"Why are you suddenly thinking of your master?" Nangong Yu asked curiously. This was the first time Xiao Man had proactively brought up her master.
"I was wondering, how could someone as noble and detached as my master be the Imperial Preceptor of Yusheng?" Xiao Man scooped a tangyuan into her mouth. It was soft, sweet, and incredibly delicious.
Nangong Yu scoffed, "No one is truly detached. Even Zen Master Wuyou, a highly enlightened monk, wouldn't dare claim to be detached."
"That bald donkey, he's indiscriminate about what he eats and drinks, and he still drinks wine. Of course, he's not detached!" Xiao Man immediately retorted. "But my master is different. My master is like the bright moon, unstained by any dust..."
"If that's the case, why do you even ask?" Nangong Yu interrupted Xiao Man. If Xiao Man truly believed Feng Tianlan was detached, she wouldn't have asked such a question.
Xiao Man fell silent, fiercely poking the tangyuan in her bowl with her spoon, as if the tangyuan were Nangong Yu himself, and she was poking him.
"Xiao Man, what exactly happened?"
Xiao Man froze, only then realizing the tangyuan in her bowl were a mess. The yellow and black fillings were all over the bowl. "It's nothing, I just suddenly missed my master."
Nangong Yu knew Xiao Man had something on her mind. Since she was unwilling to speak, he wouldn't press further. "Perhaps when we return to the capital, he will be back."
"Perhaps," Xiao Man put down her spoon. "Also, there's something I've thought about repeatedly, and I've decided to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I learned from the elder I met today that the poison gu you have is called the Gu of Life and Death," Xiao Man's voice was soft and pleasant, like a gentle breeze. "He told me that the method to detoxify it is to have intercourse with the person you love."
Nangong Yu's head shot up as he looked at Xiao Man. Xiao Man's expression was calm, even somewhat carefree. Even though Ye Qing had strictly instructed her not to tell Nangong Yu, she had still decided to tell him. After all, this was Nangong Yu's own matter, and it was not for others to decide how he should choose.
"However, the consequence of intercourse is that you live, and she dies."
Nangong Yu's expression changed. "Is there any other way to detoxify it?"
"Currently, this is the only method. The Saintess Tribe might have other detoxification methods, but you don't have time." Xiao Man felt a pang of guilt as she said this. If it hadn't been for her accidental detour and meeting the wrong person, His Highness Prince Qin might have lived a few more years and found other detoxification methods.
"You don't have time?"
"Yes. The elder said your primal yang has been broken, but the poison remains. This indicates that the person who broke your primal yang is not the one you love, but it will trigger the gu. If it's not detoxified within a year, you will surely die." Xiao Man's gaze drifted aside. In this situation, it was even more imperative that no one knew she was the one who broke Prince Qin's primal yang, otherwise, Prince Qin would surely tear her to shreds!
"There is still time. The Saintess Tribe might have other detoxification methods," Nangong Yu said calmly. Since he knew that the detoxification method would cost Xiao Man her life, it meant that before detoxification, he could not touch Xiao Man in the slightest, or he would endanger her life.
"Your Highness, what if the Saintess Tribe has no other detoxification methods? What will you do?" Xiao Man tentatively asked. "Do you want to..."
Nangong Yu's sharp gaze pierced through her, and Xiao Man flinched. "Pretend I didn't say anything."
"Xiao Man, if you were poisoned and the only way to save yourself was to use the person you love, would you sacrifice him?" Nangong Yu asked slowly.
"No."
"My answer is the same as yours," Nangong Yu continued. "If the Saintess Tribe also has no other detoxification methods, then all I can say is that it is my fate!"
Xiao Man fell silent. After all, she had no solution at the moment. She didn't know much about the Gu of Life and Death, nor did she know much about the toxicity within Nangong Yu. There was only one strange thing: every time Nangong Yu's poison acted up, he suffered immense pain, but the duration of the pain was very short.
"Your Highness, how long does your poison act up for?"
"From Xu Shi (7 PM to 9 PM) until Chen Shi (7 AM to 9 AM)."
"But I remember that whether it was in the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest or the previous two times the poison acted up, it was over by Yin Shi (1 AM to 3 AM)?" Xiao Man asked confusedly.
Nangong Yu stared at Xiao Man, wanting to speak but hesitating. He was uncertain whether to tell Xiao Man the truth. However, at this point, there was no point in hiding it.
"Being by your side can lessen the pain when my poison acts up, and it passes very quickly."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Man looked at Nangong Yu with an expression of realization. No wonder the influential Prince Qin had sought her out. It turned out that by her side, he could suppress the gu within him. She finally understood why Prince Qin had formed an alliance with her; it wasn't because of the General's manor, but because of her.
"Is there something on me that suppresses the gu within you?"
"It seems so."
Xiao Man frowned in thought. She could suppress Nangong Yu's gu. When did Nangong Yu discover this?
"When did you discover that I could suppress the gu within you?"
"In the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest."
Xiao Man immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was in the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest. Otherwise, she would have to worry about her own life.
"I can suppress your gu..." Xiao Man's expression was bizarrely unpredictable. In the Ten Thousand Ghost Forest, those poisonous snakes had avoided her blood, not daring to get close. Could it be that the poisonous snakes feared her blood? Sudancities.com
Xiao Man extended her hand, looking at her palm. After a moment, she reached out and grabbed Nangong Yu. "Come, I'll take you somewhere."
Nangong Yu quickly put down a piece of broken silver and followed Xiao Man. The two headed outside the city. When Xiao Man was pursuing the old man, she had passed through a poisonous forest, and the poisonous insects within had all avoided her. At first, she thought they were afraid of Zi Yi Xian in her hand, but now it seemed they were afraid of her!
The two stopped in front of the poisonous forest. Xiao Man took a deep breath. "Wait for me here."
"What are you trying to do?" Nangong Yu grabbed Xiao Man's arm and asked urgently.
"I want to test the answer in my heart. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Xiao Man walked into the poisonous forest. The poisonous insects hidden within felt the movement and flew out, baring their fangs, intending to scare away anyone who dared to enter. However, they dared not approach Xiao Man at all.
Xiao Man's eyes curved into a smile. She took out a dagger, cut her hand, and blood instantly appeared. Xiao Man flicked her hand, and the blood flew out. The gathered poisonous insects scattered instantly as if they had encountered their natural predator, flying far away from Xiao Man.
Xiao Man stared at her continuously bleeding hand. The poisonous insects were actually afraid of her blood. It turned out that the venomous creatures in the poisonous forest feared not only Zi Yi Xian, nor Nangong Yu's gu, but her blood!