Qin Tiexin's memory goes back to the days when his arm was treated in Su Qing's small hospital.
The water in the medicine tank needs to be added three times a day. Each time, the medicine is prepared by Su Qing himself. It is dark, thick, and exudes a bitter taste.
Qin Tiexin was soaked in it, with only his head and face exposed, and the liquid spread over his chest and soaked into his neck.
The medicine penetrated deep into the skin, and the broken part of his right arm was numb and itchy. He closed his eyes, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, gritted his teeth, and remained silent.
On this day, he had just finished combing his meridians and was regulating his breath with his eyes closed.
Su Qing's spiritual needle had just been removed, and there was still some soreness and swelling in the meridians. Suddenly, the cry of a child was heard outside the hospital.
The crying sound was intermittent and very low. It was like covering her mouth with her hand, and she couldn't bear it any longer, so she let out a few sounds.
The cry was mixed with rapid breathing, like an injured animal hiding in a corner and whimpering.
Then, there was the gentle voice of Su Qing.
Qin Tiexin opened his eyes and someone was coming.
Chen Xi had noticed it a long time ago. His body swayed and turned into a white jade puppet again, standing on the shelf behind.
The door curtain was opened and lowered, and Su Qing came in with very light movements.
She changed into a clean plain robe, her sleeves were rolled up, and there were still medicine stains on her fingers.
"Master Ming, please rest for a moment. There is a little patient coming outside. Let me take a look." She said.
Su Qing called himself "Master Ming" instead of "Junior Brother Qin". Qin Tiexin knew it well and immediately pretended that "the meridians were damaged and the pain was unbearable".
"Aunt Su..."
The child outside shouted again, his voice thin and crying.
Su Qing responded, closed the curtain in the inner room, and heard footsteps going outside.
Qin Tiexin didn't move or ask.
After all, this is Su Qing's medical practice place. It's normal for patients to come. If they prevent people from coming in, then there is something wrong.
Through the door, the sounds from outside came intermittently.
"Aunt Su...Zhao'er It doesn't hurt... Aunt Su, don't worry..."
The voice was thin and soft, but the words were spoken clearly. It was so painful that the voice was trembling, but he had to say every word accurately, as if he was afraid of being heard.
Qin Tiexin I could tell that the child was holding back.
The pain was so bad that I was still comforting the adults.
He couldn't help but feel a little more curious. It was a girl's voice, and it sounded smaller than Ming'an.
After a while, I heard Su Qing speak, his voice was very soft.
"Okay, Zhao'er is the most well-behaved. Aunt Su will give you some pressure, and it won't hurt in a while."
It's been quiet outside for most of an hour.
Occasionally, the slightest gasps of air were swallowed back.
Qin Tiexin can imagine the scene - a skinny child sitting on a stool, his legs unable to reach the ground, his little hands holding the corners of his clothes, his face turned pale with pain, but he bit his lips and remained silent.
Su Qing's spiritual needles were inserted one by one, and the medicine's power traveled along the meridians. The child's little body was going through a silent tug-of-war.
Later, the crying stopped, and he probably fell asleep.
Qin Tiexin heard the door ringing. It was Su Qing who was sending the child out. There was also the footsteps of the palace maid, faint and distant. The footsteps contained Su Qing's low instructions and a few words that could not be heard clearly.
Su Qing's eyes were a little red when he came in again.
She didn't mention it, she just checked Qin Tiexin's pulse as usual, put her fingers on his wrist, paused for a while, and then said "Not bad".
Qin Tiexin didn't ask either.
He lay in the medicine jar and looked at Su Qing's drooped eyelashes, which still had a little wetness hanging on them.
It took a few days for him to piece together an outline from the conversation between Su Qing and Chen Xi.
That child is the youngest princess of Chen Household, named Chen Zhao.
He is four years old this year.
The four-year-old child is very thin. Yuxue is cute, but she always has a sick air.
Su Qing said that the child was born very delicately, with eyebrows and eyes that were painted on, but his face was so pale that his collarbone could be seen, and his body was so thin that you could see his collarbone. He was wrapped in a large palace dress and looked empty, like a bean sprout holding up a big coat.
The previous Chen Zhao was not like this. Although she was young, she was a lively and lovely little princess.
But just six months ago, there was something wrong with the blood in her body.
I heard from Su Qing that Chen Household has a constitution that has been passed down from generation to generation, called Star Physique.
As long as it is the bloodline of Chen Household, it will last from generation to generation, so Chen Household high-level monks emerge in large numbers.
Others relied on Spiritual Qi to practice, but Chen Household was able to absorb an additional Power of the Stars when absorbing Spiritual Qi, relying on a star stone left by the founding monarch.
It is said that there is also a complete set of Cultivation Method, martial arts, Pill Formula, which can be cultivated all the way to Nascent Soul Late Stage. This is also the secret of the Myriad Stars Dynasty's long-lasting prosperity.
But this girl Chen Zhao was fine before she was three years old, and Bloodline Power inside her body was still normal. Half a year ago, something suddenly went wrong.
Chen Zhao's Power of the Celestial Stars inside her body was falling violently, it was chaotic and scattered. She hadn't started practicing yet and couldn't suppress the chaos. She was coughing up blood and was in pain all night long.
The pain is so severe that the little body will shrink into a ball, leaving only a low whimper.
"While the royal family was investigating, they called us all into the palace." Su Qing said, "Third Realm Medical cultivators, those who study physique, soul, and meridians, are all detained in the palace, and no one is allowed to leave."
"Maybe he's afraid that the news will spread." Chen Xi added.
"Yes, I have some research on the meridians, so I am responsible for all the issues regarding the little princess's meridians."
Su Qing is an expert at meridians. With Su Qing's daily conditioning, Chen Zhao finally doesn't have to endure the needle-pricking pain day and night, and can finally sleep soundly.
But half a year has passed, and the source of Power of the Celestial Stars's confusion has still not been found.
"After checking for so long, I just feel that it is a problem in the blood." Su Qing sighed, drawing unconsciously on the table with his fingers, "Who she saw, what she ate, and what she used during those days, the emperor even had people check it out, but she has no clue."
"So, we are not allowed to leave the palace until the little princess is cured." This is the root cause of why Su Qing has been unable to be contacted since he disappeared half a year ago.
"I will take you with me, no matter where I go to the end of the world, no one can hold you captive. Even if you are an enemy of the royal family, I will not be afraid."
Chen Xi held Su Qing's hand and spoke affectionately but firmly.
Su Qing gently nestled in Chen Xi's arms, with moist eyes, but still shook his head slightly to refuse.
"The emperor will not let her go." She said, "Besides, Zhao'er, no one will care about that child's meridians without me. If I'm not around, she might die from the pain at her worst."
"Then how long will you keep guard?" Chen Xi asked.
"According to our estimation, if the problem is not solved at all, she will have to wait until she is eighteen years old before she can force herself to suppress it."
Chen Xi stopped talking and just looked at Su Qing.
Qin Tiexin can imagine that scene - Chen Xi standing in front of Su Qing, frowning, swallowing what he wanted to say.
Then a sound came, press Qin Tiexin to study muscles and movements, it should be two people hugging each other tightly.
"It is my duty to treat illnesses and save people." Su Qing smiled, with a hint of indescribable tenderness in her smile, "Besides, that child... I really like her."
"Oh, Qing'er, I'm sorry for you."
Qin Tiexin was in the inner room, listening to these words, but he didn't know what to do.
In the next few days, Chen Zhao came again several times.
Every time she came, she would sit obediently on the small stool outside. Her legs could not reach the ground, and her toes were dangling in the air, swaying.
When Su Qing was combing her meridians, she held on to Su Qing's clothes and remained silent.
The pain was so severe that my face turned pale and there was only a white mark on my lips.
Once Su Qing's hand was a little heavier, she took a breath lightly, then pressed it down again, and whispered in turn, "Aunt Su, it doesn't hurt."
Su Qing's hand paused for a moment, and when he set the needle again, it was three points lighter.
One time, Su Qing went to get medicine temporarily, but the door curtain was not closed tightly. Chen Zhao turned his head and saw Qin Tiexin soaking in the medicine tank inside.
Qin Tiexin deliberately made himself miserable at that time, pretending that his meridians were broken, his face was bloodless, his breath was weak, his right shoulder was wrapped with a strip of cloth, and there were a few streaks of red, as if the wound was bleeding.
He thought it would scare the children.
Chen Zhao just looked at him without any fear in his eyes.
His eyes were soft and a little distressed.
"Brother, are you in pain?" she asked softly.
Qin Tiexin was startled, the water in the medicine jar shook, and a few drops spilled out.
"It doesn't hurt," he said.
Chen Zhao nodded, she pursed her lips, took out a small purse from her arms, and raised it towards Qin Tiexin.
"Aunt Su said that this can calm the nerves. If you smell it when you feel pain, it will feel better."
Qin Tiexin Looking at her thin little face through the door curtain, I couldn't tell how I felt.
I don't know what kind of medicinal materials were in that purse, but even from such a distance, I could smell a faint sweet fragrance.
"Much better, thank you little princess."
Chen Zhao smiled, and as soon as her two dimples were exposed, she was taken away by the palace maid. She lay on the palace maid's shoulder, looked back at Qin Tiexin, held the purse in her little hands, and shook it at him.
Qin Tiexin looked out of the medicine vat for a long time.
Today, outside the Chenyang Hall, he only cared so much when he heard Broken Arm say, "This emperor has been hit by Bloodline Curse."
The strange disease of the little princess, the thing in the emperor's bloodline, was also present in the prince and Chen Chen. They were all put together, and he always felt that it was not a coincidence.
He originally had a glimmer of hope. Broken Arm was well-informed and there might be a way.
If it can really be solved, Chen Zhao that child may not have to suffer so much anymore and will have to endure it until he is eighteen years old.
It can be said that it requires a lot of faith and is very difficult.
All he has on him is the big clock Zhaoming Temple.