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墨書 Inktalez
"Mother is right; the beggar is indeed a scapegoat for that Killer."
Yin Yuan was wrapped up like a festive meat dumpling, carried inside by someone. After finishing his words, he quickly reached into his sleeve, rummaging around until he pulled out a handful of scattered silver coins and handed them to the person who brought him in.
"Here, these scattered silver coins are what I've saved up over time. Although it's not much, it should serve as your reward for your hard work."
"No need! No need! Young Master saved my mother, and I am more than willing to send you home."
The person repeatedly waved his hands and took two steps back. "If you have no other instructions, I will return now. My mother suffers from Eye Disease, and she cannot move about without assistance."
"Wait a moment. Since you carried me back, I can't let you go back empty-handed. This beautiful lady before you is my mother. She has great skills and specializes in healing others. Just because others cannot help your mother with her Eye Disease doesn't mean my mother can't."
Yin Yuan said as he took the man's hand and walked over to Xing Ruyi, pointing to the ground. "You should pay your respects to my mother. Although this gesture may seem excessive, it is warranted for your mother, and my mother certainly deserves it."
Seeing the man bend his knees to kneel, Xing Ruyi was startled. She quickly stood up and supported him: "Yin Yuan, what are you doing? Who is he?"
"His name is A Niu. He lives near the goddess temple with his mother who suffers from Eye Disease."
"Goddess temple?"
"It's the temple where the beggar mentioned stripping the goddess of her robes in front of her statue. Oh, it's also near where Zhu buried the body."
Xing Ruyi wanted to ask more questions but felt a slight chill at her fingertips. She looked up at A Niu. She noticed a layer of black mist floating on his forehead, a sign of being afflicted by negative energy. Looking down again at his fingertips, she realized that the black substance was not merely dirt from years of labor but rather marks of corrosion from negative energy.
A Niu, confused by her gaze, hesitated for a moment before slowly retracting his hand and carefully hiding it under his sleeve. "Did I scare the lady? My hand is an old ailment; I've sought many doctors but none could cure it."
"No! That is not an old ailment." Xing Ruyi quickly replied. Seeing doubt rise in A Niu's eyes, she added, "It can be considered a type of illness, but it is treatable."
"It doesn't matter whether I am treated or not; anyway, my hands can no longer hold a pen or write." A Niu revealed a bitter smile, then looked up at Xing Ruyi and solemnly bowed, saying, "Madam does not allow A Niu to kneel, but I still wish to ask Madam to help examine my poor Old Mother. She is a rare kind-hearted person and should not suffer from such pain."
"Since Yin Yuan brought you back, I will definitely see to your Old Mother's illness. However, right now, I am more concerned about your hand condition. Is it something that has always been this way, or did it change over time?"
"It's a condition that developed later," A Niu replied, hiding his hands again.
"As Yin Yuan's mother and a female physician, I can tell from your words that you have read books and practiced writing. Therefore, you should understand the term 'avoiding illness and fearing treatment.' Come, extend your hand so I can take a closer look."
Xing Ruyi's last sentence was spoken lightly but carried a hint of coaxing, which made A Niu blush involuntarily.
A Niu awkwardly extended his hands toward Xing Ruyi. She examined them closely and noticed that his right hand was more severely damaged than his left, with dark energy already wrapping around his wrist.
"Li Mao, squeeze his wrist firmly," Xing Ruyi instructed as she stepped back. She knew that Li Mao's cultivation level would also reveal A Niu's condition. They exchanged glances for information, and Li Mao stepped forward, accurately pressing his fingers on the area covered by the dark energy.
"This is my shop's assistant; he possesses some skills and is stronger than an ordinary person. If you feel any pain, just shout out."
A Niu nodded and focused on Li Mao's eyes. Li Mao first tested with a third of his strength; seeing no reaction from A Niu, he increased it by another two points.
"Shopkeeper, I've used five points of strength."
Li Mao was a demon; this five points of strength was nearly the limit for an ordinary person to endure. Yet A Niu showed no reaction at all and even looked at Li Mao in confusion, saying, "If five points isn't enough, then use ten. Don't worry; I have no sensation in this hand. Even if a stone fell on it, I wouldn't feel much."
A Niu's words made Xing Ruyi's heart sink. She understood the dangers of this dark energy very well—perhaps better than any mortal in the Golden Tang Dynasty. However, she did not expect A Niu's hands to be so severely eroded by the dark energy that he had lost even the most basic sensation.
"It seems your hand condition is worse than I imagined," Xing Ruyi said as she gestured for Li Mao to step aside. She approached A Niu and took out a snow-white silk handkerchief to place under his palm. "If it hurts, just shout out."
"Don't worry, madam, feel free to give it a try. My hands have long been useless."
Although A Niu said this, he still held some hope in his heart. His hands had once held books, gripped pens, ground ink, and written characters, but now they felt like worthless objects. Xing Ruyi's words were like a stone thrown into the dead sea of his heart, creating ripples of emotion. However, he understood the truth that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. So, despite his lingering expectations, he constantly reminded himself not to hope too much, not to indulge in fantasies, and certainly not to expect that this woman before him could revive his useless hands.
Xing Ruyi lowered her gaze and used her Ghost Technique to gradually expel the Yin Qi that had invaded A Niu's wrist. At first, A Niu showed no reaction, but as strands of black energy flowed out from his wrist, he was initially surprised. His expression then changed, and he finally couldn't help but cry out in pain. Seeing this, Xing Ruyi stopped using her ghostly power and glanced at the silk handkerchief placed under A Niu's wrist. This silk handkerchief was made from high-quality silk from winter silkworms and was capable of absorbing impurities from the air. However, the originally snow-white handkerchief had now turned black.
"Madam, this..."
A Niu cradled his wrist and looked at Xing Ruyi in confusion.
"This is..." Xing Ruyi thought for a moment and decided to use a term that A Niu could accept more easily: "This is stagnation hidden in your wrist. I just cleared out a bit of it. Now try to feel if there is any sensation returning to your wrist."
A Niu attempted to rotate his wrist. Although it still felt somewhat weak, the tingling sensation was undeniably real. His face lit up with joy as he looked at Xing Ruyi. "Madam, my hand... I can actually feel something in my hand! You truly are a Goddess Doctor; please allow me to bow to you."
A Niu was about to kneel again.
Seeing this, Xing Ruyi hurriedly stopped him: "I am not a Goddess Doctor; I can only be considered a Female Healer at best. Being able to treat your hand is merely luck. Besides, all I've done is restore a bit of sensation; it's not a complete cure."
"Even so, this is already much better than before. To be honest with you, madam, I have sought help from others before, but there was no improvement; in fact, it got worse. At first, I could only not hold a pen; later on, even picking up a piece of paper became difficult. At that time, A Niu felt immense pain and thought it would be better to be dead than live with such useless hands. But later I realized that wasn't even the worst part; the worst part was when my hands gradually lost even the feeling of weakness—like those clay Bodhisattvas or wooden Buddha statues in temples—they became mere decorations."
"Don't worry; since you've encountered me, it's fate. Although I can't restore your hands to their former state completely, you will still be able to manage daily life," Xing Ruyi said as she instructed Li Mao to fetch some silver needles from her room. These silver needles were crafted using the Azure Wind Secret Technique while she was in Luoyang City; she had been looking for an appropriate opportunity to use them and never expected her first application would be during this Yun Family Gathering on someone she had only met once—A Niu.
"A Niu, I can treat your hands, but there's one question I need to ask you."
"Madam, please don't hesitate. You are A Niu's benefactor; no matter what you ask, A Niu will answer truthfully without any deceit."
"Alright! In a moment, while I help you with the acupuncture, I will ask you some questions. Don't overthink it; the reason I'm asking these questions boils down to two things. One is related to your condition. As a healer, I need to understand the cause of your illness in order to help you eliminate it effectively. The other reason is to distract you a bit. My silver needles are different from ordinary ones; they can be a bit painful when they pierce the skin, and I'm afraid you might not be able to endure it, which could affect the treatment's effectiveness."
"You don't need to explain, Madam; I understand. Rest assured, no matter how painful it is this time, I will do my best to endure it. If I scream again like before, it would truly be disrespectful to your excellent medical skills."
"We're all common people here; if it hurts, just shout out. There's no need to hold back." Xing Ruyi said as she pinched a silver needle and quickly pierced A Niu's wrist. "Do you remember when your hands first started to show symptoms?"
"The day Ding Ding died!" A Niu said, lowering his head. Although the spot where the needle pierced was somewhat painful, the sorrow in his heart was deeper, so deep that he almost forgot about the pain from the needle.
"Who is Ding Ding?"
"Ding Ding is a friend I've known since childhood."
"How did Ding Ding die? Was it an accident or an illness?"
"I don't know! I really don't know!" A Niu shook his head in anguish. "All I know is that I saw with my own eyes how the Hu family carried her out from that low house of the Ding family, knowing she went into the Hu family and became the wife of their master, living a life that many girls in Yunji would envy. I once secretly went to see her on the street; I hid in a corner and watched her ride in the exquisite sedan chair of the Hu family with her maidservants as she shopped. I didn't want to disturb her, so I slipped away quietly, but I never expected that would be my last time seeing Ding Ding."
"The Hu family?" Xing Ruyi glanced at Yin Yuan.
"Ding Ding is that corpse puppet of the Hu family!" Yin Yuan yawned. "Otherwise, why do you think my mother wanted me to bring this A Niu back?"
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