Chapter 29: Astonishment
In truth, Su Muyao wished she could be anywhere but near Mei Qingchen. While he possessed a peerless, stunning beauty that was overwhelming to look at, she knew this gorgeous man was poison. She had to keep her distance.
Especially now, standing right in front of her, his exquisite phoenix eyes were like a sheathed blade: deep, cold, and mesmerizing.
Su Muyao felt his gaze was simply suffocating. His aura pressed down on her, and she felt a cold, sinister energy seeping into her very organs.
Su Muyao shivered, a wave of discomfort washing over her.
Xiao Jihan, who was acutely sensitive, sensed her distress. He stepped forward, placing himself between her and Mei Qingchen, physically blocking the oppressive aura.
Only then did Su Muyao feel her body relax. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she spoke up, her voice low but bold as she stated her terms: “If I can repair it, you can’t attack me again. You can’t kill me.”
“And, of course, I promise that in three months, I will give all of you your freedom and let you leave.”
Mei Qingchen’s phoenix eyes fixed on her, scrutinizing every tiny change in her expression. A flicker of doubt crossed his face.
His eyes darkened, and his voice was cold. “Fine. If you can’t repair it, I will kill you!”
Xiao Jihan looked down at her, his voice soft. “Don’t be afraid. It will be alright.”
For some reason, hearing his words, Su Muyao suddenly felt a sliver of safety.
She looked up at Xiao Jihan, realizing her previous prejudice against him was wrong. In a crisis, he was the reliable one.
At this moment, his eyes were clear and gentle. The morning sun streamed down, bathing him in light and making him appear even more like a jade tree, noble and otherworldly.
She looked at him gratefully and said softly, “Xiao Jihan, thank you.”
“If I get out of this alive, I’ll make you something delicious tonight.”
Mei Qingchen let out a lazy, mocking laugh. “The sun really has risen in the west!”
“To think you’d put on such a good disguise just to save your own life.”
The old Su Muyao was famous for her endless bag of tricks. She would act nice, only to be brewing a more vicious plot.
But then, a thought of Su Muyao’s father’s abilities, and the secret rumors about the Su family, crossed his mind.
His gaze darkened. “Fine. I agree.”
“I hope, this time, you actually mean what you say.”
Mei Qingchen had no real hope.
If she failed, it would just give him the excuse he needed to act.
Su Muyao let out a breath of relief when she heard him agree. Although Mei Qingchen’s temperament was cryptic and unpredictable, he was a man of his word. His agreement was all that mattered.
Su Muyao took a steadying breath. She stopped looking at Mei Qingchen and focused all her attention on the sword.
Strangely, as she drew near, she could almost feel the sword… it was wailing, weeping in sorrow.
Su Muyao felt a tightness in her own chest. She reached out, her hand hovering near the blade as she released her wood-elemental ability.
A green light instantly enveloped the black energy covering the sword.
As the green light intensified, the dark aura, as if terrified, began to slowly dissipate.
At this sight, Mei Qingchen’s lazy, indifferent expression instantly turned grave.
She… she actually has a way?
No, this was impossible. A useless brat, without even the ability to soothe a spiritual sea, how could she possibly repair a natal sword?
This blade had been severely corrupted by dark energy. Everyone he had consulted said it was a lost cause.
Mei Qingchen stood up straight, his brow furrowed, his gaze flicking between Su Muyao and the sword.
He wondered if he was hallucinating.
Standing to the side, Xiao Jihan’s clear, picturesque eyes also filled with utter astonishment.
Su Muyao poured all of her focus into channeling her wood-elemental ability into the sword.
Gradually, her consciousness seemed to enter the sword spirit’s spiritual sea.
It was a world shrouded in black mist.
But as Su Muyao’s power flowed in, the mist began to part.
Green shoots pushed up from the blackened earth, followed by flowers and trees.
Gradually, as she walked forward, she brought life and vitality to this dead place.
The sword spirit’s mournful wail slowly faded.
She even saw the tall, slender figure of a man. It was only a blurry silhouette, but the posture alone was one of extreme beauty.
Just as the man was about to turn…
Su Muyao’s wood-elemental ability was completely depleted. She spat out a mouthful of blood.
Her body swayed, and she began to collapse.
Xiao Jihan lunged forward, catching her in his arms.
“Wife Master!”
He saw her pale face, beaded with fine sweat.
He pulled out a clean cloth and gently wiped her brow.
“I’m taking you to the shaman.”
He didn’t trust leaving her here with Mei Qingchen. He had to carry her.
Su Muyao’s voice was weak and hoarse. “It’s… it’s okay. I’m just… weak.”
She just needed to rest.
But Xiao Jihan was not convinced. “We’re still having the shaman look.”
Mei Qingchen’s phoenix eyes fixed on Su Muyao for a long moment, his expression complex. “Don’t move her. I’ll bring the shaman here.”
With that, Mei Qingchen vanished like a gust of wind, taking the sword with him.
He returned just as quickly, bringing the shaman with him.
The shaman examined Su Muyao and said, “Excessive power depletion, agitation fire attacking the heart, and insufficient qi and blood…”
He paused, then added, “And you have poison in your body. This poison makes one irritable and prone to violent rages.”
Hearing that she had poison, both Xiao Jihan and Mei Qingchen’s expressions changed.
“This half of your face,” the shaman said, “is disfigured because of that poison.”
The shaman looked at Su Muyao’s calm expression. “You’re a calm little girl, though. You already knew all this, didn’t you? I can only prescribe some medicine to replenish your qi and blood. I can’t cure this poison.”
Su Muyao said faintly, “Thank you, Shaman Gu. I did already know.”
“You don’t need to prescribe anything, I just need to rest.”
The old shaman sighed. “As you wish!”
After the shaman left, both Xiao Jihan and Mei Qingchen were silent.
After a long moment, Xiao Jihan spoke in a low voice, “I’m sorry. I never knew Wife Master was poisoned.”
Back in the Beast Imperial City, the royal shaman had examined her and said she was in perfect health.
They had all assumed her face was just disfigured, not that it was a symptom of poison.
Su Muyao touched her cheek. “It’s fine. You don’t need to blame yourself. I can cure this poison.”
“Some of the herbs I gathered yesterday, when prepared correctly, will work as an antidote.”
For others, it might be incurable, but for her, it wasn’t a problem. Not only did she have her wood ability, but she could also cure it with medicine alone.
Xiao Jihan spoke in a low voice, “The Imperial Royal Shaman never found any problem with your body. Why would that be?”
Su Muyao recalled her predecessor’s memories and gave a faint, cool smile. “Probably because my family’s achievements overshadowed the masters.”
“The royal family feared the Su family’s power. If I were to die, everything the Su family has would be theirs.”
Xiao Jihan’s expression shook.
He had never realized… she was this intelligent, that she understood everything.
He paused, then asked, “That poison makes one irritable and impulsive. So, the things Wife Master did before… was it because of the poison?”
For some reason, his heart truly did not want anything bad to happen to her.
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