Doctors and patients inevitably have physical contact, and Chu Dingjiang naturally disliked it, though not to an intolerable extent. Even when he witnessed An Jiu being close to Hua Rongjian last time, he wasn’t particularly bothered. But now, merely seeing Wei Yuzhi holding her hand stirred an uncontrollable restlessness in his heart, as if someone were trying to carve out a piece of his flesh. It made him question his own decision.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have allowed Wei Yuzhi to get close to An Jiu.
Though this thought crossed his mind, his body remained motionless, his expression unchanged.
Love is selfish, yet it is also selfless. Emotionally, Chu Dingjiang would rather An Jiu remain lying like this forever than have another man occupy her thoughts. Yet, he was also willing to pay any price to save her, even if it meant losing her.
Mo Sigui knew of Chu Dingjiang’s protectiveness over An Jiu and understood his inner conflict. Seeing that he didn’t step forward to intervene, Mo Sigui inwardly admired him as a true man.
Wei Yuzhi carefully probed with his mental strength for a long time. When he withdrew his hand, fine beads of sweat had already formed at his temples.
Noticing this, Mo Sigui frowned and stepped forward to take his pulse. Several strands of mental strength and true energy instantly permeated his meridians.
After a long while, Mo Sigui exhaled deeply, his expression grave. After a moment of silence, he said, “Master Wei, we need to talk.”
“No need. I know what you want to say.” Wei Yuzhi stared at An Jiu’s thin, pale face. “My body can’t withstand another stab to the heart, but since I’ve come, I won’t go back on my word.”
Wei Yuzhi had thoroughly researched Mo Sigui and knew exactly what kind of person he was.
As a doctor, Mo Sigui had strong medical ethics and would inform patients of critical conditions. But he was even more obsessed with the way of medicine. Faced with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for exploration, he would inform Wei Yuzhi, but regardless of the latter’s final decision, he wouldn’t let the chance slip.
“Speaking with a wise man saves effort. How refreshing.” Mo Sigui said cheerfully, “Then I’ll go prepare! We’ll draw blood soon—don’t worry, you won’t die!”
Mo Sigui rushed out as if fueled by adrenaline.
The room fell into silence.
“Master Wei is willing to sacrifice his lifespan to save A Jiu. On her behalf, I thank you,” Chu Dingjiang said.
Wei Yuzhi turned his head. His handsome face was calm, his eyes unreadable. “No need. I also have a request.”
Chu Dingjiang raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Exchange it for Gu Jinghong’s blood,” Wei Yuzhi said.
Chu Dingjiang was inwardly surprised—this was unexpected. He had assumed Wei Yuzhi, a proud strategist, wouldn’t agree to trade his own blood for the Liao emperor’s life-saving medicine. Yet Wei Yuzhi had personally proposed it.
“I had the same intention,” Chu Dingjiang paused before asking, “Even without this method, couldn’t Master Wei obtain the medicine?”
Wei Yuzhi shook his head. “Even if the medicine were in your hands, I’m confident I could reclaim it—though it would waste much time. My lord cannot wait, and neither can I. As for Mei Shisi…”
He sighed faintly. “If my life were longer, I would certainly compete with you for her. But what use is winning now? I don’t have the time to grow old with her. Besides, a few drops of blood can’t win someone’s heart.”
Since the first half of his life had been devoted entirely to strategy, he might as well use his remaining time to accomplish one final thing—leaving no regrets. As for matters of the heart…"I relinquish the chance to leave a mark in her heart. That is the fullest extent of my love for her." Wei Yuzhi rose from the bedside, casting a deep glance at An Jiu before turning to leave.
"I wish you success in your grand endeavors, Master Wei." Chu Dingjiang's words came from the heart. He held great respect for strategists like Wei Yuzhi.
Only now did Chu Dingjiang realize that what he had lost to Zhang Yi and Xishou was not intellect—in terms of strategy, Xishou might not even surpass him. It was simply that there would always be something more important to him than ambition.
Shang Yang lived and died for his dreams—something Chu Dingjiang could never do. In his past life, it was for his family; in this life, it was for a woman.
What a person values most defines their vision and breadth of mind.
Shedding the last remnants of pride and reluctance, Chu Dingjiang acknowledged that in this lifetime, he could at best be an untethered wanderer roaming the rivers and lakes with his wife.
Outside, snowflakes drifted sparsely.
Wei Yuzhi stood on the corridor, sensing Chu Dingjiang's approach without turning. "Master Chu, what a waste of your formidable intellect."
Chu Dingjiang replied calmly, "What life is free of waste? Better to waste intellect than to fail one's wife. At least intellect won't grieve, and neither will I."
Wei Yuzhi turned to study him, struck by his unburdened and free-spirited demeanor. "Not even a trace of regret?"
Chu Dingjiang smiled without answering.
Once, it had been more than regret—he had even felt the heavens were unjust, believing his lack of achievement stemmed from missed opportunities. Recalling those naive and self-assured thoughts, his smile deepened.
There is no shame in having once been foolish—only in remaining foolish without realizing it.
"Master Wei, let us begin!" Mo Sigui leaned out from the window.
Ever since Chu Dingjiang had mentioned Wei Yuzhi's arrival, Mo Sigui had prepared all the medicinal ingredients and tools. Now, it was only a matter of arranging them for immediate use, requiring little additional time.
Wei Yuzhi's gaze drifted past Chu Dingjiang's shoulder, lingering briefly on the room behind him before he strode toward Mo Sigui.
Mo Sigui's chamber remained thick with smoke and the pungent scent of medicine. The center, once cluttered with herbs, had been cleared to make space for a low couch, beside which a small table held an array of knives, silver needles, and vials.
As Wei Yuzhi settled onto the couch, Mo Sigui tossed a knife into a medicinal solution for sterilization. "Though you are generally aware of the procedure, I must still explain some details."
"Speak freely, Miracle Doctor," Wei Yuzhi said.
Mo Sigui gave him a sidelong glance. "With your scholarly demeanor, you seem like a bookworm—hardly the scheming type. No wonder you've wandered the martial world unnoticed by most."
Wei Yuzhi curved his lips. "You flatter me, Miracle Doctor."
Even this meaningless smile carried an air of scholarly refinement, making him appear gentle and harmless—far from the ruthless, cunning figure he truly was.
Mo Sigui smirked and resumed his earlier topic. "You must know what heart blood entails, so a wound to the chest is unavoidable. However, I will minimize the incision."
Wei Yuzhi listened, then said, "I have one request."
"Speak. I will accommodate if possible." Mo Sigui wiped the silver needles one by one.
"I wish to remain conscious," Wei Yuzhi stated.Mo Sigui paused his movements. "I believe someone with your self-control won't interfere with my blood extraction, but I must remind you—even if you faint, you might not be completely numb to the pain. If we only use local anesthesia, I'm afraid... As a doctor, I must advise you to reconsider."
The wound from extracting blood near the heart would be too deep; even Mo Sigui couldn't guarantee the effectiveness of local anesthesia. Pain was one thing, but the true horror lay in experiencing one's own chest being cut open.
Seeing Wei Yuzhi's resolute gaze, Mo Sigui immediately abandoned his principles. "Fine, since you insist, I'll follow your wishes. At least I tried to dissuade you."
"Hmm." Mo Sigui continued, "There are risks with blood extraction. What if—"
Wei Yuzhi interrupted, "I trust in Miraculous Doctor Mo."
As Mo Sigui rolled up his sleeves to wash his hands in the medicine basin, he suddenly chuckled at these words. "Ahaha, you're really putting pressure on me, but I like it. Strip!"
Wei Yuzhi silently untied his robe, revealing his upper body.
Mo Sigui glanced over—it wasn't as pitiful as he'd imagined.
Wei Yuzhi had a naturally broad frame; even a starved camel was larger than a horse. Though long-term illness had left him gaunt, he didn't appear overly frail. However, his body was covered in brutal scars, creating a stark contrast with his refined, scholarly face.
"What happened with these injuries?" Mo Sigui frowned at the dense scars over his heart.
He had no sympathy to spare for a man, but normal skin had elasticity, making wounds easier to suture. Scarred skin lost this advantage, becoming difficult to work with.
Faced with the evidence, Mo Sigui felt compelled to identify the bastard who'd ruined his "specimen."
"Most are from childhood." Wei Yuzhi touched a fresher scar. "This one was left by Mei Shisi."
Come to think of it, he still carried something from her... this scar.
Mo Sigui nodded with a "she really is a bastard" expression. "Lie down."
Though braziers warmed the room, Wei Yuzhi's weakened constitution made him more susceptible to cold than most. Bare-chested, the chill seeped into him, sharpening his awareness.
"Logically, with proper training, you shouldn't have deteriorated to this state. I'm rather curious—how did you manage this?" Mo Sigui asked.
Wei Yuzhi lay on the couch, offering no reply, his expression blank as he stared at the ceiling beams.
His father had been a military officer of the Song Dynasty, convicted on false charges. While his father was sentenced to beheading, the rest of the family was exiled.
For women and children, the distant, desolate exile destination was practically a death sentence. Coming from a military family, both the women and children were physically stronger than ordinary folk. Had that incident not occurred, his mother and sister might have survived.
During their exile, a group of soldiers, coveting his mother and sister's beauty, assaulted them. Unable to bear the humiliation, the two hanged themselves in the stable beams of a relay station.
He would never forget the rat-infested prison cells, the lecherous gazes those men had directed at his mother and sister, or that morning when he awoke by a haystack to find their disheveled corpses.At that time, his mind was under immense stress, and his mental strength suddenly erupted, killing everyone in the post station.
For Wei Yuzhi, the decaying Great Song Dynasty should not be allowed to linger on! His hatred could not be quelled simply by killing his enemies!
Originally, his meridians were simply unsuitable for martial arts—his body had been perfectly healthy. But after enduring years of suffering during his exile, coupled with the severe damage inflicted by his suddenly overwhelming mental strength, his body never fully recovered.
Wei Yuzhi pressed his lips together slightly. Only when he felt Mo Sigui applying a cool liquid to his chest did he finally speak up, "Miraculous Doctor Mo, how much longer do I have to live?"
"After drawing blood this time, you’ll lose two more years. And originally, you only had four or five years left," Mo Sigui stated bluntly, unafraid of discouraging his patient—because his next words offered Wei Yuzhi some comfort. "But that was before meeting me. As long as you can afford my fees, I can extend your life by a few more years." (To be continued...)
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