Chapter 263: Midnight, who’s arrived? (2/2)

Then again, so what if she won? She’d never been belligerent with her victories. If she gave up, she could use a night to recover her energy until the white-robed man woke up. It wouldn’t be too late to go back then since Long Tianmo could still hold on for a few more days. But not winning meant she’d lose. Everyone would know that it was Han Yunxi who failed, and that Qin Wangfei hadn’t kept to her word. The title of Qin Wangfei would forever enter the medical academy’s blacklists and be forbidden entry inside.

Thinking up to here, the nearly exhausted Han Yunxi grit her teeth. She didn’t know where she suddenly got a burst of strength–perhaps it came from the pride in her heart. She, Han Yunxi, was going to treat the poison and save a life. There was no way that she’d lose! Perhaps it was just because she didn’t want to owe or implicate others.

Long Feiye, I’ll return this ‘Qin Wangfei’ title to you clear and clean. From then on, the two of us can settle our debts and be even, right?

Han Yunxi couldn’t even walk anymore, but she tightened her grip on the white-robed man’s hand and started to set off again. Step by step, her pace quickened in the chilly mountain night, causing her to break out in sweat. Could she make it? Time was extremely tight!

By now, the back courtyard of the medical academy’s consultation hall was long filled with people. There was Third Elder from the Council of Elders, Qinwang Rong, Luo Zuishang and a bunch of Medical Scholars, Medical Adepts and Divine Doctors that had come to watch the show. None of them had any idea of what had happened at the Poison Sect’s Sky Pit, or how it had been destroyed. The poison beast was missing, but the higher echelons were too busy with the hopeless state of affairs. It was practically midnight already, but each and every one of them was filled with energy, especially Third Elder and Xi Yubo. That was because Gu Beiyue had been missing for two days, while Han Yunxi had been lost for one. Meanwhile, Long Tianmo’s illness had flared up again, causing him to toss and turn on the bed in agony. Everything combined meant that Han Yunxi and Gu Beiyue were ill-included to escape guilt from their crimes!

“Heheh, as it turned out, Qin Wangfei’s a liar! It’s already this time, I don’t think she’ll show up for the reexamination.”

“Isn’t that so? And I thought that Tianning’s crown prince really was poisoned. I heard the other day that she expelled it with her needles, enough to stun the Elders.”

“I heard she used a set of needles to scare Third Elder. As I see it, her needles were real, but her poison skills…hehe…”

“Aye, I pity a talent like Gu Beiyue. Why did he carry on with such a woman instead of being a right and proper imperial physician?”

“Shh, you can’t speak carelessly about such things.”

The guests spoke as they waited, but their words were easily misinterpreted by the other side.

“What, Qin Wangfei and Imperial Physician Gu are having an affair?”

“Really? No wonder a prudent person like Gu Beiyue would involve himself this time, so that was it…”

…..

Rumors probably started from things like this.

Time was almost up, and the crowd’s commentary was growing louder and louder. Third Elder had always preferred peace and quiet, but he didn’t mind it this time. He stared at the moon in the sky and silently calculated the time on his fingertips. The more he recalled Han Yunxi’s needle skills on that day, the more dissatisfied he had felt. It seemed more and more fishy as well. As expected, he’d been fooled by that woman! Tonight, Han Yunxi definitely wouldn’t show up. Even if he knew that for certain, he was going to wait until midnight so no one could accuse him of bullying his juniors or not giving Tianning’s Duke of Qin face!

He had already prepared his medical kit to diagnose Long Tianmo’s illness live tonight. These three days, he’d flipped through countless medical texts and studied many different diseases, so he had a grasp of situation in his heart.

Now Lady Lianxin spoke up coldly. “Someone come, bring out Tianning’s crown prince. As I see it, Qin Wangfei should be showing up soon!”

It was nearly midnight already. Wasn’t Lady Lianxin doing this on purpose? At her words, loud laughter fell upon the room. Since time was nearly up, none of the guests bothered to be polite. Luo Zuishan felt like an ant on a hot pan in the midst of their laughs. He knew that the Sky Pit’s limestone cave was destroyed, but nothing about Han Yunxi or Gu Qishao’s fate!

Anxious, anxious, anxious!

Suddenly, Qinwang Rong stood up from his seat on one side, his expression completely dark and ghastly. After a few seconds, he announced without the slightest hesitation, “Third Elder, it’s midnight!”

That’s right. Midnight had come, but Han Yunxi had not. Yet a cry suddenly sounded from outside.

“Tianning’s Duke of Qin has arrived!”