The Unmoving Bride

“Brother Shang, you are too modest. But I’ve heard that Master Bu Yuchen and your brother are usually inseparable, why are only you and Brother Wu here now?” “My younger brother will arrive soon,” Shang Bieye replied. “Bu Yuchen is already here, busy with his old trade,” Wu Yangfeng casually mentioned. Old trade? Duan Shiyun pondered, suddenly recalling someone. “Haha, no wonder the children in the stockade have been much better behaved lately. They all become silent as soon as they hear about Master Bu, fearing to cause trouble. We’ve just decided to let Master Bu stay a few more years,” Duan Shiyun laughed heartily. “Indeed, only he knows how to handle those kids,” Shang Bieye chuckled, thinking of how his friend dealt with children, like a soldier catching bandits, forgetting he himself was an official. “I heard Brother Shang recently got married, how can you…” Duan Shiyun, although always within the Black Stockade, still had some knowledge of the outside world. “Hehe, my master’s commands are above all else,” Shang Bieye laughed it off. Seeing Shang Bieye was unwilling to elaborate, Duan Shiyun did not press further. But since their visit to the Black Stockade was at the behest of their master, then surely Master Bao, the Divine Calculator, must have foreseen this encounter? “Brother Shang, Brother Wu, I believe you are here under the guidance of Master Bao. Given his abilities, there must be hope for my elder brother, right?” “Second Master, you mean…” Shang Bieye pondered. “With your master’s foresight, surely he must have predicted this calamity for the Black Stockade?” Duan Shiyun looked at them eagerly. “No, my master didn’t mention this calamity,” Shang Bieye faced Duan Shiyun with honesty. Duan Shiyun was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, “Impossible!” “Why do you say that, Second Master?” Shang Bieye knew his master’s capabilities but also knew he didn’t foresee everything. “Because only my brother knows where that mirror is. If he doesn’t wake up, you won’t be able to get it.” “Second Master, don’t you know where the Time Mirror is?” “No. After it was salvaged, to prevent theft, we decided that my brother should hide it.” Shang Bieye and Wu Yangfeng hadn’t anticipated this twist; they exchanged looks, unsure of what to say next. On the seventh day, everyone was at a loss for dealing with Nie Kuang’s poison. Nie Kuang’s complexion grew darker, his body colder, and but for the faint breath, he looked like a corpse. Duan Shiyun invited Shang Bieye and Wu Yangfeng back to the Chen Yu Hall for another discussion. “Doctor Wu, have you come up with any solutions these past few days?” Duan Shiyun, having not slept for days worrying about Nie Kuang’s condition, looked exhausted. “Second Master, I am truly sorry, but I’ve tried many antidotes, none of which worked,” Wu Yangfeng also hadn’t slept, trying to combat the poison. “Is Nie Kuang really going to…” Duan Shiyun was too distraught to finish his sentence. Seeing Duan Shiyun’s distress, Shang Bieye and Wu Yangfeng were at a loss for words because as long as Nie Kuang remained unconscious, they couldn’t locate the Time Mirror. “It seems our only option is to try and revive the First Master. Yang Feng, are you confident?” Shang Bieye asked solemnly. “I can’t be sure; that poison is too bizarre. I’ve never seen anything like it. Even the expelled poison blood seemed to attack the antidote,” Wu Yangfeng recalled the image of the poison blood counteracting the antidote. “Is this snake venom really that strange?” Duan Shiyun could hardly imagine. “Yes,” Shang Bieye remembered the scene, “When it happened, I almost got bitten by that strange snake while trying to support the First Master.” “That snake was too venomous. If I ever see it, I’ll kill it,” Duan Shiyun said with grief, then slammed the table with such force it split in two. “Second Master…” “It’s nothing. Brother Shang, I was just momentarily angry.”
Duan Shiyun knew his emotions were too intense. “We understand,” Shang Bieye empathized with this feeling. “Thankfully, you’re okay, Brother Shang,” Duan Shiyun said sincerely. “Blessed by the heavens, I thought I would continue fighting with that venomous snake, but I don’t know why, it suddenly turned and fled.” “Fled suddenly?” Duan Shiyun had a sudden inspiration. “Brother Wu, didn’t you say in the pharmacy that every creature has a natural enemy, and thus there should be herbs to counteract the poison?” Wu Yangfeng nodded. “So, could it be that where Brother Shang was standing had other plants that could counteract the poison, or perhaps something on you that could counteract the poison?” “No, the place where I stood was completely clean, not even a broken tile. As for my body, there was nothing extra, except…” Shang Bieye’s face suddenly filled with tenderness as he spoke. “Brother Shang, except for what?” Shang Bieye smiled shyly, “Except for a sachet from Xinmeng.” A sachet? He even took someone else’s sachet, looks like he’s planning to win her heart. Wu Yangfeng smirked at Shang Bieye, his brows full of teasing. “Xinmeng? Who is this?” Duan Shiyun was now confused about how many strange people had infiltrated the Black Stockade. “Second-in-command, she is another friend of mine, currently helping out in the kitchen with Auntie Fat.” “Helping in the kitchen? Has she been making some odd dishes lately, that new guy?” Duan Shiyun recalled the recent meals, which were foods he had never eaten before. After asking Auntie Fat, he learned they were made by the new young man. “Yes! That’s her, Second-in-command,” Shang Bieye nodded. “You mean you had his sachet, but how could a young man have a sachet? He’s not a woman, and why would you have…” Duan Shiyun’s voice grew softer as he spoke. This young man not only had good culinary skills but also carried a sachet; could he be a woman, or does Shang Bieye have a preference for men? Duan Shiyun looked at Shang Bieye with a peculiar expression. “Second-in-command, Xinmeng is a girl,” Wu Yangfeng noticed Duan Shiyun’s expression and guessed what he was thinking. Shang Bieye glanced at Wu Yangfeng, signaling him not to meddle, but Wu Yangfeng ignored him. “Oh, she’s a girl? I thought…” Duan Shiyun laughed awkwardly. Shang Bieye didn’t mind, but his mind was on another matter. Could it really be Xinmeng’s sachet that saved him? But inside that sachet, aside from two silver ingots, there was only that black, slippery pill. Could that pill really counteract the snake? The more Shang Bieye thought, the more serious his expression became. Wu Yangfeng directly asked, “Bieye, does Xinmeng’s sachet contain something strange?” “Yes! Brother Shang, is there something special in it?” Duan Shiyun also noticed Shang Bieye’s thoughtful look. Shang Bieye took out the sachet from his bosom, opened it, and pulled out a shiny black pearl. Upon seeing the pearl, Wu Yangfeng’s face changed abruptly, quickly taking it from Shang Bieye’s hand, “Bieye, do you know what this is?” he asked, both surprised and delighted. “I don’t know, Xinmeng only said it was a pill. What’s wrong? Do you know its origin?” Could this pill be so miraculous to make Wu Yangfeng so excited? “Bieye, Second-in-command, if I’m not mistaken, this is a life-saving pill called the Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill.” Wu Yangfeng held the pill up to the sunlight, squinting to examine it. “Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill?” Shang Bieye and Duan Shiyun said in unison. “Yes! That’s right, it’s the Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill,” Wu Yangfeng confirmed confidently. Turning to Duan Shiyun, Wu Yangfeng laughed, “With this pill, even if the Big Boss was bitten ten times, we could save him.” “In that case, we shouldn’t delay. Let’s have Big Brother take this pill now,” Duan Shiyun was overjoyed and started towards the door. “Wait, Second-in-command,” Shang Bieye quickly called out to Duan Shiyun. Duan Shiyun turned around, puzzled by why Shang Bieye stopped him. “Second-in-command, this pill belongs to my wife, I think we should inform her first.” Chapter Six “Brother Nine! What’s the rush? Why are you taking me to the pharmacy?” Yan Xinmeng asked the person leading the way, but he seemed not to hear and just kept running forward. Yan Xinmeng followed without further questions, knowing it was pointless to ask. She was in the kitchen working on her new dish when Brother Nine rushed in, said nothing, and dragged her out, only telling her they needed to go to the pharmacy. Upon arriving at the pharmacy, she saw Shang Bieye, Wu Yangfeng, and Duan Shiyun were all there. “Big Brother, what’s going on?” Yan Xinmeng approached Shang Bieye and asked. Duan Shiyun already knew Yan Xinmeng was in disguise, but he didn’t expect to see such a dark-skinned young man. “Xinmeng, let me introduce you,” Shang Bieye brought Yan Xinmeng in front of Duan Shiyun, “This is the Second-in-command.” “Mrs. Shang, hello,” Duan Shiyun clasped his hands in greeting. Mrs. Shang? He knows she’s a woman, and also… Yan Xinmeng looked at Duan Shiyun in surprise. Noticing her surprised expression, Shang Bieye explained, “Xinmeng, we told him.” Yan Xinmeng then realized. To save a life, Shang Bieye didn’t waste time on idle chatter. “Xinmeng, the man lying on the bed is the Big Boss; you know why, right?” Yan Xinmeng nodded; everyone in the Black Stockade knew about Nie Kuang’s poisoning and that even Wu Yangfeng couldn’t find an antidote. “Do you remember this pill?” Shang Bieye took out the Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill. “Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill! Of course, I remember! You took it away and never returned it, along with my sachet…” Yan Xinmeng’s voice grew quieter, almost inaudible. Shang Bieye knew why she was getting quieter, but the matter at hand was more urgent. Hearing her words, the three men were overjoyed but tried to remain composed. “Are you sure this is the Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill?” Shang Bieye asked calmly. “Yes! It’s called the Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill; Brother Niu Qi gave it to me, and that’s what he called it,” Yan Xinmeng nodded confidently. “Little Miss Dream, do you know what the Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill does?” Wu Yangfeng followed up, seeking further confirmation.
“I’m not really sure, but Big Brother Niu Qi said it has some miraculous effect of bringing people back to life. He was worried about my safety and said not to use it recklessly unless in a life-or-death situation. I’ve never used it, so I don’t know if it’s true or not,” Yan Xinmeng explained.