After Xiao Yuan left, the lights in Guichen Studio remained lit.
Su Muchen sat behind the counter, staring at the Sheng Medical materials on the table for a long time. In the end, he still closed them.
He could not read them.
He really could not read them at all.
His mind was filled with that one sentence Xiao Yuan had said.
—“I came to tell you that I’m still alive.”
It was clearly just an ordinary sentence, yet it was harder to shake off than those emotionally charged promises.
It was as if someone had placed a lamp in his heart.
Not dazzling.
But it stayed lit.
Its presence was incredibly strong.
Su Muchen rubbed his brow and felt that if this continued, he really ought to find some time to get a psychological evaluation.
Xiao sat to the side and, unusually, did not tease him.
He merely put away several documents at an unhurried pace.
“Not reading anymore?”
“I can’t keep reading.” Su Muchen was completely honest.
Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Because the Sheng Medical information is too complicated?”
Su Muchen said expressionlessly, “Because the sources of the information you gave me are too suspicious. The longer I look at them, the more I feel like I’m about to get taken away for questioning.”
Xiao gave a soft laugh.
“Don’t worry. They can’t catch you for the time being.”
“Thanks. That sentence was absolutely no comfort at all.”
After Su Muchen finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something. He took the ancient Su family text from the drawer.
The cover of the ancient book had darkened, and the corners were badly worn.
He had only read a few pages before, and they had given him a headache.
It was not that he could not understand the characters. It was that the sentences inside were too strange.
Some resembled classical Chinese.
Some seemed to be cryptic phrases deliberately left behind by the ancestors of the Su family.
And some of the words seemed even closer to the writing conventions of the Great Sheng.
He took out a sticky note and wrote down several markings.
First section: The Origin of the Gate.
Second section: The Key.
Third section: Imperial Blood.
Fourth section: The Taboo of Crossing the Gate.
When he reached the fourth section, his fingertips paused.
The Taboo of Crossing the Gate.
This was the section that made him the most uneasy.
The ancient book repeatedly mentioned, “Those not destined must not cross,” and “When the body is incomplete, the soul shall not return.”
He could not completely understand it, but instinctively, he could tell that they were not good words.
Su Muchen looked up at Xiao.
“How much can you understand?”
Xiao said leisurely, “A little more than you.”
“How much is ‘a little’?”
“A lot a little.”
Su Muchen: “……”
He took a deep breath and shouted,
“Then why didn’t you just translate it for me before?”
Xiao smiled. “Because some things shouldn’t be said by me.”
“Why?”
“A Gatekeeper can only guard the gate.” Xiao looked at him. “He cannot make choices for the person on the other side of the gate.”
Su Muchen frowned.
“Are all you Gatekeepers this fond of speaking in riddles?”
Xiao innocently replied, “Occupational habit.”
“Then you really are dedicated to your profession.”
“Thank you for the praise.”
Su Muchen rolled his eyes and was already too lazy to curse at him.
He lowered his head and looked at the ancient book, suddenly thinking of someone.
“Next time Xiao Yuan comes, I’ll have him help me take a look.”
Xiao raised his eyes.
“Have His Highness translate it?”
“Yeah.” Su Muchen said, “The writing on his side is closer to the wording in these ancient texts. He should be able to understand it better than I can.”
Xiao looked at him, his expression somewhat peculiar.
“You naturally think of him now.”
Su Muchen’s movement stopped.
“Because he’s useful.”
Xiao nodded. “Mm, useful.”
“And besides, this is serious business.”
“Mm, serious business.”
Su Muchen looked up and stared coldly at him.
“Are you trying to say something again?”
Xiao immediately smiled innocently.
“No.”
Su Muchen rolled his eyes at him again.
He copied the first section of the ancient book, placed it inside the waterproof pouch specially reserved for Xiao Yuan, and wrote a sentence beside it.
—Help me take a look at the Su family ancient text. It’s not urgent.
After writing it, he felt that it sounded too much like an order.
So he added another sentence.
—If it’s convenient for you.
After adding that, he felt it was too polite.
He thought for a moment, then added another sentence.
—It’s fine if you can’t understand it.
After finishing, he stared at those words for a long time. In the end, he simply folded the paper and pretended nothing had happened.
Xiao sat beside him, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Without even raising his head, Su Muchen said,
“Starting tomorrow, buy your own meals.”
Xiao immediately sat upright.
“I was just cold.”
Su Muchen sneered. “It’s the end of June. You’re cold?”
Xiao said solemnly, “Gatekeepers have special constitutions.”
Su Muchen: “……”
He would be damned if he believed that.
◆◇◆◇◆
The sky over Linzhou was exceptionally heavy that night.
Zhou Jin had not slept the entire night.
He sat in the rear hall of the prefectural government office, his face pale and ashen. Three cups of tea had already been replaced on the table, yet he had not taken a single sip.
Zhao Ling had been watched by Prince Su’s men.
Yongfeng Grain Shop had also been watched.
There had not been the slightest bit of news from Nan Jing.
Prince Su was not merely the easy-to-anger, easy-to-use blade the Crown Prince had described.
And that frail Chief Adviser Xia of Prince Su’s residence was even more troublesome than he had imagined.
The grain records had been torn apart and exposed for flaws in a single night.
If this continued, sooner or later Xiao Yuan would drag him before everyone and cut him open.
His forehead was covered in cold sweat.
And just then, the hidden door in the rear courtyard of the government office was knocked on.
Zhou Jin’s expression changed drastically.
A moment later, a person wearing a gray cloak was led into the rear hall.
Zhou Jin lowered his voice and said angrily, “You still dare to come?”
The cloaked person replied coldly, “Lord Zhou is afraid?”
“How could this official not be afraid!” Zhou Jin gritted his teeth. “Prince Su has already discovered the grain records, and Xia Lanshi has set his sights on Zhao Ling. If this continues, my entire family will be dragged into this!”
The cloaked person said, “Then you should listen to the Eastern Palace even more.”
Zhou Jin’s expression was ugly.
“You said before that all we needed to do was delay Prince Su in Linzhou for a while. Once the epidemic in the northern border spread, the court would naturally be able to impeach him for incompetence. But what about now? You actually want to tamper with the well water! If the epidemic really enters the city, I won’t survive either!”
The cloaked person placed a letter on the table.
There was no name on the envelope, only an extremely faint secret emblem of the Eastern Palace.
The moment Zhou Jin saw it, his face turned deathly pale.
The cloaked person said, “His Highness the Crown Prince is very disappointed in Lord Zhou.”
Zhou Jin’s fingers trembled.
“This official has already done his best. Prince Su refuses to enter the city, refuses to attend banquets, refuses gifts, and even insists on personally inspecting the granaries. What else can this official do?”
The cloaked person said indifferently, “Then make him fall ill.”
Zhou Jin abruptly raised his head.
“You—you want me to assassinate a prince with poison? Are you insane!”
“Not assassinate him.” The cloaked person said coldly, “Prince Su cannot die in Linzhou. But if he becomes ill and collapses, unable to continue northward, the court will naturally have something to say.”
Zhou Jin’s throat went dry.
“What about Xia Lanshi?”
The cloaked person gave a laugh.
“It would be best if Xia Lanshi died.”
A chill instantly ran down Zhou Jin’s back.
The cloaked person took a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and pushed it in front of him.
“Prince Su is the blade, while Xia Lanshi is the person showing him the road. No matter how sharp the blade is, without someone showing it the way, it can only slash about randomly.”
“What His Highness the Crown Prince wants is for Prince Su to lose an arm.”
Zhou Jin stared at the porcelain bottle, his face ashen.
“How is this poison to be administered?”
The cloaked person said, “Put it on paper.”
Zhou Jin froze.
The cloaked person’s tone was calm, as though he were discussing something utterly insignificant.
“Tomorrow, present Prince Su with the supplementary grain records and warehouse transfer documents. Prince Su is cautious and may not touch them. Xia Lanshi has a habit of personally checking the accounts. He will definitely take them.”
“This poison is colorless and odorless. Upon encountering the sweat of the palm, it will enter through the skin. For a martial artist with strong inner energy, it may not take effect immediately. Xia Lanshi’s body is weak, and he has not yet recovered from his illness. If he touches it, he will certainly die.”
Zhou Jin’s lips trembled.
“What if it is discovered……”
The cloaked person leaned forward, his voice becoming even lower.
“If you don’t do it, then what will be discovered tomorrow will be your embezzlement of government grain, collusion with the grain merchants, and allowing the epidemic to enter the city.”
“Lord Zhou, you choose.”
Zhou Jin closed his eyes.
After a long while, he tremblingly reached out and picked up the porcelain bottle.
◆◇◆◇◆
The next afternoon, Zhou Jin personally came to the camp to plead guilty.
His posture was even lower than the day before.
He first delivered the second batch of grain.
Then he presented several warehouse documents, repeatedly saying that he had stayed up all night to complete the missing records and asked Prince Su to review them.
Xiao Yuan sat in the seat of honor, not touching the documents.
He merely looked at him coldly.
Sweat appeared on Zhou Jin’s forehead, but he still forced himself to say, “Your Highness, this subordinate was indeed negligent yesterday. These account books and supplementary warehouse transfer records have all been properly organized. I ask Your Highness to examine them carefully.”
Xia Lanshi sat to the side.
His face was still pale, and he wore a thick cloak. His fingertips were still somewhat cold.
When he heard the words “account books,” he raised his eyes.
Chi Banyue stood behind him and frowned. “I’ll do it.”
Xia Lanshi said softly, “No need.”
He reached out and took the ledger. As his fingers gently flipped through it, the moment the paper fell against his fingertips, he sensed something was wrong.
The surface of the paper was too dry and rough, as though it had been covered with a layer of extremely fine powder.
And beneath the smell of ink, there was faintly a trace of bitter, fishy odor.
Xia Lanshi’s heart tightened. He immediately released his hand, and the ledger fell to the ground.
But it was already too late.
His fingertips felt as though they had been lightly pricked by a needle.
The next instant, a chill shot from his palm straight toward his heart.
His face suddenly turned deathly pale.
Chi Banyue immediately noticed.
“Xia Lanshi?”
Xia Lanshi wanted to warn her, but a sudden sweetness of blood surged up his throat.
He braced himself against the table, his body swaying.
“The paper…… is poisoned……”
The moment the words fell, he suddenly vomited a mouthful of black blood.
The entire tent instantly fell silent.
Xiao Yuan’s eyes turned ice-cold.
“Seize Zhou Jin!”
The hidden guards rushed forward.
Zhou Jin’s face was deathly pale. He had never used this kind of poison before and had not expected it to be so fierce, nor to take effect so quickly.
His heart sank.
The Crown Prince had not merely wanted to use him to kill Xia Lanshi. He also intended to make him bear all the blame!
When he turned around and tried to flee, he was kicked to the ground.
Chi Banyue had already caught Xia Lanshi.
The blood had completely drained from her usually smiling face.
“Xia Lanshi! Look at me!”
Xia Lanshi leaned against her arm, his eyes tightly closed. His white hair had fallen loose, and his breathing was so weak that it seemed it could stop at any moment.
For the first time, Chi Banyue’s hands trembled.
She knew poisons.
She knew hidden weapons.
She knew how to kill people.
But looking at the black blood continuously spilling from the corners of Xia Lanshi’s lips, she suddenly had no idea how to save him.
The army physician was quickly dragged inside.
After examining his pulse, the old physician’s face turned deathly pale.
“Your Highness, this poison enters the blood extremely quickly. This subordinate can only first use acupuncture to protect his heart meridians, but as for detoxifying it…… detoxifying it may……”
Xiao Yuan’s voice was terrifyingly low.
“May what?”
The old physician fell to his knees.
“I’m afraid there is nothing this subordinate can do.”
The tent became frighteningly quiet.
Xiao Yuan lowered his eyes and looked at Xia Lanshi.
He had seen Xia Lanshi in poor health before. He had seen him cough up blood. He had seen him when his family had thrown him to his side as an ominous thing, so thin that he looked like a walking skeleton.
But Xia Lanshi had never been as fragile as he was now, as though he would shatter in the very next moment.
Xiao Yuan closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, the killing intent in his eyes had almost become tangible.
“Seal the camp. Zhou Jin, Zhao Ling, and everyone who came into contact with the documents—detain them all.”
“That cloaked man. Alive, I want the person. Dead, I want the corpse.”
The hidden guards accepted the order and left.
Chi Banyue raised her head, her voice hoarse.
“Your Highness, he won’t last much longer.”
Xiao Yuan knew, of course.
But he could not take Xia Lanshi through the gate. Not everyone could cross it.
Even if he carried him through, he might only bring over part of a limb, or half a body.
That would not be saving someone.
It would be killing him.
Xiao Yuan clenched his fingers.
A moment later, he abruptly turned around.
“Prepare the secret chamber!”
Chi Banyue immediately understood.
“You want to find Physician Su?”
Xiao Yuan’s voice was hoarse.
“He may have a way.”
At that moment, Chi Banyue saw an extremely rare trace of helplessness on his face.
It was not fear.
It was the helplessness of knowing he held a blade in his hand, yet being unable to save the person beside him.
◆◇◆◇◆
Xia Lanshi dreamed of the snow from many years ago.
That year, he was very young.
So young that he still did not understand why, when he opened his eyes, what he saw was not his mother’s embrace, but the frightened and disgusted gazes of other people.
White hair.
Red eyes.
Skin as pale as a ghost.
The people in the residence said he was an ill omen.
They said he was a demon.
They said that from the moment he was born, he had cursed the family’s good fortune to death.
He was locked in the coldest room in the rear courtyard.
There was no charcoal fire in winter, and even his meals were cold.
When he was ten, he remembered that the snow that night had fallen heavily.
He had a high fever and was painfully hungry, yet someone dragged him beneath the corridor and threw him into the freezing snow.
Someone said that if he could not survive it on his own, then it was Heaven’s will.
Snowflakes filled the sky, falling onto his face.
It was cold.
So cold that eventually, he could no longer feel the cold.
He remembered that just as he was about to fall asleep, someone walked into the snow.
That person wore black clothes and had a tall figure. His face was covered, making his appearance impossible to see clearly.
He only remembered that the person crouched down and lifted him from the snow.
The embrace was warm, carrying a faint scent of blood and the strange fragrance of cold plum blossoms.
Someone came chasing after them.
A flash of swordlight appeared.
That person protected him and, amid the chaos, took a blade to the back.
Blood fell onto the snow, red and glaring, like blooming red plum blossoms.
Later, that person hid him inside a ruined temple and wrapped him in his outer robe.
He was burning with fever and half-conscious. He only remembered that person saying softly,
“Live.”
That voice was very low, as though coming through a distant fog.
Just before dawn, before leaving, that person tied a red silk cord around his wrist.
A small white jade peace clasp hung from the red cord.
“If you’re afraid in the future, hold onto it. It can’t guarantee you a lifetime of peace, but at least it can remind you that you weren’t born destined to die.”
The young Xia Lanshi wanted to open his eyes and see him clearly, but his eyelids were too heavy.
In the end, he only saw the person turn around, the fabric on his back soaked through with blood.
Beneath the torn collar, a flower-shaped birthmark was faintly visible.
Like the only touch of spring in the snow.
Not long afterward, someone came to take him to Xiao Yuan’s residence.
He was arranged to become Xiao Yuan’s study companion, but in truth, he received Xiao Yuan’s protection and became his blade.
When Xiao Yuan was later granted the title of Prince Su, he also became the Chief Adviser of Prince Su’s residence.
For all these years, he had continued to wear that peace clasp.
And he had always remembered that person.
He did not know who the other person was.
He only knew that this life of his had once been picked up from the snow by someone.
And now, darkness was rising over him again.
He seemed to have returned to that snowy ground.
Cold.
So cold.
He heard someone calling to him from very far away.
“Xia Lanshi, wake up.”
The voice was not like the man in his memories.
It was Chi Banyue.
She usually loved to smile and always liked to say provocative things.
Yet this time, there was actually a tremor in her voice.
Xia Lanshi wanted to answer her, telling her to stop making noise.
But he could not speak.
Red flowers bloomed on both sides of the road as he walked through the snow.
It was beautiful.
Yet at the end of the road was a stretch of darkness that could not be seen clearly.
◆◇◆◇◆
Inside Guichen Studio, Su Muchen was flipping through the ancient text.
The first section of text he had copied was placed on the table. He was planning to ask Xiao Yuan to slowly translate it when he came.
Just then, the door deep in the corridor suddenly gave a muffled, thunderous vibration.
It was not the usual steady sound of the door opening.
Instead, it was as though someone had forcibly torn something open.
White light suddenly blazed.
Xiao Yuan stepped out of the light, his face terrifyingly grim.
He had brought no gold.
He had only brought a bone-chilling killing intent and a rare sense of urgency.
Sensing something was wrong, Su Muchen immediately stood.
“What happened?”
Xiao Yuan grabbed his wrist.
The force was heavy.
Yet it was not meant as a threat. Rather, it was like a drowning person clutching the last rope.
“Xia Lanshi has been poisoned.”
Su Muchen’s pupils contracted.
“What poison?”
“Poison on paper. It enters the body through skin contact.” Xiao Yuan’s voice was hoarse. “Vomiting black blood, irregular pulse, unconscious. The physician can’t keep him stable.”
Su Muchen’s mind instantly went blank.
The next moment, professional instinct forcibly overwhelmed his emotions, and he compelled himself to calm down quickly.
“How long has it been?”
“Less than half an hour.”
“Any convulsions? How’s his breathing? His pupils? Heart rate? Any discoloration of the skin?”
Xiao Yuan answered each question one by one.
He answered very quickly. Clearly, before coming, he had already forced himself to memorize every symptom.
Su Muchen, meanwhile, rapidly ruled out and narrowed down the possible poisons based on the information he provided.
But there still was not enough information.
“Xiao, emergency kit, antidote support kit, gloves, normal saline, oxygen cylinder, and those two AI medical devices.”
Xiao’s movements paused. He quickly reacted and turned to take two silver-gray boxes from the hidden compartment beneath the cabinet.
They were things Su Muchen had gritted his teeth and purchased a few days earlier.
One was a vital-signs monitor. It only needed to be worn on the wrist to continuously monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, body temperature, and respiratory status.
The other was a portable AI blood analyzer. It only required a fingertip blood sample to rapidly analyze blood abnormalities and provide preliminary treatment recommendations.
Both devices were expensive.
When Su Muchen had paid for them at the time, his heart had ached so badly that he had nearly poked a hole through the account book. In the end, he had still gritted his teeth and deducted the money from the gold Xiao Yuan had brought.
Originally, he had been worried that Xiao Yuan might show up again someday with serious injuries or poisoning.
He had never expected the first person to use them would be Xia Lanshi.
Xiao Yuan looked at him, a trace of hope in his eyes.
“Can you save him?”
Su Muchen’s hands paused.
At this moment, he really wanted to say yes.
But he could not lie.
“Not necessarily.”
He looked up at Xiao Yuan, his gaze clear and composed.
“But we can try.”
The light in Xiao Yuan’s eyes dimmed for a moment, then reignited.
“What do you need?”
Su Muchen looked toward the door.
He knew the best method was for him to go over personally.
Examine the patient, check his pupils, measure his vital signs, administer the medicine himself.
But he could not cross over. He had tried before, only to be stopped outside by the door.
This time, he resolutely walked toward it.
Xiao Yuan grabbed him.
“What are you doing?”
Su Muchen turned around.
“I’m going over to save someone.”
Xiao Yuan’s expression changed abruptly.
“No.”
It was Xiao who spoke. His expression was unusually stern.
“Didn’t you say I might be able to cross?” Su Muchen looked at him.
Xiao said, “Now isn’t the time.”
“Xia Lanshi doesn’t have time to wait!”
Su Muchen shook off Xiao Yuan’s hand and walked to the door.
The cold white light had yet to dissipate.
He reached out, attempting to touch the light.
The next instant, the cloud-and-water pattern on the door suddenly blazed brightly.
An invisible force violently repelled him.
Xiao Yuan reached out and caught him.
Su Muchen crashed into Xiao Yuan’s arms. His arm went numb from the impact, and his face turned pale.
The door…… had rejected him.
Su Muchen gritted his teeth.
“Again.”
Xiao Yuan held him down.
“No.”
Su Muchen looked up, the corners of his eyes slightly red.
“He’ll die!”
Xiao Yuan’s fingers tightened, his voice suppressed extremely low.
“So will you.”
The shop fell completely silent.
Su Muchen’s breathing was rapid, his heart feeling as though something had seized it in a death grip.
For the first time, he hated so deeply that he could not cross over.
He hated that despite having the knowledge, the medicine, and the methods, he was still helpless with only a door between them.
Just then, Xiao suddenly spoke.
“I’ll go.”
Su Muchen abruptly turned around.
“You?”
Xiao had already walked to the emergency kit and begun rapidly organizing the supplies.
“I can cross.”
Su Muchen immediately remembered what Xiao had said about the price.
“No. You’ll suffer backlash.”
Xiao smiled.
“This isn’t the time to worry about that.”
His tone was calm, but Xiao knew better than anyone that every time he crossed the gate, it consumed his lifespan.
And every moment he remained on that side, time would flow from his life at twice the speed.
That was his actual life.
Su Muchen did not know this. He only knew there was a price.
Xiao had no intention of telling him now, nor did he intend to tell anyone else.
He packed several syringes, injection needles, gloves, disinfectant supplies, blood collection tubes, infusion equipment, simple monitoring tools, and the medication instructions Su Muchen had written into the emergency bag.
He was not a professional doctor, but he had received training.
First aid, injections, blood draws, and establishing a simple intravenous line—he knew how to do all of them.
Su Muchen grabbed his hand.
“You know how to use these?”
Xiao looked at him.
“You teach me.”
Su Muchen took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
He quickly wrote a page of emergency procedures.
As he wrote, he explained the purpose and risks of each medicine to Xiao at the fastest speed possible.
“This isn’t a universal antidote. It can only keep him stable. Start an IV, give him oxygen, and preserve his breathing and circulation.”
Xiao Yuan stood to the side, his expression frighteningly grim, but he did not interrupt.
He knew that every breath counted now.
But they could not panic.
The more hurried they were, the more likely they were to make a mistake.
“These electronic devices cannot be handled by Xiao Yuan.” Su Muchen spoke extremely quickly. “He’ll break them. You operate all of them.”
Xiao Yuan: “……”
Under normal circumstances, Su Muchen probably would have added, “You have a history.”
But no one was in the mood to joke now.
Su Muchen switched on the vital-signs monitor and checked its battery.
Both devices came with light-energy charging modules. As long as there was sufficient light, they could slowly recharge, allowing them to be used for a short period even after leaving the modern world.
He shoved the monitor into Xiao’s hands.
“Once you get there, put the monitor on Xia Lanshi first. Check his heart rate, blood oxygen, and body temperature.”
Then he took out the blood analyzer and a disposable lancet.
“Then draw blood from his fingertip and test it with this analyzer.”
Su Muchen handed the device to Xiao, his tone so serious that it was almost cold.
“Keep the device with you. Don’t let anyone touch it. Once the test results are out, the AI will automatically determine the possible poison and emergency treatment. Bring it back immediately.”
Xiao looked at him.
“What if Xia Lanshi doesn’t last until I return?”
Su Muchen’s fingers suddenly tightened.
After a moment, he stuffed several supportive-treatment injections and IV fluids into the emergency bag as well, his voice trembling slightly.
“Start the IV first, give him oxygen, and maintain him according to his vital signs. Keep him going for as long as you can. If his breathing slows, use this one. If he convulses, use this one. If his heartbeat weakens, immediately follow the procedure I wrote.”
He paused, his voice slightly hoarse.
“You have to bring the data back.”
Xiao accepted the words.
“I know.”
Su Muchen looked at him.
“No, you don’t. You’re not a doctor!”
Su Muchen’s expression was extremely grim. In such a critical situation, he was actually powerless.
Xiao smiled.
“I’ll keep him alive.”
After saying that, he suddenly reached out and rubbed Su Muchen’s head.
The movement was very gentle.
Like an elder comforting a child who was on the verge of breaking down.
“Trust me this once.”
Su Muchen’s throat tightened.
“You have to come back too.”
Xiao’s eyes shifted slightly.
After a moment, he smiled.
“Of course. I haven’t eaten enough yet.”
Su Muchen still wanted to say something, but time waited for no one.
Xiao Yuan gripped the bronze ring and stabilized the door once more.
White light blazed.
Xiao shouldered the emergency bag and stepped into the light.
The instant the light swallowed him, Su Muchen saw a trace of urgency clearly appear on Xiao’s face—a look he had never seen before.
The door closed, and the two figures disappeared.
Su Muchen stood there, his entire body cold, feeling helpless for the first time in his life.
◆◇◆◇◆
Inside the Great Sheng military tent.
Chi Banyue was pressing Xia Lanshi’s wrist, undisguised anxiety filling her eyes.
Xia Lanshi’s breathing was growing weaker and weaker.
The old physician knelt nearby, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
Just as everyone was almost in despair, the air inside the tent suddenly trembled.
Cold white light suddenly blazed.
Xiao Yuan stepped out first, followed by Xiao, who was carrying the emergency bag.
Chi Banyue abruptly raised her head and looked at the unfamiliar man behind Xiao Yuan.
The stranger had black hair tied up, with strange thin metal frames resting on his face. His appearance was refined, yet he offered no unnecessary pleasantries.
The moment he arrived, he quickly walked to Xia Lanshi’s side.
“Move.”
Chi Banyue instinctively became wary.
Xiao Yuan said in a deep voice, “He is Physician Su’s man. Xiao.”
Only then did Chi Banyue step back half a pace, though she continued staring intently at him.
She had only heard Xiao Yuan mention Xiao before. Today was the first time she had seen him in person.
There was something about this man that instinctively made her feel dangerous, making her want to keep her distance.
If not for Xiao Yuan’s instruction, she would never have allowed this man to approach Xia Lanshi.
Xiao put on gloves and first cleaned the blood from the corners of Xia Lanshi’s lips, keeping him lying on his side.
Then he took out a strange white wristband and fastened it around Xia Lanshi’s wrist.
His movements were so fast that he did not look like someone doing these things for the first time. He checked his breathing, examined his pupils, and moved with crisp efficiency.
Chi Banyue frowned.
“What is that?”
“Something that monitors life.”
Xiao had no time to explain further.
The wristband lit up with a faint blue glow, and the data began to fluctuate.
Blood oxygen was low, heart rate was irregular, body temperature was elevated, and breathing was unstable.
Xiao’s expression darkened slightly. He immediately put oxygen on Xia Lanshi, then established an intravenous line according to Su Muchen’s instructions and started an IV drip.
When the needle pierced the back of Xia Lanshi’s hand, Chi Banyue’s fingertips tightened abruptly.
“What are you doing?”
“Saving him.”
Xiao’s voice was steady, and his hands were astonishingly quick.
Next, he took out another small silver-gray device.
With his other hand, he picked up Xia Lanshi’s bloodless hand, pricked his fingertip, and let a drop of blood fall into the testing slot.
The device lit up and began analyzing.
Everyone inside the tent held their breath.
No one could understand what that thing was.
But everyone knew that Xia Lanshi’s life might now be hanging on that faint, cold light.
A moment later, the device in Xiao’s hand vibrated, and the test results appeared.
Xiao quickly scanned them, and his expression suddenly darkened.
The type of poison was confirmed.
It was not simply a lethal toxin, but a mixed toxin affecting the nervous system and causing abnormal blood coagulation. No wonder it had taken effect so quickly, and no wonder ordinary physicians were helpless.
Xiao immediately pressed the transmission button and synchronized the results with Su Muchen.
Then he said quietly, “I’m going back to get the antidote.”
Chi Banyue abruptly raised her head.
“Can he hold on?”
Xiao glanced at the numbers on the wristband.
“I’ve already started the IV and given him oxygen.”
He paused, lowering his voice.
“But there isn’t much time.”
Xiao did not bother with whether they had understood him or not. After giving them the necessary instructions, he turned and left without another word.
Chi Banyue stood where she was, staring intently at his back until his figure disappeared.
Too many things had happened in less than half an hour.
Since childhood, she had received training not only in poisons, hidden weapons, and killing, but also in observation.
What many people saw was the surface.
What she saw was often the details.
From the first moment she saw Xiao, she had sensed that something was wrong.
He was not an ordinary person. His movements were too clean.
The instant he entered the tent, he first scanned the surroundings, confirming the exits and the positions of everyone present. When approaching the patient, he instinctively stood in the position best suited to deal with any sudden situation. Even the sequence in which he took out the equipment and organized the medicine was so quick that it seemed almost instinctive.
It was a habit forged through years of training and carved into his bones.
From the moment he appeared until he left, whether facing Xiao Yuan, facing her, or facing the physicians in the tent who were so shocked they could not speak, he remained frighteningly calm.
Those eyes were calm and cold, like an ancient well whose depths could not be seen.
For a moment, Chi Banyue even thought of the most elite hidden guards.
Or rather—
Professional killers.
Such people had long since become accustomed to life and death, and therefore rarely revealed their emotions.
But what truly concerned her was not any of this.
It was the way Xiao looked at Xia Lanshi.
Only for a few brief moments.
If it had been anyone else, they probably would never have noticed.
But Chi Banyue saw it.
When Xiao knelt beside Xia Lanshi, he remained calm on the surface, and there was not a single error in his movements.
Yet when checking Xia Lanshi’s breathing and pulse, a trace of emotion had flashed through those otherwise tranquil eyes.
It was heartache.
And even a hint of deeply suppressed panic.
For an instant, Chi Banyue almost thought she had seen incorrectly.
Because such an emotion simply should not have appeared in a person like this.
Not to mention that these two people should have had no connection whatsoever.
Xiao’s hands were actually not as steady as they appeared.
Others only saw him efficiently establish the IV line, administer injections, and treat the wounds.
But Chi Banyue was standing close enough to see some extremely subtle details.
For a brief moment—
His fingertips trembled.
Very slightly.
So slightly that the needle did not shift even half a fraction.
But she still caught it.
It was not a lack of skill, nor was it fear of making a mistake.
It was……
Fear of losing someone.
This seemingly careless, seemingly indifferent stranger was actually afraid that Xia Lanshi would die.
That was the truly unreasonable part.
What made the alarm bells in Chi Banyue’s heart ring even louder was the final scene.
At the time, Xiao was preparing to draw Xia Lanshi’s blood.
He grasped Xia Lanshi’s wrist and lifted it, revealing his bloodless wrist, which made the red silk cord around it especially conspicuous.
He saw the red silk cord and the white jade peace clasp tied to it.
At that instant, his entire body froze for the briefest moment.
So brief that it was almost impossible to notice.
If Chi Banyue had not been staring at him the entire time, she would never have noticed.
But she saw it.
At that moment, there was even a dazed expression in his eyes.
Yet in the next instant, he returned to his usual calm.
So quickly that it seemed everything had merely been an illusion.
But Chi Banyue knew.
It was definitely not an illusion.
Chi Banyue suddenly narrowed her eyes.
There was a problem.
A very big problem.
◆◇◆◇◆
Inside Guichen Studio, Su Muchen anxiously paced back and forth.
The next instant, the light from the door blazed.
Xiao stepped out of the light.
Su Muchen practically rushed toward him.
Xiao knew what he wanted and immediately handed him the blood analyzer.
They were racing against time.
The AI analysis results appeared line by line.
Poison assessment.
Vital-sign risks.
Recommended treatment.
Corresponding antidote.
The more Su Muchen read, the paler his face became, but he still quickly began preparing everything.
Su Muchen drew the antidote into a syringe.
“Inject this one first.”
He handed over the injection and placed the second medication into a box as a backup.
“If his heart rate continues to be irregular within ten minutes, use the second one. If his breathing drops, continue oxygen. Don’t stop the IV.”
Xiao took them.
Su Muchen stared at him.
“The dosage cannot be wrong.”
“It won’t be.”
Xiao turned to leave.
Su Muchen suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
“Xiao.”
Xiao turned back.
Su Muchen’s voice was very low.
“Bring him back.”
Xiao looked at him.
After a moment, he smiled.
“I will.”
This time, he did not say, “I’ll do my best.”
◆◇◆◇◆
In the darkness, Xia Lanshi heard someone calling him.
The voice was low and extremely distant, yet filled him with an indescribable sense of longing.
“Live.”
He thought he had returned to the snowy ground again.
But this time, a piercing stream of heat surged through his body, forcibly dragging him back from the depths of the cold.
He wanted to open his eyes, but he could not.
He only vaguely felt someone holding his wrist.
That person’s fingertips were cool.
Yet they carried a familiar presence that made his heart ache.
The white jade peace clasp on the red silk cord was gently touched.
Very lightly.
As though confirming something.
Or perhaps saying goodbye.
Xia Lanshi wanted to reach out and grab him, but his fingers could not move.
That person whispered something beside his ear.
The voice was very soft, as though afraid of waking him.
“Fortunately…… you’re alive.”
Xia Lanshi’s heart suddenly trembled.
The next moment, darkness dragged him back in.
◆◇◆◇◆
When Xiao entered the Great Sheng for the second time, the atmosphere inside the tent had already become unbearably tense.
Xia Lanshi’s breathing was even weaker than before.
Chi Banyue knelt beside him, her fingers tightly gripping his wrist bone, as though afraid that the moment she let go, he would disappear completely.
Xiao wasted no words.
Disinfecting, expelling the air, injecting—the entire sequence was completed in one fluid motion.
When the antidote was pushed into Xia Lanshi’s bloodstream, Chi Banyue stared at him without blinking.
As though watching Xia Lanshi’s final thread of hope.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
The data on the wristband remained frighteningly chaotic.
Xiao did not stop. He continued maintaining the IV and providing oxygen according to Su Muchen’s instructions.
Only after half a cup of tea had passed did Xia Lanshi’s rapid, irregular breathing finally begin to stabilize.
The bluish-black color around his lips also faded slightly.
The old physician said in a trembling voice, “St-stable……”
Chi Banyue closed her eyes.
Only then did she realize that her palms were covered in cold sweat.
Xiao Yuan stood to the side and let out a heavy breath.
Xiao, however, did not immediately stand.
His gaze fell on Xia Lanshi’s wrist.
The red silk cord was already old. The white jade peace clasp had been polished smooth by the passage of time, yet its owner had still preserved it carefully.
Xiao stared at it for a long time.
In the end, he suppressed all the thoughts rising in his heart.
Chi Banyue took everything in and asked tentatively,
“You know him?”
Xiao’s movement paused slightly.
Then he withdrew his gaze, his tone returning to its usual careless manner.
“First time meeting him.”
Chi Banyue sneered.
“Do you take me for an idiot?”
Xiao looked at her.
At that moment, Chi Banyue saw something very deep in his eyes.
Too deep and too complicated, but she managed to discern a trace of bitterness.
That emotion was quickly hidden again.
Xiao said quietly, “Whether I know him or not isn’t important.”
He looked toward Xia Lanshi again.
“What matters is that he’s alive.”
Chi Banyue stared at him.
The next moment, Xiao once again returned to his refined, languid appearance and turned toward Xiao Yuan.
“He’s temporarily stable, but the poison may not be completely neutralized. Follow this list for the subsequent treatment. If his condition worsens again, open the gate immediately.”
Xiao Yuan accepted it.
“You’re going back?”
“Mm.” Xiao said, “I can’t stay long.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him and remembered Su Muchen mentioning the backlash. Although he did not know what price Xiao had to pay, regardless, this man was Xia Lanshi’s lifesaver.
“Is your body all right?”
Xiao smiled.
“A minor matter.”
Xiao Yuan naturally did not believe it was merely a minor matter. Otherwise, Su Muchen would not have reacted that way.
But now was not the time to press him.
“I will certainly repay this debt another day.”
Xiao Yuan did not ask further. He simply opened the gate again and let Xiao leave.
◆◇◆◇◆
When the gate of Guichen Studio opened, Su Muchen practically rushed over.
Xiao stepped out of the light and, having just steadied himself, immediately grabbed the doorframe.
Su Muchen caught him.
“How is it?”
Xiao forced a smile.
“He’s still alive.”
“I’m asking how you are!”
Xiao fell silent for a moment.
“I’m fine.”
Su Muchen’s expression turned grim as he supported him to sit down.
“What about Xia Lanshi?”
“He’s temporarily stable.”
The heart Su Muchen had been holding in his chest suddenly dropped halfway.
He closed his eyes.
“Temporarily?”
“The poison has been neutralized, but his body was already weak, and he’s still ill.” Xiao said quietly. “At least he’s holding on for now.”
Su Muchen nodded and quickly picked up a pen.
“He’ll still need fluids, respiratory monitoring, and observation of his consciousness. I’ll prepare a second batch of medicine.”
Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly noticed that Xiao’s hand hanging at his side was trembling slightly.
Su Muchen stopped.
“Xiao.”
Xiao raised his eyes.
Su Muchen looked at him, his tone very soft, as though both concerned and probing.
“Do you know Xia Lanshi?”
Xiao was silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
“I just met him. Does that count as knowing him?”
Su Muchen frowned.
The answer sounded too much like evasion, but he did not press further.
Because Xiao’s face was simply too pale now.
Su Muchen merely placed a cup of warm water in front of him.
“Rest. I’ll handle the rest.”
Xiao looked at the cup of water.
After a long while, he finally said softly,
“Okay.”
Su Muchen turned around and began organizing the medicine.