Blood River

"Miracle Healer, what brings you here?" Su Muyu was slightly taken aback.

Bai Hehuai turned around and looked at Tang Lingkui before him: "I received a distress call from my Medicine King junior. He's also trapped within the Tang Sect. Hey, you're from the Tang Sect, right? Tell me where he is."

Tang Lingkui gave a bitter smile: "How amusing. Why do you people think I'll answer whatever you ask? Given the current situation, do you really believe you can leave here alive?"

"Poisoned?" Bai Hehuai turned to ask Su Muyu.

Su Muyu nodded: "Those Medicine Puppets seem to carry a deadly poison. I wasn't aware and got a drop of their blood on me while fighting them, which led to poisoning."

"Why would Medicine Puppets carry poison?" Bai Hehuai frowned slightly, reaching out to grasp Su Muyu's wrist. After a moment's thought, he said, "Has something happened to Miss Xuewei?"

Su Muyu immediately guessed part of the truth: "Earlier, she was taken away by Ghost Doctor Night Crow."

"Just as I thought. That expelled junior of mine has a twisted mind but is exceptionally brilliant. With a nearly perfect Poison Puppet in his hands, he could indeed combine it with the Art of the Medicine Man. This poison isn't easy to cure, but compared to Snow Falling on a Plum Branch, it's much simpler." Bai Hehuai took out a porcelain vial and handed it to Su Muyu. "Take one pill. Once we leave here, I'll detoxify you properly."

"Thank you, Miracle Healer." Su Muyu gave a slight nod, then suddenly flicked his left hand. When he withdrew it, he was already gripping a Vermilion Arrow tightly.

Tang Lingkui snorted coldly and leaped out the window. Already severely injured, if Su Muyu could detoxify himself, Tang Lingkui alone would be no match for him.

At this moment, Mu Yumo finally removed her hand from Tang Lingyue's shoulder and urgently asked, "Miracle Healer Bai, can you save Tang Lingyue?"

Bai Hehuai lightly touched his forehead: "Aren't you all supposed to be the experts? I'm just a physician. How come it seems like I'm the most capable one here now?"

"Can you save him, Miracle Healer Bai? The Tang Sect will likely surround this place soon. Time is of the essence." Su Muyu swallowed the pill and, after circulating his energy, suppressed the poison.

"Icy Moon Silkworm." Bai Hehuai scanned the surroundings and quickly deduced the cause of everything. Finally, he stroked his chin. "But this isn't poison. How to cure it, how to cure it... Icy Moon Silkworm—I've got it!"

"How?" Mu Yumo asked urgently.

"A silkworm's natural enemy is a spider." Bai Hehuai glanced at Mu Yumo. "Spiders—isn't that your specialty, sister?"

Mu Yumo suddenly understood: "No wonder the Fire-Marked Spider could suppress that frosty energy earlier. It wasn't just because of its fiery nature but also because spiders are silkworms' natural enemies."

"Right, but the Fire-Marked Spider isn't enough. It's too ordinary." Bai Hehuai shook his head. "We need a Skysea Flame Spider. Do you have one?"

Mu Yumo was stunned: "Skysea Flame Spider? That's a sacred relic of the Heavenly Flame Sect. Why would I have it?"

"True." Bai Hehuai nodded. "Then let me try A Huo. Snakes eat silkworms too, right?" The latter question was directed at Su Muyu.

Su Muyu thought for a moment: "Probably. But what's A Huo?""Balsam Fire Snake." Bai Hehuai took out a small red vial from her sleeve. After uncorking it, a tiny crimson head peeked out. "This is A Huo."

Su Muyu was taken aback. "The Miracle Healer keeps snakes as pets?"

"We from the Wen family have raised the Five Venoms since childhood. Some keep all five, but I just prefer little snakes." Bai Hehuai reached into the vial, pinched the small red head, and pulled it out. "A Huo isn't as obedient as Little Qing. He knows nothing good comes from being called out, so he refuses to work."

A Huo flicked his tongue, his whole body trembling as he turned an even deeper shade of red.

"That's more like it. Time to work." Bai Hehuai placed A Huo on Tang Lingyue's body. The snake immediately writhed in apparent pain, lifting its head to glance at Bai Hehuai. But with a gentle wave of her finger, A Huo lowered his head again and began slowly crawling across Tang Lingyue's body.

Su Muyu exhaled. "The room doesn't feel as cold as before."

Mu Yumo nodded. "And it's gradually warming up."

"If we had a Skysea Flame Spider, Tang Lingyue would already be recovering. Though A Huo is a rare fire-attribute serpent, he can't compare to the Icy Moon Silkworm or Skysea Flame Spider in value. It'll take time for his heat to dispel this chill," Bai Hehuai explained.

"Unfortunately, you won't have that time." Tang Lingkui's voice rang out again. Everyone looked up to see him descending with Tang Lingluo and seven or eight black-clad figures.

"Little Divine Physician, how much longer until Lingyue recovers?" Mu Yumo whispered.

"At least two incense sticks' worth of time—but even then, he may only regain his body, not his consciousness," Bai Hehuai replied.

"Two incense sticks." Su Muyu's voice was grave. "Understood."

"Don't worry, Miracle Healer. Saving lives is your job." Mu Yumo's expression had relaxed considerably. "Killing is ours!"

"Attack!" Tang Lingluo waved her hand, and the eight black-robed figures lunged forward.

"Be careful—these Medicine Puppets are laced with Deadly Poison." Su Muyu drew his sword, repelling three in one strike.

"Don't worry. The Poison Aversion Pill I gave you earlier will neutralize their toxins. Sister Mu, take one too." Bai Hehuai tossed a pill.

Mu Yumo caught it and swallowed it immediately. "Having a Miracle Healer watching our backs is incredibly reassuring."

"Kill the girl," Tang Lingkui ordered coldly.

Tang Lingluo sprang toward Bai Hehuai. Su Muyu turned to intercept but was blocked by the Chief Slayer Blade. Tang Lingluo struck at Bai Hehuai with a palm strike, but the latter's footwork shifted abruptly, evading the first blow.

"The Su Family's Ghost Shadow Steps!" Tang Lingluo growled.

"Don't underestimate me." Bai Hehuai retreated three paces. "Kill me? That easy?"

"Not too hard." Tang Lingluo lunged again, this time faster. Bai Hehuai couldn't dodge in time and was forced to meet the strike head-on. The impact sent her stumbling back over a dozen steps before she steadied herself.Tang Lingluo withdrew her palm, seemingly satisfied that her strike had landed successfully. She laughed, "You've been poisoned."

Bai Hehuai brushed off the ice fragments from his clothes and shook his head with a sigh. "No. It's you who's been poisoned."