Inside the inn, Tang Jinnian hastily shoveled some leftover rice into his mouth before rushing off to administer the medicine to Alluring Elegy.
A stranger may have guessed his rush came from his concern about the patient, but Xue Qiming knew him too well.
"This isn’t about saving a life, you just want someone to test your medicine, don’t you?"
Tang Jinnian wasn’t offended. He let out a cold laugh and retorted, "Then why don’t you keep her from taking it? Let her lie there and wait for death, would that make you happier?"
Xue Qiming was momentarily speechless, pursing his lips and saying no more.
The group entered Baili Gucheng’s room and immediately saw Ye Beizhi and Baili Gucheng sitting cross-legged on the floor, facing each other. Baili Gucheng had his arms stretched forward, allowing Ye Beizhi to grip his wrists firmly.
His eyes were closed, and an ominous flicker occasionally flashed across his pale face. Ye Beizhi held tightly onto his pulse points, staring at Baili Gucheng intently. Whenever Baili’s complexion darkened, Ye Beizhi visibly tensed. His entire body was drenched in sweat, clearly struggling against the violent sword qi raging within Baili Gucheng.
Tang Jinnian and Xue Qiming’s expressions immediately changed upon witnessing the scene. Even Xue Qiming seemed tense as he remarked, "This is bad. Last night, it wasn’t this severe, how did it get to this point by today?"
Upon hearing Xue Qiming’s words, Chi Nanwei panicked and instinctively started toward Ye Beizhi. Tang Jinnian quickly grabbed her arm. "Don’t go over there!"
Chi Nanwei stumbled slightly from his pull, and Tang Jinnian pointed at the floor around the two men. "Take a good look."
Everyone looked closely and noticed a faint qi swirling around Ye Beizhi and Baili Gucheng, occasionally causing their clothes to flutter slightly. On the wooden floor where they sat, countless marks were gouged, as if it had been attacked by a storm of blades and swords.
Tang Jinnian swallowed hard. "Mute Ye is about to lose control... Rao Shuang, fetch the bowl of medicinal broth from my room."
Rao Shuang hesitated for a moment before snapping out of it and rushing out of the room.
Chi Nanwei’s face was pale as she gripped Tang Jinnian’s arm tightly. Her voice trembled as she asked, "If... if he can’t suppress it... what will happen to Dummy?"
With an odd tone, Tang Jinnian replied, "At a time , you’re still worried about him? At least his blade intent will protect him if they lose control. It’s people like me and Unbound Bodhisattva who practice external arts that will suffer. As for the rest of you? You’d probably be dead before you even realized it."
Chi Nanwei initially felt relieved upon hearing that Ye Beizhi would be fine, but she was quickly terrified again by the gruesome scenario Tang Jinnian described.
Xue Qiming patted Tang Jinnian on the shoulder. "Hey, stop scaring her. Watch out, or Ye Beizhi get you back later."
Tang Jinnian sneered. "I’m just telling her the truth."
As they bickered, Rao Shuang arrived carrying a small bowl. A strange fragrance wafted through the air as she approached.
Xue Qiming curiously glanced at the bowl in Rao Shuang’s hands. It was half filled with a thick, dark green liquid. The liquid's unpleasant appearance starkly contrasted with its enticing aroma.
Xue Qiming grimaced and turned his head away. "Dear heavens, what is this stuff? Are you sure you didn’t spend all these days brewing poison?"
Tang Jinnian’s expression darkened. "This is the leftover residue from refining the Transcendence Stone. It still contains traces of its medicinal properties. Give it to someone suppressing the sword qi and see if it works. The Transcendence Stone can supposedly bring the dead back to life, so... maybe it’ll help."
"Are you sure this stuff won’t kill someone instead?" Xue Qiming pressed.
"Enough!" Tang Jinnian snapped, his voice tinged with anger and embarrassment. "Shut up, you insufferable beggar! I’ve never claimed to be a doctor! What more do you want from me? The medicine is here. Take it or leave it, I’m done!"
Seeing that Tang Jinnian was genuinely upset, Xue Qiming sheepishly rubbed his nose. "Uh... I was just concerned, that’s all. Don't take it personally, haha."
At that moment, Baili Gucheng suddenly spoke up. "Give me the medicine... I’ll take it."
No one expected Baili Gucheng to speak, and then they saw Ye Beizhi’s gaze shift to Baili’s face. He then turned to Chi Nanwei, nodded, and extended his hand.
Chi Nanwei forced a smile at Ye Beizhi, took the bowl from Rao Shuang, and walked toward him.
Fang Dingwu called out worriedly from behind, "Little Sister... be careful."
Chi Nanwei nodded at him and carefully continued forward step by step.
The moment she entered the vicinity of the swirling qi, Ye Beizhi suddenly grabbed her wrist. Instantly, all the sound of the cutting qi around her ceased, as if the qi was deliberately avoiding her and brushed past her instead.
Before she could fully process the odd sensation, she felt the bowl of medicine snatched from her hands. A gentle force nudged her backward, and she was standing next to Tang Jinnian again before she knew it.
Ye Beizhi was now holding the bowl and paid close attention to Baili Gucheng.
Baili Gucheng opened his eyes and saw Ye Beizhi watching him. He smiled, understanding Ye’s concern. "It’s fine. Whether this is a miracle cure or poison, I’ll take it as a trial run for Miss Yang." With that, he took the bowl and downed it in a single gulp.
"How do you feel?" Tang Jinnian blurted out tactlessly. His eyes were eager, as though he were the one taking the medicine.
Baili Gucheng paused. "It’s too thick... I haven’t swallowed it yet..."
Rao Shuang tugged at Tang Jinnian’s sleeve and whispered, "Why are you so anxious? It’s not like it will work instantly."
As soon as Rao Shuang finished speaking, everyone saw Baili Gucheng’s expression suddenly change, and the sword qi around him vanished without a trace.
Ye Beizhi also looked bewildered, as he suddenly couldn’t sense the sword qi within Baili Gucheng anymore. In fact, his own internal qi almost harmed Baili Gucheng. It was as if two wrestlers were locked in a spar and one paused abruptly, leaving the other unable to stop in time.
Tang Jinnian impatiently stepped forward, waving his hand through the air as if trying to grasp the disappearing sword qi. "What’s happening? What just happened?"
Baili Gucheng spread his hands in front of him, staring at them in confusion. "My sword qi... it’s gone?"
"Gone?" Tang Jinnian’s eyes widened. "What do you mean gone?"
Baili Gucheng shook his head. "I can’t feel my internal qi anymore. Right now, I feel like... just an ordinary person?"
Rao Shuang cautiously whispered, "Could it be... something went wrong during the refining process?"
"You’re saying it’s my fault!?" Tang Jinnian snapped, grabbing Rao Shuang’s arm in anger.
Rao Shuang winced and was frightened by Tang Jinnian’s outburst. She struggled and said, "That’s not what I meant—"
"I followed everything the book said to the letter!" Tang Jinnian seemed to be spiraling, his demeanor bordering on madness. "If something’s wrong, it must be the book’s fault! I couldn’t have been wrong!"
Xue Qiming ignored Tang Jinnian and instead asked Baili Gucheng, "What about your injuries?"
Baili Gucheng paused and closed his eyes to sense his condition carefully. He then said, "Other than losing my internal qi... my meridians are completely healed."
"Then this medicine... should we still use it?" Xue Qiming opened his hand, revealing the pill crafted from the Transcendence Stone.
Baili Gucheng stared at the Transcendence Stone for a long moment before gritting his teeth and nodding firmly.