Choice
Chapter 19: Choice
"I'd like to go to my room first."
"Okay. I suppose you've had a long trip." Duchess Tao looked at Hou Jin. "I'll let your friend stay in one of our guest rooms."
"I'm fine with it."
"Okay, follow me." Duchess Tao went in front and lead the way to the rooms.
Feng Ming Xiu and Hou Jin followed the Duchess to their rooms. On their way, they observed their surroundings.
Duchess Tao first took Hou Jin to his room, then she took Feng Ming Xiu to her room. "This is your room, Doctor Long Bai." She opened the door and Feng Ming Xiu peeked inside.
The furniture in the room was neatly arranged and wasn't decorated too lavishly.
"It looks great."
"That's good. I'll be leaving now; if you need anything, there's a guard over there." Duchess Tao pointed to a guard near a tree that was relatively close to the room.
"Okay, will do." Feng Ming Xiu looked up at the sky. The sun was setting, meaning that it would be nighttime soon.
"I've traveled a long way, and I'm very exhausted after coming here. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I'll check on the patient and see what I can do."
"I'll see you tomorrow then." The Duchess bowed and left.
Feng Ming Xiu watched Duchess Tao as she left, then went into her room.
Feng Ming Xiu immediately laid flat on the bed and fell asleep. Alix, who was on Feng Ming Xiu's shoulder all this time, flew on the table. She looked at Feng Ming Xiu and smiled. She too then fell asleep.
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It was late in the night when everyone was sleeping. Feng Ming Xiu woke up and sat at the edge of the bed. She looked at the window, then folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, the window slowly opened. Feng Ming Xiu opened her eyes and got up. She went to the door and was about to open it when she felt a cold sensation on her neck.
Feng Ming Xiu heard a cold voice in her ears saying: "Scream, and I'll slice your neck off right here."
Feng Ming Xiu's hand which was on the door handle stopped. She was calm as she asked: "What is it that you need from me... Hou Jin."
Zhou Ling Shan glanced at Feng Ming Xiu's hand and turned her around to face him. As soon as he turned her around, Feng Ming Xiu took out a dagger and pushed Hou Jin to the ground, and put the dagger at Hou Jin's neck.
Hou Jin stared at Feng Ming Xiu's eyes through the mask and asked: "I need to ask you some questions. So would you give me a moment of your time?"
"I'll ignore your intrusion for now."
Hou Jin moved the dagger from Feng Ming Xiu's neck and sat at a table that was in the room.
Feng Ming Xiu sat by the table as well. "So, what questions would you like to ask? Is it about your cold poison? If so, then I have an answer."
"Well, I do actually want to ask about that, but that's not all." Hou Jin said.
"I'm all ears."
"I actually met someone five days ago who claimed to be your disciple. Do you have a disciple?"
Feng Ming Xiu's eyes turned cold. "What's their name? How did the person dress?"
"Her name is Feng Ming Xiu. At the time when I met her, she wore a blue dress, had long black hair, and seems to be at least 15 years old."
Feng Ming Xiu crossed her arms across her chest. She leaned back on the chair and closed her eyes.
Hou Jin stared at Doctor Long Bai. He seemed to be probing for something.
Feng Ming Xiu opened her eyes and looked at Hou Jin. "Did she tell you that I am her master and how we met?"
"Yes."
"I told her to not tell anyone that I'm her master." Feng Ming Xiu muttered.
"Well, Hou Jin. I have found the way to cure your cold poison."
Hou Jin looked at Feng Ming Xiu when she said that.
"But... I have to go somewhere far, so I, unfortunately, cannot perform the treatment on you."
"But if you trust me, I can let my disciple do the treatment for you instead."
"Miss Feng knows how to perform the treatment?"
"Yes."
"If you have to go somewhere, then can't you give me treatment when you come back?" Hou Jin asked.
Feng Ming Xiu shook her head." I would if I had time, but I can't. The treatment has to be done every three days. I don't know if you know, but
"But if this is left as it is, in a few more months, your cold poison will backlash on you and your body will turn eternally cold, and by then, not even a saint can cure you. No one has ever survived when their cold illness backlashed on them."
"Some persons were conscious for two to four days before they couldn't take it anymore and passed out. The only known person to survive the backlash of the cold poison when trying to treat it was the Demon Empress."
Zhou Ling Shan looked at his hands on the table and contemplated. 'So Miss Feng suppressed my cold poison for a while and I didn't even know? Maybe she's telling the truth and Miss Feng really can cure me. But what if it's a lie?'
"If you don't want her to treat you, you can-"
"I'll trust you." Hou Jin looked up at Doctor Long Bai. "I'll let her give me the treatment for my cold poison."