"Uncle-Master, you... why are you pushing us away?"
"Doing what?" Du Lao looked up, glaring fiercely at Ji Wu. Ji Wu swallowed his words and dared not say more.
The outer disciples from back then had all been tormented by Du Lao to no end. Even after serving as imperial physicians for so many years, they still couldn't escape the fear of being dominated by him. Let alone the inner disciples like them. Back then, Du Lao had the best relationship with Hui Ji and the current Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, Hui Feng, so Ji Wu and the others had suffered greatly under Du Lao's torment. The memories were still fresh to this day.
However, although this old man was particularly harsh on them, he also greatly advanced their medical skills. Therefore, while they respected and feared him, they held no hatred.
Seeing the old man's displeasure, Ji Wu decided to flee immediately after they reached the Southern Manor.
After Nan Shiying returned to the manor, she sighed lightly. Her plan had to be temporarily shelved. Qing Zhu might not be able to discern the poison Nan Yuan'er had contracted, but Ji Wu might. However, things had reached this point, and she couldn't explicitly inform them or subtly hint otherwise. Qing Zhu merely assumed she didn't want to help due to her feud with Nan Yuan'er. If she repeatedly obstructed, wouldn't she be exposing herself?
"Tsk~"
What a coincidence.
Nan Shiying felt that Ji Wu's timing was a little too coincidental.
...
"Your esteemed daughter has been poisoned. It is a colorless, odorless poison that induces a state of suspended animation." After Ji Wu finished examining Madam Wang's pulse, he was, as expected, invited to Nan Yuan'er's courtyard. As soon as he began, Ji Wu diagnosed the cause of Nan Yuan'er's drowsiness.
Although this poison was rare, Ji Wu had happened to encounter it in a medical text and knew how to cure it.
He wrote a prescription, and after three days of taking the medicine according to the prescription, she would recover.
"This is not a fatal poison. Therefore, although the symptoms are peculiar and difficult to diagnose, in the end, besides inducing suspended animation, it causes no other harm to the body."
"Suspended animation?"
Nan Zhaoyin had considered countless possibilities, but he had never imagined that Yuan'er had been poisoned with this.
"But isn't suspended animation caused by a pseudo-death drug? How..."
"Oh, although the pseudo-death drug is called a drug, it's just a name. It paralyzes the nerves and obstructs breathing, causing cardiac arrest. In essence, it is indeed a poison!"
"What your esteemed daughter has contracted is a diluted version. Judging by the dosage, within five days, your esteemed daughter will enter a state of suspended animation. Actually, this poison doesn't need to be cured; after all, suspended animation..." Ji Wu calculated the timing: "After one day of suspended animation, your esteemed daughter will awaken!"
One day, if he hadn't known Yuan'er was in a state of suspended animation, her body would have already been entombed!
No, perhaps in his pursuit of the culprit, he would have handed the case over to the Metropolitan Prefecture. At that time... at that time, the coroner from the Metropolitan Prefecture, in order to verify the cause of Yuan'er's death, would surely... dissect her. Then, his Yuan'er would truly die.
Even worse, she might awaken during the dissection!
Nan Zhaoyin could not imagine the suffering Yuan'er would endure if that were to happen.
Perhaps, this was the true intention of the other party!
"Damn it!"
He clenched his fists, unable to suppress the rage in his heart.
Ji Wu frowned slightly.
Seeing Ji Wu's expression, Nan Zhaoyin suppressed the murderous intent surging in his heart and thanked him solemnly: "Thank you, sir. If not for you, my daughter would likely have been in grave danger!"
Ji Wu didn't quite understand why such a term as "grave danger" was used for a mere pseudo-death drug, but he didn't probe further. He just wanted to leave with Qing Zhu and the others quickly.
He absolutely could not stay in Linyuan any longer.
It was too bizarre!
The daughter of a high-ranking official in the imperial court had been secretly drugged. Who knew what else this incident would lead to?
Thinking this, Ji Wu stood up to take his leave.
Nan Zhaoyin escorted him to the door. Ji Wu refused the offer of a carriage and led Qing Zhu towards the Tong Ji Pharmacy, saying, "Pack your things immediately and leave!"
"So urgent?" He hadn't even learned the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Acupuncture technique yet!
Ji Wu turned and glared at him: "Are you leaving or not?"
Qing Zhu nodded: "Yes, yes!"
Ji Wu arrived suddenly and left in a hurry. After bidding farewell to Feng Luan and Du Lao at the Regent's Manor with the people from Medicine King Valley, he quickened his pace.
"Why didn't you mention earlier that they were staying at the Regent's Manor???"
Qing Zhu: "..."
"You didn't ask either!"
His senior uncle and junior disciple were involved with the Regent, which meant they were entangled in court affairs. No, he had to return to Medicine King Valley first to inform their senior uncle and master about this matter!
Nan Shiying hadn't expected Ji Wu to leave so decisively, without any hesitation, as if his visit was solely to cure Nan Yuan'er.
She felt miserable; this feeling was truly unbearable!
"So there are no people from the Longevity Sect inside?" With the people from Medicine King Valley gone, Du Lao's heart finally settled.
Nan Shiying's brows furrowed tightly: "No, there are!" She then added, "Perhaps not!"
Because of the five-venom tide that appeared in the backyard of the Tong Ji Pharmacy that day, those poisonous creatures would not have appeared there simultaneously without someone guiding them. However, to conclude that the people inside were from the Longevity Sect based on this alone would be too hasty!
"So, are there or aren't there???" Du Lao was speechless!
You said both yes and no, are you just speaking in circles?
Nan Shiying explained: "It now seems that Gouzi is not the only medicine person. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, the Longevity Sect will not act rashly as they did before, especially concerning Medicine King Valley. It appears that to conceal the people within Medicine King Valley, they have temporarily abandoned Gouzi."
"So there are? Who do you think it could be?"
The scope had already narrowed significantly. Twelve people!
"But it might be none of them!"
"What?"
Du Lao was going crazy!
"What if someone merely followed orders and didn't know the full story?"
Nothing is absolute. After the thorough purge of the imperial city in Linyuan, who knew if undercover agents cooperating with or hidden within the Longevity Sect would appear at this juncture? And since that day when Xiao Man resolved the five-venom tide, there had been no further anomalies. Therefore, it could not be determined at this moment whether the person they were looking for was truly among these twelve.
However, since the people from Medicine King Valley had already left, dwelling on this would only cause more trouble.
Nan Shiying toyed with the teacup, a nagging feeling in her heart. It was as if her sixth sense was diligently taking root and sprouting in her mind, trying to re-present things she had overlooked in a different way.
What could it be?
Nan Shiying hadn't felt this sense of unease in a long time.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Nan Shiying's furrowed brow, Du Lao asked in confusion. With the people from Medicine King Valley leaving the capital, he felt incredibly relaxed. It was like sending away a bomb that could explode at any moment, so why was she still worrying?
Nan Shiying shook her head: "It's nothing!"
How could she explain something she herself didn't know?
"Du Lao: ..."