"If the Miracle Doctor's so-called consultation fee is money, I happen to have plenty," said Wei Yuzhi.
For him, money was merely one of the tools to achieve his ambitions. Over the years of managing Misty Villa within the Song territory, he had amassed a considerable amount.
Mo Sigui replied, "If you can produce something that interests me, that would be even better."
"Does the Miracle Doctor mean you'll take me as your patient?" Wei Yuzhi found it hard to believe. Would Mo Sigui really treat an advisor from an enemy state?
Mo Sigui lowered his gaze and wiped his blade. "No need to look at me like that. Whether it's the Song or the Liao, it has nothing to do with me."
"I thought that even if the Miracle Doctor lacks patriotic fervor, you would at least have the compassion of a healer." Wei Yuzhi didn’t spell it out, but everyone knew that if the Liao invaded the prosperous lands of the Song, plunder would be inevitable.
"Prosperity brings suffering to the people; collapse brings suffering to the people," Mo Sigui murmured as he tied on his face covering and lit a censer of medicinal incense.
As the curling smoke spread, the room filled with a faint, soothing fragrance. Wei Yuzhi felt his limbs growing increasingly numb—at first like the sensation of standing up too quickly after crouching for too long. After about a quarter of an hour, even that sensation gradually faded away.
Mo Sigui took a fine blade and made a light incision over Wei Yuzhi’s heart. A bead of blood instantly welled up.
Wei Yuzhi’s blood was unlike that of ordinary people—not only was it far less viscous, but its color was also unusually pale, appearing strikingly beautiful against his fair skin. Yet Mo Sigui frowned. At this rate of bleeding, the slightest mishap could lead to severe blood loss...
He paused, then turned to add another medicine to the censer. The fragrance abruptly intensified.
Wei Yuzhi felt his eyelids growing heavier. He knew Mo Sigui had gone back on his word, but he didn’t resist, allowing himself to drift into unconsciousness.
Perhaps this was the one time in Wei Yuzhi’s life he had ever indulged in recklessness—entrusting his life entirely to another, someone who might very well be his enemy.
Outside, the snow continued to fall, piling ever thicker on the ground.
Chu Dingjiang stood on the veranda for a while, watching. Once Mei Yanran had finished cleaning An Jiu, he turned and entered the room.
During the days of An Jiu’s unconsciousness, he had done everything in his power to maintain her condition as it was. Yet just now, merely nourished by Wei Yuzhi’s mental strength, her complexion had already shown improvement. This filled him with both joy and unease.
It might sound somewhat petty, but that wasn’t the case. Chu Dingjiang, reborn from the Warring States era into the Song Dynasty, believed this to be fate—and thus, he deeply trusted in the cycles of destiny. A person would not form ties with another without reason. He feared this might be fate playing yet another deeply concealed joke on him.
In his past life, he had given everything for his family, only to be abandoned and betrayed in the end. In this life, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to loving a woman. He worried that one day, the ending might mirror the past.
Holding An Jiu’s hand, Chu Dingjiang couldn’t help but laugh at himself. The once confident and strategic man had now begun fretting over intangible uncertainties.
"After all, I’ve never committed any act against heaven’s will. Surely I wouldn’t be subjected to such mockery." Chu Dingjiang reflected deeply. In the past, though everything he did was for his family, he had never truly cared about matters of the heart. He had even schemed against and harmed many of his own kin. If he had suffered retribution in the end, it was only to be expected.
But he would never treat An Jiu that way. Surely, then, he wouldn’t face betrayal from her...Chu Dingjiang sat there until nearly dawn when he heard the sound of a door opening from Mo Sigui's side.
Before he could rise, Mo Sigui had already rushed in like a whirlwind, carrying his medicine chest. Without hesitation, he flung aside the quilt covering An Jiu and began undressing her to administer acupuncture, utterly indifferent to anyone else's presence.
The sight made Chu Dingjiang's veins bulge with anger. Had he been less composed, he would have lunged forward and beaten that fellow to death right then!
Seeing An Jiu exposed like that, Chu Dingjiang choked back a surge of fury and turned to leave, lest he interfere with the treatment. But in his heart, he resolved to burn the bridge after crossing the river—once An Jiu recovered...
Mei Yanran's footsteps halted not far from him. "The Mei Shi clan has arrived."
"Tell them they're too late," Chu Dingjiang replied coolly.
Back when the Mei Shi clan had sought him out for the Control Crane Secret Records , he had demanded they personally punish Elder Zhi within a month's time.
Though the deadline was still a few days away, Chu Dingjiang was in no mood to see them now. Even if the Mei Shi clan dismembered Elder Zhi, it wouldn’t bring him the slightest satisfaction—not in his current foul state.
Mei Yanran didn’t press further and instead asked, "Is Sigui inside?"
That was the last straw! The mention of Mo Sigui churned Chu Dingjiang’s stomach with jealousy so intense it felt like acid was seeping from his mouth and nostrils.
He took a deep breath, barely steadying himself, and gave a solemn hum in response.
Unaware of the underlying tension, Mei Yanran assumed his demeanor stemmed from worry and reassured him, "She’ll be fine."
She truly believed it. Mei Jiu, after her rebirth, had flourished—harmonious with Hua Rongtian, adept at leadership, and now fully embodying the grace of a matriarch as Hua Furen. An Jiu, also reborn, shouldn’t meet such an untimely fate.
Dawn crept closer.
Finally, Mo Sigui emerged from the room.
Chu Dingjiang glanced back at him.
Mo Sigui’s eyes were bloodshot but brimming with excitement.
Chu Dingjiang knew it was the thrill of medical discovery, yet he couldn’t help but glare daggers at him.
Mo Sigui beamed. "It’s done! I can’t sense A Jiu’s mental strength, but she’s showing faint reactions—proof she’s regained consciousness."
Receiving no response, he toned down his exhilaration slightly and peered at Chu Dingjiang in the dim morning light.
The man’s face was rigid, lips pressed into a thin line, eyes boring into him as if to drill two holes through his body. Mo Sigui blinked. "What’s with that look? Shouldn’t you be happy?"
After a pause, he chuckled to himself. "Ah, you must be overjoyed! Treat me to drinks another day!"
Today marked a breakthrough in the way of medicine—a new chapter in the field. It was worth celebrating! In fact, it was the happiest he’d been in two years. Humming a tune, he headed to his room, planning to bathe and nap for an hour before checking on An Jiu and Wei Yuzhi again. He didn’t notice the icy aura freezing the air behind him.
Mei Yanran sensed Chu Dingjiang’s dark mood and found it odd—until she stepped inside. Then she understood everything. The bed was in disarray, An Jiu’s clothes strewn across the floor. Mo Sigui, of course, hadn’t bothered to redress her, merely haphazardly covering her with the quilt. The scene was... decidedly improper.She understood that Chu Dingjiang's anger must have been because the acupuncture required the removal of clothing. If he were to see this scene again...
Mei Yanran quickly lowered the curtain, swiftly cleaned up the mess on the floor, and helped An Jiu put on her clothes. By the time everything was tidied up, she realized Chu Dingjiang had already entered the room unnoticed.
Meanwhile, in a manor on the outskirts of Bianjing, the usual silence was broken due to Wei Yuzhi's disappearance.
Although his subordinates had seen his letter of departure without notice—and this wasn’t the first time he had done such a thing—they couldn’t help but worry, as his health was now extremely fragile.
Just as they were fretting, a rider arrived at the manor.
A woman wrapped in a black cloak, covered in dust from her journey, was recognized by the guards, who stepped forward to take her horse. "Miss Ru Yan."
Mei Ru Yan nodded and entered to find Song Xi.
Song Xi was Wei Yuzhi’s most capable subordinate, skilled in both martial arts and scholarship. Wei Yuzhi often entrusted him with many affairs of Misty Villa. Although Yelü Quancang had given Misty Villa to her, she didn’t even know its location and needed assistance.
"Where is the master?" Mei Ru Yan asked.
Song Xi, already anxious, was slightly startled by Mei Ru Yan’s sudden arrival. After a brief hesitation, he replied, "The master left a letter and went out."
His momentary pause made Mei Ru Yan sense something amiss. A quick thought told her it must be related to Wei Yuzhi’s health, but she feigned ignorance and took out the token Yelü Quancang had given her.
Seeing the familiar token, Song Xi immediately knelt.
Before he could speak, Mei Ru Yan said, "Rise."
The token was as good as the emperor’s presence.
Though Mei Ru Yan’s martial arts were not exceptional, she was a master of the qin, capable of killing with its music—almost as if she had inherited a fraction of their lord’s true skill. Song Xi had always been polite to her but never truly respectful. Now, he had to reassess her standing.
"The lord has entrusted Misty Villa to me," Mei Ru Yan declared.
Song Xi froze. Once the words registered, indignation surged within him. The master had poured his heart and soul into Misty Villa, only for it to be handed over to a woman for nothing!
Mei Ru Yan knew Song Xi was loyal only to Wei Yuzhi and likely held mere reverence for Yelü Quancang. To secure his cooperation, she couldn’t oppose Wei Yuzhi directly.
"The lord sent me to take over Misty Villa, but it’s really just to silence the princess," Mei Ru Yan adopted a stance of reluctance, "explaining" Yelü Quancang’s intentions to Song Xi. "The princess doesn’t want the master to return to court and manage affairs. She will stop at nothing to destroy all his influence. The lord doesn’t want the princess to grow too powerful, and considering the master’s years of dedication, he naturally couldn’t allow Misty Villa to fall. So, he sent me to take charge—though it’s only in name. My main task is still to help the master find medicine."
As Yelü Quancang’s subordinate, Misty Villa now fell under his direct jurisdiction. Even Yelü Huangwu, for all her boldness, would think twice before acting.
After hearing this, Song Xi was partly convinced, and his hostility toward her lessened somewhat.
"I often need to report to the lord. If there’s anything I don’t understand in the future, I hope Master Song won’t hesitate to guide me," Mei Ru Yan stood and cupped her hands in salute.
Song Xi quickly sidestepped the gesture. "I wouldn’t dare. It’s my duty."
Mei Ru Yan smiled and said no more.
Song Xi arranged for her accommodations and invited her to rest.
A day passed.Mo Sigui carefully examined the conditions of An Jiu and Wei Yuzhi, finding neither in serious trouble. Since An Jiu wasn't in any danger, Mo Sigui focused most of his attention on Wei Yuzhi. (To be continued...)
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