Jing Wen, at an unknown time, awakened from his previous collapse and climbed out of bed. He had foreseen Mo Xi to apply poison onto his cane, but did not expect that his body would be unable to bear it, embarrassingly fainting before reaching his bed chambers.

Fortunately, it seemed that at some point, Zhou Aimin had applied for some medicine onto his wounds. The poison was already suppressed by his body, which was naturally resilient so scabs quickly formed. His injuries were unable to disturb him as he began to stroll around the manor at a leisurely pace.

It was impossible for him to tell the time without Jing An, but judging by the quiet streets outside his estate, it should be some time before dawn.

He walked aimlessly for some time. The overgrow of moss on the stone slabs from a month of neglect was covered by a thin layer of snow beneath his feet. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a weak gasp among the withered garden.

Jing Wen grasped his sidearm and walked closer for a better look. Jing manor has been abandoned for a month, so it was not unlikely that the person who was a thief had mistakenly thought it was still unoccupied, only to find out the master had returned. Perhaps they had hidden after hearing his footsteps, unaware that his hearing was better than most.

However, when he arrived next to the garden, he was shocked to find that instead of a thief, it was an unconscious woman. And judging by her body’s high temperature - which was able to quickly melt the snow surrounding her - she should be suffering a severe fever.

Jing Wen was a person that enthasised on showing tenderness toward the fairer sex, so how can he leave a sickly woman in the fields full of snow? Despite the woman’s questionable identity, he had no reservation when he pulled aside the dead branches and began to carry her to the main hall.

Once he laid the woman down, he suddenly realised he did not know what to do next. The manor was empty after he dismissed all the servants, meaning there were no doctors that could treat the woman. He, as a remarkable talent in the fields of martial arts, could attempt to diagnose her himself. But it is always easier to kill than heal and what little knowledge he did have of medicine required the use of his eyes.

In the end, Jing Wen could only resort to placing a finger onto her wrist. For some reason, the woman unconsciously trembled on the touch.

Jing Wen felt the response but thought nothing of it. It was his first time taking the pulse, so he was a little troubled himself. The feeling of smooth skin more tender than a newborns’ was a strange sensation for him, and, for a moment, he didn’t want to let go.

Nevertheless, Jing Wen recovered quickly. The abnormally fast pulse of the woman meant the situation was far more severe than an ordinary fever, and could even become potentially life-threatening. It was very likely that the woman did not faint due to a fever, but that she was poisoned!

But Jing Wen was not a divine doctor. How can he find out the problem through pulse alone when there are thousands of poisons in Zhili alone? The easiest solution was to channel his Qi into the woman’s body, driving out the poison, but his veins were blocked, leaving him unable to guide his Qi.

In the end, the only option was through medicine. But before Jing Wen could retrieve it, the woman’s hand abruptly reached out, grabbing his shirt.

Since the woman was poisoned, the hold on his shirt was rather weak. Jing Wen did not worry about her threatening his life, as he had already determined she lacked any training in martial arts earlier when taking her pulse. Yet he did not dare to move her hand, since it could potentially harm her.

Jing Wen coughed, “Lady, please let go. I’m going to retrieve some medicine for you.” Jing Wen thought the woman was afraid that he would abandon her to her fate, so added, “I will return with haste.”

The woman’s eyes were very muddled, like a stirred pond. Hearing Jing Wen’s words, she shook her head, flustered. She said coyly, “I want you to stay.”

Her voice was sweeter than honey, more pleasant than the wind chimes hanging off Taoist Temples. Like wine, it could intoxicate man, causing them to succumb to their deepest desire. Her breath was heavier than mercury, blowing onto Jing Wen’s face, it was warm and hearty, akin to the Spring sun.

Now Jing Wen felt it was truly strange. She was poisoned, so how could she have the luxury to attempt to seduce him? Even the most enchanting demoness would prioritize their life above all house. Like a flash of lighting, a frightening thought entered Jing Wen’s mind.

The woman was not poisoned, but rather, under the influence of aphrodisiac.

Indeed, that would explain her abnormally high temperature and heartbeat. But why would she be put under the influence of aphrodisiac in the first place? Had someone drugged the daughter of a prominent figure in order to ruin his reputation?

Countless thoughts and possible scenarios passed through Jing Wen’s mind, but at this moment, it was impossible to confirm any of them. It was more important to focus on treating the woman who had clearly succumbed to her desire at this moment, suppressing the passion within her body, so that both her reputation and body will not be ruined.

Yet due to his endless speculation, the initiative was already lost. In this ambiguous atmosphere, the woman reached with her fingers onto Jing Wen’s face. Moving upwards, she seemed to be caressing Jing Wen’s features, but also determined to take off the piece of cloth covering his eyes.

“Such a beautiful face. The eyes must be even prettier.”

The matter regarding his eyes was a taboo for Jing Wen, forcing him to apply a little more force before the woman had reached where the cloth was. The woman, however, did not seem to care. Her willow-like eyebrows rose as she gave off a light laugh. Satisfied at the moment with what she had, her nimble and slender fingers began to massage Jing Wen’s temples.

This force was warm and benevolent, full of tenderness. At the same time, it caused Jing Wen’s body to shiver from ear to heart, like touching electricity. An incomparably complicated feeling rose in Jing Wen’s mind comparable to a massive wave crashing upon a shore.

Aside from a certain spot down there, the temple was the most delicate part of the human body. A sliver of Qi injected into the temple could instantly travel to the brain, killing the person instantly. Yet rubbing the temple was a wondrous act that could lead a person to temporarily forget their troubles, like sipping the soup of forgetfulness (迷魂湯).

Because of the former point, in the Great Zhu, the latter was only allowed for a person’s most intimate partner. At that moment, Jing Wen’s mind was momentarily led astray. The woman, seeing the window of opportunity, brought herself closer to Jing Wen, the hair, originally kept stable by her hairpin becoming undone in the process. The black hair flowed like a waterfall over her shoulders, causing her to appear many times more delicate.

As the woman became increasingly close, an intoxicating fragrance was inhaled by Jing Wen. The scent was embodied with elegance and grace, causing Jing Wen’s heart to pound. It was as though the aroma was able to numb all suffering in the world, creating a wondrous feeling.

It was a feeling that could only be described as drunk yet not intoxicated. The sort of emotion that would well up as an old man stares at the sunlight, reminiscent of his life, or when an infant first sees themself in the mirror. It removes all deliberation, making one focus only on the present.

The heavenly fragrance drew closer and closer, and, as it did, the warmth of a soft and voluptuous body leaned against Jing Wen’s frame. His heart began to pound at an even greater pace. Dry wood met tinder, creating a great blaze.

Jing Wen bit his tongue, forcing himself to remain sober. His outstretched hand previously restraining the woman had lost its hold when she leaned against him. But then, it striked swiftly, settling on the back of the woman’s neck.

At the moment of greatest befuddled is when the mind of a person in the clearest. All other desires had been swept away or buried, leaving only two choices. To do or not to do?

Both urges were things that allowed one to surpass the limits of the human body. Just like how a mother would display inhuman strength when her child is endangered, the impulse was powerful enough for Jing Wen to carve a small pathway through the mountain blocking his pathway.

Slowly, the tip of his finger began to glow meekly, as though a firefly had landed atop it. However, it was the dead of winter - how could there be fireflies?

It was not fireflies, so it was naturally Qi, itself as endless as a boundless lake.

Yet a small creek cannot immediately fill a vast lake. The minuscule amount of Qi slowly travelled through his veins, gathering at his fingertips.

But the woman was not idle herself. Her heated breath now directly fell upon Jing Wen’s face, and her pretty eyes bore credulous innocence and a faint glimmer of desire. It was if she was in anticipation of something that had yet to occur.

Without warning, her lips brushed touched Jing Wen’s with a gentleness akin to a butterfly’s flutter. The contact was delicate, but the dam holding the woman’s desire finally broke at this moment, no longer about to hold its contents that burst through madly with the desire to swallow all.

Simultaneously, the lake resting upon Jing Wen’s fingertips was finally replenished. With an equally gentle touch, it was sent into the woman’s neck.

The woman’s action suddenly paused, and her body crumbled. As she laid down, it was no different to a little beast laying down after playing. Fortunately, she did not act like a little beast in that they would continue to fawn toward their companion, for she has already fainted and the aphrodisiac expelled.

With the woman’s delicate and soft touch against him, Jing Wen’s mind remained on the straight and righteous path. Even if he wanted to take the crooked road, he was too tired to do anything.