Seeing Su Li's reaction, Yang Xiao immediately asked nervously: "How are you?"
Xia Fu'an seemed to have lost his usual composure and asked urgently: "How do you feel now?"
The two of them said in unison, and couldn't help but be stunned. Yang Xiao frowned, and a trace of doubt quietly slipped through his eyes.
"No, it's okay...send me back first." It took a lot of effort for Su Li to spit out these words. Cold sweat dripped from her hair on her temples. She gritted her teeth and persisted, but her consciousness gradually blurred.
Yang Xiao wanted to reach out to hug her, but he didn't expect Xia Fu'an to move faster. He took Su Li into his arms without any reason, picked her up by the waist, and said in a deep voice: "The saint's injury is not serious, so there is no need to delay. The subordinates will immediately send her back to the Sacred Heart Palace, and I will trouble the Fourth Prince to go and ask the ghost to come over." After saying that, he strode away without looking back.
The words were polite, but his tone did not conceal his dominance and strength. Yang Xiao frowned, and his outstretched hand stopped in mid-air. In the long corridor ahead, Xia Fuan's figure had disappeared around the corner.
On the way back to the Sacred Heart Hall, Xia Fuan's feet were flying and his steps were steady. Su Li was exhausted and was hugged to his chest.
The evening breeze blew slowly at night, blowing the lamps under the eaves of the corridor. Rows of warm yellow light swayed gently in the dark night sky, illuminating the sparkling waves on the water and reflecting soft silvery shadows, hazy and shrouded like mist. Live in this huge and exquisite water palace.
The main altar of the Saintess Church at night is like a fairyland in a dream, especially beautiful. Being in it, people can't tell whether it is an illusion or not.
Su Li leaned against his chest. In her hazy consciousness, she only felt that this embrace was solid, warm, and had the power to calm people's hearts.
. His heartbeat was steady and powerful, hitting her eardrums one after another, like a familiar call in a distant memory...
She unconsciously leaned a little closer, trying to find a comfortable position in his arms, and the cold metal mask pressed against his neck. His body shook slightly and his arms tightened tighter.
This feeling…
Her heart trembled inexplicably, and she tried to open her eyes. She found that the face of the man in front of her was erratic, like ripples of water. She took a breath, grabbed the front of his shirt with difficulty, and asked vaguely: "Who are you... ?”
He immediately stopped in his steps, lowered his eyes, and looked at her steadily.
The light and shadow on the corridor were intertwined and swaying. Her eyes behind the mask had lost their usual coldness, and her gaze was confused and uncertain. His heart could not help but beat twice as fast, and he asked in a low voice: "Who do you think I am?"
Her slender fingers were stiff for a moment, and then she let go. A sigh gently brushed her ears. She suddenly opened her lips and uttered one word inaudibly: "Dong..."
He didn't hear clearly, lowered his head and asked, "What?"
The lips under the half-open metal mask made no more sound. Her consciousness gradually drifted away, and the cold and boundless darkness gradually enveloped her. At some point, her hand seemed to be held by a hand, and warm power was slowly injected into it. Within the body, the scattered consciousness slowly condensed.
The cool night breeze blew by, and she suddenly woke up a little. She opened her eyes slightly, and through the gap between her thick long eyelashes, the moonlight was clear and blurred, outlining Xia Fu'an's strong and shapely jaw, and he faintly exuded maturity. The man's breath, a faint medicinal fragrance came from him, she took a gentle breath, but there was no smell in her memory.
Su Li's heart was shocked. Just now... who did she think he was in a daze? ! How could she... how could she... With pain in her heart, she quickly stretched out her hand to push him, "Put... your hand down!"
Xia Fu'an didn't expect the sudden move. He let go of his hand and almost broke away from her. He roared: "The injury is so serious, why are you trying to be so strong?!"
Chest heaving, he... seemed angry!
"You..." Su Li was stunned. She frowned slightly, was this person the same Xia Fuan who came to see her respectfully on the first day she became a saint? ! Why did he feel so powerful and domineering at this moment
Xia Fu'an's eyes flickered, his mixed emotions dissipated in an instant, and he soon returned to calmness.
. He was quiet for a moment, "Don't be brave in everything, otherwise you will be the one who suffers in the end." As he said that, he quickly walked into the Sacred Heart Temple.
Carefully placing Su Li on the bed in the dormitory, he immediately sat down beside her. He placed his fingers lightly on her wrists. When he noticed that her surging inner breath had calmed down, he breathed a sigh of relief and stretched out his fingers to relieve her acupuncture points.
Su Li didn't open her eyes, just lying quietly. She was filled with doubts at the moment. In her confusion, the feeling was so familiar that it frightened her. She almost couldn't tell whether the person in front of her was Xia Fu'an. still…
Somewhat upset, even through the mask, she could clearly feel his sharp gaze lingering on her face repeatedly.
What is he looking at
At this time, Yang Xiao hurriedly pushed in the door with Jiang Yuan. Jiang Yuan quickly walked to the bed and carefully felt Su Li's pulse with a solemn expression. After a while, his serious expression relaxed a little, and he said thankfully: "The acupuncture points were sealed in time, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous."
Hearing this, Yang Xiao's face turned gloomy and he glanced at Xia Fu'an coldly, but said nothing.
Jiang Yuan muttered: "The saint's qi and blood are just unstable, and she happened to have ice toad as a medicine. This medicine combined with a few medicinal materials is an excellent body-building medicine. If you take good care of it, there should be no serious problems. However, in the past few days, Don’t use your inner strength anymore.”
Xia Fu'an immediately said: "What kind of medicinal materials are needed, I will make a prescription and I will order someone to prepare them immediately."
Jiang Yuan's eyes moved slightly, he stood up and walked to the desk to write a prescription.
Yang Xiao walked slowly to Xia Fu'an and said coldly: "As expected, he is the steward of the general altar, and he was very impressive when he appointed this prince!" He looked at him sharply. Thinking of what happened just now, a fire was burning in his heart. Who is Xia Fu'an? It was just the spy arranged by his father at the Saintess Cult Headquarters. How dare he speak to him in that commanding tone? If he wasn't worried about Su Li's injury, how could he listen to his orders!
Xia Fu'an looked as usual, took a step back, bowed his head lightly and said: "This is an emergency, and I am responsible for my duties. Please forgive me for any behavior that exceeds the rules." Although he spoke respectfully and calmly, his attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.
"So you still know your identity? Don't think that just because you are ordered to take care of the affairs of the general forum, you can do whatever you want! Clearing your own position is what a smart person should do!" At this moment, Yang Xiaofeng showed all his strength Showing an aggressive attitude, contrary to his usual playful and casual attitude. Every word contained dangerous signals. Xia Fuan's actions tonight had clearly angered him.
.
The faint sarcasm on Xia Fuan's lips disappeared in an instant, and he still stood quietly with his head bowed, "The fourth prince taught you a lesson well. Xia Fuan will remember his teachings."
Yang Xiao sneered and warned, "You better remember! Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude to you!"
Xia Fu'an slowly raised his head and stared into Yang Xiao's eyes without flinching; Yang Xiao had a handsome face and stared at him, his eyes as sharp as knives.
The hall was extremely quiet for a moment, and the only sound that could be heard was the rustling sound of the brush in Jiang Yuan's hand writing quickly on the paper.
Jiang Yuan quickly filled out the prescription and looked up, only to see Yang Xiao and Xia Fu'an looking at each other, seemingly in a silent confrontation. The two men are almost the same height, but their auras are completely different. One is overbearing and domineering, the other is calm and reserved. For a moment, I can't tell who is better!
On the bed, Su Li was still lying quietly.
Jiang Yuan calmly took in everything and raised his eyebrows slightly: "Manager Xia, the prescription has been prescribed. Just follow the prescription."
Xia Fu'an then looked back, took the prescription, browsed it hastily, frowned, and asked suspiciously: "Lvli is cold in nature, doesn't it seem suitable for a saint to take?"
"Although Luli is cold in nature, it is warm and tonic when combined with toad sustenance. The saint's injury needs this kind of treatment." Jiang Yuan, who had always been arrogant, did not get angry when faced with Xia Fu'an's doubts and explained patiently.
Xia Fu'an nodded thoughtfully and said with a slight smile: "That's it. The ghost's medical skills are indeed extraordinary."
Jiang Yuan's eyes were a little more probing, "Manager Xia still knows the art of Qihuang?"
"I have nothing to do. I occasionally read miscellaneous books to gain a brief knowledge of pharmacology. Today I am trying to fool around in front of the ghosts and envoys. It's a joke." After saying that, he put the prescription into his sleeve, gave a little bow, and quickly went down to cook the medicine.
Yang Xiao looked at his back with cold eyes, his normally raised eyebrows now frowning tightly.
Jiang Yuandao: "It's late at night, so the fourth prince should go back to his room to sleep. There will be a wonderful envoy here to serve the saint."
Before Yang Xiao could speak, he heard Su Li suddenly say: "You go down first, I have something to discuss with the fourth prince."
"Are you awake?" As soon as he saw her waking up, all suspicions were forgotten. Yang Xiao quickly came to her side, carefully helped her up, and asked with concern: "Do you feel better? Are you still hurting? It's all my fault. OK, let you get hurt
! " His eyes were full of annoyance, and he was obviously still frightened by the sudden scene just now.
Su Li saw it and shook her head slightly, "It happened suddenly. I can't blame you. I feel much better now."
Yang Xiao grabbed her hand and refused to let go. He couldn't help but sigh: "Fortunately, it's okay, otherwise I would be miserable."
After only two sentences, he lost his seriousness. Su Li pretended not to hear, and said thoughtfully: "I just followed the jade bi's instructions to do my exercises. Everything went smoothly. Why did there be an accident?"
Yang Xiao shook his head. He didn't know why. He thought for a moment and said, "I will go back to the palace immediately tomorrow to ask my father."
Su Li was silent, perhaps, only Emperor Bian could explain the reason.
After nightfall, Wan Xin helped Su Li take medicine and rest. Her pain was still there, her consciousness was groggy, and she couldn't sleep peacefully. She just felt that there was a person sitting in front of the bed, staring at her. Who was it? Warm fingers touched her lips, gently and gently. She immediately became alert and wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids seemed as heavy as a thousand pounds.
The man seemed to notice her uneasiness and suddenly withdrew his hand. He let out a long and low sigh, which seemed to reach into her heart. Her eyes felt sore for no reason.
When it was getting light, she woke up and found that there was no one in the hall, and her perception at night seemed to be just an illusion.
The effect of Bingchansu is really amazing. In just one night, Su Li felt that the pain was relieved a lot. In order to repay the favor, Yang Xiao had already left for the palace at dawn, presumably to ask Emperor Qing Bian, which link went wrong
The breakfast was actually delivered by Xia Fu'an himself. Su Li was moved when she saw him placing the small dishes on the table one by one. To her surprise, today's breakfast was not as laid out as in the past. There is only a bowl of white porridge and a few plates of fresh and refreshing vegetarian dishes.
The simpler the thing, the more skill is required to make it well. The white porridge seemed ordinary, but it was extremely smooth in the mouth. The light taste suited Su Li's taste, so she couldn't help but use more. Then he asked: "Today's breakfast tasted good. Did you change the cook?"
A joyful smile flashed in the corner of Xia Fu'an's eyes, and he said: "Since the saint likes it, I will instruct my subordinates to prepare meals according to this taste." There was a hint of joy in his voice, as gentle as the spring breeze.
Su Li couldn't help but glance at him, but suddenly found that there was blood in his smiling eyes. Thinking of what happened last night, her heart suddenly sank.
.
The next day, news came from Yang Xiao. The letter said that Emperor Bian was unwell and had been bedridden for two days. He had to wait for his father to recover before coming to practice with her. However, the reason why the accident occurred while practicing the martial arts made Su Li extremely embarrassed. It turned out that when a woman practiced this internal martial arts during menstruation, it was easy to stimulate the cold energy in the body and lead to obsession.
Su Li had no choice but to wait until her menstrual period had passed in the past few days before practicing. After a few days, Yang Xiao still hasn't come back. Su Li came to the Water Pavilion alone. It turned out that this pavilion had a very appropriate name, called Muyue Pavilion. The bright moon is in the sky, the night breeze is gentle, and insects are chirping in the trees and grass. It is another extremely beautiful night.
She sat cross-legged, concentrating on her luck. For about half an hour, the two energies in the body slowly met, and there seemed to be signs of fusion. She couldn't help but feel happy when she felt the spiritual platform suddenly flashed with white light, as if her body became extremely light and was sent flying into the sky by a powerful force.
She was completely immersed in this wonderful feeling, but suddenly she felt a sharp stabbing pain in her body. She hurriedly stopped the exercise, but she was completely unable to control her inner breath. Big beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his whole body was trembling. This time, the loss of control was even more violent than the previous few days. She groaned, her body was completely out of control, and she slowly fell to the ground, unable to move even in pain.
The things in front of her were floating and she was plunged into darkness. A figure flashed next to her, and a pair of strong hands quickly helped her up, holding her back, slowly injecting a strong internal force. Like the warm sun in winter, Su Li immediately felt comfortable all over her body, and the warmth attracted everyone everywhere. The surging breath is getting on track bit by bit.
Time seemed to stand still, and there was silence all around. Only the heat emanating from the palms of the people behind her gently enveloped her cold body. Gradually, the discomfort in her body subsided, and she broke into a cold sweat. Fatigue suddenly hit her, and her body fell softly backward, falling into a warm embrace.
Her forehead felt warm, and there seemed to be soft lips falling on her. Su Li's heart ached uncontrollably.
After an unknown amount of time, her body suddenly became cold and she left the comfortable and warm embrace. She felt her body being carefully lowered to the ground. Her fingers brushed over and touched her acupuncture points. Her eyes slowly closed, before her consciousness fell into darkness. , seemed to hear a "plop" sound, as if something heavy fell into the water.
When Su Li woke up, it was already the next morning. Wan Xin stayed by the bed. Seeing that she was awake, he quickly asked, "Is there something wrong with you, Miss?"
Su Li got up and got out of bed. After walking a few steps, she didn't notice anything was wrong. Instead, she felt her body became lighter and lighter. The accident of last night's practice was like an hallucination. She couldn't help being stunned, and quickly meditated, only to find that the true energy in her body had been completely integrated, and the inner energy was flowing freely without any obstruction. It was unprecedentedly relaxed.
.
She waved her arm gently and swept a chair with the wind of her palm. There was a "click" and the extremely hard sandalwood chair instantly shattered into powder.
Wan Xin said in surprise: "Congratulations, Miss, on your great achievement in martial arts!"
You no longer have to suffer from the conflict of internal forces! Su Li looked down at her palm, but her heart sank. Last night was not an illusion. There was really someone beside her, helping her practice. There was such a master in the general forum, but she didn’t know who it was!
"Who sent me back from Muyue Pavilion last night?"
Wan Xin saw that she was not happy, and felt a little surprised, but still replied: "It's a subordinate. The lady didn't come back last night, so I was a little worried, so I went to Muyue Pavilion and found that the lady had fainted on the ground! I was scared at the time As soon as I jumped, I immediately brought the young lady back and called Jiang Yuan. He couldn't tell what was wrong with the young lady's body, but he just told me to observe carefully and ask about the situation in detail when the young lady wakes up."
Su Li walked to the window, stared at the sparkling light reflected by the sun, and said firmly: "I did have a problem with my practice last night. If someone hadn't secretly helped me, I'm afraid my martial arts would have been completely useless."
Wan Xin was shocked, "Who is helping me secretly?"
"I don't know, I didn't see anyone. When you went there, didn't you find anyone else in the pavilion?"
He shook his head sadly.
Su Li thought for a moment and asked, "Is there any new news from the palace? How is Emperor Bian's condition?"
"The fourth prince sent a message to say that Emperor Bian's health is fine for the time being. It's just that he is old and his recovery is a bit slow. He will need to recuperate for a while."
Su Li frowned slightly, it wasn't Yang Xiao, but who could it be that the one with the most powerful martial arts skills in the general circle, who had the ability to help her practice, but didn't want others to know... who could it be
"Oh, by the way," Wan Xin suddenly remembered something, "Last time the lady asked me to check the matter, Qin Heng had already checked it. Someone did sell 'Black Pearls' in the market, but they only sold it that one time. At that time, they were all sold. Bai Yunduo bought it, and the hawker never came again. Qin Heng found out that the person who went out to buy it was named Qin Sheng. He said that Manager Xia had ordered that the supplies for the main altar must be bought from the best."
Su Li's heart skipped a beat. It was Xia Fu'an again... She thought for a moment and said, "What's the situation at the border? Has he... not withdrawn yet?"
Who does this him refer to? It’s naturally clear.
. Said: "No."
Su Li said no more and lowered her eyes.
Wan Xin sighed softly: "I always feel that he must be thinking of other ways. As a person, he has already doubted the identity of the young lady. If he doesn't get to the bottom of it, he won't let it go easily."
Su Li slowly cast her gaze toward the clear blue sky outside the window. White clouds floated and fluttered, blocking the dazzling morning sunlight from time to time, and the light in the palace became a little dim.
Recalling that day, she stabbed him and slapped him, blocking him from the Qingshan Helm Stone Gate, just to completely cut off his thoughts. Regardless of whether she was Su Li or not, it was impossible for her to go back with him. He has always been calm and rational, and knows how to make choices. But this time when Bian Guo met again, he repeatedly behaved differently from usual and lost his mind. Why
"I have been ordered by Steward Xia to deliver breakfast to the Saint." Someone outside the door reported loudly, interrupting her thoughts. She moved over and opened the palace door. Outside the door was indeed Xia Tong beside Xia Fu'an.
Compared with the porridge and side dishes of the previous days, the meals on the table looked the same. Su Li just took a sip of the porridge and then put it down. She frowned secretly and said calmly: "Is there a new cook in the kitchen again?"
As soon as Su Li asked this question, Xia Tong immediately replied cleverly: "Back to the Saint, the cook has not been changed in the kitchen. If the meal is not to the Saint's taste, I will ask them to make it again."
Why are the skills of the same cook so different? It's really weird.
Su Li put down her silver chopsticks and asked, seemingly unintentionally: "Why don't you see Manager Xia today?"
Xia Fu'an personally brought meals to her every day these days, and would not leave until she finished them.
"Holy Lady, Manager Xia is not feeling well today and is resting in Siyuan Building."
Xia Fu'an is sick? This was beyond Su Li's expectation. Her mind moved slightly. For some reason, the abnormality last night suddenly connected with him. She asked, "Have you had it checked by a doctor?"
Xia Tong replied: "No. Manager Xia said it won't be a problem. He will be fine after a day or two of rest."
"Yes." Su Li didn't say anything more, ordered Xia Tong to step back, and then said to Wan Xin, "Go and call Jiang Yuan."
Not long after, Jiang Yuan came to the Sacred Heart Hall, and Su Li said bluntly: "Last night, something went wrong in my practice. Someone came to help me, but when I tried to save my heart, there was no one else in Mu Yueting except me."
. I remember that before I fell asleep, I vaguely heard the sound of "plop" entering the water. Today Xia Fu'an said that he was ill, so you go and see what's going on. "
Wan Xin and Jiang Yuan looked at each other and immediately understood her intention. Jiang Yuan said in a deep voice: "The sect master suspects that the person who helped last night was Xia Fu'an?"
"I'm not sure. You go to investigate the situation first. By the way, let Qin Heng find out the details of this person." She read the records in the church. Xia Fu'an joined the church at the age of ten, which was the year her mother-in-law rebelled. This man became the steward of the general altar at the age of eighteen. He has a meticulous mind and mediocre martial arts. Just this, she felt something was wrong. That day, he rushed into Muyue Pavilion so fast and reacted so quickly that even Yang Xiao didn't react. This shows that this person is by no means an ordinary person!
Jiang Yuan took the order and left.
On the north side of the Sacred Heart Hall, behind the triple hall is the Siyuan Building where the main altar steward is located. As soon as Jiang Yuan stepped into the courtyard gate, Xia Tong greeted him, "I've seen ghosts before."
"I heard that Manager Xia is ill. Where is he now?"
"Resting in the house."
Jiang Yuan followed Xia Tong and went straight to Xia Fu'an's dormitory.
Inside the house, Xia Fu'an was lying on his bed. On a hot day, the doors and windows were closed. He was tightly wrapped in a thick brocade quilt and was concentrating with his eyes closed. When he heard someone coming, he immediately opened his eyes. When he saw it was Jiang Yuan, his eyes darkened slightly. He slowly sat up and said in a low voice: "I am not feeling well and cannot be polite. Please forgive me."
Jiang Yuan didn't answer. He sat down beside the bed and said calmly: "The saint heard that you were ill and ordered me to come over and take a look. Why are you so cold? What's wrong with you?"
Xia Fu'an's eyes moved slightly, and he glanced at the closed window, but smiled and said: "It's just a little discomfort, nothing serious. Thank you Saintess for your concern."
Jiang Yuan stared at him expressionlessly, stretched out his hand, and motioned for Xia Fu'an to check his pulse.
Xia Fu'an hesitated for a moment, but slowly pulled his arm out.
Jiang Yuan's fingertips touched his pulse, and he looked at him with a slightly strange look, "You are infected with the cold."
Before Xia Fu'an could answer, he heard a deep and hoarse female voice coming from outside the door. Su Li came in, looked at him and asked directly: "Manager Xia was fine yesterday. It was only one night. Why did he catch the cold?"