"Hot water is here."
Two hidden guards entered, carrying a large barrel of hot water. Several people worked together to throw Nangong Yu into it. After several washes, the blood and grime on him were cleaned off. However, after being cleaned, Nangong Yu's face was pale, devoid of any color. If he hadn't been breathing, they would have suspected if he was truly alive.
Ye Qing poured a blood-replenishing medicinal soup into Nangong Yu and then meticulously examined him. He couldn't help but be shocked. "The poison... the poison is gone!"
"Gone!" Wen Ruyu looked at Ye Qing strangely. For years, they had exhausted all their efforts and tried countless methods, but none could cure Nangong Yu's poison. Yet now, his poison was gone. Did this mean Xiao Man's medical skills surpassed that of the Medicine King?
"His Highness is fine now, merely suffering from severe blood loss and needing rest. I will take my leave." Xiao Man looked at Du Gu Luo, and the two of them instantly leaped and disappeared into the darkness.
Upon exiting the Qin Prince's manor, Xiao Man, like a kite with a broken string, fell directly from the sky. A figure, as fast as lightning, caught her before Dongfang Wei could.
"Yu Qian Mo!"
"Now is not the time for fighting!" Yu Qian Mo used Xiao Man to block Dongfang Wei's punch. "She's not in good condition. If she takes another punch from you, she'll truly be on her way to see the King of Hell. Think before you act."
Dongfang Wei gritted his teeth. "Give her to me."
"It's the same if I hold her. Besides, men and women should maintain a proper distance. If you hold her, someone will be jealous."
Dongfang Wei hesitated for a moment, then retracted his hand. "Then let's return to the General's manor first."
Xiao Man was brought back covered in blood, terrifying the maids. However, upon examining Xiao Man, aside from a wound on her wrist, there were no other injuries on her body.
"Xiang Xue, what happened to Miss?"
"Severe blood loss." Xiang Xue bandaged the wound on Xiao Man's wrist. "Miss's body was already weak, and with the excessive blood loss, her body needs proper nourishment. Otherwise, there will be lingering effects."
"How did Miss lose so much blood?"
"Heaven knows." Xiang Xue went to prepare medicine, while Qiu Tong and Ying Xue stayed to serve. Yu Qian Mo, wanting to stay, worried about Dongfang Wei causing trouble. He wasn't afraid of Dongfang Wei, but if Xiao Zhen were alerted, none of them would benefit.
Fortunately, after Dongfang Wei brought her back, he vanished. Yu Qian Mo glanced at the pale-faced Xiao Man, muttering to himself. She looked so alike. Her martial arts were alike, her every movement was alike, and even her shamelessness was exactly the same!
"Could Du Gu Man be her biological sister?" Yu Qian Mo thought carefully, then quickly shook his head. Impossible!
One was the aloof Empress Dowager of Yun Qi, the other a young lady from the Yu Sheng General's manor. They couldn't be biological sisters. Even if they were, if they hadn't lived together, their habits couldn't be so similar!
Yu Qian Mo had been tracking Xiao Man for some time, hoping to find traces of Du Gu Man, but there was not a single clue. Du Gu Man seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, while those connected to her were constantly gathering around Xiao Man.
What was the connection between Du Gu Man and Xiao Man?
Could it be a master-disciple relationship? Yu Qian Mo felt he had discovered the truth. If one person could resemble another so much, a master-disciple relationship would make sense!
Dongfang Wei infiltrated the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, searching for Bai Ling. In his opinion, Bai Ling's medical skills were not bad, and he wanted to ask her to treat Xiao Man. However, as soon as he entered the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, he was discovered.
"Pavilion Master Qin Xue, is Miss Bai Ling here?"
"Is there something?" Qin Xue asked with a frown.
"Miss is injured and we wish to invite Miss Bai Ling to treat her."
Upon hearing that Xiao Man was injured, a flicker of worry crossed Qin Xue's eyes. She then calmly said, "Did you come on your own accord?"
"Yes, Xiao Man lost too much blood and fainted."
"There's no need to worry, Miss will be fine," Qin Xue said gently. "It's all within control."
"Within control?" Dongfang Wei frowned slightly, asking with some confusion, "You expected this?"
"Yes. Young Master Dongfang should return to Miss's side as soon as possible to guard her. Don't concern yourself with other matters. Also, do not come here alone." Su Dan Novel Network
Dongfang Wei frowned and turned to leave. He stopped at the door and looked back at Qin Xue. "Bai Ling is not here. What are you plotting?"
Qin Xue impassively gestured for him to proceed. Dongfang Wei turned and left. Even though he stayed by Xiao Man's side every day, he couldn't fathom what she was doing.
Bai Ling was not here, where did she go? In this bitter cold, was she on a mission? How long had it been since he last saw Bai Ling? It seemed like the last time he saw her was last month, and he hadn't seen her since. So, did she leave last month, or did she leave the capital?
Dongfang Wei did not know. If not for Xiao Man's injury and unconsciousness tonight, even he, who had been protecting her all along, would not have noticed anything unusual. Xiao Man was truly full of secrets!
In the Qin Prince's manor, Nangong Yu finally woke up, but for some reason, he kept tasting a腥甜 (xīng tián - fishy and sweet) flavor in his mouth.
"Water."
Wen Ruyu immediately poured a cup of water and handed it over. "Water."
After drinking a mouthful, Nangong Yu's brows furrowed tightly. The腥甜 taste in his mouth was not an illusion. His gaze swept across the room. "Where is Xiao Man?"
"She left. Your poison is gone, so she left," Wen Ruyu replied. "However, she was indeed the key to your detoxification. She actually managed to cure the蠱毒 (gǔ dú -蛊 poison) in your body."
Ye Qing remained silent, sitting in the shadows of a corner. "Ruyu, can I have a moment alone with the Prince?"
Wen Ruyu looked at Nangong Yu, then at Ye Qing, and turned to leave. After the sound of the door closing, Ye Qing's voice rang out.
"Did the Prince ultimately choose to sacrifice her?"
Nangong Yu looked towards the shadows. "In your eyes, am I such a despicable person?"
"Is there another way to detoxify?"
"Xiao Man developed a medicine, but the success rate was only forty percent, and the detoxification process was extremely painful. To prevent you all from worrying, I didn't tell you." Nangong Yu moved his slightly sore body. "That pain was a hundred times more agonizing than when the poison acted up. Fortunately, I endured it."
Ye Qing couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't the method he had envisioned. "You have lost a lot of blood and are still weak. You need to rest well for a period of time."
"Yes, I do need to rest well for a period of time. Starting tomorrow, the Qin Prince will be bedridden and unable to get out of bed."
"Bedridden?" Ye Qing was confused. "It's not that serious. You've only lost blood; you'll be fine after a few days of rest."
Nangong Yu leaned against the headboard. "No, the Qin Prince needs to be bedridden."
Ye Qing understood. Nangong Yu had a reason to do this.