Gu Jinghong asked, "Can the remaining half still be used as medicine?"
Hearing this question, Mo Sigui understood his intent. "You want to drag that person down with you in death."
It wasn't that he owed An Jiu any great favor—it was simply that such precious blood would be wasted if discarded, so he might as well give it to someone at random.
The heart blood of a medicine man was the most crucial ingredient in a life-extending medicine.
Mo Sigui guessed that someone's life was hanging by a thread, requiring such a tonic to survive.
Receiving no answer, Mo Sigui continued, "The remaining half of the blood still has medicinal properties, though its effects are much weaker. Moreover, since I've administered other medicines to you, even if someone extracts your heart blood for medicine later, it would compromise the tonic's efficacy."
"Would this compromise be beneficial or harmful to the patient?" Gu Jinghong inquired.
Mo Sigui shook his head. "Without examining the patient, I won't speculate. What benefits you might be miraculously effective for them—or it could be deadly poison."
Gu Jinghong had no intention of leaving that person even a sliver of hope, even at his own expense. "Then, Miracle Doctor, please take all the blood."
"Very well." Mo Sigui closed his folding fan and stood. "I need to make preparations. Return here after sunset."
"Miracle Doctor," Gu Jinghong said, "if I describe the patient's symptoms, could you poison my blood?"
"What you propose is tempting, but..." Mo Sigui fell silent for a long moment before replying, "Doing so would invite endless calamity. Extracting heart blood already creates enmity—directly killing that person would surely bring a blood feud. If I were alone in this world, I might attempt it, but I still have unfinished business."
Gu Jinghong was perceptive. "You mean if someone comes seeking the heart blood, you'll hand it over?"
"Ha! Such cowardice isn't my style!" Mo Sigui declared matter-of-factly. "Of course I wouldn't surrender the heart blood, but I am quite interested in that patient."
Someone who needed to raise a medicine man for heart blood must be suffering from an extraordinarily rare, incurable disease—precisely the kind of case that fascinated Mo Sigui.
Gu Jinghong smiled faintly. "If Miracle Doctor Mo were a man without country or family, you could save whomever you wish. What happens afterward is none of my concern."
Mo Sigui's expression darkened, his gaze turning cold. "You're from Liao."
"An enemy of Liao," Gu Jinghong corrected.
"Good." Mo Sigui's grip on his Ice Dragon Brain fan handle tightened until his knuckles turned white. "The old man died at Liao hands. I won't go seeking revenge, but any Liao people I encounter—I'll kill them all!"
Gu Jinghong laughed. "Excellent! We're of one mind."
Next door.
An Jiu suddenly awoke, her heart pounding violently.
How terrifying! She'd actually fallen into deep sleep! Aside from unconsciousness from severe injury, this almost never happened to her!
Swallowing nervously, she pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.
For ordinary people, deep sleep was perfectly normal, but for an assassin, it could be fatal—enemies might come at any moment. Currently in the Crane Control Institute, An Jiu was unlikely to be targeted, but if this became a habit, it would spell disaster!After returning to normal, she climbed out of the slightly cool water and wrapped herself in a thick cotton robe from the screen. While drying her hair, she sensed something odd about Mo Sigui's room. When she probed with her mental strength, it was like encountering mist—unable to clearly discern the situation inside.
Could something have happened?
An Jiu quickly threw on her outer robe, concealed a few hidden weapons on her person, grabbed a dagger, and used a cloth to muffle the door hinges as she opened it. Light as a feather, she leaped onto the roof beam and, using the same method, opened the window above Mo Sigui's room.
The candlelight flickered, and An Jiu saw only Mo Sigui bustling about alone inside, surrounded by strange brocade pouches scattered across the floor.
Seizing the moment when Mo Sigui turned to fetch something, she dropped down from the beam, bent to pick up a pouch, and casually opened it.
"Ah!" Mo Sigui turned back and jumped at the sight of An Jiu standing there. "Appearing out of nowhere like a ghost!"
As soon as he spoke, he noticed the pouch in An Jiu's hand and snatched it back. "Keep your hands to yourself! How dare you touch things in my room? Don’t blame me if the medicine kills you!"
"You're here—it won’t kill me," An Jiu replied, tucking the dagger into her belt and sitting at the table to watch him fiddle with bottles and jars. "What are you being so secretive about?"
An Jiu's gaze was piercing. Mo Sigui grew increasingly uncomfortable under her stare and finally crossed his arms to glare back. "You weren’t like this before!"
"Like what?" An Jiu asked.
Mo Sigui narrowed his eyes. "Before, if I said two extra words to you, you’d kick me into the lake. If I raised a hand at you, you’d break my arm. Now you’re rummaging through my things without a care?"
An Jiu met his gaze expressionlessly. "First, if I’m about to be poisoned, I’ll kill you first. Second... I trust you."
Mo Sigui fell silent. After a long pause, he waved his hand irritably. "Stop confessing to me. Let me tell you, I’m not as easily fooled as that big oaf Chu Dingjiang!"
"Big oaf? Is that how you really see him?" An Jiu looked incredulous. Just how had Chu Dingjiang presented himself in front of him?
"Hmph!" Mo Sigui ignored her and went back to sorting the items he needed for blood extraction.
"Are those talismans?" An Jiu pointed at the pouches on the floor. Earlier, when she opened one, she had seen yellow paper with cinnabar writing inside.
Without looking up, Mo Sigui said, "Yeah, took me three whole days to make them! Wasted my time, which is more precious than gold! So keep your paws off and don’t ruin them."
An Jiu asked, "I meant—why are you making these talismans?"
"They’re soundproofing charms. Of course, these scribbles alone aren’t enough. They need to be paired with the room’s layout so outsiders can’t hear conversations inside."
"Being this cautious—what shady business are you up to lately?" An Jiu inquired with concern.
Mo Sigui hissed and planted his hands on his hips. "You’ve got a foul mouth! What do you mean, 'shady business'?"
An Jiu thought for a moment. "Conspiracy?"
"Hopeless!" Mo Sigui sighed heavily, organizing items into his medicine chest as he grumbled, "Can’t you be a little more upright in your thoughts? All you spout is nonsense. It’s not that you don’t know proper words—you’re just foul-mouthed!"
"Petty." An Jiu frowned. "I just asked a question. If you don’t want to answer, don’t. Why waste words? You’re the one asking for a beating."
"Who’s petty?" Mo Sigui snapped.An Jiu furrowed her brows even deeper. "Could it be petty jealousy?"
Mo Sigui deflated and waved his hand dismissively. "I'm done playing with you. Go find somewhere fun to be instead of just annoying me here."
An Jiu remained seated as immovable as a mountain.
"Why are you still here?" Mo Sigui had already packed up his things and was surprised to see her still present.
"Are you okay?" An Jiu expressed genuine concern. "You just told me to go somewhere fun, and now you've forgotten already?"
"..."
An Jiu added very seriously, "This is the fun place." (To be continued...)
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