Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 98 Gu Poison

Jiang Xun left Jiangning Prefecture and walked about half a mile when he suddenly looked back.

The city gate towers gleamed with a bluish-gray hue under the sun, the banners fluttered in the wind, and the waters of the moat shimmered so brightly they made one's eyes water.

"Who knows when I'll be able to come back next time?" he muttered, then turned and headed towards Yunzhou.

The North? What's the rush?

He reached up and touched his forehead—it was so hot you could fry an egg on it, but he didn't feel any fever at all.

Strange.

The most important thing right now is to get rid of the poison in my body.

As for that bastard Ling Xuan's talk about some kind of antidote, nobody would believe him.

Even if I really stole the treasure map, whether that guy would give me the antidote or not would depend on his mood.

The Duke of Wei mentioned inspecting the crossbows.

Of course, saving one's life is the most important thing.

Jiang Xun left all the mess in Jiangning Prefecture behind and traveled day and night for several days before finally arriving in Yunzhou.

Yunzhou is still the same old Yunzhou.

The city walls are not high and the streets are not wide, but the lively atmosphere unique to border towns is still there.

The streets were bustling with people, including Han Chinese in short tunics and Northerners in fur coats, all speaking in various accents as they haggled over prices.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasted lamb, mixed with the smell of horse manure and dust—not exactly pleasant, but it made you feel at ease.

Jiang Xun entered the city and headed straight for Guangji Medical Clinic, familiar with the area.

The entrance to the clinic remains unchanged: blue bricks and gray tiles, with a sign reading "Hanging a gourd to save lives" hanging under the eaves.

A few people were sparsely lined up at the entrance; some were coughing, some were clutching their stomachs, and some were being helped inside.

He stood at the door for a moment, then strode inside.

Behind the counter, Yu Xiaoyi was bending down to grab medicine.

This kid has grown taller than he did a few months ago, and his childishness has faded somewhat, but his "don't mess with me" attitude remains unchanged.

"To get medicine or to see a doctor?" He asked without looking up, his tone curt.

"see a doctor."

Yu Xiaoyi paused, looked up, and was stunned.

"Oh, you're still alive?" he said sarcastically, but his eyes lit up. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye last time? I thought you'd died out there."

"Can't you wish me well for once?" Jiang Xun rolled his eyes.

To be honest, returning to this place made him feel a bit choked up—last time he left in a hurry because of the Gu family's affairs, and this time he returned in a sorry state.

He shook his head, clearing his mind of those chaotic thoughts. "Is Lao Yu there?"

"Grandpa went out to meet a friend." Yu Xiaoyi said curtly, but his eyes darted over him as if checking if he was missing a piece of flesh. "Wait a minute, he'll probably be back soon."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than footsteps sounded at the door.

Old Yu, carrying a teapot, walked in wearing a gray cloth long gown, with white beard and hair, looking quite energetic.

Upon seeing Jiang Xun, he paused, his brows furrowing slightly.

"You're here?" His tone was indifferent, as if he had expected him to appear.

"We're here." Jiang Xun nodded.

Old Yu didn't say anything more, but his eyes had already scanned him from head to toe. Suddenly, he turned his head and said, "Xiao Yi, keep watch up ahead and don't let anyone into the backyard."

Yu Xiaoyi opened her mouth, but seeing her grandfather's gaze, she swallowed her words back.

He glanced at Jiang Xun, then reluctantly retreated back to the counter.

Old Yu raised his chin and said to Jiang Xun, "Come with me."

The two crossed the courtyard and entered Lao Yu's room.

The room wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy.

A desk, a bookshelf, a few chairs, and a medicine cabinet against the wall, with a faint, pleasant smell of herbs.

Old Yu closed the door, turned around, and looked him up and down.

What do you smell like?

"He's been poisoned." Jiang Xun nodded.

Old Yu is really something; he can tell just by smelling it.

Old Yu pointed to the chair: "Sit."

Jiang Xun sat down obediently, rolled up his sleeves, and stretched out his wrist.

Old Yu sat down opposite him and placed three fingers on his pulse.

At first, his expression was quite calm, no different from that of a regular doctor taking a pulse; he didn't even lift his eyelids.

After a while, his brows furrowed.

He pressed his fingers down, released them, and pressed them down again, repeating this several times, his face growing increasingly grim.

Suddenly, he grabbed Jiang Xun's left hand, turned it over to look, and his eyes shrank sharply.

Jiang Xun followed his gaze and looked over—there was a very thin and faint golden line on his palm at some point, which was not noticeable unless you looked closely.

Old Yu flipped his right hand over again; it was the same.

"Cicada poison?" Old Yu looked up, his eyes suddenly sharpening. "Who gave it to you?"

"Ling Xuan, Deputy Commander of the Golden Feather Guard." Jiang Xun had no intention of hiding it.

Old Yu's fingers paused slightly: "Why did he poison you?"

"He asked me to go to Shuofeng City to steal things for him." Jiang Xun gave a wry smile. "I said I wouldn't go, so he fed me this thing."

Old Yu remained silent for a moment, withdrew his finger, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and thought for a long time.

When he opened his eyes again, there was a hint of heaviness in his gaze.

"This poison is a unique poison from a sect in the martial arts world a long time ago," he said in a low voice. "It's called Golden Cicada Poison, and it can only be cured with the juice of Dragon Blood Vine. I don't have that stuff here, so I can't cure it anytime soon."

Jiang Xun's heart sank.

"Even you can't do anything about it?" he asked, a hint of resentment in his voice.

Old Yu is the most skilled doctor he knows. If he can't do it, who else can he turn to?

Old Yu waved his hand: "Don't rush, let me give it a try."

He took out a cloth bag from the medicine cabinet, opened it, and inside was a row of silver needles of varying lengths, as thin as a hair, gleaming coldly under the lamp.

"Take off your clothes and lie face down on the bed."

Jiang Xun did as instructed.

Old Yu inserted needles extremely quickly, one after another, into his back, shoulders, and arms.

With each needle insertion, a tingling, aching sensation spreads outward from the acupoint, like ants crawling under the skin, a numb and itchy feeling that is indescribably uncomfortable.

"Bear with it," Old Yu said. "I'll force the poison out of you."

After the last needle was inserted, Old Yu placed his hands on Jiang Xun's back and slowly channeled his inner energy into him.

That internal force was warm and deep, like a warm current slowly flowing through the body.

Jiang Xun then realized that Old Yu was not only skilled in medicine, but also possessed martial arts skills and considerable internal strength.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Old Yu stopped and placed a small porcelain bowl by the bedside.

Then, holding Jiang Xun's wrist, he gently pricked the tip of his middle finger with a silver needle—

A drop of black blood fell into the bowl, emitting a pungent, fishy stench.

The blood had congealed into a clump at the bottom of the bowl, resembling ink rather than blood.

"This is poisonous blood," Old Yu said.

They continued to prick the blood several more times until the blood turned from black to red before stopping.

Jiang Xun lay on the bed, feeling completely drained, limp and unwilling to move even a finger.

"Rest for a bit," Old Yu said. "I'll go brew the medicine."

He went out and brought back a bowl of dark, murky medicinal soup.

Jiang Xun took it, pinched his nose, and poured it down his throat. His face scrunched up like a bun from the bitterness.

"Take a nap." Old Yu took the bowl away. "We'll talk when you wake up."

Jiang Xun nodded and closed his eyes.

The medicine took effect quickly, and I fell into a deep sleep in no time.

When I woke up again, it was already completely dark.

It was pitch black outside the window, with only a lantern still lit in the courtyard. Its dim light shone through the window paper and cast a blurry shadow on the ground.

Jiang Xun sat up and stretched his arms and legs.

The spot on my back where I had the injection is still a little sore, but my body feels much lighter and not as heavy as before.

The door was pushed open, and Old Yu walked in carrying an oil lamp.

"Awake?" He put the lamp on the table, walked to the bedside and sat down. "Come on, let me check your pulse again."

Jiang Xun extended his wrist.

Old Yu got on, closed his eyes, and felt it for a while.

When he opened his eyes again, his expression was much more somber than before.

"No." He shook his head, his voice low. "The poison is still there, not a drop less."

He paused.

"This poison is no ordinary poison; it's a Gu poison."