When Xiao Man left, Ye Qing came over, "What happened? Why are you two acting so strange?"
"It's not us acting strange, it's her. Ever since she came back, she's been acting strange, asking me all sorts of bizarre questions," Nangong Yu rubbed his temples. "She's such a troublesome girl."
"That old man is definitely not simple. She's doing this for you, perhaps that old man knows how to cure the蛊毒 in your body," Ye Qing packed and put away the herbs one by one. "However, I heard some news. Do you want to hear it?"
"What news?"
"The Saintess has come out of the White Tower."
Nangong Yu's eyes flickered. The Saintess would never leave the White Tower unless it was for something important. The King's sixtieth birthday was neither a grand nor a trivial occasion, but Nangong Yu had a feeling that the Saintess coming out of the White Tower had absolutely nothing to do with the King!
"I plan to sneak into the royal palace tonight. You watch Xiao Man for me and don't let her do anything rash," Nangong Yu said with concern. "I feel something is off about her."
"Alright."
After returning to her room, Xiao Man kept thinking about who the Prince of Qin's beloved was. If she really couldn't find a way to cure the poison, should she be selfish and try to persuade that beauty to sacrifice herself for love?
Thinking this, Xiao Man slapped herself, "Beast! Why should you ask someone else to sacrifice themselves for love? If someone asked you to die for a man, would you be willing?"
Xiao Man pondered for a long time and finally sighed in helplessness. She realized that the answer she had reached was the same as the Prince of Qin's – she was unwilling to sacrifice her loved one to merely survive, even if she harbored deep-seated hatred.
Xiao Man did not come downstairs for dinner. Ye Qing instructed the waiter to prepare food and brought it up to Xiao Man's room.
Xiao Man was fiddling with the Zi Yi Xian in the box, lost in thought. Ye Qing put down the food, "You didn't eat much today. I asked the kitchen to make some light dishes. Eat a little."
Xiao Man closed the box, washed her hands, and sat down by the table, "He's gone out?"
Ye Qing nodded. Infiltrating the royal palace tonight was no easy task, let alone the fact that the Saintess had emerged from the White Tower, which was also a matter of great concern.
"Brother Ye, have you ever heard of the Sheng Si Gu?"
Ye Qing shook his head, "What? Is the Gu poison he has the Sheng Si Gu?"
"Yes."
Ye Qing's eyes moved slightly, "It seems you already know how to cure it."
Xiao Man sighed. After only two bites, she lost her appetite and immediately put down her chopsticks. "That senior told me the method to cure the Gu today, but I don't know if I should tell him."
"Is it difficult to achieve?"
"It's difficult, and it's not difficult." Xiao Man looked up at Ye Qing. "The Sheng Si Gu is very simple to cure; it only requires sharing a room with the person one loves to break the Gu poison in him."
Ye Qing's expression brightened, "It's that simple?"
Xiao Man nodded affirmatively, "It's absolutely true. That's what the senior told me."
After Ye Qing's joy, he quickly calmed down. If it were that easy, Xiao Man wouldn't be so conflicted about whether to tell Nangong Yu. "Curing the poison must come at a price, right?"
Xiao Man lowered her gaze, "The so-called cure is nothing more than one life for another, which is why it's called Sheng Si Gu."
"You mean, whoever shares a room with His Highness will die without fail?"
Xiao Man looked at Ye Qing quietly, not answering, but Ye Qing already knew the answer. He blurted out, "Don't tell him, and don't tell anyone else!"
Xiao Man looked at Ye Qing, puzzled, "Why?"
"No reason, but you absolutely cannot tell him. We will always find another way to cure it. We have plenty of time," Ye Qing said excitedly.
Xiao Man shook her head, "There's no time. That senior said His Highness's primal yang has already been broken, but the poison has not been resolved. If it's not cured within a year, he will surely die."
Ye Qing was struck by lightning. Within a year, that meant he only had half a year left to live. In half a year, where could he possibly find another way to cure it? Ye Qing hesitated. On one side was his brother with whom he had shared life and death, and on the other was the girl he liked. How should he choose?
"Is there really no other way to cure it?"
"Perhaps the Saintess's tribe has another way to cure it. If not, then there is only this path left," Xiao Man said slowly. "Brother Ye, if it were you, what would you choose?"
"I... I don't know." Ye Qing got up and walked out, "In any case, let's meet that tribe first and see if there's another way to cure it."
Ye Qing was restless. If the Saintess's tribe had no cure, then Xiao Man would surely die?
At this moment, Ye Qing felt a sudden shortness of breath, even a hint of resentment towards the Prince of Qin for only liking Xiao Man. If he didn't like Xiao Man, he wouldn't be in such a dilemma!
While Ye Qing was anxiously uneasy, Xiao Man quietly left the inn and went out of the city to find the old man from the day. Since she had Ye Qing's consent, she wanted to know about the marrow washing.
Xiao Man ventured into the poison forest, and the old man discovered her. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, "Impatient little girl. I thought you wouldn't come looking for me for at least two or three days, but I didn't expect you to be here so soon."
The old man's figure flickered and he vanished from his original spot. Xiao Man moved stealthily in the darkness, her movements as fast as lightning. The poisonous creatures hidden in the dense forest far avoided Xiao Man.
A candlelight flickered, and Xiao Man stopped, bowing respectfully, "Senior."
"You've come so quickly," the old man asked, "Have you made up your mind?"
"My friend has given up the Zi Yi Xian, and I also want to know this secret, so I don't want to delay." Xiao Man took out the box. "The Zi Yi Xian is here. Senior, you can tell me what I want to know now." Su Dan Novel Network
"Follow me." The old man walked ahead with a lantern, his steps faltering. You thought he was about to fall, but in the blink of an eye, he had gone far away. Xiao Man had to raise her energy to catch up.
They finally reached a small wooden house on a distant mountain peak before the old man stopped. He pushed the door open, and Xiao Man stood at the entrance, not going in. Her gaze fell on the furnishings inside the house. They were simple: a table, a chair, a bed. Beneath the window was a small cabinet, and on the cabinet sat a pot of a vibrant blue flower.
"Why aren't you coming in?" the old man asked, seeing Xiao Man standing at the door, unmoving.
"Senior, the Xue Jia Luo in your house is blooming beautifully." Xiao Man did not step further forward. Although she had the Zi Yi Xian, she dared not be careless, especially in the presence of a master poisoner.
The old man's brow relaxed into a smile, "Xue Jia Luo is very common in the Wuyue Kingdom. As long as it's not mixed with Su He Xiang, it won't produce poison. Rest assured, this old man has no intention of harming you. Come in."
Xiao Man then stepped into the house. The old man sat by the bed, while Xiao Man sat on the only chair in the room. "Little girl, how much do you know about marrow washing?"