Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 259 Infected by the Heart-Eating Gu

Gu Yuanen stepped forward, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped away Gu Qingyue's tears while supporting her trembling shoulders.

"Little sister, don't be too sad. Grandfather has been waiting for you to come home," he said, patting her shoulder.

After a long while, Gu Qingyue finally managed to control her emotions.

She looked up and saw the old king standing expectantly in front of her.

The tall old man looked like a child who had made a mistake, at a loss for what to do. His face was full of heartache and love, and a hint of fear that was hard to detect. She took it all in.

She blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.

She must have been suppressing her feelings for too long, from her past life to this one, missing her grandfather so much that she broke down for a moment.

The old man in front of him was the original owner's grandfather, which probably frightened him.

She carefully traced the old man's face with her eyes. She was too shocked just now, but now that she looked at him, he did look very much like her grandfather, at least seven or eight points similar in his eyebrows and eyes.

She suddenly had a very absurd idea.

Is it because God saw how pitiful she was in her past life that He sent her here to find her maternal grandfather and gave her so many relatives so that she could also experience the warmth of family?

Thinking of this, Gu Qingyue suddenly smiled.

She smiled and took the old man's hand, which was rubbing nervously, and said, "Grandfather, I still vaguely remember you. I am Yue'er, and I have returned."

After saying that, he hugged the old man tightly around the waist.

The old Duke stood there, his white hair seemingly radiating light. He patted Gu Qingyue's back affectionately, saying, "Good, good, good, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." In the end, he couldn't hold back his tears.

"Little sister".

"Little sister".

"Little sister?" Gu Yuanjin had just stepped into the room when he saw a little girl crying miserably while hugging her grandfather.

Hearing her brothers calling from behind, Gu Qingyue composed herself and turned around.

A tall, young figure stood beside Gu Yuanming.

He was staring blankly at Gu Qingyue's face, cautiously, as if afraid of disturbing the young girl.

"You are... Yue'er? I am your elder brother," the man's voice trembled slightly, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Big Brother," Gu Qingyue's voice, still wet with tears, sounded both sweet and pitiful as she called him.

Gu Yuanjin stared intently at Gu Qingyue, as if afraid that if he blinked, his sister would disappear again.

The little girl, who had just been crying, had a red nose and looked delicate.

His phoenix eyes gleamed amber in the candlelight, as fragile as fluorite, as if they might shatter at any moment, causing his heart to ache as if pierced by needles.

This was his most beloved little sister back then!

God knows how long he secretly cried when he found out the truth back then.

After all these years of longing, my sister is finally back!

He couldn't help but step forward and gently embrace Gu Qingyue, stroking her hair as his body trembled slightly.

Compared to his three younger brothers who were still quite young at the time, he doted on his little sister to the core.

His father disappeared, and his mother gave birth to Yuan En and his younger sister with great difficulty. He loved his two younger brothers and sisters like both an older brother and a father.

But one day, his grandfather told him that his sister was lost.

He felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, and he felt a sharp, piercing pain.

"Little sister, after searching for you for so many years, you're finally back." He released Gu Qingyue, leaned down slightly, put his hand on Gu Qingyue's shoulder, and looked her over carefully.

"Yes," Gu Qingyue could feel her older brother's sincerity and care, and she couldn't help but cry tears of joy, "Big brother, I'm back."

"Alright, big brother, little sister," Gu Yuanming calmed himself down and stepped forward to interrupt their conversation.

"Little sister, go see Mother first. She's not well," Gu Yuanming said, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Yes, yes, go see your mother first." The old Duke also learned from the brothers Gu Yuanming and Gu Yuanchen that Yue'er's medical skills were very good, and perhaps there would be a glimmer of hope for Qin Shi.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyue quickly wiped away her tears and followed Gu Yuanming and the others into the inner room.

Seeing Qin Shi's condition, Gu Qingyue's heart leaped. Had she really reached this point? She was on the verge of death.

"Mother!" Upon seeing Qin Shi's appearance, Gu Yuan'en immediately knelt down beside the bed. He gently stroked Qin Shi's face, and tears instantly streamed down his face. "Mother, En'er is back."

Gu Qingyue stood silently by the bed, pursed her lips, pulled Gu Yuanen aside, sat down on the bed, and took Qin Shi's hand to take her pulse.

After a cup of tea, Gu Qingyue took the other hand.

After a while, she suddenly relaxed her brows, then got up, flipped Qin's eyelids, and also looked at her mouth and nose.

The four brothers stood behind Gu Qingyue, watching her movements intently until she let go and stood up.

She paused for a moment, then looked back at Madam Qin with a serious expression. "Let's talk outside."

The group returned to the flower hall.

"Have someone guard the door," Gu Qingyue thought for a moment, then said, "Something's fishy."

Upon hearing this, the men's expressions tightened.

The old Duke was so surprised that he stood up from his chair.

Gu Yuanen quickly closed the door, and the five people stared intently at Gu Qingyue's face, hoping to hear news from her that was different from what Physician Hu had said.

"My mother has been poisoned by a curse, probably the Heart-Eating Curse of Nanzhao."

Since obtaining the book "The Art of Golden Needles" last time, Gu Qingyue has carefully read the section on Gu poison many times and pondered it for a long time. On her way back to the capital, she continued to ponder it.

Therefore, she was almost certain that Qin's current symptoms were due to being infected with the Heart-Eating Gu of Nanzhao.

This kind of poison is extremely cunning; ordinary doctors cannot detect it, and even imperial physicians cannot diagnose it without this kind of knowledge.

"What? Poisoned?"

The brothers exchanged glances, their expressions turning sharp, and a chilling aura emanated from them.

Who would have the audacity to cast a spell on their mother right under everyone's noses?

This must be someone close to you!

"Can it be solved?" Gu Yuanchen asked, looking at Gu Qingyue's solemn expression.

Gu Qingyue thought for a moment, "It can be cured, but Mother's body is too weak and she may not be able to withstand it. Judging from her pulse, Mother has been infected with the Gu for at least half a year."

"What should we do? Little sister, you have to find a way to save Mother!" Gu Yuanen's tone was urgent, but also filled with suppressed anger.

"Don't worry, I'm here. Mother will be alright," Gu Qingyue patted Gu Yuanen, whose eyes were bloodshot, to comfort him.

Gu Qingyue originally thought that they had returned too late, and that Qin Shi was already on the verge of death and there was no way to save her.

Unexpectedly, Qin Shi was afflicted by the Heart-Eating Gu.

After some thought, she concluded that with the healing energy combined with the Phoenix Cry Golden Needle, there was a good chance she could save Qin's life.

Who would give this poor woman such an evil thing?

"What is the Heart-Eating Gu?" The old Duke couldn't help but ask this question after hearing Gu Qingyue's words.

"The Heart-Eating Gu, as the name suggests, is a gu that gnaws at a person's heart and spews out toxins, causing the heart to gradually fail. This gu is not rare in Nanzhao, but it has a unique characteristic: once infected, it is generally difficult to detect unless the person is on their deathbed."

Gu Qingyue paused for a moment, then continued, "When they are discovered, the person afflicted with the Gu is usually already exhausted and beyond saving. Therefore, even if someone knows how to remove the Gu, it is difficult for the afflicted person to withstand it. Once the Gu is removed, the body will immediately lose its vitality and die."

Therefore, she would first use the Phoenix Cry Golden Needle to keep Qin's life hanging by a thread, and use healing energy to protect her heart meridian. Only after her body had recovered somewhat would she be able to expel the Gu, thus having a better chance of winning.