One person: Lu Jin, do I look like your master?

"There has never been true, absolute freedom in this world. But for her..."

His gaze fell on Chen Duo again, filled with deep pity:

"Whether in the twisted Gu vessel of the Medicine Immortal Society or under the seemingly 'merciful' supervision of your company, she has never had the power to choose."

She was always like a tool, a piece of code with a pre-programmed sequence, pushed and manipulated forward by external forces.

None of you, including Liao Zhong, have ever truly, equally, and without any preconceived notions asked her a single question:

'Chen Duo, what are you really thinking? What do you really want?'

“You just dump all the things you think are ‘good,’ ‘right,’ and ‘safe’ on her.”

Arrange accommodation for her, set her schedule, give her instructions, and even give her what you consider 'protection' and 'care'.

But have you asked her? Does she want this kind of life? Does she accept this kind of 'good' treatment?

Wang Xuan's words were like icy spring water, washing away what Liao Zhong had always firmly believed in.

There is never any true empathy in this world.

You can never fully comprehend the inhuman torment she endured growing up in the Medicine Fairy Society, nor can you fully understand the immense difficulty and bewilderment she faced in integrating into the normal world.

Therefore, don't always try to make all the decisions for her under the guise of "doing what's best for her."

But what she was deprived of most was her right to try and take responsibility for what she desired, even if that choice seemed wrong or dangerous to you.

Wang Xuan spoke at length, each word crystal clear, striking a chord deep within Liao Zhong's heart.

It was also clearly transmitted to the boardroom at headquarters through the unclosed communicator.

The workshop was deathly silent, with only Liao Zhong's heavy breathing and Chen Duo's faint, almost inaudible breathing.

Liao Zhong stood frozen in place, his expression shifting rapidly. Wang Xuan's words struck him like a hammer blow.

It shattered his preconceived notions, revealing the raw, bloody truth he had never truly considered.

Ma Xianhong and Bi Yuan, who were high up, listened intently, and the resentful expression on Ma Xianhong's face gradually disappeared.

Instead, he fell into deep thought. Bi Yuan, on the other hand, sighed deeply, as if Wang Xuan's words had touched upon some of his hidden worries.

Chen Duo remained standing quietly, seemingly understanding, yet not quite.

But her empty eyes gradually regained some light. She looked at Liao Zhong as if waiting for an answer, a response she had been waiting for for a very long time.

Chapter 23 What Primal Gu? Go tell my Horse Talisman!

Wang Xuan did not look at Liao Zhong, who was struggling with a huge inner turmoil and whose expression was constantly changing.

Some hurdles need to be overcome by the person involved themselves; outsiders can only offer guidance, and saying too much is not helpful.

He slowly walked up to Chen Duo, who had been standing quietly, as if all the intense conflicts around her were none of her concern.

The moonlight shone on her pale face, and her emerald eyes, though still empty, seemed to have gained a faint, almost imperceptible glimmer than before.

Wang Xuan leaned down slightly, bringing his gaze level with Chen Duo's, and stared calmly and intently into the depths of her eyes, as if trying to see directly into the essence of her soul.

His voice was gentle yet possessed a strange penetrating power as he asked clearly:

"Little girl, I have a question for you. Think about it carefully before you answer me."

Chen Duo slightly raised her eyes and looked at him quietly.

"If... there were a chance for you to completely give up this primal Gu poison that is intertwined with your life, so that you would never again suffer from its erosion and torment."

You will no longer possess any of the power it brought, becoming... perhaps weak, but truly 'clean' ordinary people. Are you... willing?

This question, like a pebble thrown into an ancient well, created a subtle ripple in Chen Duo's almost stagnant heart.

Abandon... Gu poison?

This concept was too foreign to her, and had never even appeared in her knowledge.

From the moment she became conscious, the Gu poison was a part of her, as natural as breathing, and as eternal as a curse.

They roamed her internal organs, gnawing at her life force and bringing her pain.

But it also endowed her with "value" and the meaning of "existence"—as the "holy child" of the Medicine Immortal Society, and as a "tool" of the company.

She subconsciously wanted to say:

But... the poison and the curse cannot be separated..."

This is "common sense" deeply rooted in her thinking.

However, this thought had barely formed when it was interrupted by the miraculous actions of the young man in white before him.

Uncle Liao... He was clearly afflicted with a deadly poison just now, and was in excruciating pain.

But after he gently touched his head, he instantly recovered completely, and even the bloodstains on the ground were still warm!

Common sense seems to have been shattered in the face of this person.

The faint light in her empty eyes seemed to brighten a little.

She struggled and awkwardly tried to understand the meaning of "giving up" and "choosing".

After a moment of silence, under Liao Zhong's tense and complicated gaze, Chen Duo softly but with unusual clarity uttered three words:

"I am willing."

There was no earth-shattering announcement, just three simple words.

But it seemed to have exhausted her immense courage, representing her choice of a completely new and unknown possibility...

Liao Zhong was completely stunned. He was not only shocked by Chen Duo's answer, but also because... he saw it.

When she said "I do," a very slight, yet real, smile appeared on Chen Duo's face!

It wasn't the numbness after completing a task, nor the obedience after receiving instructions, but a genuine, pure smile that carried a hint of longing and relief!

Liao Zhong felt as if his heart had been struck hard! He had taken care of Chen Duo for so many years, and he had seen her bewildered and quiet.

I've seen her cold indifference when carrying out orders, but I've almost never seen her... laugh! Let alone laugh so genuinely!

So, getting rid of this Gu poison was her true inner desire?

Just then, Chen Duo turned her head and looked at Liao Zhong. She gazed at him with eyes that held a faint, newly born life force, and softly asked:

"Uncle Liao... if I want... to ask him for help, would you... agree?"

She was asking for his opinion.

It wasn't an order, nor a report, but an inquiry.

This was the first time she had truly expressed her desires to him and sought his "approval".

“Chen…Chen Duo…”

Looking at the little girl in front of him, who seemed to have only truly "come alive" a little bit at this moment, Liao Zhong felt as if something was blocking his throat, and his nose felt sore.

Wang Xuan's words just now resounded in his mind like a thunderclap.

Yes, why do I always think that everything I arrange for her is the best?

What makes you think that regulation and protection are all she needs?

He had never even asked her if she wanted to get rid of the Gu poison that brought her endless pain!

Humans cannot think for others.

All claims of "doing it for your own good" can become a form of manipulation if they lack genuine understanding and respect.

"Liao Zhong! What's the situation over there?! Report immediately!"

In the earpiece, Bi Youlong's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger and anxiety. The silence and unusual atmosphere on the other end made the board of directors feel out of control and uneasy.

Liao Zhong took a deep breath, his eyes becoming incredibly determined. He had made his decision.

He raised his hand and, without any hesitation, ripped off the communication headset that was always connected to the company headquarters. Then, he clenched his fist tightly!

The exquisite communicator instantly turned to dust in his palm!

All the eavesdropping, all the instructions, all the pressure and questioning from above—at this moment, he personally cut them off!

He looked at Chen Duo, a relieved, even somewhat naive smile on his face, his voice loud and firm:

"Alright! Chen Duo! Just do it! Uncle Liao supports you! It's good that you don't have this damned Gu poison!"

"That's great! Then we won't be temporary workers anymore, we'll be ordinary girls, and Uncle Liao will support you! Uncle Liao has saved enough money for you to live on for a lifetime!"

At this moment, he was not Liao Zhong, the head of the South China region; he was simply Chen Duo's Uncle Liao.

Looking at Liao Zhong's decisive actions and heartfelt words, Wang Xuan also showed a faint, gratified smile.

Very good, all my efforts have not been in vain.

This man was ultimately sincere towards Chen Duo; he just used the wrong methods before.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the high platform where Ma Xianhong and Bi Yuan had previously hidden.

But they found the place was already empty—the two had somehow sensed something was wrong and quietly slipped away.

Wang Xuan didn't care.

Now is the time to fulfill our promise.

Wang Xuan reached out again, just as he had done with Liao Zhong before, and gently placed his palm on Chen Duo's head.

Chen Duo's body trembled slightly, but she did not flinch. She simply looked at him with eyes that held a hint of expectation and trust.

The mysterious and pure purple light in the depths of Wang Xuan's eyes shone once more.

The ancient and complex phantom of the horse talisman, appearing and disappearing, symbolizes the power of absolute health, dispelling, and restoration, and begins to flow slowly.

Chen Duo let out a very soft groan.

She could clearly feel the primal poison within her body, which had been like a symbiotic organ, constantly drawing her vital energy and residing deep within her internal organs.

At this moment, as if challenged and summoned by some supreme authority, they began to riot wildly!

They instinctively resisted the external force that tried to "strip" and "purify" them, emitting silent hisses.

It devoured her meridians even more frantically, trying to deepen its connection with the host's life in a final struggle!

The excruciating pain surged through me instantly, more intense than any previous backlash!

However, this desperate struggle lasted for less than a breath!

The power of the Horse Talisman is absolute restraint at the level of rules!

The "restoration" it represents is to forcibly restore its goal to "the most perfect state of health"!

No matter how bizarre and difficult to deal with, the original Gu poison is still essentially an "abnormal state", "external erosion", or "disease"!

Before the power of this supreme law, all acquired "abnormalities" are nothing but illusions!

The raging, primal Gu poison, which was so potent that even the most skilled doctors and powerful supernatural beings were helpless against, was like snow meeting the scorching sun.

When it encounters the frost of boiling water, it cannot even put up a decent resistance and is silently destroyed.

The process was faster than I could have imagined!

In just two or three breaths, the primal Gu poison that had plagued Chen Duo for over a decade and was considered an incurable disease... completely disappeared!

The excruciating pain receded like a tide, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of...ease!

Chen Duo's eyes widened suddenly, and she instinctively covered her lower abdomen, where the Gu poison had once been entrenched.

At this moment, there is no longer a lingering gnawing sensation or a cold burden, but rather a warm and vibrant energy!

The internal organs, which had been weakened by years of poisoning, were now like parched land receiving rain, with every cell rejoicing and bursting with new vitality!

She felt lighter than ever before, and her breathing was smoother than ever before, as if she had unloaded a heavy mountain that she had carried for more than a decade!

An indescribable, unfamiliar feeling called "health" filled her entire body.

She stood there, stunned, feeling the earth-shattering changes.

For the first time, the bright moonlight was clearly reflected in her azure eyes, astonishingly bright.

Wang Xuan slowly withdrew his hand, the purple light in his eyes disappeared, and all his aura returned to calm.

Wang Xuan: What primordial Gu? Go tell my horse talisman!