Chapter 22: Counterattack, using needles on the acupoints (1/2)

Seeing Gu Beiyue’s grave expression, General Mu was startled. His son’s life was the most important thing to him. Gu Beiyue was the Head Imperial Physician who looked after the emperor’s own health, so of course his words were trustworthy. Mu Liuyue just wouldn’t believe Han Yunxi. She was ready to send her off to the justice courts immediately and began to make a scene.

“If I say no, then it’s no!”

General Mu suddenly spoke up. “Liuyue, step aside!”

“Father!” Mu Liuyue was reluctant.

“Step aside!” General Mu was getting angry.

Mu Liuyue finally took a single step aside while keeping her vise grip on Gu Beiyue’s hand. Abruptly, the doctor shook her off, astonishing all the onlookers while he quickly slipped back into the room. His quick departure was followed by an even faster return, with an ashen face and solemn expression. In his hands were two needles, dyed pitch-black for all to see.

Poison! Hypertoxic poison!

General Mu was stunned enough to leap out of his chair. “He’s really poisoned?”

Mu Liuyue was in disbelief as well, shaking her head as if dumbstruck. But very quickly, she recovered with a face full of suspicion. “Han Yunxi, it’s your poison, right? Otherwise, how would you know how to treat it?”

Han Yunxi was seriously sick of looking at this stupid woman, she got up. “If you waste any more time, I won’t know either!” They’d delayed for so long and she didn’t even have the antidote on hand. Things were really troublesome now.

“Han Yunxi, I’ll trust you this once. Hurry up and follow me!” General Mu’s worry about his son was enough to make his heart burn. He led the way himself.

Han Yunxi expelled a restless breath and accidentally caught a glimpse of Imperial Physician Gu’s imposing brow. She couldn’t help but have a good impression of this fellow. While everyone else was distracted, she took the chance to take out some medicines and supplementary materials from her detox system. Though the crowd had no idea where she’d gotten these things from, everyone was too busy to ask.

“Imperial Physician Gu and General Mu can stay. Everyone else should leave and not disturb me,” Han Yunxi said as she undid Mu Qingwu’s white robes.

The crowd sensibly stepped back, but an irate Mu Liuyue not only stayed put, but moved to block Han Yunxi’s sight while covering her own eyes. Even she didn’t dare look at her brother’s bare form, yet this Han Yunxi was actually this shameless!

“Han Yunxi, you better wake him up. Or else I won’t forgive you,” Mu Liuyue warned her icily.

Han Yunxi could bear it no longer. As soon as she was about to lose her temper, General Mu beat her to it with a shout. “Damned girl, stop interfering and get out!”

Startled, Mu Liuyue felt tears streaming down her face. Father was yelling at her like this? He’d never gotten mad at her before, but now he was so ferocious. The furious girl shook aside her hands and dashed out the room. Han Yunxi felt her breath relax as she refocused on finding the acupoints again. She sterilized her dagger over a flame before carefully making an incision. Most of the things stored in her detox system were herbal plants, acupuncture needles, cotton swabs, and so on. She didn’t have any surgical tools. Her movements with the knife were simple and crude, but with a person’s life at stake she’d had to make the best of it. The longer they delayed, the more dangerous things would get. Injected poison like this was more troublesome than usual toxins. The deeper a poison was in the body, the harder to get it out.

As soon as she cut into the skin of the stomach, fresh blood flowed out, shocking General Mu who trembled with fear. He couldn’t help but cry out. “Han Yunxi, you!”

Unfortunately, Han Yunxi was too absorbed in her work to pay him any attention. With his son’s life in her hands, General Mu didn’t dare to do anything no matter how irascible he felt. He could only ask Gu Beiyue in a low voice, “Is it fine that she’s sliced open his stomach?”

Actually, Gu Beiyue wasn’t sure either, but seeing Han Yunxi concentrating with such an intent expression reminded him of her mother, Lady Tianxin[1]. They had an excellent likeness when practicing their art.

He was older than Han Yunxi by four years. When he was four years old, his father took him to a consultation of doctors where he was lucky to see Lady Tianxin. In truth, he’d saw Han Yunxi then as well, though she was still in her mother’s womb. Remembering this, a warm smile crept onto Gu Beiyue’s lips. “Shh…don’t disturb her.”

Very quickly, Han Yunxi withdrew a blackened needle from the depths of the bloody cut. Seeing this, General Mu was in disbelief. Gu Beiyue’s pupils gazed on in approval. Following this, a second blackened needle was retrieved. The movement of her hand split open the whip injury on her arm, which started to bleed again. But Han Yunxi was completely oblivious as she focused on her patient. Gu Beiyue promptly decided to go over with some medicine and cotton. He bent over to apply the cotton to her cut, but Han Yunxi gave him a look.

“Don’t hinder…”

“I promise I won’t get in your way. Trust me,” Gu Beiyue interrupted her softly.

Han Yunxi wanted to refuse until she saw Gu Beiyue’s warm eyes. Her heart trembled in surprise. She didn’t expect that there were still people left on this world with such a clean and penetrating gaze, even purer than an infant’s. She couldn’t help but wonder exactly what kind of man he was.

Drat, Han Yunxi discovered that she’d gotten distracted again. Her eyes abruptly turned cold. “Stop this, you’ve already hindered my progress!”

But Gu Beiyue didn’t stop. Instead, his other hand moved Han Yunxi’s head until she was looking at Mu Qingwu. “Just keep going. I said I won’t get in your way, so I won’t.”