Chapter 4: Critical Illness

  Pan Yu looked at Xu Xian and asked, "Why are you so good to me?"

  Xu Xian subconsciously dodged his gaze and said with great righteousness: "We're friends, aren't we? If we don't help each other at times like these, what's the point of being friends?"

  "Are you a friend? That's good! But if it were someone else, they would also do the same in Chinese! Tell me a few more stories!"

  "A story? Forget it, I'll just tell a joke instead!" The last blow was truly unforgettable.

  Pan Yuyao shook her head and insisted: "It's a story, just like last time!"

  Xu Xian had no choice but to satisfy his poisonous tongue. Movies, TV shows, comics, all sorts of love stories.

  It was unexpected for Xu Xian, but Pan Yu didn't say anything else, just quietly listened. Even with a story like this that originated from the internet, she didn't say something like "This woman is too shameless."

  "If I were a girl, I would also pursue you, it's a great match, probably very interesting!"

  Xu Xianru was struck by lightning, and would rather hear vicious words. Tears streaming down her face, I'm really not made of glass!

  Pan Yu guessed what he was thinking just by looking at his expression, and couldn't help but laugh out loud. The smile was extremely beautiful, extremely faint. His face was even paler, as if transparent.

  Xu Xian felt clearly that this beautiful jade was gradually becoming transparent, turning into ice, and then slowly melting into water, completely dispersing in this world.

  No, I have to do something. Xu Xian said to himself. Now he regretted letting Nie Xiaoqian leave alone, although those two sarira were used by her, even if she didn't leave, there might not be any solution anyway. Since the living are helpless, he could only seek help from ghosts and gods. He suddenly remembered that he knew another person in this field, although it was uncertain whether it would work or not, but he had to give it a try.

  Xu Xian knocked heavily on the gate of Xuanguan, and soon a young Taoist named Sun'er opened the door. "Master, Mr. Xu, how did you come? Have you returned from Jinhua?"

  Xu Xian grabbed the little Taoist's shoulder and said, "Quickly take me to see your master, I have an urgent matter to find her."

  "Master has gone out for a stroll."

  "He was greatly disappointed and said: 'When can she come back.'"

  "It's hard to say for sure, it could be as short as three to five days or as long as a month."

  "Can you cure me?" Xu Xian also knew that he was a bit ill and had sought medical attention in a hurry, but he still held on to a glimmer of hope.

  "What? I won't!"

  As expected, Xu Xian could only hope and come, but leave with disappointment.

  In the backyard of the Taoist temple, Yuxuanji sat quietly in front of a stone table reading a book on Tao Te Ching, still wearing a apricot yellow Taoist robe, as quiet as the yellow leaves falling from the trees.

  "Master, why haven't you seen Master Shu?" asked Cui'er curiously.

  "This is his path, if he wants to walk it, let him do so himself!" Yu Xuanji put down the book in her hand "And I have a feeling that Pan Yu is his nemesis, dead and clean."

  "However, aren't monks supposed to be compassionate and benevolent?"

  Bang! The rolled-up book hit the top of Zhūnér's head, and Yú Xuánjī stared at Zhūnér saying: "Little girl has learned to teach me a lesson. That is a deceitful monk's words. Our kind cultivates by letting go, but he is someone who can't let go once he gets attached. Now that there's this opportunity, even if he doesn't want to let go, he must let go. Isn't it a win-win situation?"

  Bamboo shoots with teary eyes, don't know if it's the beating or those words "Will that master also abandon bamboo shoots one day?"

  Yu Xuanji glared and said: "I'd rather throw you out right now."

  The bamboo shoots were wrapped around Yu Xuanji's slender waist, Yu Xuanji sighed and stroked her little head, wondering in her heart, can you really bear to part with her? Or do you have to wait until the moment when you can't bear to part with her.

  The bamboo shoots know that this master has a hard mouth and a soft heart. Well, according to the master's own words, it is a rare great way.

  Time flies like water, and six days have passed in the blink of an eye. When Xu Xian gave medicine, he felt that the person in his arms was as light as paper and as fragile as crystal. He went to the Xuanji Temple every afternoon, but only got one sentence: The master has not returned yet.

  Xu Xian got up and was about to go to the mysterious machine again, but Pan Yu, who should have been asleep, suddenly said in a low voice: "Hey, don't go, what if I die suddenly after you leave?"

  Xu Xian had been watching her decline over the past few days, but was unable to do anything about it. He had already been feeling anxious and frustrated in his heart. When he heard Pan Yu casually mention the word "death", he couldn't help but scold: "Your uncle has sent people to serve you, but you refused. I've been taking care of you every day, and now I'm going out to think of a way to save you. And yet you still say such depressing words? Don't be allowed to die! If I don't come back, you're not allowed to die!"

  The atmosphere in the hut was stagnant, and Xu Xian also had some regrets.

  Pan Yuxia covered her small mouth, wide-eyed and exclaimed "Hanzi is indeed mighty!"

  Xu Xian cried and laughed at the same time "You're so arrogant, I'll go and come back, won't take up much of your precious time."

  "Alright, we'll wait for your return."

  In the evening breeze garden, Wang Shouyi asked: "How is it? It's the last day."

  Huo Ke sneered: "At the latest tonight, he will lose his life. It's too unsafe to cast a spell here, let's change to a deserted place!"

  A glimmer of joy flashed across Wang Shouyi's eyes, but in order to maintain his composure, he forcibly suppressed it. In recent days, he had been drinking and composing poetry with the other scholars at Xitian Academy, testing each other out. Indeed, none of them could surpass him, and with his goal within sight, how could he not feel joyful?

  Mysterious and subtle.

  "Master, Master Shu is here again," said the young bamboo shoot in a soft voice. She could see that Master had come in with a bad mood and must have been hesitant in his heart as well.

  Yu Xuanji didn't speak, she just read books, but her watery eyes were restless and unfocused.

  "That's what the bamboo shoots say when the master is not around." The bamboo shoots said cleverly, then stepped step by step towards the gate, and the knocking sound became more urgent.

  Yu Xuanji put down her book and let out a soft sigh: "Forget it, let him come in!"

  The sky was getting late, on the West Lake, a small boat was drifting, and inside the boat were Hu Ke and Wang Shouyi. Hu Ke had put on his hometown's sacrificial long gown again. Several white soul-guiding flags fluttered in the wind. The murmuring sound of chanting, like scriptures, like incantations, seemed to be coming from somewhere, and the soul-guiding flags began to tremble violently.

  In the academy, Pan Yu suddenly felt a buzzing in his mind, as if there was a voice telling him to leave this world, to leave this tired life. For some reason, he wanted to follow that voice, but still remembered Xu Xian asking him to wait for him.

  Hooke's muttering grew more urgent, he didn't think that in seven days, Pan Yu could still resist his soul-calling so strongly. But what he didn't know was that Pan Yu's willpower far surpassed that of ordinary people, and if she really made up her mind to do something, it would be impossible for ordinary people to change her mind.

  Xu Xian ran wildly, his heart filled with joy. He had found a way to save Pan Yu. The academy was now in sight, but he ignored the surprised gazes of others and sprinted towards it at top speed. The familiar door swung open with a push, and the familiar figure lay on the bed, smiling weakly at him before slowly closing his eyes.

  Hooke felt a sense of relief, lay down in the cabin and exclaimed: "It's done."

  Xu Xian's hand trembled as he left Pan Yu's breath, his heart full of regret. If he had been completely helpless from start to finish, he might have been able to face it a little more calmly, but the flame of hope that had just been lit was suddenly plunged into the depths.

  I couldn't help but think: if I could have been a little faster, would I have been able to save him.

  "Ah, the Tao Te Ching." Xuxian rummaged through his luggage as if grasping at a last straw, and finally produced a finely bound book - the very copy of the "Tao Te Ching" that his master had left him.

  In the golden flames, the book was melted and dissolved in an instant, but a small jade token fell into Xu Xian's hand, which even the true fire of the sun could not melt.

  A small, emerald-green jade plaque, seemingly a miniature version of a stone tablet. Inscribed with the two characters "Gong De", below which is a row of numbers: "10,000 2,000 840". On either side are written two sentences: "With heart do good, good without reward. Without heart do evil, evil without punishment."

  Xu Xian didn't look closely, but followed the method taught by Yu Xuanji, grasping the jade plaque tightly. In his heart, there was only one thought: "I want him to live well."

  But it was all in vain, Pan Yujing lay quietly on the bed, seemingly asleep, with no reaction to Xu Xian's wishes. Her spirit had left, and even if there were life-saving elixirs, they would be of no use.

  The room gradually quieted down, and after dusk came a long night.

  Xu Xian gradually became desperate and sat down beside Pan Yu with a dejected expression.

  Is it that my efforts are not enough? Is it that my strength is not enough? Would I have been able to avoid all this if I had the powers of a god? My easy-going personality has never yearned for power like it does now, only because I am unable to face the people around me and just let things pass.

  At this time, the merit plate in his hand flickered with a green light, and the numbers on it changed violently, dropping rapidly. However, Xu Xian was like a wooden puppet, completely unaware.

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