People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 312, Are physicians who don't use poison truly legitimate physicians? (Two chapters combined, please vote!)
The battle continued. Xu Qing carried Cheng Ying on his back, made a hand seal, and the water ripples formed by Wan Chuan Qiu Shui continued to spread in all directions.

The water ripples swept across the Hundred Birds Assassins, carrying the broken sword blades. With the support of the water ripples and internal energy, the short blades transformed into streaks of light, piercing through one Hundred Birds Assassin after another, like a torrential rain.

The rain-induced white mist enveloped the battlefield, and faint purple patterns could be vaguely seen in the rippling water, making the otherwise ethereal and elegant autumn waters appear even more alluring.

"Ah!" "Ah!"

A dozen or so Hundred Birds Assassins exploded in bright red blood on their chests, accompanied by screams, as their short blades moved toward the next victim.

The assassins at the rear dodged the incoming short blades. One blade grazed the blue-clad assassin's cheek and embedded itself in the wall behind him. The powerful force caused the wall to tremble, and irregular spiderwebs spread out.

The assassin in blue turned his head and felt a sharp pain on his cheek. He reached up and wiped his face, and a trickle of blood flowed down.

Seeing the blood on his hands, the blue-clad assassin's face showed a hint of relief before his weapon fell to the ground and he clutched his own neck with both hands.

"No, this is bad, it's poisonous!"

The blue-clad assassin's face turned ashen, blood gushing from his mouth. After uttering his last words, he collapsed to the ground.

The moment the word "poison" was uttered, it seemed to trigger a chain reaction. The remaining twenty-odd assassins turned pale, their figures swayed, and their swords fell to the ground with a clanging sound.

"Do you really think all I can do is save people?"

Xu Qing's cold eyes swept over the people who were falling one after another, and several shattered bottles had appeared at his feet.

If a physician learns martial arts but doesn't take drugs, can he still be called a physician? If a physician fights with someone and doesn't use poison, can he be a proper physician?

These poisons were all made by him based on the incense given by the Tide Fairy. They did not need to be lit to be used; they would evaporate freely as long as they were broken.

Because these incense gases are easily dispersed, leading to a decrease in toxicity, Xu Qing mixed them into the Wan Chuan Qiu Shui (Ten Thousand Rivers Autumn Water) spell to concentrate the toxic gases and maintain their toxicity.

"It seems we've all forgotten one thing: before he revealed his identity as a disciple of the Taoist Heavenly Sect, he was a renowned physician in the martial arts world."

Mo Ya covered his mouth and nose with one hand and stuffed a small silver medicine pouch into his mouth.

This is an antidote pouch developed by Bai Niao, made by Chao Nu Yao at Ji Wu Ye's request. It can neutralize most poisonous gases.

However, Xu Qing's identity as the Imperial Physician was so deceptive that people thought he knew neither martial arts nor poisons.

It was this deception that caused Bai Niao to lose more than sixty skilled fighters. Although not all of these fighters were Bai Niao's top assassins, they were still the backbone of the organization.

But I never expected my death to be so meaningless.

"Stand guard for me and hold out until the Imperial Guards arrive."

After giving Bai Feng some instructions, Mo Ya leaped into the air with a black feather in his hand, and then shot dozens of black feathers toward Xu Qing's figure in the water curtain.

Sensing the killing intent, Xu Qing looked up at the black crow and dozens of feathers in mid-air, and the black and white Tai Chi diagram beneath his feet unfolded once more.

Heaven and earth faded.

The black and white domain opened, blocking dozens of feathers in mid-air, and Xu Qing's figure disappeared instantly.

Mo Ya was in mid-air, looking around for Xu Qing's figure. Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his back. He quickly ducked down and held a short blade in his right hand to his back.

"Ding~"

The sound of sharp weapons clashing rang out, and Xu Qing's figure suddenly appeared behind Mo Ya, his Cheng Ying sword being blocked by Mo Ya's black short blade.

Xu Qing was not surprised at all that Mo Ya had blocked his sneak attack. Although Mo Ya's internal strength was not as good as his, he was still a first-class being close to the Celestial Realm, so the impact of the loss of color in the world was limited.

"Using a sneak attack to deal with an assassin, the Imperial Physician seems to be underestimating me," Mo Ya said with a sneer.

"is it?"

Xu Qing stared sharply at Mo Ya, his Cheng Ying sword flashing out in rapid succession, unleashing a barrage of attacks towards Mo Ya.

Faced with such a fierce offensive, Mo Ya could only passively defend, constantly using his short blade and feathers to block Cheng Ying's attacks.

Just now, when he was observing the battle from the sidelines, Mo Ya's intention was not simply to wear down Xu Qing with more than sixty Hundred Bird Killers. Rather, he wanted to figure out Xu Qing's tactics. Although he dared not say that he had completely figured out Xu Qing, he had found a way to deal with Cheng Ying.

That is to use a faster speed to resist, and what Mo Ya is most proud of is speed.

The sound of swords clashing rang out continuously, and sparks flew from the impact. Both of them were fast enough that countless afterimages formed between them.

Bai Feng watched Xu Qing and Mo Ya locked in a fierce battle in mid-air, then looked solemnly towards the direction from which the Imperial Guards had come. Even if the Imperial Guards were slow, they should have arrived by now.

However, the Imperial Guards were nowhere to be seen, which made Bai Feng realize that something must have gone wrong with them.

Bai Feng glanced at Mo Ya, who was now at a disadvantage in mid-air, and a look of anxiety flashed in his eyes. He wanted to go and support the Imperial Guards, but he was more worried about what might happen to Mo Ya. After much deliberation, he decided to stay where he was.

Meanwhile, on the only road from the Han royal palace to Xu Qing's house.

The raging fire continued to burn in the heavy rain. Every time the rain fell into the fire, it did not extinguish the flames but instead made the fire burn even more fiercely.

The guards looked at the raging fire and hesitated to go forward. The few at the front tried to rush through the fire, but as soon as they got close to the surging flames, they were driven back.

"Quick! Put out the fire! Put out the fire!"

"No, the fire can't be put out at all."

"It's kerosene! The fire can't be put out! Go and provide support from another route!"

Upon seeing the raging fire, the captain of the Imperial Guard immediately ordered a change of route.

Upon seeing this, the guards on both sides immediately rushed into the alley next to them, preparing to provide support from other routes. However, just as the twenty-odd guards rushed into the alley, a burst of swordplay and screams rang out.

The purple chain sword, like a slender venomous snake, coiled back to Zi Nu's side, eventually transforming into sections of long swords.

"This road is blocked."

The once charming and tender eyes of Zi Nu were now filled with coldness. Her left hand was tucked into her slender waist, and her right hand gripped a purple chain sword.

When she arrived, Xu Qing was already engaged in a fierce battle with the Hundred Birds Assassins. However, rather than helping Xu Qing, she knew that what she should do was to stop the Imperial Guards.

Zi Nu was quite confident in Xu Qing's strength. As long as she could hold off the Imperial Guards, the Hundred Birds Assassins alone would be no match for Xu Qing.

"kill!!"

Upon seeing this, the dozens of imperial guards gathered at the alley entrance charged at Zi Nu without hesitation.

Zi Nu did not rush to confront the Imperial Guards. Compared to the clumsy Imperial Guards, her advantage was to use the narrow alley to slowly delay them.

The purple chain sword scooped up the guards' spears from the ground and threw them at the oncoming people. Then, the purple-clad woman leaped onto the roof and began to harass the guards.

The captain of the guards, watching the screams echoing through the alley, whispered to the men around him.
"Go and inform the General to send reinforcements." "Yes, sir."

"The rest of the people will be sent to provide support from other places."

"Yes."

The three hundred imperial guards immediately broke through from all directions in groups of all sizes. However, many disciples of the Hidden Dragon Hall and the Mo family had already been ambushed in the surrounding alleys. These were all summoned by Zi Nu in Xu Qing's name.

The sound of crossbow bolts piercing the air rang out, followed by screams of agony.

As the storm raged, the already tranquil and solemn Han royal palace took on an even more somber and oppressive atmosphere.

Inside Consort Hu's palace, dozens of imperial guards sealed off all the entrances and exits, large and small.

Inside the bedchamber, King Han An glared angrily at Consort Hu before him, his fists clenched tightly.

"Where have I wronged you? How dare you have an affair with Xu Qing?! Favor, status, wealth—I'll give you whatever you want! What more could you possibly want!"

King Han An roared angrily, no longer caring about the decorum befitting a monarch, spitting out saliva.

After arriving at the inner palace from the council hall, King Han An led his men directly to Consort Hu's palace. After several probing inquiries, he discovered that what Ji Wuye had said was entirely true.

His favorite concubine, Lady Hu, who was second only to Lady Mingzhu in the harem, actually had an affair with Xu Qing.

"Your Majesty has nothing to say. It was I who seduced the Imperial Physician. As for why, it was simply for revenge!"

Hu Meiren abandoned her usual charming and pitiful demeanor and looked coldly at Han Wang An.

Perhaps startled by Hu Meiren's uncharacteristic behavior, or perhaps not understanding the meaning of the word "revenge," Han Wang'an suppressed the anger in his eyes slightly.

"Revenge? What have I done to wrong you? If it weren't for me, you would still be just an ordinary citizen!" King Han An said coldly.

"Does Your Majesty still remember Fire Rain Manor?" Hu Meiren said with a sneer.

"Fire Rain Manor? Baiyue!?"

King Han's eyes widened slightly. As one of the ultimate targets of Han's attack on Baiyue, King Han naturally knew about Huoyu Manor.

Having his sensitive spot exposed, Han Wang'an couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"It seems Your Majesty still remembers. Do you know that before the Han Kingdom stirred up the internal strife in Baiyue, Huoyu Manor was the most stable and peaceful place in Baiyue? The owner of that land was the benevolent and charitable Duke Huoyu, who had two daughters." Consort Hu stared coldly at King Han An and slowly spoke.

"You...you..." Han Wang An pointed at Consort Hu in shock and anger, guessing what she was about to say.

“That’s right, I am the second daughter of Huoyu Gong. If it weren’t for Han, I wouldn’t be a refugee. So I want revenge. I want revenge on you and Han.”

"For this, I seduced the Imperial Physician, and your last loyal minister, the one you intended to use to reclaim power."

Hu Meiren spoke in a cold voice, each word like a sharp sword piercing Han Wang An's heart.

Xu Qing had already told her the truth about the Fire Rain Manor massacre, so she naturally hated Han Wang'an and Ji Wuye, the two masterminds behind it all. But she wasn't saying all this today to get revenge on Han Wang'an.

Instead, she wanted to use this method to portray herself as the one in charge of the affair, thereby taking the blame for the whole thing.

In this way, there is a chance that King Han will consider Xu Qing's medical skills and attitude towards the court, and not execute Xu Qing. Even if Xu Qing cannot be saved in the end, all the blame can be shifted onto oneself, thus preserving Xu Qing's reputation.

Listening to Consort Hu's questioning and account, King Han An felt a little guilty, but then became angry again.

"Very well, very well. I never expected to have a Baiyue remnant by my side. In that case, you shall die with Xu Qing!"

Han Wang An angrily waved his hand, and a eunuch carrying a bronze tray walked up with his head bowed and stood in front of Consort Hu.

"Hu Mei was frail and sickly, and unfortunately caught a cold, which she died suddenly!"

After leaving a cold remark, King Han left the palace in anger. With Consort Hu's matter settled, he still needed to visit Lady Mingzhu and the other concubines whom Xu Qing had treated.

"My beauty, please!"

The young eunuch lifted the red cloth on the bronze tray, revealing a white jade wine pot and two wine cups on it.

"Hehehe~"

Hu Meiren turned her head and glanced at the direction of Xu Qing's residence outside the Han King's Palace, a trace of reminiscence and regret flashing in her indifferent eyes.

My dear Xu, if fate allows, let's meet again sooner in our next life.

As she spoke, Hu Meiren picked up the wine pot on the plate, poured the wine into a wine cup, and drank it down.

"beauty!"

Seeing this, Ruotao, who was kneeling on the ground and trembling, cried out in anguish.

Jingni passed through layers of walls and arrived near Hu Meiren's palace. Hearing hurried footsteps, she turned and hid in the shadows.

"The water is gone! The water is gone!"

"Fire! Fire!"

The palace official and maids ran around in a panic, shouting as thick black smoke rose from Consort Hu's palace, and the fire spread throughout the entire palace.

A towering flame rose, engulfing the once luxurious sleeping quarters.

"Looks like you're too late. With a fire this big, even the person that jerk asked you to save can't be saved now." Luo Jing's voice rang in Jing Ni's ears.

"You have to bear the consequences of the path you choose," Jing Ni said coldly.

After glancing once more at the burning palace, Jingni put the iron mask back on and turned to head towards where Xu Qing was.

Since we can't save the person, let's go and help Xu Qing.

At this moment, King Han An, who was walking angrily in the corridor, stopped and turned to look at the eunuch who was running towards him in a panic.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! After Consort Hu drank the poisoned wine, her maid Ruotao set the entire palace on fire!" the eunuch said in a panic, kneeling on the ground.

"Don't worry about it. Put out the fire and don't let it spread to other palaces."

After leaving behind a cold remark, King Han An turned and continued toward Mingzhu Palace.

The burning of Hu Meiren's palace was actually a good thing for him. At least he no longer needed to think about Xu Qing and Hu Meiren cheating on him by seeing the palace.

(End of this chapter)