Chapter 53

Chapter 53

The carriage that arrived later stopped abruptly in front of the thatched cottage. Before the young woman could ponder, a youth jumped down first, his back to them, then reached into the carriage to help a slender figure in a hooded cloak alight.

"They must be here to see the doctor," the old woman observed.

The young woman eased slightly but remained vigilant. "Arriving one right after the other—something's off."

The old woman patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll go check."

"I'm coming with you," the young woman insisted.

The three arrivals included a coachman who was clearly a trained fighter, while the two youths were hard to get a read on.

Outside the cottage, Ye Xuanjiu tied up the horses.

Qi Hanzhou noticed two sets of wheel tracks on the ground. "Are we too late?"

Ying Fusheng, supported by Qi Hanzhou, just got down and looked toward the corner of the fence, where the dust showed two empty spots. "They've probably left. This place looks like a pharmacy."

"There are two fewer medicine baskets," Ying Fusheng said, standing beside Qi Hanzhou. He sniffed the air, catching the peculiar medicinal odor. "The owner hasn't returned from gathering herbs yet. The medicine is still brewing, so they can't be far."

Just then, Qi Hanzhou glanced into the distance. "Someone's coming."

A figure emerged from deep within the herb fields.

Ying Fusheng paused as he saw the approaching old woman—stooped, leaning on a cane, moving slowly. But when she looked up, her eyes held a certain vitality, a strange familiarity that didn't quite match.

Qi Hanzhou noted Ying Fusheng's hesitation. Did he know this person?

They had rushed here after learning that Empress Xu had left Huguo Temple, thanks to a spy placed near her. They knew she had come to this place, but the person she met was only an old woman.

Just as they hesitated, a young woman strode out from behind the old woman.

"Pardon the intrusion," Qi Hanzhou began, searching for an excuse, but through the gap in the hooded cloak, he caught Ying Fusheng's unusual expression. The youth's eyes were fixed on the young woman.

The old woman immediately noticed the frail-looking Ying Fusheng. "Are you here for a consultation?"

"Yes," Ying Fusheng spoke up. "Is the doctor's surname Chen?"

Doctor Chen studied the hooded young man standing behind his brother. Hearing his young voice and his recognition of her surname, she replied, "Indeed. Please wait a moment."

Qi Hanzhou glanced at Ying Fusheng. How did he know?

"Xuqiu..." The old woman stopped abruptly, coughed, and corrected herself: "Clean things up so we can see the young master."

Qi Hanzhou looked at the young woman. "And this is?"

"My name is Chen," she said curtly, plainly not wanting to say more.

"Miss Chen," Qi Hanzhou nodded.

Chen Xuqiu... Ying Fusheng watched the young woman approach and tidy the room. His gaze couldn't leave her. How could she be Chen Xuqiu?

In his past life, deep in the palace amidst wind and snow, a pair of hands had reached out and pulled him back from the brink of death. That person had been a female official in the Imperial Hospital, who had treated nobles and happened upon him by chance.

But that memory didn't match. The face he remembered was aged. Only the resemblance in her brows and eyes, and the years they had spent together, allowed him to recognize her now. This young woman before him looked about twenty, not the age of the elderly female official who had treated him and even taught him life-preserving techniques in his past life.

After his rebirth, he had asked Song An to investigate the Imperial Hospital, but found no one matching that description.

He had thought Chen Xuqiu had not yet taken office. He never expected to meet her here, in this place, in this appearance.

Thinking back, Chen Xuqiu, though elderly, had walked with vigor.

He had attributed it to her medical expertise, but now he saw the problem went deeper.

Ying Fusheng's mind was spinning. Why had Empress Xu come here? What was the relationship between these two women? As he hesitated, Chen Xuqiu had already cleared the examination table. She glanced at Ying Fusheng's hooded cloak. "Take that off first. I can't see your face properly."

Ye Xuanjiu entered, looking at Qi Hanzhou in confusion. Weren't they here to investigate Empress Xu?!

Qi Hanzhou signaled him to stay quiet. The cottage looked simple, but the herbs inside were plentiful. The medicine cabinet against the wall was fully stocked, with some rare ingredients he recognized from his time with military doctors at the border. But the medicinal smell here was different from the usual... This old woman was no ordinary physician.

Doctor Chen could tell the two visitors were of high status. "She's blunt like that. Please don't take offense."

Before she could finish speaking, Ying Fusheng removed his hood. As soon as he did, Doctor Chen's expression grew serious. She studied his face intently. Behind her, Chen Xuqiu frowned, her eyes fixed on him.

Doctor Chen's voice was grave. "Young master, hold out your hand. Let me take your pulse..."

Suddenly, Qi Hanzhou, standing by the door, heard something. "Watch out!"

An arrow flew in the next instant. Qi Hanzhou rolled back and forcefully shut the door, but the arrows shattered the cottage's defenses, burying themselves in the walls!

Ying Fusheng had just laid his hand on the pulse cushion when Qi Hanzhou pulled him back.

Qi Hanzhou scanned the window. Hooded black-clad horsemen stopped right outside. Night had already fallen, and the attackers wore dark clothing and masks. As he watched, one spotted him and fired another arrow. There was no hesitation—these people were here to kill and silence someone!

"Shuang Yue is her personal maid. If she doesn't see Empress Xu at Huguo Temple, she'll suspect something," Ying Fusheng whispered, staying behind Qi Hanzhou, keeping his head down. "Shuang Yue probably knows about this place."

They had arrived discreetly. These attackers weren't after them—their target was likely Chen Xuqiu and the old woman.

Empress Xu couldn't have come here alone every time. Shuang Yue, a longtime spy planted beside her, might have detected the issue. Today, Shuang Yue's unusual departure from the palace, Empress Xu leaving Huguo Temple... Something must have happened that made Shuang Yue decide to silence them before she understood the situation.

Things couldn't be resolved peacefully. The Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn't be exposed. Qi Hanzhou shot Ye Xuanjiu a glance, then tore off part of his robe to cover his face. He noticed Ying Fusheng huddled behind him, then looked at the woman shielding Doctor Chen.

"We'll stay inside here," Chen Xuqiu said.

Ying Fusheng warned Qi Hanzhou, "Be careful."

The youth concealed himself deep in the shadows. Qi Hanzhou gave him one last look, then burst through the window with Ye Xuanjiu.

Both were veteran soldiers from the border. Ye Xuanjiu drew the attackers' attention, while Qi Hanzhou flicked something that glinted coldly—an arrowhead—that struck a horse!

The horses startled, forcing the black-clad figures to dismount.

Their leader turned and saw the arrowhead embedded in the horse's tail. His eyes snapped to Qi Hanzhou. The man had snapped off the arrowhead and used it as a hidden weapon! But it was too late. Qi Hanzhou had already closed in, his sword flashing in a fatal strike.

One exchange told Qi Hanzhou their moves were ruthless. They couldn't drag this out—they had to end it quickly.

Outside, swords clashed. Inside, Ying Fusheng crouched low, peering through the arrow holes, watching the chaos. His mind raced. Empress Xu must have come to see them for a reason, yet someone sent assassins today. It must be connected to the purpose of her visit.

Empress Xu's every move was being watched. Today, Shuang Yue's unusual departure from the palace, Empress Xu leaving Huguo Temple... Something must have happened that made Shuang Yue decide to silence them before she understood the situation.

Then Chen Xuqiu...

Ying Fusheng watched her shield Doctor Chen, recalling his past life when Chen Xuqiu became a female official in the palace. He thought for a moment:

"Before we arrived, what did that noblewoman tell you?"

At this, Chen Xuqiu tensed. She noticed the shift in Ying Fusheng's tone and stared at the young master, and said nothing.

"Young Master Chen, those people outside are here to silence you," Ying Fusheng said calmly. "From the moment that noble appeared, they never intended to let you live."

Chen Xuqiu's expression shifted slightly. Doctor Chen, whom he was shielding, patted his shoulder reassuringly.

Then, a sudden noise erupted outside.

Ying Fusheng snapped back to attention, looking toward Qi Hanzhou.

After a few exchanges, the group of assassins showed signs of fatigue, clearly no match for Qi Hanzhou and his men. As Ying Fusheng was about to refocus, he noticed a few of them reaching behind them—something seemed to be hidden at their waists.

Outside the thatched hut, Qi Hanzhou's sword was already closing in on the assassin leader's vital point. With a flash of cold light, his blade shifted mid-strike, catching the leader off guard. The man's eyes widened as if recognizing the sword technique. "You are Qi..."

Before the name could be spoken, his hand stopped at his waist. From afar, Ying Fusheng saw this and shouted, "Stop his right hand!"

Hearing Ying Fusheng's cry, Qi Hanzhou swiftly severed the man's arm, moving so fast the leader had no time to react. He then subdued the leader and pinned him to the ground. Meanwhile, seeing this, the other assassins drove short blades into themselves, choosing to die on the spot.

Ye Xuanjiu was startled by the sight. Seeing the assassins fall, he quickly sheathed his sword and approached.

Ying Fusheng emerged from the hut. As he stood up, his vision suddenly darkened. He tried to grab something for support but missed, stumbling forward. Realizing his plight, he was steadied by Chen Xuqiu, who caught his arm.

Chen Xuqiu frowned. "Are you alright?"

Ying Fusheng withdrew his hand and murmured a thank-you.

Outside, the assassins had all killed themselves. Ye Xuanjiu stepped forward to lift their hoods and examine their faces, but he recoiled in shock as their features rapidly decayed and their skin turned to rot, forcing him back several paces.

He tried to look closer, but a shout interrupted him from a distance—

"Don't touch them!" Chen Xuqiu called out.

Ye Xuanjiu stopped.

Qi Hanzhou sheathed his sword and stepped back. The rest of the assassins had rotted to death. He turned around. As for their leader, though Qi Hanzhou had cut off his right hand before he could use the dagger, he suddenly bled from the seven orifices and died—clearly from poison.

These were assassins: if a strike failed, they took their own lives, leaving no survivors for interrogation.

Ying Fusheng helped Doctor Chen out. Seeing the rotted corpses, Doctor Chen was stunned. "This is Plum Blossom Decay."

"A forbidden poison from the former dynasty. It acts quickly: the victim dies, and the body becomes a highly toxic agent. Anyone who touches it dies as well." Chen Xuqiu looked at Ye Xuanjiu and briefly explained what Plum Blossom Decay was. "If you had touched him, you'd be like that now."

Such a heinous substance—it even forced others to die alongside the victim.

Ye Xuanjiu felt a wave of fear. Qi Hanzhou used his sword to expose the face of one corpse, but it was already unrecognizable. The poison had corroded everything, including most of their clothes. "Destroying the evidence. They don't want us to learn anything from the bodies."

But one remained.

The assassin whose right hand had been severed hadn't had time to use his dagger. He had apparently swallowed poison, leaving a complete body. Chen Xuqiu approached, examined it briefly, confirmed it was free of poison, and nodded to Qi Hanzhou.

Qi Hanzhou stepped forward to inspect. He found nothing unusual under the clothing until he reached the waist—

On the dead man's waist was a strange totem, intricate and complex. Upon closer inspection, the center depicted a blooming flower.

In that instant, an eerie chill seemed to rush in from afar, and a figure flickered before his eyes. Beneath a broken armlet, a complex totem appeared faintly, merging with the one before him. Then came the heartrending screams of the entire city of Youzhou.

"Qi Hanzhou," Ying Fusheng said.

Qi Hanzhou snapped back to reality. He concealed the totem, his expression returning to normal.

For a moment, Qi Hanzhou's composure had cracked—only Ying Fusheng noticed. Qi Hanzhou recognized that totem, or rather, had seen it before. Ying Fusheng hid his observation and committed the totem to memory.

Ye Xuanjiu quickly returned, holding a small hidden dart. His expression was grave. "Junior General, look at this."

The design was unfamiliar, not from the royal family or the military—it was a privately made dart.

Ye Xuanjiu hesitated. "If I'm not mistaken, I saw this in the Eastern Palace."

At that, Ying Fusheng and Qi Hanzhou stiffened.

These assassins were from the Eastern Palace!

"What did the noble who came earlier ask you?" Ying Fusheng turned to Doctor Chen. After this incident, the two had relaxed their guard slightly. After some hesitation, Doctor Chen briefly told them that Empress Xu had asked about the Mad Hyacinth Gu. "That noble has only been here a few times, just for consultations and medicine. Nothing else."

Hearing the symptoms, Qi Hanzhou immediately thought of the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager's mysterious illness—Empress Xu was investigating that?!

Chen Xuqiu said bluntly, "We didn't tell the noble about Changxin. But that substance comes from Western Shu. In the capital, only the imperial palace still has it. It's hard to find elsewhere."

Ying Fusheng pondered for a moment, a bad feeling rising. "We need to get back as soon as possible."

Chen Xuqiu noticed that their carriage had been destroyed by the assassins. "I'll fetch the horses. You can ride quickly into the city."

Qi Hanzhou had Ye Xuanjiu settle the two doctors. Chen Xuqiu soon brought the horses. Qi Hanzhou mounted, and Ying Fusheng followed. Suddenly, Ying Fusheng reached out his hand to Qi Hanzhou, saying coldly, "I learned to ride from Shen Yunfei on the outskirts of the capital."

Qi Hanzhou hesitated only a moment, then pulled him onto the horse. "Hold tight."

The two of them galloped away. Ye Xuanjiu sent word for others to clean up the area. "Follow me to a safe place. The assassination attempt's failure will be discovered soon. It's no longer safe here."

"Thank you," said Doctor Chen.

However, Chen Xuqiu watched the departing figures with a slight frown. He recalled the strange look the young master had given him, seeming especially troubled upon learning his surname was Chen.

As a physician skilled in face-reading, he could tell that the young master was in very poor health—not a sign of a long life. And when he had taken the young master's pulse earlier...

"Take care of that young master of yours," he said.

Ye Xuanjiu hesitated. "Young Master Chen?" Chen Xuqiu said, "His condition is very bad."