Chu Dingjiang acted as if Mo Sigui didn't exist, releasing An Jiu. "I'm leaving."
An Jiu nodded.
"Stay away from Gu Jinghong. You're no match for his cunning," Chu Dingjiang added uneasily from the foot of the steps before departing.
An Jiu had no intention of getting close to Gu Jinghong again, but his deliberate warning made her retort, "I think you're even more cunning than him!"
Under the wide hood, only Chu Dingjiang's nose and lips were visible. An Jiu saw the curve of his smile before he vanished into the darkness. Staring into the seemingly endless dark, she suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart.
Clutching the warm stone in her hand, she turned and entered the house.
Inside, the dim yellow lamplight flickered. Braziers burned in the four corners, and steam rose from the freshly prepared bathtub.
An Jiu bolted the door, removed her clothes, and stepped into the tub.
The icy touch of her body meeting the hot water stung slightly, but soon a numbing warmth spread through her limbs. She sighed in comfort, leaning back against the tub and closing her eyes for a brief rest. Perhaps the lingering effects of the wine hadn't worn off, as she drifted into unconsciousness without realizing it.
Outside, Mo Sigui was about to tap on Lou Mingyue's window when he sensed someone behind him.
Turning, he saw a Ghost-Masked Man standing in the courtyard.
"Miraculous Doctor Mo," the man's voice was clear and bright.
Mo Sigui grew wary.
"I owe Xuan Ren a favor and wish to ask for your help in repaying it," the Ghost-Masked Man said, tossing a token toward him.
Mo Sigui didn't catch it. The token clattered onto the stone tiles beneath the corridor.
Seeing it wasn't a hidden weapon, Mo Sigui bent to pick it up, only then noticing an almost invisible thread tied to its end.
The Ghost-Masked Man extended his hand.
Mo Sigui understood—the other end of the thread was tied to the man's wrist.
He was being asked to perform Thread Pulse Diagnosis.
"The Miracle Doctor will surely find this interesting," the man said.
The windless surroundings made it suitable for the procedure. Mo Sigui pressed four fingers against the thread, lowering his gaze to carefully sense the faint pulse transmitted through it.
After a moment, he looked up in surprise. "What do you want me to do?"
The man stepped closer. His overly pale fingers held out a slip of paper.
Mo Sigui took it, unfolded it, and his astonishment deepened. After a brief silence, he said, "Follow me."
The Ghost-Masked Man followed him inside.
Mo Sigui arranged numerous paper talismans on the floor. "Within this array, no one can overhear our conversation."
"I didn't expect the Miracle Doctor to be versed in formations," the man remarked.
"A trivial skill exchanged for medicine," Mo Sigui replied, gesturing. "Please, sit."
"I am Gu Jinghong, Deputy Commander of the Divine Strategy Army." He bowed slightly.
"So you're Gu Jinghong!" Mo Sigui studied him carefully. On the journey back from Yangzhou, he had learned that Gu Jinghong led the group, but while many sought him for medical advice, Gu Jinghong never had. Their encounters had been few, and Mo Sigui wasn't one to initiate connections, so they remained unacquainted.
"This is the first time I've ever met a Medicine Man," Mo Sigui mused.
A Medicine Man, much like the tiger cub Mo Sigui raised, referred to a living being nurtured with specific drugs from childhood for a particular purpose.
Mo Sigui raised tigers for tracking, but a Medicine Man was a component of a medical formula—legend had it that their heart blood could truly revive the dead and regenerate flesh from bones."May I take a closer look?" If it were an ordinary person hearing such news, they would likely feel sympathy. But Mo Sigui harbored no emotions beyond curiosity and a fervent passion for medicine.
Gu Jinghong nodded, removing his mask and face covering, allowing himself to be examined.
Mo Sigui placed two fingers on his neck. Strands of True Energy probed inward, meticulously inspecting every organ and blood vessel in his body.
"Remarkable," Mo Sigui reluctantly withdrew his hand, eyes gleaming as he looked at Gu Jinghong. "Truly a masterpiece."
Gu Jinghong was numb to such praise. Without joy or sorrow, he replied, "What I seek can only be done by the Miracle Doctor."
Only he could do it. Only that one thing...
Mo Sigui's expression turned grave as he sat opposite Gu Jinghong. "Your bloodline is inherently different from ordinary people—the legendary 'Seven Orifices Can Communicate with the Spiritual.' At such a young age, you’ve already achieved such cultivation. In another ten or twenty years, perhaps no one in the world could rival you. Are you truly... willing to..."
"Yes, give it to Xuan Ren. Consider it my parting gift to her for last night’s farewell." Gu Jinghong paused. "No one knows I came here. The Miracle Doctor must keep this secret, lest the gift become a calamity instead."
To cultivate a Medicine Man required immense resources, and the one who lost such a painstakingly nurtured treasure would never let it go easily.
But Mo Sigui wasn’t thinking about that. He slapped his thigh in distress. "If you were leaving, why didn’t you tell me? Had I known, I would’ve dropped everything to see you off! You’re treating me like an outsider!"
"Then the Miracle Doctor agrees?" Gu Jinghong smiled faintly.
Of course Mo Sigui would agree. Cultivating an ordinary Medicine Man took at least a decade, consuming rare and priceless medicines daily—already a rarity. But a Medicine Man of Gu Jinghong’s caliber? Mo Sigui felt he must have saved the world in a past life to be granted this opportunity.
"Are you absolutely certain? No regrets?" Mo Sigui pressed again.
After examining Gu Jinghong’s body, he couldn’t help but feel regret. Here was a person with unparalleled bone structure and spiritual clarity—someone who could most easily reach the pinnacle of Arcane Arts like Mind Reading, Mind Control, or Illusionary Mind Arts. Such talent wouldn’t be seen for five hundred years before or after. To waste it like this was truly a shame! He wondered who had the means to find such a prodigy and cultivate them as a Medicine Man.
Gu Jinghong closed his eyes, lest his emotions be seen. "Ten years is too long. I cannot wait."
"What you seek, I can do." Mo Sigui stroked the Ice Dragon Brain Folding Fan, its coolness soothing his excitement mixed with complexity. "But you must understand—a Medicine Man is different from ordinary people. After the first extraction of Heart Blood, you will have only a month to live. And though that blood could revive anyone in the world, it will be useless to you."
"I know," Gu Jinghong said calmly.
Mo Sigui pondered briefly. "I could take half of your Heart Blood and supplement it with Medicine. Perhaps I could spare your life. After all, a farewell gift need not cost your life."
This was the best compromise he could devise. Yet he had never attempted it before—he wasn’t entirely confident he could save Gu Jinghong’s life."How confident is the Miracle Doctor?" Gu Jinghong was only acting this way now to take revenge in the most extreme manner. If a path to survival lay before him, why would he seek death?
He had always believed himself to be cold and cruel, but after yesterday's conversation with An Jiu, he suddenly realized how cowardly he truly was.
"Thirty percent." Mo Sigui gave the answer after careful consideration. (To be continued...)
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