The "Junzi Gu" (Gentleman's Gu) is a poison, yet it can cause one's internal energy to increase without limit in a short period of time.
For those who lack martial arts skills, being infected with Junzi Gu simply means falling into a permanent sleep due to its toxic nature, becoming no different from a living corpse. However, for those who are skilled in martial arts, when they feel something is wrong and try to use their internal energy to expel the poison, it immediately leads to a surge of energy that cannot be controlled. Eventually, the internal energy overwhelms the meridians, causing the person to explode into dust, leaving no remains.
Therefore, Mei Lin is truly a miracle. This is what the bald-headed healer said. But when he learned that Mei Lin's martial arts had been crippled in the past, he thought it might have been a blessing in disguise.
When she was in the Dark Factory, she was already exposed to various poisons, and her body developed resistance to them. Even deadly poisons that act upon contact could be resisted to some extent, giving her time to find an antidote. The Junzi Gu wouldn't kill her, and its toxic nature wasn't much of a threat. Moreover, at that time, she had no internal energy, so the Junzi Gu had no place to take effect, allowing her to barely coexist with the Gu.
However, the Junzi Gu itself has the function of stimulating the meridians, and since she had once practiced martial arts, her meridians were unobstructed. Thus, a new internal energy different from the original began to develop within her.
If this internal energy couldn't be controlled, it would still be life-threatening. The bald-headed healer explained the situation with the Junzi Gu to Mei Lin and concluded by saying that controlling the internal energy was beyond his ability, so she would have to figure it out herself. Perhaps the process of nurturing the jade would inspire her.
Mei Lin's desire to survive was stronger than most, so she took these words to heart.
At exactly noon, the jade nurturing began.
A reclining chair padded with thick soft fabric, a recessed hand rest, a purple bamboo dish for the jade, and a wooden basin.
Mei Lin reclined in the chair, covered with a warm blanket, her left hand resting on the hand rest slightly lower than the chair, her palm just covering the jade in the bamboo dish. The part of the wooden stand under the bamboo dish was hollow, connected to the wooden basin.
The bald-headed healer made a cut in her palm and applied some unknown medicine, causing the blood to flow continuously without coagulating, gradually soaking the jade below. At the same time, Mei Lin, following his instructions, began channeling her internal energy, which flowed endlessly into the jade, just like her blood.
An hour later, the green jade had turned into a translucent deep red. The bald-headed healer removed it and placed it into another purple bamboo box, stopped Mei Lin's bleeding, and gave her a bowl of strange-tasting medicinal soup to drink, after which she fell into a deep sleep. At midnight, the process was repeated.
Twice a day, at noon and midnight, she nurtured the jade. Only during these times was Mei Lin awake. The rest of the time, she lay in the chair, drowsy, and was fed medicinal soup three times a day, without eating a single grain of rice.
This continued for seven days. During these seven days, Murong Jing He came to check on her, but the bald-headed healer blocked him at the door. On the other hand, when Qing Yan came alone, he was allowed to see her. Why the healer favored one over the other, he didn't explain, leaving Murong Jing He feeling frustrated and even developing a dislike for Qing Yan, occasionally finding excuses to lash out at him. Qing Yan was helpless but had to continue caring for her, just in case something went wrong. After being refused a few times, Murong Jing He eventually stopped visiting. When Qing Yan reported to him, he pretended to be uninterested, though he was secretly very attentive.
At this time, a scout reported back that the situation in the southwest was dire. Muye Luo Mei had suffered three consecutive defeats at the hands of Nanyue's strange arts and had retreated to Qingcheng. The court was in a state of panic, and some even suggested surrendering and moving the capital. In the end, the Emperor Yanzong took the advice of Minister You and once again issued a decree summoning Murong Jing He to the capital to discuss strategies for dealing with the rebels.
Murong Jing He, on one hand, wrote to the court stating that he was in the critical stage of his treatment and couldn't leave, subtly suggesting that the veteran general Yang Zexing from Cangdao could be sent to replace him at Muye Luo Mei. On the other hand, he ordered his men to gather detailed intelligence on the situation in the southwest, particularly the temperament and tactics of the enemy generals, as well as the specifics of Muye Luo Mei's three defeats.
After the mysterious disappearance of the Cangzhong King, his army was divided into several units and incorporated under different generals. Only one unit remained under his descendants, hidden in the wilderness, and was later recruited two dynasties later, becoming known as Cangdao. The Cangdao army was known for its prowess in battle and had contributed greatly to the Da Yan dynasty's military strength. However, they were independent and fiercely resisted outsiders, making it impossible for the court to insert their own generals into the ranks. By the current dynasty, with fewer border wars and the emergence of outstanding young generals like Murong Jing He, the Cangdao army had not been utilized and even began to decline due to lack of resources. Nonetheless, in the hearts of Da Yan's generals, the Cangdao army still represented the strongest military force, holding an unassailable position.
But Yang Zexing was old now. Moreover, after decades away from the battlefield, could the Cangdao army still be as sharp?
Murong Jing He looked at the blooming red plum outside the window, his hand trembling slightly as he placed a white stone on the Go board, without even looking at it, letting it fall amidst the black stones. The stone landed with a steady and firm sound. With that one move, the once menacing black stones immediately crumbled, while the white stones, seemingly about to be overwhelmed, now dominated the board.
Murong Jing He frowned slightly, impatiently scattering the Go pieces and leaning against the window frame. He found the game increasingly boring and couldn't understand how that woman could play it all day. Maybe when he recovered, he could take her to Nanyue. Xiyan could work too.
As he was lost in thought, Qing Yan entered, carrying a purple bamboo box containing a black stone, with the bald-headed healer following behind.
As they approached, he saw that the stone wasn't truly black but a deep red, almost black, with translucent veins inside, as if something was slowly flowing within it.
Murong Jing He didn't need to think to know it was the meridian jade. He remained leaning against the window, watching them approach, without moving. He already knew the outcome, and his heart felt nothing.
"Can I see her now?" he asked coldly. If it weren't for the fact that he still needed the bald-headed healer's treatment, he would have kicked him out of the mansion long ago.
The bald-headed healer glanced at him, tapped the meridian jade in Qing Yan's hand with his pipe, and sneered, "You officials aren't as honest as us country folk. The prince clearly…"
Murong Jing He's face darkened at his words.
Seeing the situation turning bad, Qing Yan hastily interrupted, "Your Highness, Miss Mei Lin has just taken her medicine and fallen asleep. Perhaps it would be better to let the divine healer continue his treatment, and I'll arrange to have Miss moved here." He stepped between them as he spoke.
"If you want that foolish girl dead, go ahead and move her!" The bald-headed healer wasn't angry at being interrupted, but he was infuriated by the implication of Qing Yan's words.
"Divine healer…" Qing Yan turned, wanting to ask for an explanation for why she couldn't be moved.
The bald-headed healer waved him off impatiently, "Move her, move her if you want… Anyway, you all don't seem to care much about other people's lives."
Qing Yan awkwardly hesitated, but then he heard Murong Jing He say, "Forget it." After a pause, his tone softened with no trace of displeasure, "When I'm able to walk, I'll go see her myself."
Qing Yan slowly exhaled, relieved that he no longer had to be caught in the middle.
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