Chapter 14
Talisman Drawing
Doctor Cheng said with a patched throat, “Sir, I’m a doctor. I only save people, not harm them.”
“This matter will benefit you as well.” Si Hai’s lips curled into a cold, meaningful smile. “This is what the Crown Prince asked me to convey to your country.”
Doctor Cheng pursed his lips tightly and was shocked. Everyone knew that the Eldest Prince, Chu Yi, had not been conferred the title of King. Could the Crown Prince this person was talking about be…
Kang Wang?!
Could this be someone planted by Kang Wang to harm Chu Yi?
The more Doctor Cheng thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
What shocked him even more was that Kang Wang actually knew about their stronghold in Danyang City.
Doctor Cheng clenched his hands into fists in his wide sleeves, his eyes dark.
He was not from the State of Jin, but from the State of Yue. He had been lurking in Danyang City for more than ten years.
Now, the Sage had the intention to form an alliance with Kang Wang of the State of Jin. Once the alliance was established, the State of Yue would do their best to help Kang Wang inherit the throne. After Kang Wang’s promise was fulfilled, he would help the State of Yue take down the southwestern State of Qiang.
This cooperation concerned the two countries, and there was no room for mistakes. Doctor Cheng had no choice but to be extremely cautious. He was skeptical of Si Hai’s words. With no evidence, who could prove that this person was a subordinate of Kang Wang?
Seeming to have seen through Doctor Cheng’s doubts, Si Hai continued, “The Eldest Prince is weak and sickly to begin with. He has traveled thousands of miles north and is exhausted from the long journey. It’s inevitable that he will become sick again. This is a rare opportunity.”
“When he returns to the capital, there won’t be another chance like this.”
“Can you take responsibility for delaying ‘something big’?!”
Si Hai pressured the other party.
Doctor Cheng clenched his fists even tighter, his eyes hesitant.
After a moment, he gritted his teeth in response. “I’ll have it delivered tomorrow.”
Si Hai extended his hand and made an inviting gesture. He did not continue to send the guest off and stayed behind to watch Doctor Cheng leave.
The surroundings were as quiet as a tomb. From afar, Chu Yi could be heard coughing in the back hall.
“Cough…”
“Cough, cough, cough…”
Doctor Cheng strode out. As soon as he left the Danyang Manor, he returned to the Cheng Medical Center and closed the door early.
Doctor Cheng carefully fastened the bolt and looked out through the crack in the door. Only then did he relax and walk inside. He walked through the front hall, the courtyard, and all the way to a private room at the back.
A bamboo curtain hung down, blocking the person behind it. Through the gap, he could vaguely see a man in blue sitting on the other side.
“Sixth Master.” Doctor Cheng bowed respectfully with a salute.
He did not dare to look up at the man behind the curtain. He methodically recounted what had just happened at the Danyang Manor. Finally, he said, “Sixth Master, the Jade Moon Grass is colorless and tasteless. It will make the consumer’s body weaker. Then, he will die slowly.”
“Sixth Master, do you want to add the Jade Moon Grass to Chu Yi’s medicine?”
The Jade Moon Grass was a secret medicine unique to the State of Yue. It was a slow-acting poison. The person who consumed the Jade Moon Grass would not show symptoms of poisoning, be it in appearance or pulse. Others would only think that he had been sick for a long time and was gradually hollowed out.
The blue-clothed man known as the Sixth Master casually tapped the lid of his tea, making crisp porcelain clinking sounds.
The air in the house was dry and dull, making one feel as if they would suffocate in the next moment.
Doctor Cheng maintained his bow without moving. After a while, he heard the Sixth Master ask slowly, “Is there anything special about Chu Yi’s pulse?”
Doctor Cheng carefully recalled. “Today, I checked Chu Yi’s pulse again. His pulse is like cotton in water, and his Qi is weak. It’s a weak pulse.”
“Chu Yi has always been weak…” The Sixth Master seemed to be talking to himself, his expression dark and gloomy.
Chu Yi had been in the State of Yue as a hostage for eight years. Apart from not being able to leave the capital at will, he could move freely in the city. He also often interacted with the royal family and nobles of the State of Yue. Among them, he was famous for being a gentleman.
At the beginning of the year, Emperor Mingde ascended the throne and negotiated with the Sage to release Chu Yi.
Kang Wang planned to kill Chu Yi silently after he entered the State of Jin. This matter was not a secret. The Sage’s attitude was that they would just sit back and watch the internal strife of the State of Jin.
However, Kang Wang’s plan to assassinate Chu Yi failed again and again. Chu Yi actually arrived at Danyang City safely.
The Sixth Master frowned tightly and threw out another question. “Can this pulse be faked?”
Doctor Cheng thought for a moment and asserted, “Based on my decades of experience as a doctor, Chu Yi has an ailment brought about by his mother’s womb. This pulse is difficult to fake.”
The Sixth Master lowered his eyes and smirked cynically. He thought to himself, ‘Kang Wang must be anxious. He’s afraid that Chu Yi will return to the capital and didn’t hesitate to ask them to help him deal with Chu Yi.’
Since the Sage had the intention to form an alliance with Kang Wang, this matter would not do them any harm…
The Sixth Master considered the pros and cons in his heart. He suddenly opened his eyes and emitted an ambitious and fierce glint. He said, “Give it to him.”
“I’ll go prepare now.” Doctor Cheng bowed and accepted the order, his eyes shining.
The sun was setting, but the weather showed no signs of turning cold. It was stiflingly hot.
The city was dead. There was neither wind nor insects.
Gu Yanfei looked up at the setting sun outside the window. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed half the sky red.
A suffocating feeling came from her chest. Gu Yanfei narrowed her eyes, and her dark pupils seemed to flash with blood. She whispered to herself, “There’s not much time left.”
“Meow, meow~”
The little kitten that was squatting at the table meowed softly with a cute endearment that made one’s heart tremble.
The kitten was less than two months old and was at the age of being playful. It reached out a furball-like claw to pull at the cinnabar in the porcelain bowl, but in the next moment, the flesh on the back of its neck was pinched by a few slender fingers. Immediately after, its body was lifted up.
The originally noisy kitten curled up its body obediently as if its acupuncture points had been tapped. Just like that, it was thrown into the cat bed by Gu Yanfei.
Qing Guang squatted in the cat bed, licking its paws and washing its face.
Gu Yanfei picked up a calligraphy brush and dipped it in a bright red cinnabar.
Spiritual energy poured into the tip of the brush, and the tip of the brush outlined a winding curve like an earthworm on the pale yellow talisman paper.
...
But the drawing became slower and slower…
Over the past few days, she had been drawing talismans. However, the spiritual energy in this small world was too weak. Every talisman had failed. Only the two talismans she had drawn with her blood essence on the day of her rebirth had succeeded.
She couldn’t possibly use her blood essence to draw talismans every time. She would die early!
Gu Yanfei stared intently at the tip of the brush that was dipped in cinnabar. Her eyes were sore, but she still did not blink.
The hand that held the brush was as light as a feather and yet heavier than Mount Tai.
After repeated failures, she gradually grasped how to communicate with the almost non-existent spiritual energy in the world. She learned how to turn spiritual air into spiritual energy and connect it with the cinnabar at the tip of the pen…
In the beginning, she hadn’t been able to draw even a third of a talisman. Now she was only a fraction away.