Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Elder Li was still asleep in his room, having spent the entire night preparing the antidote.

The antidote requires dozens of herbs, so he has to do it himself.

I dare not entrust the task to others.

Looking at Elder Li, who was asleep on the table, Xiao Yi felt a pang of sadness, but also a surge of warmth in his heart.

"Qingfeng, help your father to bed!"

I'm going out to talk to Miss Tao'er about something.

Qingfeng nodded.

Xiao Yi then turned and left.

Stepping outside, I found that the sun had already risen, but the flowers and plants in the yard were still covered in morning dew, which made me feel quite cheerful.

Everything is moving in a better direction.

If he recovers from the poison, he can protect the Xiao family and her forever.

A short while later, Xiao Yi called Tao'er to a corner of the courtyard and spoke to her in a low voice for a long time.

Tao'er listened casually at first, but as she listened, she slowly straightened up, and her expression changed from casual to serious, and then from serious to surprised.

"Brother Shi Qi, are you saying that Elder Li said it would take a month to expel the poison?"

Does it take that long?

Tao'er's eyes widened.

Isn't the antidote enough to cure it?

That's how it's always portrayed on TV!

Xiao Yi nodded, resting his hand on the branch of the jujube tree beside him, and said in a very low voice: "It's been more than a month. Elder Li examined my pulse carefully last night and said that the poison has already seeped into my meridians. It's not something that can be solved with just one bowl of antidote."

First, use a medicinal bath to expel toxins from the body, once every three days, soaking for one hour each time.

Seven days later, the poisonous gas loosened, and acupuncture was used to seal several vital meridians to prevent the poison from attacking the heart.

Moreover, acupuncture must be administered every seven days.

Every ten days, Elder Li must use his internal energy to expel the poison from me, and it will take at least a month to completely remove the remaining poison.

There's also an antidote. Not only do I need to drink the medicine, but I also need to take the antidote pills that my master will concoct for me. The antidote pills take three days to make, so it's a bit complicated..."

Tao'er gasped in shock: "I thought..."

I thought Elder Li would come and concoct an antidote, and that you could just take it and be fine.

Why is it so complicated?

My God, this isn't an antidote, this is deadly...

Was the ancient cold poison really that potent?

Xiao Yi gave a wry smile: "I didn't expect that either."

However, Elder Li is the best healer in the sect, and he was once a miracle doctor, so what he says is not false.

I'm incredibly lucky to have survived; a little extra time is nothing.

Tao'er was silent for a while, then suddenly raised her head with concern in her eyes: "So how are you feeling now?"

Is there anything else that feels uncomfortable on your body?

Xiao Yi moved his wrists. "It's gotten a bit better. Elder Li gave me acupuncture last night and also gave me a dose of medicine. This morning, I felt that the tightness in my chest had mostly dissipated."

Don't worry.

Tao'er finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

Xiao Yi paused, as if considering his words, before speaking again: "Tao'er, there's one more thing I need to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

you say."

"I'd like to ask if Elder Li could stay in this courtyard?"

Xiao Yi's gaze swept over the small courtyard.

"He has to prepare and mix medicines every day, and he also has to give me medicinal baths and acupuncture. It's inconvenient for him to run back and forth like this."

If you live here, you can be taken care of at any time.

I don't want him to work too hard..."

Before Tao'er could speak, she heard Xiao Yi continue speaking.

"If you don't want to, that's fine too."

I've rented another courtyard nearby with Qingfeng and Elder Li; it won't cause you any trouble.

Upon hearing this, Tao'er smiled and waved her hand: "Xiao Yi, what are you saying? How could I not be willing?"

If you stay here, the courtyard will be more lively.

that is……"

She hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at the layout of the courtyard.

"What is it?" Xiao Yi asked.

"There aren't enough rooms," Tao'er counted on her fingers. "Ayan, Sister Dongkui, and I share a room. Brother Qingfeng and you share a room. Young Master Chen shares a room. Where will Elder Li stay when he comes?"

We can't exactly make him share a room with you guys, can we?

You and Qingfeng are already cramped enough; adding another person definitely wouldn't be enough to make it sleepy.

"And if you all snore, it will disturb Elder Li's rest..."

Xiao Yi chuckled at her words.

Tao'er thought for a moment and then said, "How about this, we can temporarily build a room in the backyard?"

"I'm just worried about making Elder Li feel uncomfortable. After all, he came here to treat your illness, and it doesn't seem right for him to stay in a makeshift shed!"

She thought that Elder Li had come all the way to detoxify Xiao Yi, and that his kindness was already very commendable.

He also spent a high price to buy his own thousand-year-old ginseng and Tianshan snow lotus. Although it was bought in Xiao Yi's name, the old man was also an elder of the Seven Kill Pavilion and had a say in the matter.

If she can't even spare a decent room, that's just too outrageous.

Xiao Yi shook his head, his tone firm: "It's alright, we're all people of the martial world, we don't care about these superficial things."

"As long as it provides shelter from the wind and rain, Elder Li won't mind."

Just as Tao'er was about to speak, Xiao Yi continued, "And there's no need to build another house."

I thought about it last night. My room is spacious enough that I can add a bed and let Elder Li share a room with me.

This way, it will be easier for him to check on me at any time.

"That won't do. How about this: there's a room next to the west wing that's used for storing miscellaneous items. If you clean it up, you can still live there."

Wait a minute, I'll go to the street and buy a bed, and then add some simple furniture.

What do you think?

Tao'er felt that it wasn't crowded. The storage room wasn't bad either, it was just that no one lived there, so it was fine to tidy it up.

Xiao Yi nodded. "Alright, then leave these matters to Qingfeng and me."

Tao'er nodded, but then remembered something else, "Then why don't you take a medicinal bath?"

You can't just stay indoors all day, can you?

That requires boiling water, pouring it out, and making everything wet.

"I've thought about it." Xiao Yi raised his hand and pointed towards the backyard. "We can build a simple water room in the backyard."

It doesn't need to be fancy; as long as it can fit a bathtub, is surrounded on all four sides, and has a roof to prevent leaks, it'll be fine.

Tao'er's eyes lit up: "That's easy!"

Building a water room is much simpler than building a house.

The backyard is spacious, and the area against the wall is quite nice—both secluded and spacious.

It's enclosed on all four sides by wooden planks or bamboo fences, and topped with a thatched roof or tarpaulin. It'll be done in a few days.

These things are all readily available in the storage room.

Xiao Yi smiled and nodded: "That's great, Qingfeng and I can cover it up in a bit."

"Peach, you're so thoughtful."

Tao'er is so meticulous; she considers everything so well.

Tao'er chuckled, "That's settled then, I'll go take care of other things."

Just as Xiao Yi was about to say something, Tao'er suddenly patted her forehead, as if she had remembered something important: "Oh right, there's one more thing I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Tao lowered her voice and leaned closer: "It's about how we address each other."

While you are staying here, although there aren't many neighbors, there are still people coming and going.

In case someone asks, "Who is Elder Li?"

And who are you?

We need to agree on our story beforehand, so we don't give ourselves away later.

Xiao Yi was slightly taken aback, then gave an approving look: "You've thought of everything."

Elder Li and I discussed this matter last night, and we were just about to tell you.

"So what conclusion did you reach?" Tao asked.