"Where's the medicine?" An Jiu was still more concerned about this issue.
Mo Sigui flicked the stray hair from his forehead and raised his chin proudly, "How could anyone snatch something from Mo Sigui's hands!"
"In that case, stay with us recently. That person will definitely come again," An Jiu said.
Yet Mo Sigui showed no tension at all. "No matter. The medicine box contains some pills made from Gu Jinghong's dispersed blood. Even if my master were resurrected, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference from heart blood. Only after taking it for a while and observing the effects could it be confirmed."
"Your apothecary's apprentice..." Chu Dingjiang wanted to say that the apprentice was likely doomed but didn't spell it out. His intention was merely to test Mo Sigui, not to confirm the matter.
"An apprentice assigned by the Crane Control Army—whether he lives or dies depends on his own ability." The implication in his words was that he didn't care at all about the child's life.
Chu Dingjiang pressed, "Really no need to save him?"
Mo Sigui hesitated for a moment before replying, "If you have time, lend a hand. If not, forget it."
He refused to owe Chu Dingjiang a favor for the sake of a mere apprentice.
"Whether I have time or not is up to you." With that, Chu Dingjiang dropped the subject.
Seeing Mo Sigui's indifferent, almost heartless expression, An Jiu concluded that he truly was that callous.
In truth, even Mo Sigui himself believed so. He even fell asleep quickly that night, sinking into a deep slumber, trapped in dreams all night.
He returned to the cellar in Plum Blossom Village, where Elder Qi lay before him, covered in blood. The old man's voice echoed in his ears, each word and sentence crystal clear.
"Si Gui, do not betray the meaning of 'qing'."
Do not betray the meaning of 'qing'...
Qing...
Mo Sigui repeated the word over and over until his vision blurred. Then he saw countless trivial moments of learning medicine from Elder Qi. Mo Sigui had always remembered his teachings on the way of medicine most clearly, yet these small things seemed never to have been etched into his memory. In the dream, however, they were clearer than ever before.
Long as dreams may be, they always have an end.
In the dawn light, Elder Qi leaned on his cane, smiling at him with eyes full of affection, expectation, and deep concern.
"Since you're dead, rest in peace. Stop worrying needlessly..."
Mo Sigui muttered to himself and woke to blinding light. In his daze, he actually saw someone standing before him, the intense backlight casting their face into shadow.
After his eyes adjusted slightly, he recognized An Jiu.
"You're crying," she said with undisguised curiosity.
Mo Sigui touched his face—it was indeed wet with tears. He froze for a few breaths before offering a flimsy excuse: "The sunlight must be too harsh."
"Chu Dingjiang said the Liao Kingdom is desperate for Gu Jinghong's heart blood. Whether the medicine in the box is real or not, they'll use the apprentice to threaten you. He told you not to worry." An Jiu grew even more curious. "Do you actually care about that apprentice? You even cried secretly. You never cried for Lou Mingyue."
"Wipe that exaggerated look off your face!" Mo Sigui snorted.
"I've interacted with many psychologists and know a bit about this," An Jiu analyzed earnestly. "If you suppress yourself like this, you'll soon become depressed."
Mo Sigui glared. "So I should vent randomly like you and end up a lunatic?!"
Swish!An arrow sliced through the air with a sharp whistle before embedding itself into the bed plank right in front of Mo Sigui with a loud thwack.
Chu Dingjiang strode in, gripping the Dragon Subduing Bow. Though he remained silent, his gaze was filled with unmistakable threat.
"See, you admit you're suppressing your emotions," An Jiu remarked calmly, completely ignoring the tension in the air as she delivered her conclusion.
Mo Sigui's face darkened. He sprang up from the bed, glaring furiously at the pair before him. "You two are truly a match made in heaven!" he spat through gritted teeth.
Equally insufferable!
Grabbing his robe and shoes, Mo Sigui stormed out in a huff.
With remarkable lack of tact, An Jiu called after him, "You'd be safer staying with us."
"I'd be more comfortable anywhere but here!" Mo Sigui retorted, hastily tying his robe as he hurried away.
He made his way straight to Lou Xiaowu's tent.
Inside, Xiao Wu was carefully packing sulfur and saltpeter into a sealed tube before taking aim from a distance with her crossbow.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion filled the tent with thick smoke.
Mo Sigui barely managed to scramble out in time. Moments later, Lou Xiaowu emerged from the billowing smoke, her face blackened with soot that made the whites of her eyes stand out starkly. She blinked her almond-shaped eyes a few times and wiped away tears with her sleeve. "Brother Mo, you're up late today," she said, exhaling a puff of smoke.
Ah! In the past, Mo Sigui would have avoided Lou Xiaowu at all costs. But compared to those two annoying individuals, she suddenly seemed positively adorable.
Truly, a person's standards get lowered bit by bit in adverse circumstances...
Mo Sigui was in a foul mood.
"The explosive crossbow gave me an idea—I want to see if I can develop other weapons," Lou Xiaowu explained enthusiastically. Having witnessed the devastating power of the Raging Crossbow, she'd become obsessed. After seeing such destructive force, researching ordinary swords and bows just didn't excite her anymore.
She rubbed her chubby cheeks vigorously and sighed wistfully. "If only I had a furnace for smelting metal!"
Chu Dingjiang approached. "What do you need a furnace for?"
"I want to try making a smaller version of the Raging Crossbow—something that can fit in your palm." Despite the complexity of her thoughts, Lou Xiaowu's innocent baby face remained guileless.
An Jiu peeked out from behind Chu Dingjiang's broad frame—his imposing stature had completely concealed her presence until now. "I think that's a brilliant idea," she chimed in suddenly, startling both Mo Sigui and Lou Xiaowu.
Lou Xiaowu quickly recovered. "Shi Si, you're here too!"
The encouragement instantly made An Jiu seem ten times more likable in her eyes.
Mo Sigui turned away, preferring not to look at what irritated him.
An Jiu stepped forward. "Maybe I can help you."
Wasn't Lou Xiaowu essentially describing firearms? While An Jiu couldn't claim expertise in everything, she had every type of firearm's structure and mechanics memorized. With someone skilled in weapon crafting assisting, they might actually have a chance at creating one!
"You two carry on," Chu Dingjiang said before turning. "Miraculous Doctor Mo, let's talk."
"I've got nothing to say to you," Mo Sigui grumbled.
"If it weren't necessary, I wouldn't bother either," Chu Dingjiang replied.
Mo Sigui shot him a sidelong glance, then watched as Chu Dingjiang walked toward the rear of the camp. After a brief hesitation, he followed, muttering, "If you dare lay a hand on me again, I'll fight you to the death!"
Without turning around, Chu Dingjiang responded, "Don't worry, I have no desire to keep lowering myself to your level."
"Tch!"Arriving at an open area, Chu Dingjiang expanded his Mental strength outward to confirm there were no others before speaking again, "With me nearby, the person coveting the Heart blood will act with greater caution and deliberation. Catching them won't be easy. In the coming days, I'll pretend to leave." (To be continued...)
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