Chapter 84

Chapter 84

The instant that voice rang out, everyone froze.

The middle-aged man’s body went rigid, and even his cough caught in his throat.

Second Master Liu’s eerie blue vertical pupils constricted sharply. “Impossible! How could he possibly be on Wangting Mountain?!”

I could hardly believe it either. Liu Junyan had come out of seclusion?

Hadn’t he said it would take half a month?

I counted the days. Even being generous, it had only been ten days so far.

And besides, was the Merit in the Hexagonal Palace Lantern even more than half full yet?

But the moment that tall, handsome figure stepped around the bend in the cave, the heart that had been hanging in my throat finally dropped back into place.

Liu Junyan beckoned to me. “Xiao Jiu, come here.”

I immediately put away Fengwu and ran to him. Liu Junyan pulled my drenched body into his arms with one hand and hugged me tightly. Then he let me go. “Xiao Jiu, take them out first.”

I nodded. As much as I longed to stay in his embrace, saving lives came first.

Tang Tang and I helped Song Ruoqing up between us and were just about to head out of the cave.

Just then, the middle-aged man suddenly spoke. “Little girl, the people can leave, but the object stays.”

Liu Junyan gave a cold laugh. “It seems I was far too merciful to you all back then.”

As soon as he finished speaking, I felt a foul wind surge up from behind me. A roar followed, then the heavy thud of a body hitting the ground and a string of hacking coughs.

That roar was like a Dragon’s cry, yet like a ghost’s howl too-strange beyond description.

But when I turned back to look, all I saw was the middle-aged man collapsed on the ground, coughing nonstop and spitting blood.

Second Master Liu had already vanished without a trace.

I realized Second Master Liu was just like a loach. Every time, he ran ridiculously fast.

That probably had something to do with the fact that every time he appeared, it wasn’t his true body, right?

It was only at that moment that I suddenly realized when Liu Junyan had told me to go first just now, I hadn’t hesitated at all.

Somewhere deep in my subconscious, it seemed I had never doubted his ability.

Even though he had only just come out of seclusion.

That kind of trust really had been built up since I was little.

I didn’t look back again. Saving Song Ruoqing was more important.

Tang Tang’s car had been parked the whole time in a hidden spot at the foot of the mountain. There was a first-aid kit in the car, but Song Ruoqing’s condition wasn’t about external injuries. She had very few wounds on the outside; the fatal damage was internal.

After a quick examination, I said, “Senior Sister, we might have to take Miss Song to a hospital.”

“No!” Tang Tang said firmly. “Xiao Jiu, you don’t understand. The Song Family has too much influence in Huicheng. No matter which hospital we take her to, they’ll find us. I’ll bring her back to the Tang Family. My aunt knows a ghost doctor. I’ll contact him and ask him to come take a look.”

As Tang Tang spoke, she was already making the call.

I protected Song Ruoqing as I got her into the back seat. While Tang Tang was on the phone, I kept looking toward the mountain path.

I wondered how Liu Junyan was doing in Furong Cave now. Had he started fighting that middle-aged man again?

That middle-aged man was clearly Second Master Liu’s father, but was he Liu Junyan’s father too?

Why did this reunion between father and son feel like the culmination of some long-standing grudge?

Beside me, Song Ruoqing suddenly let out a pained moan. I hurriedly pulled my thoughts back and looked over, only to see black blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

My brow furrowed at once. Black blood?

Had Song Ruoqing been poisoned?

By then, Tang Tang had finished the call. She turned back and said, “I got in touch with Uncle Huo. He’s already left home. If we drive back now, we should arrive at the old residence at about the same time. Xiao Jiu, why don’t I drive Qingqing back first, and you stay here to wait for your man?”

The words “your man” instantly made my entire face burn red.

I thought for a moment, then shook my head. “Miss Song looks like she’s been poisoned. Her life is hanging by a thread, so we can’t afford any delay. Let’s go back first. He… he should be fine.”

Tang Tang gave an “oh.” “All right. Saving her comes first. Your man looks pretty strong, anyway. No need for us to worry blindly.”

As she spoke, she even winked at me, her eyes full of gossip.

I figured that if Song Ruoqing’s body weren’t in such bad shape, Tang Tang would have dug up every last detail of my business tonight.

All I could do was clear my throat and urge her to hurry up and drive.

Tang Tang had to drive, and Song Ruoqing was still unconscious. If I didn’t leave with them, there was no way Tang Tang could manage everything alone.
In the latter half of the night, there were hardly any cars on the road. We raced all the way back to the Tang Family Old Mansion, where Uncle Huo was already waiting in the downstairs hall.

As we helped Song Ruoqing through the door, I immediately noticed another person sitting beside Uncle Huo.

A young, familiar man.

He saw me too, and his eyes lit up at once. Setting down his teacup, he smiled and greeted me. “Xiao Jiu, what are you doing here?”

I was just as surprised. I stammered, “Bai… Bai Jingmo.”

I truly hadn’t expected to run into Bai Jingmo at the Tang Family Old Mansion.

The last time we met, things had ended very unpleasantly. After that, he had come to the Pawnshop looking for me several times, only to be chased out by Li Qingying every time.

Seeing him again, he was still as warm as ever, but I no longer knew what attitude I should take toward him.

Tang Tang was stunned when she saw Bai Jingmo as well, and she clenched her back teeth hard.

After what happened that night, none of us had expected Bai Jingmo to still dare show his face at the Tang Family!

Uncle Huo had already walked over and said with a smile, “Tang Tang, when you called me, Jingmo happened to be at my place discussing some matters, so I invited him to come along. I didn’t expect you young people to already know each other. That’s even better.”

“Yes, we know each other. We’ve worked together before,” Tang Tang replied coolly. Then she said, “Uncle Huo, please take a look at Qingqing first.”

Uncle Huo first checked Song Ruoqing’s complexion, then lifted her eyelids and examined them before taking her pulse. “Miss Song has been afflicted with a slow-acting poison. The poison has entered her heart and lungs. Ordinary medicine won’t work. We have to draw out the poisoned blood first, then have her soak in a medicinal bath.”

Tang Tang quickly asked, “So the poison can be removed?”

“We’ll need Jingmo’s help for that,” Uncle Huo said. “If the poisoned blood isn’t completely drained, even if we save her, it’ll leave behind a chronic illness. Once it flares up, she’ll wish she were dead.”

Tang Tang and I both looked at Bai Jingmo at the same time.

Bai Jingmo immediately said, “Lay Miss Song flat first. I’ll try acupuncture on her.”

I had already experienced Bai Jingmo’s acupuncture skills firsthand. Setting everything else aside, there was no denying his medical ability.

Tang Tang immediately had the housekeeper prepare a guest room on the first floor. We placed Song Ruoqing on the bed and kept her lying flat.

Bai Jingmo disinfected his needles, then began inserting them to draw blood.

His hand was steady, precise, and ruthless. With every needle he placed, black blood immediately began gurgling out.

This went on for more than half an hour. The color of the blood flowing out grew lighter and lighter, until it finally turned a normal crimson.

A fine sheen of sweat had formed on Bai Jingmo’s forehead. The acupuncture had consumed quite a bit of his vital energy, but thankfully, the result was excellent.

Uncle Huo wrote out a prescription on the side and instructed Tang Tang on how to decoct the medicine, how Song Ruoqing should take the medicinal bath once she woke up, and exactly how long she needed to soak before she would fully recover…

On this end, Bai Jingmo withdrew the needles, glanced at the time, and said, “Uncle Huo, it’s getting late. I have to go.”

“Oh, right. You still have a surgery tomorrow at noon, and you need to hurry back to Jiangcheng.” Uncle Huo said apologetically, “Jingmo, I’m truly sorry to have troubled you tonight.”

“It was no trouble. Being able to help Uncle Huo is my honor.” After Bai Jingmo packed up his things, Uncle Huo wanted to see him off, but he said, “Please continue explaining the medicinal bath to Miss Tang. Xiao Jiu can see me out. When I’m free another day, I’ll invite Uncle Huo for tea.”

Uncle Huo agreed repeatedly.

Bai Jingmo had already called me out by name, and tonight he had indeed helped us. I had no choice but to steel myself and walk him out.

His car was parked on the lawn in the front courtyard.

I escorted him to the car, then turned to leave.

Bai Jingmo grabbed my arm. “Xiao Jiu, are you still angry with me? My Grandmother did do wrong, but I never once thought of hurting you. Xiao Jiu, give me another chance. Can we sit down and talk properly?”

I shook my head. I was just about to refuse and say that people who walked different paths couldn’t make plans together.

But before I could open my mouth, a soft cough suddenly came from the direction of the gate.

Bai Jingmo and I turned our heads at the same time and saw that Liu Junyan had arrived at some point.

Tall and broad, he wore a dark blue changshan and leaned lazily against the gate. His amber vertical pupils gleamed with a cold light as they fixed on the hand Bai Jingmo had wrapped around my arm…