Hidden Shadow – CH 359

Chapter Three-Hundred-Fifty-Nine: Vinegar

“If the consultation fee you speak of is money, then I have plenty,” Wei Yuzhi said.

For him, money was one of the tools to achieve his ambitions; he had amassed a considerable amount over the years while managing the Piaomiao Mountain Mansion within the Song Dynasty.

Mo Sigui said, “If you could offer something that interests me, that would be even better.”

“Does the Divine Physician mean he will take me as his patient?” Wei Yuzhi found it unbelievable. Would Mo Sigui treat a strategist from an enemy state?

Mo Sigui lowered his eyes and wiped his knife. “You do not need to look at me like that. What happens to the Song Dynasty or the Liao Dynasty is none of my concern.”

“I believe that even if the Divine Physician does not have a heart for protecting his country, he must at least have the compassion of a physician.” Wei Yuzhi did not spell it out; everyone knew that the Liao Dynasty, having invaded the rich lands of the Song Dynasty, would inevitably plunder.

“In times of prosperity, the people suffer; in times of ruin, the people suffer.” Mo Sigui covered his face with a handkerchief and lit a censer of medicinal incense.

As wisps of smoke filled the room, a faint, sweet fragrance permeated the air. Wei Yuzhi felt his limbs growing increasingly numb, initially like the sensation of suddenly standing up after squatting for a long time. After about a quarter of an hour, this feeling gradually disappeared.

Mo Sigui gently made a cut in his chest with a thin knife, and a bead of blood instantly welled up.

Wei Yuzhi’s blood was different from ordinary people’s; it was not only thin but also very pale, appearing beautiful against his fair skin. Mo Sigui frowned. At this rate of blood loss, he could easily bleed to death…

He paused, then turned and added another medicine to the incense burner, making the fragrance suddenly even stronger.

Wei Yuzhi felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier. He knew Mo Sigui had broken his promise, but he did not struggle, letting himself drift into unconsciousness.

Perhaps this was the most indulgent Wei Yuzhi had ever been, completely entrusting his life to someone else—and that person might be an enemy.

Outside, the snow continued to fall, piling up thicker and thicker on the ground.

Chu Dingjiang stood on the veranda for a while, watching until Mei Yanran had cleaned An Jiu, then turned and went inside.

During An Jiu’s coma, he had done his utmost to maintain her current state. But just now, merely receiving nourishment from Wei Yuzhi’s mental energy had caused her complexion to change, leaving him both happy and conflicted.

It might seem like a typical man’s mentality, but it wasn’t. Having been reborn from the Warring States period to the Song Dynasty, Chu Dingjiang believed in destiny and the cycle of fate; one person would not have an unwarranted connection with another. He worried that this was yet another cruel joke fate had played on him.

In his previous life, he had given everything for his family, only to be abandoned and betrayed in return. In this life, he had fallen deeply in love with a woman, and he worried that one day the ending would be the same as before.

Holding An Jiu’s hand, Chu Dingjiang could not help but chuckle self-deprecatingly. The once spirited and shrewd man had actually begun to fret over something intangible.

“I’ve never done anything against the heavens. Surely I should not be so fooled,” Chu Dingjiang thought back. In the past, although everything he did was for the family, he had never truly cared about human nature. He had even harmed many family members for his schemes, and even when he was punished, it was out of emotion. He would not treat An Jiu like this; surely he would not be betrayed by her…

As dawn approached, Chu Dingjiang heard the sound of Mo Sigui’s door opening.

Before he could get up, Mo Sigui rushed in like a whirlwind, carrying his medicine box. He yanked off the blankets covering An Jiu and began undressing her to administer acupuncture, oblivious to everyone else.

The sight made Chu Dingjiang’s veins throb. If he were not a calm person, he would have already rushed over and beaten that guy to death! Seeing An Jiu’s naked body, Chu Dingjiang felt a surge of anger. He turned and left to avoid disturbing her treatment, but he was determined to backstab him afterward and wait until An Jiu recovered…

Mei Yanran stopped a short distance away. “The Mei family is here.”

“Tell them it is too late,” Chu Dingjiang said indifferently.

When the Mei family came to him for the Secret Manual of Konghe, he demanded they personally punish Elder Zhi with a one-month deadline.

There were still a few days left until the deadline, but his mood was extremely bad. Even if the Mei family tore Elder Zhi to pieces, it would not make him happy in the slightest, so he had no desire to see them.

Mei Yanran did not try to persuade him further, instead asking, “Is Sigui inside?”

It would have been better if she had not mentioned it! The mere mention of it made Chu Dingjiang’s heart churn with jealousy, the sourness practically oozing from his mouth and nostrils!

He took a deep breath, calmed himself slightly, and gave a deep, resonant “Mmm.”

Mei Yanran, unaware of the details, assumed he was overly worried and reassured him, “Everything will be alright.”

She genuinely believed everything would be alright. Mei Jiu had thrived since her rebirth, enjoying a harmonious relationship with Hua Rongtian and demonstrating remarkable skill in managing her subordinates. She now possessed the demeanor of a matriarch of a prominent family, a true Madam Hua. An Jiu, also reborn, should not have died so young.

The sky gradually brightened.

Mo Sigui finally emerged from the house.

Chu Dingjiang turned to look at him.

His eyes were bloodshot, but his gaze was filled with excitement.

Chu Dingjiang knew it was due to his immersion in medical practice, but he still could not help feeling hostility towards him.

Mo Sigui exclaimed happily, “Alright, alright! I cannot sense Ah Jiu’s mental power, but she has a faint reaction, which means she’s regained consciousness.”

Having received no response, he slightly suppressed his excitement and carefully examined Chu Dingjiang in the dim morning light.

The man’s face was stiff, his thin lips pressed into a line, his gaze fixed on him with a piercing intensity, as if he wanted to poke two holes in him. He could not help but say, “What’s with that expression? Should you not be happy?”

After a moment’s thought, Mo Sigui happily exclaimed, “Oh dear, you are just too happy! Invite me to dinner another day!”

Today, he had made progress in his medical skills, equivalent to turning a new page in the history of medicine, truly something to be happy about! It could be said that this was the happiest thing in the past two years. So, humming a little tune, he headed to his room, intending to take a bath and then get a good night’s sleep before observing An Jiu and Wei Yuzhi’s condition, completely unaware that the air behind him was practically frozen.

Mei Yanran noticed Chu Dingjiang’s unusual aura and was a little puzzled, but as soon as she entered the room, she understood everything! An Jiu was disheveled on the bed, her clothes scattered on the floor. Mo Sigui, of course, had not bothered to dress her properly when he left, only hastily covering her with the blanket. The scene looked rather jarring.

She understood that Chu Dingjiang was angry because he needed to remove her clothes for acupuncture, and if he saw this scene again…

Mei Yanran quickly lowered the curtain, hastily tidied up the mess, and helped An Jiu dress. Only after everything was in order did she realize that Chu Dingjiang had entered the room sometime earlier.

Meanwhile, in a mansion on the outskirts of Bianjing, the usual tranquility had vanished due to Wei Yuzhi’s disappearance.

Although his subordinates had seen the letter, he left without saying goodbye, and this was not the first time he’d done something like this; they could not help but worry because his health was so poor.

Just as they were fretting, a rider arrived at the mansion.

A woman draped in a dark cloak, travel-worn, was recognized by a guard who stepped forward to help her horse. “Lady Ruyan,” the guard said.

Mei Ruyan nodded and went inside to find Songxi.

Songxi was Wei Yuzhi’s most capable subordinate, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Wei Yuzhi often entrusted him with many affairs of the Piaomiao Mountain Mansion. Although Yelu Quancang had given her the Piaomiao Mountain Mansion, she did not even know where it was located and needed help.

“Where is Master?” Mei Ruyan asked.

Songxi was anxious. Seeing Mei Ruyan’s sudden arrival, he was slightly startled and hesitated before saying, “Master left a letter and went out.”

His momentary hesitation made Mei Ruyan sense something was amiss. A thought flashed through her mind, and she knew that something must be wrong with Wei Yuzhi’s health, but she pretended not to know and took out the token given to her by Yelu Quancang.

Songxi saw the familiar token and immediately knelt.

Before he could speak, Mei Ruyan said, “Rise.” She was speaking for the Emperor.

Mei Ruyan’s martial arts skills were not high, but she played the zither exceptionally well, killing with her music. It seemed she had received some of the Master’s true teachings. Songxi had always been humble towards her but never truly respected her. Now, he had to reassess Mei Ruyan’s position.

“The Master has entrusted Piaomiao Mountain Mansion to me,” Mei Ruyan said.

Songxi was stunned. After a moment, he felt indignant. His master had devoted so much effort to Piaomiao Mountain Mansion, and in the end, it had been taken away by a woman!

Mei Ruyan knew that Songxi was only loyal to Wei Yuzhi and probably only felt awe towards Yelu Quancang. Therefore, she wanted him to help her and prevent him from opposing Wei Yuzhi.

“The Lord ordered me to take over Piaomiao Mountain Mansion, but in reality, it is just to shut the princess up,” Mei Ruyan said, feigning reluctance to seize power, “explaining” Yelu Quancang’s good intentions to Songxi. “The princess does not want you to return to court and will surely try every means to destroy all your power. The Lord does not want the princess to become too powerful, and considering your years of dedication, he naturally cannot allow Piaomiao Mountain Mansion to fall. Therefore, he sent me to take over. Actually, it is just a formality; my main purpose is to help you find the medicine.”

Mei Ruyan was the Master’s person, and Piaomiao Mountain Mansion was under the Master’s direct jurisdiction. Even if Yelu Huangwu was incredibly audacious, he would still have reservations.

After hearing this, Songxi believed her somewhat, and his hostility towards her lessened.

“I often need to report some information to the Lord. If there’s anything I do not understand in the future, please do not hesitate to enlighten me, Master Song,” Mei Ruyan said, rising and bowing.

Songxi quickly avoided her. “I would not dare; it is my duty.”

Mei Ruyan smiled and said nothing more. Songxi arranged accommodations for her to rest.

A day passed.

Mo Sigui carefully checked on An Jiu and Wei Yuzhi, finding them both unharmed. Since An Jiu was out of danger, Mo Sigui focused most of his attention on Wei Yuzhi.