Chapter 171: The Cure for the Immortal-Burning Gu

Fengyi River.

Outside the building, rain and mist swirled. Nangong Ye stood at the window in a black dress, a letter in her hand, her face cold as jade with little expression, yet a sharp glint hid within her phoenix eyes.

That witch Bu Yuehua was about to buckle under the pressure.

The Seven Star Nails locked her qi channels. Though not fatal, it also meant she couldn't, like Bu Yuehua, force her hand and strike while letting the yang poison spread.

In a place like the Southern Frontier, overrun with unorthodox cultivators, even Master Sikong had to show up from time to time and flex his muscles, lest he fail to keep the scheming wolves beneath him in line.

And the Waning Moon Manor was one of the three great powers of Gu Du Pai—its standing depended entirely on strength.

If the helmsman's muscles went slack and he couldn't keep his subordinates in line, his situation would be the same as hers: wolves would eye his family fortune.

In the Great Qian, the imperial court still served as arbiter, so every sect had to act according to law and reason—no "I slaughter your city, you raze my fortress."

The Southern Frontier was lawless land—fights drew real blood.

Bu Yuehua claimed to be in closed-door cultivation, hadn't made a move in nearly a year, and already rumors ran wild below, with restless stirring.

If someone fearless enough came knocking and Bu Yuehua didn't dare fight back and chickened out, then the trouble would blow up big.

So Bu Yuehua had specially sent a secret letter to Mount Zihui, delivered to her by Zhang Sect, with two points:

Shake hands and make peace, dissolve the Xue Alliance…

The Phoenix Feather Grass would go to her, but since the two of them had discovered the immortal herb together and descended into Zhu Que's Tomb together, Bu Yuehua had also done her share of hard work and helped keep the tomb's secret, so Bu Yuehua would be compensated with five portions of Green Spirit Pills…

If Nangong Ye got the Phoenix Feather Grass, in the past she could have agreed to these terms—after all, they had once been sisters who shared life and death.

But then she thought: she, the dignified Zhang Sect of Mount Zihui, had been seen bare-bottomed, had been carried and beaten by that yellow-haired brat…

Bu Yuehua had only been holding the line at home, suffering no loss at all…

And you still dare ask for compensation?!

So Nangong Ye sent a reply directly. The terms for reconciliation were:

Dissolve the Xue Alliance, the Phoenix Feather Grass goes to her, and as compensation she'll be given one stalk of Sixty-Year Lotus, while Zhu Que's Tomb remains a secret.

The reason for wanting the Sixty-Year Lotus was to help the yellow-haired brat repay a debt…

Bu Yuehua also replied quickly.

The paper in Nangong Ye's hand now bore just seven big characters:

"Sis, you must be crazy!"

Nangong Ye knew Bu Yuehua could never accept these terms.

But Bu Yuehua didn't know how much she'd lost for this. If not for the yellow-haired brat, she wouldn't have reconciled at all—she'd make that witch taste the same backstabbing bitterness she had!

Seeing Bu Yuehua wouldn't accept the terms, Nangong Ye couldn't be bothered to keep chatting privately with this woman. It was simply a matter of who broke first.

She had the yellow-haired brat on her side, and Grand Immortal Zisu could still research an antidote—no rush now.

And Bu Yuehua could never undo the Seven Star Nails!

As long as she held out, that witch would surely come begging, weeping and admitting her fault.

Thinking of this, Nangong Ye felt a hint of anticipation. She tucked the letter away and turned her gaze toward the pedestrian street. Though Xie Jinhuan had vanished yesterday, she knew this one would come.

Even in deep coma, Xie Jinhuan had thought to trigger her ice-cold qi for her—now awake, how could he forget her?

If he truly didn't come, it could only mean something serious had happened to Xie Jinhuan…

Could Xie Jinhuan really have run into trouble…

Fortunately, half a shichen before noon, a figure appeared on the pedestrian street.

The figure wore a white robe, held a green oil-paper umbrella, his skin flawless from elixir nourishment, his bearing and posture honed since age three—so much so that even a casual stroll carried the air of a dragon striding and a tiger pacing, his elegance too fine for any mortal…

?

Nangong Ye, who had helped suppress the poison in her dreams these past few days, had grown increasingly fond of this one the more she looked. She had just begun to show a hint of approving pleasure, when the ethereal, fairy-like young master in white opened his mouth and said:

"Honghong? Were you waiting for me on purpose?"

"…"

Hearing this endearment and those words, Nangong Ye's expression turned cold and distant. She narrowed her eyes slightly:

"Your bearing is quite fine—why do you speak so improperly?"

Her voice, ethereal and serene like a regal elder sister, sounded displeased, yet clearly carried a few degrees more warmth than before.

Xie Jinhuan closed his umbrella and leapt in through the window:

"Children of the jianghu—speaking all prim and proper would be ridiculous. How have you been feeling these past few days?"

Nangong Ye turned and walked to a small table, picking up a teapot she had prepared long ago:

"Much better. Thanks."

Thanks?

Xie Jinhuan figured he had been in a coma and hadn't done anything—oh, but his ghost bride had acted as wingwoman and whispered a reminder in his ear…

Xie Jinhuan immediately understood. He sat down across from her:

"Ah, it was nothing, not worth mentioning. By the way, I've found the antidote."

That was exactly what Nangong Ye was anxious about. Seeing this, she set the tea in front of Xie Jinhuan:

"What method? It shouldn't have any…"

"No side effects this time!"

Xie Jinhuan took a small red-and-green vial from his robes and set it on the table, then handed the paper to Seeing Bing Tuozi:

"See for yourself—this is the prescription the Physician wrote."

"?"

Nangong Ye didn't believe for a second that anything from Zisu would have no side effects at all.

Could it be that just touching more would do the trick?

The Zhang Sect had already issued orders strictly forbidding the Danding Sect Zhang Sect from engaging in improper private relations…

If you keep doing that kind of thing, won't you truly become a mistress?

Nangong Ye's heart was full of anxiety; she dared not open the paper, for given the current situation, even if it said to carve her up, she probably had no choice...

Fortunately, after opening the paper, elegant handwriting came into view. She carefully read from beginning to end; indeed, there were no side effects, only that a Daoist friend was needed to assist in detoxifying...

Nangong Ye found it hard to believe and raised her eyes:

"Will this really cure the Immortal-Burning Gu?"

Xie Jinhuan stood up and moved closer:

"It definitely can; it's just more troublesome and requires luck to try several times. Shall we try?"

To be honest, Nangong Ye didn't quite believe it; curing the Immortal-Burning Gu couldn't be simple. If Zisu acted, there would surely be unexpected side effects.

But once it was broken, she would unilaterally dissolve the 'Xue Alliance'; the Wu Sect demoness, constrained by the Seven Stars Nails, could only cry and call her sister to apologize, begging her to show leniency.

She could take back the Phoenix Feather Grass, make the demoness compensate her for her losses, and help the yellow-haired one repay his debts...

If there was no way to try, she would have to reconcile with the demoness; the demoness would at most yield the Phoenix Feather Grass to her, could not give her any compensation, and she might even have to compensate the demoness for her losses!

She had already suffered so many losses; this was simply harder to accept than being completely used up by Xie Jinhuan!

After all, Xie Jinhuan hadn't angered her; he was still one of their own and had always helped her...

So this method must be tried!

Thinking thus, Nangong Ye looked at the medicine bottle:

"Try it now?"

Xie Jinhuan wasted no time, took a vermilion pill from the red medicine bottle, tossed it into his mouth, and swallowed it with water.

Nangong Ye sat upright beside him, maintaining a slight distance, observing Xie Jinhuan's condition.

But unexpectedly, Xie Jinhuan, who had just been composed, frowned as soon as the poisonous pill was swallowed into his stomach, and a trace of pain appeared in his eyes.

Then his cheeks began to turn flushed, his internal Qi surged wildly, his body gradually grew scorching, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his face:

"Hiss... damn..."

Nangong Ye noticed that in just a few breaths, Xie Jinhuan was drenched in sweat and could hardly sit steady. Her expression changed slightly, and she quickly supported his arm, reaching for a small green bottle:

"You must take the antidote quickly."

"It's fine; I can endure it..."

In an instant, Xie Jinhuan was sweating like rain, yet his eyes suddenly held a look of realization:

"I know what the side effect is. Daoist Fei, without a relationship of life and death shared together, one simply cannot help with this! This pill will likely take a quarter of an hour to fully unleash its poison; you wait a moment..."

Nangong Ye had just been on tenterhooks, fearing this rascal would come up with some immoral method.

But in the end, Xie Jinhuan was igniting his extreme Yang fire to burn out his lungs and liver, yet still suppressing the agony of burning to help her.

Nangong Ye couldn't manipulate ice-cold Qi; to ignite extreme Yang fire, one couldn't take the Soft Girl Powder. Currently, Xie Jinhuan was almost just hard-enduring the full-scale outbreak of the Immortal-Burning Gu.

Even with her constant assistance, she felt she couldn't endure it; in such a situation, she hadn't dared to try. And if luck was bad, Xie Jinhuan would have to endure it dozens or even a hundred times. How could she repay such a great favor?

Nangong Ye took out the detoxification pill: "You must eat it quickly; I won't detoxify. I'll go find another method."

Xie Jinhuan leaned against the wall, his whole body scorching with steaming sweat, as if he were about to explode, yet his eyes remained calm:

"It's already eaten. Zisu took great trouble and effort to refine this pill; it cannot be wasted... Rest assured, it will likely be cured in two or three tries..."

"You rascal..."

Nangong Ye's eyes were stern as she held the pill to feed it into his mouth:

"You must eat the detoxification pill quickly. Obey!"

Seeing Bing Tuozi on tenterhooks, Xie Jinhuan shook his head and smiled:

"What is this little agony of burning? To be honest, the despair and bitter cold I experienced during my three years of ascetic study and learning are beyond your imagination...

"Do you know what it feels like for a person filled with hatred and unwillingness to lie alone in a place no one knows, waiting to die?

"That is utter loneliness. Agony of burning and pain of flesh and skin would make one rejoice and leap for joy, even fear disappearing, for if it hurts, at least there is sensation.

"But there was nothing there, no sensation at all. Exhausting everything yet finding nothing, one could only watch helplessly while waiting to die, wanting to beg the heavens to open their eyes, even if only to let me know what I was dying for before I died, but there was nothing...

"Yet even in that situation, I didn't look back once. Even in death, I would look a few more zhang further south. Impressive, right..."

?

Nangong Ye felt the young master in white robes before her seemed truly burned out of his mind, speaking nonsense, yet the emotion in his words was not false in the slightest.

If these words were true, then the agony of burning, which was not yet fatal, could indeed be endured, but what exactly had Xie Jinhuan experienced over these three years...

No wonder, at only nineteen, he could cultivate to his current level and act with a ferocity unlike a human...

Nangong Ye pressed her lips together, took out a handkerchief, and helped wipe his sweat:

"If you can't endure it, take the antidote; don't force it."

Seeing Meiqiu's eyes full of worry, Xie Jinhuan thought for a moment and took out a small pouch:

"By the way, I ran around everywhere last night and bought you something on the side. Why don't you try it to see if it fits?"

?

Nangong Ye truly hadn't expected that this rascal, even at such a time, wouldn't forget to flirt with her!

Facing the small pouch handed to her, even with a heart of iron and stone, she could not refuse. She gritted her teeth inwardly and tucked the small pouch into her bosom:

"Thanks, I'll take it. I'll try it later."

"Once taken, it must be used; don't lose it. It cost several dozen taels of silver."

"How could I possibly lose it? I will keep it forever."

"Hehe~"

Having received the assurance, Xie Jinhuan felt satisfied. Thinking of Bing Tuotuo in black silk suspenders and stockings, his body didn't feel so uncomfortable anymore...

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

Silence reigned in the living room; outside the terrace was a curtain of falling rain.

The Young Master in white sat with his back against the wall on the floor, steam rising from his entire body.

The Black-clad Heroine sat beside him, wiping sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief and fanning herself with her sleeve; her phoenix eyes were full of distress, like a giant block of ice melting...

And Xie Jinhuan indeed possessed formidable willpower; at the very instant the poison fully erupted, he pressed Seeing Bing Tuozi's right hand, then the fire that burned his body seared through her, rapidly invading her four limbs and hundred bones.

Nangong Ye let out a stifled groan; the yang poison within him erupted in response, leaving him teetering on the brink of collapse, but it lasted only a moment before the antidote pill was brought to his lips, followed by a chill surging from his lungs, suppressing the extreme yang fire...

Not long after.

Xie Jinhuan swallowed the antidote pill, then took a bath at Bing Tuotuo's home; his state had returned to normal, and he sat neatly dressed by the small table, eyeing the Black-clad Heroine.

Nangong Ye sat upright with her back straight, her state like ice frozen for a thousand miles, yet a clear three parts of entanglement showed between her brows; she occasionally bit her lower lip lightly, silent and speechless like an ice lump.

Why stop talking once it's over? Eat and wipe clean, then refuse to acknowledge it? Xie Jinhuan raised his hand and waved it before her face:

"How do you feel?"

Nangong Ye took a light breath, intending to say something, but in the end it dissolved into speechless silence.

She had just tried it; using the extreme yang fire to fight the poison with poison, then administering the antidote, could indeed reduce most of the toxicity.

Moreover, this weakening was permanent; if she did not stir up chaotic qi, it would not continue to spread, and she could now barely make one move.

To completely eradicate it, she only needed to make Ah Huan suffer a bit, do it a few more times; with good luck, two or three times would suffice; with bad luck, just keep trying, as it could be cured anyway.

But while all her problems were solved, how could Xie Jinhuan bear it...

Even if Xie Jinhuan could bear it, how could she compensate him? Could she simply accept it openly?

Before, when helping with that matter, Nangong Ye could think that this fellow also gained a benefit, so she owed nothing.

But now, even while unconscious, he did not forget to stimulate her icy cold qi for her; he did not take advantage yet still helped her cure the yang poison; he even did not forget to send a small gift and play a tune... she was not made of iron...

But as Seeing Mo Mo's master, if she did not draw a clear line, she would give the entire Danding Sect a huge problem!

The most beautiful woman of the Dao Sect, yet in private she was the lover of the Marquis of Dan Yang...

In the future, sitting at the same table as the Wu Sect's demoness, she would be laughed at by the demoness...

Nangong Ye's heart was in a tangle; she dared not think further about these matters that only sank her deeper and grew more chaotic; after a long silence, she finally responded:

"The medicine's effect is excellent; it was just hard on you."

"As long as it works, how about I take it again..."

"No need!"

Nangong Ye was already afraid of this boy; she hurriedly snatched the medicine bottle and put it away:

"You are still young; your body has not fully settled yet; you cannot recklessly take such potent medicines. The toxicity has been reduced by more than half; I can move without hindrance. Hmm... next time. You rest for a few days first."

Still young...

Xie Jinhuan did not quite like those words; he glanced slightly at the Black-clad Heroine whose ice mountain was melting, thought for a moment, and said:

"I still prefer your old appearance, just..."

?

Nangong Ye straightened up a bit, looked Xie Jinhuan up and down, her expression strange, words on her lips but unspoken.

"Yes, that's the flavor..."

Nangong Ye was stunned; she quickly corrected her expression, her slightly upturned phoenix eyes sharp and revealing, her face devoid of smiles.

Xie Jinhuan, stared at by the look of high heels stepping on a chest, felt it was even more thrilling; it seemed he must find a way to get a pair of high heels for Bing Tuotuo to wear...

Nangong Ye realized she could not control this boy; she turned her gaze away, intending to chat about something else to ease the atmosphere, when suddenly, from the rain curtain outside the terrace, a faint bell toll sounded:

Dong—

Dong—

Xie Jinhuan frowned, looked toward the imperial palace walls outside the terrace, and felt slightly puzzled:

"Ringing the bell at this hour feels wrong; I've never heard it before."

Nangong Ye's ice mountain face turned toward the terrace; after a brief silence, the immoral emotion between her brows slowly turned solemn:

"The death knell. The Qian Emperor has passed away."

"Ah?"

Xie Jinhuan had slept for over ten days and was unaware of the situation in Jingcheng; hearing this, he was quite surprised.

As a high-ranking official of Great Qian, such a major event could not possibly mean she would still stay home playing the mistress while entertaining the visiting Marquis of Dan Yang; she stood up and headed out, intending to go to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to check the situation:

"I will go pay respects to a few elders..."

"Change your clothes first; I sweated just now, and you smell like a man."

"?"

Nangong Ye's steps halted abruptly; she flashed into the bathroom and closed the door.

Click~

Splash~

Tearing off clothes, diving into the bath tub, washing Bing Tuotuo...

Xie Jinhuan naturally did not squeeze in to wash with Seeing Bing Tuozi; he stood up, went to the terrace, looked at the towering imperial city opposite, and frowned tightly.

The Qian Emperor has fallen; the Crown Prince succeeds.

This Great Qian will likely truly see a change in the heavens...

(End of this chapter)