Chapter 8: Revival from Death

Tan Qingjiu was briefly stunned. She turned her head and saw the very Miss Yin Xue, who had just been laughing and chatting with her, now lying on the ground with blood at the corner of her mouth.

Meanwhile, Tan Yunge, who had already left, had somehow circled back and was now standing among the crowd, lifting her gaze to look directly at Qingjiu, her face twisted in a cold sneer.

It was as if her eyes said, “Trying to go against me? Courting death.”

Tan Yunge’s maidservant had already raised her voice, shouting, “Murder! The divine physician has killed someone!”

The citizens who had just dispersed now clustered back together.

“Wasn’t Miss Yin Xue perfectly fine just now? How could she suddenly drop dead?”

Someone moved forward to check her breath. “Heavens, she really isn’t breathing.”

Tan Yunge’s maid scoffed, “I already found that so-called divine physician a little odd. After all, only she touched Miss Yin Xue’s wrist to take her pulse. Now Miss Yin Xue drops dead—she must have poisoned her.”

“I thought our Lady was merely misled by rumors and wrongly accused Miss Yin Xue, but who could have guessed, this divine physician pretended to save lives yet came to kill.”

“Alas, who knows what sort of grudge exists between Miss Yin Xue and this physician, for her to be so ruthless.”

Tan Qingjiu narrowed her eyes. “Move aside.”

At the sight of her, the crowd hurriedly gave way, allowing her to enter.

The maidservant began to shout once more, “You’ve killed someone and dare to show your face? Seize this murderer! She must be sent before the authorities.”

“A life for a life—she must not be allowed to escape!”

The guards from the Heir’s residence surged forward, intent on capturing Tan Qingjiu.

“Move aside,” Tan Qingjiu commanded sharply, but no one heeded her words.

Her gaze turned icy. “You refuse? If you won’t let me through, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

She drew her hand from her sleeve; silver flashed between her fingers. With a wave, startled cries rang out, and in an instant, the guards collapsed to their knees.

“Get up! What are you doing?” Tan Yunge’s brows knit in anger as she shouted.

“My lady, she must have poisoned us. Our bodies are numb, we can’t move at all,” the guards replied.

Tan Qingjiu sneered, “Does anyone else wish to try?”

Tan Yunge’s expression grew unsightly. “You commit murder in broad daylight and use poison on innocent people—do you hold the law in any regard?”

“The law?” Tan Qingjiu let out a short, derisive laugh. No one dared stand in her way as she strode over to Miss Yin Xue and knelt to examine her.

She pulled a needle case from her sleeve and selected two silver needles.

The needles pierced swiftly into the ring fingers of Yin Xue’s hands, and with a squeeze, a drop of blood appeared.

Tan Qingjiu observed the blood closely, her hands moving in deft arcs with the needles.

Neiguan, Waiguan, Renzhong, Daling, Quze, Baihui—one by one, she struck the acupoints.

With the final needle at Baihui, Miss Yin Xue suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood, and her fingers twitched.

“She’s… alive?”

Cries of astonishment echoed. “But just now, didn’t we check her breath and find none? How could she revive?”

Tan Qingjiu ignored the murmuring crowd, instead helping Miss Yin Xue up and giving her back a firm pat.

Yin Xue spat out another mouthful of black blood, then opened her eyes.

“What… what happened to me?”

Tan Qingjiu lifted her gaze to the now-panicked Tan Yunge, lips curling in a faint smile. “You were poisoned.”

Yin Xue’s eyes widened as she slowly recalled, “Right, just now, the maid I brought with me supported me, and I felt something prick my elbow. I wanted to check, but then I grew dizzy, and everything went black.”

“It was my maid…”

All eyes turned toward Miss Yin Xue’s carriage, but the maid was long gone—she must have fled at the first sign of trouble.

Tan Qingjiu’s eyelids drooped. “It was Gouchen poison. Once afflicted, breath and pulse vanish, appearing as if dead. If the antidote isn’t administered within three days, even the gods couldn’t save you. That’s why it’s called ‘false death powder’.”

“This poison is exceedingly rare, worth a fortune. Strange indeed, how could a mere maid afford it?”

“Most likely, someone bribed your maid to take your life.”

“Because I disrupted their plan, the maid was forced to act early—and conveniently, they could frame me for your death.”

“I’ve just met Miss Yin Xue today. I don’t know who would harbor enmity toward both of us, wishing to kill you and blame me.”

“Too bad, the mastermind seems to have forgotten: I am the master of the Divine Hands Pavilion, the renowned miracle doctor. Raising the dead and mending flesh and bone—these are not mere legends.”

“To play such tricks in front of me was doomed to fail from the start.”

Tan Qingjiu lifted her eyes to Tan Yunge. “My lady, do you think I’m mistaken?”

Her meaning was unmistakable—she was openly suspecting Tan Yunge of being the one behind it all.

Tan Yunge’s face darkened instantly. “What are you implying?”

“Nothing at all,” Tan Qingjiu replied with a soft laugh. “Just a kind reminder: Walk the night road too often, and you’re bound to meet a ghost. Evil done too often brings retribution—best be careful.”

She cared nothing for Tan Yunge’s response, only lowering her head to help Miss Yin Xue up. “Come, I’ll help you to your carriage.”

Tan Yunge was about to retort, but suddenly felt an itch crawling across her face. She reached up to scratch it, only to see people staring at her in horror.

Sensing something was wrong, she turned to her maid for help, who cried out, “My lady, your face…”

“What about my face?”

“There are so many rashes… so many…”

Tan Yunge’s eyes went wide in panic as she hastily raised her sleeve to cover her face. “How could this be? How could this happen?”

She quickly realized the truth and glared at Tan Qingjiu. “It was you! Wasn’t it?”

Tan Qingjiu, supporting Miss Yin Xue, paused and smiled. “My lady, you mustn’t make baseless accusations. I was nowhere near you just now—how could I have poisoned you even if I wished to?”

“Though your status is lofty, that doesn’t grant you license to slander others.”

“You—!”

Tan Qingjiu blinked innocently. “My lady, your face is truly alarming. You’d best return and summon a physician, lest your beauty be ruined.”

Tan Yunge felt the itch burrowing into her bones, and the pointed stares of the surrounding crowd made her feel as though daggers pierced her back. Furious, she stamped her foot and hurried away with her retinue.

Tan Qingjiu’s lips quirked in amusement as she continued to escort Miss Yin Xue toward the carriage.

“Divine Doctor, you’ve offended the lady on my account. She’ll surely seek revenge—won’t you…”

“Don’t worry, she can’t touch me. In fact, I have quite a few scores of my own to settle with her.”

Tan Qingjiu saw her to the carriage. “You needn’t feel burdened, Miss Yin Xue. I saved you more because I already had a grudge with the lady.”

“It’s best you stay cautious in the future—and perhaps leave the capital for a while.”

She cupped her hands politely. “I won’t see you off. Farewell.”

Turning away, Tan Qingjiu strode swiftly to her own carriage, pushed open the door, and found Tan Xingqi and Tan Xingyou seated inside, both smiling up at her.