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Inside the Marquis’ Mansion, outside Bai Xinyao’s room, a group of maidservants and elderly women gathered, their expressions filled with panic, whispering amongst themselves.
A young maidservant, furrowed her brow, her voice barely a whisper, “Do you think, Second Miss, she’s perfectly fine, how come she suddenly became so ill?”
Liu, an elderly woman, shook her head, her face full of worry, “I think, maybe she bumped into something unclean.
Yesterday, I saw Second Miss doing well, but today she’s in so much pain, it’s strange.”
Another maidservant, Xiaohong, leaned in, her eyes filled with fear, “Could it be that she was cursed?
These symptoms, they look terrifying.”
The group, each speaking in turn, their voices growing louder, completely oblivious to the frantic state of Concubine Li inside the room.
Every word they spoke pierced her ears, fueling her already restless heart with even more anxiety.
Concubine Li sat by Bai Xinyao’s bed, her hands tightly clasped around her daughter’s. The hand was thin and bony, devoid of any color.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she continuously mumbled, “Yaoyao, you must hold on!
Heaven, please, save my daughter…” Bai Xinyao’s eyes were tightly shut, her brow furrowed in pain, and she occasionally let out weak groans. Large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, soaking the pillow.
Finally, the Physician arrived in a hurry.
This Physician’s name was Zhang, and he held considerable prestige in the Imperial Medical Bureau, possessing vast experience. He had treated countless difficult cases in his days, but even now, seeing Bai Xinyao’s condition, he couldn’t help but frown.
He strode quickly to the bedside, first meticulously observing Bai Xinyao’s complexion and tongue, then placed his fingers on her wrist, closing his eyes and concentrating, carefully taking her pulse.
After a while, Physician Zhang’s face turned grim, and he slowly shook his head, sighing, “This… this condition is quite peculiar. I have practiced medicine for many years, but I have never encountered anything like it.
Her pulse is erratic, her blood flow is reversed, and there seems to be a strange force at work within her body, it’s truly troublesome.”
Concubine Li, upon hearing this, her legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed to the floor. She quickly grabbed onto the bed, crying out, “Physician, you must save my daughter!
She’s still young, she can’t just… I only have this one daughter, please save her!”
Her voice was filled with despair, and tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.
Physician Zhang pondered for a long time, then slowly spoke, “Madam, don’t worry, I will first prescribe some medicine, to see if we can alleviate Miss’s symptoms.
However, the cause of this illness, I need to investigate further.
These few prescriptions are mainly for regulating…
“Perhaps, this will make Miss feel better,” the Physician said, “It will regulate her Qi and blood, and calm her mind.”
Concubine Li hastily nodded, “Thank you, Physician, as long as it can save my daughter, whatever medicine it is, we are willing to try.”
However, after taking several doses of the medicine, Bai Xinyao’s condition not only did not improve but worsened.
She experienced constant abdominal pain, tossing and turning in bed, vomiting whatever she ate, and her entire body rapidly grew thinner. Her once plump cheeks became sunken, and her eyes lost their sparkle.
Seeing her daughter’s suffering, Concubine Li’s heart felt like it was being ripped apart. She knew that ordinary medical skills could no longer save Bai Xinyao. After much deliberation, she decided to seek out the Western Region Sorcerer once again.
Ignoring the curious glances of others, Concubine Li ran all the way to the thatched hut west of the city.
Arriving at the hut, she didn’t even bother to knock on the door, but rushed straight in.
“Master, please save my daughter!”
Concubine Li “thumped” to her knees in front of the Sorcerer, tears streaming down her face, her hair disheveled, her eyes filled with despair.
The Sorcerer furrowed his brow, grabbed her wrist, and after closing his eyes to sense her condition, his expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, “Not good!
The Gu parasite has entered your daughter’s body!”
The Sorcerer’s voice held a hint of surprise, clearly not expecting things to develop this way.
Concubine Li’s cries became even more piercing, her body trembled uncontrollably, and she clutched tightly onto the Sorcerer’s clothes, as if it were her last hope. “How could this happen?
Master, you must save her, I beg you!
As long as you can save my daughter, I’m willing to do anything!”
The Sorcerer’s eyes revealed a flicker of hesitation, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.
Concubine Li quickly said, “Master, as long as you can save my daughter, I’m willing to pay any price!
Just tell me what you need, even if I have to sell everything, I will gather it.”
Concubine Li’s voice was firm, at this point, she no longer cared about anything else, as long as she could save Bai Xinyao, she was willing to pay any price.
The Sorcerer extended five fingers, coldly stating, “Five hundred taels of gold, not a single tael less.
I need to use this gold to find a special antidote, to lure the Gu parasite out.
The herbs for this antidote, some grow in extremely cold regions, others are hidden in deep mountains and forests, making them extremely difficult to collect. Five hundred taels of gold is already the lowest price.”
The Sorcerer’s tone was unwavering, he knew Concubine Li had no other choice.
Concubine Li gritted her teeth, without a moment’s hesitation, “Fine, I will go back and prepare it!
Master, you must wait for me, you must save my daughter.”
After speaking, Concubine Li turned and stumbled out of the thatched…
Concubine Li hurried back to the Marquis’ Mansion and, upon entering her room, began frantically searching through everything.
She gathered all the jewelry and precious objects she had accumulated over the years. Looking at these items, once considered her treasures, she felt no attachment.
With these items, she sought out a wealthy merchant with whom she had a friendly relationship.
The merchant, seeing Concubine Li’s haggard appearance and the items she brought, looked troubled. “Concubine Li, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but five hundred taels of gold is a considerable sum.”
Concubine Li fell to her knees, crying, “I beg you, my daughter is in grave danger, this is my last hope.
These items are definitely worth more than five hundred taels of gold, please consider it saving our lives.”
The merchant, unable to refuse, finally agreed. “Very well, considering our past friendship, I will help you this once.”
Finally, Concubine Li gathered the five hundred taels of gold.
She brought the gold to the Sorcerer’s hut.
The Sorcerer accepted the gold and asked Concubine Li to bring Bai Xinyao.
After Bai Xinyao was carried into the hut, the Sorcerer lit a strange incense, the smoke swirling, emitting a mysterious scent.
He muttered incantations, holding an ancient-looking bottle, slowly pouring the black liquid inside into Bai Xinyao’s mouth.
Moments later, Bai Xinyao violently coughed, then spat out a Gu parasite covered in blood.
The moment the Gu parasite hit the ground, it quickly burrowed into the soil and disappeared.
Concubine Li looked at her daughter, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew that in this struggle, they had lost completely.
Meanwhile, Bai Linglong, in her own courtyard, heard the news from the servants and sneered inwardly.
She knew that if she let down her guard, even slightly, this mother and daughter might make a comeback.
This struggle within the Marquis’ Mansion was far from over. She had to remain vigilant, protecting everything she had.