Chapter 168: Rescuing Little Seven (Part I)

Liu Fei had no idea what was going on, so he kept staring at the wooden crates displayed on the stage, wondering what could be inside. Driven by curiosity, he patted An Feng's shoulder to ask him about it.

An Feng immediately shot back a puzzled look, which broke their eye contact. The man quickly walked toward the exit and never came back inside.

"What are those things?" Liu Fei had no idea what he had done wrong. Seeing An Feng's slightly displeased expression, he felt a bit puzzled and wondered what was wrong again.

"I don't know. Just sit quietly and don't stir up trouble." An Feng offered a brief warning, then looked away to search for the man, only to find that he had already vanished.

Meanwhile, Mo Lan was driving while holding her phone, calling Qian Yin. There were not many people on the road along the way, so she felt quite at ease.

The phone rang many times, but no one answered. Deeply worried, Mo Lan kept dialing, yet still received no answer. Sweat beaded on her forehead. If she returned to the Mo family estate like this, those five people back there would probably want to tear her apart.

"Let's forget about him for now and just head back. I feel like I'm about to collapse," Xiao Qi said, her complexion extremely poor and her voice weak and breathless, truly looking as though she were on the verge of death.

Mo Lan nodded, stopped making phone calls, and pressed hard on the accelerator, speeding rapidly forward. She ran through several red lights along the way, driving at an unimaginably high speed.

However, time ticked away second by second. Although the journey was shrinking, they were still a long way from the Mo residence. Mo Lan was burning with anxiety, her hands trembling slightly as she drove. Because there was someone in the car whose life could slip away at any moment, she felt responsible for her.

Xiao Qi kept biting her lips tightly to prevent herself from falling unconscious, unsure of what would happen if she drifted off to sleep or if she would ever have a chance to wake up again. She still had many things left to do. She bit down so hard that fresh blood slowly seeped out.

The scenery outside the window seemed pressed for time as well, flashing past in an instant. The sun traveled slowly across the sky, chronicling the actions of humanity. A faint smile hung upon the sun's face, completely oblivious to the sufferings of the mortal world, assuming everything was as wonderful as it appeared from above.

The Mo family estate was not peaceful either. Elder Xian had to listen to Old Master Mo's shouting day after day, until calluses practically formed in his ears. Sometimes, the more he listened, the angrier he became, and he desperately wanted to go in and beat the old man up. Yet, whenever he recalled Qian Yin's words calling him an "outsider," Elder Xian managed to hold back his temper.

The Four Guardians—East, South, West, and North—were in no better shape. The servants of the Mo family were ultimately afraid of Old Master Mo, so most of the time, the guards had to stand watch at the door. Otherwise, if the old man were let out, he would only cause more trouble for Qian Yin and the others, and they would ultimately be the ones forced to clean up the mess.

Elder Xian held a bowl of medicine. Having just fed Old Master Mo his dose, he fetched a basin of water and wiped down the old man's body. After finishing these tasks, he sat down and looked at the man who was still fast asleep. Irritation rose in his heart, and he muttered directly to himself, "Old Mo, when are you going to wake up? Everyone is waiting for you. You have no idea what a mess things have become. If you don't wake up soon, the Mo family will probably cease to exist."

East, South, West, and North had finished dealing with matters concerning Old Master Mo, and with a heavy sigh, they walked over. Overhearing these words, they all felt a knot of distress in their chests. The Mo family estate had currently become a place of lingering resentment and lacked any trace of peace. Staying here put everyone in a foul mood.

"When do you think Elder Sister and the others are coming back? I don't even want to stay here anymore. That Old Master Mo is noisy enough to drive someone crazy all day long," Xiao Bei muttered, unable to keep his thoughts to himself. He slumped over the table, glancing back and forth between Old Master Mo and Elder Xian, feeling as though his innocent body and mind had been severely traumatized.

The other three remained silent, adopting the same slumped, weary posture over the table, staring helplessly at the cups resting upon it. Above all, they missed Qian Yin most of all, wondering if she was doing well. In truth, their minds had been rather unsettled lately; they had a lingering sense that something had happened to Qian Yin, though they dared not speak of it and add to the chaos.

"Elder Xian, wherever you are, hurry out! Someone's about to die!" After a long time, Mo Lan finally arrived. Seeing Xiao Qi, who was on the verge of falling asleep, she hurriedly scooped her into her arms and rushed into the main hall of the Mo residence. Seeing no one in sight, she could only shout at the top of her lungs.

Hearing Mo Lan's voice, everyone instinctively felt that something had happened to Qian Yin and rushed out. When they saw that the person being carried was actually Xiao Qi, a strange feeling washed over them—one that could neither be called relief nor joy.

Elder Xian quickly stepped forward to examine her. Seeing that one of her hands had turned entirely black, his eyes widened in shock. This was poisoning! He checked Xiao Qi's breathing and immediately commanded, "Quickly take her to my quarters! You four little fellows, go fetch hot water right now, hurry!"

East and Xiao Bei immediately rushed off to fetch hot water, while the other two helped Mo Lan steadily carry Xiao Qi to Elder Xian's quarters. Elder Xian charged ahead, moving at a rapid pace, though his hurried gait made him look somewhat like a duck.

Elder Xian went to gather medicinal herbs. Seeing the fresh herbs, he cast aside his usual care for preserving them and instead coarsely plucked them, tossing them into a medicine bowl before gathering other dry medicinal materials as well.

After placing Xiao Qi onto Elder Xian's bed, Mo Lan let out a long, exhausted breath; she was completely worn out. Having focused entirely on driving along the way, she hadn't eaten a single thing, and it was now nearly evening. Yet, after catching her breath for only a moment, she anxiously leaned over Xiao Qi and pleaded, "Don't fall asleep."

"That's right, don't let her sleep! If she falls asleep, she might never wake up," Elder Xian said as he finished preparing the herbs with utmost speed and the shortest possible time. Hearing Mo Lan calling out to the girl, he added those grim words.

"Xiao Qi, do you hear me? You are not allowed to sleep!" Upon hearing this, Mo Lan felt as though she herself might faint. The constant warning that falling asleep meant never waking up again made her heart leap into her throat.

"Mm..." Xiao Qi nodded using her very last ounce of strength, uttered a single sound, and then concentrated entirely on protecting her vital core, slipping into a state of quiet, cautious breathing.

South and West stood frozen, unsure of what to do, watching Elder Xian's actions with blank stares.

East and Xiao Bei quickly carried the hot water over, bringing along a small knife which they placed on the floor. Looking toward Elder Xian, both of them moved with great speed and were still panting heavily, though their eyes were filled with anxious worry.

Once Elder Xian had prepared everything he needed, he immediately instructed them to hold the basins and signaled Mo Lan to step aside. Then, sitting alone at the bedside, he gripped Xiao Qi's blackened hand, carefully peeled away the scabs, and poured hot water over the wound so that her blood dripped into the water.

This time, the pain jolted Xiao Qi awake. Though she had felt somewhat sleepy earlier, her mind was now flooded with agony—the spots washed by the hot water burned with a searing, bloody pain. She bit down hard on her lip, drawing blood and worsening the wounds already there.

"It's alright, it will be over soon, very soon," Mo Lan said, taking hold of Xiao Qi's other hand and offering words of comfort from the side. The scene looked agonizingly painful, and she knew the girl had to endure it and absolutely must not fall asleep.

Xiao Qi was remarkably resilient, enduring Elder Xian's treatment without the slightest movement. No matter how intense the pain, she refused to flinch even a fraction. Everyone present kept their eyes fixed on that bloodied hand, silently cheering Xiao Qi on with the belief that she would be okay.

Elder Xian treated the wounds with practiced skill, though his brows remained deeply furrowed. After all, this was a critical moment, and there was zero room for even the slightest error.