Chapter 333

Deep love can withstand the flood of time, becoming unstoppable.

Tang Xun could say the word 'love' without hesitation, firmly, and I felt genuinely happy for her from the bottom of my heart.

But it was only a little past four in the afternoon when Bai Shulan sent someone over to notify me, saying that the Bai Family Medical Hall had already made all preparations there, and we had to go over by seven in the evening.

At that time, many people had gathered in the pawnshop, reminding me of last year's New Year's Eve, when everyone had also gathered like this.

Now the pawnshop has a few more people and a few fewer; for example, Jin Wuya is in Lingnan and cannot return.

But we have gained Jiang Si Que, Fu Wan, and the Red Flag Child……

What I didn't expect was that Tang Tang arrived just before six.

She had driven over; when she got out of the car, I instinctively glanced inside again, thinking Yu Nian would come along as well, since Tang Tang had often driven Yu Nian before.

Unfortunately, this time she didn't.

I felt a little disappointed, but then quickly composed myself, smiling as I went to meet Tang Tang.

Perhaps because she was worried about both me and Tang Xun, today Tang Tang lacked her usual optimism and liveliness; when we sat together talking, she would sometimes zone out.

She seemed weighed down by worries.

At half past six, Tang Xun and I stood outside the Bai Family Medical Hall's main gate, watching black mist suddenly rise from the street, and I knew the Seven Halls Yama's phantom soldier formation had arrived.

I couldn't help but sigh inwardly, my maternal uncle really is a reliable man!

Then looking at the man tightly holding my right hand, whose palm inexplicably broke out in a sweat, I couldn't help but laugh—this one of mine is also quite reliable.

I have been to the Bai Family Medical Hall many times; whether it's the front dispensary or the rear ancestral residence, I have generally seen them.

But this time, Bai Shulan led Tang Xun and me into a secret room in the main courtyard.

Liu Junyan had been following closely at my side, but was stopped before we entered the secret room.

Bai Shulan said, 'Seventh Lord, guard the perimeter; you can't help with the medical matters.'

I smiled at Liu Junyan and waved: 'Āyàn, I'll be out after a nap; wait for me outside so we can go home for a late-night snack together.'

Liu Junyan walked over and gave me a firm hug: 'Xiao Jiu, I'll keep waiting for you outside.'

I nodded while humming in agreement.

This secret room is beneath Bai Shulan's bedroom, quite large, divided into three chambers: one is where she does closed-door cultivation, one is the alchemy room, and another is like a modern hospital operating theater.

Only four of us went down together: Tang Xun and I, Bai Shulan and Bai Jingmo.

The chamber we entered was the operating room; opening the stone door, we could see two jade stone beds in the center of the secret room, surrounded by various medical instruments, both ancient and modern, from China and abroad.

The Bai Family Medical Hall inherits the medicine of the Bai Immortal Hall, but Bai Jingmo was sent away to study modern medicine, and his medical skill is quite good, also keeping up with the times.

But in those years, Bai Jingmo, because of the elderly matriarch Bai, also did some things that harmed heaven and reason; I think, without Bai Shulan's protection, he might not be able to stand here properly.

His karmic obstacles are to be offset by practicing medicine, prescribing drugs, and healing people in the second half of his life, accumulating merit to slowly repay them.

In the southeast corner of the secret room stands a copper figure as tall as a person, its body covered densely with silver needles; looking closely, each needle penetrates deep into the copper figure, and at the junctions where needle meets copper are densely inscribed tiny characters, each acupoint linked together, forming a complete map of the human meridian system.

No, it seems not only a human meridian chart, but also incorporates something else.

I'm not a medical student, so I don't really understand it.

Bai Shulan efficiently began disinfecting the silver needles while saying, 'You two first lie flat on the jade stone beds and relax your bodies.'

Tang Xun and I lay down at the same time.

The jade stone beds are warm and smooth; as soon as I lay down, I felt as if all my pores opened, and in an instant my whole-body fatigue seemed to vanish.

'Tonight's procedure of separation and fusion is special; rather than calling it a surgery, it's more like a ritual art, and of course such ritual art is itself part of our Bai Immortal Hall's medicine.'

Miss Tang's situation is simple: once I separate the remnant soul essence and introduce it into your body, the fusion will depend entirely on you; you and Xiao Jiu's mother are twin sisters, belonging to a paired-branch lotus, so your souls should merge without major issues.

For Xiao Jiu, it's a bit more difficult: first, I will use soul‑piercing assisted silver needles to fix your own soul; during the process of separating the remnant soul essence, any accident could occur, and you might even experience hallucinations, delusions, etc., which even I cannot control.

If that happens, Xiao Jiu, you can only rely on yourself; all I can do is judge by your outward appearance, and when I feel you might not be able to control it on your own, I will also insert a needle at your brow, forcibly fusing that strand of remnant soul essence with your own soul.

Doing this carries great risk and may cause unpredictable aftereffects, but at least it can save your life.

What I've said, you two should consider carefully one last time; if you want to back out, there's still time.

Tang Xun looked at me.

The greatest risk lies with me, so I need to make this final decision.

I answered decisively: 'No regrets, Shulan; go ahead and needle me—I can endure it, and even if I ultimately fail, I'll blame no one, for this is my own choice.'

Bai Shulan nodded.

She had already mixed the soul‑piercing agent into the prepared medicinal liquid, and all the silver needles to be used were soaked in it, their color quickly turning that of the liquid.

The first silver needle was inserted at the exact center of my head.

When the thin, long silver needle pierced the acupoint, I felt no pain, only a sore, distended sensation.

Bai Shulan's technique is excellent; the silver needle went in bit by bit, and I only felt the puncture site gradually warming.

Bai Shulan asked me, 'Xiao Jiu, are you still feeling okay?'

I said it was fine.

Next, Bai Shulan inserted six needles in succession: at my left and right temples, behind the left and right ears, the philtrum, and the lower jawbone.

I heard Bai Shulan say that these needles sealed my seven orifices and also preliminarily fixed my soul… my consciousness began to grow muddled, her voice fading farther away, as if I had fallen into a pure white space, everywhere a blank whiteness.

It seemed as if the whole world had vanished, leaving only me between heaven and earth.

I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

I don't know how long after that, Bai Shulan's voice came through from far away: 'Xiao Jiu, I'm about to start separating the remnant soul essence; it will hurt, so bear with it.'

Immediately after, a sharp pain drilled into my heart, making my whole body jerk; I snapped my eyes open to see nothing but a sheet of blood red.

The next moment, that pain instantly spread throughout my body, forming a continuous sheet.

I felt my flesh and blood being torn and dragged, as if a dull knife were grinding against my skin and flesh, cutting bit by bit inward…