Hidden Shadow – CH 085

Chapter Eighty-Five: Burn It Up

Smoke swirled in the incense burner. The woman before him was half-undressed, her skin like jade, her bodice as thin as a cicada’s wing, revealing the outline of her proud breasts. true qi propelled the medicine through her limbs and bones, melting away the ice that reached her—a very long process, and Mo Sigui’s true qi was constantly being depleted.

Lou Xiaowu was worried. True qi could regenerate, but if it was depleted and his dantian was damaged, it would be troublesome. She had relatively strong spiritual power, but her internal strength was poor, and her attributes were different from Mo Sigui’s. She could only watch anxiously from the sidelines.

Two full hours passed amidst the fragrant incense before Mo Sigui finally removed the last silver needle.

“Brother Mo, how are you?” Lou Xiaowu, who had been holding back for so long, could finally speak.

Mo Sigui lay down on the bed, glanced at Lou Mingyue’s profile, and then closed his eyes. “I am fine. Continue the incense burning. I will rest for a while.”

With that, he closed his eyes.

The weight on Lou Xiaowu’s heart finally lifted. She reached out to cover Lou Mingyue with the blankets, noticing that Mo Sigui was still wearing a heavy outer garment, and felt certain he was uncomfortable.

“You’ve seen my second sister’s body, and you are interested in her. You saved her life; she’s going to get married sooner or later anyway…” Lou Xiaowu muttered to herself, going over to help him remove his outer garment.

Seeing Mo Sigui’s white undergarment, Lou Xiaowu muttered, “Is it not a bit inappropriate for a younger sister to help her brother-in-law undress? But it is fine; Xiaowu is still young.”

As if certain she had done the right thing, Lou Xiaowu became much more efficient, quickly stripping Mo Sigui of his clothes and then thoughtfully sharing a blanket between them.

Mo Sigui was exhausted and had fainted; all this fuss could not wake him.

Lou Xiaowu added some of Mo Sigui’s medicinal powder to the medicine stove, then tiptoed out to the estate to see if anyone else was there.

The estate was large, but due to a lack of population, half of it was abandoned. Lou Xiaowu searched for over an hour in the normally inhabited areas but found no one else.

“Young lady,” Nanny Ling stood under the eaves, wearing a woolen coat. Her cheeks were slightly sunken, and her complexion was sallow, but her spirits were good.

Nanny Ling was Lou Xiaowu’s wet nurse. She married at fourteen and became pregnant at fifteen, but her child was born with three legs. The whole village said she had been haunted by a ghost. Her husband’s family, ignoring her pleas, cruelly drowned the child and used this as grounds to divorce her. Her own family felt ashamed and refused to accept her.

Nanny Ling left her hometown and took a job as a wet nurse. From then on, she raised Lou Xiaowu as her own child. Later, when Lou Xiaowu fell seriously ill, the family that had taken her in was poor. They found her illness too chronic and expensive, and after a period of ineffective treatment, they left her to fend for herself. Only Nanny Ling remained devoted, carrying her through the freezing cold, seeking medical help everywhere. Lou Xiaowu had always treated her like a mother.

Lou Xiaowu stepped forward to support her, chiding her gently, “Why did you come out? It is cold outside, be careful not to catch a cold!”

“I am perfectly fine.” Seeing her come alone, Nanny Ling asked, “Where’s Physician Mo?”

“He exhausted his inner energy while saving Second Sister. He’s resting now.” Lou Xiaowu helped her into the house.

Nanny Ling’s face lit up with joy. “Second Miss is saved?”

In recent years, the Lou family had focused on grooming Lou Mingyue to be the next head of the mansion, and thus, many affairs had been gradually handed over to her two years ago. If she could survive, the Lou family still had hope.

“Yes, Brother Mo said she’s alright.” Lou Xiaowu helped her onto the bed.

“That’s wonderful! That’s wonderful, a miracle has happened…” Nanny Ling relaxed. Tears suddenly welled up uncontrollably.

Lou Xiaowu gently patted her back. “Rest a little longer; I will go see if there’s anything to eat.”

“This servant will go cook.” Nanny Ling stood up.

Lou Xiaowu pressed her back into her seat, smiling. “Second Sister is ill, and you are ill too. If you really care about me, do not make me worry. Get well soon and help me take care of Second Sister.”

“Yes, this servant has not thought as far ahead as you, Young lady.” Nanny Ling patted her hand, her eyes full of affection. “Go, Young lady.”

Lou Xiaowu watched Nanny Ling lie down before leaving. She went outside, vaguely hearing sounds from Lou Mingyue’s courtyard. With a light step, she leaped over the wall and landed in front of the door.

“Listen to me!” Mo Sigui’s voice rang out.

Lou Xiaowu pushed open the door and saw Lou Mingyue, disheveled, pointing a sword at Mo Sigui, who was unarmed and cowering in a corner.

“Xiaowu! Your Second Sister is going to kill someone!” Mo Sigui shouted.

“Second Sister,” Lou Xiaowu grasped Lou Mingyue’s wrist, “he’s Physician Mo; he saved you!”

Lou Mingyue frowned. “Then how could we…” The physician treated her and then slept in her bed?

Lou Xiaowu quickly explained, “You were severely poisoned and needed acupuncture. Physician Mo exhausted his energy to save you and fainted. I noticed he was dressed too warmly and seemed uncomfortable, so I helped him take off his outer garment.”

“Nonsense!” Lou Mingyue was embarrassed and angry. Although she was not exactly a chaste woman, how could she accept being practically naked in bed with a man?

The Lou family was almost entirely women; let alone this, Lou Mingyue had barely spoken to any man.

Mo Sigui was disappointed. Lou Mingyue had started attacking him as soon as she woke up, showing no mercy in her every move. Moreover, the way she looked at him was clearly like looking at a stranger, indicating she did not recognize him.

He and Qiu Ningyu had not seen each other for many years, and both had changed considerably. Qiu Ningyu’s image in his mind had become somewhat blurred, but upon seeing Lou Mingyue, he immediately recalled her features, as if she were right before his eyes.

Mo Sigui could not help but think that if Ningyu were still alive, she would probably feel the same way he did! After all, they had been childhood sweethearts, spending over ten years together.

While he was lost in thought, Lou Mingyue sheathed her sword, dressed neatly, and, facing him, abandoned her hostility and embarrassment, clasped her hands in a fist, and said, “Second Young Lady Lou has offended you greatly; please forgive me, benefactor.”

She displayed the carefree spirit of a chivalrous heroine.

“Never mind.” Mo Sigui put on his clothes, looking dejected. “Ignorance is no excuse.”

“Brother Mo, do not be angry with Second Sister. After all, you are not married yet,” Lou Xiaowu said softly, head bowed. “It was all my own idea.”

“Married?” Lou Mingyue, quick-witted as ever, guessed the general situation from her words alone. She glanced at Mo Sigui without any emotion. No longer pressing the matter, Lou Mingyue asked, “My benefactor, is there any hope for the rest of the Lou family?”

Mo Sigui replied lazily, “We only saw you in the passageway; we have not actually entered the ice cellar yet. However… tell me about what happened before, and perhaps I can make a rough estimate.”

“The first person in the family to fall ill was the maidservant serving the master of the mansion. Then the master herself fell ill. That night, someone shot an arrow with a letter, and the master summoned the elders for a meeting. The next day, none of the elders escaped infection, and subsequently, the others also fell ill one after another. I do not know exactly when they contracted the disease; I only received orders from the master that if they felt any abnormalities, they should immediately enter the ice cellar.”

Lou Mingyue’s voice gradually lowered. “At the time, I was presiding over the funerals of my two younger sisters. When I returned, I found that only Nanny Ling remained in the entire mansion. That day, I accidentally discovered the corpse of a maidservant who had also contracted the disease. I guarded the mansion with her for two days, and I gradually felt my illness worsening rapidly. So I gave her a few instructions and entered the ice cave.”

The whole affair now seemed like a meticulously planned conspiracy. The mansion lord had been infected with the plague for less than a day, and her internal energy was profound. Initially, it only seemed like a mild cold, so she did not pay much attention. However, that very night, someone plotted to have her summon the elders.

“So, everyone was infected before you?” Mo Sigui asked.

“Yes,” Lou Mingyue added. “Even the last one was infected a day before me.”

Mo Sigui sighed. He had saved Lou Mingyue. It was as if he had reached into the gates of hell; the others…

“Can they not be saved?” Lou Mingyue asked.

Mo Sigui turned to look at her calm face. “I am afraid I cannot help them.”

Lou Mingyue clenched her fist, remained silent for a long time, then suddenly turned away.

“It’s cruel, but I still want to tell you…” Mo Sigui said softly, “Burn them.”

Lou Mingyue, who had only felt pain before, felt as if a knife had ripped flesh from her heart upon hearing this. “They chose to enter the ice cave to slow the poison’s progression, to buy themselves some time to survive. And now you are telling me to burn them?!”

“You were already three days sick when you entered the ice cave. If freezing really worked, your condition should have been similar to Nanny Ling’s when we rescued you. However, freezing did not completely stop the poison’s progression.” Mo Sigui had to state this cruel fact. “When we brought you out, you were barely clinging to life.”

“Perhaps it is because I did not have time to go deeper into the ice cave?” Lou Mingyue refused to accept her fate, her beautiful eyes red as she stared intently at him. “Would getting closer to the Mystic Ice help?”

Mo Sigui remained silent.

Those people were poisoned before Lou Mingyue. Even if the Mystic Ice could truly freeze the plague, their condition would not be much better. Mo Sigui knew he did not have the ability to pull everyone back from the brink of death. Moreover, he was certain that freezing could not completely suppress the poison; leaving them in the ice cellar would only bring disaster sooner or later.

Mo Sigui did not want to be so cruel, but this matter was of utmost importance.

Lou Xiaowu said, “Brother Mo, could you rescue one more person closest to the Mystic Ice? Only after you are sure you cannot rescue them again…”

“This poison is afraid of fire.” Seeing Lou Mingyue’s face ashen and her eyes almost bleeding, Mo Sigui suddenly realized his truth was too cruel, so he changed his words, “Alright, Xiaowu and I will go in and rescue one more person.”

“I will go with you.” Lou Mingyue’s voice was weak, but her tone left no room for argument.

“As you wish.” Mo Sigui gave her a deep look, picked up the fire sable fur coat hanging on the clothes rack, and went out.

Lou Mingyue closed her eyes, briefly adjusted her breathing, and then took the fire sable fur and followed.

Fire sables were rare, extremely agile, small in size, and intelligent, making them very difficult to catch. Their fur was also extremely beautiful, attracting countless nobles and powerful individuals; obtaining even a single pelt was incredibly difficult! Even the two sable fur coats that the Lou family possessed were the result of over twenty years of painstaking collection, sparing no expense.

“Second Sister!” Lou Xiaowu ran out. “Let me go!”

However, Lou Mingyue left the courtyard without looking back.

Lou Xiaowu understood her second sister’s temperament; once she made a decision, it was not easily changed. Lou Xiaowu admired her second sister greatly; she dared to look at the sleeping members of her clan, while she herself was unwilling and dared not do so.

Lou Xiaowu found some food, ate a little, and then sent some to Nanny Ling.

As dusk approached, the sound of horses’ hooves echoed from below the mountain.

A group of five people rode up through the snow.

One of them whistled from afar, and Lou Xiaowu, who was halfway down the mountain, immediately galloped down.

The five riders waited a moment, and the gate slowly opened.

“Sixth Aunt!” Lou Xiaowu jumped out and rushed to the person in the lead.

Lou Xiaowu’s sixth aunt was named Lou Xin, a woman nearing forty.

“Xiaowu.” Lou Xin dismounted. “Why are you the one opening the door? Where are the guards?”

Though she asked this, her tense voice betrayed that she already knew the answer.

“Everyone went into the ice cellar. Nanny Ling and I are still here. Brother Mo and Second Sister went into the ice cellar to rescue people,” Lou Xiaowu said sullenly.

Lou Xin’s heart sank. Knowing Lou Xiaowu’s personality, if there were even a glimmer of hope, she would be eagerly seeking praise right now, but instead, she looked like this…

“Let’s go inside first.” Lou Xin led the horse through the gate.

There were thirty-nine people when they set off. Although only she and Lou Xin were from the Lou clan, their current desolate state saddened Lou Xiaowu.

Her gaze swept across the crowd, suddenly stopping on one person. She exclaimed in surprise, “Fourteenth Young Lady!”