The old poison gasped for air, glaring at Nan Shiying.
With gazes tracking his every move, the old poison shifted his stance, turning his body away a fraction more.
Ji Jinmo withdrew his gaze from the old poison and looked towards Nan Shiying. Nan Shiying, with one finger pointing at the old poison's nose and the other akimbo, tilted her head slightly upwards. The defiant arch of her eyebrows seemed infused with a radiant light. Seeing the old poison sneakily shifting to avoid Ji Jinmo's scrutinizing gaze, she let out a snort of amusement from her nose, her entire being vibrant and alive, radiating brilliance.
Ji Jinmo's lips curved upwards, his phoenix eyes filled with tenderness as he gazed at her.
The prickling sensation behind him vanished. The old poison discreetly turned his head to look at Ji Jinmo. Seeing Ji Jinmo smiling so carelessly, his throat felt choked again, his molars nearly dissolving from the sheer sweetness.
The old poison recalled how, when he first met his unfortunate disciple, he had spoken of Ji Jinmo with immense feeling and admiration. If time could turn back, he would have shut his mouth tightly!
This demeanor of his truly did little justice to his fearsome reputation!
"Old Poison, let's deal with your problem first."
Seeing the old poison looking at him, Ji Jinmo smiled. His smile sent a chill down the old poison's spine, making him want to yell, "Just talk normally, stop smiling like that!"
When he smiled at anyone other than Nan Shiying, it gave him the illusion that his life was nearing its end.
It felt as though, as Ji Jinmo smiled, he himself would be decapitated at any moment.
The old poison sighed inwardly and sank onto a stool. He understood his own condition. The insect eggs within him had already hatched. The mother worm, the eggs, and his spine had long since fused into one. Unless his spine was completely removed, the old poison did not believe anyone in this world could, with the naked eye alone, surgically separate the蛊worms from his spine.
This was an impossible task.
Since it was impossible, why waste the effort!
"Old man, are you going to be treated or not? Give me a straight answer!" Nan Shiying frowned. She didn't insist on the old poison living for a hundred years, but she didn't want him to die in agony without doing anything.
The蛊worms had fused with his spine, and every outbreak was a torment worse than death. This torment was not as swift as death, but he had fought and struggled for so long because he didn't want to die. Even if she couldn't completely separate the蛊worms from his spine in the end, even if it was just to alleviate the pain, to make his final moments less agonizing, that would be good!
"I don't..."
"I'm going to go kill Gouzi!" Nan Shiying knitted her brows and turned to leave.
The old poison's refusal came to an abrupt halt. Seeing Nan Shiying truly walking away, he was so angry his hair stood on end, "You get back here!"
Nan Shiying stopped and turned to look at him.
The old poison grumbled, "Fine, fine, I'll be treated. I'll be treated, alright!"
Nan Shiying tutted. If he had said that earlier, wouldn't it have been simpler? Did she really think she was negotiating with him?
Nan Shiying pulled over a stool and sat beside the old poison. She lifted her eyelids to glance at him. The old poison wore a disgruntled expression, but he still rolled up his sleeve and extended his hand for her to take his pulse.
Xuan Thirteen sought an audience outside, having something to report.
Ji Jinmo informed Nan Shiying and turned to walk out.
"Master!"
Thirteen's face was grim. "Something has happened!"
"What is it?"
"A theft."
"Last night, someone sneaked into the Ministry of War and stole our border defense maps of Linyuan and Liaojiang."
"Only just discovered?"
"Yes, the Minister of War went to the Ministry of War around Yinshi and discovered the border defense maps were missing."
Linyuan and Liaojiang were separated by the Yu River, which formed a loop. However, in the southwest, it was blocked by Changming Mountain. This was the only land route between Linyuan and Liaojiang besides the water route.
Due to the terrain and the border defenses deployed along Linyuan, Linyuan and Liaojiang had always been at peace. Even when Linyuan was at war with Dali, Liaojiang would not seize the opportunity to attack.
But if Liaojiang obtained Linyuan's border defense maps, then if Linyuan were to engage in warfare, Liaojiang would inevitably have designs.
Ji Jinmo rubbed his temples. Trouble never ceased. The envoys from Dali were still in the capital, and now Liaojiang was stirring up trouble.
Was Liaojiang anticipating the rising tensions between Dali and Linyuan and making preparations in advance, or was this a move by Dali to force Linyuan into compromise?
Either way, it was not good for Linyuan!
"Mobilize the Four Guards and put them to work for me. Investigate, and capture them at all costs!"
"Yes!"
Thirteen took his leave.
Inside the room, the old poison nudged Nan Shiying with his chin, telling her to look outside. "Look, it seems something has happened."
Nan Shiying glanced outside accordingly, then lowered her eyelids and said irritably, "Old man, don't try to distract me. I'm dealing with you right now!"
The old poison tutted. Did he find a disciple, or did he find himself a master?
A damned, exasperating master at that.
"Come on, let's go through the Small Heavenly Cycle," Nan Shiying said to the old poison after taking his pulse.
The old poison: "..."
Look outside! Your man is in trouble, you know!
The acupuncture points of the Small Heavenly Cycle could only temporarily slow down the frequency of the蛊worms secreting mucus. Its effect on the old poison was less than on Ji Jinmo, but it was still somewhat useful.
Nan Shiying decided to perform acupuncture on the old poison once a week, combined with medication, to temporarily slow down his progression towards death.
As for a complete cure, that would require surgery.
Nan Shiying stroked her chin, contemplating whether to try it on animals first.
After completing the acupuncture, Nan Shiying also examined the host body from which the old poison had live-dissected the mother worm.
Ji Jinmo sat on a stone bench outside the door, drinking tea. His expression betrayed no unusual signs, except that the speed at which he turned his prayer beads was slightly faster than usual.
"What's wrong?"
Nan Shiying walked over and sat beside him, pouring herself a cup of tea.
Ji Jinmo had something on his mind; otherwise, he wouldn't have waited for her to pour the tea for him.
"The Ministry of War was robbed. The border defense maps of Linyuan and Liaojiang were lost."
"Liaojiang?"
Since her rebirth, Nan Shiying had constantly heard about Dali, Miaojiang, and Xiliang, but she had never heard of Liaojiang.
"Liaojiang is located north of Linyuan, separated by the Yu River. Liaojiang is situated on the grasslands, belonging to nomadic peoples who live by herding, moving with the seasons. Therefore, they are skilled in archery and horsemanship, and their focus is on pastoralism rather than production. Their national strength is not particularly robust, and they are primarily organized by tribes, with the imperial court residing among the tribes, and smaller tribes belonging to larger ones."
"The region is not rich in resources, but it excels in strong soldiers and swift horses."
"Not a formidable neighbor, but not one that can be bullied at will," Nan Shiying concluded. "So, with the theft of the border defense maps, is it that Liaojiang, seeing Linyuan's unstable court and its constant friction with Dali, has developed other intentions? Or is this a tactic by Dali to constrain Linyuan, forcing Linyuan into a two-front war?"
"Both are possible!"