feared stomach and intestinal ailments most—they were especially particular about their diet, and the slightest carelessness would easily cause diarrhea.
What Situ Jing’er had used was a laxative—if the dose had been any larger, it really could have been enough to kill Consort Li!
“That’s because you’re not capable enough. A ten-year-old child, with just that little trick, and you still fell for it?” Jun Buli said disdainfully. Having confirmed Consort Li was fine, his eyes held nothing but mockery.
“Your Majesty, that’s because I have an agreement with you—I let her have her way at every turn. Otherwise, how could she have succeeded so easily?” Consort Li protested resentfully.
“If you had no way to guard against her, why provoke her in the first place?” Jun Buli asked again.
That question immediately silenced Consort Li—it was true, she had been the one to provoke Situ Jing’er first in the imperial garden!
“Stay put in the palace, and stop causing me trouble,” Jun Buli warned coldly, and with that, he stood to leave.
Consort Li hastily grabbed at him, but Jun Buli, thoroughly disliking this kind of touch, shook her off sharply. “Stay here!”
“Your Majesty, stay with me tonight, just one night!” Consort Li pleaded, her manner truly enough to stir a man’s heart—except Jun Buli didn’t even look at her, striding off on his own.
He thought to himself that he should head back to Prince Yao’s manor to check on things…