Chapter 1121: Won't Save Them!

Hao Yuntu hesitated. "The Ghost Doctor's disciple? I'm afraid that man won't give me any face!"

His concern was not without reason. The Ghost Doctor's disciple had been in the Qi capital for quite some time, and Hao Yuntu had tried to make contact before. He had once sent someone to summon the man, only to be ignored outright. Wuxin simply refused to answer the summons. Later, to demonstrate his sincerity, Hao Yuntu had personally gone to call on him in plain clothes. In the end, never mind seeing the man—he had not even been allowed through the front gate. It had cost the emperor considerable face and had even made him somewhat angry.

But what could he do? He could not do anything to Wuxin, and he did not dare casually do anything to him either.

Yuwen Yan sighed. "Your Majesty, things have already come to this. Whether it works or not, we have to try."

"Naturally," Hao Yuntu said. "It's just that man's temperament is strange. We cannot place all our hopes on him."

The three Sect Leaders exchanged looks. Bei Xuan nodded. "Let's try first. As for everything else, we'll think it over and see whether there is some other solution."

Hao Yuntu immediately turned his head. "Bu Xun, go invite him personally. Explain the situation and make him understand what is at stake. You must be sincere."

"Yes!" Bu Xun accepted the order and left at once, not daring to delay.

He did not take many people with him, only a party of a little over ten. They mounted horses inside the palace and galloped all the way through the palace gates, heading straight for a certain alley in the capital...

The arrival of more than ten riders shattered the quiet of the narrow lane.

Bu Xun dismounted, straightened his robes, personally climbed the steps, and knocked on the courtyard gate.

The gate opened halfway. Guo Man poked her head out from behind it and gave a small sound of surprise when she saw the visitor. "Chief Steward Bu?"

For her to recognize him at a glance, this naturally was not their first meeting. Bu Xun had come to invite Wuxin before and had even accompanied Hao Yuntu on one occasion. Given Bu Xun's unusual status, Guo Man had a particular impression of him.

Bu Xun immediately put on a smile. "Miss Guo has a good memory. It is indeed this old servant."

Guo Man asked, "Chief Steward Bu, is something the matter?"

Bu Xun's expression turned bitter. "Miss Guo, something terrible has happened. Please allow me to see Mr. Wuxin and report it to him in person. I must trouble you to announce me."

Guo Man's eyes flickered. "You can tell me as well. I'll pass everything on to him."

"Miss Guo, the matter is urgent. I can explain it more accurately if I speak with Mr. Wuxin face-to-face."

Guo Man pursed her lips. "Does Chief Steward Bu mean you're worried I'll leave something out or conceal part of your message?"

"No, no, absolutely not." Bu Xun waved his hands repeatedly. "It's only that this truly needs to be explained to Mr. Wuxin in person."

Seeing how anxious he was, Guo Man smiled. "Chief Steward Bu, don't be so anxious. You presumably know something of Mr. Wuxin's temperament. He doesn't meet outsiders without reason. If you refuse to explain why you've come and insist on seeing him first, you'll only anger him, and then he'll be even less willing to see you. So you'd better tell me what this is about first. That way I'll know what to report."

Left with no alternative, Bu Xun told Guo Man what had happened.

Guo Man was startled as well. Every member of the imperial clan qualified to attend court had been struck by a deadly poison. This truly was no small matter. She immediately asked Bu Xun to wait while she went inside to report it.

"Miss Guo!" Bu Xun suddenly reached out and stopped the gate from closing. His tone was practically pleading. "Please put in a few good words for this old servant." He pulled a thick stack of gold notes from his sleeve and tried to press them into her hand.

Guo Man raised a slender hand and blocked him. "Mr. Wuxin has no shortage of money. Chief Steward Bu, there is no need for this. You can rest assured that I'll pass on everything you said without leaving anything out."

"This old servant was presumptuous. Thank you, thank you." Bu Xun repeatedly bowed his head in gratitude.

Bang! The gate closed. Bu Xun could only wait outside. Before long he was pacing anxiously up and down the steps.

Inside the courtyard's medical hall, a man stood with his head completely wrapped in bandages while Yan Baoru removed the bandages wound around his chest. Wuxin stood nearby watching.

Once the bandages around the man's upper body came away, conspicuous scars were revealed across his bare chest.

Wuxin leaned closer to inspect them. Yan Baoru clicked her tongue beside him. "New scars aged until they look exactly like old ones."

Wuxin nodded slightly, evidently fairly satisfied with the result, then lifted a hand and pointed at the bandages wrapped around the man's face.

Yan Baoru immediately went to work again, carefully removing them. When the man's true face was finally exposed, she froze and instinctively took a step backward.

The man was unmistakably Niu Youdao—or at least, he looked exactly the same. The resemblance was so uncanny that Yan Baoru suffered a momentary illusion.

Every time she saw that face, she remembered the scene that had once made her scalp go numb. Fortunately, she knew that the man before her had merely had his appearance altered to resemble Niu Youdao. He was not the real Niu Youdao.

Wuxin leaned closer and carefully examined the Niu Youdao double's face.

After recovering from her surprise, Yan Baoru also became curious and inspected him just as closely. Even after looking carefully, she could not see the slightest flaw. She clicked her tongue in amazement. "It's almost impossible to see anything wrong. Sir, your skill truly borders on the miraculous!"

After confirming that there should be no problem, Wuxin took a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it to the false Niu Youdao. "The incisions haven't completely healed yet, so there are still slight imperfections. Take this medicine and apply it to your face once a day. After seven days, there should be no further problem."

The Niu Youdao double accepted it with both hands. "Thank you for your help, sir."

Wuxin said, "Go. Do what you came here to do. Once you walk out this door, you and I have never met."

Only after Yan Baoru led the man away did Guo Man step forward and report, "Sir, Chief Steward of the Inner Palace Bu Xun requests an audience."

Wuxin turned and walked away. "What does he want with me?"

"Sir, something terrible happened in the imperial palace. This morning, every member of the imperial clan qualified to attend court was struck by a deadly poison. They say it is Jade Corpse Poison..." Guo Man followed behind him and recounted in detail everything Bu Xun had told her.

Wuxin suddenly stopped. "Prince Ying Hao Zhen is also one of the imperial clansmen qualified to attend court?"

"Yes. Hao Zhen is one of them."

Wuxin slowly turned around, walked beneath the eaves, clasped his hands behind his back, and looked up at the sky. In an utterly calm voice, he said, "Won't save them."

"This..." Guo Man hesitated. "Sir, we are living in the Qi capital, after all. With something this serious happening, would it be inappropriate for us to stand by and let them die? If we refuse so easily, Chief Steward Bu won't be able to report back. I'm afraid he'll keep begging and refuse to leave."

Wuxin fell silent for a moment. Then he stepped down from the veranda and walked straight toward the main gate. Guo Man hurried after him.

When they reached the entrance, Guo Man quickly opened the gate.

Bu Xun turned at the sound. The instant he saw Wuxin, delight flooded his face. He respectfully cupped his hands. "Bu Xun greets Mr. Wuxin!"

Wuxin said, "Guo Man already told me why you've come. Go back. I'm not interested. Standing guard here won't do you any good."

"Sir, the situation is urgent..." Bu Xun immediately grew anxious and rapidly recounted the entire plea once more, repeatedly begging Wuxin to lend his aid.

He repeated everything because he was afraid Guo Man might not have explained the situation clearly enough.

Wuxin only listened in silence. When Bu Xun finished, he said, "Finished? I told you I'm not interested. No matter what else you say, it won't help. Go back and tell your emperor not to disturb me again. Even if the Sect Leaders of Qi's three great sects come personally to beg me, it will make no difference. I won't see you out." With that, he turned away.

One of the palace guards outside immediately lost his temper. He charged up the steps. "Chief Steward, don't waste words with him. Just—"

"Do not be rude!" Bu Xun urgently threw out an arm to stop him and barked, "Back down!"

Then he faced into the courtyard again and pleaded repeatedly, "Sir! Mr. Wuxin, this old servant begs you! This old servant will kneel to you!" With that, he truly dropped to his knees on the steps.

Unfortunately, it did no good. Guo Man closed the gate with an apologetic expression.

Bang! The gate shut in front of the kneeling Bu Xun. He stared at the closed doors, his face bleak.

No matter how he begged, it was useless. Bu Xun could only hurry back to the imperial palace and report the refusal, telling the palace not to waste more time and to find another way.

After hearing that Wuxin would refuse even if the emperor personally went to beg him, the three Sect Leaders exchanged glances. They realized the man truly did not intend to give them any face either.

San Qianli, Sect Leader of Daqiu Sect, gave a cold snort. "Does he really think we're afraid of him? Killing him would take no more than the lift of a hand!"

Dissatisfaction was dissatisfaction. Those words were all he could do for now. There was no need to start trouble over this.

Even if they wanted to vent their anger, this was not the time. Their immediate concern was still finding a way to save the poisoned men.

Yet after discussing it back and forth, they truly could not come up with a good solution. Before they had reached any decision, something else happened.

A eunuch hurried up to Bu Xun outside the hall and whispered a few words. Bu Xun's expression changed, and he rushed back inside to report. "Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress is frantic over Prince Yu's safety. When she heard this servant failed to invite Mr. Wuxin, she summoned the Grand Princess and ordered her to bring Mr. Wuxin here no matter what!"

The three Sect Leaders exchanged looks. Prince Yu Hao Hong was the Empress's own son. She had placed great hopes on him, and her own future was tied to his. With her son on the verge of death, her state of mind was easy to imagine. But sending the Grand Princess to handle the matter hardly sounded like asking someone to come. No matter how they listened to it, it sounded more like sending someone to kidnap him.

The three Sect Leaders had all heard something of Grand Princess Hao Qingqing's temperament. She was notorious for acting recklessly.

Still, the three could more or less guess what the Empress was thinking. If anyone else caused such trouble, Hao Yuntu would be enraged. Hao Qingqing, however, was his most beloved daughter. Having Hao Qingqing do it was naturally the safest choice.

The moment Hao Yuntu heard that the Empress had sent Hao Qingqing to "invite" Wuxin, his face went black. He barked, "Nonsense! What are you still standing around for? Send someone to stop her at once!"

"Yes!" Bu Xun hurried out to make arrangements.

"Foolish woman! Is there not enough chaos already?" Hao Yuntu paced back and forth in anger. Yet punishing the Empress over this would hardly be reasonable. Her beloved son's life was hanging by a thread; her desperation was understandable.

What the Empress failed to understand was his own state of mind. Did she think he did not want to save Second Prince Hao Hong? He wanted to save far more than merely her son. A whole group of his sons was facing death. Wuxin's refusal to give him face angered him too, and he too wanted to use force. But this Ghost Doctor's disciple was no ordinary man. Behind him stood the Ghost Doctor.

The Ghost Doctor's influence naturally could not contend against the power of an entire state, but he did wield considerable influence in the cultivation world. With Jin and Wei locked in fierce war and Qi drawn into it as well, all three states were already stretched thin in their deployment of cultivators. If they provoked the Ghost Doctor at a time like this, there was no telling what consequences might follow.

Whatever else happened, Hao Yuntu absolutely did not want to add another adverse factor to the war.

[End of Chapter 1121]