Chapter 19: The Vanishing Mole

Ji Hua’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she stepped forward at once, but in the next heartbeat, her brows knit together tightly.

How did it vanish? Was she seeing things just now?

Taking a deep breath to steady her emotions, she walked forward slowly. "Alliance Master Rong, I trust you have been well?"

Rong Yuyan’s eyes narrowed slightly. As the water flowed gently around him, he parted his lips to speak in a cold voice, "Thanks to you, I am passable."

Ji Hua curved her lips into a faint smile; it seemed the efficacy was quite good. She stepped forward and, without asking, reached out to grasp Rong Yuyan’s wrist: "Pulse check."

Rong Yuyan’s hands were slender-boned and exceptionally beautiful. As Ji Hua rested her fingers on his pulse, she felt a faint chill radiating from his skin. She raised an eyebrow in surprise; the several erratic and turbulent streams of energy within his body had now achieved a slight degree of harmony. This was certainly not something her medical treatment could have accomplished in such a short time.

A trace of surprise and admiration flickered in Ji Hua’s eyes. "You’ve managed to control the gale-force energy within you? This will certainly aid your recovery—the results are even better than I anticipated." This man was truly bottomless.

Rong Yuyan’s expression remained indifferent, devoid of any excess emotion. "How shall we proceed with today’s treatment?"

"Strip," Ji Hua blurted out. Realizing how brazen that sounded, she quickly added, "For the herbal bath, paired with my acupuncture."

"Hm." Rong Yuyan did not seem to mind her minor impropriety.

The man raised his hand, and a sudden warmth swept through the bitter, frigid mountain. The begonia tree, which had long since withered, unexpectedly burst into waves of floral fragrance. Immediately, a massive white jade pool rose up from the center of the ground.

Ji Hua lowered her eyes, keeping her composure. It seemed this Alliance Master was far more formidable than she had imagined. She calmly picked up the medicinal herbs. "Alliance Master Rong, this pool is too large. To ensure the full volatility of the herbal effects, we need to switch to a smaller one."

Rong Yuyan’s cold gaze descended upon her, his sharp eyes pinning Ji Hua down. The chill felt like a collapsing mountain, surging over her in layers. Within that coldness, there was a heavy, suffocating intent to kill!

Ji Hua stood her ground, neither humble nor pushy, meeting Rong Yuyan’s gaze head-on. After a moment, Rong Yuyan coldly relented. "Follow me."

Passing the withered begonia tree, the air grew warmer the further they went. Rong Yuyan arrived at a hot spring pool, just large enough for one person to enter. If two were to enter, it would be quite cramped.

Jiu Qing had already ordered people to bring the herbs over. Ji Hua directed them: "Follow the order I gave you and place them in one by one. Leave the rest; I will add them later."

"Understood."

The water in the warm pool gradually turned yellow, emitting a rich, medicinal aroma. Taking this opportunity, Jiu Qing approached Rong Yuyan and whispered, "Prince Xuan’s men have been investigating the matter of Court Official Gao. They just sent a beautiful concubine into the Gao residence today."

Rong Yuyan’s eyes grew cold, filled with a stern and ruthless edge. "Keep an eye on him."

Jiu Qing’s gaze faltered for a moment. He hesitated, looking at him, and asked, "Then... what about the matter of him switching your birth mother...?"

Rong Yuyan scoffed coldly, "I shall decide how to handle that."

Jiu Qing nodded and turned to leave. Rong Yuyan’s gaze, however, turned increasingly icy.

*The Imperial Dynasty.*

*Clink.*

Their conversation had been brief and conducted through internal energy transmission; Ji Hua had heard nothing. She added the special, rare herbs she had brought herself and, after testing the water temperature, turned to the remaining Rong Yuyan and spoke: "Alliance Master Rong, please."

Rong Yuyan frowned: "Keep the undergarment on."

"That won't do. The herbal bath requires full skin contact; if you keep your clothes on, the absorption will be poor," Ji Hua said sternly.

Rong Yuyan raised an eyebrow and flicked his sleeve. As his clothes danced lightly in the air, Ji Hua was left speechless.

Ji Hua said: "I didn't mean for you to take it all off, you..." A trace of bashfulness flickered across her face, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. She parted her lips: "You may keep the undergarment on."

Suddenly, the nearby waterfall surged, the violent sound of rushing water drowning out Ji Hua’s voice. In the pool, a white figure suddenly took flight, landing gracefully upon the white jade steps.

Ji Hua blinked involuntarily. *That... works too.* He was truly a master of internal energy.

She took out her silver needles, arranged them in a row, and stepped barefoot into the water. The water was scalding hot, causing the energy within Rong Yuyan’s body to churn once more, showing faint signs of an impending eruption. Veins bulged on Rong Yuyan’s forehead. He closed his eyes, his handsome face silently enduring the agony, beads of sweat breaking out on his skin.

This round of acupuncture was critical. Ji Hua did not dare to be careless. She cast aside all distractions, focusing her mind and body, and leaned close to Rong Yuyan. The silver needles in her hand pierced his skin like falling leaves.

Suddenly, her wrist was seized by a powerful force, preventing the needles from descending. Those cold, peach-blossom eyes snapped open, the depths of them a sea of scarlet! He looked at her with murder in his eyes, but before he could speak—

"I know, you feel cold right now; that is normal."

Ji Hua was gradually drenched by the steam, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink. She soothed him in a gentle voice: "It will be better in a moment... please let go of me first."

Rong Yuyan pursed his lips, studying her, yet he could discern nothing. Even now, he knew nothing of her identity. Who, exactly, was she?

Ji Hua looked into his eyes. Although they remained sharp, they seemed like empty shells devoid of life. Her brows furrowed slightly. She had expected this condition to occur only in the later stages. Could the toxins in his body be far more potent than she had imagined? That shouldn't be.

Rong Yuyan remained motionless, clutching her hand tightly. Amidst the frozen wasteland of his body, she was his only source of heat. His internal energy acted like a dense net, sweeping across her meridians, yet just as it had during his first assessment, he found no trace of her having cultivated any internal strength.

Even the reclusive sects would never allow someone without the ability to protect themselves to descend the mountain. What, then, did she rely on to stand her ground? Was it just this medical skill?

Suddenly, the burst of energy Rong Yuyan had been struggling to suppress surged forward. His expression shifted, and a taste of blood rose in his throat. The internal energy, now running wild, followed his grip on Ji Hua’s hand and struck out at her violently!

*Not good!*

Ji Hua’s heart tightened; a crushing chill enveloped her from all sides. Her gaze turned icy in an instant. Then, the surging internal energy, upon touching the meridians in her body, transformed into a gentle spring breeze. After completing a smooth cycle, it flowed back into Rong Yuyan’s body.

Rong Yuyan shuddered, a dark look flashing in his eyes. He knew all too well how powerful the energy he couldn't control was. Yet, it had been neutralized so easily by the woman before him? How many more tricks did she have up her sleeve?

Rong Yuyan’s eyes grew increasingly heavy.

Ji Hua sighed helplessly, "The energy inside you is truly disobedient."

With one hand still held captive, she had no choice but to perform acupuncture with her other. After two or three needles, the violent energy within Rong Yuyan suddenly calmed.

Rong Yuyan was even more shaken. Suddenly, those eyes began to spin rapidly, beyond his control!