The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"sit."

Tang Xixue reached out and gently tapped the round-backed chair made of old bamboo in the courtyard with her fingertips.

Her voice came through the veil of her hat, like a feather gently brushing against velvet, and with a touch of the gentle tranquility of snow falling on bamboo tips.

She looked at Si Xingxuan—a man known for his aloofness and gloom, who at this moment resembled a solitary orchid suddenly illuminated by the spring sun, standing frozen in the snow not far from her.

Those eyes, which were always as deep and melancholy as a cold star in a deep pool, were now shining with an almost innocent and bright light, staring at her without blinking, as if afraid that if she closed her eyes, the illusion before her would disappear.

This appearance was a stark contrast to his usual arrogant, disdainful attitude, as if nothing in the world mattered to him.

"cough……"

When Si Xingxuan heard that word, his soul seemed to be gently tapped.

It was his junior uncle speaking to him.

Please have him sit down.

An overwhelming, unreal ecstasy instantly overwhelmed all his reason and defenses, like a tidal wave.

His emotions surged so intensely and purely that his already weakened heart, strained by long-term illness, could not withstand the sudden and violent shock.

He only felt the figure in pure white sway slightly before him, the snow and bamboo shadows in the world began to spin, a buzzing sound filled his ears, and all other sounds rapidly receded into the distance.

He tried to say something, but only a suppressed groan escaped his lips before his consciousness sank into a cold darkness.

"Thump."

That sky-blue silk robe, adorned with cloud-patterned fabric, fell silently into the thick snow, like a butterfly with a broken wing.

The fine snow that had been thrown up fell back down, quickly covering his shoulders and hair with an even whiter layer.

"..."

Tangxi's face, hidden beneath her snow-white veil, froze for a moment, clearly not expecting things to develop this way.

She tilted her head slightly, seemingly taking a closer look at Si Xingxuan on the ground through the veil, confirming that he had truly fainted and that it was not some kind of trick.

Immediately, she shook her head slightly with a hint of helplessness, raised her eyes towards the quiet bamboo house, and called out softly, her voice tinged with a teasing tone yet sounding like a casual conversation:

"Senior brother, your disciple has fainted. Come out and get him."

There was a moment of silence inside the bamboo house.

"This is such a hassle—"

A male voice, tinged with languor and a hint of mischievous playfulness, slowly drifted out from inside the bamboo house.

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to possess a peculiar penetrating power, gently echoing through the snow-covered bamboo forest, startling the snowflakes from the tips of several nearby bamboo stalks.

The bamboo door creaked open.

A man dressed in a black apothecary robe stepped out.

The robe was extremely dark, almost like ink, with intricate and strange patterns embroidered only in dark gold thread on the collar and cuffs.

His face was covered by a cold, dragon-patterned ghost mask, exquisitely crafted yet exuding a chilling aura, with only his eyes showing.

Those were extremely beautiful eyes, yet devoid of warmth. The corners of the eyes were slightly upturned, and the pupils were a rare, deep blue, with a faint, ethereal light that seemed to emanate from them. They were nonchalant yet unfathomable.

It was the reclusive ghost doctor who lived here, Si Xingxuan's master, and Tang Xixue's senior brother.

He glanced at his unconscious apprentice in the snow, his expression neither pleasant nor tender, only one of obvious disdain.

"Useless."

He scoffed under his breath, too lazy to even bend over, and simply raised a finger casually.

It seemed as if a wind had risen from the ground, yet no snow dust was seen flying.

A gentle yet irresistible invisible force lifted Si Xingxuan's body, carrying him into the bamboo house as lightly as a feather.

It was placed steadily on a bamboo couch covered with thick animal hides by the window, without even a few wrinkles in its robes.

"Junior Sister," the Ghost Doctor turned to Tang Xixue, his deep blue eyes sweeping over her as he spoke slowly and deliberately, with a hint of accusation in his voice.

"You're here, so why did you have to call this brat over and disturb my peace?"

He was cold-hearted and aloof by nature, and his temper was unpredictable. Even towards his only personal disciple, he never showed him any kindness.

They thought he was too thoughtful and physically weak, and too troublesome.

"Please don't be offended, senior brother."

Tang Xixue chuckled softly, the tassels of her veil swaying gently with each step she took.

She walked into the bamboo house through the snow, as naturally as if she were returning to her own home.

"May I borrow your space?"

She paused, walked to the bamboo bed, glanced at Si Xingxuan who was still slightly frowning despite being unconscious, and spoke calmly.

"I borrowed your disciple's withered tree that has come back to life. So, I've come to settle this karmic debt and extend its life once more."

"The kind of loan that's never repaid?"

Upon hearing this, the Ghost Doctor leaned against the door frame with interest, arms crossed. Even with his ghost mask on, one could imagine that he must have raised an eyebrow at that moment.

Although his junior sister spoke frankly, she was clearly somewhat guilty.

"Tsk, they actually went to rob my disciple."

There was no anger in his voice; instead, there was a hint of mockery, as if he were enjoying the spectacle.

Although he is a wicked doctor, he is also notoriously protective of his own.

If anyone else had dared to scheme against his disciple like this, they would have been dead many times over.

But... junior sister is not an outsider.

If his own family members bully his apprentice, well, he'll just stand by and watch the show.

After all, it seems quite interesting to see his disciple, with his cunning and twisted mind, get humiliated, especially by his junior sister.

"Senior brother, if we see through each other but don't say anything, we can still be good friends."

Tang Xixue turned around, her veil fluttering. Though her expression was obscured, the cunning in her tone was unmistakable.

"Alright then." The Ghost Doctor seemed to chuckle softly, the laughter muffled through his mask. "But, Junior Sister, what do you need that withered tree to revive?"

His deep blue eyes gazed at her, filled with a hint of inquiry and barely perceptible concern.

"Your body... hasn't recovered after all these years? If you need it, why borrow it from him? I have plenty of spiritual herbs here..."

"It's not for me."

Tang Xixue interrupted him, her voice gentle yet firm.

"It's to save a person. A person... who can only be saved by this."

She walked up to Si Xingxuan, took out an exquisite white jade incense box from her sleeve, opened it, and inside was a small piece of dark brown incense stick.

She lit the incense sticks.

A very light fragrance, reminiscent of bamboo and sandalwood with a hint of cold plum blossoms, wafted out, not strong, yet seemingly able to penetrate directly into the soul.

This is the "Soul-Stabilizing Incense" specially made by the Ghost Doctor.

The incense sticks were lit, and the blue smoke rose straight up.

Si Xingxuan's body, which had been slightly tense even while unconscious, visibly relaxed on the couch. His brows gradually unfurled, and his breathing became long and steady.

"The soul-stabilizing incense here from my senior brother is still the best."

Looking at the flickering red dot on the incense stick, Tang Xixue sighed.

"Ordinary sleeping potions can't bring down our Divine Physician Zheyue."

"Zheyue has a special constitution and extremely strong resistance. Having been around drugs and poisons for many years, she is already immune to all poisons."

The Ghost Doctor strolled over, glanced at his apprentice, and spoke in a flat tone.

"Even for me, as his master, it wouldn't be easy to poison him without leaving a trace. This Soul-Stabilizing Incense is good, but for him, without external stimulation, it will only be effective for half an incense stick's time at most."