Chapter 22-Part 2

Lin Chengyou was cunning and sharp, with a domineering personality.

The matter with the itching bugs and the hidden weapons had already made him suspicious.

If she kept tangling with him, there was no way she could gain the upper hand.

Fortunately, the night was almost over.

As long as Huo Qiu was settled, she could leave immediately.

Once she exited this building, she would have no more ties with Lin Chengyou.

Lin Chengyou shook the slip of paper, and upon seeing the mark Teng Yuyi had drawn, his brow furrowed.

It wasn’t viper venom or fire poison—it was bristle poison.

What a headache!

This was the trickiest kind to deal with.

To save Ge Jin’s life, he had no choice but to—

He took a pill out of the sachet at his waist, just as the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi rushed over, each holding a bundle.

They saw Teng Yuyi inside and immediately relaxed.

Thankfully, Miss Teng hadn’t been frightened.

Lin Chengyou poured the pills into his palm and called out to E Ji at the door, “Madam E, come in and give this medicine to Ge Jin quickly.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi saw the pills and were alarmed.

“Senior brother, this won’t do!”

Lin Chengyou glanced at them. “Why not?”

“That’s Yanxi pills,” Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi lowered their voices as they rushed inside.

“Don’t forget, you already gave away all your Liuyuan pills back at Ziyun Pavilion. Master hasn’t returned to Chang’an, and the temple doesn’t have enough ingredients for more medicine. If you use the Yanxi pills too, what will happen if you need them—”

“I don’t want to use them either, but this woman’s been poisoned with bristle poison. Do you have another solution?”

The two brothers paled.

“bristle poison?”

“She’s deeply poisoned. If we delay any longer, it will be like letting her die.”

Without another word, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi grabbed the pills from Lin Chengyou’s palm and ran to Ge Jin’s bedside to administer the medicine.

Teng Yuyi watched from the side, thinking that Lin Chengyou must have some chronic ailment.

First, it was the Liuyuan pills, and now the Yanxi pills. Perhaps Daoist Master Qingxuzi had given him specific instructions. It seemed that Lin Chengyou always carried pills with him, not for charity but purely for his own use.

She couldn’t help but look at him curiously.

He appeared so full of energy, hardly like someone with an illness.

Suddenly, she remembered that strange dream from the other day.

In the dream, her soul returned to her father’s ancestral hall three years after her death.

There, she had witnessed a bizarre scene—palace servants were in a panic after hearing that Lin Chengyou had been assassinated in the northern regions.

That dream was so strange.

True or not, why had she dreamed of Lin Chengyou?

Meanwhile, Qi Zhi and Jue Sheng finished giving Ge Jin the medicine, and her complexion improved.

He Mingsheng and E Ji shuffled nervously into the room to check on Ge Jin’s condition.

Lin Chengyou looked at the scars on Ge Jin’s cheek and sighed, “These wounds were caused by a malevolent spirit and have damaged her muscles. There’s little hope for recovery.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi exchanged puzzled glances.

There was no trace of spirit involvement in Ge Jin’s injuries; it was clearly inflicted by a person. Senior brother must understand this better than anyone. Why was he saying otherwise?

Teng Yuyi, having nothing else to do, also stepped closer to observe.

The sky had already brightened, and the morning light illuminated every detail of Ge Jin’s face.

There were four claw marks on her left cheek.

Where the blood scabs hadn’t formed, coiled dead flesh was faintly visible.

“Poor thing,” E Ji sighed, tucking Ge Jin’s blanket tighter.

He Mingsheng, filled with regret, said, “I spent a fortune, more than ten thousand gold, to buy Ge Jin. I treated her like a goddess, fearing to displease her. She was about to make her debut in Pingkang Ward, but now her face is ruined by an evil spirit. All my effort has gone down the drain.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi had originally thought He Mingsheng was lamenting Ge Jin’s misfortune, but after hearing the last part, they couldn’t help but roll their eyes.

Just then, an attendant rushed in.

“Master, several military officers and constables are outside.”

The people in the room were startled, but Lin Chengyou calmly said, “Perfect timing.”

He led the way out, and Teng Yuyi followed quietly behind the group.

Midway, she met Huo Qiu, who whispered, “Miss, everything’s ready. Let’s go.”

In the front hall, the central room was full of people.

The local headman from Pingkang Ward was also there.

When the officials looked up and saw Lin Chengyou in his wet clothes, they quickly adjusted their attire and stepped forward in a hurry.

Teng Yuyi took the opportunity to call E Ji to the side.

She pulled out a precious pearl and tossed it to E Ji.

“This is for you. I’m buying Juan Erli and Bao Zhu. For the next six months, you’re not to beat or scold them, and don’t let them entertain any other guests.”

E Ji blinked.

Using just one pearl to buy off Juan Erli and Bao Zhu for six months was undoubtedly taking advantage of her position.

E Ji was reluctant to agree, but after spending the night with this young lady, she had a hunch that Teng Yuyi wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

And besides, just looking at the imposing bodyguard standing next to her was enough to confirm it.

If she didn’t agree, it might bring her trouble.

Besides, Juan Erli and Bao Zhu were still young, and dealing with difficult clients was indeed troublesome. It might be better for them to have some peace and quiet to hone their skills for a while.

So she happily tucked the pearl into her bosom.

“Understood. From today on, Juan Erli and Bao Zhu will only serve Young Master Wang.”

Meanwhile, Lin Chengyou had changed into dry clothes and bought some Hu bread and wonton soup for his two junior brothers.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi sipped the hot soup while listening to Lin Chengyou talk to the officials.

As the physician rebandaged Lin Chengyou’s wound, he sipped tea and said, “There were two powerful demons sealed beneath the formation. One was a bird demon, and the other I haven’t yet identified.”