Chapter 45: The Venomous Spell

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The summer dusk arrived late.

The street where the “Living Dead” clinic stood was called Long Street, one of the oldest streets in Shendu City. The current emperor was a determined reformer. Under her rule, Shendu was redeveloped, giving rise to many new districts that were clean and spacious. Although these ancient streets were not far from the palace city, they gradually became sparsely populated.

Shen Lian’s clinic had been purchased from a family who had moved to a better street with a superior environment and safer security.

The clinic’s door was half-closed, with a lazy evening haze resting quietly on the threshold.

The sound of carriage wheels rolling over the cobblestones broke this tranquility. The driver, Zhao Xiang, stepped down and lifted the carriage curtain, revealing first a slightly pale, plump hand. Whether a person lived a pampered life could often be seen from their hands; generally, only nobles who seldom did hard labor could keep their hands well cared for. Of course, there were exceptions, like the tavern owner by Anping Canal.

Before Zhao Xiang could call out, the door had already opened. A delicate little girl stood at the entrance. Seeing Zhao Xiang and the chubby middle-aged man beside him, she bowed—a respectful gesture from a junior to elders—and then chirped, “Brother is inside, waiting for this uncle to come in.”

Zhao Xiang smiled and said to the middle-aged man, “This is the first time I’ve seen him greet guests like this. It’s little Yinyin who does it.”

The middle-aged man looked very pale. His features resembled Zhao Xiang’s slightly but were softer and gentler. Dark circles rimmed his deeply sunken eyes, giving the impression of sleeplessness and a lack of vitality.

Still, he was polite and asked, “How did your brother know we were coming?” His voice was weak and strained, lacking strength.

“Brother is a god; of course, he knows you’re coming,” Yinyin said proudly, with a hint of disdain. Although this uncle was not as disagreeable as Zhao Xiang, she found him quite dull.

The middle-aged man bent slightly and said, “Brother is a god. What is Yinyin then?”

Yinyin bit her lip and said, “A little fairy.”

The man removed a string of prayer beads from his hand and said, “You greeted me just now so properly. Uncle didn’t bring any gifts, so I’ll give you this string of beads.”

Zhao Xiang’s expression showed surprise, and he was about to speak, but the man gave him a glance to stop him. The prayer beads were a gift from his grandmother to his father and had never left his side. Besides their great significance, such imperial-bestowed items were not to be given away lightly.

Yinyin shook her head behind her back and said, “I don’t want it.”

Then she added, “Brother told me to accept it. Please give it to me.” She stretched out her hand as if expecting him to put it on her.

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The middle-aged man smiled faintly and did not ask how Yinyin had heard Shen Lian’s words. He placed the prayer beads on her wrist.

The string had nine beads of dark green jade, spaced apart on a highly elastic cord. Though Yinyin’s hand was small, the beads fit her wrist comfortably.

Shen Lian sat in the courtyard with a pot of clear tea and a cup before him. The middle-aged man came out into the yard, sweating quite a bit, and Zhao Xiang had to support him as he sat down.

He tried to muster his strength and observed Shen Lian. Neither spoke first.

Finally, Zhao Xiang broke the silence. “Have you figured out my father’s illness?”

Shen Lian’s expression remained calm and unchanged. He said lightly, “Your Highness, have you recently experienced blurred vision, frequent dizziness, constant sleepiness but difficulty falling asleep?”

“That’s exactly it,” the man replied. “At first, I paid little attention. But after many days, my energy has waned considerably. I’ve tried many remedies, but the condition worsens. The palace doctors can’t diagnose anything wrong, claiming it’s only insomnia. Even external renowned physicians have found nothing.”

“Yet even after taking sleep aids, there’s no improvement. I suffer sleepless nights and fatigue by day,” he continued. Despite this, he still had to attend court affairs. The empress clearly noticed his poor health but never inquired.

“These symptoms are easy to eliminate. I can treat them immediately. However, the root cause requires a different prescription, and success is uncertain,” Shen Lian said softly.

The middle-aged man asked, “Can you first help me with the dizziness and blurred vision?”

Shen Lian smiled. “The medicine is ready.”

He produced a paper talisman which ignited without wind, the ashes falling into the tea cup. Shen Lian held the cup, spinning it swiftly in his hand without spilling a drop.

He stopped the cup suddenly. The water inside ceased moving, seemingly defying the laws of physics. This skill alone astonished the middle-aged man.

The ash floated clearly on the tea’s surface.

Shen Lian passed the cup to the man and calmly said, “Drink this talisman water.”

Zhao Xiang said, “Shen Lian, don’t joke. I came here for medical help, but asking my father to drink talisman water seems unreliable.”

“Then I’ll prepare a prescription for you to take back for the palace physicians to examine. After they verify the medicine’s safety, His Highness can take it confidently,” Shen Lian replied with a smile.

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Zhao Xiang felt somewhat embarrassed; that was indeed his intention.

The middle-aged man said, “This is the Zhu You technique, a form of medicine. Xiang’er, don’t blame him.”

Using talismans and incantations to cure ailments has ancient origins, but this was the man’s first encounter with it.

He picked up the tea cup and drank decisively.

Zhao Xiang was outwardly decisive but struck like a thunderbolt from silence. He showed no fear of Shen Lian’s intentions.

After a few breaths, the middle-aged man suddenly vomited. Along with bitter fluid, a lively black worm jumped onto the ground. Zhao Xiang saw it clearly.

The worm jumped a few times, then dissolved into a wisp of black smoke which flew upward. Shen Lian snapped his fingers; a breath of celestial energy silently swept the smoke away with a sizzling sound.

Zhao Xiang looked at his father, then at Shen Lian, asking, “Brother Shen, what just happened?”

“That was a Gu parasite. The suffering Your Highness has endured these days was caused by it. Now it’s gone,” Shen Lian explained.

The middle-aged man had stopped vomiting and smiled bitterly. “I never expected it to be Gu poison. No wonder the palace doctors couldn’t diagnose it. But how could they dare do such a thing?”

His complexion had improved somewhat, but a shadow lingered between his brows.

Within the palace, using Gu poison was a grave taboo. Besides, his mother would surely have detected it. Why did she show no sign?

******

The middle-aged man and Zhao Xiang sat inside the carriage, while others drove from outside. Although they left the palace, many secretly guarded them.

Zhao Xiang asked, “What did the prescription Shen Lian gave you to remove the root cause say?”

ps: Thanks to Fate’s Master, Always Reading is Good, Upright Daily, Time Turns to Foam, and Oh Hahaha for their support.