"They are sent by the Royal House," Siao Qi shook her head, "Without Grandmasters, Secretary Kang would already be assassinated."
Guo Mulin scoffed, "He is too hateful!"
"Secretary Kang has an upright character and he gained the support of those in the intellectual circle. In the event that he was really assassinated, it will lead to a big trouble!" Siao Shi said softly.
"That's true too!" Guo Mulin nodded, "If he was really killed, people from the intellectual circle will hate those from the martial arts world even more, and they will urge the imperial court desperately to repress the martial arts world sternly, this may lead to a world in turmoil!"
Chu Li gave a small cough, "It's still not to that extent, right?"
"Do you think it's a world at peace now?" Guo Mulin rolled his eyes at him and scoffed, "There is a raging undercurrent, in the event that the world became chaotic, the Public House will be the first to bear the brunt!"
Chu Li looked at Siao Qi, "We should be prepared."
Siao Qi said, "We can't do anything about it if the world becomes chaotic, but what I fear most is that during an enemy invasion, people of the martial arts world would take the opportunity to riot!"
Chu Li shook his head, "The martial arts world is too peaceful."
"If the martial arts world is in turmoil, peace and order will be lost, and people's morale will drop drastically," Siao Qi shook her head, "I understand what you mean, but I don't dare to do so."
She understood Chu Li's implication. Triggering chaos in the martial arts world and letting them kill each other to weaken their strength so that even if they cause trouble in the future, they will fail to pose a real problem. Unfortunately, this was like playing with fire, not even the imperial court dared to do so.
"The imperial court had no intention to unify the martial arts world?" Chu Li asked.
"Yes, they do but they weren't able to do it," Siao Qi said, "Unless it's someone from the four major sects, otherwise, it is very difficult to convince the crowd, and the standing of the four major sects are transcendent, the imperial court did not dare to provoke them."
Chu Li sighed, "It's an awkward predicament."
"Yes, it is," Siao Qi agreed.
Siao Shi smiled, "Chu Li, you learned medical knowledge from Sir Guo Mulin, how is your medical skill now?"
Chu Li smiled, "I only have a superficial understanding of it."
"You are too not humble! " Guo Mulin said gruffly, "I'm the one who had superficial knowledge, you haven't even grasped the superficial knowledge."
Chu Li laughed, "All thanks to Sir Guo Mulin's education."
"If so, help me take a look," Siao Shi put out her snow-white wrist.
Her skin was as white as snow, but it lacked a little glossiness when compared to Siao Qi's white jade skin, along with her long eyebrows, the soft and delicate look between her brows made one feel tender and protective of her, sought to take good care of her and did not dare to speak loudly.
Chu Li glanced at Siao Qi.
Siao Qi said, "Then take a look."
Chu Li put his right hand on Siao Shi's wrist, a soft and cool sensation transmitted from his fingertips to his body. He suppressed his excited heart, focused his mind and examined her health. After a few moments, he let her change to her other wrist and examined carefully.
His brows slowly wrinkled up. He activated his Omniscient Mirror and slowly examined her body, carefully searching inch by inch, but he could not find out any problem.
"Have you identified the problem?" Guo Mulin scoffed.
Chu Li did not speak, he still stared at Siao Shi.
Siao Shi felt uncomfortable from his staring, it was like his eyes can see through her clothing and her naked body was exposed in front of him, there was some tingling sensation on her skin.
Chu Li frowned, "That's strange."
He had seen the body someone with a deficient natural endowment, and it was different from Siao Shi's.
Siao Shi's case was somewhat strange, her meridians were small and weak, her vital essence was feeble, just like a dying candlelight and a gust of wind could blow it off. This was not being physically weak, but rather the lack of vitality, it was a sign of her life vitality about to come to an end.
"It's a deficient natural endowment, you can't see it?" Guo Mulin said.
Chu Li shook his head, "It does not seem so."
"What is it?" Guo Mulin asked with interest, "What's different?"
Chu Li turned his head to Siao Qi and said, "My Lady, can you please find a young woman who does not practice martial arts? Preferably someone younger than Second Lady by two years."
"Someone who does not practice martial arts…," Siao Qi nodded, "No problem!"
Guo Mulin asked, "What did you find out?"
"I suspect that young lady is not congenitally weak, but a special kind of trick," Chu Li frowned and said, "I have seen a kind of concealed trick in a miscellanea that can kill people imperceptibly."
He had read medical books before but after all, there was no one to guide him, thus he only knew the theories. However, after Guo Mulin's enlightenment, he incorporated what he learned into his own understandings and achieved a comprehensive mastery on the subject. Hence, when he looked at the human body again, it was completely different from the past, he understood more about the uniqueness and wonderfulness of a human body.
Siao Shi's body looked like it was a deficient natural endowment, that was the case when seen from her pulse, and her external symptoms were also aligned with the diagnosis, but some situations did not comply with the signs of a deficient natural endowment.
No matter how good Guo Mulin's medical skill was or how accurate he can diagnose an illness from checking the pulse, after all, he could not be like Chu Li who was able to see through human body. It was just like the difference between type-B ultrasonic and nuclear magnetic resonance.
"What trick?" Angle turned her head and asked Chu Li after giving her orders to the maid.
Chu Li said, "Vitality Sealing Finger... I suspect it's this preliminary, but it still needs to be verified. "
Siao Qi pondered and shook her head, she had not heard of this.
Guo Mulin frowned and thought hard, he had never heard of it too.
Siao Shi paused to think for a while and said, "Vitality Sealing Finger, I feel like I have seen it before, it continuously discharged someone's inherent vitality and reduce that person's life-span."
Chu Li nodded.
"Heavens, no." Mullin frowned, "Looking at Young Siao Shi's symptoms, it's exactly a deficient natural endowment."
Chu Li said, "After Vitality Sealing Finger is engaged, the outward manifestation is a deficient natural endowment, as it continuously detriment the innate vitality…but this is only my guess, I still need to look more carefully."
During the short moment of their conversation, the maid from just now had brought in another maid.
Chu Li took a glance at this pretty maid, she was petite and slim, with a ruddy complexion. Although she did not seem like someone who practiced martial arts, she looked to be in good health.
She came in front of the four people, hung her head and stood motionlessly.
Chu Li did not talk too, he just stared at her.
After a long while, he turned to look at Siao Shi. His gaze swapping between the two people.
A quarter of an hour later, Chu Li waved his hand, and Siao Qi dismissed the maid, the former maid followed and they exited the small courtyard.
Siao Qi asked, "Is it Vitality Sealing Finger?"
"Most likely," Chu Li sighed, "I had no idea that such trick was not lost."
"Is there a way to cure it?" Siao Qi asked.
Siao Shi's eyes were like limpid pools, staring at him silently, it was clear that her heart did not stir.
Guo Mulin was rather skeptical.
In any case, Chu Li had just learned medical for a few days, he was just like a half-filled water bottle, can he really find out whether it was a deficient natural endowment or Vitality Sealing Finger? Siao Shi was not a normal person, if he truly made a mistake and an accident happened, he will never be able to compensate for his fault even with a 100 of his death.
Chu Li said, "Coincidently, I know exactly how to remove this trick, the removal method is not complicated, but it is… quite risky."
"How to remove it?" Siao Qi asked.
Chu Li looked at Siao Shi, "Use a powerful inner energy to hit the Baihui acupuncture point [1], preferably done by a Grandmaster."
Siao Qi's eyebrows drawn together, "It will be either she survives the treatment or she dies from it, right? "
Using a powerful inner energy to strike one's Baihui acupuncture point, even a Grandmaster will die from this, not to mention a weak woman like her second eldest sister!
Chu Li nodded reluctantly, "Yes."
"Audacious! You even had the guts to say that!" Guo Mulin stared with widened eyes petulantly, "Nonsense!"
Siao Shi knitted her eyebrows together and deliberated.
Chu Li had saved her life before, she did not doubt his loyalty but she was not as confident in his medical skills.
Siao Qi fixed her gaze him, "Chu Li, are you sure it will succeed?"
Chu Li said, "A very high chance to succeed!"
"Totally nonsense," Siao Qi said plainly, "Forget it, let's pretend that this never happened."
Chu Li stole a glance at Siao Shi, shook his head and did not to speak anymore.
Translator Note
[1] 百会 Baihui (Hundred Convergences/Meetings) is an acupuncture point officially known as Governor Vessel 20 (GV20 or DU20). It is located at the top of the head, in line with the tips of the ears. Among other things, you can use this point for a headache, to clear your mind because of overthinking, to increase memory, to resolve hemorrhoids, and counteract depression.