They arrived at The Pine Wave Court where Elder Kang was staying.
Many people had already gathered here; after all, Elder Kang usually looked after the disciples of the various peaks, so he had quite a reputation.
Pei Qingxuan didn’t say much upon arrival.
She waved away the irrelevant people, telling them to wait outside the courtyard, and then immediately led Xu Ping’an inside, pushing open the door.
The lingering smell of medicine in the quiet room mixed with a faint, indistinct fishy stench, causing Xu Ping’an to wrinkle his nose slightly.
He stepped toward the bed, his gaze falling on Elder Kang’s face.
His complexion was terrible—a deathly gray tinting a blue-black hue. It was far worse than when Xu Ping’an had left him.
He placed his fingertips on the other man’s cold wrist.
The pulse was incredibly chaotic.
Beneath the weakness, a cold, slimy sensation slithered through the meridians like a frozen snake.
Unwrapping the bandages, the flesh around the wound looked wrong—gray and withered, with faint black lines that made one’s skin crawl just by looking.
Is this… The Yin Gu of Pulse-Eroding? And a slow-acting poison that disturbs the mind? How truly venomous! The Nine Revolutions Great Restoration Pill he had left behind was balanced in nature and should have helped Elder Kang recover.
However, this extremely Yin Gu insect and the toxin had directly blocked the elixir’s medicinal power and invaded Elder Kang’s body.
While the nearby alchemists were still explaining in a panic, Pei Qingxuan’s aura noticeably chilled.
Xu Ping’an had no time for them; several solutions flashed through his mind.
Applying needles to lock the points and using medicine to clear the poison—the steps were complex and mentally taxing, but it was the only option now.
Pei Qingxuan immediately ordered people to fetch the items.
As she turned to arrange a thorough investigation, Xu Ping’an could feel the suppressed fury and cold killing intent emanating from her, as frigid as the depths of winter.
He withdrew his gaze and focused on the patient before him.
He took the silver needles from his pouch, their slender tips shimmering under the light.
The first needle descended, piercing the Shanzhong Point.
The unconscious Elder Kang’s body suddenly shuddered, his brows twisting into a knot of pain.
Without pausing, Xu Ping’an’s fingers twisted the end of the needle.
Feeling the extremely weak response of the inner Qi, he adjusted the angle and force of the insertion.
His mind was completely immersed; the sounds of the outside world seemed to fade.
One silver needle after another was precisely inserted into different acupuncture points according to the map in his mind.
With every needle he placed, a sliver of his own spirit seemed to be drained away, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.
When the last needle landed at the Dantian Qi Sea, all the silver needles produced an extremely faint resonance, emitting a nearly inaudible hum.
Aided by his Chaotic Golden Pupils, he could “see” the cold black spots and toxins scattered throughout the meridians beginning to reluctantly and slowly contract and gather toward several major acupuncture points where the silver needles were inserted.
This first step was a success.
He took an elixir from his medicine chest and fed it to Elder Kang.
Even though Elder Kang was unconscious, it did not hinder the consumption of the pill, which melted upon entering the mouth.
As the medicinal power dissolved, Elder Kang’s body suddenly became burning hot.
The things temporarily trapped under his skin began to struggle violently, causing the silver needles to vibrate even more intensely.
Xu Ping’an pressed his hands down lightly.
Through the clothing, his fingertips felt the chaotic fluctuations generated by the collision of internal Qi, medicinal power, and the needle formation.
He then used a specific frequency and force to gently press and guide the flow, as if soothing a raging river and directing it to wash away the filth.
Time passed slowly. He could hear his own heavy breathing and feel Pei Qingxuan’s silent yet exceptionally focused presence behind him, like a quiet barrier.
Elder Kang’s breathing was sometimes rapid and sometimes weak, and the struggling beneath his skin grew increasingly violent.
Suddenly, Elder Kang snapped his eyes open, his eyeballs blood-red!
“Ugh… Argh!!!” A strange sound, like a broken bellows, came from his throat as a burst of black gas with a thick, fishy stench erupted from his mouth and nose!
Now!
Xu Ping’an’s gaze sharpened.
He joined his fingers and made a swift swipe across the other’s left wrist pulse.
With a “hiss,” the wound split open!
A stream of viscous, pitch-black blood mixed with countless tiny red dots shot out like a living venomous snake! Pei Qingxuan moved even faster.
A jade bottle instantly appeared in the path of the spraying blood.
The mouth of the bottle flickered with light, sucking it all in before she sealed it tight.
With the foul blood gone, Elder Kang coughed up a large mouthful of dark red congested blood.
His entire body went limp, as if his bones had been removed, but the layer of blue-black deathly air on his face receded visibly.
Xu Ping’an quickly stopped the bleeding and checked the pulse again.
The pulse was still weak, but that cold, slimy sensation of something slithering around had vanished, leaving only the exhaustion from a heavy injury and a few lingering traces of stubborn poison.
His life was temporarily saved.
He breathed a sigh of relief, only then feeling a wave of intense fatigue wash over him.
His back had long been soaked with sweat. “The Gu poison and most of the mixed toxins have been forced out.”
He shook his head.
His Chaotic Body ensured his physique rarely showed signs of extreme weakness, but the mental energy he had consumed could not be recovered in a short time.
“However, the foundation has been too heavily injured. He will likely need a long period of quiet recuperation.”
Pei Qingxuan walked over and handed him a silk handkerchief that carried a faint, elegant, cold fragrance.
He took it and wiped the sweat from his face.
The fabric was soft and cool, giving his spirit a slight boost.
He saw the lingering coldness in her eyes, but he also saw the way her gaze deliberately softened when she looked at him.
“You’ve worked hard, Husband,” she said in a very low voice.
Xu Ping’an shook his head and said nothing.
His gaze turned toward the door, where a Great Elder had appeared silently, holding a jade tray.
The items on the tray were conspicuous: a small pinch of pale gray powder, almost invisible, and an empty jade bottle that he recognized.
It was the one he had used to store the Nine Revolutions Great Restoration Pill.
At the bottom of the bottle, there was a trace of residue similar in color to that powder.
The Great Elder’s report was concise.
The powder had been found in the room of the Alchemy Apprentice on duty, and its components matched the toxin.
The jade bottle was discovered under Elder Kang’s pillow.
The Alchemy Apprentice had already “committed suicide,” his soul dissipated—a death identical to the previous assassin.
Soul dissipation again. Xu Ping’an stared at the pinch of powder.
Under his Golden Pupils, he could see the cold, chaotic spiritual energy swirling within—no, rather than spiritual energy, it was more like Turbid Qi!
This scheme was truly one link after another.
The assassination was a feint; the poisoning was the real objective, and they even intended to pin the blame on the elixir he had left behind.
Their minds were meticulous, and their methods were vicious.
Pei Qingxuan took the jade tray, her fingers gripping it until they turned white.
The aura around her grew even colder.
What she could think of, Xu Ping’an could also deduce.
“Thank you for your hard work. You may leave.” She dismissed the Great Elder, then immediately turned to look at Xu Ping’an.
The coldness in her eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a hint of worry hidden within her star-like pupils.
“Husband, move to the side hall of the Pavilion of Immortal World. The Sect’s sword array is there.”
Xu Ping’an pondered for a moment but still shook his head.
The enemy was in the dark while he was in the light; since the opponent could easily control and silence even Inner Disciples and Alchemy Apprentices, staying at the Autumn Water Hall was indeed not secure enough.
However, he could not go to the Pavilion of Immortal World right now, as that would be equivalent to exposing his relationship with Pei Qingxuan.
Pei Qingxuan looked at Xu Ping’an and couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”
“Now is not the time to reveal our relationship. Since the opponent came prepared, they must have many methods ready. From what I can see, their main goal is to throw you into chaos so you won’t have the mind to care about the Dragon Returning Qi.”
The clues were too sparse, like a tangled mess.
“However, there is one thing that might be the opponent’s mistake… because something like a Gu insect must have a master!”