As the head of the Medicine Valley, she knew better than anyone what that poison meant. The Secrets of Medicine recorded that among the ten deadliest poisons in the world—Red-Crested Crane Poison, Peacock Bile, Black Spider Venom, Corrupting Flesh Paste, Rainbow Fungus, Green Silkworm Eggs, Viper Saliva, Nux Vomica, and White Yam Sprouts—none were more lethal than the Seven-Star Begonia. This poison was colorless, odorless, and undetectable, even to the most cautious of people. The victim would die with a peaceful smile on their face, as if in serene joy.
It was a poison that first destroyed the heart and brain, then the body itself, and there was no cure!
She couldn’t speak, her mind went blank, and her hands instinctively tightened, as if afraid that if she let go, the person before her would disappear.
"You’re too naïve… The Holy Leader never planned to let me live from the start," Tong said, his voice strained as he tried to remain calm. "Negotiating with him is like bargaining with a tiger. Don’t concern yourself with me anymore—find a way to escape. Miao Shui promised she would help you leave safely."
Miao Shui? Xue Zi Ye looked up at him, a faint, complicated smile playing on her lips.
That woman was impossible to read, a mystery unto herself. And yet, just like herself, Tong was naïve enough to believe in her promises—or perhaps, they simply had no other choice.
"Little… Sister Xiao Ye." Tong struggled to say the name that had been forgotten for twelve years. "Don’t worry about me. You must find a way to leave this place—it’s too dangerous here. I deserve everything that’s happened to me; I’m not worth your effort."
"That’s nonsense! No matter what you or anyone else has done, I will never leave you… as long as I still have breath." Xue Zi Ye closed her eyes briefly, as if making a resolute decision. "Ming Jie, don’t worry—I have a plan."
She lit a small firestick, took out a pouch of herbs she carried with her, and gently pressed on his shoulder. "Sit down. Let me take a look at your eyes."
He sat down in silence, allowing her to examine his eyes and the wounds all over his body. He didn’t notice what she was doing, or even realize that she was gradually sealing the eight key acupoints in his body, leaving him unable to move. All he did was try to open his eyes as wide as possible, desperately trying to see her face. Twelve years had passed… after tonight, perhaps he would never see her again.
He wanted so much to see her clearly, the way she looked now—yet, cruelly, his eyes could no longer see.
Xue Zi Ye examined him in silence for a long time, then stood up. "Wait here. I’ll be right back."
Tong smiled bitterly in the darkness—what could she possibly do? Even her master’s master couldn’t cure this poison.
Outside the dark prison, the eternal snow of Kunlun’s shadowed slopes gleamed white, never melting.
As soon as Xue Zi Ye opened the iron door, the snowlight flooded in, and she saw the blue-robed woman not far away, walking her mastiff.
"Already done so soon, Master Xue?" Miao Shui turned around with surprise, smiling. "I thought you would have more to say, reunited after all this time."
Xue Zi Ye stood at the prison door, staring at Miao Shui for a moment before holding out her hand. "Give me the key."
"The key?" Miao Shui’s eyes widened, her hand on the growling mastiff.
"The key to the golden chains," Xue Zi Ye said firmly, extending her hand. "Give it to me."
Miao Shui looked at her in shock, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Master Xue, don’t you think your request is a bit unreasonable? Why should I give it to you? Tong is a traitor—helping you would mean betraying the Holy Leader!"
"Cut the games," Xue Zi Ye interrupted coldly. "I know you want to kill the Holy Leader."
It was as if an arrow had pierced through her. Miao Shui’s laughter abruptly stopped as she stared at Xue Zi Ye, her gaze sharp and dangerous.
"I can’t cure the Seven-Star Begonia, but I won’t let Ming Jie die like a chained dog—give me the key, and I will help you kill that old monster," Xue Zi Ye said, her face expressionless. "Tomorrow."
Miao Shui studied her for a moment, her gaze hard, then her eyes softened, and she smiled. "Bold. Are you confident?"
"I’m more capable than you are at getting close to him," Xue Zi Ye said icily, still holding out her hand. "I must avenge Ming Jie, avenge the Mojia clan! Give me the key—I will cooperate with you."
Miao Shui hesitated for a moment, then with a flick of her hand, a string of golden keys landed in Xue Zi Ye’s palm. "Take it."
It doesn’t matter, Miao Shui thought. Tong is already poisoned with the Seven-Star Begonia and won’t survive the month. What harm is there in making a temporary concession? Once the Holy Leader is dead, I’ll deal with the two of them afterward.
"Alright," Xue Zi Ye gripped the key and nodded. "Wait for me. I’ll come back and we’ll discuss the details."
* * *
She’s back!
As soon as the iron door to the prison opened again, the man in the cage lit up with joy.
She had only been gone a short while, but for him, it felt like an eternity had passed in the darkness. The despair of that endless blackness had almost drained him of the will to live.
He wanted to stand up and greet her, but the chains held him down, and the golden collar around his neck tightened, choking him.
"Ming Jie, sit down," Xue Zi Ye’s voice was calm as she gently pressed his shoulder. "Let me check your wounds."
He quietly sat down, obedient and compliant. His entire body ached from his wounds, and the poison continued to invade him bit by bit, but with an astonishing willpower, he clenched his teeth, refusing to make a sound. It was as if even the slightest noise would shatter the peacefulness of this moment. Every second spent like this felt incredibly precious.
For years, they had been separated, strangers passing by one another without recognition;
and now, after surviving near-death experiences, they had met again, only to face an imminent and permanent farewell.
Tong remained silent, simply sitting there, savoring the fleeting peace and beauty of this moment. The bloodlust and murderous intent that had filled his heart for so many years faded like mist. For once, he wasn’t thinking about killing or revenge. All he wanted was to sit there, without speaking, and quietly die by her side.
But Xue Zi Ye didn’t stop for a moment. She secured the small torch to the iron bars, dipped her hands in medicinal ointment, and began applying it quickly to his wounds.
The prison was too cold. She started coughing intermittently, her breath faint and hollow.
“Bear with it.” After applying medicine to his wounds, Xue Zi Ye’s hands moved to his head, pressing gently around his brow and temples. Suddenly, with a swift flick of her wrist, four silver needles flashed in the dim light and pierced deeply into his skull!
She sealed the temples and the Tianyin acupuncture points, the needles plunging two inches deep, yet Tong, despite the excruciating pain, didn’t utter a single sound.
“Open your eyes,” came her soft command beside his ear. He opened his eyes in the darkness.
He still couldn’t see anything… The poison had completely blinded him.
Yet, as soon as he opened his eyes, something warm and moist touched them—gently probing his blind eyes.
“No!” Tong was shocked, instinctively wanting to recoil, but his body was already paralyzed, and he couldn’t even make a sound. In that instant, he realized what she was doing, and he nearly screamed in horror.
Xue Zi Ye held his shoulders firmly, fixing his head in place, as she bent down and gently licked his poisoned eyes with her tongue.
Tong tried to close his eyes, but found he couldn’t even do that.
She… had planned everything from the start? What was she trying to do?
In a state of utter disbelief, Tong tried to summon his internal energy to break through the sealed acupuncture points, but with his severe injuries, it was useless. Again and again, he tried, but his body remained immobile. Meanwhile, Xue Zi Ye continued to gently and slowly lick away the poison from his eyes.
He could feel her breath on his face, the cool, soft sensation of her touch, and gradually, the searing pain in his skull began to subside.
But his heart grew colder and colder—what… what was she doing?
This was the Seven-Star Begonia, the deadliest poison in the world! How could she dare taste it with her tongue?
Stop! Stop! He wanted to scream, but the shock was too great, and his voice failed him.
In the dark prison, the small torch slowly dimmed, and the only sound was the soft, warm contact of her tongue, continuing in silence. Tong couldn’t move, but he understood all too well what she was doing. He knew that the terrifying poison was slowly being transferred from his body into hers.
A pain like he had never felt before surged through his heart, shattering his resolve. Tears, which had dried up for so many years, silently filled his eyes, only to be licked away by her gentle tongue. They tasted salty and bitter, like poison.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment. In the cold, dark prison, it was so quiet that the sound of his heart breaking into a thousand pieces could almost be heard.
After a few moments, Xue Zi Ye had licked the poison from his eyes completely. She spat it onto the ground, sat back, and took a deep breath.
“It’s done,” she said, her voice faint but tinged with a smile. She took out a small bottle of medicine from her pouch and gently applied it to his eyes. “The poison is gone. With this snake gall eye ointment, your sight should return fully within three days.”
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