Listening to Doctor Yang's words, everyone's faces fell. Their thoughts varied, and no one bothered with Doctor Yang, who was about to cough himself to death.
Madam Zhou's tears instantly welled up. How could this be? After finally encountering someone, it turned out to be a mistake? Was this truly fate?
It was her dereliction of duty for not taking good care of the young master, causing him to suffer so much every day. How could she face the Princess after her death?
Su Muqing also felt disheartened upon hearing the bearded old man say there was no antidote. She had never considered herself the person of great fortune they spoke of. However, she genuinely wanted to help.
If she hadn't understood before why they fed chili to the man, she seemed to grasp something after discovering his condition.
Just now, when she fed him chocolate, she had pried open his mouth and found his entire oral cavity ulcerated, with many glistening blisters. It was clearly a burn.
Then, the blisters were burst by the spicy chili he had just eaten. How painful that must have been! It was truly cruel! Who would have thought that such beautiful lips concealed a bloody, mangled mouth within?
No wonder when she asked Aunt Zhou to fetch water for the man to rinse his mouth earlier, the water was scalding hot. Coupled with the man's unusually low body temperature, she had an idea.
It seemed they intended to suppress the man's cold poison with heat. She truly wanted to exclaim about the dreadful ignorance and foolishness, but ancient medical conditions were indeed lacking, and she had no right to criticize.
Alas! She wondered how long the man had been poisoned, and how long he had endured such pain. What kind of willpower did one need to withstand such a torturous method of suppression?
Xu Fu staggered backward, supported by the third man. Then, as if drained of all strength, he slumped onto the bench behind him, covering his face with his hand. His gaunt shoulders shook silently.
If the young master met with any misfortune, he would not want to live either.
"Cough cough cough... cough... young master... cough poison... cough no cure... cough finished... cough partial cure cough cough...!" Doctor Yang hadn't expected that in the short time he was coughing, others would have so many thoughts running through their minds.
Su Muqing's sharp ears caught the intermittent words "partial cure" from the continuous coughing. She asked Doctor Yang in a choked voice, "Are you saying he's improved? That the poison isn't completely gone?"
Madam Zhou's sobs abruptly ceased! She hung on to a breath, hiccups bursting forth. "Hic, hic, hic."
Xu Fu also shot up from his seat. Gone was the dejected demeanor of moments ago.
Everyone crowded around Doctor Yang again. Xu Fu and another hidden guard sandwiched him, vigorously patting his chest. Another hidden guard cupped his palm, channeling internal energy to pat his back.
The two intended to help him catch his breath, but it had no effect. Doctor Yang's complexion worsened! The situation became somewhat awkward.
Doctor Yang: At that moment, I was extremely frightened. They almost beat me to death on the spot!
Seeing that the method of helping him catch his breath was futile, the third man picked up the water from the wooden board. Years of martial arts training had made him tough and calloused, so the water didn't feel hot.
That bowl of water was the hot water Madam Zhou had just brought in. He picked it up and fed Doctor Yang a large mouthful, which made the old man wince with the heat.
Doctor Yang: What do they mean? What are these people trying to do? Do they want me dead? Living is truly difficult. If I wasn't choked to death by phlegm, I would soon be beaten to death or scalded!
Doctor Yang pushed the third man away and adjusted himself. After he completely stopped coughing, he spoke slowly, "What I was trying to say was that the young master's poison has not been completely eradicated. However... when I took his pulse just now, I found that his pulse condition had greatly improved. I was speaking too hastily and got choked!"
Everyone: ... You old scoundrel, you're so bad!
"You, can't you speak without such dramatic pauses? You didn't get choked to death, but you nearly scared us to death! Truly clueless!" Xu Fu, having heard the result he wanted, immediately moved away from Doctor Yang to check on Huo Qiyuan, no longer showing any of his earlier solicitous behavior.
"Hic~ hic~ clueless~ hic~" Madam Zhou also muttered criticisms while hiccuping. The hiccups wouldn't stop, which was incredibly annoying! It was all this quack doctor's fault!
In just this short time, those who had been around him, giving him shoulder massages and serving him tea, had all walked away.
Doctor Yang: Heartless!