Xia Wuyang’s gaze slowly drifted downward. She wore a set of plain white nightclothes made of incredibly soft snow satin, the collar embroidered with intertwining orchids in a matching thread.
The cuffs were cinched, revealing a pair of slender wrists. Her wrist bones were delicate, and her skin was almost transparent in the candlelight, faintly showing the pale blue of her veins. She was still a bit too thin.
One hand rested outside the brocade quilt. Her fingers were long and her nails were neatly trimmed, glowing with a healthy, pale pink that made one want to take hold of them.
The material of her nightclothes was thin. With each of her gentle breaths, her chest rose and fell slightly, outlining the demure yet beautiful curves of a young woman. It was like looking at a painting.
An apricot-yellow Silk Tassel was tied around her waist in a simple Ruyi knot, further accentuating her slender, handspan waist.
A small part of her feet peeked out from the end of the quilt. She wasn’t wearing socks. Her ankles were fine and delicate, the tops of her feet as white as jade. Her toes were as round and lovely as pearls. These were the feet of a pampered lady, one who had lived a life of comfort and privilege.
Xia Wuyang remembered that Pan Mo came from a scholarly family in Jiangnan. Her father was a renowned Confucian merchant, and her mother was from a Noble Family of officials.
From a young age, she had studied the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Her temperament was gentle and serene. After entering the Imperial Palace, she never vied for favor, content to stay quietly in her own courtyard, occasionally playing her zither or painting.
Yet it was this seemingly fragile woman who, during the darkest days after the fall of the Crown Prince’s Mansion and Xia Wuyang’s deposal, had displayed astonishing resilience that far surpassed many of the other concubines.
She sold off her dowry Jewelry and secretly aided the old retainers of the Crown Prince’s Mansion who had been implicated, even buying healing Elixirs for Xia Wuyang.
Even when he forced her away and berated her, she never held a grudge and remained steadfastly by his side.
The reason she had been afflicted with the Heart-devouring Poison was that she had fought to preserve her integrity, unwilling to abandon Xia Wuyang to follow another Prince.
’Silly girl...’ Xia Wuyang sighed inwardly, a rare softness flashing in his eyes.
He hesitated no longer. With a flicker of his body, he floated into the room like a feather, landing without a sound.
The Soul Enchantment Technique spread out silently, ensuring everyone inside and outside Qiuwu Pavilion was submerged in a deeper sleep. There would be no interruptions, which would make his task easier.
He walked to the bed and sat down on the edge.
Up close, he could see her features more clearly.
Thanks to the Heart-Opening Pill she had taken earlier, her complexion was already much better than before, and some color had returned to her lips.
However, the tight knot between her brows had not yet loosened. It was a trace left by the Heart-devouring Poison eroding her heart’s meridians. If left untreated, it would only grow more severe.
Xia Wuyang took a small Cold Jade Bottle from his robes and pulled out the stopper.
A crisp, medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air, mingling with the sweet scent of the Late Fragrant Jade in the room. It created a strangely harmonious and pleasant aroma.
He tipped out an Elixir. It was the superior-grade Heart-Protecting Pill he had just finished refining, an item that would be considered priceless in the outside world.
The Elixir was a translucent, earthen yellow. The patterns on its surface were distinct, and it pulsed faintly in the candlelight as if it were a beating heart.
He reached out and gently lifted Pan Mo’s chin with his fingertips.
Her skin was cool to the touch, as fine and flawless as porcelain.
Her breath was warm, carrying a faint medicinal scent and her own unique, sweet fragrance as it brushed against the back of his hand.
Xia Wuyang carefully placed the Elixir in her mouth, as gentle as if he were tending to a child.
The Elixir dissolved the moment it entered her mouth, turning into a gentle, warm current that slid down her throat.
Pan Mo let out an unconscious hum. Her eyelashes trembled more intensely, as if she were struggling to wake up and see what was happening.
"Don’t be afraid. It’s alright," Xia Wuyang murmured, his voice gentle in a way he himself didn’t even notice.
He extended his right hand, palm down, and hovered it three inches above her heart.
A faint silver light emerged from his palm. This was the Spiritual Blood Power of the Dragon and Tiger Golden Bell Body—supremely yang, utterly pure, and possessing extraordinary might. Yet, with his Extraordinary control, he had tamed it until it was as gentle as spring water, completely docile.
The light slowly descended, passing through her thin nightclothes and sinking into her heart.
At the same time, he formed a sword-finger with his left hand and touched the point between Pan Mo’s brows.
Azure River True Qi flowed like a trickling stream from the point between her brows, coursing slowly down her meridians. It merged with the Spiritual Blood Power at her heart, gently enveloping and guiding the medicinal effects of the Heart-Protecting Pill toward the stubborn mass of Heart-devouring Poison deep within her heart’s meridians.
This was an extremely delicate process that allowed for no carelessness whatsoever.
Although the Heart-devouring Poison was only a mortal poison, it acted like a living creature. It already possessed some of the characteristics of a Spiritual Poison; no wonder some called it a half-Spiritual Poison.
Sensing the invasion of an external force, it immediately grew agitated and tried to counterattack, to harm Pan Mo.
But Xia Wuyang’s Spiritual Power was a world apart from what it once was. With the Enchanting Heart Scripture in operation, his perception of the poison’s changes was sharpened to the extreme, far surpassing his previous ability. He precisely predicted the trajectory of every counterattack from the poison and neutralized it in advance.
Spirit Blood, True Qi, and medicinal efficacy complemented one another, forming an invisible net that locked down the Heart-devouring Poison. Then, bit by bit, it was stripped away, neutralized, and transformed. The process was a little slow, but its greatest advantage was that it was safe and gentle.
Time slipped by quietly. Unknowingly, several hours had passed.
Fine beads of sweat dotted Xia Wuyang’s temples. This wasn’t from exertion, but from extreme concentration.
He had to control every iota of his Power. He couldn’t use a fraction too much and harm her, nor could he use a fraction too little and leave behind a hidden danger. It was all for the sake of safety.
On the bed, Pan Mo’s complexion began to change.
Her pale skin gradually took on a healthy blush, like peach blossom petals blooming on a branch in early spring.
Her tightly knitted brows slowly relaxed, and the color of her lips turned from pale pink to a full cherry red that looked quite alluring.
The most obvious change was her breathing. It went from shallow and weak to even and deep. The rise and fall of her chest became stronger as well. She was clearly much better.
After an unknown amount of time, Pan Mo suddenly let out a very soft moan. Her eyelashes trembled violently as she slowly opened her eyes.
They were an exceptionally beautiful pair of eyes. Her pupils were a pure amber, crystal clear in the candlelight, without the slightest impurity.
They were like two pools of honey submerged in spring water, making one feel as if they could drown in them.
She was still a little dazed upon first waking, her gaze misty. But when she saw the person sitting before her bed, her pupils contracted abruptly.
"You... Who are you?"
Her voice was very, very soft, raspy from a long illness, yet still as gentle as the soft dialects of Jiangnan.
Unease instantly flooded her eyes, followed by alarm. "What are you doing? This is the Imperial Palace! There are experts everywhere."
Xia Wuyang withdrew his hand, his voice calm. "Don’t worry. I was the one who saved Yun Liyue. Her master once did me a favor, and I’m also an old acquaintance from the Crown Prince’s Mansion. How do you feel now? Are you much better? Not in as much pain as before?"

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