After the al, Anji took the Emperor’s pulse. It was fleeting and erratic as she expected, a classic sign of chronic illness and fatigue. However, there was also a hint of sothing else that stank badly. It slled like dicine in a foul way.
Focusing on pushing it all into one spot, Anji gathered it into her own body to remove it from the Emperor. Gradually, the Emperor regained so vigor but Anji started to drip in cold sweat, making Noble Consort Liu jump up in concern.
"Anji!" Mingshen shouted as she fell out of her chair into Liu Guiya’s arms.
Even Yihao panicked. It had been years since his younger sister collapsed. Didn’t she improve at the Mystical Qilin Sect after the surgery? Why did she collapse again?
Although weak and half-conscious, Anji could still hear their alarm. If she had more strength, she would reassure them that everything was fine. It was the seal on her artificial cores that caused her to miscalculate her present ability. If she were still back in the Mystical Qilin Sect without any additional limiters, Anji would have easily dispelled the strange energy within minutes without any side effects.
"Sit up," she croaked while circulating the energy inside her desperately.
Grabbing Anji from Noble Consort Liu, Mingshen quickly got into position and settled Anji on the ground to lean against his chest. She was still small enough to rest against his collarbone as before, even if she had grown taller.
"Pardon ," Mingshen looked at the Emperor and Empress with urgency. "But could you have soone to quickly prepare a private hot bath with slices of ginger, cinnamon and so roots of ginseng?"
Although not dically trained, Yihao recognised those herbs. They were similar to the bath concoction Anji usually soaked in when she was young.
"I’ll go," Noble Consort Liu offered when she saw the guilty and hesitant expressions of the royal couple. "Do you want to fetch the royal physician as well?"
Mingshen took a look at Anji and shook his head. "No need," he smiled wryly. "There won’t be a doctor more skilled than Anji. Yihao, get over here and help channel your Yang energy. I’ll regulate the purification."
As the cultivators stepped into their roles fluidly, it left the royal couple wondering what they could do to help. Anji seed very pale and sickly, as if she were freezing. Although they could not see much happening with their naked eyes, the mont Yihao started to pour his energy into her, they could feel a wave of warmth warming the room instantly. As it was late autumn, the weather was naturally chill. Yet, it felt almost as warm as sumr in just a mont. The warm wave humd in the air like a breezeless afternoon, and soon they started to sweat.
Mingshen frowned at the strange energy that caused Anji to faint. It felt strangely familiar. Was this what Anji extracted from the Emperor?
On the other hand, Yihao struggled to control his energy output. Anji was very weak, and her ridians were very thin. Unlike his robust channels tampered under brutish environnts and moulded by Yang energy, Anji’s body was full of natural Yin energy from her sickly nature. Even with his older brother regulating the balance, Yihao knew Mingshen was struggling with the intense Yang energy.
"Don’t overdo it," he warned. "My extre Yang energy could burn you badly. I can’t control it well."
Gritting his teeth in concentration, Mingshen suppressed the grimace of pain. Even so, he winced.
"I can endure a little more until Anji stabilises, keep going."
Just in ti, Noble Consort Liu returned with the servants who prepared the bath quickly. The sudden change in room temperature stunned her.
"Your Majesties," she greeted quietly. "Could I trouble you to relocate to a different room for a few hours? Anji might be a miracle doctor, but her cultivation is weak. Her brothers are not skilled enough to help stabilise her, so I’d have to lend a hand. In the anti, please stay close to the guards assigned. I’ll be nearby, so nobody can attempt anything funny."
Although they were concerned and curious, the royal couple graciously agreed and ordered the servants to ready a different room for their afternoon ga of chess as an excuse to relocate.
Almost imdiately after the royal couple left the room, Noble Consort Liu got behind Mingshen and placed her palms on his back, pouring in energy to assist the youth. Although it had been years since she last channelled her energy, she was still a powerful cultivator and the previous leader of the Heavenly Phoenix Sect. All these children were still at the Solid Core stage. Even an ex-Heavenly Core cultivator nearing the Divine Core was still more skilled than three Solid Core cultivators.
Almost at once, Mingshen felt a huge sense of relief within seconds as his control over Yihao’s violent energy and Anji’s weakened flow stabilised. Using the extra boost given to him, Mingshen fully extracted the strange energy into his own body, which was then taken in by Liu Guiya and purified. The whole process lasted almost half an hour, and by the ti it was over, all three kids were exhausted.
Noble Consort Liu rely stood up and readjusted her clothing. Whatever strange pressure Anji saw in the Emperor, this strange, toxic energy must be it. Although she was not well-versed in dicines and spells, Liu Guiya knew almost too well what this was. On the surface, it seed like negative and stagnant qi. However, the truth could not be further.
"It’s a good thing that was only a small dose and not lethal to non-cultivators. However, those with a higher cultivation base can be very affected by it. If Anji had not tampered with the nature of that energy, I might have gone berserk and died from qi deviation coming into direct contact. Although I have many questions to ask, I can wait. The bath is ready. All three of you should spend so ti in there to recuperate. I’ll see you at dinner with their Majesties, so coordinate your answers before that."
Nobody had energy left to answer as they collected themselves on the floor. Noble Consort Liu closed the door behind her and hid her trembling hands. That was quite the close call. After many years of not practising, it took almost half her reserves in her golden core to purify the unknown energy. Had it not been for the Heavenly Phoenix’s secret arts that she mastered as the sect leader, she might not have resolved it this easily.
Those kids were truly as daring as their parents. No wonder Zhao Mingfeng wrote her a letter personally a few years ago, asking for her help babysitting them when they arrived in the capital city. She had no idea what it ant back then, but she most certainly understood now.
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