The streets were bustling with activity as merchants shouted about their wares, servants rushed to buy medicine for their masters, and the scent of various herbs filled the air. Yu Tang Apothecary was particurly busy, with people lining up to consult the famous doctor, Yu Tang.

  Amidst the crowd, two figures stood out.

  Xuan Zhi and Xuan Yan.

  Xuan Yan was dressed in a stunning blue hanfu, embroidered with golden peonies, and her decorative headwear glistened under the sun. Her usually wild demeanor was hidden behind an elegant and noble posture.

  Meanwhile, Xuan Zhi wore a red and silver hanfu, accentuating his already striking features. He had always been beautiful, but today, with the sun highlighting the contrast of red and silver against his golden hair, he looked almost otherworldly.

  They had come for two reasons:

  Xuan Mei had fallen sick with a high fever, and they wanted to buy the best medicine.

  Xuan Zhi pnned to buy expensive medicinal herbs and mosquito repellent ingredients to protect their residence from insects.

  As Xuan Zhi was selecting herbs, he suddenly felt Xuan Yan hiding behind him.

  His sharp senses immediately told him something was off.

  He gnced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw her peeking nervously from behind him, her expression unusually anxious.

  Turning his gaze forward, he quickly understood why.

  Two men stood at the entrance of the private consultation hall.

  The one in front had an oppressive aura, his sharp eyes cold and tyrannical, like a ruler surveying his territory. He exuded a natural dominance, making people instinctively want to bow their heads.

  Behind him stood a man who was also handsome but cked that commanding presence.

  Xuan Zhi immediately recognized the first man.

  It’s him.

  They had seen each other before in this apothecary, though they never spoke.

  The genius doctor, Yu Tang, saw the two men and immediately led them into the private hall, closing the door behind them.

  Xuan Zhi turned his gaze back to Xuan Yan, who was still hiding behind him like a frightened rabbit.

  He let out a deep sigh.

  “You…” Xuan Zhi started, folding his arms, “are being too obvious.”

  Xuan Yan stiffened. “W-what do you mean?”

  He gave her a look. “That man… is he the one you called ugly? The one who threw away his money on those evil schors?”

  Xuan Yan’s face paled.

  “…H-how do you know?”

  Xuan Zhi smirked. “I just told you—you’re too obvious.”

  Xuan Yan huffed. “Tch, so what if it’s him? I was just surprised to see him again!”

  Xuan Zhi shook his head in exasperation.

  Xuan Zhi: “For someone who acts all high and mighty, you sure are scared easily.”

  Xuan Yan: “I am NOT scared! I was just… caught off guard!”

  Xuan Zhi: “Hiding behind me doesn’t seem like someone who’s ‘caught off guard.’”

  Xuan Yan: “I was strategically positioning myself!”

  Xuan Zhi: “Oh? So ‘strategic positioning’ means trembling behind your older brother now?”

  Xuan Yan: “I WAS NOT TREMBLING!”

  Xuan Zhi: “Sure, sure. If you say so.”

  Xuan Yan: “Xuan Zhi!!”

  Xuan Zhi gnced at her and smiled: "Thanks for retelling me my beautiful name."

  Xuan Yan:...

  Meanwhile, inside the private consultation hall, the air was heavy.

  Xie Liyun sat at the head of the table, his piercing gaze fixed on the teacup in front of him.

  Across from him, Doctor Yu Tang stirred the tea leaves in silence.

  Yan Rui, standing to the side, wasn’t paying attention to the conversation at all.

  His gaze was still directed toward the door.

  Xie Liyun finally noticed and spoke in a single commanding word.

  “What?”

  Yan Rui hesitated before shaking his head.

  “It’s nothing, General,” he replied. “I just thought I saw the retives of an acquaintance.”

  Xie Liyun didn’t press further. He had more important matters to deal with.

  Doctor Yu Tang finally spoke.

  “The disease spreading in the Xie family… is unlike anything I have encountered before.”

  Xie Liyun’s jaw tightened. “But it’s still a poison, correct?”

  Yu Tang nodded solemnly.

  “Yes. It is a poison… but not a simple one.”

  He pced the teacup down and sighed.

  “All of your family members… have been poisoned.”

  --

  The moment Doctor Yu Tang said those words, Yan Rui felt his breath hitch.

  "All of your family members have been poisoned."

  The weight of those words pressed down on him like an iron chain tightening around his chest.

  He turned his gaze toward General Xie Liyun, the man he had sworn his loyalty to.

  Xie Liyun's expression did not change.

  His hand was still wrapped around the delicate porcein teacup, fingers steady, posture straight.

  But Yan Rui knew better.

  He knew the truth.

  Xie Liyun wasn’t unaffected. He was merely too used to bearing tragedies alone.

  And this—this was the greatest tragedy of all.

  Yan Rui swallowed hard, forcing down the memories that threatened to resurface.

  But it was too te.

  The Xie family had once been one of the most powerful military families in the Gu Dynasty.

  They were warriors—respected, feared, and admired.

  Their estate had been grand, but it was never a pce of idle luxury. The halls always echoed with the sounds of training. Soldiers moved in and out constantly, delivering reports, making pns, and preparing for battle.

  And at the heart of it all was Xie Liyun’s grandfather—Xie Yuanbai.

  A legend among men. A man whose name alone was enough to strike fear into enemies and pride into allies. Even at seventy, his body had remained strong, his voice steady, his presence unshakable.

  "A warrior never truly retires," he had once told Yan Rui, his sharp eyes gleaming under the candlelight. "We either die on the battlefield or we live to prepare the next generation for war."

  He had been training Xie Liyun’s younger brother, preparing him to take his pce in the army.

  But then, one day—he colpsed.

  His once unbreakable body turned frail. His strong voice became a whisper.

  And no matter what medicine they gave him, he only got worse.

  Next was Xie Liyun’s father, Xie Huai, and his mother, Lady Ji.

  A fearless general, just like his father. He had spent half his life on the battlefield, always leading from the front. He was a man who ughed in the face of danger and fought with unyielding determination.

  But suddenly—he grew weaker.

  He began coughing blood, his once powerful arms trembling as he tried to hold his sword.

  "I must be overworking myself," he had said, brushing off his concerns with a ugh.

  But the truth was far worse.

  Within months, he couldn’t even lift a teacup.

  A woman known for her wisdom and grace, Lady Ji had always been the quiet strength of the Xie family.

  She was the one who held them together, the one who whispered advice in her husband’s ear, the one who smoothed over conflicts before they even started.

  She was also the first to realize something was wrong.

  "This is no sickness," she had told Yan Rui, her usually warm voice cold with certainty. "Someone is poisoning our family."

  She started investigating—questioning servants, testing food, even consulting doctors.

  Then—she lost her voice.

  She could still hear, still see, still think.

  But no words would come out.

  She tried to write—but her fingers stopped moving.

  Soon, she could only lie in bed, eyes wide open, fully aware but completely helpless.

  --

  After that, the rest of the family started falling.

  They had been healthy, young, and full of life. His aunt had long dreamed of marriage, waiting for a man worthy of the Xie bloodline. His uncle had wanted to become a great schor, bringing honor to the family in ways beyond the battlefield.

  But both of them began to waste away.

  Their faces grew pale.

  Their limbs became frail.

  Their dreams never had a chance.

  -

  Xie Qing had idolized his older brother, Xie Liyun. He had trained tirelessly, desperate to live up to the legacy of the Xie name.

  He had been brave, fierce, and full of energy—until the poison took hold.

  At first, he hid his symptoms, not wanting to appear weak.

  But soon, it became impossible to ignore.

  Yan Rui had watched with his own eyes as Xie Qing struggled just to stand.

  One day, he had colpsed in the training yard. He never got back up.

  -

  The twins were next to get attacked.

  They had been the youngest.

  Xiaoran, the older twin, was intelligent and calm. He had always been a strategist, more suited for politics and pnning than war.

  Xiaoyu, the younger twin, was fiery and mischievous. She had wanted to wield a sword and fight alongside her brothers.

  But their ambitions died before they even began.

  Both twins began coughing blood, their bodies wasting away, their once bright eyes dimming into exhaustion.

  They were only eighteen, yet their bodies looked like they belonged to old men and women.

  -

  Yan Rui clenched his fists under the table.

  He had watched all of it happen.

  The slow, agonizing death of the Xie family.

  One by one, they had fallen, their strength stripped away.

  The doctors had been helpless, the medicines useless.

  And Xie Liyun—

  He shouldered all heavy responsibilities.

  War, politics, business, enemies and even the poison...

  He was handling all of this without getting tired.